Health Headlines - January 31

FDA Experts Recommend Banning Darvon

Darvon, a decades-old painkiller chiefly marketed as Darvocet, should be banned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, an expert panel advising the agency recommended Friday.

The advisory panel voted 14-12 to recommend withdrawing Darvon, first approved in 1957. Earlier Friday, the agency said it was reviewing the drug after critics charged it provided little relief and posed a risk for overdose and suicide, the Associated Press reported. The full FDA usually follows the recommendations of its expert panels, but isn't bound to do so.

Darvon, which includes a dose of acetaminophen, is among the top prescribed medications. More than 20 million prescriptions were written in 2007, the wire service said. Xanodyne Pharmaceuticals and Qualitest/Vintage Pharmaceuticals, two firms that market Darvocet, called the medication safe and effective when used as directed.

But critics complained that the government review was too long in coming. "[The drug] has unique risks and no unique advantages," Dr. Sidney Wolfe, a drug safety expert with the consumer group Public Citizen, told the AP. "It has been a big drug of abuse for quite a long time." Public Citizen first sought a ban on Darvon in the 1970s, and the United Kingdom banned its version in 2005, the AP said.

Besides an outright ban, the FDA's other options include requiring stiffer warnings, additional studies or education efforts to alert doctors and patients of potential misuses, the AP reported.

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Octuplets' Mom has 6 Other Children, Family Says

The woman who gave birth to octuplets this week in Southern California already has six other young children at home, her family told the Associated Press on Friday.

On Thursday, Angela Suleman, the woman's mother, told The Los Angeles Times that her daughter took fertility treatments but did not expect to give birth to eight babies. She and the children's grandfather told the AP that the mother, who has requested her name be kept confidential, now has a total of 14 children, the wire service reported.

Meanwhile, the babies, who are expected to remain in the hospital for at least seven more weeks, are doing fine and are receiving nutrition and fluids intravenously, the AP said. The woman gave birth on Monday.

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U.S. Senate Passes Children's Health Insurance Bill

A bill to provide health insurance to more than four million uninsured children in the United States was passed by the Senate in a 66 to 32 vote Thursday. It's expected that President Barack Obama will be quick to sign the bill, which advances the goal of providing insurance for all children and eventually all Americans, The New York Times reported.

Two weeks ago, the House passed a nearly identical bill, by a vote of 289 to 139.

Under the bill, states would be able to provide coverage for more than four million uninsured children by 2013, while continuing coverage for seven million children. The increased spending, estimated at more than $32 billion over four and a half years, would be offset by higher tobacco taxes.

The bill is "needed now more than ever," because tens of thousands of children are losing health insurance as their parents lose their jobs, Cindy Mann, executive director of the Center for Children and Families at Georgetown University, told The Times.

While Democrats support the expansion of the child health program, many Republicans say they're concerned it's part of a long-term campaign to replace private health insurance with government insurance.

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New Blood Thinner Appears Closer to FDA Approval

A new blood thinner called prasugrel appears more effective than the current leading blood thinner Plavix, according to a U.S. Food and Drug Administration review that suggests the agency may be moving closer to approving the new drug.

Next week, an FDA panel of independent cardiology experts is scheduled to give their opinion about the benefits and risks of prasugrel, which was developed by Eli Lilly and Japanese drugmaker Daiichi Sankyo, the Associated Press reported.

Since prasugrel was submitted for approval last January, the FDA has twice put off making a decision due to concerns about its safety. While the drug reduces life-threatening heart problems, it increases the risk of internal bleeding. One study showed that for every 24 serious heart problems it prevented, prasugrel caused 10 bleeding side effects.

But the new FDA document, posted online, seems to indicate the agency believes the drug's lifesaving benefits clearly outweigh its risks, the AP reported. The agency will ask experts whether the bleeding side effects of prasugrel could be minimized by restricting its use in certain patients.

Health Tips for January 31

Health Tip: Risk Factors for Anorexia

Anorexia is an eating disorder in which a person becomes obsessed about gaining weight and severely limits food or starves to feel more in control. Most people with anorexia are female.

There's no single cause of anorexia, but there are a number of contributing factors. The National Women's Health Information Center offers this list:

• Anorexia may be caused by hormonal changes or chemical changes in the brain.
• A family history of anorexia can increase a person's risk of developing the disorder.
• Stressful or traumatizing experiences, including major life changes or violent crime, can make a person more prone to developing anorexia.
• Having a perfectionist personality, or having extremely high standards for one's self, also are risk factors.
• Exposure to a culture with an emphasis on thinness and looks is an additional risk factor.

Health Tip: Feeling Hungry?

Feeling particularly hungry is a common symptom -- with many possible causes.

The U.S. National Library of Medicine offers this list:

• Stress or anxiety.
• Premenstrual syndrome.
• A side effect of taking certain medications, including some corticosteroids or antidepressants.
• Bulimia.
• Graves' disease
• Hyperthyroidism.
• Diabetes.
• Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).

Health Headlines - January 30

U.S. Soldier Suicides Reach New High

The number of American soldiers who committed suicide increased again in 2008, reaching almost a three-decade high, according to military officials.

They told the Associated Press that at least 128 soldiers killed themselves in 2008, but also said the final count is expected to be higher because more than a dozen other suspicious deaths are still being investigated.

There were 115 suicides among U.S. soldiers in 2007, 102 in 2006, and 64 in 2004. The 2008 figure of 128 is the highest since record-keeping began in 1980 and works out to a rate of 20.2 per 100,000 soldiers. That means the suicide rate among soldiers is higher than the adjusted civilian rate for the first time since the Vietnam War, the AP reported.

The military officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the data will be formally released at an Army news conference later Thursday.

Repeated and long tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan are putting troops under tremendous and unprecedented stress, officials say. In an attempt to halt the rise in suicides, the Army has increased training, prevention programs, and psychiatric staff, the AP reported. Additional measures are expected to be announced at the news conference.

