Health Headlines - July 31

Salmonella Found at 2nd Mexican Farm

The strain of salmonella that has been linked to more than 1,300 illnesses in the United States has been found on a second farm in Mexico, the Associated Press reported Wednesday.

"We have a smoking gun, it appears," Lonnie King, the chief of the Centers for Disease Control's center for foodborne illnesses, told the AP.

But health officials cautioned that the investigation wasn't over and that contamination of several different types of produce was still possible.

The latest farm to have contamination, in this case tainted irrigation water and a contaminated serrano pepper, was identified in Nuevo Leon, Mexico, the AP reported. Previously, contamination of a sample of jalapeno peppers was identified at another Mexican farm in a different part of the country.

Fresh tomatoes had been the suspected source of the nationwide outbreak that began in April. But two weeks ago, U.S. health officials cleared the current crop for consumers. And at the start of last week, they found the first tainted pepper. And by the end of last week, they had narrowed the source to crops in Mexico, not the United States.

Meanwhile, in British Columbia, Canadian health officials were struggling with their own salmonella outbreak, which apparently has sickened hundreds, according to the Globe and Mail.

The bacteria strain of is Salmonella enteritidis, health officials said, which is linked to poultry and egg products.

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Alzheimer's Drug Shows No Benefit in Most Patients

The experimental Alzheimer's drug bapineuzumab showed no benefit for most patients and was linked to a brain-swelling condition called vasogenic edema, says a study presented Tuesday at the International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease in Chicago.

The drug, made by Elan Corp and Wyeth, did slow memory loss in some patients better than existing treatments, but it had no effect in people with the ApoE4 gene, which is found in about half of all Alzheimer's patients, Bloomberg news reported.

Bapineuzumab is designed to remove clumps of protein that accumulate in the brains of Alzheimer's patients.

Twelve cases of vasogenic edema occurred in the trial of 234 patients, and 10 of those cases occurred in patients with the ApoE4 gene, Bloomberg reported. Both cases of vasogenic edema in patients without the gene were in the highest-dose group, as were eight of those with the gene.

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Who's Happiest? Younger Women and Older Men

Young adult women tend to be happier than their male counterparts, but the roles reverse as people age, according to a new study cited by United Press International.

Later in life, it's generally men who are happier and more satisfied with their lives, U.S. and British researchers reported in the Journal of Happiness Studies.

Happiness depends on factors such as family stability and financial security, according to study authors Richard Easterlin at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles and Anke Plagnol at the University of Cambridge in England.

Early in life, it's women who are more likely to satisfy their aspirations for material goods and family life. But men seem to better achieve these desires as both sexes become older, the study authors said.

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Routine EKGs Not Needed For Kids Taking ADHD Drugs: AAP

Children prescribed attention-deficit drugs don't need routine electrocardiogram heart screening, according to a new policy from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) that appears to contradict American Heart Association (AHA) advice.

The drugs, which can increase blood pressure and heart rate, carry a warning about risks for sudden death in patients with heart problems. However, the pediatricians' group said the AHA was overzealous earlier this year when it recommended EKGs for children prescribed ADHD drugs such as Ritalin, Adderall and Concerta, the Associated Press reported.

Children starting treatment with the drugs should be given a thorough physical exam and be checked for family history of heart problems, but routine EKGs aren't needed in most cases, the AAP said.

The new statement appears in the August edition of the journal Pediatrics.

More than half of the 4 million U.S. children diagnosed with attention-deficit disorders are taking stimulant drugs, the AP reported. Each year, sudden heart-related deaths occur in about four of 2.5 million U.S. children taking stimulants, compared to between eight and 62 deaths a year among all U.S. children, according to the AAP.

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No New Fast Food Restaurants Allowed in South LA

In an effort to fight obesity in South Los Angeles, the city council has voted to place a one-year moratorium on new fast food restaurants in that lower-income area of the city. It's believed this is the first action of its kind taken by a major city.

According to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, 30 percent of adults in South Los Angeles are obese, compared to 19.1 percent for the metropolitan area and 14.1 percent for the Westside, the Associated Press reported.

Fast food outlets account for 73 percent of restaurants in South Los Angeles, compared to 42 percent in West Los Angeles, a Community Health Councils report found.

During the year-long moratorium, the city will try to encourage restaurants that serve healthier food to open in South Los Angeles, the AP reported.

Health Tips for July 31

Health Tip: Prevent Heartburn

Foods that trigger heartburn in many people include chocolate, fatty and spicy foods, and dairy products.

Avoiding foods and beverages that trigger your symptoms is paramount, but you can also do other things to prevent the onset of heartburn, the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse says:

* If you are overweight, come up with a plan to lose those extra pounds.
* Don't smoke.
* When you lie down, make sure your head is about 6 inches higher than your feet.
* Don't lie down for at least two hours after you eat.
* Take an antacid.

Health Tip: Be a Smart Patient

Although your doctor and other health-care professionals do their best to help you stay safe, there are things you can do to prevent problems.

The Cleveland Clinic offers these suggestions on how to be a smart patient:

* If you have a question or concern about your health or treatment, talk to your doctor about it. Bring a friend or family member if you need help understanding what you must do.
* Give your doctor and pharmacist a complete list of every medication you take, including those sold over-the-counter. Ask about any side effects or sets of drugs that shouldn't be taken together.
* Always get your test results. Ask your doctor at the time of the test when results will be available, and when you can discuss them together.
* If you are able to choose a hospital, discuss the choices with your doctor.
* If you need surgery, ask your physician what will happen, what to expect, and what you need to do.

Health Headlines - July 30

FDA Experts Recommend Approval for Experimental Arthritis Drug

The experimental rheumatoid arthritis drug Actemra should be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, an expert panel advising the agency recommended Tuesday.

The advisors voted 10-1 in favor of approval, despite the drug's serious side effects including possible infections, liver damage and cancer, the Associated Press reported. Last week, the FDA posted documents on its Web site that said Actemra appeared effective in treating moderate-to-severe RA, including symptoms such as disabling joint damage and pain.

RA differs from typical age-related arthritis, which involves wear and tear on the joints as people get older. In RA, by contrast, the body's immune system actually attacks the joints. About 2.5 million Americans have the condition, and most people get it in early adulthood or middle age, the AP said.

While most arthritis medications are designed to relieve pain, Actemra is a genetically engineered drug that blocks a protein called IL-6, which has been linked to the body's inflammatory response.

Actemra is made by Hoffman-La Roche Inc.

The full FDA generally follows the suggestions of its advisory panels, though it isn't bound to do so.

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Global AIDS Deaths Declined Again in 2007

For the second year in a row, deaths worldwide from AIDS-related diseases fell in 2007, due mainly to increased distribution of anti-HIV drugs, says a UNAIDS report released Tuesday.

There were an estimated 2 million AIDS-related deaths last year, about 200,000 fewer deaths than in 2005, Agence France-Presse reported.

About 33 million people were living with HIV last year across the globe, compared with 32.7 million in 2006, according to UNAIDS. About 2.7 million people were newly infected with HIV in 2007.

The rate of people worldwide with HIV has remained around 0.8 percent since 2000. While this suggests the AIDS pandemic has stabilized, UNAIDS said more funding and a breakthrough in prevention are needed if progress against the disease is to continue, AFP reported.

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Mediterranean Diet Becoming Less Popular in Countries of Origin

People in countries where the Mediterranean diet originated are abandoning it for food that's higher in salt, sugar and fat, according to the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization.

The Mediterranean diet, based on fresh fruit and vegetables, is becoming less popular in several countries including Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain, Agence France-Presse reported.

"Hailed by experts as keeping people slim, healthy and long-living, the Mediterranean diet has followers all over the world -- but is increasingly disregarded around the Mediterranean," the Food and Agricultural Organization said.

The effects of that switch are readily apparent, the news service said. Greece now has the highest average body mass index in the European Union and the highest prevalence of overweight and obesity, AFP reported.

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Don't Eat Lobster Tomalley: FDA

Consumers shouldn't eat the soft, green substance (tomalley) found in the body cavity of lobsters because it may be contaminated with toxins that can cause paralytic shellfish poisoning, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said. The white meat found elsewhere in lobsters is safe.

The FDA's warning follows similar advisories from public health officials in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Canada after a red tide (algae bloom) contaminated fishing grounds , the Associated Press reported.

Paralytic shellfish poisoning symptoms -- which usually appear within two hours of exposure -- include tingling and numbness of the mouth, face or neck; muscle weakness; headache and nausea, the AP reported.

People who have such symptoms should see a doctor, the FDA said. In rare cases, consuming a large amount of toxin can cause respiratory failure and death.

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Ritalin May Help Prevent Falls in Elderly

Ritalin may help prevent falls in elderly people, according to an Israeli study of 26 seniors who live independently.

Some of the participants received Ritalin (methylphenidate) -- often prescribed to treat hyperactive children -- while others received a placebo before they were instructed to stand from a sitting position, walk 10 feet, walk back, and sit down, Agence France- Presse reported.

Those who took the drug "performed the test quicker and had less variability in their 'stride time,' a common sign of instability," wrote the researchers at the Sackler School of Medicine at Tel Aviv University. The study appears in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

While the idea of using a pill to reduce fall risk among the elderly is an "intriguing concept," not enough research has been done to recommend the use of Ritalin on a wide-scale basis, AFP quoted study author Jeffrey Hausdorff as saying.

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Food Makers Spent $1.6 Billion Targeting Children

The 44 largest food and beverage companies in the United States spent about $1.6 billion in 2006 marketing their products to children and adolescents, says a Federal Trade Commission report to be released Tuesday.

About $492 million was spent on soda marketing, (primarily targeted at adolescents), about $237 million was spent on cereal marketing (primarily aimed at children under age 12), and restaurants spent close to $294 million on marketing that targeted children and adolescents about evenly, the Associated Press reported.

To prepare its study, the FTC used confidential financial data the companies were forced to hand over. The findings show that a large amount of money is being used to persuade children to eat foods that are often unhealthy, said Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), who pushed for the study.

"This study confirms what I have been saying for years. Industry needs to step up to the plate and use their innovation and creativity to market healthy foods to our kids," Harkin was quoted by the AP as saying. "That $1.6 billion could be used to attract our kids to healthy snacks, tasty cereals, fruits and vegetables."

Health Tips for July 30

Health Tip: Deep Breathing Techniques

Deep breathing techniques are a great way to fight stress and anxiety, and help you relax.

Here are basic steps to deep breathing, courtesy of the American Academy of Family Physicians:

* Lie on your back, on a flat surface.
* Place one hand on your stomach just above your belly button, and the other hand on your chest.
* Inhale slowly, making sure that your stomach rises a bit.
* Hold your breath for a second.
* Slowly exhale, letting your stomach sink back down.

Health Tip: Help Prevent Headaches

Headaches have a variety of causes and triggers, but stress is a common factor in many types of headache.

The U.S. National Library of Medicine offers these suggestions to lessen stress and reduce your chances of a headache:

* Get plenty of sleep every night.
* Maintain a healthy diet, including staying away from junk food.
* Don't smoke.
* Get plenty of regular exercise.
* Stretch your neck, shoulders and upper body frequently. This is particularly important if you work all day at a desk or computer.
* Maintain good posture.
* Practice meditation, yoga or deep breathing techniques.

Health Headlines - July 29

Veterans' Hot Line Prevented 1,221 Suicides in One Year

A suicide hot line launched a year ago has received calls from more than 22,000 veterans of the Iraq, Afghanistan and Vietnam wars and has prevented 1,221 suicides, according to U.S. government figures being released Monday.

The hot line -- created jointly by the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration -- gets up to 250 calls a day, the Associated Press reported.

In addition to calls from veterans, the hot line has received tens of thousands of calls since last July from people concerned about veterans' well-being.

About one in five U.S. soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan has had symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, which puts them at increased risk for suicide, according to a recent RAND Corp. study, the AP reported.

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Children With Gene Variant Have Difficulty Sensing They're Full

Children with an obesity-associated gene have a more difficult time than other children sensing that they're full and tend to overeat, says a U.K. study that included more than 3,000 children, ages 8-11.

The researchers found that those with a certain variant of the FTO gene were less likely to have their appetite "switched off" when they should have been full after a meal, BBC News reported.

The gene variant's effect on appetite was the same regardless of a child's age, sex, socioeconomic status and body mass index, said the study, published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

Previous research found that adults with two copies of the high-risk FTO variant were an average of three kilograms (6 lb. 10 oz.) heavier, and adults with one copy of the gene variant were an average of 1.5 kg. heavier, than adults without the variant, BBC News reported.

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Green Potatoes May Contain Harmful Toxin

Green-tinged potatoes may contain toxic glycoalkaloids that can cause serious illness in high concentrations, Indian researchers warn in a paper published online in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture.

Cutting away the green parts of a potato can reduce the risk.

The researchers said glycoalkaloids are produced naturally by potatoes as protection against pests and disease, United Press International reported.

Levels of the toxin can be controlled by adopting certain pre- and post-harvest measures, such as keeping potatoes well covered with soil during growth, allowing them to mature before harvesting, avoiding harvest at very high temperatures, and minimizing exposure to light.

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Diabetes Risk Higher in Men With Depression, Anxiety

Psychological distress -- including anxiety and depression -- increases a man's risk of developing type 2 diabetes, says a Swedish study that included 2,127 men and 3,100 women.

The researchers found that men with high levels of psychological distress were 2.2 times more likely to develop diabetes over a period of eight to 10 years than men with the lowest levels. No correlation between psychological distress and diabetes was found in women, BBC News reported.

The study appears in the journal Diabetic Medicine.

It was already known that stress and depression are risk factors for heart disease, and it was suspected that those same factors may play a role in diabetes, said study leader Professor Anders Ekbom of the Karolinska Institute, BBC News reported.

"The link could be the result of the way psychological distress affects the brain's role in regulating hormones or perhaps because depression influences a person's diet and level of physical activity in a negative way," said Ekbom, who noted that men and women have different coping strategies.

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Regulation of 'Off-Label' Drug Use Needs Improvement, Report Says

It can take up to a year for a pharmaceutical company to correct unapproved use of one of its drugs, according to a U.S. government report prepared for Congress.

According to the Associated Press, the practice of "off-label" use of drugs -- using them to treat diseases or conditions for which they were not approved -- has long been a "gray area of medical practice."

And, the wire service says, the report prepared by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that it can take an average of seven months for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to issue a warning to the drug company. Then, according to the GAO report, it can take another four months before any corrective action is taken.

For example, Botox was first approved in 1989 to treat nervous disorders in eyelids. Although it wasn't approved for cosmetic use until 2002, hundreds of thousands of off-label wrinkle-removing treatments using Botox had already been conducted, according to the FDA.

How dangerous is off-label drug use? Dr. Randall Stafford, an associate professor of medicine at the Stanford Prevention Research Center, cautioned in an editorial in the April 3, 2008 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine that "off-label prescribing has become first-line therapy even in the absence of strong evidence of benefits and safety."

Health Tips for July 29

Health Tip: Prevent Dehydration

It's easy to get dehydrated if you're not careful. A stomach bug, sweating outside in the hot weather, and just not drinking enough water can lead to dehydration, a serious condition.

Stay well-hydrated with these suggestions from the U.S. National Library of Medicine:

* Drink plenty of fluids -- especially water -- each day.
* When exercising or sweating, and during hot weather, be sure to drink more water.
* Elderly people, children and people who are sick need to be carefully monitored to prevent dehydration.
* Drink plenty of fluids if you are vomiting, have a fever, or have diarrhea.
* If you think you may be starting to get dehydrated, contact your doctor at once -- before you start to have symptoms.
* Warning signs of dehydration may include: not producing tears, sunken eyes, little or no urine output for eight hours or more, rapid heartbeat, listlessness, and dry skin, mouth or eyes.

Health Tip: Eat More Vegetables

Instead of getting bored with the same old vegetable choices that take too long to prepare, choose convenience and variety in your vegetables.

Here are easy ways to get plenty of vegetables in your diet, provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture:

* Buy fresh vegetables that are in season -- they'll be at their peak flavor, and often less expensive.
* Keep plenty of frozen vegetables on hand for quick and easy microwave meals and sides.
* Look for conveniently packed vegetables, such as washed and peeled carrots, pre-washed bags of salads, and cut vegetables.
* Save time by making a baked potato in the microwave instead of the oven.
* Alternate your veggie choices and how you cook them. Try them raw and crunchy, then try them steamed.

Health Headlines - July 28

Regulation of 'Off-Label' Drug Use Needs Improvement, Report Says

It can take up to a year for a pharmaceutical company to correct unapproved use of one of its drugs, according to a U.S. government report prepared for Congress.

According to the Associated Press, the practice of "off-label" use of drugs -- using them to treat diseases or conditions for which they were not approved -- has long been a "gray area of medical practice."

And, the wire service says, the report prepared by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that it can take an average of seven months for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to issue a warning to the drug company. Then, according to the GAO report, it can take another four months before any corrective action is taken.

For example, Botox was first approved in 1989 to treat nervous disorders in eyelids. Although it wasn't approved for cosmetic use until 2002, hundreds of thousands of off-label wrinkle-removing treatments using Botox had already been conducted, according to the FDA.

How dangerous is off-label drug use? Dr. Randall Stafford, an associate professor of medicine at the Stanford Prevention Research Center, cautioned in an editorial in the April 3, 2008 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine that "off-label prescribing has become first-line therapy even in the absence of strong evidence of benefits and safety."

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Dramatic Rise in Obesity-Related Drugs Prescribed for Children

Obesity in U.S. children has created a market for prescription drugs normally associated with problems in adults, the New York Times reports.

Cholesterol-lowering drugs known as statins, along with high blood pressure medication and even type 2 diabetes and acid reflux drugs are being prescribed for hundreds of thousands of children, the newspaper reports.

The Times's findings come less than a month after the American Academy of Pediatrics -- a leading childhood physicians' organization -- had recommended that statins be given to some obese children at age 8.

The newspaper polled doctors about the number of prescription drugs in categories related to obesity that were being prescribed for young people and was told that the sale of these drugs accounted for less than one percent of all prescriptions in those categories. Nevertheless, the percentage increase over a seven year period was dramatic, according to the Times.

For instance, one pharmaceutical prescription service reported that the greatest increase occurred in drugs for Type 2 diabetes, with a 151 percent hike over seven years, the newspaper reported. Children's acid reflux prescriptions -- associated with obesity -- showed a 137 percent increase, the Times reported.

Nevertheless, many physicians interviewed by the Times still emphasized diet and exercise as the best way to bring obesity under control. "I worry that some providers and some families are looking for the quick fix, and are going to want to start medication immediately," Dr. Russell L. Rothman, an assistant professor at Vanderbilt University, is quoted as saying.

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Restaurant Trans Fats Ban Becomes Law in California

In what may be developing as a trans-continental competition to promote healthier eating, California has become the first state to ban restaurants from using trans fats for cooking.

A week ago, New York City became the first city in the United States to require major restaurant chains to post calorie content for all menu items. New York banned trans fats from being used by its restaurants last year.

According to the Associated Press, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation on Friday that ends restaurants' use of oils, margarine and shortening that contain trans fats, which have been linked to coronary artery disease.

The new law won't take effect until 2010, although trans fats have already been banned from being used in preparing food in California schools, the wire service said. Violation of the the law can result in fines of between $25 and $1,000, according to the A.P.

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Experimental Rheumatoid Arthritis Drug Appears Effective: FDA

Roche's Actemra (tocilizumab) appears to successfully treat the joint destruction and pain that accompany moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Friday in documents posted on its Web site.

But the drug has been linked to serious infections and cancer -- factors an FDA panel of experts will consider at its scheduled meeting Tuesday, when it decides whether to recommend the full agency's approval of Actemra, the Wall Street Journal reported.

More than 2 million Americans have RA, the newspaper said. Although there are many other treatments, they generally are limited to relieving pain. Actemra, by contrast, targets a receptor that plays a role in RA's acute inflammatory response, which leads to destruction of cartilage and bone that can trigger disability.

The FDA isn't bound to follow the recommendations of its expert panels, but generally does.

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EPA Bans Carbofuran Residue on Food

In what's regarded as a surprise move, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said it will no longer allow residue of the toxic pesticide carbofuran on domestic or imported food. The decision would effectively remove the chemical from the U.S. market, the Washington Post reported.

The EPA said Thursday it made the decision on the grounds that carbofuran residue on foods poses an unacceptable safety risk to toddlers.

The American Bird Conservancy and the Natural Resources Defense Council had been urging the EPA to forbid carbofuran residue on food because the chemical poses a threat to wildlife, as well as people, the Post reported.

"I was surprised and pleased the EPA did the right thing and followed the science. This is really a big one for workers, birds and bees," said Jennifer Sass, a senior scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council.

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Custom Insoles Help Relieve Foot Pain

Custom-made insoles may help ease arthritic foot pain, according to researchers who conducted a review of 11 studies that included 1,332 people.

The Australian team concluded that custom foot orthoses -- insoles molded to a cast of the foot -- may reduce pain within three months in adults with rheumatoid arthritis and in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis, United Press International reported.

Treatment with custom foot orthoses may also reduce pain in adults with highly-arched feet or prominent big toe joints, according to the review, which appears in the The Cochrane Library.

The review authors said custom orthoses were safe, but additional research is needed to better understand their effectiveness, UPI reported.

Health Tips for July 28

Health Tip: Who's at Greater Risk for Heat-Related Illness

Heat-related illness occurs when the body can't cool itself during extremely hot and humid conditions.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, certain people are at greater risk, including:

* Infants and young children up to 4 years of age.
* People aged 65 and older.
* People who are significantly overweight or obese.
* People who overexert themselves or don't drink enough fluids.
* People with high blood pressure, heart disease, and those who take certain medications for depression, insomnia or poor circulation.

Health Tip: Healthy Nails, Healthy Body

Healthy fingernails and toe nails are strong, colorless and smooth. Yellowing, brittleness, ridges, crumbling and white spots are all signs that nails may not be completely healthy.

The U.S. National Library of Medicine says nail abnormalities may indicate health issues elsewhere in the body. The agency offers this list of what nail problems could indicate:

* Many types of infection, including bacterial, viral, fungal or yeast.
* Abnormal levels of oxygen in the blood.
* Kidney disease, liver disease, thyroid disease or psoriasis.
* Malnutrition or a vitamin deficiency.

Health Headlines - July 27

Restaurant Trans Fats Ban Becomes Law in California

In what may be developing as a trans-continental competition to promote healthier eating, California has become the first state to ban restaurants from using trans fats for cooking.

A week ago, New York City became the first city in the United States to require major restaurant chains to post calorie content for all menu items. New York banned trans fats from being used by its restaurants last year.

According to the Associated Press, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation on Friday that ends restaurants' use of oils, margarine and shortening that contain trans fats, which have been linked to coronary artery disease.

The new law won't take effect until 2010, although trans fats have already been banned from being used in preparing food in California schools, the wire service said. Violation of the the law can result in fines of between $25 and $1,000, according to the A.P.

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Experimental Rheumatoid Arthritis Drug Appears Effective: FDA

Roche's Actemra (tocilizumab) appears to successfully treat the joint destruction and pain that accompany moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Friday in documents posted on its Web site.

But the drug has been linked to serious infections and cancer -- factors an FDA panel of experts will consider at its scheduled meeting Tuesday, when it decides whether to recommend the full agency's approval of Actemra, the Wall Street Journal reported.

More than 2 million Americans have RA, the newspaper said. Although there are many other treatments, they generally are limited to relieving pain. Actemra, by contrast, targets a receptor that plays a role in RA's acute inflammatory response, which leads to destruction of cartilage and bone that can trigger disability.

The FDA isn't bound to follow the recommendations of its expert panels, but generally does.

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EPA Bans Carbofuran Residue on Food

In what's regarded as a surprise move, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said it will no longer allow residue of the toxic pesticide carbofuran on domestic or imported food. The decision would effectively remove the chemical from the U.S. market, the Washington Post reported.

The EPA said Thursday it made the decision on the grounds that carbofuran residue on foods poses an unacceptable safety risk to toddlers.

The American Bird Conservancy and the Natural Resources Defense Council had been urging the EPA to forbid carbofuran residue on food because the chemical poses a threat to wildlife, as well as people, the Post reported.

"I was surprised and pleased the EPA did the right thing and followed the science. This is really a big one for workers, birds and bees," said Jennifer Sass, a senior scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council.

