Health Headlines - May 31

FDA Panel Recommends Drug for Rare Blood Disorder

Despite reservations by U.S. Food and Drug Administration scientists, a panel of experts advising the agency has recommended the full agency's approval of a drug to treat a rare immune system disorder that causes the body to destroy its own blood platelets.

The advisory panel voted unanimously Friday to recommend Promacta, produced by GlaxoSmithKline and Ligand Pharmaceuticals, the Associated Press reported. Earlier in the week, FDA scientists released data that they suggested found that Promacta was no better than a placebo in treating chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. Some 60,000 people in the United States have the disorder, which leads to excessive bleeding and bruising.

While noting that the drug makers haven't provided long-term data on the drug's safety and effectiveness, the panel said a pair of six-week studies indicated Promacta was of significant benefit to people with the disorder, the AP reported.

The FDA has until June 19 to decide whether to approve the drug. While it isn't bound by the recommendations of its expert panels, it typically follows them.

-----

Facial Features Affect Perception of Mood

A person's facial expressions and mood can be misperceived due to differences in facial features such as eyebrow shape, eyelid position and wrinkles, according to a U.S. study.

It included 20 health care workers who viewed photos that were digitally altered to change a number of features. The participants were asked to rate, on a scale of 0 to 5, seven expressions or emotions conveyed in the photos: tiredness, happiness, surprise, anger, disgust, fear and sadness, United Press International reported.

Results for the altered photos were compared to the scores from the original photos. Overall, eyebrow shape was deemed to be the greatest indicator of mood, drooping of the eyelids was considered the biggest indicator of tiredness, and raising the lower eyelid and the presence of crow's feet were associated with happiness.

The study appears in the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

"A key complaint of those seeking facial plastic surgery is that people always tell them they look tired, even when they do not feel tired," study co-author Dr. John Persing said in a prepared statement cited by UPI. "We found that variations in eyebrow contour, drooping of the upper eyelid, and wrinkles may be conveying facial expressions that don't necessarily match how patients are feeling."

-----

Recalled Toy Helicopters Pose Fire, Burn Hazards

About 152,000 Sky Champion wireless indoor helicopters are being recalled because the rechargeable battery inside the toy can ignite and pose fire or burn hazards to consumers, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said. There have been two reports of the Chinese-made toy helicopters catching fire but no reports of injuries or property damage, according to importer/distributor Tradewinds International Enterprises Inc. (TWIE), of San Francisco, Calif.

The recalled helicopters have the code BH26047 printed on the tail. The code WIC 551777 and the UPC code 630990006005 are printed on the packaging. The toys were sold at Walgreens stores across the United States from June 2007 through November 2007 for about $20.

Consumers should stop using the toys and contact TWIE at 888-583-4908 for a refund. Walgreens will not accept returns or provide refunds, the CPSC said.

-----

Most Children's Caregivers Ignorant About Household Poisons

Less than one-third of people who cared for children younger than age six knew the toxicity of common household products, a new U.S. study found.

"Young children are at risk of household chemical ingestion and their caretakers often do not have a good understanding of how toxic those chemical are. Parental education needs to be focused more on younger caretakers with more children," study leader Dr. Rika N. O'Malley, of the Albert Einstein Medical Center, said in a prepared statement.

The researchers screened primary caregivers who visited emergency departments, asking them to identify toxic items from a list of common household products. People with a higher level of education, responsibility for fewer children, and those more than 23 years old were more likely to have knowledge of household poisons.

The study was presented Friday at a meeting of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine.

The researchers said doctors needed to boost efforts to educate primary caregivers about the risks of household toxins.

-----

500,000 Asian Youth Targeted by Tobacco Companies: WHO

Tobacco advertising that targets teens is putting half-a-billion young Asians at risk for tobacco-related diseases, says the Asia-Pacific director of the World Health Organization.

In a statement issued on the eve of the WHO-designated "World No Tobacco Day," Shigeru Omi said the tobacco industry's marketing efforts aim to persuade half-a-billion young people in the Western Pacific to try their first cigarette, Agence France-Presse reported.

"Youngsters are led to believe that certain types of cigarettes do not contain nicotine, when in fact they do," Omi said.

He restated the WHO's demand for a total ban on tobacco advertising and noted that partial bans simply allow tobacco companies to shift from one promotional strategy to another, AFP reported.

The U.N. agency spokesman accused tobacco companies of "falsely associating use of their products with desirable qualities such as glamour, energy and sex appeal, as well as exciting outdoor activities and adventure."

-----

Fruits and Vegetables May Protect Against Lung Cancer

Eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables and drinking black or green tea may help reduce smokers' lung cancer risk, suggests a University of California, Los Angeles study.

Researchers looked at the eating habits of 558 lung cancer patients and 837 people without the disease. People who ate three servings of vegetables a day were 1.6 times less likely to develop lung cancer than those who didn't eat three servings. People who ate three or more servings of fruit were one-fold less likely to develop lung cancer, and those who drank one cup of black or green tea a day had a 0.8-fold reduced risk, CBC News reported.

Fruits, vegetables and tea contain flavonoids, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

"What we found was extremely interesting, that several types of flavonoids are associated with a reduced risk of lung cancer among smokers," said Dr. Zuo-Feng Zhang, a professor of public health and epidemiology at UCLA's Jonsson Cancer Center, CBC News reported.

Zhang and colleagues believe flavonoids may help stop the development of blood vessels that feed tumors, preventing them from invading healthy tissue.

The study appears in the May issue of the journal Cancer.

Health Tips for May 31

Health Tip: Living With a Pacemaker

A pacemaker is a device that's implanted in a person's chest to help maintain a regular heartbeat.

The American Heart Association offers these suggestions for managing with a pacemaker:

* Avoid applying pressure on the area where the pacemaker was implanted. You may want to wear a small pad over the area for comfort and protection.
* Your pacemaker cannot be damaged by bathing or swimming.
* Make sure to get some physical activity every day to improve your health and circulation. Feel free to resume the level of sexual activity that you had before the pacemaker was implanted.
* Don't push yourself too hard. Exercise so that you feel good, but stop if you start to feel too tired or sick.
* Always tell your doctor, a nurse, dentist or other health professional that you have a pacemaker. Carry an identification card that shows you have the device.
* Tell your doctor if you have trouble breathing, if you have swelling of the legs or ankles, if you have unexplained weight gain, or if you feel faint or dizzy.
* You shouldn't experience interference from most household electrical appliances.

Health Tip: Heart-Healthy Diet Should Start in Infancy

It's never too early to begin a heart-healthy diet -- even in infancy, the American Heart Association says.

Here are the AHA's recommendations:

* Breast-feeding offers babies the right nutritional balance until between 4 months and 6 months of age, when other foods should gradually be introduced to supplement breast-feeding.
* Avoid giving your baby 100 percent juice drinks until at least 6 months of age, then limit the amount to 4 ounces to 6 ounces per day.
* Be careful not to give infants and young children too much food, and don't force them to eat everything on their plate.
* Offer your child plenty of healthy foods. Even if the child isn't initially interested, continue to offer these foods.
* Avoid offering unhealthy foods just to get your child to eat something.

Health Headlines - May 30

Appeals Courts Reverse Vioxx Awards

One Vioxx-related verdict against drug maker Merck & Co. was reversed Thursday by an appeals court in Texas, while a Vioxx-related reward was reduced by a New Jersey appeals court.

In Texas, an appeals court scrapped a $26 million verdict awarded to the widow of Robert Ernst, who started taking the painkiller Vioxx eight months before he died in May 2001. The appeals court said there's no evidence that Ernst suffered a fatal heart problems from a blood clot caused by Vioxx, the Associated Press reported.

In New Jersey, an appeals court annulled $9 million of the $13.9 million awarded to John McDarby, who survived a heart attack in 2004. The appeals court said the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act pre-empted New Jersey's Product Liability Act.

The New Jersey appeals court also upheld a verdict in favor of Merck in the case of Thomas Cona, who survived a June 2003 heart attack. That case was heard simultaneously with McDarby's case.

In September 2004, Merck pulled Vioxx off the market after its own study showed the drug doubled the risk of heart attack or stroke. Merck faced thousand of lawsuits in connection with the drug. With these latest rulings, Merck has 11 victories and three losses from trials that reached verdicts, and the damages are now reduced in one of those losses, the AP reported.

In November, Merck reached a settlement in which it agreed to pay $4.85 billion to end thousands of other Vioxx lawsuits.

-----

EPA Tightens Rules on Rodent-Control Products

New safety measures to protect children from accidental exposure to rodent-control products and to reduce accidental poisonings of pets and wildlife were announced Thursday by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The measures require that 10 rodenticides used in bait products marketed to consumers be enclosed in bait stations to make the pesticide inaccessible to children and pets. The EPA is also banning the sale of loose bait, such as pellets, for use in homes.

Rodenticide products that contain brodifacoum, bromadiolone, difethialone and difenacoum pose the greatest risk to wildlife and will no longer be allowed to be sold or distributed in the consumer market, the EPA said.

Bait stations will be required for all outdoor, above-ground uses for products containing these ingredients. These steps will significantly reduce the amount of product in the environment and provide additional protection for wildlife from poisonings, the EPA said.

The agency told companies that make these products to respond within 90 days regarding their intention to comply with the new requirements.

