Health Headlines - August 14

Pedigree Pet Food Recalled in California

California health officials have recalled a type of Pedigree bagged pet food that may be contaminated with salmonella, the Associated Press reported Wednesday.

Certain 20-pound bags of Pedigree Complete Nutrition Small Crunchy Bites were pulled from the market after the manufacturer -- Mars Petcare US of Franklin, Tenn. -- said an ingredient that should not have been used after positive test results was accidentally shipped to a California distribution facility in Tracy. The bags have best buy dates of 07/2009.

The ingredient was used in about 100 bags of food that were sent to Albertson's stores in southern California and to Costco locations across the state, the wire service said.

There have been no reports of illness among pets that ate the recalled food.

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Insufficient Therapy May Have Been Given to Vets With Prostate Cancer

The Philadelphia VA Medical Center says it may have given insufficient radiation therapy to as many as 114 veterans with prostate cancer during the past six years, the Associated Press reported.

Two of the veterans have died, and a hospital spokeswoman said the facility hadn't determined whether their deaths were related to the possible error.

The veterans had radioactive "rods" or "seeds" implanted that were designed to destroy nearby cancer cells. Most men who undergo that procedure as their only treatment have low-risk prostate cancer, the AP said.

The hospital said it has suspended the program until it concludes an investigation, the wire service reported.

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Vitamin D Levels May Affect Chronic Pain in Women

Low levels of vitamin D may contribute to chronic pain in women, suggests a study that looked at 7,000 women and men in England, Scotland and Wales.

Higher rates of chronic pain were reported by smokers, non-drinkers, and overweight and underweight people. Among women, vitamin D levels also seemed to be a major factor, BBC News reported.

Women with vitamin D levels between 75 and 99 mmol/liter -- a range believed necessary for good bone health -- had the lowest rates of chronic pain (8 percent), while women with vitamin D levels less than 25 mmol/liter had the highest rates of chronic pain (14.4 percent).

No link between vitamin D and chronic pain was seen in men, which suggests female hormones may be a factor, said the researchers from the Institute of Child Health in London. They said further research is needed to determine if vitamin D supplements can protect women against chronic pain, BBC News reported.

The study was published in the journal Annals of Rheumatic Diseases.

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Botox Treatments Increase, Despite Slowing Economy

The economy may be in decline, but U.S. sales of Botox increased 13 percent to $316 million in the last quarter, according to the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery.

A survey of members found that 40 percent of respondents said their current number of Botox procedures had increased compared to six months ago, and 28 percent of respondents said their current use of fillers increased up to 30 percent compared to six months ago, United Press International reported.

It's not surprising that demand for cosmetic procedures is increasing during tougher economic times, said one doctor.

"Despite what's going on in the economy, people are looking for ways to keep a youthful appearance not just for personal reasons but for their careers," Dr. Kimberly Finder, director of The Face Place in San Antonio, said in a news release, UPI reported. "Who wants to go to work or to an interview and look tired?

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Oily Fish May Protect Against Eye Disease: Study

Regular consumption of oily fish may help protect against vision loss caused by wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD), European researchers say.

They found that people who consumed the most (300 milligrams a day or more) of fish-based omega 3 fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) were 70 percent less likely to have wet AMD, United Press International reported.

The study was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

"This is the first study in Europeans to show a beneficial association on wet age-related macular degeneration from the consumption of oily fish and is consistent with results from studies in the United States and Australia," study leader Astrid Fletcher, of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said in a news release.

She noted that two, 3-ounce servings per week of oily fish such as salmon, tuna or mackerel provide about 500 milligrams of DHA and EPA per day, UPI reported.