Health Headlines - January 31

EU Considering Total Ban on Public Smoking

European Union officials may propose a total smoking ban in public places for all 27 member countries.

In a policy paper released Tuesday, EU regulators said they favor a ban that does not include any exemptions for establishments, such as bars serving food, Bloomberg news reported.

However, the EU is delaying introducing legislation to guarantee a smoke-free environment across the entire bloc because "the desirable level of EU involvement in promoting smoke-free legislation is an open question."

So far, 13 EU nations have drafted rules to restrict smoking in public. However, smoking bans have met strong opposition in some countries, including Germany, which is Europe's biggest tobacco market, Bloomberg reported.

Each year in the EU, secondhand smoke is responsible for the deaths of 79,000 adults, according to the European Commission, the EU's executive arm.

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Statins More Effective for Male Heart Attack Patients: Study

Cholesterol-lowering statin drugs are more effective for men than women in reducing the risk of death after a heart attack, says a study published Tuesday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

Researchers at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal compared the death rates of more than 14,000 heart attack patients treated with statins and more than 23,000 patients who did not receive statins, CBC News reported.

They found that the use of statins after a heart attack was associated with a lower death risk in men than in women, whether it was cardiac-related death or death from other causes.

The researchers suggested that men and women may process statins differently, CBC News reported.

"If corroborated by independent studies on the effects of statins on serum cholesterol levels, these results would suggest a possible need for reappraisal of target daily doses for statins," the researchers wrote. "Women might require a higher dose to achieve preventive effects similar to those observed in men."

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Test May Predict Risk of Bone Marrow Transplant Rejection

A potential method of predicting whether transplants from specific bone marrow donors are likely to be rejected by a recipient has been developed by Canadian researchers.

They analyzed 19,000 genes from 50 bone marrow donors and found that the activity of 17 specific genes could help them identify so-called "dangerous donors" whose bone marrow was likely to be rejected, the Canadian Press reported.

If this approach is confirmed, it would help doctors plan bone marrow transplants and post-transplant treatments in order to reduce recipients' risk of graft-versus-host disease.

It may also be possible for doctors to use this test to determine which recipients are likely to reject different kinds of solid organ transplants (for example, kidneys and livers), the CP reported.

The study was published Tuesday in the journal Public Library of Science Medicine.

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YAZ Birth Control Pill Can be Used to Treat Acne: FDA

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has ruled that the oral contraceptive YAZ can also be used by women to control moderate acne, the Associated Press reported..

The decision means that YAZ, made by Bayer Schering Pharma AG, is the first oral contraceptive to be approved by the FDA for three distinct uses, the drug maker said in a statement released Monday.

Along with birth control and acne treatment, YAZ is also approved in the United States to treat the physical and emotional symptoms of premenstrual dysphoric disorder, the AP reported.

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McDonald's Starting to Use Trans-Fat-Free Oil for Fries

After years of testing, McDonald's Corp. has finally chosen a trans-fat-free cooking oil for its french fries, the company said Monday. But the fast-food giant did not say when the new oil would be used in all its 13,700 U.S. restaurants.

McDonald's spokesman Walt Riker did say the oil is currently being used in more than 1,200 U.S. restaurants and is being phased in around the country, the Associated Press reported.

According to the Chicago Tribune, McDonald's tested 18 varieties of oil in more than 50 blends during the last seven years.

McDonald's trails fast-food rivals Wendy's International Inc. and Yum Brands Inc.'s KFC and Taco Bell in using oils that are free of artery-clogging trans fats, the AP reported.

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Jury Awards Woman $1.5 Million in Prempro Lawsuit

The Prempro menopause drug contributed to an Arkansas woman's breast cancer, and drug maker Wyeth should pay her $1.5 million in damages, a state court jury in Philadelphia decided Monday.

The jury deliberated for a total of about nine hours over two days before it concluded that Wyeth's conduct was "malicious, wanton, willful or oppressive," and awarded punitive damages to plaintiff Mary Daniel, Bloomberg news reported.

Wyeth failed to provide proper warnings about Prempro's cancer risk, the jury said. The jurors will return Tuesday to consider awarding further damages to Daniel, who took Prempro for about 16 months before she was diagnosed with breast cancer in July 2001.

This is the second trial loss for Madison, N.J.-based Wyeth, which faces about 5,000 lawsuits over its hormone-replacement drugs, including Prempro and Premarin, Bloomberg reported.

Health Headlines - January 30

Racehorse Barbaro Euthanized

Continuing complications from his breakdown at the Preakness Stakes last May led to the decision to euthanize Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro on Monday, his owners said.

Since the colt shattered his right hind leg at the Preakness, he's suffered numerous complications, including laminitis in the left rear hoof and an abscess in the right rear hoof, the Associated Press reported.

"We just reached a point where it was going to be difficult for him to go on without pain," said co-owner Roy Jackson. "It was the right decision, it was the right thing to do. We said all along if there was a situation where it would become more difficult for him then it would be time."

Barbaro had emergency surgery after the injury at the Preakness, but never regained his normal gait, the AP reported.

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Glaxo Tried to Hide Paxil/Teen Suicide Link

Secret company emails show that drug maker GlaxoSmithKline distorted trial results in an attempt to hide a link between its antidepressant Paxil (paroxetine) and increased suicide risk in adolescents, BBC News reported.

The company's own studies showed that the drug tripled the risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior in depressed youngsters. Despite the trial findings, Glaxo attempted to show that the drug benefited depressed adolescents.

Glaxo said it "rejects any suggestion that it has improperly withheld any drug trial information," BBC News reported.

The company emails were uncovered when Glaxo was forced to open its confidential internal archive after bereaved families in the United States joined together to sue the drug maker.

In one email, a public relations executive working for Glaxo wrote: "Originally, we had planned to do extensive media relations surrounding this study until we actually viewed the results.

"Essentially, the study did not really show it was effective in treating adolescent depression, which is not something we want to publicize."

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Bird Flu Vaccine Safe, Effective in Animals: Taiwan Officials

In tests on animals, a new bird flu vaccine appeared to be safe and effective, officials at Taiwan's National Health Research Institute said Monday.

They hope to soon begin clinical trials on humans and said the vaccine may be ready for general use by next year, CBC News reported.

A number of countries are striving to develop a vaccine against the dangerous H5N1 bird flu virus, which has led to the death or slaughter of more than 200 million birds since it first appeared a few years ago. The virus has also killed more than 160 people worldwide, most of them in Southeast Asia.

Most human cases have been the result of direct contact with infected poultry. But experts fear that if the H5N1 virus mutates into a form that's easily transmitted between humans, it could spark a pandemic.

In related news, officials have confirmed an outbreak of H5N1 among geese in the southeast part of Hungary. It's the first H5N1 outbreak in the European Union since last summer, CBC News reported.

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Decades-Old Treatment Equals Estrogen in Easing Hot Flashes: Study

A synthetic version of the hormone progesterone appears to be as effective as, and safer than, estrogen at relieving menopause-related hot flashes, concludes a Canadian-led international study in the January issue of the journal Clinical Science.

The one-year study of 41 women found that the synthetic treatment medroxyprogesterone -- developed about 40 years ago -- and estrogen both reduced hot flashes and night sweats. The study also concluded that medroxyprogesterone was safer than estrogen, CBC News reported.

The synthetic treatment did not cause blood clots, breast cancer, or increase the risk of migraine headaches. The study findings may prove good news for women concerned about the risks of hormone replacement therapy, which studies suggest increases the risk of breast cancer, heart disease and stroke.

"As a doctor who takes care of women who have very bad hot flashes, the good news is that those with migraine headaches, those with blood clots, those with other reasons why they shouldn't take estrogen, now they have an equally effective choice," study author Dr. Jerilynn Prior, professor of endocrinology at the University of British Columbia, told CBC News.

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Connecticut Woman, World's Oldest Person, Dies

A 114-year-old Connecticut woman -- who was declared the world's oldest living person just last week -- died on Sunday, the Associated Press reported.

Emma Faust Tillman died Sunday night at an East Hartford nursing home. She became the world's oldest person Jan. 24 after the death of 115-year-old Emiliano Mercado del Toro of Puerto Rico.

The Guinness Book of World Records now reports the world's oldest known living person as 113-year-old Yone Minagawa of Japan, who was born Jan. 4, 1893, the AP reported.

Tillman was born Nov. 22, 1892 in North Carolina, during the administration of President Benjamin Harrison. Tillman's family moved to Glastonbury, Conn. in 1900. Tillman, who never smoked or drank, didn't need glasses and lived independently until she was 110 years old.

She and her husband, who died in 1939, had two daughters. One of the daughters is deceased and the other one, Marjorie, was her mother's caretaker and a constant presence with her at the nursing home, the AP reported.

During her life, Tillman worked as a cook, maid, party caterer and caretaker for a number of wealthy families in the Hartford area. She later ran her own baking and catering service.

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Braces Don't Boost Mental Well-Being: Study

Getting braces during childhood does not boost a person's quality of life or mental well-being in adulthood, according to a U.K. study that tracked about 1,000 children for 20 years.

The study authors said their findings show that there's no evidence to support the widespread belief in the dental profession that orthodontics improve self-esteem or psychological health, BBC News reported.

The Welsh schoolchildren in the study were followed from 1981, when they were ages 10 or 11, until 2001. Those who did receive braces to correct crooked teeth did say they were happier with their teeth. However, they did not have better self-esteem or mental health than those who had no orthodontic treatment.

In previous research, the same team found that not having orthodontics as a child did not have a negative effect on future dental health, BBC News reported.

Teen uses Bubble Wrap to aid amputees

Grayson Rosenberger often marveled at his parents' work with prosthetic patients in Africa and wondered how he could contribute to their effort. The 15-year-old from Nashville finally found a way, and it was recognized Monday as the grand prize winner in Sealed Air Corp.'s inaugural Bubble Wrap Competition for Young Inventors.