-----

U.S. Army Suicides Increased in 2007

The number of U.S. Army suicides increased to 108 in 2007, six more than the previous year, two defense officials revealed Thursday in advance of a full report to be released later in the day. About one-quarter of the suicides occurred in Iraq.

The 108 confirmed suicides among active duty soldiers and National Guard and Reserve troops that had been activated was lower than the preliminary figure released in January that suggested as many as 121 troops may have committed suicide in 2007, the Associated Press reported.

During the five years of war in Iraq and nearly seven years of war in Afghanistan, there's been an increase in troop suicides -- 67 in 2004, 85 in 2005, 102 in 2006 and 108 in 2007.

The increases are occurring despite a number of initiatives to improve the mental health of troops, including more suicide prevention training and education programs, the hiring of hundreds of additional mental health professionals, and increased mental health screening of troops, the AP reported.

-----

San Francisco Fittest Large City

San Francisco is the fittest of the United States' most populous cities, according to a study that looked at 16 large metropolitan areas, according to the American College of Sport Medicine.

The report analyzed several health and fitness-related factors and found that San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area scored above average on a number of indicators:

• Nearly 32 percent of its citizens eat five or more fruits and vegetables per day.
• They're more likely to have health insurance and less likely to have chronic health problems.
• The area scored well on amenities such as parks and athletic facilities and had an above-average number of commuters who bike, walk or use public transportation.
• The number of health care providers in the area is among the highest for the largest metropolitan areas.

Rounding out the top five were Seattle, Boston, Washington, D.C., and Atlanta. The bottom five were Detroit (lowest), Riverside, Calif., Los Angeles, Houston, and Indianapolis.

-----

Bicarbonate Changes May Warn of Early Cancer

Using MRI scans to check for changes in naturally-produced bicarbonate may help identify cancers in the very early stages, says a Cancer Research UK study.

Bicarbonate plays a role in the body's balancing of acid and alkali. It's known that cancer turns bicarbonate into carbon dioxide, BBC News reported. Almost all cancer has a lower pH, which means it's more acidic than surrounding tissue. Currently, there is no way to safely measure pH in patients.

In test on mice, the researchers boosted MRI sensitivity more than 20,000 times and found they were able to monitor changes in bicarbonate and identify early-stage cancer. The findings were published in the journal Nature.

"This technique could be used as a highly-sensitive early warning system for signs of cancer," lead researcher Professor Kevin Brindle said in prepared statement. "By exploiting the body's natural pH balancing system, we have found a potentially safe way of measuring pH to see what's going on inside patients."

As well as detecting cancer, Brindle said this method could be used to determine if cancer patients are responding to treatment, BBC News reported.

-----

Hormone's Activity Influences Men's Heart Risk, Life Expectancy

Higher levels of activity of the hormone IGF-1 (insulin-growth factor 1) may reduce men's heart risk and boost their life expectancy, according to a study by researchers at the Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

IGF-1 is released by the liver and is similar in molecular structure to insulin. The researchers said the hormone plays an important role in childhood growth and continues to have an effect in adulthood, United Press International reported.

At the start of the study, serum samples were taken from 376 healthy men, ages 73 to 94. The men were followed for up to eight years.

Men with the lowest level of IGF-1 activity had a significantly higher death rate than those with the highest level of activity. The researchers said the results were especially significant in people at high risk of death from cardiovascular complications, UPI reported.

The study was published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

-----

60% of U.S. Adults Have at Least One Chronic Condition

In the United States, 60 percent of people aged 18 and older have at least one chronic medical condition, defined as one expected to last at least one year and result in limitations or the need for ongoing care.

The latest News and Numbers summary from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality looked at 2005 data, finding that:

• Nearly 40 percent of Americans aged 18 to 34 had at least one chronic condition, as did 90 percent of people aged 65 and older.
• About 77 percent of those aged 65 and older had two or more chronic conditions, compared with 14 percent of those aged 18 to 34.
• Treatment of chronic conditions accounted for nine of every 10 dollars spent for medical care on American adults, excluding costs for dental care, medical equipment, and supplies.
• About 22 million adults received medical care for osteoarthritis and related conditions, 49 million for asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, 17 million for diabetes, 45 million for high blood pressure, and 19 million for heart disease.

Health Tips for May 30

Health Tip: Dealing With Exercise-Induced Asthma

Exercise-induced asthma may be characterized by difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, fatigue, wheezing and tightness in the chest after working out.

Here are suggestions for people with exercise-induced asthma, courtesy of the American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology:

* Try swimming, especially in a heated indoor pool. The warm, humid environment may help minimize symptoms for people with exercise-induced asthma.
* Try walking, biking or hiking at a leisurely pace.
* Try sports that offer frequent periods of rest, such as baseball, short -distance track, surfing, wrestling and football.
* Avoid cold-weather sports, or warm the air before you inhale it with a surgical mask or scarf over your mouth.
* Avoid sports that require long periods of strenuous exercise, such as soccer, basketball, field hockey and running.

Health Tip: Exercising in Hot Weather

Heat injuries range from mild forms to more serious types, including heat exhaustion and heatstroke.

Heatstroke -- when the body's sweating mechanism quits, the skin become hot and dry, and the body loses most fluids -- can be life-threatening.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons offers these suggestions for exercising safely in hot weather:

* Drink plenty of fluids even when you're not thirsty, and take frequent breaks during exercise.
* Get your body in good shape before hot weather hits.
* Limit outdoor exercise to early in the morning or late in the evening, avoiding the midday hours.
* Exercise more slowly and less vigorously for longer periods.
* Wear lightweight clothing, and avoid heavy gear.
* If someone looks like they're having a heat injury, seek immediate medical attention.

Health Headlines - May 29

60 Percent of U.S. Adults Have at Least One Chronic Condition

In the United States, 60 percent of people aged 18 and older have at least one chronic medical condition, defined as one expected to last at least one year and result in limitations or the need for ongoing care.

The latest News and Numbers summary from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality looked at 2005 data, finding that:

• Nearly 40 percent of Americans aged 18 to 34 had at least one chronic condition, as did 90 percent of people aged 65 and older.
• About 77 percent of those aged 65 and older had two or more chronic conditions, compared with 14 percent of those aged 18 to 34.
• Treatment of chronic conditions accounted for nine of every 10 dollars spent for medical care on American adults, excluding costs for dental care, medical equipment, and supplies.
• About 22 million adults received medical care for osteoarthritis and related conditions, 49 million for asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, 17 million for diabetes, 45 million for high blood pressure, and 19 million for heart disease.

-----

Drug Doesn't Stem Bleeding in People With Rare Disorder: FDA

The unapproved GlaxoSmithKline drug Promacta doesn't appear to restrict bleeding in people with a rare blood disorder called chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, reviewers from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday.

Glaxo studies submitted to the FDA "do not provide robust evidence" to back the company's assertions that the drug controls the severity and frequency of bleeding, the Associated Press quoted agency reviewers as saying.

The anti-clotting disorder of the immune system, affecting some 60,000 people in the United States, leads to abnormally high bleeding and bruising. It causes the body to destroy its own blood platelets, which are necessary for clotting.

Promacta is designed to raise levels of blood platelets. But a pair of studies sent to the FDA for review showed no significant difference between Promacta and a non-medicinal placebo, the wire service reported.

On May 30, an FDA panel of experts is set to meet and announce whether to recommend approval of the drug. The full agency isn't bound by the decisions of its advisory panels, but usually follows them.

-----

Big Increase Reported in Intestinal 'Superbug' Infections

The number of Americans hospitalized with the dangerous intestinal superbug Clostridium difficile has been increasing by more than 10,000 a year, and the germ was a factor in nearly 300,000 hospitalizations in 2005, more than double the number in 2000, a new study says.

Lead author Dr. Marya Zilberberg, of the University of Massachusetts, and colleagues looked at more than 36 million annual discharges from non-governmental U.S. hospitals to create national estimates for C. difficile cases, the Associated Press reported.

The researchers also concluded that 2.3 percent of C. difficile cases in 2004 were fatal (about 5,500 deaths), nearly double the percentage of C. difficile cases that were fatal in 2000.

C. difficile has developed resistance to some antibiotics and has become a common threat in hospitals and nursing homes.

"The nature of this infection is changing. It's more severe," Dr. L. Clifford McDonald, of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told the AP. He was not involved in the study, which is published in the June issue of the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases.

-----

Dietary Supplement for Impotence Recalled

Xiadafil VIP Tabs -- a dietary supplement for sexual enhancement and erectile dysfunction -- are being recalled because they contain a potentially dangerous ingredient that isn't listed on the packaging, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday.

The tablets contain hydroxyhomosildenafil, a chemical analog of the active ingredient in Viagra, the Associated Press reported. The compound could interact with nitrates found in some prescription drugs for diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol or high blood pressure. This interaction could result in a dangerous drop in blood pressure.

The recalled Xiadafil was sold in eight-tablet bottles and two-tablet blister cards with expiration dates of September 2009. The tablets were made by SEI Pharmaceuticals and sold online and at health food stores across the United States, the AP reported.

For more information, contact the FDA at 888-463-6332.