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Stem Cells Used to Clone Dogs

In what's believed to be a world-first, a South Korean biotech company said it used stem cell technology to clone two puppies born this week.

Seoul-based RNL Bio said the puppies were cloned using fat tissue from a female beagle, the Associated Press reported. The company plans to commercialize the technology so that clients can store their dogs' stem cells to treat their pets' health problems or clone them after they die.

The technology may also benefit people, said RNL Bio chief Ra Jeong-chan. Human disease-related genes can be put into dogs' stem cells in order to create clones that can be used to study human diseases such as diabetes and arthritis.

The stem cell cloning of the dogs was done in cooperation with a team of Seoul National University scientists, led by Lee Byeong-chun. Lee was a key aide to disgraced scientist Hwang Woo-suk, who reported stem cell research breakthroughs that were later shown to be false.

While this may be the first time stem cells have been used to clone dogs, other researchers have used stem cells to clone mice, pigs and deer, the AP reported.

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Nicotine May Boost Risk of Mood Disorders: Study

Nicotine exposure during the teen years may increase the risk of mood disorders such as depression, suggests a Florida State University study.

For 15 days, researchers gave adolescent rats twice daily injections of either nicotine or saline. In subsequent experiments, the rats were put in stressful and pleasurable situations, United Press International reported.

The rats exposed to nicotine showed depression- and anxiety-related behaviors, such as repetitive grooming, decreased consumption of rewards, and freezing in stressful situations, instead of trying to escape. These symptoms eased when the rats were given more nicotine or antidepressant drugs.

Adult rats exposed to the same levels of nicotine didn't show the same depression- and anxiety-like traits, UPI reported.

The findings, published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology, may also be true for humans, the researchers said.

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Multiple-Virus Flu Vaccine Developed in Japan

A flu vaccine that works against multiple viruses has been developed by Japanese researchers, who said the vaccine could help prevent a deadly bird flu pandemic caused by mutating viruses.

The vaccine is based on common, rarely changing types of protein inside flu viruses. Current flu vaccines utilize a protein on the surface of viruses, but the protein commonly mutates and renders vaccines ineffective, Agence France Presse reported.

Tests on mice implanted with human genes showed that the new vaccine is effective even when flu viruses mutate, said Tetsuya Uchida, a researcher at Japan's National Institute of Infectious Diseases.

Uchida told AFP the research team needs to confirm the vaccine's safety with further experiments on mice and possibly large animals before they can test it on humans. That means it could be several years before the vaccine is available for use.

Health Tips for January 30

Health Tip: Is Your Child Getting Too Much Sugar?

Too much sugar in a child's diet can contribute to weight and dental problems.

The Baylor College of Medicine offers these suggestions for limiting the amount of sugar your child gets:

• When baking, cut sugar down to two-thirds of what the recipe says.
• Sweeten cookies and other baked goods with dried fruits instead of candy or chocolate.
• Instead of offering your child a muffin or a doughnut for breakfast, serve a bagel.
• Serve natural, unsweetened fruit juice instead of sodas or other sugar-laden beverages.
• Save candy for a special treat. Only allow your child candy once or twice a week.

Health Tip: Take it Easy After You Give Birth

After you've had a baby, your body needs time to heal, so you shouldn't expect to immediately resume normal physical activity.

The University of Michigan Health System offers these suggestions for new moms:

• Go easy on your body. Resume your normal schedule and activities gradually.
• Lift your baby, and that's about it. Avoid lifting anything heavy, even grocery bags or loads of laundry.
• Don't drive a car for about two weeks, or until your doctor says it's OK.
• Walking is great. Start out going for regular short walks.
• Limit stair climbing for at least the first week. Be careful using the stairs, and only climb long staircases once or twice each day.

Health Headlines - January 29

Diet Pills Contain Potentially Harmful Chemical: FDA

The weight-loss pill "Venom Hyperdrive 3.0" contains a significant amount of a chemical called sibutramine, which increases blood pressure and heart rate and puts people at risk for addiction, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned.

The agency said consumers should stop taking the product and contact their doctor if they're suffering any adverse health effects, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Venom Hyperdrive 3.0 is marketed by California-based Applied Lifescience Research Industries Inc. The company, which launched a recall of the product late last year after the FDA raised concerns, is replacing Venom Hyperdrive 3.0 with a newer version.

Charles Weller, general counsel for Applied Lifescience Research, told the Journal that the company hasn't pinpointed how sibutramine got into the original product, but said contaminated raw materials from China may be to blame.

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Short, Intense Exercise Improves Metabolism: Study

The body's ability to process sugars can get a big boost from regular high-intensity, three-minute workouts, which could reduce the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, according to researchers in Scotland.

They had 16 sedentary male volunteers use exercise bikes to perform quick sprints at their highest possible intensity, United Press International reported.

"What we have found is that doing a few intense muscle exercises, each lasting only about 30 seconds, dramatically improves your metabolism in just two weeks," researcher James Timmons, Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, said in a news release.

He added that doing any kind of high intensity workout a few days a week should achieve the same protective metabolic improvements, UPI reported.

While regular physical activity can reduce the risk of diabetes and heart disease, many people simply don't have the time to follow current exercise guidelines, Timmons noted. These findings suggest a way around that time problem.

The study appears in the journal BMC Endocrine Disorders.

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Brain Damage Found in Sixth NFL Player Who Died Young

The debate about head injuries in pro football players has intensified with the revelation Tuesday that a sixth deceased former National Football League player age 50 or younger had brain damage commonly associated with boxers.

A condition called chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) was found in the brain of Tom McHale, an NFL lineman from 1987 to 1995. He was 45 when he died in May 2008. Tests on McHale's brain were conducted by doctors at Boston University's School of Medicine, The New York Times reported.

CTE, a progressive condition that results from repetitive head traumas, can cause dementia in people in their 40s or 50s. CTE has been identified in all six NFL veterans who died between the ages of 36 and 50 and were tested for the condition, the newspaper said.