Rosenberger used Bubble Wrap brand packing material to develop a cost-effective cosmetic skin covering for prosthetic limbs. Later this year, he plans to visit Ghana with his parents to fit some patients with his low-cost invention.

"I'm very honored and excited," Rosenberger said by telephone Monday a few minutes before taping the "The Today Show." "It gives me an opportunity to do something with my invention."

Rosenberger was one of about 800 students who entered the contest challenging students in grades 5 through 8 to develop inventions that incorporate Bubble Wrap. Officials said judging was based on originality, creativity, usefulness, benefit to society, marketability and feasibility, as well as overall presentation.

Rosenberger was able to turn a basic artificial leg into a more realistic one using a heat gun to mold Bubble Wrap cushioning around the steel rod of a prosthetic limb to give it muscle-like tone and shape. He said his invention should benefit amputees in Africa who are viewed strangely because they have to "walk around with an open metal rod" as a leg.

"They're looked at freakishly," Rosenberger said. "I hope this will let them walk out their door and feel normal."

Rosenberger's invention costs a fraction of the $1,000 patients must pay for other prosthetic covers.

His father and mother, who lost both her legs in an auto accident when she was a teenager, say they are astounded by what their son has done in winning the grand prize of a $10,000 savings bond.

"We're just blown away, and very moved," said father Peter Rosenberger, whose charitable organization Standing With Hope works with Ghana's government to teach them how to build prosthetics in a low-tech environment.

The second- and third-place winners in the competition were 13-year-old Megan Guerrero of San Angelo, Texas, and 13-year-old Alex Chalcraft of Gilbert, Ariz., respectively.

Guerrero created a three-dimensional architectural puzzle that presents a fun and educational way to learn about the Empire State Building, and Chalcraft developed a way to motivate children to do chores with a chart that lists a series of weekly tasks and allows children to pop a bubble each time they complete a chore.

"Sealed Air has always valued and encouraged innovation," said Sealed Air president and CEO William V. Hickey. "Sealed Air is grateful to have this opportunity to recognize and support the creativity and ingenuity of our three finalists through a competition that celebrates one of our most well-known and trusted brands."

Sealed Air is a leading manufacturer of a wide range of food and protective packaging materials and systems, including Bubble Wrap cushioning, Jiffy protective mailers and Cryovac food packaging products.

Health Headlines - January 29

Famous Diet Program May Be Part of West Virginia Medicaid Plan

Weight Watchers as a Medicaid benefit?

The noted diet program may be West Virginia's best bet to curb an obesity problem that had the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ranking the state second only to Mississippi as having the most obese adults in the United States.

According to the Associated Press, West Virginia's annual Medicaid costs associated with obesity-related illness exceed $100 million of its $2.1 billion budget. State health officials think a Weight Watchers program designed to bring about weight loss and prevent diseases such as diabetes would be a good choice.

However, the immediate concern is not so much about cost as it is long-term benefits. "It's not about immediate cost containment," the wire service quotes state Medicaid spokeswoman Shannon Riley as saying. "The Medicaid program will see savings down the line, but this is about slowing the growth of lifestyle-induced diseases and disabilities."

The neighboring state of Tennessee adopted a similar measure last year, and the A.P. cites state officials as saying that more than 8,000 pounds were lost by the 1,400 residents who participated in the Weight Watchers regimen. Similar programs are being planned for California, Colorado Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin, the wire service reports.

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Variant Gene Raises Diabetes Risk in Half of U.S. Population

Earlier studies into causes of diabetes indicated that a version of a specific gene might increase the risk of getting diabetes.

Now, a scientist at Saint Louis University confirms the finding that a common variation of the gene FABP2 causes people to metabolize food in a way that increases risk for type 2 (adult onset) diabetes. Edward Weiss, in a university news release, says that his research concluded that the gene, found in about half the U.S. population, burned fat in the body in a way that hindered the ability to remove sugar from the blood stream.

Too much sugar in the blood is a major characteristic of diabetes, and it is estimated that more than 17 million Americans have type 2 diabetes.

While this finding is significant, Weiss says that having the gene variation doesn't mean a person is going to get diabetes. "Many other genes, some known and some unknown, are involved in a person's overall risk of developing diabetes," Weiss says in the news release. "Those are things a person can't control. But there are risk factors for diabetes that a person can change -- lifestyle factors, such as diet and exercise."

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Increased Stroke Risk Found in New Macular Degeneration Drug

A recently-approved drug to treat macular degeneration in the elderly may increase a person's risk of getting a stroke.

According to the New York Times, a high dose of pharmaceutical company Genentech's new eye drug Lucentis caused a stroke to occur in 1.2 percent of patients in a clinical trial compared to only .3 percent of those patients given a lower dose.

Genentech sent a letter to retina specialists this past week reporting the findings, the Times reports, although a company spokesperson said that the significantly different statistical finding probably would not change the information on the drug's label, because it already contains a warning about possible clotting or stroke risk.

The importance of Lucentis (ranibizumab) is that clinical trials have demonstrated it is the first drug that actually causes vision improvement in people suffering from macular degeneration, rather than just slowing degeneration of eyesight, the newspaper reports.

Macular degeneration, which leads to blindness, especially in the elderly, is caused by the degeneration of part of the retina, leading to blurry vision or vision that excludes the ability to see peripherally.

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Japan Begins Poultry Slaughter After Another Outbreak of Avian Flu

Unlike many other Asian countries, Japan had until recently escaped massive outbreaks of avian flu among its poultry population.

But that has changed. The Associated Press reports that a second outbreak has been detected on a poultry farm in southern Japan in the country's major chicken-producing region. Scientitsts determined that the first outbreak, which killed 4,000 chickens, was caused by the deadly H5N1 strain of the flu, the one that health experts are carefully monitoring for mutations that could cause a pandemic among humans.

The latest outbreak was in a group of 3,000 chickens, and the wire service reports that the Japanese government has begun slaughtering tens of thousands of the birds on the infected farms and on neighboring farms as well. Only one non fatal human case of avian flu has been reported in Japan, according to the A.P.

Since avian flu was first identified, 163 humans have died, but health officials say that all of them contracted the disease from contact with birds and not from other humans.

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Most Diabetics Don't Exercise: Study

Even though physical activity plays an important role in controlling the disease, fewer than 40 percent of people with type 2 diabetes exercise, says a U.S. study that surveyed more than 22,000 diabetes patients.

The study also found that the diabetes patients most in need of exercise are the least likely to be active, the Associated Press reported.

The findings appear in the February issue of the journal Diabetes Care. The study results are disappointing, said lead researcher Dr. Elaine Morrato, an expert in public health and epidemiology and assistant professor at the University of Colorado in Denver.

"It is difficult to be optimistic about addressing the twin epidemics of obesity and diabetes without success in increasing physical activity in the population," she and her colleagues concluded. "The results of this study provide very pessimistic data."

People with type 2 diabetes who don't exercise face complications such as high blood pressure and nerve damage, the AP reported. The American Diabetes Association recommends at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise, five times a week.

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FDA Panel Approves Combination Vaccine for Children

Pentacel, a combination vaccine for five childhood diseases that would reduce the number of shots given to infants, received the approval of a U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel on Thursday.

The vaccine, which protects against diphtheria, tetanus, polio, whooping cough and invasive Hib disease, is made by Sanofi-Aventis SA.

The 13 to 2 vote in favor of the vaccine was based on studies that showed that four doses of Pentacel protected children from these diseases. Currently, U.S. health officials recommend 23 separate shots for infants. Pentacel would reduce that to 16 shots -- about two fewer at every checkup, Bloomberg News reported.

The advisory committee said that Pentacel appeared to work at least as well as individual vaccines designed to protect against the five diseases. They also said that reducing the number of shots may help improve immunization rates.

It's expected that the FDA will decide by March 9 whether to act on the advisory committees' recommendation and approve Pentacel, Bloomberg reported. While the FDA isn't required to follow its committees' advice, it usually does so.

Currently, the only five-component childhood vaccine available in the U.S. is Pediarix, made by GlaxoSmithKline. It's similar to Pentacel, but protects against hepatitis B instead Hib.

Health Headlines - January 28

Increased Stroke Risk Found in New Macular Degeneration Drug

A recently-approved drug to treat macular degeneration in the elderly may increase a person's risk of getting a stroke.

According to the New York Times, a high dose of pharmaceutical company Genentech's new eye drug Lucentis caused a stroke to occur in 1.2 percent of patients in a clinical trial compared to only .3 percent of those patients given a lower dose.

Genentech sent a letter to retina specialists this past week reporting the findings, the Times reports, although a company spokesperson said that the significantly different statistical finding probably would not change the information on the drug's label, because it already contains a warning about possible clotting or stroke risk.

The importance of Lucentis (ranibizumab) is that clinical trials have demonstrated it is the first drug that actually causes vision improvement in people suffering from macular degeneration, rather than just slowing degeneration of eyesight, the newspaper reports.

Macular degeneration, which leads to blindness, especially in the elderly, is caused by the degeneration of part of the retina, leading to blurry vision or vision that excludes the ability to see peripherally.

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Japan Begins Poultry Slaughter After Another Outbreak of Avian Flu

Unlike many other Asian countries, Japan had until recently escaped massive outbreaks of avian flu among its poultry population.

But that has changed. The Associated Press reports that a second outbreak has been detected on a poultry farm in southern Japan in the country's major chicken-producing region. Scientitsts determined that the first outbreak, which killed 4,000 chickens, was caused by the deadly H5N1 strain of the flu, the one that health experts are carefully monitoring for mutations that could cause a pandemic among humans.