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Custom Insoles Help Relieve Foot Pain

Custom-made insoles may help ease arthritic foot pain, according to researchers who conducted a review of 11 studies that included 1,332 people.

The Australian team concluded that custom foot orthoses -- insoles molded to a cast of the foot -- may reduce pain within three months in adults with rheumatoid arthritis and in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis, United Press International reported.

Treatment with custom foot orthoses may also reduce pain in adults with highly-arched feet or prominent big toe joints, according to the review, which appears in the The Cochrane Library.

The review authors said custom orthoses were safe, but additional research is needed to better understand their effectiveness, UPI reported.

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Omega-3s May Hinder Wound Healing

Omega-3 fatty acids -- touted as being heart healthy -- may hinder the healing of acute skin wounds, suggests an Ohio State University study.

It included 30 people with blister-type wounds in the skin. Fifteen of them took fish oil supplements (a source of omega-3s) and 15 people didn't take the supplements. The researchers believed those who took the supplements would have fewer inflammatory proteins in their skin, CBC News reported.

However, it turned out that participants who took the supplements actually had more inflammatory proteins in the skin than those who didn't take the supplements. This suggests that omega-3s in the blood may increase levels of these proteins, the researchers said.

"That finding was hard to explain. These proteins may have other functions that we don't yet fully understand," said lead author Jodi McDaniel, an assistant professor of nursing, CBC News reported.

The study appears in the journal Wound Repair and Regeneration.

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Drug Companies Make Billions More Under Medicare Part D

U.S. drug companies are enjoying a taxpayer-funded windfall worth billions of dollars under Medicare's privatized Part D drug benefit program for seniors and the disabled, says a report released by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

The document said that under Medicare Part D, prescription drugs cost up to 30 percent more than they do under other government programs. Moreover, drug makers have taken in $3.7 billion more than they would have under Medicaid's program for the poor, the Los Angeles Times reported.

"This is an enormous giveaway. And it has absolutely no justification," said committee chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), who plans to introduce legislation that federal taxpayers wouldn't be charged higher prices under Medicare Part D than under Medicaid.

"The drug companies are making the same drugs. They are being used by the same beneficiaries. Yet because the drugs are being bought through Medicare Part D instead of Medicaid, the prices paid by taxpayers have ballooned by billions of dollars," the newspaper quoted Waxman as saying.

Health Tips for July 27

Health Tip: Why You Should Wash Your Hands

You've heard it over and over, starting from your parents: "Wash your hands."

But if you knew why it's so important, handwashing would always be on the top of your list of ways to stay healthy, says the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Scientists believe most people get colds and other illnesses by touching a sick person or by touching something a sick person touched.

All you have to do to protect yourself is wash your hands -- after you go to the bathroom, after you touch a cut or sore and and always before you touch food.

Wash your hands front and back and between the fingers. Soap up your wrists, too. And don't forget your fingernails. A good nail brush does the best job there.

Health Tip: Douching Isn't Recommended

Douching is a method of cleansing the female genitalia with a fluid mixture, often of water.

According to the U.S. National Women's Health Information Center, douching is generally not recommended by doctors, as it can adversely affect the body's natural balance of bacteria.

The agency offers these additional potential side effects of douching:

* Irritation of the vagina.
* An infection called bacterial vaginosis.
* Increased risk of sexually transmitted disease or pelvic inflammatory disease.
* Vaginal infections that could spread to other parts of the female reproductive system.

Health Headlines - July 26

Experimental Rheumatoid Arthritis Drug Appears Effective: FDA

Roche's Actemra (tocilizumab) appears to successfully treat the joint destruction and pain that accompany moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Friday in documents posted on its Web site.

But the drug has been linked to serious infections and cancer -- factors an FDA panel of experts will consider at its scheduled meeting Tuesday, when it decides whether to recommend the full agency's approval of Actemra, the Wall Street Journal reported.

More than 2 million Americans have RA, the newspaper said. Although there are many other treatments, they generally are limited to relieving pain. Actemra, by contrast, targets a receptor that plays a role in RA's acute inflammatory response, which leads to destruction of cartilage and bone that can trigger disability.

The FDA isn't bound to follow the recommendations of its expert panels, but generally does.

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EPA Bans Carbofuran Residue on Food

In what's regarded as a surprise move, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said it will no longer allow residue of the toxic pesticide carbofuran on domestic or imported food. The decision would effectively remove the chemical from the U.S. market, the Washington Post reported.

The EPA said Thursday it made the decision on the grounds that carbofuran residue on foods poses an unacceptable safety risk to toddlers.

The American Bird Conservancy and the Natural Resources Defense Council had been urging the EPA to forbid carbofuran residue on food because the chemical poses a threat to wildlife, as well as people, the Post reported.

"I was surprised and pleased the EPA did the right thing and followed the science. This is really a big one for workers, birds and bees," said Jennifer Sass, a senior scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council.

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Custom Insoles Help Relieve Foot Pain

Custom-made insoles may help ease arthritic foot pain, according to researchers who conducted a review of 11 studies that included 1,332 people.

The Australian team concluded that custom foot orthoses -- insoles molded to a cast of the foot -- may reduce pain within three months in adults with rheumatoid arthritis and in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis, United Press International reported.

Treatment with custom foot orthoses may also reduce pain in adults with highly-arched feet or prominent big toe joints, according to the review, which appears in the The Cochrane Library.

The review authors said custom orthoses were safe, but additional research is needed to better understand their effectiveness, UPI reported.

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Omega-3s May Hinder Wound Healing

Omega-3 fatty acids -- touted as being heart healthy -- may hinder the healing of acute skin wounds, suggests an Ohio State University study.

It included 30 people with blister-type wounds in the skin. Fifteen of them took fish oil supplements (a source of omega-3s) and 15 people didn't take the supplements. The researchers believed those who took the supplements would have fewer inflammatory proteins in their skin, CBC News reported.

However, it turned out that participants who took the supplements actually had more inflammatory proteins in the skin than those who didn't take the supplements. This suggests that omega-3s in the blood may increase levels of these proteins, the researchers said.

"That finding was hard to explain. These proteins may have other functions that we don't yet fully understand," said lead author Jodi McDaniel, an assistant professor of nursing, CBC News reported.

The study appears in the journal Wound Repair and Regeneration.

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Drug Companies Make Billions More Under Medicare Part D

U.S. drug companies are enjoying a taxpayer-funded windfall worth billions of dollars under Medicare's privatized Part D drug benefit program for seniors and the disabled, says a report released by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

The document said that under Medicare Part D, prescription drugs cost up to 30 percent more than they do under other government programs. Moreover, drug makers have taken in $3.7 billion more than they would have under Medicaid's program for the poor, the Los Angeles Times reported.

"This is an enormous giveaway. And it has absolutely no justification," said committee chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), who plans to introduce legislation that federal taxpayers wouldn't be charged higher prices under Medicare Part D than under Medicaid.

"The drug companies are making the same drugs. They are being used by the same beneficiaries. Yet because the drugs are being bought through Medicare Part D instead of Medicaid, the prices paid by taxpayers have ballooned by billions of dollars," the newspaper quoted Waxman as saying.

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Family, Friends May Influence Person's Weight

People with overweight family and friends may be more likely to pack on the pounds, according to a study by an international team of researchers.

They analyzed data on 27,000 people from across Europe and concluded that choices about appearance made by people around you may influence your own choices. In other words, if people around you are overweight, you may decide it's okay for you to be overweight too, BBC News reported.

"Rising obesity needs to be thought of a sociological phenomenon not a physiological one," said researcher Andrew Oswald of the University of Warwick in the U.K. "People are influenced by relative comparisons, and norms have changed and are still changing."

This finding about "imitative obesity" was presented at an economics conference in the United States.

But one expert said the reasons for rising obesity rates are much more complex, BBC News reported.

"If you are surrounded by people, whether that's friends or within the family home, who are overweight, you are sharing the same environment where there is likely to be an abundance of the wrong kinds of foods," noted Dr. David Haslam, clinical director of the (U.K.) National Obesity Forum.

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Wrong Kind of Bra Can Lead to Breast Damage

Wearing the wrong kind of bra could damage a woman's breasts, warn breast biomechanics experts at the University of Portsmouth in the U.K., who tested about 50 bra designs on hundreds of women over the past three years.

Poor bra support, the researchers said, can lead to stretching of fragile ligaments in the breast, BBC News reported.

During exercise, breasts can move up to 8 inches up and down, in and out, and side to side. However, most bras provide only limited vertical support, the researchers noted.

They also said many women make the wrong choices in bras for everyday wear and suffer pain and discomfort, BBC News reported.

"Many women have strong preferences for certain styles of bra and won't buy anything else. They won't even look at anything that doesn't look like the sort of bra they are used to wearing," said study researcher Wendy Hedger.

Health Tips for July 26

Health Tip: Living With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is an illness of unknown cause that can make a person feel excessively tired for prolonged periods.

While there is no cure, medication and lifestyle changes can help keep symptoms under control. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services offers these suggestions:

* Keep a log of activities that trigger extreme fatigue, and try to avoid those things.
* Try to get some light exercise. But always talk to your doctor before starting an exercise program.
* Take an over-the-counter pain reliever for the aches, muscle and joint pain, and headaches that can accompany the syndrome.
* Try a non-drowsy antihistamine to help with allergy-like symptoms.
* Talk to your doctor about whether an antidepressant can help you feel and sleep better.
* Join a support group.

Health Tip: Keep a Health Journal

A health journal is meant to be a complete record of a person's medications, illnesses, symptoms, surgeries or procedures.

A health journal helps you and your doctor keep track of what makes you sick or what causes symptoms, and you can use it to become a healthier person.

Here are suggestions for what to include in your health journal, courtesy of the American Academy of Family Physicians:

* Any illness or injury you've sustained.
* Any hospitalizations or surgeries.
* Any symptoms or allergies that you've had.
* OTC medications, prescription medications, supplements and vitamins that you take, including the dosage and how often you take them.
* Any diseases, conditions or illnesses that run in your family.

Health Headlines - July 25

1,013 Americans Overdosed on Illegal Painkiller

Between early April 2005 and late March 2007, 1,013 Americans died after overdosing on an illegal version of the powerful prescription painkiller fentanyl, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report published Thursday.

"This was really an epidemic," report co-author Dr. Steven Marcus, executive director of New Jersey's poison control center, told the Associated Press.

The number of deaths slowed after a fentanyl operation in Toluca, Mexico was shut down by authorities in May 2006.

"It almost disappeared entirely. The shutting down of the Toluca facility was probably a major factor," lead author Dr. T. Stephen Jones, a consultant retired from the CDC, told the AP.

The study appears in the this week's issue of the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Fentanyl is often prescribed for cancer patients. Illegal versions of the drug are sold as a powder, often mixed with cocaine or heroin, and sometimes used as a heroin replacement, the AP reported.

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Bisphenol A No Threat to Human Health: EU Agency

The chemical bisphenol A -- used to make some hard plastics -- doesn't pose a threat to human health, according to a statement from European regulators cited by CBC News.

Some research in animals has suggested the chemical may pose a health risk. However, a scientific panel concluded that adults and children rapidly metabolize BPA and eliminate it from their bodies, the European Food Safety Authority said.

"This represents an important metabolic difference compared with rats," the authority said in a statement, CBC News reported. "EFSA will continue to monitor closely scientific findings regarding BPA and any related health effects."

BPA is used to make a number of products, including hard plastic water bottles, liners in cans, DVDs and CDs. In response to concerns about the chemical, Canada banned the import and sale of polycarbonate baby bottles containing BPA.

The EFSA said that decision was based on limited evidence.

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Cancer Institute Director Warns Faculty and Staff About Cell Phone Use

Staff at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute have been advised to limit their cell phone use due to the possible risk of cancer. The unprecedented warning was issued Wednesday by institute director Dr. Ronald Herberman.

His caution is based on early unpublished data. But Herberman said people should take action now to protect themselves because it can take too long for science to provide clear answers, the Associated Press reported. No other major academic cancer research institution has issued this kind of warning about cell phone use.

"Really at the heart of my concern is that we shouldn't wait for a definitive study to come out, but err on the side of being safe rather than sorry later," Herberman said.

In a memo sent to about 3,000 faculty and staff, Herberman said adults should keep cell phones away from the head and use the speakerphone or a wireless headset. He also advised against the use of cell phones in public places because other people can be exposed to the phone's electromagnetic fields, the AP reported.

Because children's brains are still developing, they should use cell phones only for emergencies, Herberman said.

He cited unpublished data from a current 13-nation project called Interphone. Published results from the project, which involves countries mostly in Europe, focus on some 5,000 brain tumors. The U.S. National Research Council, which isn't part of Interphone, has criticized the project because it appeared to rely on people who already had brain tumors, asking them about their cell phone use.

A huge study on the subject, published in in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute in 2006, followed 420,000 Danish cell phone users. It found no increased risk of cancer among participants, the AP reported.

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More Older Children Being Diagnosed with ADHD

The percentage of American children ages 12 to 17 diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been rising by about 4 percent each year, while the rate for children under age 12 has been holding steady, a new federal government report finds.

The study looked at the years 1997 through 2006 and found that the percentage of children ages 6 to 11 diagnosed with ADHD remained at about 7 percent during those years, but rose from just under 7 percent to nearly 10 percent for children ages 12 to 17, the Associated Press reported.

The researchers didn't investigate the reasons for the difference. Some experts believe it may be because doctors are increasingly considering the possibility of ADHD in older children with concentration problems, a trend that may be linked to increased marketing of ADHD medications to teens and adults.

"There are people out there being treated for ADHD that probably don't meet the diagnostic criteria," Scott Kollins, director of Duke University Medical Center's ADHD Program, told the AP.

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World's Largest Online Medical Encyclopedia Announced

The world's largest online medical encyclopedia is being created by the U.S. government and a number of medical schools, hospitals and health organizations. Medpedia will be free and available to the public when it launches later this year.

The resource will include easy-to-understand information about 30,000 diseases, thousands of medical procedures, and more than 10,000 prescription drugs, the Contra Costa Times reported.

Qualified doctors, biomedical researchers and clinicians are being urged to apply to become content editors for Medpedia.

The U.S. National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, Harvard Medical School, and Stanford School of Medicine are among the participating organizations, the Times reported.

A sneak preview of Medpedia is available at www.medpedia.com.

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Fresh Water, Medical Care Concern Hurricane Victims

About 34 percent of people affected by Hurricane Katrina say they'd be very prepared if a major hurricane struck their community in the next six months, according to a Harvard School of Public Health survey conducted May 27 to June 23.

The survey included 5,055 people in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas in high-risk counties located within 20 miles of the coast.

Among respondents who were threatened or hit by Katrina, major worries in the event of a future hurricane are that they wouldn't have enough fresh drinking water (42 percent) and that they wouldn't be able to get needed medical care (41 percent).

The top concern among respondents who weren't affected by Katrina was that they would have problems getting gasoline for their cars (39 percent). That concern was expressed by 36 percent of respondents affected by Katrina.

Respondents who weren't affected by Katrina were much less likely than those who were affected by the hurricane to be worried about fresh water and getting needed medical care.

"The top concerns of people in high-risk hurricane areas -- having enough fresh water, getting medical care, and obtaining gas to evacuate -- are all things that public officials can plan for before the major storms of this season hit," Robert J. Blendon, professor of health policy and political analysis, said in a Harvard School of Public Health news release.

Health Tips for July 25

Health Tip: Evaluate Your Diet

If you don't carefully monitor your diet, here are a few warning signs that you should, courtesy of the American Academy of Family Physicians:

* If your doctor has warned you about health problems or risk factors that can be controlled or improved with a better diet. These conditions include high blood pressure or high cholesterol.
* If you have a family history of heart disease, osteoporosis, diabetes or cancer.
* If you are overweight or obese.
* If you have unanswered questions about the foods you eat, and whether you should take vitamins or other supplements.

Health Tip: Reduce Pesticide Exposure

Pesticides can help keep your home free of insects, rodents and other unwanted visitors, but exposure to these products can pose serious health risks.

The National Safety Council offers these suggestions when working with pesticides:

* Only use pesticides that have been legally purchased, and are approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or similar government agency.
* Carefully read directions on the pesticide label, and follow them exactly.
* When you can, use non-chemical pesticides.
* Keep the work area well-ventilated.
* Make sure you safely dispose of any excess product.

Health Headlines - July 24

Fresh Water, Medical Care Concern Hurricane Victims

About 34 percent of people affected by Hurricane Katrina say they'd be very prepared if a major hurricane struck their community in the next six months, according to a Harvard School of Public Health survey conducted May 27 to June 23.

The survey included 5,055 people in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas in high-risk counties located within 20 miles of the coast.

Among respondents who were threatened or hit by Katrina, major worries in the event of a future hurricane are that they wouldn't have enough fresh drinking water (42 percent) and that they wouldn't be able to get needed medical care (41 percent).

The top concern among respondents who weren't affected by Katrina was that they would have problems getting gasoline for their cars (39 percent). That concern was expressed by 36 percent of respondents affected by Katrina.

Respondents who weren't affected by Katrina were much less likely than those who were affected by the hurricane to be worried about fresh water and getting needed medical care.

"The top concerns of people in high-risk hurricane areas -- having enough fresh water, getting medical care, and obtaining gas to evacuate -- are all things that public officials can plan for before the major storms of this season hit," Robert J. Blendon, professor of health policy and political analysis, said in a Harvard School of Public Health news release.

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Gates, Bloomberg Donate Millions to Help Smokers Quit

Billionaire philanthropists Bill Gates and Michael Bloomberg want smokers across the globe to quit.

So the Microsoft founder and New York City mayor are donating $375 million to worldwide anti-smoking campaigns that focus on developing nations with the highest smoking rates, the Associated Press reported Wednesday.

Bloomberg is contributing $250 million, and Gates $125 million to the smoking cessation efforts, most specifically in China, India, Indonesia, Russia and Bangladesh, the wire service said.

Bloomberg, who quit the habit some three decades ago, waged a successful campaign to ban smoking in most New York City bars and restaurants.

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Dirt Devil Vacuum Attachments Recalled

About 987,000 power brush attachments for Dirt Devil vacuums are being recalled because plastic pieces inside the tools can break apart, posing a risk of cuts to users, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says. The manufacturer, TTI Floor Care North America, has received 140 incident reports about the tools, which were made in China. Among them are 12 reports of injury, including wounds to the eye, skin, and thumb, the CPSC said.

Retailers nationwide sold affected vacuums from April 2007 through April 2008 for between $60 and $170. Only tool accessories with date codes J7060 through J7365 with a C-clip connector are included in this recall. The date code is found on the underside of the tool.

The following Dirt Devil models are affected:

Reaction	Purpose for Pets	Ultra Swivel Glide
M110000	M140000	M086020
M110000HD	M140000CA
M110001B
M110002	Envision Wide Glide	Swerve
M110003	M086700WCA	M086030
M110006	M086710	M086030CA
M110008
M110008CA	Action Upright	Royal Commercial
M110009	M110020CAB	RY6100

Consumers should stop using the tools immediately and call the manufacturer for information about obtaining a free repair kit. Contact TTI Floor Care at 800-245-2296.

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Experts Worried Over Rising HIV Rates Among U.S. Hispanics

Increasing rates of HIV/AIDS among Hispanics in the United States point to a simmering public health crisis, experts tell the Washington Post.

Hispanics make up about 14 percent of the U.S. population, but they accounted for 22 percent of new HIV/AIDS diagnoses in 2006. In major American cities, as many as one in four gay Hispanic men have HIV, a rate similar to that in sub-Saharan Africa, the Post reported.

Hispanics in Washington, D.C. have the highest rate of new AIDS cases in the United States, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation survey.

Language and cultural barriers are among the issues that pose a challenge to dealing with HIV/AIDS in the Hispanic community, the Post reported. Legal status is another issue. For illegal Hispanic immigrants, fear of arrest and deportation is a major obstacle to seeking diagnosis and treatment.

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Millions Sought for AIDS Treatment in Africa

A campaign to raise $21 million to fund an AIDS treatment program in five African countries has been launched by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

The money would be used for a three-year program in Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea and Nigeria. The program would reach 950,000 vulnerable people, including 49,000 people living with AIDS, 13,000 sex workers and 10,000 orphans, Agence France-Presse reported.

According to the IFRC, nearly 4.5 million people, including about 400,000 children younger than 14, are living with HIV in the five countries. In 2006, AIDS claimed the lives of 350,000 people in these countries, which form the Sahel region of west and central Africa.

"Even though the impact may vary from one country to another, HIV is a major obstacle to development as it affects all key sectors: the economy, health, education and even food security," said Abdourahmane Ndiaye, IFRC's HIV program officer for the region, AFP reported.

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Study Examining High Cancer Incidence in U.S. South

Researchers plan to recruit 90,000 people in 12 Southern states in an effort to learn why the South has become the cancer belt of the United States and why blacks have higher rates of several kinds of cancer, United Press International reported.

Brain cancer and lung cancer are among those that disproportionately affect people living in the South.

"When you look at a map of brain cancer incidence in the United States the Southeast just lights up in red," Dr. Reid Thompson, of Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville said in a news release.

The researchers will look at study participants' lifestyles, family medical histories and risk factors for cancer and other serious diseases, UPI reported.

"We're asking patients about their diets, possible job-related exposure to cancer causing chemicals, and we're collecting DNA samples," Thompson said.

Health Tips for July 24

Health Tip: Stay Awake Behind the Wheel

People who work the third shift, drive great distances each day, and those who don't get enough sleep or take sedating medications are at greatest risk of drowsy driving.

But everyone is at risk of being impaired behind the wheel because they're too tired. The National Safety Council offers these suggestions to prevent drowsy driving:

* Get plenty of sleep before you head out on the road.
* If you start to feel tired, go to a safe area for a quick rest. But don't pull over at the side of the road.
* Try not to drive between the hours of 12 a.m. and 6 a.m.
* For long trips, start driving early in the morning, and plan to switch off driving with a buddy.
* Keep the temperature inside the car cool and comfortable.
* Take a quick break every 100 miles or so to have a snack, get some fresh air or just to stretch your legs.

Health Tip: Bottled or Tap?

Depending on where you live, the water that comes from your tap can be just as safe as bottled water.

But in some people, common pollutants found in tap water can pose a greater health hazard. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services offers this list:

* People with a weakened immune system.
* People with HIV/AIDS.
* People who take steroids.
* People who are being treated for cancer.

Young children are at greater risk of harm from lead that's found in older pipes. To avoid this hazard, use only the cold tap for drinking water, and let it run for a minute if you haven't used the tap in more than six hours.

On the other hand, children will benefit from the cavity-fighting fluoride found in public tap water. Most bottled waters do not contain fluoride.

Health Headlines - July 23

Study Examining High Cancer Incidence in U.S. South

Researchers plan to recruit 90,000 people in 12 Southern states in an effort to learn why the South has become the cancer belt of the United States and why blacks have higher rates of several kinds of cancer, United Press International reported.

Brain cancer and lung cancer are among those that disproportionately affect people living in the South.

"When you look at a map of brain cancer incidence in the United States the Southeast just lights up in red," Dr. Reid Thompson, of Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville said in a news release.

The researchers will look at study participants' lifestyles, family medical histories and risk factors for cancer and other serious diseases, UPI reported.

"We're asking patients about their diets, possible job-related exposure to cancer causing chemicals, and we're collecting DNA samples," Thompson said.

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Plant-Based Cancer Vaccine Shows Promise

A plant-based cancer vaccine that kick-starts the immune system and can be tailored to target specific tumor types shows promise, according to U.S. researchers who tested the vaccine on 16 people with incurable follicular B-cell lymphoma.

More than 70 percent of the patients developed an immune response and none of them showed any significant side effects, Agence France-Presse reported. The study appears in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

"The idea is to marshal the body's own immune system to fight cancer," said study senior author Ronald Levy of the Stanford Medical Center. "We know that if you get the immune system revved up, it can attack and kill cancer."

He and his colleagues are the first to test a plant-based cancer vaccine on people, AFP reported. It's not yet clear whether the immune response triggered by the vaccine is sufficient to destroy cancer.

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New Drug Seems Effective Against Aggressive Prostate Cancer

A new drug called abiraterone may prove to be a breakthrough treatment for aggressive prostate cancer. Scientists say the drug -- which blocks hormones that fuel the cancer -- could potentially treat up to 80 percent of patients with a deadly form of the disease that's resistant to chemotherapy, BBC News reported.