-----

Counterfeit Circuit Breakers Pose Fire Hazard

About 371,000 counterfeit circuit breakers labeled as "Square D" are being recalled because they can fail to trip when overloaded and pose a fire hazard, says the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

The counterfeit products, distributed by Specialty Lamp International Inc., of Deerfield Beach, Fla., are black and labeled as Square D QO-series models 115, 120, 130, 215, 220, 230, 240, 250, 260 and 2020, and Square D QOB-series models 115, 120, 130, 220, 230, 250, 260 and 1515.

The circuit breakers were sold at electrical product distributors across the United States from May 2005 through June 2006 for between $3 and $23.

Consumers should contact Specialty Lamp International at 866-650-3076 to determine if they have a counterfeit breaker and, if so, to arrange for a free inspection and replacement or refund if necessary, the CPSC said.

-----

Estrogen Linked to Prostate Cancer

The hormone estrogen plays an important role in about half of all prostate cancers, according to U.S. researchers.

They analyzed thousands of genes in more than 450 prostate cancer samples and found that estrogen is part of a molecular pathway that leads to the fusion of two genes that fuel prostate cancer growth, United Press International reported.

While estrogen is known as a female hormone, it's also produced by men.

Fifty percent of prostate cancers have a common recurrent gene fusion believed to make them more aggressive, said Dr. Mark A. Rubin, of New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, UPI reported.

"Interfering with this gene fusion -- or its downstream molecular pathway -- will be crucial in the search for drugs that fight the disease," Rubin said in a prepared statement. "Based on our new data, we now believe that inhibiting estrogen may be one way of doing so."

The study was published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Health Tips for May 29

Health Tip: Take a Short Nap

While a full night's sleep is vital to good health, stamina and alertness, a short nap also can do wonders for your mood and performance.

The National Sleep Foundation offers these suggestions for good napping:

* Limit the nap to 20 minutes to 30 minutes. This shouldn't leave you feeling groggy or interfere with your ability to fall asleep at night.
* Make sure you have a good sleep environment. Choose a cool, dark and quiet room to help you fall asleep and have a restful nap.
* Choose the right time to nap. Your body may not be ready for more sleep if it's early in the day, while napping too late can cause problems falling asleep at bedtime.

Health Tip: Create a Space for Sleep

Difficulty sleeping can be caused by simply having too many distractions and discomforts in your bedroom.

Try these steps to create an environment for better sleep, courtesy of the National Sleep Foundation:

* Make sure your room is quiet. If necessary, try using a white noise machine or earplugs.
* Keep your room at a temperature that's comfortable. Slightly cooler temperatures often are best for sleep.
* Keep the bedroom dark. Also make sure you get plenty of exposure to light during the day.
* Make sure your bed and pillows are comfortable and clean, and big enough for you and your sleep partner to share.
* Avoid TV or a computer in the bedroom.
* Offer pets their own bed or other comfy sleep spot.

Health Headlines - May 28

Cases of PTSD Soar Among U.S. Troops

The number of American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder rose by about 50 percent last year, the Pentagon disclosed Tuesday.

Almost 40,000 troops involved in the two wars have been diagnosed with PTSD since 2003, the Associated Press reported. And Pentagon officials said they believed many more troops weren't disclosing that they had symptoms of the illness.

Military officials have been urging troops to see civilian therapists, even if it meant not reporting these visits to the Pentagon, the wire service reported. Moreover, military estimates suggest that roughly half of those who have mental health problems don't seek help because they fear embarrassment or that it would hurt their careers.

The Army said more than 10,000 new cases of PTSD were diagnosed in 2007, compared to 6,800 in 2006. And the Marine Corps disclosed that there were more than 2,100 cases last year, compared to 1,366 in 2006, the AP said.

Officials attributed part of the rise to a program of electronic record keeping that began in 2004. But they also cited the emotional strain of recently extended tour lengths, to 15 months from 12 months.

-----

New Compounds More Potent Than DEET

Several new potential insect repellants much more potent than DEET have been identified by U.S. Department of Agriculture scientists, who found that the new compounds protected human volunteers from mosquitoes two to three times longer than DEET.

For more than 50 years, DEET has been the gold standard of insect repellants. Even though DEET-based repellants offer protection from a variety of insects, mosquitoes continue to spread malaria and other diseases, and some mosquitoes aren't deterred by DEET, Agence France-Presse reported.

"It would be good to have more effective repellants that protect against a greater number of insect species," said Ulrich Bernier, a research chemist with the USDA's Mosquito and Fly Research Unit.

He and his colleagues began with a field of 2,000 candidate compounds and plan to continue testing seven of the most promising ones, AFP reported.

The research appears in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

-----

Japanese Parents Warned About Children's Cell Phone Use

A new government program will urge Japanese parents and schools to limit children's use of Internet-linking cell phones. The government is worried about a number of problems, including the large amount of time students are spending exchanging mobile e-mails and the risk that they'll become involved in Internet-related crime, the Associated Press reported.

"Japanese parents are giving cell phones to their children without giving it enough thought," said Masaharu Kuba, a government official overseeing the initiative. "In Japan, cell phones have become an expensive toy."

The warning to parents and schools is one recommendation made by an education reform panel. The panel also wants Japanese companies to develop cell phones with only the talking function and GPS (global positioning system), which can help ensure a child's safety, the AP reported.

The panel also wants better filtering programming for mobile phones with Internet access.

-----

China Begins Emergency Vaccinations in Quake-Hit Areas

Mass emergency vaccinations are being launched in earthquake-hit areas of China in order to prevent possible epidemics, the government announced Tuesday.

"By June 15, emergency inoculation of vulnerable people will be completed including vaccines against hepatitis A and encephalitis B," said Ministry of Health spokesman Sun Jiahai, AFP reported. There was no clarification about how many people would be vaccinated or who was classed as vulnerable.

Sun also said China will store 100,000 vaccines against cholera, 20,000 against rabies, and 30,000 for measles, mumps and rubella.

"The immunity of local people has been weakened, so they will become more vulnerable to epidemics," warned Qi Xiaoqui, director of the disease control bureau of the Health Ministry, AFP reported.

While there has been an increase in cases of diarrhea and fever in quake-hit areas, there haven't been any major disease outbreaks, he said.

-----

Sodium Nitrite Stimulates Blood Vessel Growth

Daily injections of sodium nitrite stimulated the growth of new blood vessels and restored blood flow to tissues damaged by simulated vascular disease in just three to seven days, a new U.S. study found.

Researchers induced ischemia (reduced blood flow) in the hind legs of mice by tying off the rodents' femoral arteries. The mice then received twice-a-day injections of low-dose sodium nitrite, Agence France-Presse reported.

Within three days, the animals' hind legs were showing signs of new blood vessel growth (angiogenesis). Within seven days, the blood supply in their hind legs was almost back to normal. In a group of mice that received no treatment, it took 28 days for circulation in their hind legs to return to normal.

Ischemia occurs in people with conditions such as peripheral artery disease and diabetes.

"The treatment has tremendous potential for stimulating angiogenesis to alleviate the discomfort caused by ischemia, and at the dosages we used, sodium nitrite is safe and far below any toxicity threshold," said Christopher Kevil, an associate professor of pathology at Louisiana State University Health Science Center in Shreveport, AFP reported.

"Moreover, our work suggests that sodium nitrite therapy could be beneficial for stimulating angiogenesis and tissue healing after ischemic events seen in stroke and heart attacks," Kevil said.

The study appears in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

-----

Evolving Bird Flu Viruses May Pose Pandemic Threat

U.S. researchers have identified certain strains of bird flu that appear to be moving closer to developing traits that could trigger a human pandemic.

They found that a few of the H7 virus strains that caused minor, non-transmissible infections among people in North America between 2002 and 2004 may be evolving the same human tracheal cell sugar-binding properties seen in flu viruses that caused global pandemics in 1918, 1957 and 1968, Agence France-Presse reported.

"These findings suggest that the H7 class of viruses are partially adapted to recognize the receptors that are preferred by the human influenza virus," said Terrence Tumpey, a senior microbiologist with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

If these H7 viruses continue this type of evolution, they may be able to pass more easily between animals and people, said the researchers, who called for strict surveillance of avian flu viruses, AFP reported.

The study appears in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Health Tips for May 28

Health Tip: Exposure to Secondhand Smoke

Just because a person isn't a smoker doesn't mean they are immune to the harmful effects of tobacco smoke.

Children are particularly vulnerable to the dangers of secondhand smoke, says the American Lung Association, which offers this list of how it can harm youngsters:

* They are more likely to develop bronchitis, pneumonia and other respiratory diseases.
* They are more prone to ear infections.
* They are more likely to develop asthma.
* If already asthmatic, they are prone to more frequent asthma attacks.

Health Tip: Get Your Child Back to Bed

If your child comes to your room in the middle of the night, it may be tempting to allow the child to crawl into bed with you, especially after a nightmare.

That's not recommended, says the Nemours Foundation, which offers these suggestions for getting your child to go back to his or her own bed:

* Make sure the child understands that you are there if he or she needs you again or gets scared.
* Explain that although the dream was frightening and that it's acceptable to be scared, everything will be OK.
* Do whatever the child needs to feel safe. Offer a night light, or show the child that there are no monsters hiding in the closet or under the bed.
* Soothe the child back to sleep with talk of pleasant dreams, or a comforting blanket or stuffed animal.