The latest outbreak was in a group of 3,000 chickens, and the wire service reports that the Japanese government has begun slaughtering tens of thousands of the birds on the infected farms and on neighboring farms as well. Only one non fatal human case of avian flu has been reported in Japan, according to the A.P.

Since avian flu was first identified, 163 humans have died, but health officials say that all of them contracted the disease from contact with birds and not from other humans.

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Most Diabetics Don't Exercise: Study

Even though physical activity plays an important role in controlling the disease, fewer than 40 percent of people with type 2 diabetes exercise, says a U.S. study that surveyed more than 22,000 diabetes patients.

The study also found that the diabetes patients most in need of exercise are the least likely to be active, the Associated Press reported.

The findings appear in the February issue of the journal Diabetes Care. The study results are disappointing, said lead researcher Dr. Elaine Morrato, an expert in public health and epidemiology and assistant professor at the University of Colorado in Denver.

"It is difficult to be optimistic about addressing the twin epidemics of obesity and diabetes without success in increasing physical activity in the population," she and her colleagues concluded. "The results of this study provide very pessimistic data."

People with type 2 diabetes who don't exercise face complications such as high blood pressure and nerve damage, the AP reported. The American Diabetes Association recommends at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise, five times a week.

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U.S. Donates Protective Gear to Help Indonesia Fight Bird Flu

The U.S. government this week delivered more than 100,000 sets of protective equipment to Indonesia as part of a $24 million program to help that country fight the deadly H5N1 bird-flu virus.

The gear, which includes protective suits, goggles and gloves, will be given to people who come into direct contact with poultry or with people infected by the H5N1 virus, Agence France Presse reported.

In total, the United States will donate 200,000 sets of protective equipment and 2,000 decontamination kits to be used at infected farms, homes, hospitals, and clinics.

After a period of inactivity, Indonesia has experienced a recent resurgence of bird flu. So far this year, six people have been killed by the virus. Since 2005, 63 people in Indonesia have died of bird flu, the highest death toll of any country, AFP reported.

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Connecticut Woman World's Oldest Person

A 114-year-old woman in East Hartford, Conn., is now the world's oldest person.

Emma Faust Tillman, who was born in 1892, claimed the honor after 115-year-old Emiliano Mercado del Toro of Puerto Rico died Wednesday, the Connecticut Post reported.

Tillman, who lives at Riverside Health and Rehabilitation Center, never smoked, never drank, and never needed glasses. She was one of 23 children born to former slaves in North Carolina. The family moved to Glastonbury, Conn., in 1900.

In 1909, Tillman graduated as the only black student in her high school. She had a number of jobs through her life, including cook, maid, party caterer and caretaker for the children of several wealthy families, the Post reported.

She lived in alone in a Hartford apartment for years before she moved to Riverside when she was 110 years old. Longevity runs in her family. She had siblings who lived to 108, 105, and 102.

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FDA Panel Approves Combination Vaccine for Children

Pentacel, a combination vaccine for five childhood diseases that would reduce the number of shots given to infants, received the approval of a U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel on Thursday.

The vaccine, which protects against diphtheria, tetanus, polio, whooping cough and invasive Hib disease, is made by Sanofi-Aventis SA.

The 13 to 2 vote in favor of the vaccine was based on studies that showed that four doses of Pentacel protected children from these diseases. Currently, U.S. health officials recommend 23 separate shots for infants. Pentacel would reduce that to 16 shots -- about two fewer at every checkup, Bloomberg News reported.

The advisory committee said that Pentacel appeared to work at least as well as individual vaccines designed to protect against the five diseases. They also said that reducing the number of shots may help improve immunization rates.

It's expected that the FDA will decide by March 9 whether to act on the advisory committees' recommendation and approve Pentacel, Bloomberg reported. While the FDA isn't required to follow its committees' advice, it usually does so.

Currently, the only five-component childhood vaccine available in the U.S. is Pediarix, made by GlaxoSmithKline. It's similar to Pentacel, but protects against hepatitis B instead Hib.

Health Headlines - January 27

Most Diabetics Don't Exercise: Study

Even though physical activity plays an important role in controlling the disease, fewer than 40 percent of people with type 2 diabetes exercise, says a U.S. study that surveyed more than 22,000 diabetes patients.

The study also found that the diabetes patients most in need of exercise are the least likely to be active, the Associated Press reported.

The findings appear in the February issue of the journal Diabetes Care. The study results are disappointing, said lead researcher Dr. Elaine Morrato, an expert in public health and epidemiology and assistant professor at the University of Colorado in Denver.

"It is difficult to be optimistic about addressing the twin epidemics of obesity and diabetes without success in increasing physical activity in the population," she and her colleagues concluded. "The results of this study provide very pessimistic data."

People with type 2 diabetes who don't exercise face complications such as high blood pressure and nerve damage, the AP reported. The American Diabetes Association recommends at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise, five times a week.

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U.S. Donates Protective Gear to Help Indonesia Fight Bird Flu

The U.S. government this week delivered more than 100,000 sets of protective equipment to Indonesia as part of a $24 million program to help that country fight the deadly H5N1 bird-flu virus.

The gear, which includes protective suits, goggles and gloves, will be given to people who come into direct contact with poultry or with people infected by the H5N1 virus, Agence France Presse reported.

In total, the United States will donate 200,000 sets of protective equipment and 2,000 decontamination kits to be used at infected farms, homes, hospitals, and clinics.

After a period of inactivity, Indonesia has experienced a recent resurgence of bird flu. So far this year, six people have been killed by the virus. Since 2005, 63 people in Indonesia have died of bird flu, the highest death toll of any country, AFP reported.

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Connecticut Woman World's Oldest Person

A 114-year-old woman in East Hartford, Conn., is now the world's oldest person.

Emma Faust Tillman, who was born in 1892, claimed the honor after 115-year-old Emiliano Mercado del Toro of Puerto Rico died Wednesday, the Connecticut Post reported.

Tillman, who lives at Riverside Health and Rehabilitation Center, never smoked, never drank, and never needed glasses. She was one of 23 children born to former slaves in North Carolina. The family moved to Glastonbury, Conn., in 1900.

In 1909, Tillman graduated as the only black student in her high school. She had a number of jobs through her life, including cook, maid, party caterer and caretaker for the children of several wealthy families, the Post reported.

She lived in alone in a Hartford apartment for years before she moved to Riverside when she was 110 years old. Longevity runs in her family. She had siblings who lived to 108, 105, and 102.

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Anemia Drug Boosts Cancer Patient Death Risk

A study concludes that the anemia drug Aransep increased the risk of death in patients with active cancer (not in remission), the drug's maker, Amgen, said Thursday.

Aransep is currently approved in the United States to treat cancer patients with anemia caused by chemotherapy or radiation treatment, but not anemia caused by cancer itself. Even so, doctors do use it off-label for that purpose, The New York Times reported.

This study, which included 1,000 patients with active cancer who were not receiving chemotherapy or radiation treatment, was designed to determine if Aransep could reduce the need for blood transfusions, which are frequently required by people with anemia.

The drug did not reduce the need for transfusions and, by the end of 16 weeks, there was a statistically significant increase in the number of deaths among patients taking the drug, The Times reported.

In this group of patients the "risk/benefit ratio for Aransep use is at best neutral and perhaps negative," said a news release issued by Amgen. The company did not provide any numerical results from the study.

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FDA Panel Approves Combination Vaccine for Children

Pentacel, a combination vaccine for five childhood diseases that would reduce the number of shots given to infants, received the approval of a U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel on Thursday.

The vaccine, which protects against diphtheria, tetanus, polio, whooping cough and invasive Hib disease, is made by Sanofi-Aventis SA.

The 13 to 2 vote in favor of the vaccine was based on studies that showed that four doses of Pentacel protected children from these diseases. Currently, U.S. health officials recommend 23 separate shots for infants. Pentacel would reduce that to 16 shots -- about two fewer at every checkup, Bloomberg News reported.

The advisory committee said that Pentacel appeared to work at least as well as individual vaccines designed to protect against the five diseases. They also said that reducing the number of shots may help improve immunization rates.

It's expected that the FDA will decide by March 9 whether to act on the advisory committees' recommendation and approve Pentacel, Bloomberg reported. While the FDA isn't required to follow its committees' advice, it usually does so.

Currently, the only five-component childhood vaccine available in the U.S. is Pediarix, made by GlaxoSmithKline. It's similar to Pentacel, but protects against hepatitis B instead Hib.

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Extreme Stress During Pregnancy May Harm Fetal Brain

Extreme stress during pregnancy -- such as serious arguments or domestic abuse -- may cause harm to the fetal brain and put babies at increased risk for mental and behavioral problems such as attention deficit hyperactivity (ADHD), say U.K. researchers.

This damage is likely caused by high levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the amniotic fluid that surrounds the fetus in the womb, said Professor Vivette Glover of Imperial College London.

She found that 18-month-old infants who were exposed to the highest levels of cortisol during development had lower IQs and were more likely to be anxious and fearful than other infants, BBC News reported.

The research was presented at a conference of the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

Pregnant women should not be "unduly concerned," by the findings, Dr. David Coghill, senior lecturer and honorary consultant in child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of Dundee, told BBC News.

He said the harmful effects noted in the study are caused by "extremely high levels of stress and distress."

Health Headlines - January 26

Indonesia Reports Sixth Bird Flu Death This Year

Indonesian officials announced Thursday that a young girl has died of bird flu, making her the country's sixth victim of the H5N1 virus so far this year and the 63rd since 2005, Agence France Presse reported.

The eight-year-old girl from central Java died on January 19. Laboratory tests confirmed she died of infection with the H5N1 strain.

Indonesia has been hardest hit by a recent resurgence of bird flu that' s also seen outbreaks in Vietnam, Thailand, South Korea and Japan, AFP reported.