"This is a medically significant finding," Dr. Daniel P. Perl, director of neuropathology at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City, told the Times. "I think with a sixth case identified, out of six, for a condition that is incredibly rare in the general population, there is more than enough evidence that football is clearly strongly related to the presence of this pathology."

However, a neurologist at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New York said there's still no firm link between football and CTE.

"I think that there are many questions that still are out there as to whether there is a kind of traumatic encephalopathy associated with football. I think we don't know. I think that there is not enough scientific evidence to say that there is," Dr. Ira Casson, a co-chairman of the NFL committee that has studied concussions since 1994, told the Times.

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High Folate Levels Seen in Children With Bowel Disease

Surprisingly high folate levels have been found in the blood of children newly diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a finding that questions the theory that IBD patients are prone to folate deficiency, U.S. researchers say.

IBD, which includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, can cause abdominal pain, diarrhea, fever, bleeding and nutritional deficiencies. Previous studies found that adult IBD patients often have lower folate levels than those without the condition, United Press International reported.

"However, pediatric inflammatory bowel disease appears to be somewhat different from the adult form, and before this study very little was known about folate levels in newly diagnosed children with the disease," study senior author Nina Holland said in a news release.

"This is exciting work that opens the door to additional research into the role of folic acid and its genetic basis in the development of inflammatory bowel disease, especially in young patients," added study co-author Dr. Melvin Heyman, UPI reported.

The study appears in the February issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Health Tips for January 29

Health Tip: Be Wary of Fad Diets

If you're looking to help kick start your weight loss program, it's important to carefully research a diet plan before you commit to one.

Look for these warning signs of an unhealthy fad diet, courtesy of the American Academy of Family Physicians:

• A diet that promises very fast weight loss -- anything more than a pound or two per week.
• A diet that promises weight loss without changing diet habits or engaging in an exercise program.
• A diet that is promoted by "scientific" testimonials and pictures of "before" and "after" success stories.
• A diet that involves expensive seminars, medications, or pre-made meals.
• A diet that focuses on very few acceptable foods, and doesn't focus on a healthy, balanced diet.
• A diet that points to simple explanations drawn from confusing research.

Health Tip: Problems With a Picky Eater?

If your child is a picky eater and refuses to eat or try new foods, the University of Maryland Medical Center offers these suggestions:

• Set an example by eating various healthy foods yourself.
• Fix foods that are attractive. Decorate your child's plate with bright, colorful foods with different consistencies.
• If your child isn't hungry, don't force the issue. When children are hungry enough, they will eat.
• Stay away from sugary treats. Instead, offer fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
• Make healthy eating a tradition. Start early by offering a variety of baby foods when the child is as young as 6 months.

Health Headlines - January 28

California Octuplets in Stable Condition

Southern California octuplets delivered by Caesarean section Monday are in stable condition and breathing on their own, doctors at Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Medical Center said Tuesday.

Two of the eight infants (six boys and two girls) were initially put on ventilators, but their breathing tubes have been removed, the Associated Press reported. The babies weighed between 1.8 pounds and 3.4 pounds when they were born with the help of 46 doctors, nurses and assistants.

The unidentified mother checked into the hospital seven weeks ago, when she was in her 23rd week of pregnancy. Hospital officials wouldn't reveal whether she'd used fertility drugs.

This is only the second time in recorded history that octuplets have survived more than a few hours. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, the world's first live octuplets were born in March 1967 in Mexico City, but all of them died within 14 hours.

In 1998, octuplets were born in Houston, Texas, but the smallest of those babies died a week after birth. The surviving siblings turned 10 in December, the AP reported.

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Few Postal Workers Took Anthrax Vaccine: Study

Fears about being "guinea pigs," disagreements among public health experts, and a belief that they had a low risk of infection are among the reasons why most U.S. postal workers decided not be vaccinated against anthrax when the deadly germ was sent through the mail in 2001.

Physician advice and conflicting media reports were other reasons cited in a University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health study that included postal workers in Trenton, N.J., New York City and Washington, D.C., United Press International reported.

During the attacks, which caused five deaths, a two-month dose of antibiotics was given to 10,000 postal workers and others known or suspected to have been exposed to anthrax. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention then advised that people who failed to complete the regimen, or those at high risk for exposure, should take antibiotics for an additional 40 days with or without a supplemental anthrax vaccine.

But the researchers found that only 11. 5 percent of postal workers who took the additional 40-day dose of antibiotics also decided to receive the anthrax vaccine, UPI reported.

The study appears in the journal Biosecurity and Bioterrorism: Biodefense Strategy, Practice, and Science.

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Non-White Americans Getting Happier: Study

Since the early 1970s, the happiness gap between white and non-white Americans has decreased by two-thirds, according to University of Pennsylvania researchers who analyzed 1972 to 2006 data collected by the University of Chicago's General Social Survey.

The analysis revealed that, overall, Americans are no happier than they were three decades ago. However, the gap between happy and unhappy people has narrowed significantly, United Press International reported.

In 2006, non-whites were much happier than they were in the early 1970s, while whites were a bit less happy. Women have become less cheerful, while men are a bit more chipper. The study appears in the Journal of Legal Studies.

"Americans are becoming more similar to each other in terms of reported happiness. It's an interesting finding because other research shows increasing gaps in income, consumption and leisure time," study co-author and economist Betsey Stevenson said in a news release, UPI reported.

While it's difficult to determine the reason for the narrowing happiness gap, money doesn't appear to be a factor, the researchers said.

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Mixed Reactions to Medicare's Coverage of Off-Label Cancer Treatments

Medicare's decision to pay for unapproved drugs to treat cancer is being met with both praise and criticism.

Cancer doctors demanded the move because it enables cancer patients to receive the most up-to-date care and, in some cases, these off-label treatments may represent a patient's last hope, The New York Times reported.

Supporters of the decision, announced late last year, also say it will improve understanding of which treatments work against various types of cancer.