A study of 21 patients with advanced, aggressive prostate cancer treated with the drug found significant tumor shrinkage and a decline in levels of a key protein produced by the cancer. Many patients reported a significant improvement in their quality of life, and some were able to stop taking morphine to ease the pain caused by the spread of the cancer into their bones.

The findings appear in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

"We believe we have made a major step forward in the treatment of end-stage prostate cancer patients," according to lead researcher Dr. Johann de Bono, who was quoted by BBC News.

"These men have very aggressive prostate cancer which is exceptionally difficult to treat and almost always proves fatal. We hope that abiraterone will eventually offer them real hope of an effective way of managing their condition and prolonging their lives," de Bono said.

Currently, the drug is being assessed in an advanced clinical trial involving 1,200 patients around the world, BBC News reported.

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South Korea Begins Year-Round Bird Flu Monitoring

South Korea plans to establish about 23 teams to conduct year-round monitoring for bird flu, the agriculture ministry said Tuesday. The decision comes after the country experienced its worst bird flu outbreak, which led to the slaughter of more than 8 million domestic birds.

As part of the new program, migratory and resident wild birds will be monitored regularly and all chicken and duck farms will be inspected every other week for strains of bird flu, Agence France-Presse reported.

Until now, South Korea went on heightened bird flu alert from November to March, when migratory birds stay in the country and weather conditions can promote the spread of bird flu. But this year, an outbreak began in early April and spread through most of the country.

Even though the country has had three major bird flu outbreaks, no person in South Korea is known to have contracted the disease, AFP reported. Worldwide, the H5N1 bird flu virus has killed more than 240 people since 2003.

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Deep Brain Stimulation Eases Depression: Study

Deep brain stimulation can help many patients with tough-to-treat depression, says a Canadian study. In deep brain stimulation, electrical impulses are delivered through electrodes implanted in the brain.

The patients in the study had major depressive disorder, a severe form of depression that's unresponsive to other treatments. One month after the start of deep brain stimulation, 35 percent of patients responded well to the therapy, with 10 percent of them entering remission, CBC News reported. Six months after the start of treatment, 60 percent of patients showed a good response and 35 percent were in remission.

"Our research confirmed that 60 percent of patients have shown a clinically significant response to the surgery and the benefits were sustained for at least one year," Dr. Andres Lazano, a neurosurgeon at the Krembil Neurosciences Centre at Toronto Western Hospital, said in a news release.

Lozano and colleagues said there were few serious side effects and no patients suffered long-term harm from the surgery to implant the electrodes, CBC News reported.

The study was published in the journal Biological Psychiatry.

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Study Challenges Stereotypes About Obese Workers

Overweight workers aren't lazier, more emotionally unstable, or more difficult to get along with than other workers, say U.S. researchers who examined the relationship between body weight and personality traits among 3,500 adults.

The findings, which contradict widely held perceptions, mean that employers should not use weight as a predictor of personality traits when it comes to hiring, promoting or firing people, said study author Mark Roehling of Michigan State University, United Press International reported.

"Previous research has demonstrated that many employers hold negative stereotypes about obese workers and those beliefs contribute to discrimination against overweight workers at virtually every stage of the employment process, from hiring to promotion to firing," Roehling said in news release.

The study was published in the journal Group & Organization Management.

Health Tips for July 23

Health Tip: Prevent Jet Lag

Jet lag can dampen the fun of any trip when your body struggles to adjust to a new time zone.

The American Academy of Family Physicians offers these suggestions to prevent jet lag:

* Start your trip well-rested. Make sure you get plenty of sleep before your trip.
* Avoid alcohol and overeating.
* Eat healthy meals.
* Get as much exercise as possible.
* Avoid sleep medications. If you use them, don't take them for more than a few days.
* Follow the schedule of the time zone you are in. Eat meals and go to bed when the locals do.

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 Headlines - July 22

Deep Brain Stimulation Eases Depression: Study

Deep brain stimulation can help many patients with tough-to-treat depression, says a Canadian study. In deep brain stimulation, electrical impulses are delivered through electrodes implanted in the brain.

The patients in the study had major depressive disorder, a severe form of depression that's unresponsive to other treatments. One month after the start of deep brain stimulation, 35 percent of patients responded well to the therapy, with 10 percent of them entering remission, CBC News reported. Six months after the start of treatment, 60 percent of patients showed a good response and 35 percent were in remission.

"Our research confirmed that 60 percent of patients have shown a clinically significant response to the surgery and the benefits were sustained for at least one year," Dr. Andres Lazano, a neurosurgeon at the Krembil Neurosciences Centre at Toronto Western Hospital, said in a news release.

Lozano and colleagues said there were few serious side effects and no patients suffered long-term harm from the surgery to implant the electrodes, CBC News reported.

The study was published in the journal Biological Psychiatry.

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Study Challenges Stereotypes About Obese Workers

Overweight workers aren't lazier, more emotionally unstable, or more difficult to get along with than other workers, say U.S. researchers who examined the relationship between body weight and personality traits among 3,500 adults.

The findings, which contradict widely held perceptions, mean that employers should not use weight as a predictor of personality traits when it comes to hiring, promoting or firing people, said study author Mark Roehling of Michigan State University, United Press International reported.

"Previous research has demonstrated that many employers hold negative stereotypes about obese workers and those beliefs contribute to discrimination against overweight workers at virtually every stage of the employment process, from hiring to promotion to firing," Roehling said in news release.

The study was published in the journal Group & Organization Management.

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Asian Nations Need to Act Against Drug-Resistant TB: WHO

The lack of action by Asian nations to combat the spread of dangerous multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) poses a threat to international public health, says the World Health Organization.

The WHO said each patient with untreated MDR-TB could infect five to 10 people a year, and that an uncontrolled local epidemic could spread across international borders, Agence France Presse reported.

Only 1 percent of the estimated 150,000 people with MDR-TB in East Asia and the Pacific are receiving appropriate treatment, the WHO said in a statement released Monday.

"We are more vulnerable than ever to the MDR-TB threat. Countries must act responsively to safeguard global health," the WHO said, AFP> reported.

The U.N. agency said MDR-TB is a "serious problem in China and the Philippines, and of concern in Mongolia, the Republic of Korea and Vietnam."

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Cape Cod Hospital Patient Tested for Mad Cow Disease

A patient at Cape Cod Hospital in Massachusetts is being tested for the human form of mad cow disease, the state's director of communicable disease control told the Associated Press.

Tests are being done to determine if the patient has Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and whether it's the variant attributed to mad cow, said Dr. Alfred DeMaria, who added that it will be a few days before test results are available.

Only three cases of the human form of mad cow disease have been confirmed in the United States in the last several years, the AP reported. Officials said it's highly unlikely that the patient in Cape Cod Hospital has the disease.

The hospital notified public health officials Thursday about a patient with test results that required reporting, said a hospital spokesman. Hospital officials were told the illness wasn't contagious and there was no cause for concern, the spokesman said.

Eating meat products contaminated with mad cow disease causes the human form of mad cow disease.

Health Tips for July 22

Health Tip: Choosing Exercise Equipment

Before you buy home exercise equipment, it's important to make sure you're making the best choice for you and your lifestyle.

Here are things to keep in mind when selecting exercise equipment, courtesy of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons:

* Consider the difference between exercising at home, versus joining a gym. Make sure that you're comfortable with doing it at home.
* Consider less expensive options that offer more variety in your exercise. Look for a stand to convert your regular bicycle into a stationary bike, or consider free weights and a bench instead of a resistance machine.
* Choose a place in your home that is pleasant for exercising. Make sure it's well-lit and well-ventilated.
* Make sure you know how to properly use the equipment before bringing it home.

Health Tip: Make Exercise a Daily Habit

Choosing the right exercise program is one of the first steps toward sticking with your exercise goals.

Try these suggestions to make exercise a tough habit to break, provided by the American Academy of Family Physicians:

* Plan to exercise at a certain time every day, so it becomes part of your schedule.
* Write up and sign a contract, where you agree to exercise.
* Mark your calendar with a daily appointment for exercise.
* Keep a diary of all of your exercises. Log everything you do, and your progress.
* Have your doctor write out an exercise prescription, including how much exercise you should do and how often.
* Try joining a health club or gym. Paying a membership fee may prompt you to get your money's worth and go more frequently.

Peppers Picked as Salmonella Culprit

FDA says tainted jalapeno sample from Mexican farm found in Texas packing plant

Four days after giving fresh tomatoes the all-clear signal, U.S. health officials are now pointing a warning finger at jalapeno peppers as the source of the ongoing salmonella outbreak.

A sample of jalapenos tainted with Salmonella saintpaul was found at a packing plant in Texas and came from a farm in Mexico, Dr. David Acheson, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's associate commissioner for foods, announced at a mid-afternoon teleconference Monday.

"While this one sample doesn't give us the whole story, this genetic match is a very important break in the case," Acheson said. "This will ultimately, hopefully, allow us to pinpoint the source of the contamination, which has caused the outbreak."

Acheson was quick to note that, while the contaminated pepper was grown on a farm in Mexico, "that does not mean that the pepper was contaminated in Mexico."

"FDA has presented the information to the firm and a recall is now under way," Acheson added.

Acheson identified the firm as Agricola Zaragoza Inc., of Mcallen, Texas, which, according to its company's online profile, is a small wholesale distributor of fruits and vegetables.

Acheson added that a warning issued last week against eating either jalapeno or serrano peppers if you are at risk of infection continues. The warning includes infants and elderly people.

Raw jalapeno peppers are often used in the preparation of salsa, pico de gallo, and other dishes.

Meanwhile, the toll of confirmed cases stands at 1,251 people sickened in 43 states in what has become the largest foodborne outbreak in the United States in more than a decade. At least 228 victims required hospitalization.

On Thursday, Acheson had announced that tomatoes were back on the menu again.

" FDA officials believe that consumers may now enjoy all types of fresh tomatoes available on the domestic market without concern about becoming infected with Salmonella saintpaul bacteria," he said.

But a warning against jalapeno and serrano peppers remains in effect, he added.

"We still do not know where the original contamination was," Acheson acknowledged during last week's teleconference.

When the outbreak began in April, early signs pointed to raw tomatoes -- particularly raw round, red tomatoes, plum or Roma tomatoes -- as the likely source of contamination. But Acheson said the ban was lifted Thursday because it's highly unlikely that any tomatoes that were on the market at the start of the outbreak remain on the market.

The FDA has found no samples of salmonella in tomatoes on any of the farms or in any of the packing houses investigated, he added.

As later cases of salmonella infection came in, more evidence seemed to point to peppers. As a result, the FDA, in cooperation with Mexican officials, dispatched inspectors to a specific packer in Mexico that receives peppers from several farms, Acheson said.

According to the CDC, people stricken during the outbreak have ranged in age from under 1 to 99 years old, and 50 percent are female. The rate of illness has been highest among those 20 to 29 years old; it is lowest among adolescents 10 to 19 years old and people over 80.

According to the CDC's latest count as of July 18, the breakdown by state of ill people shows: Alabama (2 persons), Arkansas (16), Arizona (54), California (9), Colorado (16), Connecticut (4), Florida (3), Georgia (28), Idaho (6), Illinois (113), Indiana (18), Iowa (2), Kansas (19), Kentucky (2), Louisiana (1), Maine (1), Maryland (36), Massachusetts (28), Michigan (24), Minnesota (22), Mississippi (2), Missouri (20), Montana (1), New Hampshire (5), Nevada (12), New Jersey (12), New Mexico (102), New York (38), North Carolina (23), Ohio (10), Oklahoma (25), Oregon (10), Pennsylvania (12), Rhode Island (3), South Carolina (2), Tennessee (9), Texas (475), Utah (2), Virginia (31), Vermont (2), Washington (17), West Virginia (1), Wisconsin (13), and the District of Columbia (1). Five ill persons are from Canada; four appear to have been infected while traveling in the United States, and one individual remains under investigation.

Salmonella is a bacteria that can cause bloody diarrhea in humans. Some 40,000 cases of salmonellosis are reported in the United States each year, although the CDC estimates that because milder cases aren't diagnosed or reported, the actual number of infections may be 30 or more times greater. Approximately 600 people die each year after being infected.

However, the strain of Salmonella saintpaul had been previously considered rare. In 2007, according to the CDC, there were only six people infected in the country during April through June.

Meanwhile, an Associated Press-Ipsos poll last week found that the salmonella outbreak has unnerved many consumers, with nearly half of Americans saying they're worried they could get sick from eating contaminated food. And they're avoiding foods they'd normally buy.

Three-quarters of those polled said they remain confident about the overall safety of foods. But the poll also found that 86 percent of consumers back the idea of a "tracing" system for produce. This would allow for the labeling of produce so it could be tracked from the farm, through packers and shippers, to supermarkets. The lack of such a system hampered federal officials in their efforts to determine the cause of the latest outbreak.

More information

Visit the FDA for more on the salmonella outbreak.

Health Headlines - July 21

Will They Still be 'Lovin' It' After They See How Many Calories a Big Mac Has?

Continuing its policy of being in the vanguard of health initiatives, New York City is now the first in the United States to require major fast food chains to post the number of calories contained in each of their menu items.

The mandate became law last Friday, the Associated Press reports, requiring the fast food eateries to prominently display calorie content at the counter, on the menu or on the trays customers use. For example, the wire service says, a Big Mac with medium fries and and a medium soda, contains 1130 calories, based on what McDonald's is posting on its menu.

A comparable Burger King meal -- a Whopper, medium fries and medium diet Coke -- has slightly fewer calories --1040 -- according to the Burger King Web site.

Calorie count isn't yet listed on all menu items, the A.P. reports. Cathy Nonas, director of the New York City health department's physical activity and nutrition program, told the wire service there had been some delay in offering a complete calorie list but that eventually, every food will have a calorie count attached. "Obviously, we have an epidemic of obesity across the nation, and New York City is no different," she told the A.P.

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Gene That Governs Ovulation Identified

A gene that governs ovulation -- the release of a mature egg from a female's ovary -- has been identified by researchers in Canada and France, Canada's Globe and Mail newspaper reported Friday.

The finding means that a drug affecting the gene could be developed to treat infertility caused by a female's inability to ovulate. Conversely, a genetically based contraceptive could stimulate the gene to prevent ovulation, the newspaper said.

Researchers at the University of Montreal and at the Université Louis Pasteur deleted the gene, called Lrh1, from mice. This stopped ovulation, affected hormone cycles, seemed to prevent eggs from maturing, and stopped them from leaving the ovaries, the Globe and Mail reported.

The next step, the scientists said, is to collect ovarian cells from fertility clinics to see if these cells contain a defective Lrh1 gene.

The research is published in the current issue of the journal Genes and Development.

-----

Youth All-Terrain Vehicles Recalled

About 144 all-terrain vehicles designed for children are being recalled because they lack a number of safety features, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says.

The ATVs, produced in China, were distributed across the United States by the SunL Group of Irving, Texas. They were sold from May 2005 to March 2007 for $400 to $500.

Intended for children aged 12 to 15, the recalled model SLA90 lacks a number of features, including front brakes, a manual fuel shut-off, and padding to cover sharp edges on the handlebars, the CPSC said.

Consumers should stop using the vehicles immediately, and contact SunL to learn how to obtain a full refund. The toll-free number is 866-355-0497.

-----

Global Warming Poses Major Health Threat: EPA

An increase in heat waves, more powerful hurricanes, disease, and depletion of drinking water are likely in the coming decades as a result of global climate change, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency warns in a new report.

"It is very likely" that more people will die from weather conditions such as heat waves, said the report, issued Thursday. The elderly, economically disadvantaged, and inner-city dwellers are most at risk, according to report data cited by the Washington Post.

Ironically, the EPA decided last week not to immediately assume authority over carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act, the newspaper said.

"Today typifies the climate-change schizophrenia in the Bush Administration," said Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.), who chairs the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. "On one hand, government scientists are saying that global warming poses grave threats to our health and our welfare, and, on the other hand, there are White House political hacks following the oil industry's bidding to do nothing."

The newspaper quoted White House spokesman Tony Fratto as saying that EPA administrator Stephen Johnson made the decision about greenhouse gasses on his own.

-----

U.S. Set Birth Record Last Year

There were more births in the United States last year than at any time in the nation's history, according to a National Center for Health Statistics report cited by the Associated Press.

Some 4,315,000 babies were born in 2007, agency demographer Stephanie Ventura said.

While that amounts to roughly 15,000 more births than during the peak baby-boom year of 1957, Ventura discounted the notion of a new baby boom. She noted that there were far fewer women of childbearing age 50 years ago.

"What this really reflects is that the population has grown so much in the United States, so you naturally expect more births," she said. "It's hard to call this a baby boom at this point."

-----

HIV Vaccine Trial Canceled Over Possible Volunteer Risk

The sponsors of a planned human trial for an AIDS vaccine canceled the project Thursday, saying they doubted the vaccine's effectiveness and noted that the trial could actually put volunteers at risk of acquiring HIV, The New York Times reported.

The trial, called PAVE (Partnership for AIDS Vaccine Evaluation), was to be conducted by a consortium of U.S. agencies and private organizations. It was to have begun enlisting 8,500 volunteers last October to evaluate a vaccine developed by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

The trial was shelved, however, after a similar vaccine developed by Merck & Co. failed to prevent the infection and lower blood levels of HIV among people who had already acquired the AIDS-causing virus, the newspaper said.

Data from the Merck vaccine trial also suggested that the shot might have increased some users' risk of acquiring an HIV infection.

Attempts to create an effective HIV/AIDS vaccine have been in the making for more than 25 years, and developing one still appears years away, scientists told the Times.

Health Tips for July 21

Health Tip: Taking a Mental Status Test

Mental status tests are given to determine the state of a person's mental health. The test, for example, can help gauge the mental progression of a physical illness such as Alzheimer's disease.

Here's what may comprise a mental status test, courtesy of the U.S. National Library of Medicine:

* An examination of physical appearance, including dress and grooming.
* Orientation and awareness -- knowing one's own name, address, and phone, as well as the current date and season.
* Length of attention span, and short-term and long-term memory.
* Tests to determine abilities including problem solving and judgment.
* Ability to identify objects and recall words.

Health Tip: Keeping the Caregiver Healthy

Caregiving is one of the toughest jobs around. It is both emotionally and physically draining.

The American Heart Association offers these suggestions for those who assist others to help them feel energized, refreshed and happy:

* Make exercise a regular part of your life, even if it's just a quick walk a few times a day.
* Eat healthy meals and snacks -- whole grains, lean meats, fruits and vegetables -- anything that's good for your heart can help ward off depression.
* Every day, take a few minutes to do something that makes you happy or allows you to relax -- listening to music, reading, taking a hot bath, or anything you enjoy.
* Laugh as much as you can.
* Take some time for yourself to get away each week, even if only for an hour or so.
* Look for signs of depression, and treat them promptly.
* Stay organized and on top of projects to keep from feeling overwhelmed.

Health Headlines - July 20

Gene That Governs Ovulation Identified

A gene that governs ovulation -- the release of a mature egg from a female's ovary -- has been identified by researchers in Canada and France, Canada's Globe and Mail newspaper reported Friday.

The finding means that a drug affecting the gene could be developed to treat infertility caused by a female's inability to ovulate. Conversely, a genetically based contraceptive could stimulate the gene to prevent ovulation, the newspaper said.

Researchers at the University of Montreal and at the Université Louis Pasteur deleted the gene, called Lrh1, from mice. This stopped ovulation, affected hormone cycles, seemed to prevent eggs from maturing, and stopped them from leaving the ovaries, the Globe and Mail reported.

The next step, the scientists said, is to collect ovarian cells from fertility clinics to see if these cells contain a defective Lrh1 gene.

The research is published in the current issue of the journal Genes and Development.

-----

Youth All-Terrain Vehicles Recalled

About 144 all-terrain vehicles designed for children are being recalled because they lack a number of safety features, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says.

The ATVs, produced in China, were distributed across the United States by the SunL Group of Irving, Texas. They were sold from May 2005 to March 2007 for $400 to $500.

Intended for children aged 12 to 15, the recalled model SLA90 lacks a number of features, including front brakes, a manual fuel shut-off, and padding to cover sharp edges on the handlebars, the CPSC said.

Consumers should stop using the vehicles immediately, and contact SunL to learn how to obtain a full refund. The toll-free number is 866-355-0497.

-----

Global Warming Poses Major Health Threat: EPA

An increase in heat waves, more powerful hurricanes, disease, and depletion of drinking water are likely in the coming decades as a result of global climate change, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency warns in a new report.

"It is very likely" that more people will die from weather conditions such as heat waves, said the report, issued Thursday. The elderly, economically disadvantaged, and inner-city dwellers are most at risk, according to report data cited by the Washington Post.

Ironically, the EPA decided last week not to immediately assume authority over carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act, the newspaper said.

"Today typifies the climate-change schizophrenia in the Bush Administration," said Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.), who chairs the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. "On one hand, government scientists are saying that global warming poses grave threats to our health and our welfare, and, on the other hand, there are White House political hacks following the oil industry's bidding to do nothing."

The newspaper quoted White House spokesman Tony Fratto as saying that EPA administrator Stephen Johnson made the decision about greenhouse gasses on his own.

-----

U.S. Set Birth Record Last Year

There were more births in the United States last year than at any time in the nation's history, according to a National Center for Health Statistics report cited by the Associated Press.

Some 4,315,000 babies were born in 2007, agency demographer Stephanie Ventura said.

While that amounts to roughly 15,000 more births than during the peak baby-boom year of 1957, Ventura discounted the notion of a new baby boom. She noted that there were far fewer women of childbearing age 50 years ago.

"What this really reflects is that the population has grown so much in the United States, so you naturally expect more births," she said. "It's hard to call this a baby boom at this point."

-----

HIV Vaccine Trial Canceled Over Possible Volunteer Risk

The sponsors of a planned human trial for an AIDS vaccine canceled the project Thursday, saying they doubted the vaccine's effectiveness and noted that the trial could actually put volunteers at risk of acquiring HIV, The New York Times reported.

The trial, called PAVE (Partnership for AIDS Vaccine Evaluation), was to be conducted by a consortium of U.S. agencies and private organizations. It was to have begun enlisting 8,500 volunteers last October to evaluate a vaccine developed by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

The trial was shelved, however, after a similar vaccine developed by Merck & Co. failed to prevent the infection and lower blood levels of HIV among people who had already acquired the AIDS-causing virus, the newspaper said.

Data from the Merck vaccine trial also suggested that the shot might have increased some users' risk of acquiring an HIV infection.

Attempts to create an effective HIV/AIDS vaccine have been in the making for more than 25 years, and developing one still appears years away, scientists told the Times.

Health Tips for July 20

Health Tip: Stop Smoking, Save Your Bones

Smoking can affect many parts of your body, even your bones and joints.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons lists these musculoskeletal problems that can be triggered by smoking:

* Increased risk of osteoporosis.
* Decreased bone density.
* Reduced ability to absorb calcium.
* Reduced protection provided by estrogen replacement therapy.
* Increased risk of hip fracture as a person ages.
* Increased risk of developing an exercise-related injury.

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 Headlines - July 19

Gene That Governs Ovulation Identified

A gene that governs ovulation -- the release of a mature egg from a female's ovary -- has been identified by researchers in Canada and France, Canada's Globe and Mail newspaper reported Friday.

The finding means that a drug affecting the gene could be developed to treat infertility caused by a female's inability to ovulate. Conversely, a genetically based contraceptive could stimulate the gene to prevent ovulation, the newspaper said.

Researchers at the University of Montreal and at the Université Louis Pasteur deleted the gene, called Lrh1, from mice. This stopped ovulation, affected hormone cycles, seemed to prevent eggs from maturing, and stopped them from leaving the ovaries, the Globe and Mail reported.

The next step, the scientists said, is to collect ovarian cells from fertility clinics to see if these cells contain a defective Lrh1 gene.

The research is published in the current issue of the journal Genes and Development.

-----

Global Warming Poses Major Health Threat: EPA

An increase in heat waves, more powerful hurricanes, disease, and depletion of drinking water are likely in the coming decades as a result of global climate change, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency warns in a new report.