Health Headlines - May 27

Warm Weather Workouts Require Common-Sense Precautions

Memorial Day is considered the unofficial start of summer, and that means more people will be heading outdoors to pursue favorite exercises and physical activities.

With that in mind, the American College of Sports Medicine, the American Medical Association and more than 50 supporting organizations, including the National Athletic Trainers' Association, have launched the "Exercise is Medicine" initiative. It includes a list of tips that people of all ages can follow to enjoy physical activity and exercise while reducing the risk of "exertional heat illness."

"Many cases of heat illness are preventable and can be successfully treated if such conditions are properly recognized and appropriate care is provided in a timely manner," said certified athletic trainer Brendon McDermott, of the University of Connecticut. "We're hoping to educate athletes, coaches, parents and health-care providers about what can be done to prevent and treat heat illnesses."

To guard against heat illnesses, the trainers' association recommends the following steps:

• Gradually increase activity in terms of intensity and duration in the heat. This prepares your body for more intense, longer duration exercise in warm conditions, and helps prevent injury and heat illness.
• Mix in periods of rest during activity and assure adequate rest between exercise bouts. Rest breaks are an important defense against heat illness, and proper sleeping habits decrease your risk as well.
• Begin outdoor activities only after you're properly hydrated. Drink water or sports drinks throughout physical activity in the heat.
• A darker urine color is a quick sign of dehydration. Your urine should look more like lemonade than apple juice.
• Exercise during cooler portions of the day -- early morning or late evening, if possible.
• Don't participate in intense exercise if you show signs of an existing illness, such as fever, diarrhea or extreme fatigue. These can decrease your body's tolerance for heat and increase your risk of a heat illness.

-----

Poll: Wounded Iraq Soldiers Get Substandard Care From VA

A considerable majority of Americans believes that Veteran's Administration hospitals and other military health facilities are not giving wounded Iraq war veterans the quality of care they deserve.

The latest poll from the Harvard Opinion Research Program at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and the Harris Interactive® polling organization finds that 62 percent of Americans believe medical care for returning wounded U.S. soldiers from Iraq isn't adequate. In the same poll, 65 percent said that mental health care for returning vets was substandard, according to a HSPH news release.

The poll found that this opinion ran across the spectrum of American society. Those who had a family member serving in Iraq were just as likely as respondents with no family ties to the Iraq war to believe VA hospital care was substandard.

Yet, the poll also found that 60 percent of the respondents believed that medical treatment for wounded Iraq war veterans in military and VA hospitals is better (10 percent) or the same (50 percent) as the type of care they would receive in what the pollsters called "other major U.S. hospitals."

The poll is part of a continuing series by Harris Interactive and the Harvard School of Public Health: Debating Health: Election 2008.

-----

Caressing Preemies May Help With Pain of Medical Procedures

It's never too early for parents to hold, touch and caress their offspring, even if the baby is born very prematurely.

According to BBC News, researchers from McGill University in Montreal found that parents who cuddle with babies born as early as 28 weeks help lessen the stress of painful medical procedures the infants will have to endure. The normal term of pregnancy before delivering a baby is between 37 and 42 weeks, according to the U.S. government's National Institutes of Health.

In fact, reports the BBC, the McGill scientists believe the skin-to-skin contact between parents and baby is so important that it might aid in the recovery process from the medical procedures.

The researchers used a common test for newborns --- the heel pin prick to obtain blood to check blood sugar levels -- as a test for stressful reaction.

This test is almost always painful for newborns, BBC News reported. The result: For premature babies who were cuddled after having a heel pin prick, pain scores after 90 seconds were much lower than for the babies not held and caressed by an adult.

Lead researcher Celeste Johnson said she found that cuddling seemed to assist in the baby's recovery from a painful experience. "The pain response in very preterm neonates appears to be reduced by skin-to-skin maternal contact," she told the BBC.

-----

New York City Man Dies After Taking Aphrodisiac From Toad Venom

An illegal aphrodisiac sold on the street under a variety of names has killed a 35-year-old New York City man, prompting health officials to issue an alert.

According to the Associated Press, the man, who officials did not identify, was admitted to a New York City hospital earlier this month complaining of pain in his chest and abdomen. Health officials were able to determine he had taken a poisonous substance that comes in a hard, brown form, and is known as Love Stone, Jamaican Stone, Black Stone and Chinese Rock.

It is sold in many New York City neighborhoods in neighborhood stores, the AP reported, and the writing on the package is usually in a foreign language.

The warning from New York City's top dangerous substances officer was pointed: "There is no definitely safe way to use it," Dr. Robert Hoffman, director of the city's poison control center, told the wire service. "Don't buy it. Don't sell it. If you have it, don't use it. Throw it out."

Some people eat the substance, the AP reported, instead of applying it to the skin, as it is intended to be used. But even external application can be dangerous. The active ingredient comes from the venom of toads of the Bufo genus, and it can disrupt the heartbeat, the wire service said.

-----

Truckers, Bus Drivers Can't Take Anti-Smoking Drug Chantix

Examiners shouldn't give commercial motor vehicle license clearance to anyone currently using the anti-smoking drug Chantix, says the U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which oversees the interstate trucking and bus industries.

The FMCSA announcement Thursday came a day after the Federal Aviation Administration banned the use of the drug by pilots and air traffic controllers.

The agencies took action in response to an Institute for Safe Medication Practices study saying that Chantix may be linked to seizures, dizziness, heart rhythm problems, diabetes and more than 100 accidents, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The non-profit group's study said the drug was linked to 988 serious incidents in the last quarter of 2007 alone. After the study was released Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Transportation alerted its agencies and instructed office directors to read the study's warnings and recommendations.

Last year, warnings on Chantix's label were updated to include depression and suicidal thoughts. The FDA hasn't announced any new action in response to the Institute for Safe Medication Practices study, the Journal reported.

-----

Everlasting Jelly Candles Pose Fire, Burn Hazards

Additional incidents of minor fires and burn injuries have prompted a repeat of an earlier recall of about 1,700 Everlasting Jelly candles sold at Spa at Home stores and online, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said Friday.

The candles may be prone to excessive flame. The original recall in February 2007 noted there had been seven reports of flames coming in contact with nearby combustibles, resulting in minor fires, smoke and soot damage, along with four reports of burn injuries to users' hands.

Since that initial recall, there have been four more reports of the candles causing minor fires, smoke and soot damage, and one additional report of burn injuries to a consumer's hand, the CPSC said.

Consumers should stop using the candles and contact manufacturer M & A Global Technologies of Tallahassee, Fla. for instructions on returning the product. The company can be reached at 866-224-8811.

Health Tips for May 27

Health Tip: Water Safety

Swimming is a great form of exercise, but you and your loved ones need to be careful around water.

The U.S. National Library of Medicine offers these water safety suggestions:

* Children should always be supervised near any form of water, including pools, lakes, streams and even bathtubs.
* A pool should always be surrounded by a fence, including a gate that can be locked.
* Always wear a life preserver if you're boating on a stream, lake, river or the ocean, even if you know how to swim.
* Don't drink alcohol while swimming or boating.
* Never swim alone.
* Never dive unless the water is deep enough to dive safely.

Health Tip: Sick After Swimming

Recreational water illness (RWI) is contracted by breathing, swallowing or having contact with water that has been contaminated with germs. The most common RWIs may cause diarrhea, skin, eye, ear and gastrointestinal illnesses.

Here are suggestions on how to prevent and avoid RWIs, courtesy of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

* Don't swim when you have diarrhea, and don't allow children in diapers to swim when they have diarrhea.
* Practice good hygiene before swimming. Shower before entering the water, make sure children are properly washed, and always wash hands after using the bathroom.
* Make sure your child leaves the water and uses the bathroom frequently.
* Don't change diapers at or near the pool, lake or beach.
* To help reduce the risk of contracting an RWI, never swallow water while swimming.

Health Headlines - May 26

Poll: Returning Wounded Iraq Soldiers Getting Substandard Care From VA

A considerable majority of Americans believes that Veteran's Administration hospitals and other military health facilities are not giving wounded Iraq war veterans the quality of care they deserve.

The latest poll from the Harvard Opinion Research Program at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and the Harris Interactive® polling organization finds that 62 percent of Americans believe medical care for returning wounded U.S. soldiers from Iraq isn't adequate. In the same poll, 65 percent said that mental health care for returning vets was substandard, according to a HSPH news release.

The poll found that this opinion ran across the spectrum of American society. Those who had a family member serving in Iraq were just as likely as respondents with no family ties to the Iraq war to believe VA hospital care was substandard.

Yet, the poll also found that 60 percent of the respondents believed that medical treatment for wounded Iraq war veterans in military and VA hospitals is better (10 percent) or the same (50 percent) as the type of care they would receive in what the pollsters called "other major U.S. hospitals."

The poll is part of a continuing series by Harris Interactive and the Harvard School of Public Health: Debating Health: Election 2008.

-----

Caressing Very Premature Babies May Help With Pain of Medical Procedures

It's never too early for parents to hold, touch and caress their offspring, even if the baby is born very prematurely.

According to BBC News, researchers from McGill University in Montreal found that parents who cuddle with babies born as early as 28 weeks help lessen the stress of painful medical procedures the infants will have to endure. The normal term of pregnancy before delivering a baby is between 37 and 42 weeks, according to the U.S. government's National Institutes of Health.