However, critics contend the use of drugs not approved by the Food and Drug Administration may waste money and needlessly expose cancer patients to side effects without offering them any benefits.

A cost analysis of the changes was canceled by Medicare, so it's difficult to determine how much the new policy will add to the $2.4 billion Medicare paid in 2007 for cancer drugs, the Times reported.

Health Tips for January 28

Health Tip: Managing Neck Pain

If you've sustained a minor injury to your neck, there are things you can do to get the pain under control.

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

• Use an over-the-counter pain reliever such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen.
• Apply an ice pack for the first two or three days, followed by a few days of applying heat, such as by taking a hot shower or using a heating pad.
• Gently exercise and stretch the neck, with up-and-down and side-to-side motions.
• Have someone lightly rub or massage your neck.
• Use a neck pillow or no pillow at all when you sleep. A firm mattress will help, too.

Health Tip: Help Manage Back Pain

When you begin to feel back pain, resist the urge to stay in bed for a prolonged period. It's better to remain active, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC).

As long as you don't have a serious underlying medical problem that's causing your pain, the UMMC offers these suggestions for how to tame it:

• For the first few days, take it easier, but only for a few days. After that, gradually become more active until you're back to your regular routine.
• Apply either heat or ice to your sore back -- whichever feels better. You can also alternate between the two, starting with ice for the first two or three days, followed by muscle-relaxing heat beginning the next day.
• If it's OK with your doctor, take an over-the-counter pain reliever such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen.
• Take a warm bath before bed to soothe your back and help you sleep.
• Sleep with a pillow between your legs (if on your side), or under your knees (if on your back).

Health Headlines - January 27

Heartburn Drugs May Neutralize Plavix

U.S. health officials are studying reports that the action of the popular blood thinner Plavix can be neutralized by some heartburn medications, the Associated Press reported.

Plavix, used to prevent deadly blood clots, has been prescribed to more than 90 million people worldwide. Because it can upset the stomach, Plavix (generic name clopidogrel) is often prescribed with heartburn drugs called proton pump inhibitors.

A few months ago, researchers reported that patients taking Plavix and these heartburn drugs had a significantly increased risk of hospitalization for chest pain, heart attack or stroke. The heartburn drugs may interfere with a liver enzyme need to metabolize Plavix, the researchers suggested.

In a statement, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it's important to fully understand the interaction between Plavix and proton pump inhibitors. The FDA also said there's no evidence that another family of heartburn drugs called H2 blockers interfere with Plavix, the AP reported.

For now, patients should continue taking Plavix but doctors should be cautious when prescribing heartburn drugs to patients taking the blood thinner, the FDA said.

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Imported Diet Pills May Contain Amphetamines: Study

Consumers and doctors need to know that illegal diet pills from South America may contain amphetamines, warns a U.S. physician.

The majority of amphetamine-based diet suppressants have been banned in the United States, but many are still prescribed in South America and other parts of the world, said Dr. Pieter Cohen, of Cambridge Health Alliance and the Harvard Medical School, United Press International reported.

He said many American doctors aren't aware of these diet pills and need to know about the number of serious side effects they can cause in order to identify and treat patients with unexplained symptoms, such as chest pains, palpitations, headaches and insomnia.

In his study, Cohen reviewed two case reports of patients who took illegal diet pills that contained amphetamines. In one case, a woman's mysterious symptoms stopped after she stopped taking imported diet pills. The second case involves a man suspended from work after testing positive for amphetamines he ingested while taking imported diet pills, UPI reported.

The study appears in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

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Drug Giant Pfizer to Buy Rival Wyeth

Pfizer Inc., the world's largest pharmaceutical company, has announced an agreement to buy one of its rivals, Wyeth, for $68 billion, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Wyeth's biggest over-the-counter seller is the pain medication Advil (ibuprofen), which is the largest OTC ibuprofen brand sold in America. Its prescription drugs include the anti-depressant Effexor, acid reflux inhibitor Protonix, the pneumococcal vaccine Prevnar and the female hormone replacement drug Premarin.

Pfizer's drugs also often dominate the market and include Benadryl for allergies, Celebrex for pain, Lipitor for cholesterol control, Glucotrol for type 2 diabetes, Viagra for erectile dysfunction and Zoloft for depression.

While this one of the largest buyouts among pharmaceutical companies on record, it isn't the biggest, the Journal reports. In 2000, Glaxo Wellcome PLC acquired SmithKline Beecham PLC for $76 billion.

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Fifth Victim Dies From Avian Flu in China

An 18-year-old man died from bird flu Monday in southern China, the fifth human death from the virus in the country this year, according to state media reports.

But, according to the Associated Press, the country's Health Ministry said after the earlier deaths this month that there is no evidence of a large-scale outbreak of bird flu. It called the illnesses isolated and unrelated.

The fourth victim, a 31-year-old woman from the western part of the country, died Friday, Associated Press reported.

Both victims died from the H5N1 strain of bird flu, the same strain that has caused the deaths of 251 people since the World Health Organization (WHO) started keeping statistics in 2003.

The other three deaths appear not to be related, AP reported, coming in three different geographic regions. As in all other human cases reported by WHO, this incident of bird flu appeared to be contracted by contact with poultry or fowl and not transmitted from human to human.

Scientists have been carefully monitoring avian flu outbreaks, in which millions of birds have been put to death, to see whether the H5N1 virus has mutated. The fear is that a mutation causing human-to-human infection could lead to a worldwide influenza pandemic.

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Study Supports Safety of Vaccine Ingredient Thimerosal

A new study offers more proof that thimerosal -- a mercury-based preservative once used in many vaccines -- poses no threat to children's brains. There has been intense debate about whether thimerosal causes autism, a link repeatedly discounted in scientific studies.

The new study included 1,403 Italian children who were given vaccines in the early 1990s and underwent brain function tests 10 years later. Those tests showed no signs of problems and only one case of autism was identified, the Associated Press reported.