"It is very likely" that more people will die from weather conditions such as heat waves, said the report, issued Thursday. The elderly, economically disadvantaged, and inner-city dwellers are most at risk, according to report data cited by the Washington Post.

Ironically, the EPA decided last week not to immediately assume authority over carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act, the newspaper said.

"Today typifies the climate-change schizophrenia in the Bush Administration," said Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.), who chairs the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. "On one hand, government scientists are saying that global warming poses grave threats to our health and our welfare, and, on the other hand, there are White House political hacks following the oil industry's bidding to do nothing."

The newspaper quoted White House spokesman Tony Fratto as saying that EPA administrator Stephen Johnson made the decision about greenhouse gasses on his own.

-----

U.S. Set Birth Record Last Year

There were more births in the United States last year than at any time in the nation's history, according to a National Center for Health Statistics report cited by the Associated Press.

Some 4,315,000 babies were born in 2007, agency demographer Stephanie Ventura said.

While that amounts to roughly 15,000 more births than during the peak baby-boom year of 1957, Ventura discounted the notion of a new baby boom. She noted that there were far fewer women of childbearing age 50 years ago.

"What this really reflects is that the population has grown so much in the United States, so you naturally expect more births," she said. "It's hard to call this a baby boom at this point."

-----

HIV Vaccine Trial Canceled Over Possible Volunteer Risk

The sponsors of a planned human trial for an AIDS vaccine canceled the project Thursday, saying they doubted the vaccine's effectiveness and noted that the trial could actually put volunteers at risk of acquiring HIV, The New York Times reported.

The trial, called PAVE (Partnership for AIDS Vaccine Evaluation), was to be conducted by a consortium of U.S. agencies and private organizations. It was to have begun enlisting 8,500 volunteers last October to evaluate a vaccine developed by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

The trial was shelved, however, after a similar vaccine developed by Merck & Co. failed to prevent the infection and lower blood levels of HIV among people who had already acquired the AIDS-causing virus, the newspaper said.

Data from the Merck vaccine trial also suggested that the shot might have increased some users' risk of acquiring an HIV infection.

Attempts to create an effective HIV/AIDS vaccine have been in the making for more than 25 years, and developing one still appears years away, scientists told the Times.

-----

Bullies at Greater Health Risk Than Victims: Study

Bullies are more likely than their victims to become substance abusers and develop accidental or self-injuries that require hospitalization, say researchers at Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

People who bully also are more likely than their victims to hurt other people or animals, use weapons, avoid school, and get poor grades, the study found.

"We see that the [obvious] victims are not the only victims," lead author Jorge Srabstein said in a statement cited by United Press International. "The bullies are also victims of their own emotional problems."

The research was published in the International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health.

Last Updated: July 18, 200

Gene That Governs Ovulation Identified

A gene that governs ovulation -- the release of a mature egg from a female's ovary -- has been identified by researchers in Canada and France, Canada's Globe and Mail newspaper reported Friday.

The finding means that a drug affecting the gene could be developed to treat infertility caused by a female's inability to ovulate. Conversely, a genetically based contraceptive could stimulate the gene to prevent ovulation, the newspaper said.

Researchers at the University of Montreal and at the Université Louis Pasteur deleted the gene, called Lrh1, from mice. This stopped ovulation, affected hormone cycles, seemed to prevent eggs from maturing, and stopped them from leaving the ovaries, the Globe and Mail reported.

The next step, the scientists said, is to collect ovarian cells from fertility clinics to see if these cells contain a defective Lrh1 gene.

The research is published in the current issue of the journal Genes and Development.

-----

Global Warming Poses Major Health Threat: EPA

An increase in heat waves, more powerful hurricanes, disease, and depletion of drinking water are likely in the coming decades as a result of global climate change, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency warns in a new report.

"It is very likely" that more people will die from weather conditions such as heat waves, said the report, issued Thursday. The elderly, economically disadvantaged, and inner-city dwellers are most at risk, according to report data cited by the Washington Post.

Ironically, the EPA decided last week not to immediately assume authority over carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act, the newspaper said.

"Today typifies the climate-change schizophrenia in the Bush Administration," said Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.), who chairs the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. "On one hand, government scientists are saying that global warming poses grave threats to our health and our welfare, and, on the other hand, there are White House political hacks following the oil industry's bidding to do nothing."

The newspaper quoted White House spokesman Tony Fratto as saying that EPA administrator Stephen Johnson made the decision about greenhouse gasses on his own.

-----

U.S. Set Birth Record Last Year

There were more births in the United States last year than at any time in the nation's history, according to a National Center for Health Statistics report cited by the Associated Press.

Some 4,315,000 babies were born in 2007, agency demographer Stephanie Ventura said.

While that amounts to roughly 15,000 more births than during the peak baby-boom year of 1957, Ventura discounted the notion of a new baby boom. She noted that there were far fewer women of childbearing age 50 years ago.

"What this really reflects is that the population has grown so much in the United States, so you naturally expect more births," she said. "It's hard to call this a baby boom at this point."

-----

HIV Vaccine Trial Canceled Over Possible Volunteer Risk

The sponsors of a planned human trial for an AIDS vaccine canceled the project Thursday, saying they doubted the vaccine's effectiveness and noted that the trial could actually put volunteers at risk of acquiring HIV, The New York Times reported.

The trial, called PAVE (Partnership for AIDS Vaccine Evaluation), was to be conducted by a consortium of U.S. agencies and private organizations. It was to have begun enlisting 8,500 volunteers last October to evaluate a vaccine developed by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

The trial was shelved, however, after a similar vaccine developed by Merck & Co. failed to prevent the infection and lower blood levels of HIV among people who had already acquired the AIDS-causing virus, the newspaper said.

Data from the Merck vaccine trial also suggested that the shot might have increased some users' risk of acquiring an HIV infection.

Attempts to create an effective HIV/AIDS vaccine have been in the making for more than 25 years, and developing one still appears years away, scientists told the Times.

-----

Bullies at Greater Health Risk Than Victims: Study

Bullies are more likely than their victims to become substance abusers and develop accidental or self-injuries that require hospitalization, say researchers at Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

People who bully also are more likely than their victims to hurt other people or animals, use weapons, avoid school, and get poor grades, the study found.

"We see that the [obvious] victims are not the only victims," lead author Jorge Srabstein said in a statement cited by United Press International. "The bullies are also victims of their own emotional problems."

The research was published in the International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health.

Health Tips for July 19

Health Tip: Staying Emotionally Healthy

People who are emotionally healthy handle stress well, have a positive self-image, and are able to sustain healthy relationships.

The American Academy of Family Physicians offers these suggestions to help you stay emotionally healthy:

* Establish what you are feeling, and what's causing those feelings.
* Be open with yourself and others about your emotions, instead of keeping the sources of stress and anxiety to yourself.
* Focus on the positive things in your life instead of dwelling on the negative. Deal with what's bothering you, but don't let it overwhelm you.
* Try relaxation methods, including meditation, yoga or deep breathing exercises.
* Take care of your physical self with a healthy diet, regular exercise and a good sleep schedule.

Health Tip: Symptoms of a Social Phobia

A social phobia occurs when a person has unusually high anxiety before a social situation, such as going to a party, giving a speech, or going to a job interview.

It may include some or all of these physical symptoms, says the American Academy of Family Physicians:

* Blushing.
* Sweating.
* Feeling nauseous.
* Trembling or shaking.
* Having trouble talking to or making eye contact with another person.

If you have these symptoms, a doctor should evaluate you for a social phobia. The physician can also recommend treatment options, including medication and/or behavioral therapy.

Health Headlines - July 18

HIV Vaccine Trial Canceled Over Possible Volunteer Risk

The sponsors of a planned human trial for an AIDS vaccine canceled the project Thursday, saying they doubted the vaccine's effectiveness and noted that the trial could actually put volunteers at risk of acquiring HIV, The New York Times reported.

The trial, called PAVE (Partnership for AIDS Vaccine Evaluation), was to be conducted by a consortium of U.S. agencies and private organizations. It was to have begun enlisting 8,500 volunteers last October to evaluate a vaccine developed by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

The trial was shelved, however, after a similar vaccine developed by Merck & Co. failed to prevent the infection and lower blood levels of HIV among people who had already acquired the AIDS-causing virus, the newspaper said.

Data from the Merck vaccine trial also suggested that the shot might have increased some users' risk of acquiring an HIV infection.

Attempts to create an effective HIV/AIDS vaccine have been in the making for more than 25 years, and developing one still appears years away, scientists told the Times.

-----

Bullies at Greater Health Risk Than Victims: Study

Bullies are more likely than their victims to become substance abusers and develop accidental or self-injuries that require hospitalization, say researchers at Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

People who bully also are more likely than their victims to hurt other people or animals, use weapons, avoid school, and get poor grades, the study found.

"We see that the [obvious] victims are not the only victims," lead author Jorge Srabstein said in a statement cited by United Press International. "The bullies are also victims of their own emotional problems."

The research was published in the International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health.

-----

Kidney Donation Through the Navel Speeds Recovery

A novel procedure for people who donate a kidney involves removing the organ through the belly button, the Associated Press reports.

The operation requires a single incision that's smaller than an inch -- instead of as many as six "keyhole" incisions for more traditional surgery -- and it makes for a faster recovery, say doctors at the Cleveland Clinic. They have performed the procedure 10 times and have scheduled the 11th for Thursday. A report on the clinic's first four patients appears in the August issue of the Journal of Urology.

Preliminary data from the first nine patients showed they recovered in about a month, versus about three months for donors who had a typical laparoscopic procedure, the wire service said.

And people who had the new procedure were on pain medication for an average of about four days, compared with 26 days for laparoscopic patients.

The belly button procedure isn't recommended for people who have had major abdominal surgery, or for the obese, a Cleveland Clinic surgeon who has been involved in the operations told the AP.

The list of people awaiting kidney transplants in the United States exceeds 80,000. But only about 13,300 donors were available last year, the wire service said.

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Senate Bill Would Relax U.S. Ban on Visitors With HIV

An amendment to a global AIDS bill working its way through the U.S. Senate would ease a two-decade-old ban on people with HIV/AIDS entering the country, the Associated Press reported Wednesday.

Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) have attached the repeal to a measure that combats AIDS and other diseases in impoverished areas including Africa.

The United States is among about a dozen nations that don't allow entry by visitors and immigrants with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Others include Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Libya, and Russia, the AP said.

"There is no excuse for a law that stigmatizes a particular disease," Kerry was quoted as saying Tuesday at a policy speech. China is among nations that recently relaxed its entry policy for people with HIV/AIDS, he said.

In attempting to relax the ban that has been in place since 1987, the Kerry-Smith proposal would equate HIV with other infectious diseases. As such, federal health officials would decide who is eligible to visit the United States, not consular officials at embassies and other diplomatic posts, the AP said.

Former Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton sought to change the policy, but Congress balked. Current opposition includes Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), who says ending the ban could cost the government more than $80 million over the next decade, the wire service reported. Sessions is contemplating his own measure to remove the Kerry-Smith proviso from the rest of the AIDS bill.

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E. coli Outbreak in Beef May Have Widened to 5 States

An outbreak of E. coli-tainted beef in Ohio and Michigan has produced additional cases in the states of New York, Kentucky, and Indiana, the Associated Press reported.

The outbreak has been traced to a meat supplier of the Kroger supermarket chain and other retailers in Ohio and Michigan. The supplier, Nebraska Beef Ltd., has recalled 5.3 million pounds of beef. Kroger also has recalled ground beef sold in both states.

The three new states each have a single confirmed case of the bacterial infection that matches 41 others confirmed in Ohio and Michigan, the wire service said, citing information from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

While the stricken person in Kentucky lives near Ohio, the other two recent victims did not travel to either Midwestern state where the outbreak originated, a CDC spokesman told the AP.

The outbreak emerged between May 30 and June 24. While 21 of those stricken have been hospitalized, none has died, the CDC said.

Infection with this strain, E. coli O157:H7, can cause bloody diarrhea and dehydration, and in severe cases, kidney failure. Children, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems are at greater risk of serious infection.

Health Tips for July 18

Health Tip: Risk Factors for Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis -- caused when the body can't replace bone calcium as fast as it is lost -- is common as people age, particularly among women.

More than 1.5 million Americans each year sustain a bone fracture related to osteoporosis.

Here are common risk factors for osteoporosis, courtesy of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons:

* Getting older.
* Not doing enough weight-bearing exercises.
* Insufficient estrogen levels after menopause.
* Not getting enough calcium or vitamin D in your diet.
* Certain hormonal imbalances.
* Heredity, including being white or Asian.
* Drinking alcohol or smoking.

Health Tip: Weight-Bearing Exercises Strengthen Bones

Getting plenty of calcium and vitamin D in your diet are great ways to ward off the bone-thinning disease osteoporosis. Weight-bearing exercises are another way to help maintain bone health.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons recommends these forms of weight-bearing exercise:

* Brisk walking, jogging or hiking.
* Strenuous yard work such as pushing a lawn mower, or active gardening.
* Sports such as soccer, basketball, baseball, tennis or racquetball.
* Climbing the stairs, step aerobics or dancing.
* Activities such as skiing, bowling, skating or karate.
* Use of free weights or weight machines.

Health Headlines - July 17

Senate Bill Would Relax U.S. Ban on Visitors With HIV

An amendment to a global AIDS bill working its way through the U.S. Senate would ease a two-decade-old ban on people with HIV/AIDS entering the country, the Associated Press reported Wednesday.

Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) have attached the repeal to a measure that combats AIDS and other diseases in impoverished areas including Africa.

The United States is among about a dozen nations that don't allow entry by visitors and immigrants with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Others include Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Libya, and Russia, the AP said.

"There is no excuse for a law that stigmatizes a particular disease," Kerry was quoted as saying Tuesday at a policy speech. China is among nations that recently relaxed its entry policy for people with HIV/AIDS, he said.

In attempting to relax the ban that has been in place since 1987, the Kerry-Smith proposal would equate HIV with other infectious diseases. As such, federal health officials would decide who is eligible to visit the United States, not consular officials at embassies and other diplomatic posts, the AP said.

Former Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton sought to change the policy, but Congress balked. Current opposition includes Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), who says ending the ban could cost the government more than $80 million over the next decade, the wire service reported. Sessions is contemplating his own measure to remove the Kerry-Smith proviso from the rest of the AIDS bill.

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E. coli Outbreak in Beef May Have Widened to 5 States

An outbreak of E. coli-tainted beef in Ohio and Michigan has produced additional cases in the states of New York, Kentucky, and Indiana, the Associated Press reported.

The outbreak has been traced to a meat supplier of the Kroger supermarket chain and other retailers in Ohio and Michigan. The supplier, Nebraska Beef Ltd., has recalled 5.3 million pounds of beef. Kroger also has recalled ground beef sold in both states.

The three new states each have a single confirmed case of the bacterial infection that matches 41 others confirmed in Ohio and Michigan, the wire service said, citing information from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

While the stricken person in Kentucky lives near Ohio, the other two recent victims did not travel to either Midwestern state where the outbreak originated, a CDC spokesman told the AP.

The outbreak emerged between May 30 and June 24. While 21 of those stricken have been hospitalized, none has died, the CDC said.

Infection with this strain, E. coli O157:H7, can cause bloody diarrhea and dehydration, and in severe cases, kidney failure. Children, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems are at greater risk of serious infection.

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Congress Overrides Bush Veto of Physician Medicare Bill

Within hours of President Bush's veto of legislation designed to restore a 10.6 percent cut to Medicare reimbursement fees paid to doctors, the House and Senate on Tuesday both voted overwhelmingly to override the veto.

In restoring the money to doctors, the legislation makes up the resulting shortfall by trimming fees to private insurers who participate in a program called Medicare Advantage.

In vetoing the measure Tuesday, Bush said that while he supported restoring the cut aimed at doctors, he disapproved of shifting the cuts to the insurers. "Taking choices away from seniors to pay physicians is wrong," Bush said in his veto message.

But Congress disagreed. The Senate voted 70-26 to override the veto, shortly after the House did so by a lopsided vote of 383-41, the Bloomberg news service reported.

"We thank the bipartisan majority in Congress who voted to put patients first," Dr. Nancy Nielsen, president of the American Medical Association, said in a news release hailing the Congressional action.

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Recalled 'Lean Pockets' Sandwiches May Contain Plastic Pieces

Nestle is recalling 199,417 pounds of "Lean Pockets" frozen stuffed chicken sandwiches that may contain pieces of plastic, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said. The recall involves 9-ounce boxes of "Lean Pockets Spinach Artichoke Chicken - 2 sandwiches." Affected packages have a "best before" date of "Nov 2009," followed by a package code starting with "8144 544616." The establishment number "P7721A" is printed on the side of the package. The sandwiches were produced May 23 and distributed to retailers nationwide.

Two unspecified injuries have been reported to the company, the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service said on its Web site.

Consumers with questions should contact Nestle at 800-350-5016.

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Drug Thwarts Bone Loss in Prostate Cancer Patients: Study

Amgen's experimental bone-loss drug denosumab increased bone density and prevented fractures among clinical trial participants being treated for prostate cancer, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing company research.

The injected drug was evaluated among 1,400 men who were being treated with prostate cancer therapy that blocks male hormones including testosterone, increasing their risk for weakened bones and fractures. Those who took denosumab fractured vertebrae at less than half the rate of those who took a placebo, the newspaper said.

The drug works by blocking certain immune system defenses, which could increase users' risk of infection. Serious infections were reported among 6 percent of denosumab users, versus 5 percent of those who took a placebo.

An estimated 186,000 U.S. men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year, the American Cancer Society predicts. And according to the National Cancer Institute, about half of all men with the disease are treated at some point with hormone therapy, the newspaper said.

Health Tips for July 17

Health Tip: Signs of Problems at Daycare

Daycare centers can be a great source of comfort for working parents. But sometimes there are warning signs that your child should be cared for elsewhere.

Here's a list of daycare red flags to watch for, courtesy of the American Academy of Family Physicians:

* You cannot get the staff to answer your questions or address your concerns.
* The staff does not allow parents to participate in daily practices at the center.
* You hear about problems at daycare from your child, or your child doesn't seem happy there.
* Accidents happen frequently and without explanation.
* There is frequent staff turnover.
* Other parents tell you about problems they have encountered.

Health Tip: Toddler-Proof Your Home

As your baby grows and learns to walk, it's important to prepare your home to keep your toddler safe and injury-free.

The U.S. National Library of Medicine suggests how to toddler-proof your home:

* Use safety devices such as electrical outlet covers, baby gates, window guards, and toilet seat and cabinet locks.
* Never leave your toddler alone, even for a short time. More toddlers have dangerous accidents than do children of any other age.
* Prevent falls by keeping doors closed, stairs gated off, and keep chairs and ladders away from your toddler.
* Keep all medications and household cleaning products locked up and out of your toddler's way.
* Keep your child out of the kitchen to prevent burns and other injuries.

Health Headlines - July 16

Bush Vetoes Bill to Reverse Medicare Cuts to Doctors

President Bush has vetoed legislation that would have restored a 10.6 percent cut in payments made to doctors for treating Medicare patients, the Associated Press reported Tuesday afternoon.

While the White House said it supported restoration of the cut, Bush said he vetoed the legislation because it made up the resulting shortfall by reducing reimbursements to private insurers who participate in a program called Medicare Advantage.

The original cut to doctors, which took effect July 1, had been required by law because Medicare spending exceeded budgetary limits. The Bush Administration has ordered a one-month freeze on processing Medicare payments in hopes that a compromise could be reached.

In restoring the cut to doctors, the legislation would have frozen rates to the private insurers in 2008 and increased them by 1.1 percent next year, the AP said.

"I support the primary objective of this legislation, to forestall reductions in physician payments," the wire service quoted Bush as saying in a statement. "Yet taking choices away from seniors to pay physicians is wrong."

News reports say House and Senate supporters of the vetoed legislation believe they have enough votes to override Bush's action, which had been expected.

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Recalled 'Lean Pockets' Sandwiches May Contain Plastic Pieces

Nestle is recalling 199,417 pounds of "Lean Pockets" frozen stuffed chicken sandwiches that may contain pieces of plastic, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said. The recall involves 9-ounce boxes of "Lean Pockets Spinach Artichoke Chicken - 2 sandwiches." Affected packages have a "best before" date of "Nov 2009," followed by a package code starting with "8144 544616." The establishment number "P7721A" is printed on the side of the package. The sandwiches were produced May 23 and distributed to retailers nationwide.

Two unspecified injuries have been reported to the company, the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service said on its Web site.

Consumers with questions should contact Nestle at 800-350-5016.

-----

Drug Thwarts Bone Loss in Prostate Cancer Patients: Study

Amgen's experimental bone-loss drug denosumab increased bone density and prevented fractures among clinical trial participants being treated for prostate cancer, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing company research.

The injected drug was evaluated among 1,400 men who were being treated with prostate cancer therapy that blocks male hormones including testosterone, increasing their risk for weakened bones and fractures. Those who took denosumab fractured vertebrae at less than half the rate of those who took a placebo, the newspaper said.

The drug works by blocking certain immune system defenses, which could increase users' risk of infection. Serious infections were reported among 6 percent of denosumab users, versus 5 percent of those who took a placebo.

An estimated 186,000 U.S. men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year, the American Cancer Society predicts. And according to the National Cancer Institute, about half of all men with the disease are treated at some point with hormone therapy, the newspaper said.

-----

Auditors Getting a Portion of Medicare Payments Recovered

Private auditing firms have gotten back more than $690 million in overcharges paid by Medicare, and under a new program that's irking health care "providers," the companies that identify the overpayments are getting a portion of the monies they recover, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The program has identified about $1.03 billion in "improper" payments over three years, mostly in New York, California and Florida, the newspaper said. About $992.7 million was in overpayments.

Industry groups representing the providers, mostly hospitals, call the new program an overaggressive "bounty hunter" arrangement. Nonetheless, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMMS) said it is planning to expand the program nationwide, the Journal reported.

Just over $187 million has been paid to the auditors, and some $60 million more was reclaimed by providers who successfully challenged the auditors' findings. That left about $694 million that has been returned to Medicare, the newspaper said.

The CMMS said the auditors don't get paid if their findings are successfully appealed, and they are paid using the same formulas whether they identify Medicare overpayments or underpayments.

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Illinois Governor: Insurers Should Pay for Autism

Insurers in Illinois should be required to absorb the skyrocketing costs of diagnosing and treating autism, Gov. Rod Blagojevich proposed Sunday.

Under the proposal, insurance companies would be bound to pay up to $36,000 annually and cover an unlimited number of medical visits for autistic children until they turned age 21, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

Some states set a higher monetary limit, but the Illinois proposal would amount to the most comprehensive guarantee for autistic children in the United States, Mike McRaith, insurance director of the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, told the newspaper.

Some 26,000 state residents have been diagnosed with the mysterious neurologic disorder, he said. Currently, only people with policies from large-group insurers are covered in the state, the Sun-Times said.

Blagojevich made his proposal under his power to rewrite legislation. The proposal would become law if three-fifths of the state House and Senate support it, according to the newspaper.

Health Tips for July 16

Health Tip: Keep Your Kitchen Clean

Proper food storage and preparation are important ways to prevent food-borne illness, as is keeping your kitchen germ-free.

Here are suggestions for a clean kitchen, courtesy of the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse:

* Each week, wash all sponges, dish rags and towels in the washing machine with hot water.
* Make sure all cooking utensils are clean before you use them, and wash them thoroughly immediately after cooking.
* Keep all kitchen counters and surfaces clean before and after preparing food. Clean them with a solution of one teaspoon of bleach to one quart of water.
* Always wash your hands with warm water and soap before working in the kitchen, especially when handling food.

Health Tip: Wash Fruits and Vegetables

While it's important to eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables each day, it's also crucial to wash them before eating.

Here are some guidelines, courtesy of the University of Maine Cooperative Extension:

* Wash any raw fruit or vegetable before peeling, cutting, eating or cooking.
* Try a fruit and vegetable wash that is designed to remove bacteria and pesticides.
* Soak and wash produce in distilled water for one to two minutes.
* Use a vegetable brush to scrub any produce with a thick skin.
* Wash any produce that you grew yourself, or that was grown by someone else.
* Thoroughly wash your hands and any cutting or preparation surfaces before preparing fresh produce.