Most of the human cases of bird flu in Indonesia were the result of close contact with infected poultry. Measures being taken by the Indonesian government to fight bird flu include a plan to eventually ban backyard poultry everywhere in the country.

Experts fear that the H5N1 virus could mutate into a form that's easily transmitted between humans, resulting in a pandemic that could kill millions, AFP reported.

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Squirrel Hunters in N.J. Town Warned About Lead Threat

Squirrel hunters and others in Ringwood, N.J. should limit their consumption of the animals because they may be contaminated with lead from a toxic waste dump, say state officials.

During the 1960s and early 1970s, the Ford Motor Co. dumped toxic waste, including paint sludge, in the area. The company is currently removing tons of waste from a 500-acre former mining property there, the Associated Press reported.

Many residents of Ringwood are members of the Ramapough Mountain Indian tribe who hunt and fish in the region.

About two months ago, a lead-contaminated squirrel was found in the area. That prompted the state Department of Health and Senior Services and the Department of Environmental Protection to send out warning letters that advise adults to eat squirrel no more than twice a week. Pregnant women and children should eat even less, the AP reported.

Lead can damage the kidneys, nervous system, and red blood cell production.

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Many Dangerous Distractions for Teen Drivers: Study

More and more American teens face driving distractions that contribute to thousands of fatal crashes each year, concludes a study by the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and State Farm Insurance Co.

Distractions include cell phones, passengers, fatigue, or worries about grades or relationships, the Associated Press reported.

The study, released Thursday, did find that teens are heeding warnings about the dangers of driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Researchers surveyed more than 5,600 high school students in 2006. The teens were asked about the types of unsafe things that happen when their peers drive, the AP reported.

The study found that 90 percent of the teens said they rarely or ever drive after using alcohol or drugs. But the same percentage reported seeing peers talk on cell phones while driving and more than 50 percent said they'd seen peers use hand-held video games, listening devices, or send text messages while driving.

In addition, about 75 percent of the teens said they'd seen peers driving while tired or dealing with strong emotions, such as concerns about relationships or grades, the AP reported. More than 90 percent said they'd seen other teens speed and about 50 percent said they sometimes drive at least 10 mph over the speed limit.

U.S. teens have a traffic fatality rate four times higher than drivers aged 25 to 69, based on miles driven, according to U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data. In 2005, about 5,600 American teens were killed in traffic crashes and about 7,500 were driving cars involved in fatal crashes.

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Queen Elizabeth 2 Cruise Ship Hit by Norovirus

More than 300 passengers and crew on the Queen Elizabeth 2 cruise ship became ill during a recent cruise. It's believed that the highly infectious norovirus, which can cause vomiting and diarrhea, was the cause.

The outbreak occurred after the ship completed a voyage from Southampton, England and docked in New York City on January 8. It's believed that the norovirus was brought on the ship by a passenger who boarded in New York, BBC New reported.

In total, 17 percent of the people (276 passengers and 28 crew members) on the luxury ship were affected -- an unusually large outbreak, health officials said.

After stopping in New York, the ship sailed down the U.S. east coast before heading to the west coast and docking in San Francisco. Officials from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention boarded the Queen Elizabeth 2 in Acapulco, Mexico, BBC News reported.

"The whole cleansing regime has been upgraded. People have been advised on measures they should take," a Cunard spokesman said. "We have encouraged handwashing. Where people display symptoms they are kept confined in their cabin until the symptoms subside."

After stopping in San Francisco, the ship departed for Hawaii.

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Prostate Cancer Treatments Can Cause Penis Shrinkage

Hormone and radiation therapy for prostate cancer can cause penis shrinkage, notes a study in the Journal of Urology.

Turkish researchers studied 47 prostate cancer patients who received the treatments. They found that the average stretched length of their penises decreased from 14.2 to 8.6 centimeters over 18 months, BBC News reported.

It's not clear how hormone and radiation therapy affect penis length, but the treatments may have an effect on penis tissue, the researchers said. They recommended that patients should be warned before they receive these treatments that they may experience penis shortening.

Dr. Chris Hiley, head of policy and research at the Prostate Cancer Charity in the U.K., said it's vital for prostate cancer patients to be alerted about this possible side effect.

"Men can be caused needless worry by unexpected changes in their body which impact on their quality of life. These must always be taken seriously," Hiley told BBC News.

"We would urge men not to be put off seeking treatment or advice about prostate cancer because of this, but to make sure they talk to their doctors in detail about all the possible side effects of a particular treatment," Hiley said.

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Heart Meds Costliest Class of Drugs in 2004: U.S. Report

American adults spent $32 billion on cardiovascular drugs in 2004, making them the costliest class of prescription drugs for people age 18 and over, according to a U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) report released Wednesday.

The other classes of drugs in the top five were: hormones ($25 billion); central nervous system drugs used to treat pain and control seizures ($24 billion); cholesterol-lowering medications ($22 billion); antidepressants and other psychotherapeutic drugs ($18 billion).

In total, these five classes of drugs accounted for two-thirds of the $181 billion spent by American adults on outpatient prescription drugs in 2004.

The AHRQ also found that the top five classes of drugs prescribed for Medicare beneficiaries age 65 and older in 2004 were: cardiovascular drugs ($17 billion); cholesterol-lowering drugs ($10 billion); hormones ($8 billion); central nervous system drugs ($7 billion); gastrointestinal drugs ($6 billion).

Spending on these drugs accounted for about 75 percent of the $65 billion spent on all prescription drugs for Medicare beneficiaries age 65 and older in 2004.

Health Headlines - January 25

Heart Meds Costliest Class of Drugs in 2004: U.S. Report

American adults spent $32 billion on cardiovascular drugs in 2004, making them the costliest class of prescription drugs for people age 18 and over, according to a U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) report released Wednesday.

The other classes of drugs in the top five were: hormones ($25 billion); central nervous system drugs used to treat pain and control seizures ($24 billion); cholesterol-lowering medications ($22 billion); antidepressants and other psychotherapeutic drugs ($18 billion).

In total, these five classes of drugs accounted for two-thirds of the $181 billion spent by American adults on outpatient prescription drugs in 2004.

The AHRQ also found that the top five classes of drugs prescribed for Medicare beneficiaries age 65 and older in 2004 were: cardiovascular drugs ($17 billion); cholesterol-lowering drugs ($10 billion); hormones ($8 billion); central nervous system drugs ($7 billion); gastrointestinal drugs ($6 billion).

Spending on these drugs accounted for about 75 percent of the $65 billion spent on all prescription drugs for Medicare beneficiaries age 65 and older in 2004.

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New Generation Birth-Control Pills Highly Effective: FDA

Recent news stories have created misconceptions about the effectiveness of newer generation birth-control pills, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The agency said the stories inaccurately reported that the newer birth-control pills are much less effective at preventing pregnancy than pills that were approved decades ago. In fact, the newer products are highly effective at preventing pregnancy, the FDA said in a news release issued Tuesday.

The agency also said the news stories mistakenly reported that a meeting this week of the FDA's Reproductive Health Drugs Advisory Committee was called to discuss the need for higher standards of effectiveness for newer generation birth-control pills.

In fact, the two-day meeting was called to discuss clinical trial designs that reflect the diversity of birth-control pill users, expectations for effectiveness and safety, and user acceptability of newer generation products, the FDA said.

The advisers concluded Wednesday that birth-control pills sometimes fail, but setting limits on how often that could happen would put newer, low-dose contraceptives off limits to women, the Associated Press reported.

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Fetal Nicotine Exposure Causes Brain Changes Linked to Addiction

Smokers who are trying to quit may find it especially difficult if their mother smoked during pregnancy, say researchers at Duke University Medical Center.

It's known that exposure to nicotine in the womb alters areas of the brain that play important roles in learning, memory and reward. This new study suggests that these changes may program the brain for relapse to nicotine addiction.

The Duke team found that rodents that were exposed to nicotine while in the womb self-administered more nicotine after periods without the drug than rodents that had no prenatal exposure to nicotine. The findings were published online this week in the journal Pharmacology.

The study results suggest that pregnant women should not smoke or use nicotine products such as patches or gums, the researchers said.

"Smoking during pregnancy can harm the baby in ways that extend far beyond preterm delivery or low birth weight. It causes changes in the brain development of the baby that can last a lifetime," lead investigator Edward Levin, professor of biological psychiatry, said in a prepared statement.

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High-Fiber Diet May Cut Breast Cancer Risk: Study

Eating large amounts of fiber could help premenopausal women reduce their risk of breast cancer by half, suggests a British study in the International Journal of Epidemiology.

The University of Leeds study of 35,000 pre- and postmenopausal women found that those who ate 30 grams of fiber a day were half as likely to develop breast cancer as women who ate less than 20 grams of fiber a day, BBC News reported.

A high-fiber diet did not reduce breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women.

The women were ages 35 to 69 at the start of the study and were followed for seven years. They ate a wide range of diets. The positive effect noted in premenopausal women may be linked to how fiber influences the activity of the female hormone estrogen, the researchers said. Premenopausal women have higher estrogen levels than postmenopausal women, BBC News reported.

In order to consume 30 grams of fiber a day, a person needs to have high-fiber cereal for breakfast, have five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, and switch from white or brown bread to wholegrain bread.

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Many High School Football Players Overweight: Study

Overweight linemen are common on U.S. pro and college football teams, and that trend is showing up on high school teams, according to an Iowa State University study.

The researchers collected data on the height and weight of 3,686 high school varsity linemen in Iowa and calculated the players' body mass index, BMI, a ratio of weight to height. The study found that nearly half of the offensive and defensive linemen were overweight, and one in 10 was severely obese, the Associated Press reported.