The findings appear in the February issue of the journal Pediatrics.

"Put together with the evidence of all the other studies, this tells us there is no reason to worry about the effect of thimerosal in vaccines," said lead author, Dr. Alberto Tozzi of Bambino Gesu Hospital in Rome, the AP reported.

The study was welcomed by outside experts.

"It's yet another well-done, peer-reviewed research study that has demonstrated there is no risk of any neurodevelopmental outcomes associated with thimerosal in vaccines," University of Pennsylvania epidemiologist Jennifer Pinto-Martin told the AP.

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Sexual Activity Linked to Prostate Cancer Risk: Study

The more sexually active a man is in his 20s and 30s, the greater his risk of prostate cancer, suggests a U.K. study that included 400 prostate cancer patients and 409 men without the disease.

The men were questioned about their sexual behaviors while younger. About 40 percent of the prostate cancer patients had had at least six female sexual partners, compared with less than a third of the cancer-free men, BBC News reported.

The Nottingham University study found that 40 percent of the prostate cancer patients were sexually active (masturbation or sex) at least 20 times a month or more in their 20s, compared with 32 percent of those without prostate cancer.

It's possible that higher levels of sex hormones could be the cause of a higher sex drive and increased prostate cancer risk, said the researchers. The study appears in the journal BJU International.

While the study is useful, more research is needed, John Neate, chief executive of The Prostate Cancer Charity in the U.K., told BBC News.

"The role of sexual activity is becoming an increasing focus for prostate cancer research, but unfortunately this study does little to offer any practical advice to men wishing to reduce their risk of the disease," Neate said.

Health Tips for January 27

Health Tip: Symptoms of Computer Strain

Frequent computer use -- especially when it involves poor posture or keystroke repetition -- can damage nerves, muscles, tendons or ligaments.

Here are common symptoms of computer-related injury, courtesy of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons:

• Numbness of the fingers.
• Pain or soreness in the lower back, neck, shoulders or wrists.
• Headache.
• Dryness, redness and soreness of the eyes, or blurred vision.

Health Tip: Sit Properly at the Computer

Stretching your neck and working your wrists at a computer for hours at a time can strain much of the body.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons offers these suggestions to help reduce computer pain and discomfort:

• Sit up straight, with your ears lined up with the top of your shoulders, and your shoulders lined up with the hips.
• Relax your upper arms, and hold them close to your body. Keep your hands and wrists straight in front of your arms.
• Keep your hands and fingers relaxed when typing or clicking on the mouse.
• Take regular breaks and relax your hands and fingers.
• Give your eyes a rest and look away from the computer every so often. Also, try to position your screen to reflect the least glare.
• Place your computer monitor about an arm's length in front of you, and right at eye level so you don't have to look up or down to view the monitor.

Health Headlines - January 26

Protein's Removal from Platelets May Help Control Harmful Clotting

Laboratory results from British scientists at the University of Bristol have found a possible way to prevent arterial blood clots, which can cause heart attacks.

According to BBC News, the researchers were able to remove the protein PKC alpha from blood platelets in laboratory mice, and this prevented clots from developing. PKC alpha is an essential element in clot formation.

Eventually, this method may be a reasonable alternative to anti-clotting medicines, which run the gamut from aspirin to prescription drugs, BBC News reports.

Lead researcher Alastair Poole told the BBC that one surprising result was that not having PKC alpha in a person's blood may not prevent normal bleeding control: "... we have also found that absence of PKC alpha doesn't seem to impair the normal control of bleeding, unlike some current anti-clotting medicines," Poole said.

The study appears in the current issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

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Fourth Human Avian Flu Victim Dies in China

Avian flu has claimed a fourth death in China this year.

The Associated Press reports that a 31-year-old woman from a far western region in China died Friday from the H5N1 strain of bird flu, the same strain that has caused the deaths of 251 people since the World Health Organization (WHO) started keeping statistics in 2003.

The other three deaths appear not to be related, the wire service reports, coming in three different geographic regions. In all, 22 people in China have died from this strain of flu since 2003, the A.P. reports. As in all other human cases reported by WHO, this incident of bird flu appeared to be contracted by contact with poultry or fowl and not transmitted from human to human.

Scientists have been carefully monitoring avian flu outbreaks, in which millions of birds have been put to death, to see whether the H5N1 virus has mutated. The fear is that a mutation causing human-to-human infection could lead to a worldwide influenza pandemic.

Chinese officials are increasing their monitoring of bird flu outbreaks, the A.P. reports, because the Lunar New Year holiday will be celebrated next week, and there will be more contact with chickens and ducks as holiday meals are prepared.

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Obama Overturns International Abortion Funding Ban: Report

President Barack Obama signed an executive order Friday overturning the ban on using federal funds for international groups promoting or performing abortion, CNN reported.

The so-called "Mexico City Policy" banned U.S. taxpayer money from going to international family planning groups that either offer abortions or provide information, counseling or referrals about abortion. It is also known as the "global gag rule," because it prohibited taxpayer funding for groups that even talk about abortion if there is an unplanned pregnancy, the Associated Press said.

The policy was instituted by President Ronald Reagan in 1984, overturned by President Bill Clinton in 1993, and re-instituted by President George W. Bush in 2001, according to ABC News.

Most presidents acted on the ban on Jan. 22, the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, but Obama held off on that move, thinking it too combative, ABC reported.

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Drug Maker to Seek Approval for MS Pill

The first pill to treat multiple sclerosis shows promise, and drug maker Merck Serono says it will submit cladribine tablets for registration in the United States and Europe later this year.

MS patients taking the pills had an almost 60 percent lower relapse rate than those taking a placebo, according to a two-year study that included more than 1,300 patients, the Associated Press reported. The study was paid for by Merck.

"This is promising news," said Dr. Lee Dunster, head of research for the Multiple Sclerosis Society in the United Kingdom.