Health Headlines - July 15

Auditors Getting a Portion of Medicare Payments Recovered

Private auditing firms have gotten back more than $690 million in overcharges paid by Medicare, and under a new program that's irking health care "providers," the companies that identify the overpayments are getting a portion of the monies they recover, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The program has identified about $1.03 billion in "improper" payments over three years, mostly in New York, California and Florida, the newspaper said. About $992.7 million was in overpayments.

Industry groups representing the providers, mostly hospitals, call the new program an overaggressive "bounty hunter" arrangement. Nonetheless, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMMS) said it is planning to expand the program nationwide, the Journal reported.

Just over $187 million has been paid to the auditors, and some $60 million more was reclaimed by providers who successfully challenged the auditors' findings. That left about $694 million that has been returned to Medicare, the newspaper said.

The CMMS said the auditors don't get paid if their findings are successfully appealed, and they are paid using the same formulas whether they identify Medicare overpayments or underpayments.

-----

Illinois Governor: Insurers Should Pay for Autism

Insurers in Illinois should be required to absorb the skyrocketing costs of diagnosing and treating autism, Gov. Rod Blagojevich proposed Sunday.

Under the proposal, insurance companies would be bound to pay up to $36,000 annually and cover an unlimited number of medical visits for autistic children until they turned age 21, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

Some states set a higher monetary limit, but the Illinois proposal would amount to the most comprehensive guarantee for autistic children in the United States, Mike McRaith, insurance director of the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, told the newspaper.

Some 26,000 state residents have been diagnosed with the mysterious neurologic disorder, he said. Currently, only people with policies from large-group insurers are covered in the state, the Sun-Times said.

Blagojevich made his proposal under his power to rewrite legislation. The proposal would become law if three-fifths of the state House and Senate support it, according to the newspaper.

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As Gas Prices Rise, U.S. Traffic Deaths Fall

A new study finds that the steep rise in the price of gas may be translating into fewer deaths on America's roads.

A study co-authored by Michael Morrisey of the University of Alabama and David Grabowski of Harvard Medical School found that for each 10 percent rise in gas prices between 1985 and 2006, there was a 2.3 percent decline in vehicular deaths. Young drivers fared even better: for every 10 percent rise in the price at the pump the decline in traffic deaths among drivers ages 15 to 17 has been 6 percent, and for ages 18 to 21, 3.2 percent.

Speaking to the Associated Press, Morrisey noted that the data used in the study only went to 2006, when gas was about $2.50 per gallon. With gas now reaching more than $4 a gallon, he expects a much greater drop in roadway deaths -- perhaps 1,000 fewer fatalities each month.

Morrisey noted that annual U.S. auto deaths now total between 38,000 and 40,000 per year, so a drop of 12,000 deaths would represent a third fewer fatalities annually.

"I think there is some silver lining here in higher gas prices in that we will see a public health gain," Grabowski told the AP.

Morrisey noted that the relation between gas prices and highway deaths can work in the opposite direction, too, with fatalities rising as gas gets cheaper. "When that happens we drive more, we drive bigger cars, we drive faster and fatalities are higher," he said.

One highway safety expert said the findings make sense.

"There are a whole bunch of factors that are influenced by higher gasoline prices -- teenagers don't have as much money, so you have the most risky drivers driving less; people are switching out of the bigger, older more dangerous vehicles, and people also know if they drive slower they're going to save gasoline," Clarence Ditlow, executive director of the nonprofit Cener for Auto Safety, told AP.

The findings were presented last month at a meeting of the American Society of Health Economists in Raleigh-Durham, N.C., last month. The study was funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Famed Heart Surgeon Michael DeBakey Dead at 99

Michael DeBakey, the man who first performed heart bypass surgery, died Friday night at Methodist Hospital in Houston at the age of 99 from natural causes, the Associated Press reported Saturday.

The renowned cardiovascular surgeon invented many devices to help the ailing human heart; while still in medical school in 1932, he designed the roller pump, which became a key part of the heart-lung machine and opened the door to open-heart surgery. He also was behind the first efforts to develop artificial hearts and heart pumps for those waiting for heart transplants.

In 2006, DeBakey even underwent a procedure that he himself had developed -- the surgical repair of a damaged aorta.

While at the Baylor College of Medicine, officials there said, he helped transform the school into a nationally respected medical institution.

"Dr. DeBakey's reputation brought many people into this institution, and he treated them all: heads of state, entertainers, businessmen and presidents, as well as people with no titles and no means," Ron Girotto, president of the Methodist Hospital System, told the AP.

Cardiovascular surgeon Dr. George Noon called his professional partner "the greatest surgeon of the 20th century," who "single-handedly raised the standard of medical care, teaching and research around the world."

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Is Your Grocer Involved in Meat Recall? USDA Will Name Names

The next time there's a serious recall of meat or poultry in the United States, the U.S. Department of Agriculture says it will tell you if your local grocer had once sold any of the affected product.

USDA Secretary Edward Schafer announced the policy change Friday, following the nation's largest-ever recall of 143 million pounds of beef produced at a California slaughterhouse, MSNBC reported.

The policy is to take effect next month, Schafer said. Up till now, there's been no federal edict requiring the government to reveal where potentially tainted meat was sold.

While consumer groups applauded the move, they noted that it only applied to the most serious Class I recalls, thought to pose the greatest health risk.

"We're pleased that USDA will no longer keep consumers in the dark about recalled meat," said a news release from Consumers Union, which publishes Consumer Reports magazine. "Up until now, when USDA announced a recall of contaminated meat, it would only tell the public the states where the product was distributed. The specific names and locations of stores that got the product -- the information that can actually help the consumer -- were kept confidential."

The California recall would not have been affected by the new rule, since it was designated a less-significant Class II recall, Consumers Union noted.

Health Tips for July 15

Health Tip: Keep Stitches Clean and Dry

Stitches are used to close deep cuts in the skin. They need to be properly cared for to prevent significant scarring and infection.

Here are suggestions on caring for stitches, courtesy of the American Academy of Family Physicians:

* Keep the stitches clean and dry. You should be able to wash the area within one to three days of getting the stitches.
* If recommended by your doctor, after 24 hours, gently clean the wound with water, thoroughly dry, and re-bandage it.
* Gently wash off the dirt and crust that forms over the stitches.
* If a light, yellow fluid drains from the wound, you may need to keep it covered.
* With your doctor's approval, use a bit of antibiotic ointment on the wound to reduce the risk of infection.
* To reduce pain and swelling, for up to two days after getting the stitches, try to keep the wound elevated above your heart as much as possible.

Health Tip: Poison Ivy Rash

Poison ivy is a plant that can cause a red, itchy rash on the skin.

The American Academy of Family Physicians offers these tips to treat the rash. It also identifies signs that you may need a doctor's attention:

* Try over-the-counter medications to control itching, such as an antihistamine (like Benadryl), calamine lotion and hydrocortisone creams.
* Take oatmeal baths to soothe the skin.
* Fevers of over 100 degrees Fahrenheit require a doctor's attention.
* Rashes that cover the eyes, mouth, genitals or a large area across the body should be treated by a doctor.
* If pus is oozing from the rash, see your doctor.
* See your doctor if the rash does not improve.

Health Headlines - July 14

As Gas Prices Rise, U.S. Traffic Deaths Fall

A new study finds that the steep rise in the price of gas may be translating into fewer deaths on America's roads.

A study co-authored by Michael Morrisey of the University of Alabama and David Grabowski of Harvard Medical School found that for each 10 percent rise in gas prices between 1985 and 2006, there was a 2.3 percent decline in vehicular deaths. Young drivers fared even better: for every 10 percent rise in the price at the pump the decline in traffic deaths among drivers ages 15 to 17 has been 6 percent, and for ages 18 to 21, 3.2 percent.

Speaking to the Associated Press, Morrisey noted that the data used in the study only went to 2006, when gas was about $2.50 per gallon. With gas now reaching more than $4 a gallon, he expects a much greater drop in roadway deaths -- perhaps 1,000 fewer fatalities each month.

Morrisey noted that annual U.S. auto deaths now total between 38,000 and 40,000 per year, so a drop of 12,000 deaths would represent a third fewer fatalities annually.

"I think there is some silver lining here in higher gas prices in that we will see a public health gain," Grabowski told the AP.

Morrisey noted that the relation between gas prices and highway deaths can work in the opposite direction, too, with fatalities rising as gas gets cheaper. "When that happens we drive more, we drive bigger cars, we drive faster and fatalities are higher," he said.

One highway safety expert said the findings make sense.

"There are a whole bunch of factors that are influenced by higher gasoline prices -- teenagers don't have as much money, so you have the most risky drivers driving less; people are switching out of the bigger, older more dangerous vehicles, and people also know if they drive slower they're going to save gasoline," Clarence Ditlow, executive director of the nonprofit Cener for Auto Safety, told AP.

The findings were presented last month at a meeting of the American Society of Health Economists in Raleigh-Durham, N.C., last month. The study was funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Famed Heart Surgeon Michael DeBakey Dead at 99

Michael DeBakey, the man who first performed heart bypass surgery, died Friday night at Methodist Hospital in Houston at the age of 99 from natural causes, the Associated Press reported Saturday.

The renowned cardiovascular surgeon invented many devices to help the ailing human heart; while still in medical school in 1932, he designed the roller pump, which became a key part of the heart-lung machine and opened the door to open-heart surgery. He also was behind the first efforts to develop artificial hearts and heart pumps for those waiting for heart transplants.

In 2006, DeBakey even underwent a procedure that he himself had developed -- the surgical repair of a damaged aorta.

While at the Baylor College of Medicine, officials there said, he helped transform the school into a nationally respected medical institution.

"Dr. DeBakey's reputation brought many people into this institution, and he treated them all: heads of state, entertainers, businessmen and presidents, as well as people with no titles and no means," Ron Girotto, president of the Methodist Hospital System, told the AP.

Cardiovascular surgeon Dr. George Noon called his professional partner "the greatest surgeon of the 20th century," who "single-handedly raised the standard of medical care, teaching and research around the world."

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Is Your Grocer Involved in Meat Recall? USDA Will Name Names

The next time there's a serious recall of meat or poultry in the United States, the U.S. Department of Agriculture says it will tell you if your local grocer had once sold any of the affected product.

USDA Secretary Edward Schafer announced the policy change Friday, following the nation's largest-ever recall of 143 million pounds of beef produced at a California slaughterhouse, MSNBC reported.

The policy is to take effect next month, Schafer said. Up till now, there's been no federal edict requiring the government to reveal where potentially tainted meat was sold.

While consumer groups applauded the move, they noted that it only applied to the most serious Class I recalls, thought to pose the greatest health risk.

"We're pleased that USDA will no longer keep consumers in the dark about recalled meat," said a news release from Consumers Union, which publishes Consumer Reports magazine. "Up until now, when USDA announced a recall of contaminated meat, it would only tell the public the states where the product was distributed. The specific names and locations of stores that got the product -- the information that can actually help the consumer -- were kept confidential."

The California recall would not have been affected by the new rule, since it was designated a less-significant Class II recall, Consumers Union noted.

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U.S. Olympic Swimmer Has Testicular Cancer

U.S. Olympic swimmer Eric Shanteau has testicular cancer, but has been medically cleared for next month's games in Beijing, China, he told the Associated Press.

Shanteau, 24, said that although his doctors approved his participation in the games, they advised him to have surgery now. While he plans to postpone an operation until after the Olympics, he pledged to drop out of the games if there were any sign that the cancer was spreading.

The Georgia native told the wire service that the illness was diagnosed June 19 -- a week before Olympic trials in Omaha, Neb. Shanteau wound up making the U.S. team in the 200-meter breaststroke.

"[The diagnosis] almost numbed me," he told the AP. "I'll remember that day for the rest of my life."

Shanteau said his doctors pronounced his cancer treatable and said it hadn't spread. He said he had heard from the agent who represents cyclist Lance Armstrong, who despite the same diagnosis went on to win seven straight Tour de France races.

"If I can have a fraction of the impact that [Armstrong has] had, just a tiny little bit, then I think what I'm going through will be good," Shanteau told the AP.

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Twins' Deaths Not Caused by Overdose: Hospital

Two newborn twins who died at a Texas hospital after receiving an overdose of the blood thinner heparin did not appear to die as a direct result of the mishap, according to a spokesperson for Christus Spohn Hospital South in Corpus Christi cited by the Associated Press.

The hospital said it found no direct link between the deaths of twins Keith and Kaylynn Garcia and the overdose of heparin, which was used to flush intravenous lines used by the newborns. As many as 17 infants in the hospital's neonatal intensive care unit, including the Garcias, may have received the overdose. The mishap has been blamed on a mixing error by hospital pharmacists.

Keith Garcia, who died Tuesday, died of a blood infection called sepsis and from complications of being born premature, the AP said, citing a local newspaper report. A cause of death for the other twin, who died a day later, was not immediately revealed.

The infants' parents have received a judge's order that prevents the hospital from destroying any of the babies' records or accounts of the heparin overdose, the wire service said.

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Fewer Inhaling Secondhand Smoke: CDC

Fewer nonsmokers are inhaling secondhand smoke than in years past, thanks to recent laws that prohibit smoking in offices, bars, restaurants and other public places, a study from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concludes.

A decline in the number of adult smokers to slightly below 20 percent also is a factor, the Associated Press reported.

Some 46 percent of nonsmokers had evidence of measurable blood nicotine levels between 1999 and 2004, compared with 84 percent of nonsmokers sampled in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Exposure to secondhand smoke can increase a nonsmoker's lung cancer risk by at least 20 percent and the risk of heart disease by at least 25 percent, the wire service said.

Despite the decline, study co-author Cinzia Marano said the numbers were still too high. "There is no safe level of exposure," Marano told the AP.

Health Tips for July 14

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 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 Headlines - July 13

Famed Heart Surgeon Michael DeBakey Dead at 99

Michael DeBakey, the man who first performed heart bypass surgery, died Friday night at Methodist Hospital in Houston at the age of 99 from natural causes, the Associated Press reported Saturday.

The renowned cardiovascular surgeon invented many devices to help the ailing human heart; while still in medical school in 1932, he designed the roller pump, which became a key part of the heart-lung machine and opened the door to open-heart surgery. He also was behind the first efforts to develop artificial hearts and heart pumps for those waiting for heart transplants.

In 2006, DeBakey even underwent a procedure that he himself had developed -- the surgical repair of a damaged aorta.

While at the Baylor College of Medicine, officials there said, he helped transform the school into a nationally respected medical institution.

"Dr. DeBakey's reputation brought many people into this institution, and he treated them all: heads of state, entertainers, businessmen and presidents, as well as people with no titles and no means," Ron Girotto, president of the Methodist Hospital System, told the AP.

Cardiovascular surgeon Dr. George Noon called his professional partner "the greatest surgeon of the 20th century," who "single-handedly raised the standard of medical care, teaching and research around the world."

-----

Is Your Grocer Involved in Meat Recall? USDA Will Name Names

The next time there's a serious recall of meat or poultry in the United States, the U.S. Department of Agriculture says it will tell you if your local grocer had once sold any of the affected product.

USDA Secretary Edward Schafer announced the policy change Friday, following the nation's largest-ever recall of 143 million pounds of beef produced at a California slaughterhouse, MSNBC reported.

The policy is to take effect next month, Schafer said. Up till now, there's been no federal edict requiring the government to reveal where potentially tainted meat was sold.

While consumer groups applauded the move, they noted that it only applied to the most serious Class I recalls, thought to pose the greatest health risk.

"We're pleased that USDA will no longer keep consumers in the dark about recalled meat," said a news release from Consumers Union, which publishes Consumer Reports magazine. "Up until now, when USDA announced a recall of contaminated meat, it would only tell the public the states where the product was distributed. The specific names and locations of stores that got the product -- the information that can actually help the consumer -- were kept confidential."

The California recall would not have been affected by the new rule, since it was designated a less-significant Class II recall, Consumers Union noted.

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U.S. Olympic Swimmer Has Testicular Cancer

U.S. Olympic swimmer Eric Shanteau has testicular cancer, but has been medically cleared for next month's games in Beijing, China, he told the Associated Press.

Shanteau, 24, said that although his doctors approved his participation in the games, they advised him to have surgery now. While he plans to postpone an operation until after the Olympics, he pledged to drop out of the games if there were any sign that the cancer was spreading.

The Georgia native told the wire service that the illness was diagnosed June 19 -- a week before Olympic trials in Omaha, Neb. Shanteau wound up making the U.S. team in the 200-meter breaststroke.

"[The diagnosis] almost numbed me," he told the AP. "I'll remember that day for the rest of my life."

Shanteau said his doctors pronounced his cancer treatable and said it hadn't spread. He said he had heard from the agent who represents cyclist Lance Armstrong, who despite the same diagnosis went on to win seven straight Tour de France races.

"If I can have a fraction of the impact that [Armstrong has] had, just a tiny little bit, then I think what I'm going through will be good," Shanteau told the AP.

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Twins' Deaths Not Caused by Overdose: Hospital

Two newborn twins who died at a Texas hospital after receiving an overdose of the blood thinner heparin did not appear to die as a direct result of the mishap, according to a spokesperson for Christus Spohn Hospital South in Corpus Christi cited by the Associated Press.

The hospital said it found no direct link between the deaths of twins Keith and Kaylynn Garcia and the overdose of heparin, which was used to flush intravenous lines used by the newborns. As many as 17 infants in the hospital's neonatal intensive care unit, including the Garcias, may have received the overdose. The mishap has been blamed on a mixing error by hospital pharmacists.

Keith Garcia, who died Tuesday, died of a blood infection called sepsis and from complications of being born premature, the AP said, citing a local newspaper report. A cause of death for the other twin, who died a day later, was not immediately revealed.

The infants' parents have received a judge's order that prevents the hospital from destroying any of the babies' records or accounts of the heparin overdose, the wire service said.

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Fewer Inhaling Secondhand Smoke: CDC

Fewer nonsmokers are inhaling secondhand smoke than in years past, thanks to recent laws that prohibit smoking in offices, bars, restaurants and other public places, a study from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concludes.

A decline in the number of adult smokers to slightly below 20 percent also is a factor, the Associated Press reported.

Some 46 percent of nonsmokers had evidence of measurable blood nicotine levels between 1999 and 2004, compared with 84 percent of nonsmokers sampled in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Exposure to secondhand smoke can increase a nonsmoker's lung cancer risk by at least 20 percent and the risk of heart disease by at least 25 percent, the wire service said.

Despite the decline, study co-author Cinzia Marano said the numbers were still too high. "There is no safe level of exposure," Marano told the AP.

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Drug Reps to Stop Doling Out Gifts to Doctors

Those free pens, note pads and coffee mugs emblazoned with drug company logos that adorn many physician offices may soon be a thing of the past.

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PRMA) says its new guidelines ban such gifts to doctors from drug company sales reps, the Associated Press reported. Also on the critical list are free trips to restaurants and other forms of entertainment and recreation.

An occasional quick bite in the doctor's office is still allowed, however.

"I don't think you'll find a physician who will acknowledge that the gift of a pen or a cup with a company's name on it influences their prescribing patterns," the wire service quotes PRMA CEO Billy Tauzin as saying. "But there are people who believe that, and as long as that's a perception out there, we felt we ought to end that."

The new guidelines take effect Jan. 1.

Health Tips for July 13

Health Tip: When to Induce Labor

Most pregnant women will go into labor naturally, but sometimes it's safer for doctors to induce labor.

Here are reasons for why a doctor might decide to induce labor, courtesy of the American Academy of Family Physicians:

* Going two weeks or longer past the due date.
* Having no contractions after the woman's water breaks.
* Having high blood pressure.
* Having an infection in the uterus.
* Having diabetes.
* Having an insufficient amount of amniotic fluid surrounding the baby.

Health Tip: Trying Pregnancy Again

Trying to get pregnant again after a miscarriage can be fraught with a host of emotional and physical concerns.

Here are suggestions when considering another pregnancy after a miscarriage, courtesy of the American Pregnancy Association:

* Doctors routinely recommend waiting six months to one year before trying to get pregnant again. This is to make sure that the woman's body to ready to handle another pregnancy. It's also important to make sure that you're emotionally ready to try again.
* About 85 percent of women who have had a miscarriage go on to have a successful pregnancy. Among those who have had more than one loss, the rate is about 75 percent.
* If you do get pregnant again, ask your doctor to help you more carefully monitor your health and progress.
* It's normal to still grieve for an earlier loss while celebrating the arrival of a new baby.
* It's common to be hesitant in bonding with your new baby, fearing another loss.
* Talk to your doctor about counselors or support groups if you are having a difficult time with your pregnancy or new baby.

Health Headlines - July 12

Is Your Grocer Involved in Meat Recall? USDA Will Name Names

The next time there's a serious recall of meat or poultry in the United States, the U.S. Department of Agriculture says it will tell you if your local grocer had once sold any of the affected product.

USDA Secretary Edward Schafer announced the policy change Friday, following the nation's largest-ever recall of 143 million pounds of beef produced at a California slaughterhouse, MSNBC reported.

The policy is to take effect next month, Schafer said. Up till now, there's been no federal edict requiring the government to reveal where potentially tainted meat was sold.

While consumer groups applauded the move, they noted that it only applied to the most serious Class I recalls, thought to pose the greatest health risk.

"We're pleased that USDA will no longer keep consumers in the dark about recalled meat," said a news release from Consumers Union, which publishes Consumer Reports magazine. "Up until now, when USDA announced a recall of contaminated meat, it would only tell the public the states where the product was distributed. The specific names and locations of stores that got the product -- the information that can actually help the consumer -- were kept confidential."

The California recall would not have been affected by the new rule, since it was designated a less-significant Class II recall, Consumers Union noted.

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U.S. Olympic Swimmer Has Testicular Cancer

U.S. Olympic swimmer Eric Shanteau has testicular cancer, but has been medically cleared for next month's games in Beijing, China, he told the Associated Press.

Shanteau, 24, said that although his doctors approved his participation in the games, they advised him to have surgery now. While he plans to postpone an operation until after the Olympics, he pledged to drop out of the games if there were any sign that the cancer was spreading.

The Georgia native told the wire service that the illness was diagnosed June 19 -- a week before Olympic trials in Omaha, Neb. Shanteau wound up making the U.S. team in the 200-meter breaststroke.

"[The diagnosis] almost numbed me," he told the AP. "I'll remember that day for the rest of my life."

Shanteau said his doctors pronounced his cancer treatable and said it hadn't spread. He said he had heard from the agent who represents cyclist Lance Armstrong, who despite the same diagnosis went on to win seven straight Tour de France races.

"If I can have a fraction of the impact that [Armstrong has] had, just a tiny little bit, then I think what I'm going through will be good," Shanteau told the AP.

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Twins' Deaths Not Caused by Overdose: Hospital

Two newborn twins who died at a Texas hospital after receiving an overdose of the blood thinner heparin did not appear to die as a direct result of the mishap, according to a spokesperson for Christus Spohn Hospital South in Corpus Christi cited by the Associated Press.

The hospital said it found no direct link between the deaths of twins Keith and Kaylynn Garcia and the overdose of heparin, which was used to flush intravenous lines used by the newborns. As many as 17 infants in the hospital's neonatal intensive care unit, including the Garcias, may have received the overdose. The mishap has been blamed on a mixing error by hospital pharmacists.

Keith Garcia, who died Tuesday, died of a blood infection called sepsis and from complications of being born premature, the AP said, citing a local newspaper report. A cause of death for the other twin, who died a day later, was not immediately revealed.

The infants' parents have received a judge's order that prevents the hospital from destroying any of the babies' records or accounts of the heparin overdose, the wire service said.

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Fewer Inhaling Second-Hand Smoke: CDC

Fewer nonsmokers are inhaling second-hand smoke than in years past, thanks to recent laws that prohibit smoking in offices, bars, restaurants and other public places, a study from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concludes.

A decline in the number of adult smokers to slightly below 20 percent also is a factor, the Associated Press said, citing the study's conclusions.

Some 46 percent of nonsmokers had evidence of measurable blood nicotine levels between 1999 and 2004, compared with 84 percent of nonsmokers sampled in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Exposure to second-hand smoke can increase a nonsmoker's lung cancer risk by at least 20 percent and the risk of heart disease by at least 25 percent, the wire service said.

Despite the decline, study co-author Cinzia Marano said the numbers were still too high. "There is no safe level of exposure," Marano told the AP.

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Drug Reps to Stop Doling Out Gifts to Doctors

Those free pens, note pads and coffee mugs emblazoned with drug company logos that adorn many physician offices may soon be a thing of the past.