The findings were published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

"These are 15- and 16-year-old boys that have a weight and body mass... that as they enter adulthood puts many at a very adverse health condition," study co-author Dr. Joe Eisenmann, professor of pediatric exercise physiology, told the AP.

The researchers said they don't believe the issue of overweight high school football players is unique to Iowa.

"I suspect that states with an even richer high school football tradition, like Florida and Texas, may have an even bigger problem," said study co-author Kelly Laurson, a graduate assistant.

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Zoo Reports 'Virgin Birth' of 5 Komodo Dragons

The "virgin birth" of five offspring to a Komodo dragon in a British zoo offers new hope for captive breeding of the endangered species, the Associated Press reported.

The mother, Flora, became pregnant without mating with a male. Instead, she used an asexual process called pathenogenesis to fertilize her own eggs. After an eight-month gestation period, the eggs began cracking last week. The hatching of the eggs was completed Tuesday with the emergence of the fifth baby dragon, said staff at Chester Zoo in northern England.

All the young dragons are in good health, and are between 15.5 and 17.5 inches, the AP reported.

The only other recorded case of pathogenesis in a Komodo dragon occurred in a female named Sungai, who lives at London Zoo. She had offspring in April 2006.

This birthing ability could improve the chances of survival for the species. There are fewer than 4,000 Komodo dragons left in the wild.

Health Headlines - January 24

FDA Weighs New Birth-Control Pill Standards

Modern birth-control pills, while safer than their early predecessors, often are less effective and may require new minimum standards, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday.

In documents posted on the FDA Web site, the agency said some modern birth-control pills have at least twice the failure rate as earlier contraceptives, most likely because they contain lower doses of hormones that prevent ovulation, the Associated Press reported.

The FDA has convened a panel of experts this week to decide whether new minimum standards of effectiveness are needed, the wire service reported.

Older birth-control pills carried risks of blood clots and cardiovascular problems, experts told the AP. While the newer pills are thought to be safer, some allow more than two pregnancies for every 100 women years of use, compared to pills approved in the 1960s that allowed less than one pregnancy per 100 women when taken for at least a year.

Some 11.6 million U.S. women between ages 15 and 44 use birth-control pills as contraception, the AP reported.

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French Doctors Perform New Face Transplant

The world's third partial face transplant has been performed on a man whose face was marred by severe tumors, the Associated Press reported Tuesday.

In a 15-hour operation, doctors at the Henri-Mondor hospital in the Paris suburb of Creteil replaced the 29-year-old man's nose, mouth, chin, and part of his cheeks, the wire service said.

The man has a genetic condition called neurofibromatosis, causing tumors to grow throughout his body. He's had some 30 to 40 operations over the past decade to improve the appearance of his face, the AP reported.

Doctors say they must now wait months to see if the tissue is accepted by the man's body, if his facial nerves function correctly, and if he is able to psychologically accept his new face, the wire service said.

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Quarantine Urged for New TB Strain

People with a new deadly form of tuberculosis should be quarantined -- even against their will -- to prevent the disease's spread, scientists argued Tuesday in a the medical journal Public Library of Science Medicine.

The new form of the disease, known as XDR-TB, is drug-resistant and virtually untreatable, Canada's Globe and Mail newspaper reported.

In September, the World Health Organization counted 53 cases of XDR-TB in South Africa, and 52 of the patients had died, the newspaper said. In all, 300 cases have been reported worldwide.

The Canadian and African journal authors said patients who are quarantined should be compensated to ensure they do not remain in the community.

TB is a bacterial illness that in most forms can easily be cured with antibiotics. But antibiotic misuse has led to bacterial mutations that render the drugs virtually useless, the newspaper said

People with HIV/AIDS have depressed immune systems, making AIDS-ravaged Africa particularly susceptible to these super strains of TB, the Globe and Mail said.

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Flu Tests Cut Hospitals' Antibiotic Use

Rapid flu tests can decrease the use of antibiotics among adult hospital patients, says a U.S. study published online in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine.

Antibiotics are not effective against influenza and other viruses. The overuse of antibiotics can lead to an increase in antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections, experts say.

Previous research found that flu tests that provide results within minutes helped reduce the use of antibiotics in children, but it wasn't clear if this would also be true in adults, CBC News reported.

In this new study, researchers at Rochester General Hospital in New York reviewed the cases of 166 adult patients with confirmed influenza. Of those patients, 86 tested positive for flu on rapid diagnostic tests, while 80 tested negative or did not have the test.

Of the patients who tested positive for influenza, 86 percent received antibiotics, compared with 99 percent of the other patients, CBC News reported.

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Healthy Women, Older Men Shouldn't Take Statins to Prevent Heart Disease: Study

Healthy women and healthy older men should not take cholesterol-lowering statin drugs in an attempt to prevent heart disease, suggests a U.S.-Canadian study in the current issue of the The Lancet medical journal.

The researchers analyzed data from eight previous studies that compared statins with placebo in people at increased risk for cardiovascular disease. They found that statins did reduce overall risk of heart attack or stroke but did not reduce total deaths, reported the National Post newspaper in Canada.

When the researchers analyzed data from specific groups, they found that statins did not reduce the risk of heart attacks in healthy women or in healthy men older than 69 years.

"Our analysis suggests that lipid-lowering statins should not be prescribed for true primary prevention in women of any age or for men older than 69 years," the researchers wrote.

"Most people have the impression that statins are going to make them live longer. For primary prevention, there hasn't been demonstrated to be any survival advantage," study co-author Dr. Jim Wright, a professor at the University of British Columbia, told the Post.

He noted that, in rare cases, statins can cause muscle damage that results in muscle pain and weakness. The drugs can also cause nerve damage that leads to numbness and pain in the feet.

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Microwave Ovens Sterilize Kitchen Sponges and Cleaning Pads

Microwave ovens can be used to quickly kill harmful bacteria and viruses on kitchen sponges and plastic scrubbers, say University of Florida researchers.

They found that two minutes in the microwave destroyed most of the bacteria and other bugs that can cause food poisoning and other illnesses.

"People often put their sponges and scrubbers in the dishwasher, but if they really want to decontaminate them and not just clean them, they should use the microwave," study co-author Gabriel Bitton, professor of environmental engineering and an expert on wastewater microbiology, said in a prepared statement.

For their study, the researchers soaked sponges and scrubbing pads in raw wastewater that included fecal bacteria, viruses, protozoan parasites and bacterial spores. They then used a normal kitchen microwave to zap the sponges and scrubbing pads.

Two minutes on full microwave power killed or inactivated more than 99 percent of all the pathogens on the sponges and pads. It took four minutes to totally inactivate certain bacterial spores.

The study was published in the December issue of the Journal of Environmental Health, the most recent issue of the journal.

Health Headlines - January 23

FDA Proposes Gluten-Free Labels for Certain Foods

Under a new FDA proposal, certain foods made without a protein found in barley, rye and wheat could be labeled gluten-free, the Associated Press reported.

The agency is inviting comment on the proposal, which was posted on the agency's Web site Monday. The label could voluntarily be used on foods that have been processed to remove gluten. It would not apply to products made from naturally gluten-free foods such as corn or rice.

For an estimated .5 million to 3 million Americans with celiac disease, gluten can cause an immune response that damages the lining of the small intestine. Eventually, that damage can impair the ability of the intestines to absorb nutrients from foods, the AP reported.

There is no cure for celiac disease, but people with the condition can manage it by avoiding foods that contain gluten.

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Viagra Marketing Fuels Increase in STDs: Lawsuit

Drug maker Pfizer's marketing of its erectile dysfunction drug Viagra has caused an increase in HIV-AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases, says a major U.S. AIDS group in a lawsuit against the drug company.

AIDS Healthcare accused Pfizer of deliberately marketing Viagra to men who do not need the drug. The lawsuit, filed under California law, accuses the drug company of "unlawful, unfair and fraudulent business practices," Agence France Presse reported.

AIDS Healthcare Foundation, which is the largest AIDS healthcare, prevention and education provider in the United States, charged that Pfizer's "deceptive" marketing of Viagra "has caused an increase in the spread of sexually transmitted diseases including, but not limited to, HIV/AIDS."

"Pfizer's direct to consumer marketing of Viagra as a drug to enhance sexual performance is primarily aimed at men who don't necessarily suffer from a clinical diagnosis of erectile dysfunction," Michael Weinstein, the head of AIDS Healthcare Foundation, said in a statement.

"We believe it is not only irresponsible, but also illegal, especially in light of the drug's known use as part of a 'circuit party cocktail' of drugs that is fueling the spread of STDs and HIV," Weinstein said.

A Pfizer spokesperson was not immediately available to comment on the lawsuit against the company, AFP reported.

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Dogs Can Boost Your Health, Research Contends

Dogs are better than cats at improving their owners' physical and mental health, suggests a study by a researcher at Queens University in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Dog owners have lower cholesterol and blood pressure, fewer minor physical ailments, and are less likely to develop serious medical problems, according to Dr. Deborah Wells, a senior lecturer at the university's Canine Behavior Centre.

Wells found that people who adopted dogs and cats from animal rescue shelters experienced a decrease in minor ailments, such as colds, headaches and dizziness, in the month after they brought their pets home, the Telegraph newspaper reported.

However, only dog owners still reported those improvements after 10 months.

The study was published in the Health Psychology Journal.

"It is possible that dogs can directly promote our well-being by buffering us from stress, one of the major risk factors associated with ill health. The ownership of a dog can also lead to increases in physical activity and facilitate the development of social contact, which may enhance both physiological and psychological human health in a more indirect manner," Wells wrote in her study.

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Blood Pressure Drug Helps Mice with Muscular Dystrophy

The widely-used blood pressure drug losartan reduced muscle damage in mice with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, the most common form of the condition in children, concludes a Johns Hopkins University study published online Monday in the journal Nature Medicine.