Dunster, who wasn't involved in the study, said the findings suggest cladribine is twice as effective as current primary treatments for MS, the AP reported.

There is no known cure for MS. Current MS treatments must be given by injections and have varying success rates. Known side effects of caldribine, currently used to treat leukemia, include fatigue, anemia and increased risk of infections.

Health Tips for January 26

Health Tip: Symptoms of a Drug Allergy

Some drugs cause unpleasant side effects in many people, including nausea, dizziness or fatigue.

But if you're allergic to a drug, you can have a reaction that ranges from mild to life-threatening. Penicillin and other antibiotics are among the most common causes of drug allergy.

The U.S. National Library of Medicine lists these warning signs of an allergic reaction to a medication:

• Hives.
• Skin rash.
• Itchiness of the skin or eyes.
• Wheezing or difficulty breathing.
• Swollen lips, eyes or tongue.

Health Tip: Coping With Pet Allergies

If being near a pet makes you sniffle, sneeze, and your eyes water, you may not have to live a pet-free life.

The American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology offers these suggestions:

• Always wash your hands after you touch a pet. And avoid kissing or hugging your furry friend.
• Keep cat litter boxes away from vents, and try to limit your exposure to them.
• Give your pet a bath each week to reduce dander. And try to have a person who isn't allergic regularly brush your pet outdoors.
• Don't allow pets on upholstered furniture. If necessary, cover the furniture in plastic.
• Make sure your pet is on a healthy diet to help reduce shedding.
• Try to eliminate rugs and carpets from your home, and use a double filter or micro-filter bag in your vacuum.
• Ask your doctor about getting allergy shots to control symptoms.

Health Headlines - January 25

Fourth Human Avian Flu Victim Dies in China

Avian flu has claimed a fourth death in China this year.

The Associated Press reports that a 31-year-old woman from a far western region in China died Friday from the H5N1 strain of bird flu, the same strain that has caused the deaths of 251 people since the World Health Organization (WHO) started keeping statistics in 2003.

The other three deaths appear not to be related, the wire service reports, coming in three different geographic regions. In all, 22 people in China have died from this strain of flu since 2003, the A.P. reports. As in all other human cases reported by WHO, this incident of bird flu appeared to be contracted by contact with poultry or fowl and not transmitted from human to human.

Scientists have been carefully monitoring avian flu outbreaks, in which millions of birds have been put to death, to see whether the H5N1 virus has mutated. The fear is that a mutation causing human-to-human infection could lead to a worldwide influenza pandemic.

Chinese officials are increasing their monitoring of bird flu outbreaks, the A.P. reports, because the Lunar New Year holiday will be celebrated next week, and there will be more contact with chickens and ducks as holiday meals are prepared.

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Obama Overturns International Abortion Funding Ban: Report

President Barack Obama signed an executive order Friday overturning the ban on using federal funds for international groups promoting or performing abortion, CNN reported.

The so-called "Mexico City Policy" banned U.S. taxpayer money from going to international family planning groups that either offer abortions or provide information, counseling or referrals about abortion. It is also known as the "global gag rule," because it prohibited taxpayer funding for groups that even talk about abortion if there is an unplanned pregnancy, the Associated Press said.

The policy was instituted by President Ronald Reagan in 1984, overturned by President Bill Clinton in 1993, and re-instituted by President George W. Bush in 2001, according to ABC News.

Most presidents acted on the ban on Jan. 22, the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, but Obama held off on that move, thinking it too combative, ABC reported.

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Drug Maker to Seek Approval for MS Pill

The first pill to treat multiple sclerosis shows promise, and drug maker Merck Serono says it will submit cladribine tablets for registration in the United States and Europe later this year.

MS patients taking the pills had an almost 60 percent lower relapse rate than those taking a placebo, according to a two-year study that included more than 1,300 patients, the Associated Press reported. The study was paid for by Merck.

"This is promising news," said Dr. Lee Dunster, head of research for the Multiple Sclerosis Society in the United Kingdom.

Dunster, who wasn't involved in the study, said the findings suggest cladribine is twice as effective as current primary treatments for MS, the AP reported.

There is no known cure for MS. Current MS treatments must be given by injections and have varying success rates. Known side effects of caldribine, currently used to treat leukemia, include fatigue, anemia and increased risk of infections.

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CDC Gets New Acting Director

The Obama administration on Friday named Dr. Richard Besser, who headed the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's public health emergency preparedness and response functions, acting director of the CDC. He succeeds Dr. Julie Gerberding, who stepped down after six years heading the agency, The Wall Street Journal reported.

An e-mail to CDC employees said that Besser would serve as acting director, but it wasn't clear if he would be Gerberding's permanent successor. Gerberding stepped down when President Barack Obama was sworn in this week. Her place was to have been temporarily taken by William Gimson III, the CDC's chief operating officer, but sources told the newspaper that since Gimson isn't a medical doctor, Besser was named instead.

Besser, 49, is a CDC veteran who served in the CDC's Epidemic Intelligence Service, dealing with foodborne and infectious disease issues, the newspaper reported. A pediatrician by training, he also spearheaded a national campaign to prevent overuse of antibiotics and had been director of the Coordinating Office for Terrorism Preparedness and Emergency Response.

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More Americans Unable to Afford Prescription Drugs

The number of Americans under age 65 who went without prescribed medicines because they couldn't afford them increased from one in 10 in 2003 to one in seven in 2007, according to a study released Thursday by the nonprofit Center for Studying Health System Change.

Three in 10 low-income Americans, almost one in four adults on Medicaid or state insurance programs, and one in 10 working-age people with employer-sponsored coverage said they had problems affording drugs in 2007, The New York Times reported.

Overall, about 36.1 million children and adults under age 65 didn't have prescriptions filled in 2007 due to cost.

The current number of people who can't afford prescription drugs may be even higher due to the economic meltdown, according to study lead author Laurie E. Felland, a senior health researcher at the center.