In fact, reports the BBC, the McGill scientists believed the skin-to-skin contact between parents and baby is so important that it might aid in the recovery process from the medical procedures.

The researchers used a common test for newborns --- the heel pin prick to obtain blood to check blood sugar levels -- as a test for stressful reaction.

This test is almost always painful for newborns, BBC News reports. The result: For premature babies who were cuddled after having a heel pin prick, pain scores after 90 seconds were much lower than for the babies not held and caressed by an adult.

Lead researcher Celeste Johnson said she found that cuddling seemed to assist in the baby's recovery from a painful experience. "The pain response in very preterm neonates appears to be reduced by skin-to-skin maternal contact," she told the BBC.

-----

New York City Man Dies After Taking Aphrodisiac Made from Toad Venom

An illegal aphrodisiac sold on the street under a variety of names has killed a 35-year-old New York City man, prompting health officials to issue an alert.

According to the Associated Press, the man, who officials did not identify, was admitted to a New York City hospital earlier this month complaining of pain in his chest and abdomen. Health officials were able to determine he had taken a poisonous substance that comes in a hard, brown form, and is known as Love Stone, Jamaican Stone, Black Stone and Chinese Rock.

It is sold in many New York City neighborhoods in neighborhood stores, the A.P. reports, and the writing on the package is usually in a foreign language.

The warning from New York City's top dangerous substances officer was pointed: "There is no definitely safe way to use it," Dr. Robert Hoffman, director of the city's poison control center, told the wire service. "Don't buy it. Don't sell it. If you have it, don't use it. Throw it out."

Some people eat the substance, the A.P. reports, instead of applying it to the skin, as it is intended to be used. But even external application can be dangerous. The active ingredient comes from the venom of toads of the Bufo genus, and it can disrupt the heartbeat, the wire service says.

-----

Truckers, Bus Drivers Can't Take Anti-Smoking Drug Chantix

Examiners shouldn't give commercial motor vehicle license clearance to anyone currently using the anti-smoking drug Chantix, says the U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which oversees the interstate trucking and bus industries.

The FMCSA announcement Thursday came a day after the Federal Aviation Administration banned the use of the drug by pilots and air traffic controllers.

The agencies took action in response to an Institute for Safe Medication Practices study saying that Chantix may be linked to seizures, dizziness, heart rhythm problems, diabetes and more than 100 accidents, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The non-profit group's study said the drug was linked to 988 serious incidents in the last quarter of 2007 alone. After the study was released Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Transportation alerted its agencies and instructed office directors to read the study's warnings and recommendations.

Last year, warnings on Chantix's label were updated to include depression and suicidal thoughts. The FDA hasn't announced any new action in response to the Institute for Safe Medication Practices study, the Journal reported.

-----

Everlasting Jelly Candles Pose Fire, Burn Hazards

Additional incidents of minor fires and burn injuries have prompted a repeat of an earlier recall of about 1,700 Everlasting Jelly candles sold at Spa at Home stores and online, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said Friday.

The candles may be prone to excessive flame. The original recall in February 2007 noted there had been seven reports of flames coming in contact with nearby combustibles, resulting in minor fires, smoke and soot damage, along with four reports of burn injuries to users' hands.

Since that initial recall, there have been four more reports of the candles causing minor fires, smoke and soot damage, and one additional report of burn injuries to a consumer's hand, the CPSC said.

Consumers should stop using the candles and contact manufacturer M & A Global Technologies of Tallahassee, Fla. for instructions on returning the product. The company can be reached at 866-224-8811.

-----

Health Canada Warns About Male Sexual Performance Aid

A male sexual performance aid called Desire may cause serious health complications for certain people, says Health Canada.

One lot of the product was found to contain the prescription drug phentolamine, which may be prescribed intravenously to prevent and control high blood pressure in patients with adrenal tumors, CBC News reported.

The presence of phentolamine is not indicated on Desire's label, Health Canada said.

If people take phentolamine, those with heart problems, on medications for high blood pressure, and those at risk of stroke could suffer serious health problems such as low blood pressure, chest pain and abnormal heartbeat, dizziness, and loss of consciousness. They could also experience prolonged erections, headaches, flushing, nasal congestion, indigestion and abdominal pain, CBC News reported.

To date, there have been no reports of adverse reactions, Health Canada said.

Health Tips for May 26

Health Tip: When Alzheimer's Patients Wander

Wandering -- moving about without a definite purpose in mind -- is a common trait of a person with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. This can be dangerous for the patient, and be a source of great stress for worried caregivers and loved ones.

Here are suggestions for what to do when Alzheimer's patients wander, courtesy of the Alzheimer's Association:

* Enroll your loved one in a nationwide identification program specifically for dementia-related wandering, which can help them return home safe.
* Keep contact information at hand for neighbors and local emergency services personnel, and keep them informed about the patient's condition.
* Install deadbolt or slide-bolt locks on all exterior doors. But never attempt to lock an Alzheimer's patient indoors without supervision.
* Limit access to dangerous areas, both inside and near the home.
* Keep in mind that Alzheimer's patients may wander in virtually any form of transportation, including bus or taxi.

Health Tip: Coping With Alzheimer's

It's important for a person diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease to continue to perform the daily tasks of life -- as best as the person can.

The Alzheimer's Association offers these suggestions:

* Save challenging tasks for the time of day that you feel most sharp. For example, if you tend to have more confusion and memory problems later in the day, try to get your activities done in the morning.
* Allow plenty of time for each task, and don't allow yourself to be frustrated or rushed by others.
* If you begin to feel frustrated, take a break.
* Don't be afraid to ask others for help when you need it.

Health Headlines - May 25

New York City Man Dies After Taking Aphrodisiac Made from Toad Venom

An illegal aphrodisiac sold on the street under a variety of names has killed a 35-year-old New York City man, prompting health officials to issue an alert.

According to the Associated Press, the man, who officials did not identify, was admitted to a New York City hospital earlier this month complaining of pain in his chest and abdomen. Health officials were able to determine he had taken a poisonous substance that comes in a hard, brown form, and is known as Love Stone, Jamaican Stone, Black Stone and Chinese Rock.

It is sold in many New York City neighborhoods in neighborhood stores, the A.P. reports, and the writing on the package is usually in a foreign language.

The warning from New York City's top dangerous substances officer was pointed: "There is no definitely safe way to use it," Dr. Robert Hoffman, director of the city's poison control center, told the wire service. "Don't buy it. Don't sell it. If you have it, don't use it. Throw it out."

Some people eat the substance, the A.P. reports, instead of applying it to the skin, as it is intended to be used. But even external application can be dangerous. The active ingredient comes from the venom of toads of the Bufo genus, and it can disrupt the heartbeat, the wire service says.

-----

Truckers, Bus Drivers Can't Take Anti-Smoking Drug Chantix

Examiners shouldn't give commercial motor vehicle license clearance to anyone currently using the anti-smoking drug Chantix, says the U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which oversees the interstate trucking and bus industries.

The FMCSA announcement Thursday came a day after the Federal Aviation Administration banned the use of the drug by pilots and air traffic controllers.

The agencies took action in response to an Institute for Safe Medication Practices study saying that Chantix may be linked to seizures, dizziness, heart rhythm problems, diabetes and more than 100 accidents, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The non-profit group's study said the drug was linked to 988 serious incidents in the last quarter of 2007 alone. After the study was released Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Transportation alerted its agencies and instructed office directors to read the study's warnings and recommendations.

Last year, warnings on Chantix's label were updated to include depression and suicidal thoughts. The FDA hasn't announced any new action in response to the Institute for Safe Medication Practices study, the Journal reported.

-----

Everlasting Jelly Candles Pose Fire, Burn Hazards

Additional incidents of minor fires and burn injuries have prompted a repeat of an earlier recall of about 1,700 Everlasting Jelly candles sold at Spa at Home stores and online, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said Friday.

The candles may be prone to excessive flame. The original recall in February 2007 noted there had been seven reports of flames coming in contact with nearby combustibles, resulting in minor fires, smoke and soot damage, along with four reports of burn injuries to users' hands.

Since that initial recall, there have been four more reports of the candles causing minor fires, smoke and soot damage, and one additional report of burn injuries to a consumer's hand, the CPSC said.

Consumers should stop using the candles and contact manufacturer M & A Global Technologies of Tallahassee, Fla. for instructions on returning the product. The company can be reached at 866-224-8811.

-----

Health Canada Warns About Male Sexual Performance Aid

A male sexual performance aid called Desire may cause serious health complications for certain people, says Health Canada.

One lot of the product was found to contain the prescription drug phentolamine, which may be prescribed intravenously to prevent and control high blood pressure in patients with adrenal tumors, CBC News reported.

The presence of phentolamine is not indicated on Desire's label, Health Canada said.

If people take phentolamine, those with heart problems, on medications for high blood pressure, and those at risk of stroke could suffer serious health problems such as low blood pressure, chest pain and abnormal heartbeat, dizziness, and loss of consciousness. They could also experience prolonged erections, headaches, flushing, nasal congestion, indigestion and abdominal pain, CBC News reported.

To date, there have been no reports of adverse reactions, Health Canada said.