Following six months of treatment with the drug, the mice showed a significant reduction in muscle damage, increased grip strength in their fore- and hind-limbs, and less fatigue in repetitive tests, the Associated Press reported.

The only current treatment for Duchenne causes side effects, so it's worth investigating whether losartan can offer an alternative, said Dr. Valerie Cwik, medical director of the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Cwik did not take part in the study.

"The results are very intriguing and certainly worthy of further investigation," Cwik told the AP.

Cwik noted that the drug is currently used in children and has a good safety profile.

The Johns Hopkins study also found that losartan seemed to improve muscle regeneration in mice with a rare genetic disorder called Marfan syndrome.

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U.S. State Prison Inmates Have Lower Death Rate Than General Population

Overall, state prison inmates are less likely to die than people who aren't in prison, suggests a U.S. government report released Sunday.

The Justice Department document said that inmates in state prisons die at an average yearly rate of 250 per 100,000 compared to an overall rate of 308 per 100,000 for people ages 15 to 64 in the general population, the Associated Press reported.

The difference was greatest (57 percent) between black inmates (206 deaths per 100,000 per year) and the overall black population (484 deaths per 100,000). Death rates for white and Hispanic state prison inmates were slightly above the death rates for whites and Hispanics in the general population.

From 2001 through 2004, 12,129 inmates died in state prisons, the federal government said. Most of the deaths (89) percent were due to medical reasons. Eight percent of the deaths were due to murder or suicide, two percent were caused by alcohol, drugs or accidents, and one percent could not be explained, the AP reported.

Of the inmates who died from a medical problem, two-thirds had the problem before they were sent to prison. Heart disease, lung and liver cancer, liver diseases, and AIDS-related issues were the most common kinds of medical problems among both male and female inmates in state prisons.

The death rate for male inmates was 72 percent higher than for female inmates.

Of the inmates who died of a medical condition, 94 percent had been evaluated by a medical professional for that illness, and 93 percent had received medication for it, the AP reported.

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Tamiflu-Resistant Bird Flu Virus Detected in Egypt

Egyptian officials say they're on high alert after detecting a strain of the H5N1 bird flu virus that shows increased resistance to the antiviral drug Tamiflu, which is used to fight the disease in humans, Agence France Presse reported.

Last week, the World Health Organization discovered that two people in northern Egypt had a mutated strain of the H5N1 virus with "reduced susceptibility" to Tamiflu.

Both people, who died in late December, were from the same household, AFP reported.

"The health ministry remains in a state of maximum alert and is reviewing its strategy in combating avian flu following the mutation of the H5N1 virus," Health Minister Hatem al-Gabali told a state newspaper Monday.

While the mutated H5N1 virus in the two patients is resistant to Tamiflu, it's susceptible to other antiviral drugs. This suggests that health officials could use a cocktail of antiviral drugs to treat patients with the mutated virus, AFP reported.

Health experts fear that the H5N1 virus could mutate into a form that's easily transmitted between humans and cause a global pandemic.

Health Headlines - January 22

Pfizer Expected to Announce Major Cutbacks, Plant Closings

Facing billions of dollars in lost patent protection and the clinical trial failure of a major cholesterol drug, Pfizer Inc., the world's largest pharmaceutical company, is expected to announce plans that may include slashing more than $2 billion in operating costs, including closing some plants and releasing 10 percent of its work force.

The Associated Press reports that Pfizer's new Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Kindler is expected to announce a plan that counteracts some huge losses sparked by lost patent protection within the next three years including Lipitor, the companys top selling drug, which lowers cholesterol

Lipitor is one of a number of Pfizer drugs losing patent protection by 2010, the news service reports, totaling almost $14 billion in annual revenue.

Additionally, Pfizer had to end clinical trials late last year on its new cholesterol drug torcetrapib, after a number of deaths occurred. According to Pfizer spokesman Paul Fitzhenry, in a trial of 15,000 patients, 82 of those taking the combination of torcetrapib and Lipitor had died, compared to 51 deaths among those taking Lipitor alone.

There had been concerns about torcetrapib, which was designed to be taken with a statin like Lipitor, because a recent study showed it triggered a slight increase in blood pressure.

The last major successful drug introduced by Pfizer was the erectile dysfunction medication Viagra, which came onto the market in 1998.

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President to Make Health Insurance Proposals in State of The Union

One of the cornerstones of President Bush's State of the Union address Jan. 23 will be proposals to combat the rising costs of health care, the New York Times reports.

Health care, immigration and energy sources and costs are three main topics in the President's address, the newspaper said.

President Bush's health care initiative has two principal focuses, according to the Times: a tax on some individuals whose health insurance plans cost more than the national average; and a tax benefit for the poor who buy health insurance or people who may buy private health insurance instead of having a company plan.

The President gave a broad outline of his intentions in his Saturday radio address: "I will propose a tax reform designed to help make basic private insurance more affordable, whether you get it through your job or on your own."

Reaction from at least one influential Democratic congressman was negative. "It's a bad policy," The Times quotes Rep. Charles Rangel, D-NY, as saying. Rangel's opinion carries weight, because he's the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, which writes tax legislation. "We are trying to bring tax relief to the middle class. This proposal is inconsistent with what the majority is seeking in the House and the Senate," Rangel is quoted as saying.

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Almost 300,000 South Korean Poultry To Be Killed Following Bird Flu Outbreak

Yet another massive poultry kill is being scheduled in the wake of the discovery of an outbreak of avian flu.

This time, the Associated Press reports, the virus was discovered for the fifth time in the past three months in South Korea. After being quarantined, 273,000 poultry will be killed to head off the spread of the strain of H5N1 flu, the type of bird flu that has caused the deaths of millions of birds worldwide.

The latest outbreak occurred earlier this week on a chicken farm about 60 miles south of Seoul, the wire service quotes a Korean Ministry of Agriculture as saying.

There may be another 386,000 chickens and ducks killed within the next day or two, the official told the A.P., in order to eliminate the outbreak from the South Korean poultry population.

Since avian flu was first identified, 160 humans have died, but health officials say that all of them contracted the disease from contact with birds and not from other humans.

Still, the World Health Organization and other medical agencies such as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continue to monitor outbreaks for any mutation that could cause a human pandemic.

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More Than Half of All Americans Now Living With Non-Smoking Laws

More than half of the American population now live in states that have at least one law restricting where a person can smoke.

The Associated Press reports that with the passing of a Nevada law in December 2006, 50.2 percent of all Americans live where smoking has been banned in public places, such as office buildings, bars or restaurants.

"We think 100 percent of Americans will live in smoke-free jurisdictions within a few years," the wire service quotes Bronson Frick, associate director of Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights as saying.

In all, the A.P. says 22 states and 577 municipalities have some sort of smoking restriction law.

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Global Fund Would Subsidize Malaria Drugs for Africans

Delegates to an international forum sponsored by the World Bank have proposed a global fund to subsidize the purchase of a new generation of anti-malaria drugs for people in Africa, where malaria kills about 1 million people a year.

The new drugs -- artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) -- are needed to replace chloroquine and other older drugs that have become ineffective. Currently, ACTs are too expensive for most Africans.

The proposed fund would require about $80 million to $100 million from donor countries in the first year, increasing to about $250 million per year after that, the Associated Press reported.

The malaria drugs would be distributed by government health officials and by local stores.

ACTs are based on Chinese herbal medicine for malaria, but contain a combination of ingredients meant to make it difficult for the malaria parasite to develop resistance to the new drugs, as happened with the older generation drugs, the AP reported.

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Chlorinated Water Increases Bladder Cancer Risk: Study

People who drink or bathe, shower and swim in chlorinated water may be at increased risk for bladder cancer, says a Spanish study in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

The researchers compared 1,200 people who were exposed to chlorination byproducts known as trihalomethanes (THM) to a similar number of people who weren't exposed, The Australian reported.

People who lived in areas where THM concentrations in the water were more than 49 micrograms per liter were twice as likely to develop bladder cancer than people who lived in areas where concentrations were less than 8 mcg per liter.

The study also found that people who were exposed to more than 35 mcg of THM a day through drinking water had a 35 percent increased risk of bladder cancer, The Australian reported.

People who showered or bathed in chlorinated water were 83 percent more likely to develop bladder cancer, and people who swam in chlorinated pools were 57 percent more likely to develop the disease.

Health Headlines - January 21

Almost 300,000 South Korean Poultry To Be Killed Following Bird Flu Outbreak

Yet another massive poultry kill is being scheduled in the wake of the discovery of an outbreak of avian flu.

This time, the Associated Press reports, the virus was discovered for the fifth time in the past three months in South Korea. After being quarantined, 273,000 poultry will be killed to head off the spread of the strain of H5N1 flu, the type of bird flu that has caused the deaths of millions of birds worldwide.

The latest outbreak occurred earlier this week on a chicken farm about 60 miles south of Seoul, the wire service quotes a Korean Ministry of Agriculture as saying.

There may be another 386,000 chickens and ducks killed within the next day or two, the official told the A.P., in order to eliminate the outbreak from the South Korean poultry population.

Since avian flu was first identified, 160 humans have died, but health officials say that all of them contracted the disease from contact with birds and not from other humans.

Still, the World Health Organization and other medical agencies such as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continue to monitor outbreaks for any mutation that could cause a human pandemic.

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More Than Half of All Americans Now Living With Non-Smoking Laws

More than half of the American population now live in states that have at least one law restricting where a person can smoke.

The Associated Press reports that with the passing of a Nevada law in December 2006, 50.2 percent of all Americans live where smoking has been banned in public places, such as office buildings, bars or restaurants.

"We think 100 percent of Americans will live in smoke-free jurisdictions within a few years," the wire service quotes Bronson Frick, associate director of Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights as saying.