"Our findings are particularly troublesome given the increased reliance on prescription drugs to treat chronic conditions," she told The Times. "People who go without their prescriptions experience worsening health and complications."

The study findings are based on an analysis of data from 10,400 adults under age 65 who took part in the 2007 national Health Tracking Household Survey.

Health Tips for January 25

Health Tip: Boost Your Energy

If you often feel out of breath or seem to tire easily, you probably should better pace yourself.

Here are suggestions to help boost your energy, courtesy of National Jewish Health:

• Work slower, and take short, frequent breaks. Don't rush yourself.
• Find the most efficient way to perform everyday tasks. Don't make yourself work harder than you have to.
• Break out strenuous tasks into smaller projects, with breaks in between.
• Breathe slowly and deeply, and avoid short, jerky breaths.
• Plan your activities, schedule time for them, and relax.

Health Tip: Keep Stress at Bay

Some stress is unavoidable, but there are things you can do to prevent stress from taking over your life and making health problems worse.

The Cleveland Clinic offers these suggestions:

• Stick to a healthy diet, get plenty of exercise, avoid smoking and limit the amount of alcohol you drink.
• Don't allow others to make demands or set expectations for you. Say no, and don't be afraid to stand up for yourself.
• Take time every day just to relax.
• Set realistic goals and expectations for yourself, but understand that you can't control everything.
• Figure out what causes you stress in your life. Eliminate what you can, and learn how to manage other sources of stress.
• Remind yourself of what you do well and successes that you've had.

Health Headlines - January 24

Obama Overturns International Abortion Funding Ban: Report

President Barack Obama signed an executive order Friday overturning the ban on using federal funds for international groups promoting or performing abortion, CNN reported.

The so-called "Mexico City Policy" banned U.S. taxpayer money from going to international family planning groups that either offer abortions or provide information, counseling or referrals about abortion. It is also known as the "global gag rule," because it prohibited taxpayer funding for groups that even talk about abortion if there is an unplanned pregnancy, the Associated Press said.

The policy was instituted by President Ronald Reagan in 1984, overturned by President Bill Clinton in 1993, and re-instituted by President George W. Bush in 2001, according to ABC News.

Most presidents acted on the ban on Jan. 22, the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, but Obama held off on that move, thinking it too combative, ABC reported.

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Drug Maker to Seek Approval for MS Pill

The first pill to treat multiple sclerosis shows promise, and drug maker Merck Serono says it will submit cladribine tablets for registration in the United States and Europe later this year.

MS patients taking the pills had an almost 60 percent lower relapse rate than those taking a placebo, according to a two-year study that included more than 1,300 patients, the Associated Press reported. The study was paid for by Merck.

"This is promising news," said Dr. Lee Dunster, head of research for the Multiple Sclerosis Society in the United Kingdom.

Dunster, who wasn't involved in the study, said the findings suggest cladribine is twice as effective as current primary treatments for MS, the AP reported.

There is no known cure for MS. Current MS treatments must be given by injections and have varying success rates. Known side effects of caldribine, currently used to treat leukemia, include fatigue, anemia and increased risk of infections.

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CDC Gets New Acting Director

The Obama administration on Friday named Dr. Richard Besser, who headed the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's public health emergency preparedness and response functions, acting director of the CDC. He succeeds Dr. Julie Gerberding, who stepped down after six years heading the agency, The Wall Street Journal reported.

An e-mail to CDC employees said that Besser would serve as acting director, but it wasn't clear if he would be Gerberding's permanent successor. Gerberding stepped down when President Barack Obama was sworn in this week. Her place was to have been temporarily taken by William Gimson III, the CDC's chief operating officer, but sources told the newspaper that since Gimson isn't a medical doctor, Besser was named instead.

Besser, 49, is a CDC veteran who served in the CDC's Epidemic Intelligence Service, dealing with foodborne and infectious disease issues, the newspaper reported. A pediatrician by training, he also spearheaded a national campaign to prevent overuse of antibiotics and had been director of the Coordinating Office for Terrorism Preparedness and Emergency Response.

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More Americans Unable to Afford Prescription Drugs

The number of Americans under age 65 who went without prescribed medicines because they couldn't afford them increased from one in 10 in 2003 to one in seven in 2007, according to a study released Thursday by the nonprofit Center for Studying Health System Change.

Three in 10 low-income Americans, almost one in four adults on Medicaid or state insurance programs, and one in 10 working-age people with employer-sponsored coverage said they had problems affording drugs in 2007, The New York Times reported.

Overall, about 36.1 million children and adults under age 65 didn't have prescriptions filled in 2007 due to cost.

The current number of people who can't afford prescription drugs may be even higher due to the economic meltdown, according to study lead author Laurie E. Felland, a senior health researcher at the center.

"Our findings are particularly troublesome given the increased reliance on prescription drugs to treat chronic conditions," she told The Times. "People who go without their prescriptions experience worsening health and complications."

The study findings are based on an analysis of data from 10,400 adults under age 65 who took part in the 2007 national Health Tracking Household Survey.

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Vitamin D May Help Maintain Seniors' Brain Health

Vitamin D may help fight age-related mental decline, according to a study that included 2,000 people aged 65 and older. Those with the lowest vitamin D levels were more than twice as likely to have cognitive problems than those with the highest levels of the vitamin, BBC News reported.

People with impaired cognitive function are more likely to develop dementia, noted the U.K. and U.S. authors of the study, which will be published in the Journal of Geriatric Psychology and Neurology.

Sources of vitamin D include fish and exposure to sunlight. But older people absorb less vitamin D from sunlight than younger people, said study co-author Dr. Iain Lang, of the Peninsula Medical School in the United Kingdom, BBC News reported.

"One way to address this might be to provide older adults with vitamin D supplements," Lang said. "This has been proposed in the past as a way of improving bone health in older people, but our results suggest it might also have other benefits."

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Kentucky Has Highest Smoking Death Rate: CDC Report

Kentucky has the country's highest death rates from smoking, according to a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study released this week.