-----

Americans Lack Awareness of Osteoporosis Risk: Survey

American women and men age 45 and older have a low awareness of bone health and osteoporosis risk, according to a survey by the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF).

While 55 percent of Americans over age 50 are living with or at risk for osteoporosis, 40 percent of women and 60 percent of men age 45 and older have little or no concern about their bone health, the survey found.

The survey of 661 people also found that most are concerned about the impact a broken bone would have on their daily activities and independence, but nearly 80 percent of respondents didn't believe osteoporosis is a risk factor for broken bones.

It's estimated that one in two women and one in four men over age 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis, the NOF noted.

Among the other findings of the survey, released Thursday:

• 40 percent of women 45 and older and nearly 80 percent of men in this age group haven't had a bone density test.
• 60 percent of women and 90 percent of men haven't had a discussion with their health-care provider about the risk of breaking a bone.

-----

Paint Chemical Linked to Male Fertility Problems

Regular exposure to paint chemicals called glycol solvents may harm male fertility, suggests a British study that looked at more than 2,000 men attending 14 fertility clinics.

The researchers from the Universities of Manchester and Sheffield found that painters, decorators and other men who work with glycol solvents -- used in water-based paints -- were 250 percent more likely to have sperm motility problems than other men, BBC News reported.

Sperm motility, which refers to the amount of movement of individual sperm, plays an important role in overall fertility.

"We know that certain glycol ethers can affect male fertility and the use of these has reduced over the past two decades. However, our work suggests they are still a workplace hazard and further work is needed to reduce such exposure," said Dr. Andy Povey of the University of Manchester, BBC News reported.

Povey and his colleagues looked at a wide range of workplace chemicals and concluded that glycol solvents were the only ones that had an impact on male fertility. The study was published in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

Health Tips for May 25

Health Tip: Have Hives?

Hives are red, raised patches of skin that are usually very itchy. Hives themselves often are not serious, but they may indicate a more serious condition.

The U.S. National Library of Medicine lists these common triggers for hives:

* Some medications.
* Foods that many people are allergic to, including shellfish, nuts, eggs and milk.
* Pollen.
* Dander from animals, notably cats.
* Bites from insects.
* Infections and some illnesses, including lupus and leukemia.
* Stress or anxiety.
* Prolonged exposure to the sun or the cold.
* Excessive sweating.

Health Tip: Can't Keep Asthma Under Control?

If your treatment regimen for asthma isn't helping your symptoms, you and your doctor may need to figure out what's really behind your asthma.

Here are possible reasons for ongoing asthma symptoms, courtesy of the American Academy of Family Physicians:

* Allergies to something in your home, school or workplace, such as pet dander or dust mites.
* Not taking your medication exactly as prescribed by your doctor.
* Not using your inhaler properly.
* The medication you're using simply is not effective for you.
* Your respiratory symptoms are being caused by something other than asthma.

For Michael and His Niece

Chicken Soup for the Nurse's Soul

Chicken Soup for the Nurse's Soul: Second Dose

How to Survive, & Maybe Even Love Nursing School: A Guide for Students by Students

Hugs for Nurses

On Call: Daily Encouragement for Nurses

Training Wheels for Nurses

Health Headlines - May 24

Truckers, Bus Drivers Can't Take Anti-Smoking Drug Chantix

Examiners shouldn't give commercial motor vehicle license clearance to anyone currently using the anti-smoking drug Chantix, says the U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which oversees the interstate trucking and bus industries.

The FMCSA announcement Thursday came a day after the Federal Aviation Administration banned the use of the drug by pilots and air traffic controllers.

The agencies took action in response to an Institute for Safe Medication Practices study saying that Chantix may be linked to seizures, dizziness, heart rhythm problems, diabetes and more than 100 accidents, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The non-profit group's study said the drug was linked to 988 serious incidents in the last quarter of 2007 alone. After the study was released Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Transportation alerted its agencies and instructed office directors to read the study's warnings and recommendations.

Last year, warnings on Chantix's label were updated to include depression and suicidal thoughts. The FDA hasn't announced any new action in response to the Institute for Safe Medication Practices study, the Journal reported.

-----

Everlasting Jelly Candles Pose Fire, Burn Hazards

Additional incidents of minor fires and burn injuries have prompted a repeat of an earlier recall of about 1,700 Everlasting Jelly candles sold at Spa at Home stores and online, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said Friday.

The candles may be prone to excessive flame. The original recall in February 2007 noted there had been seven reports of flames coming in contact with nearby combustibles, resulting in minor fires, smoke and soot damage, along with four reports of burn injuries to users' hands.

Since that initial recall, there have been four more reports of the candles causing minor fires, smoke and soot damage, and one additional report of burn injuries to a consumer's hand, the CPSC said.

Consumers should stop using the candles and contact manufacturer M & A Global Technologies of Tallahassee, Fla. for instructions on returning the product. The company can be reached at 866-224-8811.

-----

Health Canada Warns About Male Sexual Performance Aid

A male sexual performance aid called Desire may cause serious health complications for certain people, says Health Canada.

One lot of the product was found to contain the prescription drug phentolamine, which may be prescribed intravenously to prevent and control high blood pressure in patients with adrenal tumors, CBC News reported.

The presence of phentolamine is not indicated on Desire's label, Health Canada said.

If people take phentolamine, those with heart problems, on medications for high blood pressure, and those at risk of stroke could suffer serious health problems such as low blood pressure, chest pain and abnormal heartbeat, dizziness, and loss of consciousness. They could also experience prolonged erections, headaches, flushing, nasal congestion, indigestion and abdominal pain, CBC News reported.

To date, there have been no reports of adverse reactions, Health Canada said.

-----

Americans Lack Awareness of Osteoporosis Risk: Survey

American women and men age 45 and older have a low awareness of bone health and osteoporosis risk, according to a survey by the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF).

While 55 percent of Americans over age 50 are living with or at risk for osteoporosis, 40 percent of women and 60 percent of men age 45 and older have little or no concern about their bone health, the survey found.

The survey of 661 people also found that most are concerned about the impact a broken bone would have on their daily activities and independence, but nearly 80 percent of respondents didn't believe osteoporosis is a risk factor for broken bones.

It's estimated that one in two women and one in four men over age 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis, the NOF noted.

Among the other findings of the survey, released Thursday:

• 40 percent of women 45 and older and nearly 80 percent of men in this age group haven't had a bone density test.
• 60 percent of women and 90 percent of men haven't had a discussion with their health-care provider about the risk of breaking a bone.

-----

Paint Chemical Linked to Male Fertility Problems

Regular exposure to paint chemicals called glycol solvents may harm male fertility, suggests a British study that looked at more than 2,000 men attending 14 fertility clinics.

The researchers from the Universities of Manchester and Sheffield found that painters, decorators and other men who work with glycol solvents -- used in water-based paints -- were 250 percent more likely to have sperm motility problems than other men, BBC News reported.

Sperm motility, which refers to the amount of movement of individual sperm, plays an important role in overall fertility.

"We know that certain glycol ethers can affect male fertility and the use of these has reduced over the past two decades. However, our work suggests they are still a workplace hazard and further work is needed to reduce such exposure," said Dr. Andy Povey of the University of Manchester, BBC News reported.

Povey and his colleagues looked at a wide range of workplace chemicals and concluded that glycol solvents were the only ones that had an impact on male fertility. The study was published in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

-----

U.S. Creates Drug and Medical Device Surveillance System

The U.S. government will establish a surveillance system to help monitor the safety of drugs and other medical products on the market.

The system will analyze Medicare claims data for signs of problems with medicines and medical devices. On Thursday, the U.S. Health and Human Services Department introduced a plan to allow federal agencies, states, and academic researchers to examine Medicare claims data. That access will be subject to protections for privacy and trade secrets.

The system would enable the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to analyze significantly more information than it can today by tapping into databases of health information to detect early signs of emerging safety problems.

This kind of surveillance system was recommended in 2006 by the Institute of Medicine, and the FDA has been under pressure to implement such a system, the Associated Press reported.

"This initiative will tremendously increase the FDA's capacity to monitor the use of medical products on the market," HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt said in a prepared statement.

Health Tips for May 24

Health Tip: Common Triggers for Allergy and Asthma

Allergy and asthma symptoms can be caused by a variety of factors, both indoors and outdoors.

The American Lung Association offers this list of common "triggers" that can set off a reaction in the lungs and elsewhere in the body:

* Breathing cold air.
* Exposure to smoke, from tobacco products and wood-burning fires.
* Exposure to chemicals with strong odors or fumes, such as hairspray, perfume or paint.
* Allergens, such as dust mites, pollen, animal dander, molds and pollution.
* Respiratory illnesses, such as a cold or the flu.

Other factors may spur your symptoms, and your doctor may suggest keeping an asthma diary to help pinpoint which triggers affect you.

Health Tip: Symptoms of an Allergic Reaction

Allergic reactions can range from very mild to life-threatening. Severe allergic reactions require immediate medical attention, but even reactions that are milder should be checked out by a doctor.

Here are warning signs of a mild allergic reaction, courtesy of the U.S. National Library of Medicine:

* Skin rash.
* Hives, especially on the neck or the face.
* Itchy skin.
* Red or watery eyes.
* Nasal congestion.