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PRMA) says its new guidelines ban such gifts to doctors from drug company sales reps, the Associated Press reported. Also on the critical list are free trips to restaurants and other forms of entertainment and recreation.

An occasional quick bite in the doctor's office is still allowed, however.

"I don't think you'll find a physician who will acknowledge that the gift of a pen or a cup with a company's name on it influences their prescribing patterns," the wire service quotes PRMA CEO Billy Tauzin as saying. "But there are people who believe that, and as long as that's a perception out there, we felt we ought to end that."

The new guidelines take effect Jan. 1.

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AMA Formally Apologizes for Policies Against Blacks

The American Medical Association issued a formal apology Thursday night for its discriminatory policies that prevented blacks from joining the physicians' group for more than a century, the Associated Press reported.

In a statement on its Web site, the association said it was sorry "for its past history of racial inequality toward African-American physicians and shares its current efforts to increase the ranks of minority physicians and their participation in the AMA."

The action came more than four decades after delegates first condemned racist policies at state and local chapters dating back to the 1800s, the wire service said.

"It is true that what the AMA did historically was awful," Dr. Otis Brawley, chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society, told the AP. "There were AMA local chapters that actually had rules against black members well into the late 1960s, and policies that made blacks not feel comfortable well into the 1980s."

The apology is part of an effort by the group, long thought of as the voice of American doctors, to pare or eliminate racial disparities in medicine, the AP said.

Health Tips for July 12

Health Tip: Monitoring What You Drink

People with heart failure tend to retain fluid, making it important to monitor what they drink.

The doctor may prescribe medication to help rid the body of excess fluid, which puts less stress on the heart. While this type of drug, called a diuretic, may make you feel thirsty, it's important not to drink too much and negate the effects of the medication.

The American Heart Association offers these guidelines for what people with heart failure should drink:

* Talk to your doctor about how much fluid you should have every day.
* Carefully track how much you are drinking. Measure how many ounces each container that you drink from holds.
* Monitor all fluids, including water you use to wash down medicines, as well as fluid sources such as ice cubes, fruits, ice cream and yogurt.
* Do not drink alcohol, which affects the heart's ability to contract.
* Limit your intake of caffeine and salty fluids, such as tomato juice and other vegetable juices.

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 Headlines - July 11

AMA Formally Apologizing for Policies Against Blacks

The American Medical Association planned to issue a formal apology Thursday night for its discriminatory policies that prevented blacks from joining the physicians' group for more than a century, the Associated Press reported.

The action comes more than four decades after delegates first condemned racist policies at state and local chapters dating back to the 1800s, the wire service said.

"It is true that what the AMA did historically was awful," Dr. Otis Brawley, chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society, told the AP. "There were AMA local chapters that actually had rules against black members well into the late 1960s, and policies that made blacks not feel comfortable well into the 1980s."

The apology is part of an effort by the group, long thought of as the voice of American doctors, to pare or eliminate racial disparities in medicine, the AP said.

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2nd Infant Dies in Texas Overdose Case

A second newborn infant accidentally given an overdose of the blood thinner heparin at a Texas hospital has died, the Associated Press reported Thursday.

The unidentified newborn died Wednesday, a day after the death of her twin brother who had also been given an overdose of the drug. It's not known if the heparin overdose, which was given to as many as 17 infants at Chritus Spohn Hospital South in Corpus Christi, played a role in the latest fatality.

The Corpus Christi Caller-Times reported Thursday that the death of the infant who died Tuesday was not related to the overdose, which involved a heparin dose of up to 100 times the prescribed amount.

Results of an autopsy on the latest infant to die are pending, the AP said.

All of the infants given the overdose were in the hospital's neonatal intensive care unit. The hospital has identified 14 infants given the overdose of heparin, which had been used as a routine way to prevent blood from clogging intravenous tubes. As many as three other infants may have been given the overdose, which is believed to have resulted from a July 3 mixing error in the hospital's pharmacy.

Hospital workers discovered the error on Sunday based on abnormal lab results from the newborns.

Two hospital workers have taken voluntary leave pending the outcome of a hospital investigation. The hospital said it had notified the Texas Department of Health Services and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

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FDA Making Drug 'Non-Approval' Letters Easier to Swallow

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says it wants to make it easier for drug companies and their investors when the agency decides a new drug isn't quite ready for approval.

In changes to take effect Aug. 11, the existing "not-approvable" letter will be replaced by a "complete response letter" when a drug isn't ready for sale in the United States, the agency said on its Web site.

"In the past, some drug manufacturers expressed concern that a not-approvable letter sent an unintended message that a marketing application would never be approved, which could adversely affect a company's ability to raise capital," according to a 122-page overview of the new policy cited by the Bloomberg news service.

The redesigned letter, the agency said, will elaborate on what's missing from the original application, and how the company may be able to correct it.

Currently, when drug makers apply for a brand-name drug's approval, they pay application fees in exchange for a promise from the FDA that it will act within 180 days. The new rules include provisions for how long the process will be extended when the companies are asked for additional information, Bloomberg said.

The new response letter may not be as accessible to investors as the current FDA protocol dictates, prompting some critics to wonder whether shareholders will be in the dark about the status of drugs' "approvability," the news service said.

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Controlled Drugs Easily Obtained Online Without Prescription

Powerful addictive drugs -- known as controlled substances because of their potential for abuse -- are easily ordered online, and in most cases without a prescription, a new Columbia University study finds.

Of 365 Web sites that sold controlled substances regulated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), 85 percent of the sites did not require a prescription, according to an Associated Press analysis of the study.

Examples of drugs that could be purchased this way included the potent painkillers morphine and oxycodone, and amphetamine stimulants.

The study found that the number of sites that sold controlled substances actually fell 37 percent from last year's analysis. The researchers cited efforts by law enforcement to crack down on illegal online drug sales.

About 80 percent of online prescriptions are for controlled substances, according to DEA statistics cited by the wire service. By contrast, these same drugs account for just 11 percent of sales at traditional pharmacies, the DEA said.

The House of Representatives is considering a bill to ban the sale of controlled substances online without a prescription. The Senate has already passed the measure.

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U.S. Wants to Snuff Out Federal Sanction for 'Light' Cigarettes

Tobacco makers would no longer be able to cite U.S. government approval for "light" or "low-tar" cigarettes under a rule change proposed by the Federal Trade Commission, USA Today reported.

The agency said it wants to end a 1966 policy that allows cigarette makers to mention tar and nicotine amounts "per FTC method," the newspaper reported Wednesday.

In seeking to "clarify the FTC's position," associate director Mary Engle said "this test method does not have our stamp of approval." The new proposal explains that in 1966, it was thought that the amount of tar in a cigarette could affect a smoker's risk of cancer," USA Today reported.

But the agency now says that people who smoke "light" cigarettes tend to take bigger puffs or inhale more frequently to gain the same effect as regular cigarettes. So the agency is prepared to recommend that consumers not use the amount of tar or nicotine in a cigarette as a measure of a safer smoke.

The public has until Aug. 12 to comment on the proposal.

Health Tips for July 11

Health Tip: Keep Teen Conflicts Under Control

Learning how to deal with conflicts is an important part of maturing, and will help you build healthy relationships throughout your life.

Here, for teens, are suggestions for dealing with conflicts in a healthy way, courtesy of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services:

* Calm down and stay in control. Use techniques such as counting, breathing, and thinking relaxing thoughts to keep you from losing your temper.
* Figure out what's really upsetting you, and address that issue.
* Deal with the issue in private, and only with the people involved. Don't bring other people into the discussion.
* Listen to the other person talk. Understand their side of the story and their point of view.
* Don't be afraid to compromise, change, say you're sorry, or forgive.

Health Tip: Parenting Twins

Taking care of a newborn baby is demanding and exhausting enough, but parenting twins is a double dose of work.

The American Academy of Family Physicians offers these suggestions to make parenting twins a bit easier:

* Find other parents of twins to talk with, or join a group for parents of twins.
* Read books and magazines about taking care of twins.
* Know that you will be tired. Take every opportunity to rest.
* It's normal to feel that taking care of twins is too much to manage. But remind yourself that you'll eventually work it all out.
* Spend time alone with each twin to help each establish a unique identity.
* Speak and read regularly to each child. This may help prevent the delay in language development that sometimes affects twins.

Health Headlines - July 10

Texas Infant Dies After Heparin Overdose; Drug's Role Unclear

A newborn baby has died at a Corpus Christi, Texas, hospital after receiving an overdose of the blood thinner heparin, the local Caller-Times newspaper reported Wednesday.

Whether the drug played a role in the infant's death is under investigation, the newspaper said. The child, already seriously ill and in neonatal intensive care, was one of as many as 17 newborns in the unit who received the overdose of the drug.

The infant died Tuesday morning, said a spokesman for Christus Spohn Hospital. The drug was applied routinely to flush IV tubes, to prevent blood clots from forming. Hospital workers discovered the overdose based on lab results for the infants.

The Caller-Times said the overdose, thought to be a result of a mixing error at the hospital's pharmacy, may have led to the infants receiving up to 100 times the recommended dosage of heparin.

Two members of the hospital's pharmacy have taken voluntary leave pending the hospital's investigation of the incident, the newspaper reported. The hospital said it had notified the Texas Department of Health Services and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

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Controlled Drugs Easily Obtained Online Without Prescription

Powerful addictive drugs -- known as controlled substances because of their potential for abuse -- are easily ordered online, and in most cases without a prescription, a new Columbia University study finds.

Of 365 Web sites that sold controlled substances regulated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), 85 percent of the sites did not require a prescription, according to an Associated Press analysis of the study.

Examples of drugs that could be purchased this way included the potent painkillers morphine and oxycodone, and amphetamine stimulants.

The study found that the number of sites that sold controlled substances actually fell 37 percent from last year's analysis. The researchers cited efforts by law enforcement to crack down on illegal online drug sales.

About 80 percent of online prescriptions are for controlled substances, according to DEA statistics cited by the wire service. By contrast, these same drugs account for just 11 percent of sales at traditional pharmacies, the DEA said.

The House of Representatives is considering a bill to ban the sale of controlled substances online without a prescription. The Senate has already passed the measure.

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U.S. Wants to Snuff Out Federal Sanction for 'Light' Cigarettes

Tobacco makers would no longer be able to cite U.S. government approval for "light" or "low-tar" cigarettes under a rule change proposed by the Federal Trade Commission, USA Today reported.

The agency said it wants to end a 1966 policy that allows cigarette makers to mention tar and nicotine amounts "per FTC method," the newspaper reported Wednesday.

In seeking to "clarify the FTC's position," associate director Mary Engle said "this test method does not have our stamp of approval." The new proposal explains that in 1966, it was thought that the amount of tar in a cigarette could affect a smoker's risk of cancer," USA Today reported.

But the agency now says that people who smoke "light" cigarettes tend to take bigger puffs or inhale more frequently to gain the same effect as regular cigarettes. So the agency is prepared to recommend that consumers not use the amount of tar or nicotine in a cigarette as a measure of a safer smoke.

The public has until Aug. 12 to comment on the proposal.

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Hospital Agency Takes Aim at Workers Who Behave Badly

Hospital employees who use foul language and other bad behaviors against their colleagues pose a serious threat to patient safety, a U.S. accrediting agency says.

The Joint Commission is proposing new standards that require more than 15,000 accredited organizations to create a code of conduct that defines and manages unacceptable practices. These include ignoring questions; insulting, threatening or intimidating behavior; and speaking in a condescending way, MSNBC reported Wednesday.

These behaviors affect employee morale and could increase the likelihood of medical errors, the commission said.

An industry survey of some 2,000 clinicians found that more than 90 percent said they had been a victim of condescending language. And nearly 60 percent reported being verbally abused or encountering threatening body language, MSNBC said.

Set to take effect Jan. 1, the proposed conduct standards would affect hospitals, nursing homes, home health agencies, laboratories, ambulatory care facilities and behavioral health facilities nationwide.

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Agency Chief Backs Testing of Unproven Autism Treatment

The director of U.S. National Institute of Mental Health, pressured by the anxious parents of children with autism, is advocating testing chelation therapy as a treatment for the little-understood neurological disorder, the Associated Press reported Wednesday.

Chelation therapy aims to purge the body of heavy metals. Its use in children with autism is based on the unproven notion that mercury in the vaccines is responsible for cases of the disorder, the AP reported. With the exception of certain flu shots, mercury hasn't been used in pediatric vaccines since 2001.

NIMH director Dr. Thomas Insel told the wire service that he supports testing the therapy on autistic children. "So many moms have said, 'It's saved my kids,'" he said.

Several thousand children are already believed to be using the therapy, despite its fringe status. The drugs are relatively easy to get, some being marketed as dietary supplements, the AP reported.

Safety concerns over chelation have postponed the government testing for now, Insel said. One of the drugs used in the process, called DMSA, can have adverse effects including low white blood cell count and rashes. Research also has shown that the process may shift metals from elsewhere in the body to the central nervous system, the AP reported.

In adults, chelation has proven ineffective unless there are high concentrations of metals in the blood, the wire service said.

Austim describes a variety of disorders that affect victims' ability to communicate and interact. There is no proven cure.

Health Tips for July 10

Health Tip: Protect Your Hearing

Ears are very sensitive to loud noises, and too much noise or prolonged exposure to loud noise can damage your hearing.

Before you crank up the mp3 player, read these suggestions to prevent hearing loss, provided by the American Academy of Family Physicians:

* Wear protective ear coverings when working in a noisy area, such as around traffic or loud machinery.
* Wear earplugs when you know you'll be around loud noise for prolonged periods, especially when operating noisy tools and equipment.
* Use rubber mats under noisy electronics and appliances.
* Avoid too much noise at once, such as the TV and noisy appliances going at the same time.
* Don't use more noise to block out another noise. For example, don't turn up the music to drown out the sound of traffic or the vacuum cleaner.

Health Tip: Take Care of a Rash

Rashes can occur for various reasons, including medical conditions and reactions to products, foods or medications.

Here are suggestions on how to care for your skin during a rash, courtesy of the U.S. National Library of Medicine:

* Don't scrub your skin.
* Try not to use soap, but a mild cleanser instead.
* Wash skin with warm -- not hot -- water, and gently pat it dry.
* Don't cover the rash with cosmetic lotions or ointments.
* If you've recently tried any new cosmetics or lotions, stop using them.
* Expose the rash to the air as much as possible.

Health Headlines - July 9

14 Babies in Texas Given Blood Thinner Overdose

Fourteen infants in a Corpus Christi, Texas hospital's neonatal intensive care unit were accidentally given overdoses of a blood thinning drug, the Associated Press reported Tuesday.

A pediatric version of the blood thinner Heparin was used to flush IV tubes to prevent blood clots from forming. The error at Christus Spohn Hospital was discovered by nurses on Sunday based on abnormal lab results.

It wasn't immediately clear how much of an overdose was administered. It's believed the error occurred in the hospital's pharmacy when the drug was being mixed, the AP said.

Two of the infants have been released and the others are being observed closely, a hospital spokesman told the wire service.

In November, the twin infants of actor Dennis Quaid were given a dangerously high dose of the anti-clotting drug at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles. They have since recovered.

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Thousands of Reactions to Cervical Cancer Vaccine Reported

Nearly 8,000 reports of adverse reactions to Merck & Co.'s Gardasil vaccine have been filed with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention since June 2006, news reports said Tuesday.

Reaction totals for the vaccine -- used to prevent the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus (HPV) that's been linked to cervical cancer in girls and women -- include 15 reports of death and 10 confirmed deaths, but none of the deaths has been tied to the vaccine, CNN said.

Other adverse reactions include reports ranging from injection site pain, nausea and dangerous blood clots to paralysis stemming from a neurological disorder called Guillain-Barré syndrome. The CDC said it's still studying these reports.

The vaccine was approved in 2006 for girls as young as 9 years old. Merck said more than 26 million doses of the vaccine have been distributed worldwide, including almost 16 million in the United States.

The company said the vaccine is safe and effective. In a statement cited by CNN, Merck said a report of an adverse reaction "does not mean that a causal relationship between an event and vaccination has been established -- just that the event occurred after vaccination."

The company and the CDC said they would continue to evaluate the reaction reports.

HPV is believed to infect about half of sexually active women in North America, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported, making it the most prevalent sexually transmitted disease in modern times. Only a relatively small number of those infected go on to develop cervical cancer.

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FDA Wants Suicide Warning for Epilepsy Drugs

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration wants to add a "black box" warning detailing an increased risk of suicide connected with drugs used to treat seizures in people with epilepsy.

On its Web site Monday, the FDA said an analysis released in January of nearly 200 studies showed patients taking anti-seizure drugs were more likely to have suicidal thoughts and behaviors than those taking a placebo. While the reports of problems were extremely rare, the agency said drug-treated patients faced about twice the risk of suicide or suicidal thoughts. On average, those patients experienced suicidal thoughts or behavior 0.43 percent of the time, compared with 0.22 percent for those taking a placebo, the Associated Press reported.

The FDA said it was intent on revising the warning labels for all drugs in the class, although it's not entirely clear why they increase suicidal behaviors, the AP said.

"There seems to be no compelling reason to ignore what appears to be a very clear empirical finding of increase in suicidality, despite no obvious explanation," said FDA Director of Neurology Products Russell Katz.

FDA advisers are to consider the black-box proposal at a meeting on June 10, the news service said.

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Doctors Urge Senators to Reverse Cuts in Medicare Payments

The American Medical Association is waging a full-scale ad campaign urging U.S. Senators to put the brakes on a 10.6 percent cut in Medicare payments to physicians.

The cuts -- required by law to offset higher-than-budgeted Medicare expenses -- took effect July 1, in the absence of enough Senate votes to reverse them. While the House passed a bill to reverse the cuts just before the Fourth of July recess, Republicans blocked a similar measure in the Senate, The New York Times reported.

The bills would reverse the cuts to physicians and make up the shortfall by reducing payments to private insurance companies that offer alternative plans to the traditional federal Medicare program. Senate Republicans and the White House oppose that idea, saying it would ultimately hurt people who depend on the private plans, known as Medicare Advantage.

The AMA ads say senators who failed to reverse the cuts to doctors are aiding "powerful insurance companies at the expense of Medicare patients' access to doctors."

The Bush administration has ordered a delay in processing new Medicare claims, hoping that a compromise can be reached. Senate Democrats say they're planning to force another vote on the matter this week, the newspaper said.

Health Tips for July 9

Health Tip: Protect Your Hearing

Ears are very sensitive to loud noises, and too much noise or prolonged exposure to loud noise can damage your hearing.

Before you crank up the mp3 player, read these suggestions to prevent hearing loss, provided by the American Academy of Family Physicians:

* Wear protective ear coverings when working in a noisy area, such as around traffic or loud machinery.
* Wear earplugs when you know you'll be around loud noise for prolonged periods, especially when operating noisy tools and equipment.
* Use rubber mats under noisy electronics and appliances.
* Avoid too much noise at once, such as the TV and noisy appliances going at the same time.
* Don't use more noise to block out another noise. For example, don't turn up the music to drown out the sound of traffic or the vacuum cleaner.

Health Tip: Take Care of a Rash

Rashes can occur for various reasons, including medical conditions and reactions to products, foods or medications.

Here are suggestions on how to care for your skin during a rash, courtesy of the U.S. National Library of Medicine:

* Don't scrub your skin.
* Try not to use soap, but a mild cleanser instead.
* Wash skin with warm -- not hot -- water, and gently pat it dry.
* Don't cover the rash with cosmetic lotions or ointments.
* If you've recently tried any new cosmetics or lotions, stop using them.
* Expose the rash to the air as much as possible.

Health Headlines - July 8

Doctors Urge Senators to Reverse Cuts in Medicare Payments

The American Medical Association is waging a full-scale ad campaign urging U.S. Senators to put the brakes on a 10.6 percent cut in Medicare payments to physicians.

The cuts -- required by law to offset higher-than-budgeted Medicare expenses -- took effect July 1, in the absence of enough Senate votes to reverse them. While the House passed a bill to reverse the cuts just before the Fourth of July recess, Republicans blocked a similar measure in the Senate, The New York Times reported.

The bills would reverse the cuts to physicians and make up the shortfall by reducing payments to private insurance companies that offer alternative plans to the traditional federal Medicare program. Senate Republicans and the White House oppose that idea, saying it would ultimately hurt people who depend on the private plans, known as Medicare Advantage.

The AMA ads say senators who failed to reverse the cuts to doctors are aiding "powerful insurance companies at the expense of Medicare patients' access to doctors."

The Bush administration has ordered a delay in processing new Medicare claims, hoping that a compromise can be reached. Senate Democrats say they're planning to force another vote on the matter this week, the newspaper said.

-----

Kennedy Tired But Doing Well During Cancer Therapy

Aside from a bout with fatigue, Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) is doing well at the midpoint of his six week's of cancer therapy, his wife said in an e-mail to friends and supporters obtained Monday by the Associated Press.

Vicki Kennedy said the senator is exercising in the morning before heading from his Cape Code home to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston each day for radiation and chemotherapy.

Sen. Kennedy suffered a seizure May 17 at his home and was subsequently diagnosed with a malignant glioma, an especially lethal type of brain tumor. He had surgery June 2 at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C., and has since been treated in Boston.

"The only side effect [of his cancer therapy] is fatigue, and that word has never been in Teddy's vocabulary before," Vicki Kennedy said in the e-mail. "He is tackling cancer with his trademark grit and determination, and he is doing everything he needs to do to regain his strength and health."

-----

Jalapeno Peppers Latest Suspects in Salmonella Outbreak

If it's not the tomatoes, maybe it's the peppers.

That's the latest theory into the cause behind the salmonella outbreak that has sickened 943 people across the United States since April, according to the Baltimore Sun.

The newspaper reports that health authorities are investigating whether jalapeno peppers in salsa and other condiments may have become tainted, causing the strain of salmonella poisoning known as Salmonella saintpaul. Samples have been taken from restaurants and homes in a number of states, the Sun reported.

The newspaper quotes one government health official as saying the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is moving quickly to determine whether combinations of green jalapeno pepper, along with the herb cilantro -- often used in various Mexican foods -- and tomatoes, may be the cause of the salmonella outbreak.

On July 1, officials warned consumers not to abandon caution when selecting tomatoes. "The tomato trail is not getting cold; rather, other items are getting hotter," said Dr. David Acheson, the FDA's associate commissioner for food protection. Acheson said the FDA has also activated the Food Emergency Response Network, which could bring to 100 the number of laboratories across the country working to identify the source of the outbreak.

Meanwhile, advice to consumers remains the same, Acheson said. Avoid raw red plum, red Roma, round red tomatoes, and products containing these raw tomatoes. To date, 130 people have been hospitalized from infections reported in 36 states and the District of Columbia, making it the largest produce-linked salmonella outbreak in U.S. history. There have been no deaths, officials said.

-----

Combo of Construction Materials and Bad Ventilation Caused High Formaldehyde Levels in Temporary Trailers

U.S. government investigators have determined that the high levels of formaldehyde in many of the 140,000 temporary trailers used by victims of the 2005 hurricanes Katrina and Rita were caused by a combination of construction materials and poor ventilation.

The Gannett News Service (GNS) reports that officials from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said their study of the travel trailers was confined only to those used by the hurricane victims and didn't apply to similar trailers provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for other relief efforts across the country.

The issue first surfaced in 2007, when some trailer residents began exhibiting a number of ailments, including headaches, burning eyes and respiratory problems, GNS reports. Formaldehyde is a suspected carcinogen.

Earlier this year, CDC investigators found that most of the 500 trailers they tested were emitting high levels of formaldehyde gas, the wire service said. The CDC report was issued July 3, about a week before Congressional testimony was to begin to determine what precautions, if any, had been taken in building the trailers.

Michael McGeehin, director of the CDC's division of environmental health hazards, told the Gannett News Service that those who oversee this type of emergency construction "should consider using construction materials that emit lower levels of formaldehyde as well as designs that increase outside air ventilation."

-----

Emergency Rooms Often Being Used as 'Holding Areas' for Mental Patients

Are hospital emergency rooms, becoming "dumping grounds" for mentally ill patients?

According to the Associated Press, a recent survey by the American College of Emergency Physicians found that 79 percent of hospitals that responded said they routinely let psychiatric patients remain in ER waiting rooms for "at least some period of time." This could be as long as 24 hours because of the lack of support services for those with mental problems, the AP said.