In all, the A.P. says 22 states and 577 municipalities have some sort of smoking restriction law.

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Global Fund Would Subsidize Malaria Drugs for Africans

Delegates to an international forum sponsored by the World Bank have proposed a global fund to subsidize the purchase of a new generation of anti-malaria drugs for people in Africa, where malaria kills about 1 million people a year.

The new drugs -- artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) -- are needed to replace chloroquine and other older drugs that have become ineffective. Currently, ACTs are too expensive for most Africans.

The proposed fund would require about $80 million to $100 million from donor countries in the first year, increasing to about $250 million per year after that, the Associated Press reported.

The malaria drugs would be distributed by government health officials and by local stores.

ACTs are based on Chinese herbal medicine for malaria, but contain a combination of ingredients meant to make it difficult for the malaria parasite to develop resistance to the new drugs, as happened with the older generation drugs, the AP reported.

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Chlorinated Water Increases Bladder Cancer Risk: Study

People who drink or bathe, shower and swim in chlorinated water may be at increased risk for bladder cancer, says a Spanish study in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

The researchers compared 1,200 people who were exposed to chlorination byproducts known as trihalomethanes (THM) to a similar number of people who weren't exposed, The Australian reported.

People who lived in areas where THM concentrations in the water were more than 49 micrograms per liter were twice as likely to develop bladder cancer than people who lived in areas where concentrations were less than 8 mcg per liter.

The study also found that people who were exposed to more than 35 mcg of THM a day through drinking water had a 35 percent increased risk of bladder cancer, The Australian reported.

People who showered or bathed in chlorinated water were 83 percent more likely to develop bladder cancer, and people who swam in chlorinated pools were 57 percent more likely to develop the disease.

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World's Oldest Woman Dies at 115

A Canadian citizen believed to be the world's oldest woman died Thursday at the age 115, CBC News reported.

Julie Winnefred Bertrand, who was born Sept. 16, 1891, died in her sleep at a Montreal nursing home where she'd lived for the past 35 years. Bertrand, the eldest of six children, never married.

In the past two years, she had never left the sixth floor of the nursing home. On Wednesday, she asked to be pushed in her wheelchair to visit the front lobby, dining room and chapel, CBC News reported.

Bertrand became the world's oldest woman when 116-year-old Elizabeth Bolden of Tennessee died on Dec. 11, 2006. The world's oldest living person is Emiliano Mercado del Toro of Puerto Rico, who was born 26 days before Bertrand.

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Global Measles Death Toll Cut by 60 Percent

The number of children killed by measles around the world decreased by 60 percent from 1999 to 2005, thanks to a massive global vaccination campaign, according to a report in The Lancet journal.

In 1999, there were 875,000 deaths (the majority in Africa) and in 2005 there were 345,000 deaths caused by measles, BBC News reported.

In Africa, the death toll was reduced by about 75 percent through the efforts of national governments and health agencies, the study found.

In 2001, a joint campaign to fight measles was launched by a number of organizations, including the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and the American Red Cross, BBC News reported.

"Immunizing children is clearly saving lives. Reducing measles deaths by 60 percent in just six years is an incredible achievement," said UNICEF Executive Director Ann Veneman.

The study authors said the results of the vaccination program suggest that it may be possible to eradicate measles around the world.

Health Headlines - January 20

Global Fund Would Subsidize Malaria Drugs for Africans

Delegates to an international forum sponsored by the World Bank have proposed a global fund to subsidize the purchase of a new generation of anti-malaria drugs for people in Africa, where malaria kills about 1 million people a year.

The new drugs -- artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) -- are needed to replace chloroquine and other older drugs that have become ineffective. Currently, ACTs are too expensive for most Africans.

The proposed fund would require about $80 million to $100 million from donor countries in the first year, increasing to about $250 million per year after that, the Associated Press reported.

The malaria drugs would be distributed by government health officials and by local stores.

ACTs are based on Chinese herbal medicine for malaria, but contain a combination of ingredients meant to make it difficult for the malaria parasite to develop resistance to the new drugs, as happened with the older generation drugs, the AP reported.

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Chlorinated Water Increases Bladder Cancer Risk: Study

People who drink or bathe, shower and swim in chlorinated water may be at increased risk for bladder cancer, says a Spanish study in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

The researchers compared 1,200 people who were exposed to chlorination byproducts known as trihalomethanes (THM) to a similar number of people who weren't exposed, The Australian reported.

People who lived in areas where THM concentrations in the water were more than 49 micrograms per liter were twice as likely to develop bladder cancer than people who lived in areas where concentrations were less than 8 mcg per liter.

The study also found that people who were exposed to more than 35 mcg of THM a day through drinking water had a 35 percent increased risk of bladder cancer, The Australian reported.

People who showered or bathed in chlorinated water were 83 percent more likely to develop bladder cancer, and people who swam in chlorinated pools were 57 percent more likely to develop the disease.

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World's Oldest Woman Dies at 115

A Canadian citizen believed to be the world's oldest woman died Thursday at the age 115, CBC News reported.

Julie Winnefred Bertrand, who was born Sept. 16, 1891, died in her sleep at a Montreal nursing home where she'd lived for the past 35 years. Bertrand, the eldest of six children, never married.

In the past two years, she had never left the sixth floor of the nursing home. On Wednesday, she asked to be pushed in her wheelchair to visit the front lobby, dining room and chapel, CBC News reported.

Bertrand became the world's oldest woman when 116-year-old Elizabeth Bolden of Tennessee died on Dec. 11, 2006. The world's oldest living person is Emiliano Mercado del Toro of Puerto Rico, who was born 26 days before Bertrand.

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Global Measles Death Toll Cut by 60 Percent

The number of children killed by measles around the world decreased by 60 percent from 1999 to 2005, thanks to a massive global vaccination campaign, according to a report in The Lancet journal.

In 1999, there were 875,000 deaths (the majority in Africa) and in 2005 there were 345,000 deaths caused by measles, BBC News reported.

In Africa, the death toll was reduced by about 75 percent through the efforts of national governments and health agencies, the study found.

In 2001, a joint campaign to fight measles was launched by a number of organizations, including the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and the American Red Cross, BBC News reported.

"Immunizing children is clearly saving lives. Reducing measles deaths by 60 percent in just six years is an incredible achievement," said UNICEF Executive Director Ann Veneman.

The study authors said the results of the vaccination program suggest that it may be possible to eradicate measles around the world.

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Hospital Treatment of Birth Defects Costs Billions a Year

Each year in the United States, hospitals spend more than $2.5 billion to treat people with birth defects, according to a U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality study released this week.

The study, which included 2004 data from 37 states, looked at people of all ages who had hospital stays primarily for the treatment of birth defects, the Associated Press reported.

The average age of the patients in the study was 17.5 years. Their average hospital stay was about six days and the average cost of each hospital stay was $18,600.

Another study released this week looked at what hospitals charge for taking care of patients with birth defects. This study, by researchers at the University of Arkansas and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, looked at 2003 data on babies who were less than 10 days old when they were admitted to hospital for care of a birth defect.

Depending on the type of birth defect, the average hospital bills for these children ranged from $3,800 to $200,000, the AP reported.

"It (the bill) is almost always a function of how long they were in the hospital because of the surgeries that were done," said study leader James Robbins of the University of Arkansas.

March of Dimes officials estimate about 3 to 4 out of every 100 babies born in the U.S. are at risk of having a birth defect, the AP reported.

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Stress Management Sessions Effective: Study

Weekly, one-hour stress-management sessions can reduce worker stress, improve heart health and lower blood pressure, an Italian study finds.

University of Milan researchers studied 91 office workers who faced layoffs. The workers were divided into two groups.

Those in the treatment group took part in a year-long program of muscle relaxation, simple respiration, guided imagery, and cognitive exercises. They showed a small but significant improvement in heart rate variability and blood pressure, along with a reduction in their levels of perceived stress, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Workers in the control group received only occasional articles and monthly emails with information about stress management. This group did not show a reduction in stress levels, the study found.

The study is currently available online in the journal Hypertension and will appear in the February print issue.

"This type of training could easily be incorporated into regular outplacement services for displaced workers," American Heart Association spokesman Dr. Richard Stein, director of preventive cardiology at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City, told the Times.

Health Headlines - January 19

Magazine Retracts Negative Review of Infant Car Seats

Consumer Reports has retracted this month's blistering review of infant car seats, which included an assertion that most of the seats "failed disastrously" in crash safety tests, the Associated Press reported Thursday.

The original report, published Jan. 4, said the magazine had tested the seats at speeds as low as 35 mph. But the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said the tests "were conducted under conditions that would represent being struck at more than 70 mph," the A.P. reported.

The wire service quoted NHTSA Administrator Nicole Nason as saying that more than 100 worried parents had contacted the agency on the day the report was released.

"Consumer Reports was right to withdraw its infant car seat test report and I appreciate that they have taken this corrective action," Nason said. "I was troubled by the report because it frightened parents and could have discouraged them from using car seats."

In a statement, the magazine said it would retest the seats and publish a new evaluation as soon as possible, the AP reported.

Consumer Reports tested the type of seat that faces the rear and snaps into a base. Only two of the 12 seats tested were recommended, and the magazine advised that one of the seats -- the Evenflo Discovery -- be recalled nationally. Evenflo immediately disputed the magazine's findings.

Consumer Reports, however, said it was sticking by its original claim that the Evenflo product should be recalled, the AP reported.

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Maryland Can't Force Wal-Mart to Boost Employee Health Insurance: Court

The state of Maryland violated federal law when it passed a law requiring retail giant Wal-Mart to increase spending on employee health insurance, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ruled Thursday.

The appeals court upheld a lower court ruling that the Maryland law violated a federal labor law. That law was designed to permit companies to establish a uniform system of health benefits across the United States, rather than having to deal with state-by-state rules, The New York Times reported.