If you have more serious symptoms of an allergic reaction, including difficulty breathing, swelling, dizziness, chest discomfort, abdominal pain, or feelings of apprehension and anxiety, seek medical attention as soon as possible.

Health Headlines - May 23

U.S. Creates Drug and Medical Device Surveillance System

The U.S. government will establish a surveillance system to help monitor the safety of drugs and other medical products on the market.

The system will analyze Medicare claims data for signs of problems with medicines and medical devices. On Thursday, the U.S. Health and Human Services Department introduced a plan to allow federal agencies, states, and academic researchers to examine Medicare claims data. That access will be subject to protections for privacy and trade secrets.

The system would enable the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to analyze significantly more information than it can today by tapping into databases of health information to detect early signs of emerging safety problems.

This kind of surveillance system was recommended in 2006 by the Institute of Medicine, and the FDA has been under pressure to implement such a system, the Associated Press reported.

"This initiative will tremendously increase the FDA's capacity to monitor the use of medical products on the market," HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt said in a prepared statement.

-----

More States Have Anti-Smoking Laws

Between 2004 and 2007, the number of states with laws prohibiting smoking in workplaces, restaurants and bars tripled from eight to 25, and the number of states with no kind of anti-smoking law decreased from 16 to eight, says a study in the new Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In every case where there was a change to an existing law, the smoking restrictions became more stringent.

If the trend continues, the United States may achieve the national objective of making indoor public places and worksites smoke-free in all states by the year 2010, the study authors said.

There is no safe level of secondhand smoke, which contains more than 50 carcinogens and causes heart disease and lung cancer in nonsmoking adults, the researchers noted. Eliminating smoking in indoor spaces is the only way to fully protect nonsmokers. It's also been shown that smoking restrictions help smokers kick the habit.

-----

Girls More Likely to Suffer Severe Knee Injuries

Boys suffer more sports-related knee injuries than girls, but girls are more likely to suffer more severe injuries, says a U.S. study that looked at 1,383 knee injuries at 100 high schools during the 2005-06 and 2006-07 school years.

Of those injuries, 1,023 occurred in boys and 380 occurred in girls. Boys spent an average of less than one week recovering and 12 percent of their injuries required surgery. Girls spent an average of more than three weeks recovering and 25 percent of their injuries required surgery, CBC News reported.

Girls were twice as likely to suffer knee injuries caused by bad landings, jumping and pivoting, rather than through contact with other players, said the study, which will appear in the June issue of the American Journal of Sports Medicine.

The researchers said girls' increased risk of these types of knee injuries may be due to "a number of risk factors, including neuromuscular, hormonal, and mechanical differences," CBC News reported.

-----

Pilots, Air Traffic Controllers Can't Use Smoking-Cessation Drug

Pilots and air traffic controllers will no longer be permitted to use the smoking cessation drug Chantix because it may cause side effects that could threaten aircraft safety, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said Wednesday.

The decision was based on emerging data about the drug, said FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown. For example, a report from the Institute for Safe Medication Practices said Chantix was linked to a number of health and safety problems, including accidents and falls, potentially lethal heart rhythm disturbances, heart attacks, seizures, diabetes and various psychiatric troubles, The New York Times reported.

In February, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a public health advisory warning that some people taking Chantix had developed serious psychiatric symptoms and some had committed suicide.

The FAA will inform the 150 pilots and 30 air traffic controllers known to be using Chantix that the drug is no longer acceptable and they should stop using it, the Times reported. The agency will also notify associations representing commercial and private pilots that the drug is no longer permitted.

-----

Merck Halts Cholesterol Drug Study

A study of the experimental cholesterol drug MK-0524A has been halted by Merck & Co., three weeks after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration refused to approve the drug.

Merck, which hasn't revealed why the FDA rejected the drug, said the agency's decision didn't influence the cancellation of the ACHIEVE study, the Associated Press reported.

The study was stopped on the basis of data from previous studies of various cholesterol drugs that suggested ACHIEVE wouldn't be able to determine if the new drug would do much to prevent plaque build-up in the arteries of patients who have high cholesterol levels due to genetic factors, according to Dr. Yale Mitchel, vice president of cardiovascular disease at Merck Research Labs.

Some experts criticized the drug maker's actions.

Merck's explanation isn't satisfactory and it's not appropriate to halt medical experiments on human volunteers "without proper cause," Dr. Steven Nissen, chairman of cardiovascular medicine at the Cleveland Clinic, told the AP.

"I am concerned whether the reasons for terminating this trial are commercial or scientific," Nissen said.

-----

Brain Protein Linked to Addiction

A brain protein called DARPP-32 appears to play a role in addiction, according to a French study in the journal Nature.

Cocaine and other addictive drugs work by increasing levels of a messenger chemical called dopamine, which stimulates the brain's "reward" center. The French team found that DARPP-32, which helps the dopamine signaling process, built up in the part of the brain called the striatum when normal mice were given cocaine, amphetamine or morphine, Agence France-Presse reported.

The researchers then created genetically modified mice that produced a slightly altered form of DARPP-32 and found that the drugs had much less effect on these mice than normal mice in terms of impaired movement and drug cravings.

The results suggest that developing a drug that blocks DARPP-32 accumulation in the brain may prove useful in treating addiction and certain kinds of mental illness in which dopamine may play a role, AFP reported.

Health Tips for May 23

Health Tip: Keeping Off the Weight

Losing weight is a challenge, but keeping it off can even more difficult without a good plan and healthy habits.

Here are suggestions to help you keep the weight off that you've worked so hard to lose, courtesy of the American Heart Association:

* Understand what works best for you -- such as what rewards best motivate you, what tempts you most, and what helps you resist those temptations.
* Be realistic about how much weight you should lose.
* Maintain a good balance of calories taken in versus calories burned.
* Get enough exercise. Even a brisk daily walk can help you keep those pounds off.
* Keep notes and records of your food intake and daily activity.
* Plan your meals, and make healthy food choices at the grocery.
* Don't weigh yourself more than once a week.
* Plan ahead for holidays, special occasions, and other times when you may be likely to splurge and take in additional calories.

Health Tip: Eat Healthy When You Eat Out

When it's time to eat out, you may think it's too difficult to stick to a diet or to watch those calories.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which offers these eating-out tips, begs to differ:

* Order water, skim milk, unsweetened tea, or other drinks low in sugar and calories.
* Order a small salad as an appetizer, which will help fill you up before the main meal.
* Order salad dressings and other fattening sauces on the side.
* Order entrees that include vegetables.
* Order dishes that are steamed, baked or broiled, not fried.
* Order a small or medium-sized portion -- or even a children's meal -- instead of a regular adult portion.
* Order something from the menu, instead of visiting the all-you-can eat buffet.

Health Headlines - May 22

Bush Signs Bill Banning Genetic Discrimination

A bill to protect people against job dismissal or from losing their health insurance based on genetic testing results was signed into law Wednesday by President George W. Bush.

Supporters of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act gathered at the White House in support of the measure, which bars employers or insurers from discriminating against people whose genetic test results show they may be more susceptible to illnesses such as cancer and heart disease.

Bush said the legislation protected "our citizens from having genetic information misused," the Associated Press quoted him as saying.

One of the bill's most prominent supporters, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) wasn't able to attend the ceremony, having been newly diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor.

"All of us are so pleased that Senator Kennedy has gone home, and our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family," Bush said at the bill's signing.

-----

Merck Settles State Suits Over Vioxx Ads

Merck & Co. will pay $58 million to settle lawsuits in 29 states over allegations that Merck ads for the now-defunct painkiller Vioxx under-represented the drug's risks, the Associated Press reported Wednesday.

The agreement includes a proviso that for seven years, Merck will submit all new televised drug ads to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for review, the wire service said.

Vioxx was removed from store shelves in 2004, after studies found the painkiller doubled users' risks of heart attack and stroke. Thousands of lawsuits have since been filed by former users and their families against the drug maker.

In commenting on the settlement, Merck did not concede wrongdoing and defended its marketing of Vioxx, the AP said.

-----

Lower-Income Children Visit E.R. More Often

Children from families with lower incomes made nearly twice the number of emergency room visits in 2005 than children from higher-income families, a new U.S. government report revealed Wednesday.

The report was produced by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. It compared 12 million emergency room visits involving children from households with an average income of $36,999 with those from families with an average household income of more than $61,000.

The rate from low-income families was 414 visits for every 1,000 children, compared with 223 visits for every 1,000 children from higher-incomes families, the agency said in a statement.

The report also found:

• In 96 percent of cases, the children were treated and released.
• In cases when a child was admitted to the hospital, the most common reasons were: pneumonia, asthma, acute bronchitis, appendicitis, dehydration, depression and epileptic convulsions.
• About 45 percent of the E.R. visits were covered by Medicaid, 43 percent were covered by private insurance, 9 percent were uninsured, and 3 percent had other forms of coverage.

-----

Government Ads Reveal Hospital Satisfaction

The U.S. government is shelling out nearly $1.9 million on newspaper ads to publicize patient satisfaction rates for 2,500 hospitals across the country, the Associated Press reported Wednesday.

The ads will include ratings on two primary issues: The percentage of respondents who felt the hospitals provided help when patients needed it, and the percentage of patients who were given antibiotics before surgery. The second rating focused on the need to prevent hospital-acquired infections.