One-third reported that those stays averaged at least eight hours, and 6 percent said they had average waits of more than 24 hours for the next step in a patient's care.

Dr. David Mendelson, an emergency physician in Dallas who wrote the ACEP report, said the ideal solution would be to provide a "quiet spot" with nursing care until the patient could be seen. "Unfortunately, sometimes the only thing we can do is restrain them, or medicate them," the wire service quotes him as saying.

Sometimes, the situation can be tragic, the AP reports.

In June at Kings County Hospital Center's emergency room in Brooklyn, N.Y., 49-year-old Esmin Green, a Jamaican immigrant collapsed to the floor from her chair in the waiting room where she had been sitting for more than 24 hours, the wire service reports.

Security cameras caught the incident, which showed no one coming to her aid for more than hour. She eventually died, and a cause of death is still undetermined, the AP said.

Health Tips for July 8

Health Tip: Safety on Wheels

Roller sports -- including roller skating and roller blading, biking, skateboarding and scooters -- are a common cause of injury, especially in children.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons offers these suggestions to prevent injuries from roller sports:

* Always wear protective gear, including a helmet, knee and elbow pads, and wrist guards.
* Keep your wheels on smooth, even surfaces, and away from traffic.
* Never allow young children to play roller sports unattended.
* Jumps and tricks should only be allowed under close supervision, in a safe and controlled area such as a skate park, and there should be easy access to medical attention if needed.

Health Tip: Eat More Vegetables

Instead of getting bored with the same old vegetable choices that take too long to prepare, choose convenience and variety in your vegetables.

Here are easy ways to get plenty of vegetables in your diet, provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture:

* Buy fresh vegetables that are in season -- they'll be at their peak flavor, and often less expensive.
* Keep plenty of frozen vegetables on hand for quick and easy microwave meals and sides.
* Look for conveniently packed vegetables, such as washed and peeled carrots, pre-washed bags of salads, and cut vegetables.
* Save time by making a baked potato in the microwave instead of the oven.
* Alternate your veggie choices and how you cook them. Try them raw and crunchy, then try them steamed.

Health Headlines - July 7

Jalapeno Peppers Latest Suspects in Salmonella Outbreak

If it's not the tomatoes, maybe it's the peppers.

That's the latest theory into the cause behind the salmonella outbreak that has sickened 943 people across the United States since April, according to the Baltimore Sun

The newspaper reports that health authorities are investigating whether jalapeno peppers in salsa and other condiments may have become tainted, causing the strain of salmonella poisoning known as Salmonella saintpaul. Samples have been taken from restaurants and homes in a number of states, the Sun reports.

The newspaper quotes one government health official as saying the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is moving quickly to determine whether combinations of the green jalapeno pepper, along with the herb cilantro -- often used in various Mexican foods -- and tomatoes, may be the cause of the salmonella outbreak.

On July 1 officials warned consumers not to abandon caution when selecting tomatoes. "The tomato trail is not getting cold; rather, other items are getting hotter," said Dr. David Acheson, the FDA's associate commissioner for food protection. Acheson said the FDA has also activated the Food Emergency Response Network, which could bring to 100 the number of laboratories across the country working to identify the source of the outbreak.

Meanwhile, advice to consumers remains the same, Acheson said. Avoid raw red plum, red Roma, round red tomatoes, and products containing these raw tomatoes. To date, 130 people have been hospitalized from infections reported in 36 states and the District of Columbia, making it the largest produce-linked salmonella outbreak in U.S. history. There have been no deaths, officials said.

-----

Combo of Construction Materials and Bad Ventilation Caused High Formaldehyde Levels in Temporary Trailers

U.S. government investigators have determined that the high levels of formaldehyde in many of the 140,000 temporary trailers used by victims of the 2005 hurricanes Katrina and Rita were caused by a combination of construction materials and poor ventilation.

The Gannett News Service (GNS) reports that officials from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said their study of the travel trailers was confined only to those used by the hurricane victims and didn't apply to other, similar trailers provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for other relief efforts across the country.

The issue first surfaced in 2007, when some trailer residents began exhibiting a number of ailments, including headaches, burning eyes and respiratory problems, GNS reports. Formaldehyde is a suspected carcinogen.

Earlier this year, CDC investigators found that most of the 500 trailers they tested were emitting high levels of formaldehyde gas, the wire service said. The CDC report was issued July 3, about a week before Congressional testimony was to begin to determine what precautions, if any, had been taken in building the trailers.

Michael McGeehin, director of the CDC's division of environmental health hazards, told the Gannett News Service that those who oversee this type of emergency construction "should consider using construction materials that emit lower levels of formaldehyde as well as designs that increase outside air ventilation."

-----

Emergency Rooms Often Being Used as 'Holding Areas' for Mental Patients

Are hospital emergency rooms, becoming "dumping grounds" for mentally ill patients?

According to the Associated Press, a recent survey by the American College of Emergency Physicians found that 79 percent of hospitals who responded said they routinely let psychiatric patients remain in ER waiting rooms for "at least some period of time." This could be as long as 24 hours because of the lack of support services for those with mental problems, the A.P. said.

One-third reported that those stays averaged at least eight hours, and 6 percent said they had average waits of more than 24 hours for the next step in a patient's care.

Dr. David Mendelson, an emergency physician in Dallas who wrote the ACEP report, said that the ideal solution would be to provide a "quiet spot" with nursing care until the patient could be seen. "Unfortunately, sometimes the only thing we can do is restrain them, or medicate them," the wire service quotes him as saying.

Sometimes, the situation can be tragic, the A.P. reports.

In June at Kings County Hospital Center's emergency room in Brooklyn, N.Y., 49-year-old Esmin Green, a Jamaican immigrant collapsed to the floor from her chair in the waiting room where she had been sitting for more than 24 hours, the wire service reports.

Security cameras caught the incident, which showed no one coming to her aid for more than hour. She eventually died, and a cause of death is still undetermined, the A.P. said.

-----

U.S. West Nile Activity Remains Stable

In 2007, there were 3,630 reported cases of West Nile Virus disease in people, including 1,227 cases of more serious infection known as West Nile Neuroinvasive Disease (WNND), says an article in the current Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The overall 2007 incidence of WNND was 0.4 per 100,000 population, similar to that reported from 2004 to 2006, but substantially lower than the incidence in 2002 and 2003. The highest incidence of WNND in 2007 occurred primarily in the west-central United States.

The relative stability in the number of reported WNND cases is likely to continue for the foreseeable future, the study authors said.

They added that their findings highlight the need for ongoing surveillance, mosquito control, promotion of personal protection from mosquito bites, and research into additional prevention strategies, including a WNV vaccine.

"Research is currently being done to develop vaccines to protect humans against West Nile virus infection, but because the virus infects many wild birds and animals and has been detected in 62 different North American mosquito species, it makes development of an effective vaccination strategy very difficult, Stephen Higgs, a member of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH), said in a society news release.

"West Nile is spreading steadily and will likely never be eradicated from the U.S. So, the best way to avoid the virus is to avoid the mosquito," he advised.

-----

Woman Develops Accent After Stroke

A 50-year-old woman in the central Canadian province of Ontario developed a Canadian East Coast accent after she suffered a left-sided stroke. Rosemary Dore lived in southern Ontario all her life, has no East Coast relatives, and has never traveled to the East Coast, CBC News reported.

"Everybody, even the doctors ... they (thought) I was from Newfoundland, because I have an accent," Dore said.

This is the first case of its kind reported in Canada, and one of fewer than 20 cases reported worldwide, said the researchers at McMaster University in Hamilton who examined Dore, CBC News reported. In these types of foreign accent cases, individual brain changes can lead to speech disparities, the researchers explained.

"It's not necessarily a 'generic foreign accent' that results. Instead, the specific phonological changes that occur may be unique to each individual, reflecting differences in damage within the motor speech network," the researchers wrote. "These changes can give rise to specific-sounding accents, including ones like a regional dialect change, rather than a complete foreign accent."

The case study appears in the July issue of the Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences.

-----

Beef Recall Expanded to Kroger Stores in 20 States

The voluntary recall of ground beef that may be contaminated with E. coli has been expanded to Kroger grocery chain stores in more than 20 states, the Cincinnati-based company said Wednesday.

The Kroger Co. also told consumers to check ground beef in their refrigerators and freezers to determine whether it's included in the recall, the Associated Press reported.

The initial June 25 recall involved Kroger stores in Michigan and in central and northern Ohio. The expanded recall includes ground beef sold at Fred Meyer, QFC, Ralphs, Smith's, Baker's, King Soopers, City Markets, Hilander, Owen's, Pay Less and Scott's with overlapping sell-by dates from mid-May through mid-July.

Click here to view recall information on Kroger's Web site.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has identified the supplier of the beef that may be contaminated with E. coli as Nebraska Beef Ltd., which itself recalled about 532,000 pounds of ground beef produced over the past two months.

The Nebraska Beef meat has been linked to 38 reports of E coli-related illness in Ohio and Michigan, the AP said.

Infection with E. coli O157:H7 can cause bloody diarrhea and dehydration, and in severe cases, kidney failure. Children, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems are more susceptible.

Health Tips for July 7

Health Tip: Prevent Falls From Windows

Every year, thousands of children are killed or hurt by falling from windows.

Here are guidelines from the U.S. National Safety Council to keep your children safe:

* If you want to open a window for fresh air, only open those that are high enough that children cannot reach them. Keep others closed and locked.
* Move any furniture or other items away from windows, so that children can't climb on these objects to reach windows.
* Don't count on screens to protect your child. They are not strong enough to prevent children from falling through them.
* Teach your child not to play near windows or glass doors. Set rules about staying away from them.
* A window needs to be opened only 5 inches for a child under age 10 to fall through. In many locations, landlords are legally bound to install window guards in apartments with children.

Health Tip: Lawn Mowing Safety

Mowing the lawn doesn't have to be a dangerous task if some simple preventive techniques are followed.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons offers these safety suggestions:

* Make sure blades are sharp and the mower is working properly, and only inspect the mower when it's turned off.
* Before you start to mow, check the yard for rocks, sticks, toys and any other objects that could get caught in the blades.
* Wear protective gear and clothing, including long pants, sturdy shoes, gloves and safety goggles.
* Never use a lawn mower while barefoot or wearing sandals.
* Never allow someone to ride with you on a riding mower.
* Be especially careful when mowing steep hills.

Health Headlines - July 6

Jalapeno Peppers Latest Suspects in Salmonella Outbreak

If it's not the tomatoes, maybe it's the peppers.

That's the latest theory into the cause behind the salmonella outbreak that has sickened 943 people across the United States since April, according to the Baltimore Sun

The newspaper reports that health authorities are investigating whether jalapeno peppers in salsa and other condiments may have become tainted, causing the strain of salmonella poisoning known as Salmonella saintpaul. Samples have been taken from restaurants and homes in a number of states, the Sun reports.

The newspaper quotes one government health official as saying the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is moving quickly to determine whether combinations of the green jalapeno pepper, along with the herb cilantro -- often used in various Mexican foods -- and tomatoes, may be the cause of the salmonella outbreak.

On July 1 officials warned consumers not to abandon caution when selecting tomatoes. "The tomato trail is not getting cold; rather, other items are getting hotter," said Dr. David Acheson, the FDA's associate commissioner for food protection. Acheson said the FDA has also activated the Food Emergency Response Network, which could bring to 100 the number of laboratories across the country working to identify the source of the outbreak.

Meanwhile, advice to consumers remains the same, Acheson said. Avoid raw red plum, red Roma, round red tomatoes, and products containing these raw tomatoes. To date, 130 people have been hospitalized from infections reported in 36 states and the District of Columbia, making it the largest produce-linked salmonella outbreak in U.S. history. There have been no deaths, officials said.

-----

Emergency Rooms Often Being Used as 'Holding Areas' for Mental Patients

Are hospital emergency rooms, becoming "dumping grounds" for mentally ill patients?

According to the Associated Press, a recent survey by the American College of Emergency Physicians found that 79 percent of hospitals who responded said they routinely let psychiatric patients remain in ER waiting rooms for "at least some period of time." This could be as long as 24 hours because of the lack of support services for those with mental problems, the A.P. said.

One-third reported that those stays averaged at least eight hours, and 6 percent said they had average waits of more than 24 hours for the next step in a patient's care.

Dr. David Mendelson, an emergency physician in Dallas who wrote the ACEP report, said that the ideal solution would be to provide a "quiet spot" with nursing care until the patient could be seen. "Unfortunately, sometimes the only thing we can do is restrain them, or medicate them," the wire service quotes him as saying.

Sometimes, the situation can be tragic, the A.P. reports.

In June at Kings County Hospital Center's emergency room in Brooklyn, N.Y., 49-year-old Esmin Green, a Jamaican immigrant collapsed to the floor from her chair in the waiting room where she had been sitting for more than 24 hours, the wire service reports.

Security cameras caught the incident, which showed no one coming to her aid for more than hour. She eventually died, and a cause of death is still undetermined, the A.P. said.

-----

U.S. West Nile Activity Remains Stable

In 2007, there were 3,630 reported cases of West Nile Virus disease in people, including 1,227 cases of more serious infection known as West Nile Neuroinvasive Disease (WNND), says an article in the current Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The overall 2007 incidence of WNND was 0.4 per 100,000 population, similar to that reported from 2004 to 2006, but substantially lower than the incidence in 2002 and 2003. The highest incidence of WNND in 2007 occurred primarily in the west-central United States.

The relative stability in the number of reported WNND cases is likely to continue for the foreseeable future, the study authors said.

They added that their findings highlight the need for ongoing surveillance, mosquito control, promotion of personal protection from mosquito bites, and research into additional prevention strategies, including a WNV vaccine.

"Research is currently being done to develop vaccines to protect humans against West Nile virus infection, but because the virus infects many wild birds and animals and has been detected in 62 different North American mosquito species, it makes development of an effective vaccination strategy very difficult, Stephen Higgs, a member of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH), said in a society news release.

"West Nile is spreading steadily and will likely never be eradicated from the U.S. So, the best way to avoid the virus is to avoid the mosquito," he advised.

-----

Woman Develops Accent After Stroke

A 50-year-old woman in the central Canadian province of Ontario developed a Canadian East Coast accent after she suffered a left-sided stroke. Rosemary Dore lived in southern Ontario all her life, has no East Coast relatives, and has never traveled to the East Coast, CBC News reported.

"Everybody, even the doctors ... they (thought) I was from Newfoundland, because I have an accent," Dore said.

This is the first case of its kind reported in Canada, and one of fewer than 20 cases reported worldwide, said the researchers at McMaster University in Hamilton who examined Dore, CBC News reported. In these types of foreign accent cases, individual brain changes can lead to speech disparities, the researchers explained.

"It's not necessarily a 'generic foreign accent' that results. Instead, the specific phonological changes that occur may be unique to each individual, reflecting differences in damage within the motor speech network," the researchers wrote. "These changes can give rise to specific-sounding accents, including ones like a regional dialect change, rather than a complete foreign accent."

The case study appears in the July issue of the Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences.

-----

Beef Recall Expanded to Kroger Stores in 20 States

The voluntary recall of ground beef that may be contaminated with E. coli has been expanded to Kroger grocery chain stores in more than 20 states, the Cincinnati-based company said Wednesday.

The Kroger Co. also told consumers to check ground beef in their refrigerators and freezers to determine whether it's included in the recall, the Associated Press reported.

The initial June 25 recall involved Kroger stores in Michigan and in central and northern Ohio. The expanded recall includes ground beef sold at Fred Meyer, QFC, Ralphs, Smith's, Baker's, King Soopers, City Markets, Hilander, Owen's, Pay Less and Scott's with overlapping sell-by dates from mid-May through mid-July.

Click here to view recall information on Kroger's Web site.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has identified the supplier of the beef that may be contaminated with E. coli as Nebraska Beef Ltd., which itself recalled about 532,000 pounds of ground beef produced over the past two months.

The Nebraska Beef meat has been linked to 38 reports of E coli-related illness in Ohio and Michigan, the AP said.

Infection with E. coli O157:H7 can cause bloody diarrhea and dehydration, and in severe cases, kidney failure. Children, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems are more susceptible.

-----

Work-Based Weight Loss Programs Effective

Work-based weight loss programs are modestly effective for people who participate in them, say University of Cincinnati researchers who reviewed 11 studies published since 1994.

Most the programs, which lasted from two to 18 months, included education and counseling on how to improve diet and increase physical activity. Of the studies included in the review, 46 percent looked at low-intensity programs, 18 percent at moderate-intensity programs, and 36 percent at high-intensity programs, United Press International reported.

Employees in high-intensity programs lost an average of between 2.2 pounds and nearly 14 pounds, compared with a loss of 1.5 pounds to a gain of 1.1 pounds among workers who didn't take part in a weight loss program.

Programs that included face-to-face contact between instructors and participants more than once a month appeared to be more effective than other programs, UPI reported.

The study was published in the July/August issue of the American Journal of Health Promotion.

Health Tips for July 6

Health Tip: Trying Pregnancy Again

Trying to get pregnant again after a miscarriage can be fraught with a host of emotional and physical concerns.

Here are suggestions when considering another pregnancy after a miscarriage, courtesy of the American Pregnancy Association:

* Doctors routinely recommend waiting six months to one year before trying to get pregnant again. This is to make sure that the woman's body to ready to handle another pregnancy. It's also important to make sure that you're emotionally ready to try again.
* About 85 percent of women who have had a miscarriage go on to have a successful pregnancy. Among those who have had more than one loss, the rate is about 75 percent.
* If you do get pregnant again, ask your doctor to help you more carefully monitor your health and progress.
* It's normal to still grieve for an earlier loss while celebrating the arrival of a new baby.
* It's common to be hesitant in bonding with your new baby, fearing another loss.
* Talk to your doctor about counselors or support groups if you are having a difficult time with your pregnancy or new baby.

Health Tip: Stretch Marks

Stretch marks, often the result of rapid stretching of the skin, are most commonly associated with pregnancy.

Usually pink or reddish in color, these darkish lines can also appear on diabetics, or among children who rapidly gain weight.

The U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM) offers these additional facts about stretch marks:

* They can look like indented ridges in the skin, and eventually may turn white and look like scars.
* They most often appear on the breasts, hips, thighs, buttocks, abdomen and the flank.
* They can result from long-time use of some medications, such as cortisone skin creams.
* Lotions and creams that claim to reduce the appearance of stretch marks have little proven value, the NLM says.

Health Headlines - July 5

Jalapeno Peppers Latest Suspects in Salmonella Outbreak

If it's not the tomatoes, maybe it's the peppers.

That's the latest theory into the cause behind the salmonella outbreak that has sickened almost 1,000 people across the United States since April, according to the Baltimore Sun

The newspaper reports that health authorities are investigating whether jalapeno peppers in salsa and other condiments may have become tainted, causing the strain of salmonella poisoning known as Salmonella saintpaul. Samples have been taken from restaurants and homes in a number of states, the Sun reports.

The newspaper quotes one government health official as saying the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is moving quickly to determine whether combinations of the green jalapeno pepper, along with the herb cilantro -- often used in various Mexican foods -- and tomatoes, may be the cause of the salmonella outbreak.

On July 1 officials warned consumers not to abandon caution when selecting tomatoes. "The tomato trail is not getting cold; rather, other items are getting hotter," said Dr. David Acheson, the FDA's associate commissioner for food protection. Acheson said the FDA has also activated the Food Emergency Response Network, which could bring to 100 the number of laboratories across the country working to identify the source of the outbreak.

Meanwhe advice to consumers remains the same, Acheson said. Avoid raw red plum, red Roma, round red tomatoes, and products containing these raw tomatoes. To date, infections have been reported in 36 states and the District of Columbia, making it the largest produce-linked salmonella outbreak in U.S. history. There have been no deaths, officials said.

-----

U.S. West Nile Activity Remains Stable

In 2007, there were 3,630 reported cases of West Nile Virus disease in people, including 1,227 cases of more serious infection known as West Nile Neuroinvasive Disease (WNND), says an article in the current Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The overall 2007 incidence of WNND was 0.4 per 100,000 population, similar to that reported from 2004 to 2006, but substantially lower than the incidence in 2002 and 2003. The highest incidence of WNND in 2007 occurred primarily in the west-central United States.

The relative stability in the number of reported WNND cases is likely to continue for the foreseeable future, the study authors said.

They added that their findings highlight the need for ongoing surveillance, mosquito control, promotion of personal protection from mosquito bites, and research into additional prevention strategies, including a WNV vaccine.

"Research is currently being done to develop vaccines to protect humans against West Nile virus infection, but because the virus infects many wild birds and animals and has been detected in 62 different North American mosquito species, it makes development of an effective vaccination strategy very difficult, Stephen Higgs, a member of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH), said in a society news release.

"West Nile is spreading steadily and will likely never be eradicated from the U.S. So, the best way to avoid the virus is to avoid the mosquito," he advised.

-----

Woman Develops Accent After Stroke

A 50-year-old woman in the central Canadian province of Ontario developed a Canadian East Coast accent after she suffered a left-sided stroke. Rosemary Dore lived in southern Ontario all her life, has no East Coast relatives, and has never traveled to the East Coast, CBC News reported.

"Everybody, even the doctors ... they (thought) I was from Newfoundland, because I have an accent," Dore said.

This is the first case of its kind reported in Canada, and one of fewer than 20 cases reported worldwide, said the researchers at McMaster University in Hamilton who examined Dore, CBC News reported. In these types of foreign accent cases, individual brain changes can lead to speech disparities, the researchers explained.

"It's not necessarily a 'generic foreign accent' that results. Instead, the specific phonological changes that occur may be unique to each individual, reflecting differences in damage within the motor speech network," the researchers wrote. "These changes can give rise to specific-sounding accents, including ones like a regional dialect change, rather than a complete foreign accent."

The case study appears in the July issue of the Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences.

-----

Beef Recall Expanded to Kroger Stores in 20 States

The voluntary recall of ground beef that may be contaminated with E. coli has been expanded to Kroger grocery chain stores in more than 20 states, the Cincinnati-based company said Wednesday.

The Kroger Co. also told consumers to check ground beef in their refrigerators and freezers to determine whether it's included in the recall, the Associated Press reported.

The initial June 25 recall involved Kroger stores in Michigan and in central and northern Ohio. The expanded recall includes ground beef sold at Fred Meyer, QFC, Ralphs, Smith's, Baker's, King Soopers, City Markets, Hilander, Owen's, Pay Less and Scott's with overlapping sell-by dates from mid-May through mid-July.

Click here to view recall information on Kroger's Web site.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has identified the supplier of the beef that may be contaminated with E. coli as Nebraska Beef Ltd., which itself recalled about 532,000 pounds of ground beef produced over the past two months.

The Nebraska Beef meat has been linked to 38 reports of E coli-related illness in Ohio and Michigan, the AP said.

Infection with E. coli O157:H7 can cause bloody diarrhea and dehydration, and in severe cases, kidney failure. Children, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems are more susceptible.

-----

Work-Based Weight Loss Programs Effective

Work-based weight loss programs are modestly effective for people who participate in them, say University of Cincinnati researchers who reviewed 11 studies published since 1994.

Most the programs, which lasted from two to 18 months, included education and counseling on how to improve diet and increase physical activity. Of the studies included in the review, 46 percent looked at low-intensity programs, 18 percent at moderate-intensity programs, and 36 percent at high-intensity programs, United Press International reported.

Employees in high-intensity programs lost an average of between 2.2 pounds and nearly 14 pounds, compared with a loss of 1.5 pounds to a gain of 1.1 pounds among workers who didn't take part in a weight loss program.

Programs that included face-to-face contact between instructors and participants more than once a month appeared to be more effective than other programs, UPI reported.

The study was published in the July/August issue of the American Journal of Health Promotion.

-----

Sleep Problems Increase During Menopause

Difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep increases as women go through menopause, according to a study by researchers at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.

The study of more than 3,000 women, ages 42 to 52, also found that waking up earlier than planned increases through late perimenopause (before menopause) but decreases in post-menopause, United Press International reported.

The researchers also compared different racial and ethnic groups and found that Caucasian women were more likely than others to report trouble staying asleep, and Hispanic women were less likely than others to wake several times during the night.

The findings are published in the July issue of the journal Sleep.