The 2-1 decision appears to mark the end of a year-long struggle between Wal-Mart and Maryland state legislators, organized labor and health care advocates.

The appeals court ruling may also be a major setback to similar efforts around the United States to move millions of working poor from state-sponsored insurance programs, such as Medicaid, to employer-based plans, The Times reported.

After Maryland passed its legislation last year, lawmakers in dozens of other states announced they would introduce similar measures in order to reduce increasing Medicaid costs.

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Concussions Linked to Depression in NFL Player Who Committed Suicide

Football-related brain damage may have led to the depression of former NFL player Andre Waters, who committed suicide last November, suggests a University of Pittsburgh neuropathologist.

Dr. Bennet Omalu, a leading expert in forensic pathology, examined the remains of the player's brain and concluded that the brain tissue had degenerated to the point where it resembled that of an 85-year-old man with early Alzheimer's disease, The New York Times reported.

Waters was 44 years old when he died. It's likely that successive football-related concussions caused or significantly accelerated the brain damage, said Omalu, who plans to do further investigation into the case.

His conclusions, which have not been corroborated or reviewed, add more fuel to the growing debate about whether athletes and others who suffer multiple concussions are at increased risk for depression, dementia and suicide as early as midlife, The Times reported.

The NFL would not comment specifically on the Waters case. Later this year, the league will begin a study of retired players in order to examine the issue of football concussions and subsequent depression, said Dr. Andrew Tucker, a member of the NFL's mild traumatic brain injury committee.

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Doctor Conducting Illegal Stem Cell Transplants: FDA

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has sent a warning letter to a Las Vegas doctor who the agency says has been implanting stem cells harvested from placentas into patients in violation of federal law.

The letter sent to Dr. Alfred Sapse of Stem Cell Pharma Inc. and dated Nov. 22, 2006 was released by the FDA Thursday.

The agency said Sapse failed to properly obtain, store, test and process the placentas. He also failed to screen both the suitability of the donors and the patients. The FDA said at least 16 patients received the stem cells, the Associated Press reported.

The warning letter also said that Sapse failed to seek or obtain federal approval to conduct the stem cell procedures. He also failed to allow an FDA investigator to see and copy records on his stem cell implant patients during an inspection of his company on July 6, 2006.

The FDA letter orders Sapse to explain what measures he's taken or plans to take in order to correct the violations and prevent them from recurring, the AP reported.

On his Web site, Sapse says he's done 42 stem cell implants on patients with different kinds of diseases, including multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, and Alzheimer's. He charges $6,000 per procedure.

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Young, Educated Women More Likely to Binge Drink Than Less-Educated Peers

Well-educated women in their 20s are about a third more likely to binge drink than less-educated women in the same age group, says a U.K. study in the current issue of the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

However, the researchers, from at the Institute of Child Health, also found that by age 40 less-educated women were two times more likely to be binge drinking than women with more education, BBC News reported.

For this study, binge drinking among women was defined as have more than seven units of alcohol in one session. A large glass of wine or a pint of normal-strength beer was considered two units of alcohol.

The study included 11,500 women and men, born in 1958, who were asked to recall their drinking habits at ages 23, 33 and 42.

Men with less education were three times more likely to binge drink than men with more education. This difference did not vary much with age, BBC News reported.

The age-related differences in binge drinking among women may be due to domestic circumstances, suggested study author Barbara Jefferis.

"For example, among women, the less educated are more likely to have children earlier than more educated women, and also have different types of employment with differing drinking cultures," Jefferis wrote.

Health Headlines - January 18

U.S. Government Awards Bird Flu Vaccine Contracts

The U.S. government announced Wednesday it has awarded contracts totaling $132.5 million to three companies for the advanced development of H5N1 bird flu vaccines, using an immune system booster called an adjuvant.

An adjuvant is a substance added to a vaccine that increases the body's response to the active ingredient (antigen) in the vaccine.

"In the event of an influenza pandemic, a vaccine that uses adjuvant could provide a way to extend a limited vaccine supply to more people," Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt said in a prepared statement.

Five-year contracts were awarded to drug maker GlaxoSmithKline ($63.3 million) and to Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics, Inc. ($54.8 million). In addition, a 15-month, $14.4 million contract was awarded to IOMAI Corporation to complete phase I clinical trials of their candidate vaccine. If the trials are successful, IOMAI may receive an additional $114 million in funding.

Under the contracts, each company will build up its capacity to produce either 150 million doses of an adjuvant-based influenza vaccine or enough adjuvant for 150 million doses of a vaccine. The companies must be able to do this within six months of the onset of an influenza pandemic.

So far, the H5N1 bird flu virus has spread to more than 40 countries, resulting in the death and slaughter of millions of chickens and other domestic birds. More than 260 people in 10 countries have been infected by H5N1 and more than half of them died.

In most of the human cases, H5N1 infection occurred after direct contact with sick animals. However, experts fear that the virus may mutate into a form that's easily transmitted between people.

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No More Milk Products with Bovine Growth Hormone: Starbucks

Less than a month after it announced it would stop selling items with trans fats in its U.S. stores, Starbucks Coffee Co. said this week that it is phasing out milk products that contain an artificial bovine growth hormone.

The company said that as of January, 37 percent of dairy products at its U.S. outlets are free of recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH), compared to 27 percent of milk products in December. The company did not say when it expects to reach 100 percent, the Associated Press reported.

For years, some advocacy groups have said there's inadequate research on the effects in humans of dairy products from cows that are given rBGH, which is used to increase milk production.

Those groups applauded Starbucks' decision.

"We think it's good news, and we are happy to hear it," Patty Lovera, assistant director of Food and Water Watch in Washington, D.C., told the AP.

However, large-scale dairy producers said there's no scientific evidence to suggest that rBGH has any effect on humans.

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Baby Teether Beads Pose Choking Hazard

About 375,000 Bright Starts Star Teether Beads and Bright Starts Teether Beads are being recalled because they pose a choking hazard, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said Wednesday.

The flexible plastic ring that holds the teether beads in place can crack or break, causing the beads to detach. The distributor, Kids II Inc. of Alpharetta, Ga., has received 24 reports of the plastic ring cracking or breaking and the beads detaching from the ring. There have been no reports of injuries.

The two products (model numbers 8483 and 8549) were sold at discount department and juvenile specialty stores across the U.S. from June 2006 through January 2007 for between $1 and $3.

Parents should immediately take these teether beads away from their children and contact Kids II for information about receiving a free replacement. Call the company toll-free at (877) 325-7056 between 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday.

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HIV Infected 1,000 Children a Day in 2006: U.N. Report

Each day in 2006, more than 1,000 children around the world were infected by HIV (the virus that causes AIDS), according to a UNICEF report released Tuesday.

In total, 410,000 to 660,000 children under the age of 15 were infected with HIV last year, the U.N. agency said. Most of the children were infected during or immediately after their birth to HIV-positive mothers, the Associated Press reported.

UNICEF said that about half of the children infected last year will die of AIDS-related diseases within two years if they do not receive appropriate medical treatment.

The report did say there has been progress in preventing the transmission of HIV from pregnant women to their babies. For example, some countries in sub-Saharan Africa -- including Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa and Swaziland -- increased access to treatment for vulnerable mothers between 2004 and 2005, the AP reported.

However, only seven countries worldwide (Argentina, Brazil, Botswana, Jamaica, Russia, Thailand, and Ukraine) are on track to reach the goal of providing access to treatment for 80 percent of HIV-infected pregnant women, said UNICEF spokesman Patrick McCormick.

In 2006, just nine percent of HIV-infected pregnant women in low- to middle-income countries received antiretroviral drugs that can reduce the risk of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, the AP reported.

Each year, AIDS kills more than 2.9 million people worldwide, including about 380,000 children.

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Vitamin A Inhibitors May Help Prevent Esophageal Cancer

Blocking the action of vitamin A may prevent cellular changes that can lead to esophageal cancer, says a U.K. study in the current issue of the journal Gut.

Scientists at the Medical Research Council Cell Unit found that exposure to vitamin A can cause changes in cells that line the esophagus, resulting in a precancerous condition called Barrett's esophagus. Lesions caused by Barrett's can cause esophageal cancer.

Until now, the cause of the cell changes that lead to Barrett's have been unknown. This study found that treating cells that make up the lining of the esophagus with vitamin A triggered changes that lead to Barrett's, BBC News reported.

When the altered cells were treated with vitamin A inhibitors, the cells reverted to a normal state.

"We are very excited about these findings," said lead researcher Dr. Rebecca Fitzgerald. "Vitamin A inhibitors could allow us to reverse Barrett's esophagus which would prevent the lesions it provokes from causing esophageal adenocarcinoma."

About 1 in 100 cases of Barrett's esophagus develop into cancer, Dr. Julie Sharp of Cancer Research UK, told BBC News.

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Atlanta Worst U.S. City for People with Asthma

Atlanta has the dubious honor of being the U.S. asthma capital for 2007, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, which just released its annual rankings of the 100 most challenging places to live for people with the respiratory illness.

Atlanta took the top spot due to its higher-than-average crude death rate (CDR) for asthma, high year-round pollen levels, bad air pollution, and lack of total smoking bans in restaurants, bars or workplaces.

Other factors were the city's high rate of poverty and the large percentage of residents without health insurance. Both of these issues are barriers to good asthma care, the foundation said.

Here are the 10 U.S. cities considered to be the worst places for people with asthma: Atlanta; Philadelphia; Raleigh, N.C.; Knoxville, Tenn.; Harrisburg, Pa.; Grand Rapids, Mich.; Milwaukee, Wis.; Greensboro, N.C.; Scranton, Pa.; Little Rock, Ark.