The ads will run in 58 papers in 49 states. Delaware is the exception, but that state's hospitals will be included in ads appearing in neighboring Pennsylvania, the AP said.

Additional patient satisfaction measurements appear on the Department of Health and Human Services Web site at www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov.

-----

Preterm Infants Twice as Likely to Have Birth Defects

Preterm babies (born before 37 weeks of gestation) are more than twice as likely as full-term infants to have major birth defects, say U.S. researchers who analyzed more than seven million live births in 13 states between 1995 and 2000.

Overall, eight percent of preterm infants had a birth defect, said the team of investigators from the March of Dimes, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and several other major institutions.

The risk was greatest in very preterm babies (born between 24 and 31 weeks' gestation), who were five times as likely as full-term infants to have a birth defect. The most common birth defects among very preterm babies were central nervous system defects, such as spina bifida, and cardiovascular defects, such as a hole in the heart.

The study is published online this week in the Maternal and Child Health Journal.

Each year in the United States more than 500,000 babies are born preterm and that rate continues to rise. Birth defects and preterm birth are the leading causes of infant death.

"The causes of most birth defects are still not known," study lead author Margaret Honein, of the CDC's National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, said in a prepared statement. "While it is likely that the most common defects are caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors, the identification of specific risk factors continues to be a major research and public health priority."

-----

Food Compound Blocks Inflammatory Response

A compound found in green peppers and celery can block part of a pathway that controls inflammatory response in the central nervous system (CNS), according to researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

They said the finding may have implications for research on aging and diseases such as Alzheimer's and multiple sclerosis, United Press International reported.

The researchers found that a plant flavonoid called luteolin inhibited an important pathway in the inflammatory response of microglia, brain cells that play a critical role in the CNS immune system defenses, the news service said.

Luteolin reduced production of interluekin-6 -- used in cellular communication -- in the microglia inflammatory pathway by as much as 90 percent, according to the study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

"This was just about as potent an inhibition as anything we had seen previously," researcher Rodney Johnson said in a prepared statement, UPI reported.

-----

Childhood Obesity a Major Problem in China

Nearly one in five Chinese children under 7 years old is overweight, and more than seven percent are obese, according to a Chinese National Task Force on Childhood Obesity study released at the annual meeting of the World Health Organization.

"These numbers are higher than in European countries, while the gross domestic product in China is much lower," study leader Ding Zongyi told Agence France-Presse. "Only the United States (has) higher rates."

The researchers examined data on 80,000 children in 11 major cities and found a 156 percent increase in obese children and a 52 percent increase in overweight children between 1996 and 2006.

"This rate of increase has gone out of control," said Ding, who told AFP that Chinese children are eating too much high-fat, high sugar foods and aren't getting enough exercise.

Health Tips for May 22

Health Tip: Heart-Healthy Diet Should Start in Infancy

It's never too early to begin a heart-healthy diet -- even in infancy, the American Heart Association says.

Here are the AHA's recommendations:

* Breast-feeding offers babies the right nutritional balance until between 4 months and 6 months of age, when other foods should gradually be introduced to supplement breast-feeding.
* Avoid giving your baby 100 percent juice drinks until at least 6 months of age, then limit the amount to 4 ounces to 6 ounces per day.
* Be careful not to give infants and young children too much food, and don't force them to eat everything on their plate.
* Offer your child plenty of healthy foods. Even if the child isn't initially interested, continue to offer these foods.
* Avoid offering unhealthy foods just to get your child to eat something.

Health Tip: How a Pacemaker Helps the Heart

A pacemaker is a small, battery-powered device that is implanted in the skin of the chest or abdomen, and helps regulate the heartbeat.

Here are reasons for why a pacemaker may be prescribed, courtesy of the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute:

* To correct a slow, fast or irregular heartbeat.
* To ensure that the heart's ventricles contract normally, in cases of atrial fibrillation.
* To regulate the electrical signals between the upper and lower chambers of the heart, and in other cases, between the ventricles of the heart.

Health Headlines - May 21

Caffeine Before Breakfast May Increase Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

Drinking caffeinated coffee before eating low-sugar cereal at breakfast may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes in some people, according to researchers at the University of Guelph in Canada.

They had male volunteers drink caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee one hour before they ate cereals with low or moderate levels of sugar, United Press International reported.

Among those who ate the low-sugar cereal, blood sugar levels jumped 250 percent higher after they had caffeinated coffee, compared to when they had decaffeinated coffee. The study was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

"Caffeine interferes with our body's response to insulin. It makes us resistant to insulin which in turn makes our blood-sugar levels go higher," said researcher Terry Graham, UPI reported.

People at risk for type 2 diabetes should be cautious and consider drinking decaffeinated coffee, Graham suggested.

-----

Chinese City to Reopen Kindergartens

The Chinese city hit hardest by a viral disease outbreak among children plans to reopen kindergartens on June 1 after health officials decided the outbreak was under control, according to state media cited by Agence France-Presse.

A total of 1,116 patients were still being treated in hospitals in the city of Fuyang as of Sunday, with two in critical condition and 17 in intensive care, the Xinhua news agency said.

Since it first appeared in early March, the outbreak caused by enterovirus 71 has sickened about 25,000 children in China. The virus causes fever, blisters, mouth ulcers and rashes and can lead to hand, foot and mouth disease, AFP reported.

The disease is common in China, and there were more than 80,000 cases reported last year. However, the outbreak's rapid spread just months before China hosts the summer Olympics prompted the government to issue a national alert. There is little chance of a devastating outbreak, according to the World Health Organization.

-----

Terminally Ill Patients Going to Mexico to Get Euthanasia Drug

Hundreds of people from other countries have traveled to Mexico to buy an inexpensive, readily available euthanasia drug, according to the Mexican daily newspaper Reforma, Agence France-Presse reported.

Since 2001, at least 200 terminally ill people from Australia, Britain, New Zealand and the United States have come to Mexico to obtain nembutal, a drug usually used to put down animals, said the newspaper, which cited the Australian-based pro-euthanasia organization Exit International.

"On the basis of Exit research, the best places to visit are the 20-odd (U.S.-Mexico) border crossings, from Tijuana in California to Matamoros on the Gulf of Mexico," says information on the group's Web site, AFP reported.

"Throughout Mexico veterinary nembutal is available for between $20 and $40 U.S. per 100 ml bottle," the Web site advises. "One only needs to know the location of a veterinary supplier and the labeling in use at that location."

The organization says nembutal is also widely and cheaply available in a number of South American countries, AFP reported.

-----

Seat Belt Use Increasing in the U.S.

Overall seat belt use in the United States is on the rise. But the news isn't all good, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration figures published Monday as safety and law enforcement officials launched the annual pre-Memorial Day campaign urging Americans to buckle up.

General seat belt use increased to 82 percent in 2007, compared to 81 percent in 2006, the Associated Press reported. Twelve states -- led by Hawaii and Washington -- had seat belt use rates of 90 percent or higher. Only three states -- Arkansas, Massachusetts and New Hampshire -- had rates below 70 percent.

But the study found that 68 percent of drivers and passengers, ages 16 to 20, who were killed in nighttime car crashes in 2006 weren't using seat belts. In that age group, 57 percent of drivers and passengers killed in daytime crashes weren't buckled up, the AP reported.

But the problem isn't limited to young people. More than 60 percent of drivers and passengers up to age 44 killed in nighttime crashes weren't wearing seat belts, along with 52 percent of people ages 55 to 64, and 41 percent of those 65 and older.

-----

Cancer, Heart, Traffic Deaths to Rise During Next 20 Years: WHO

Over the next 20 years, global deaths from cancer, heart disease and traffic crashes will increase as people in developing nations get richer and live longer, a new World Health Organization report predicts.

By 2030, these three causes of death will account for more than 30 percent of all deaths worldwide, said the "World Health Statistics 2008" report. At same time, deaths from factors currently associated with the developing world -- such as nutritional deficiencies, malaria and tuberculosis -- will decline, Agence France-Presse reported.

"Globally, deaths from cancer will increase from 7.4 million in 2004 to 11.8 million in 2030, and deaths from cardiovascular diseases will rise from 17.1 million to 23.4 million in the same period," according to the WHO report.

"Deaths due to road accidents will increase from 1.3 million in 2004 to 2.4 million in 2030, primarily owing to increased motor vehicle ownership and use associated with economic growth in low- and middle-income countries," the report continued.

The WHO also said worldwide deaths from HIV/AIDS will increase from 2.2 million in 2008 to a maximum of 2.4 million in 2012 before decreasing to 1.2 million in 2030, AFP reported.

-----

Aging Americans Feel Peace and Calm: Study

Many Americans experience a sense of peace and calm as they age, suggests a study by researchers at the Population Research Center at the University of Texas at Austin.

Their analysis of information from 1,450 people who took part in the General Social Survey revealed that those aged 60 and older reported more feelings of ease and contentment than younger people, United Press International reported.

The findings are published in the journal Social Science and Medicine.

Study authors Catherine Ross and John Mirowsky noted that previous research on emotions associated with aging focused on negative emotions, such as depression. But this study shows that aging is associated with more positive than negative feelings, and more passive than active emotions, UPI reported.

"Emotions that are both active and negative, such as anxiety and anger, are especially unlikely among the elderly," Ross said in a prepared statement.