Health Tips for July 5

Health Tip: Facts About Fleas

Fleas can cause more than discomfort for both people and pets. They also can cause health problems.

Here are some important things to know about recognizing and fighting fleas in your home, courtesy of the U.S. National Library of Medicine:

* Flea bites can cause a rash, small bumps that turn white when you press on them, swelling and hives.
* Bites can itch severely and commonly occur where the skin folds -- armpits, ankles, knees and other areas.
* Excessive scratching can cause the bites to become infected.
* Over-the-counter hydrocortiosone cream can help soothe itching.
* Insecticides can be used in the home to kill fleas -- but never spray around young children.
* It's important to use preventive treatments on household pets.

Health Tip: Swing Set Safety

Children's swing sets must be properly selected and assembled to prevent serious injury.

Here are recommendations on choosing and assembling a swing set, from the U.S. National Safety Council:

* Make sure the equipment is very sturdy, and look for sets that can be changed or upgraded to accommodate your child's growth.
* Secure the legs of the set in below-ground concrete. If you use anchors that come with the set, keep them below ground. Make sure all cables are taut. Cap any screws or bolts.
* Slides should not be too steep -- no more than a 30-degree slope. The slide must have tall sides to prevent falls, and an area at the bottom where children can regain balance and sit upright.
* Avoid sets with "S" hooks, or any parts that can pinch, cut or crush small fingers. Avoid any rings that are less than 5 inches or greater than 10 inches in diameter.
* In general, equipment should not be higher than 8 feet tall. And metal equipment, used in hot weather, can lead to burns.

Health Headlines - July 4

Happy Independence Day!

U.S. West Nile Activity Remains Stable

In 2007, there were 3,630 reported cases of West Nile Virus disease in people, including 1,227 cases of more serious infection known as West Nile Neuroinvasive Disease (WNND), says an article in the current Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The overall 2007 incidence of WNND was 0.4 per 100,000 population, similar to that reported from 2004 to 2006, but substantially lower than the incidence in 2002 and 2003. The highest incidence of WNND in 2007 occurred primarily in the west-central United States.

The relative stability in the number of reported WNND cases is likely to continue for the foreseeable future, the study authors said.

They added that their findings highlight the need for ongoing surveillance, mosquito control, promotion of personal protection from mosquito bites, and research into additional prevention strategies, including a WNV vaccine.

"Research is currently being done to develop vaccines to protect humans against West Nile virus infection, but because the virus infects many wild birds and animals and has been detected in 62 different North American mosquito species, it makes development of an effective vaccination strategy very difficult, Stephen Higgs, a member of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH), said in a society news release.

"West Nile is spreading steadily and will likely never be eradicated from the U.S. So, the best way to avoid the virus is to avoid the mosquito," he advised.

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Woman Develops Accent After Stroke

A 50-year-old woman in the central Canadian province of Ontario developed a Canadian East Coast accent after she suffered a left-sided stroke. Rosemary Dore lived in southern Ontario all her life, has no East Coast relatives, and has never traveled to the East Coast, CBC News reported.

"Everybody, even the doctors ... they (thought) I was from Newfoundland, because I have an accent," Dore said.

This is the first case of its kind reported in Canada, and one of fewer than 20 cases reported worldwide, said the researchers at McMaster University in Hamilton who examined Dore, CBC News reported. In these types of foreign accent cases, individual brain changes can lead to speech disparities, the researchers explained.

"It's not necessarily a 'generic foreign accent' that results. Instead, the specific phonological changes that occur may be unique to each individual, reflecting differences in damage within the motor speech network," the researchers wrote. "These changes can give rise to specific-sounding accents, including ones like a regional dialect change, rather than a complete foreign accent."

The case study appears in the July issue of the Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences.

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Beef Recall Expanded to Kroger Stores in 20 States

The voluntary recall of ground beef that may be contaminated with E. coli has been expanded to Kroger grocery chain stores in more than 20 states, the Cincinnati-based company said Wednesday.

The Kroger Co. also told consumers to check ground beef in their refrigerators and freezers to determine whether it's included in the recall, the Associated Press reported.

The initial June 25 recall involved Kroger stores in Michigan and in central and northern Ohio. The expanded recall includes ground beef sold at Fred Meyer, QFC, Ralphs, Smith's, Baker's, King Soopers, City Markets, Hilander, Owen's, Pay Less and Scott's with overlapping sell-by dates from mid-May through mid-July.

Click here to view recall information on Kroger's Web site.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has identified the supplier of the beef that may be contaminated with E. coli as Nebraska Beef Ltd., which itself recalled about 532,000 pounds of ground beef produced over the past two months.

The Nebraska Beef meat has been linked to 38 reports of E coli-related illness in Ohio and Michigan, the AP said.

Infection with E. coli O157:H7 can cause bloody diarrhea and dehydration, and in severe cases, kidney failure. Children, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems are more susceptible.

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Work-Based Weight Loss Programs Effective

Work-based weight loss programs are modestly effective for people who participate in them, say University of Cincinnati researchers who reviewed 11 studies published since 1994.

Most the programs, which lasted from two to 18 months, included education and counseling on how to improve diet and increase physical activity. Of the studies included in the review, 46 percent looked at low-intensity programs, 18 percent at moderate-intensity programs, and 36 percent at high-intensity programs, United Press International reported.

Employees in high-intensity programs lost an average of between 2.2 pounds and nearly 14 pounds, compared with a loss of 1.5 pounds to a gain of 1.1 pounds among workers who didn't take part in a weight loss program.

Programs that included face-to-face contact between instructors and participants more than once a month appeared to be more effective than other programs, UPI reported.

The study was published in the July/August issue of the American Journal of Health Promotion.

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Sleep Problems Increase During Menopause

Difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep increases as women go through menopause, according to a study by researchers at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.

The study of more than 3,000 women, ages 42 to 52, also found that waking up earlier than planned increases through late perimenopause (before menopause) but decreases in post-menopause, United Press International reported.

The researchers also compared different racial and ethnic groups and found that Caucasian women were more likely than others to report trouble staying asleep, and Hispanic women were less likely than others to wake several times during the night.

The findings are published in the July issue of the journal Sleep.

Health Tips for July 4

Health Tip: Safe Activities for Kids on the Fourth

A Fourth of July party for kids can include a number of fun and safe activities, according to Prevent Blindness America. These include:

* Letting little ones make decorations with crepe paper, construction paper, stickers and glue.
* Planning food-making activities like patriotic pizzas and desserts.
* Getting the kids to decorate T-shirts or hats with paint and decals that glow in the dark. By the time nightfall rolls around, their new night-bright clothes will be dry and ready to model.
* Replacing sparklers with glow sticks, glow necklaces or novelty flashlights.
* If you live in the right areas of the country, you can enlist kids' help in catching nature's alternative to fireworks -- a jarful of fireflies.

Health Tip: Protect Your Pets From Fireworks

Safe family fun on the Fourth of July means remembering the safety of pets, too, especially when it comes to noisy fireworks displays.

* Don't leave pets alone outdoors, even if tethered or in a fenced yard.
* Remove sharp objects from enclosures.
* Turn on the radio or TV for distraction.
* Don't take pets to fireworks shows.
* Don't leave pets unattended in cars.
* If pets must be outside, keep them on a leash or in carriers.
* Protect pets from children who are using fireworks.
* Use sedation on horses and some dogs if necessary; your veterinarian can advise you about giving a pet a mild sedative or tranquilizer to calm fears of an extremely stressed animal.
* Pick up leftover sparklers and other sharp objects after the festivities.

Health Headlines - July 3

Kroger Widens Ground Beef Recall

The Kroger grocery chain expanded its recall of ground beef sold in Michigan and Ohio after the U.S. Department of Agriculture identified the supplier of the products, which may be contaminated with E coli bacteria, the Associated Press reported Wednesday.

The supplier has been identified as Nebraska Beef Ltd., which itself recalled about 532,000 pounds of ground beef produced over the past two months.

The Nebraska Beef meat has been linked to 38 reports of E coli-related illness in Ohio and Michigan, the AP said.

Kroger said its recall now includes ground beef in Styrofoam trays wrapped in clear cellophane, or bought at the store's meat counter. Affected ground beef was sold at Fred Meyer or QFC stores with sell-by dates from May 21 to July 5, or at Kroger stores with sell-by dates between May 21 and July 3.

Other Kroger-owned stores and beef products are affected by the recall. Click here to view recall information on Kroger's Web site.

Infection with E. coli O157:H7 can cause bloody diarrhea and dehydration, and in severe cases, kidney failure. Children, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems are more susceptible.

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Danes Grapple With Their Own Salmonella Outbreak

As the U.S. Food and Drug Administration works to figure out the source of a salmonella outbreak that has sickened hundreds in the country, Danish health officials are struggling with their own outbreak that may involve thousands of people, the Associated Press reported Wednesday.

The Danish health ministry said about 330 cases have been confirmed, and about 25 percent of those victims have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported. Ministry spokesman Kare Moelbak said the number of cases ultimately could exceed 4,000.

The Danish strain is salmonella typhimurium, which is different from the strain identified in the United States. There are about 2,500 kinds of salmonella.

Danish health officials are examining everything from refrigerators to credit card receipts in trying to identify a source of the outbreak, which could be the nation's worst in 15 years, the AP said.

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Mediterranean Diet Reduces Cancer Risk

People who adopt just a few elements of the Mediterranean diet could reduce their cancer risk by as much as 12 percent, say Harvard University researchers, who had 26,000 Greeks record their food intake over eight years.

The Mediterranean diet includes use of olive oil, high consumption of vegetables, fish, fruits and cereals, and less consumption of red meat. Previous research has suggested this diet may reduce the risk of heart disease and other illnesses.

The new study found that simply consuming more olive oil and other unsaturated fats reduced cancer risk by nine percent. And just two aspects of the Mediterranean diet -- eating less red meat and eating more peas, beans and lentils -- reduced cancer risk by 12 percent, BBC News reported.

The findings appear in the British Journal of Cancer.

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Group Wants FDA to Challenge Immunity Claims

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration must take action against companies that sell products with misleading label claims of boosting immunity, says the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest.

The group said when consumers read that a product will maintain a "healthy immune system" they believe it means the product will help fight off illness and disease, United Press International reported.

For example, vitamins A, C and E play an important role in the functioning of many systems in the human body, but there's little evidence to suggest these vitamins have any effect on the immune system, said Bruce Silverglade, the center's legal affairs director.

In a formal complaint, the center said the FDA should bar such claims about immune system benefits and establish rules that require food companies to base these claims on scientific evidence, UPI reported.

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Muscle Vibration May Reduce Fall Risk in Elderly

Exercising for a few minutes on a vibrating platform twice a week may reduce elderly people's risk of falls, says an Australian study that included 43 healthy men and women in their 70s.

First, the researchers tested how well candidates were able to stand on one leg. The participants were then divided into two groups. One group did light resistance training -- standing still with knees bent, squatting up and down, and going up and down on their toes -- while on a vibrating platform. The other group did the same exercises without the vibrating platform, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.

The exercise sessions lasted less than 10 minutes and took place three times a week for eight weeks. At the end of that time, the researchers tested participants' leg strength again. Those who had exercised on the vibrating platform had a significantly improved ability to stand on one leg.

The study appears in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport.

Researcher Sven Rees of the University of Technology in Sydney said previous research has suggested that vibration of muscles can cause reflex contractions, which helps strengthen muscles, the network reported.

Health Tips for July 3

Health Tip: Help Prevent Headaches

Headaches have a variety of causes and triggers, but stress is a common factor in many types of headache.

The U.S. National Library of Medicine offers these suggestions to lessen stress and reduce your chances of a headache:

* Get plenty of sleep every night.
* Maintain a healthy diet, including staying away from junk food.
* Don't smoke.
* Get plenty of regular exercise.
* Stretch your neck, shoulders and upper body frequently. This is particularly important if you work all day at a desk or computer.
* Maintain good posture.
* Practice meditation, yoga or deep breathing techniques.

Health Tip: Giving Medications to People With Alzheimer's

As a caregiver of someone with Alzheimer's, administering their medication -- and preventing missed pills or the wrong dosages -- can be a daunting responsibility.

The Alzheimer's Association offers these suggestions:

* Learn about each medication before you administer it. Make sure you know exactly what each pill is for, and its possible side effects.
* In clear language, explain exactly what each pill is for, and why and how the person needs to take it.
* Keep good records of each medication taken, the dose, and when taken.
* Keep medications well-organized, and safely stored out of reach in a locked cabinet or drawer.
* Don't let taking medicine turn into a struggle. If the person doesn't want to take it at a particular moment, try again a bit later.
* Make the task as easy as possible. Ask your pharmacist for liquid, which may be easier to administer than a pill. Or ask the pharmacist if you can crush the pill and put it in food.

Health Headlines - July 2

Drug Store, Pharmacy Benefit Managers Combine Info Systems

In an effort to increase electronic prescribing by doctors, the drug store and pharmacy benefit management industries will combine their information systems, the Associated Press reported.

The union will make electronic prescribing more convenient and efficient for doctors, according to executives with the two industries.

"This merger sets aside historic economic and political differences to do what is necessary to advance paperless prescribing and the secure exchange of critical information," said John Driscoll, president for new markets at MedcoHealth Solutions Inc., the AP reported.

Along with MedcoHealth Solutions, the merger will include the RxHub network, operated by CVS Caremark Corp., Express Scripts Inc., and Surescripts, which is run by the drug store industry's two main trade groups.

Last year, only about 2 percent of all medicines dispensed in the United States were prescribed electronically, according to Surescripts, the AP reported.

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Babies Need Stomach Time to Develop Back and Neck Muscles

While having babies sleep on their backs reduces the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), it can impair development of their back and neck muscles, according to U.S. experts.

When babies sleep on their backs, it means they miss out on 12 hours of time they used to get on their stomachs while sleeping. This means they don't get much-needed stretching and strengthening of their back and neck muscles, which can lead to early motor delay, according to the Pathways Awareness Medical Round Table, United Press International reported.

The round table -- a group of pediatricians, surgeons, physical therapists, nurses and researchers -- developed a set of standards for stomach time that specifies when to start, how much infants need, and the best ways to encourage the activity.

About one in 40 babies is diagnosed with early motor delay, which can range from low muscle tone to cerebral palsy. Some early motor delays are present at birth and others develop or are made worse by lack of stomach time. Physical therapy can help children with early motor delay to catch up quickly, UPI reported.

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Watermelons Said to Boost Heart Health

Watermelons contain compounds that can benefit the heart and circulatory system and may even provide a Viagra-like lift to the libido, according to Texas A&M researchers.

"The more we study watermelons, the more we realize just how amazing a fruit it is in providing natural enhancers to the human body," Dr. Bhimu Patil said in a prepared statement, United Press International reported.

Patil and colleagues found that when watermelon is consumed, a phyto-nutrient called citrulline is converted into an amino acid called arginine.

"The citrulline-arginine relationship helps heart health, the immune system and may prove to be very helpful for those who suffer from obesity and type 2 diabetes," Patil said. "Arginine boosts nitric oxide, which relaxes blood vessels, the same basic effect that Viagra has, to treat erectile dysfunction and maybe even prevent it."

In addition, Patil said deep-red varieties of watermelon also contain plenty of the antioxidant lycopene, which protects the heart, prostate and skin health, UPI reported.

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Dogs Can Detect Ovarian Cancer: Study

Specially trained dogs can use their noses to distinguish different types and grades of ovarian cancer, say researchers at the University Hospital in Goteborg, Sweden. Early stage and low-grade ovarian tumors emit the same scent as advanced ovarian tumors.

The researchers said their study shows ovarian cancer has an odor that's distinct from other gynecological malignancies such as cervical or endometrial cancers, United Press International reported.

The researchers said "we do not believe that dogs should be used in clinical practice, because they may be influenced during their work, leading to changes in the accuracy rates," but under controlled circumstances dogs "may be used in experiments to further explore this very interesting new property of malignancies."

The study was published in the journal Integrative Cancer Therapies.

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Experimental Alzheimer's Drug Ineffective

The experimental Alzheimer's drug Flurizan produced disappointing results in a late-stage clinical trial and development of the drug will be halted, Salt Lake City-based Myriad Genetics announced Monday.

Compared to a placebo, the drug didn't improve thinking ability by a statistically significant amount, nor did it improve patients' abilities to do daily activities, The New York Times reported.

The drug -- designed to prevent the buildup of toxic amyloid plaques in the brain believed to cause Alzheimer's -- was one of the first of its kind to reach late-stage testing. The failure of Flurizan may raise doubts about the role of amyloid plaques in Alzheimer's and about other experimental drugs designed to combat the plaques.

Two such drugs are currently in late-stage testing, the Times reported.

A study published earlier this month in the journal Nature suggested that gamma-secretase modulators such as Flurizan showed potential for treating Alzheimer's. The study said these drugs reduce the production of long pieces of amyloid beta protein that stick together and form clumps, while increasing production of shorter amyloid beta that blocks longer amyloid beta from sticking together, HealthDay News reported.

Health Tips for July 2

Health Tip: Stop Smoking, Save Your Bones

Smoking can affect many parts of your body, even your bones and joints.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons lists these musculoskeletal problems that can be triggered by smoking:

* Increased risk of osteoporosis.
* Decreased bone density.
* Reduced ability to absorb calcium.
* Reduced protection provided by estrogen replacement therapy.
* Increased risk of hip fracture as a person ages.
* Increased risk of developing an exercise-related injury.

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 Headlines - July 1

Experimental Alzheimer's Drug Ineffective

The experimental Alzheimer's drug Flurizan produced disappointing results in a late-stage clinical trial and development of the drug will be halted, Salt Lake City-based Myriad Genetics announced Monday.

Compared to a placebo, the drug didn't improve thinking ability by a statistically significant amount, nor did it improve patients' abilities to do daily activities, The New York Times reported.

The drug -- designed to prevent the buildup of toxic amyloid plaques in the brain believed to cause Alzheimer's -- was one of the first of its kind to reach late-stage testing. The failure of Flurizan may raise doubts about the role of amyloid plaques in Alzheimer's and about other experimental drugs designed to combat the plaques.

Two such drugs are currently in late-stage testing, the Times reported.

A study published earlier this month in the journal Nature suggested that gamma-secretase modulators such as Flurizan showed potential for treating Alzheimer's. The study said these drugs reduce the production of long pieces of amyloid beta protein that stick together and form clumps, while increasing production of shorter amyloid beta that blocks longer amyloid beta from sticking together, HealthDay News reported.

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Personal Characteristics Often Used to Determine HIV/STD Risk

The length of time a person has known someone is often used to determine a sexual partner's risk of having HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases, says a study by researchers at the University of British Columbia in Canada.

The researchers had 317 people at Canadian STD clinics complete questionnaires. All the participants were questioned on their first clinic visit and hadn't been diagnosed with an STD, United Press International reported.

Knowing or trusting a partner was found to influence a person's beliefs about their partner's STD-related risk. People who were well-educated and had higher incomes were more often considered "safe," said the study, published in the journal Sexually Transmitted Diseases.

The researchers said their findings suggest that many people rely on partner/relationship characteristics when considering a partner's STD/HIV status, and reliance on these factors is associated with a decreased perception of personal STD/HIV risk, UPI reported.

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England's Smoking Ban Could Save 40,000 Lives in a Decade: Study

Since England banned smoking in public places last July, more than 400,000 people have quit smoking, says a study that estimates the smoking ban will save 40,000 lives over the next decade.

Researchers with the Smoking Toolkit Study interviewed more than 32,000 smokers and ex-smokers during the nine months before the ban and nine months afterward, Agence France Presse reported.

In the nine months preceding the ban, there was a 1.6 percent decline in smoking in England, compared to a 5.5 percent decline in the nine months after the ban took effect.

"These figures show the largest fall in the number of smokers on record," said Professor Robert West, Cancer Research UK's director of tobacco studies, who oversaw the study. "The effect has been as large in all social groups, poor as well as rich smokers."

West said he "never expected such a dramatic impact and of course there are no guarantees that smoking rates will not climb back up again," AFP reported.

However, if health officials can maintain the momentum created by the ban, "there is a realistic prospect of achieving a target of less than 15 percent of the population smoking within the next 10 years," West said.

About 22 percent of Britain's adult population still smokes.

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Glaucoma Could Blind 8.4 Million Asians by 2010

Unless they receive timely treatment, more than 8.4 million people in Asia will go blind due to glaucoma by 2010, according to a survey released Monday by All Eyes on Glaucoma, a global education program.

The group said high blood pressure, family history and increased risk of glaucoma among Asians are among the factors contributing to the predicted high number, Agence France Presse reported.

Glaucoma -- optic nerve damage caused by high pressure within the eyeball -- is the second leading cause of blindness in the world. Cataract is the leading cause of blindness.

"Whereas cataract can be cured by surgery, glaucoma can lead to irreversible loss of eyesight and is the single largest preventable cause of blindness in Asia," Ivan Goldberg, president of the World Glaucoma Association, said at a news conference in Hong Kong, AFP reported.

Currently, as many as 9.4 million Chinese aged 40 and older have glaucoma. That could increase by about six million between 2010 and 2020.

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White House Delays Medicare Fee Cuts

A 10.6 percent fee cut for about 600,000 doctors who treat Medicare patients is being delayed by the Bush administration, the Associated Press reported.

Doctors' Medicare claims for services delivered on or after July 1 will be held by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, while claims for services received on or before June 30 will be processed as usual, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services spokesman Kevin Schweers said Monday.

"By holding claims for health care services that are delivered on or after July 1, CMS will not be making any payments on the 10.6 percent reduction until July 15 at the earliest," he said.

The cuts were scheduled under a formula that requires fee reductions when spending surpasses established targets, the AP reported.

It's believed Congress will take action to prevent the cuts when lawmakers return to Washington the week of July 7 after a July 4 recess. Ads being run by physicians have hinted the cuts may make it more difficult for Medicare patients to find doctors willing to treat them.

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Hospital Offers Workers Free Weight Watchers Programs

The Cleveland Clinic will offer free Weight Watchers programs to staffers enrolled in an in-house program that covers more than 27,000 of its 37,000 employees.

"The goal is to help our employees get healthier if they want to... When our employees feel healthier and are healthier, they're able to take care of patients better," Dr. Michael F. Roizen, the clinic's chief wellness officer, told the Associated Press. "Health care organizations ought to stand for health."

Employees will be able to sign up for free weight management programs, fitness centers and smoking cessation programs.

The Cleveland Clinic stopped hiring smokers last September and doesn't allow trans fats and sugar-sweetened beverages on patient menus or in cafeterias, restaurants, pharmacies and vending machines, the AP reported.

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BMI Not Effective for Tracking Children's Exercise

Using body mass index (BMI, a ratio of weight to height) to determine whether children are achieving exercise targets may not be effective, say British researchers who studied 113 boys and 99 girls over four years.

The researchers found no difference in BMI between children who got regular exercise and those who didn't, BBC News reported. However, blood tests for health indicators such as cholesterol levels and insulin resistance showed the children who got regular exercise were in better shape.

"BMI just doesn't pick up any differences in children -- it's just not a sufficiently sensitive measure," said study leader Professor Terry Wilkin, of the Peninsula Medical School in Plymouth.

The study was published in the journal Archives of Disease in Childhood.

In adults, BMI has proven useful as a guide to overall fitness and the success of diet and exercise programs, but there's ongoing debate about its effectiveness in children, BBC News reported.

Health Tips for July 1

Health Tip: Wear Eye Protection

Eye injuries can occur when you're playing sports, working with tools or chemicals, or even in the kitchen.

The U.S. National Safety Council says you should always wear eye protection when you are:

* Working with or around any type of chemical.
* Using tools to make repairs around the home.
* Playing any sport that involves a ball or other object that could strike your eye.

You can protect your glasses or contact lenses with safety goggles. You should also always wear sunglasses when you're out in the sun.

Health Tip: Understanding Astigmatism

Astigmatism involves distorted vision due to an abnormal curve in the eye's cornea. It's a very common condition, and is usually present at birth.

The U.S. National Library of Medicine offers this additional information:

* Astigmatism often occurs alongside other eye conditions, including nearsightedness or farsightedness.
* It is unclear what causes astigmatism.
* Astigmatism can be diagnosed at a regular eye exam.
* Hard contact lenses or glasses can correct vision problems in people with astigmatism, but soft contact lenses generally don't work as well.