Smoking death rates were tallied using death certificate data from 2000 through 2004, focusing on lung cancer and 18 other diseases caused by cigarette smoking, according to the report, published in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the Associated Press said Thursday.

West Virginia and Nevada ranked second and third among U.S. states with the highest smoking mortality rates, with Utah and Hawaii showing the lowest smoking death rates.

Kentucky had about 371 deaths out of every 100,000 adults age 35 and older, almost one-and-a-half times higher than the national median of 263 per 100,000, and almost three times the rate for Utah, which was 138 per 100,000.

Smoking deaths among males were higher than among females, the report said, but smoking rates dropped for men in 49 states since the late 1990s, while they declined for women in only 32 states.

Terry Pechacek, a CDC senior scientist for tobacco-related issues, told AP that smoking, especially when combined with obesity and another risk factors for heart disease, "is like gasoline on the fire." Kentucky and West Virginia also had the highest smoking rates in 2004 as well, according to the CDC report.

Health Tips for January 24

Health Tip: Triggers for PTSD

Post-traumatic stress disorder is a severe anxiety condition that can follow a life-threatening or very frightening experience.

The American Academy of Family Physicians says these people are at greater risk of developing PTSD:

• People who are victims of rape, other physical assault or terrorism.
• People who have been in a car accident, natural disaster, flood or fire.
• People who have participated in war or other combat.
• People who have lost a family member or other loved one.
• People who have been diagnosed with a fatal disease.
• People who are rescue workers, such as firefighters or police officers.

Health Tip: Taking ADHD Medications

Medications prescribed to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may effectively manage symptoms, but they can also cause a number of side effects.

The American Academy of Family Physicians offers these suggestions to minimize side effects caused by ADHD drugs:

• Take only the minimal dose necessary to control your symptoms. Speak with your doctor about determining the right dose for you.
• If you have stomach upset, take your ADHD meds with food.
• As long as your doctor says it's OK, consider the weekend "drug-free days" when you can skip your medication.
• If ADHD meds cause undesired weight loss, add healthy snacks to the day's menu.

Health Headlines - January 23

Kentucky Has Highest Smoking Death Rate: CDC Report

Kentucky has the country's highest death rates from smoking, according to a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study released this week.

Smoking death rates were tallied using death certificate data from 2000 through 2004, focusing on lung cancer and 18 other diseases caused by cigarette smoking, according to the report, published in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the Associated Press said Thursday.

West Virginia and Nevada ranked second and third among U.S. states with the highest smoking mortality rates, with Utah and Hawaii showing the lowest smoking death rates.

Kentucky had about 371 deaths out of every 100,000 adults age 35 and older, almost one-and-a-half times higher than the national median of 263 per 100,000, and almost three times the rate for Utah, which was 138 per 100,000.

Smoking deaths among males were higher than among females, the report said, but smoking rates dropped for men in 49 states since the late 1990s, while they declined for women in only 32 states.

Terry Pechacek, a CDC senior scientist for tobacco-related issues, told AP that smoking, especially when combined with obesity and another risk factors for heart disease, "is like gasoline on the fire." Kentucky and West Virginia also had the highest smoking rates in 2004 as well, according to the CDC report.

Short-Term Hormone Therapy Safe: Canadian Experts

Women have been needlessly scared away from using hormone-replacement therapy (HRT) during menopause, the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada says.

The society, which is changing its advice about the use of HRT, says evidence shows that fears about short-term use of HRT drugs were unfounded, theCanadian Press reported. The drugs are a viable and safe option for women experiencing troublesome menopause symptoms, according to a panel of experts that developed the revised guidelines for the society.

However, the experts recommended that the use of HRT drugs should start early in menopause and only be used short term.

In 2002, a large U.S. study found that the use of HRT drugs increased the risk of heart attack and stroke. But that study incorrectly concluded that the increased risk seen in older women applied to all women who use the drugs, said the Canadian expert panel, the CP reported.

Death Sentences Handed Out in Chinese Milk Scandal

Three people have been sentenced to death by a Chinese court for their role in the tainted milk scandal that sickened about 300,000 children and killed at least six.

Another person was sentenced to life in prison and three more were given prison terms of five to 15 years for their role in making and selling dairy products that contained the toxic chemical melamine, The New York Times reported.

The harsh sentences given to dairy company executives and middlemen are part of the Chinese government's efforts to manage a scandal that resulted in a global recall of Chinese dairy products and seriously damaged the country's dairy industry.

But the stiff penalties handed out Thursday won't satisfy some lawyers and parents of children who were sickened by tainted dairy products. They believe government officials who failed to properly regulate the nation's dairy industry should be held accountable, the Times reported.

Zimbabwe's Cholera Death Toll Rises 20 Percent in One Week

The number of people who've died in Zimbabwe's cholera epidemic increased 20 percent during the last week, from 2,200 to more than 2,700, the World Health Organization sayd.

Nearly 50,000 people have been infected with the preventable disease and the start of the rainy season could lead to a sharp increase in cases as water sources become contaminated, BBC News reported.

The WHO says all 10 of Zimbabwe's provinces have reported cases of cholera and the aid agency World Vision says new outbreaks are occurring in rural areas.

"Rapid deterioration of Zimbabwe's health system, lack of adequate water supply and lack of capacity to dispose of solid waste and repair sewer blockages have all been the main drivers of the current spread of cholera," World Vision said in a statement, BBC News reported.

Cholera has also spread to neighboring South Africa.

Health Tips for January 23

Health Tip: Save Your Back at Work

After a long day at work, your back may be chock full of aches and pains from standing on your feet or sitting at a desk. The University of Maryland Medical Center offers these suggestions to help alleviate back pain while you're at work: Pay attention to your posture, whether you're standing or sitting. Make sure your ears, shoulders and hips all line up. Avoid standing for long periods. If you must stand, use a stool and alternate resting each foot on it. Wear comfortable, cushioned shoes without heels if you walk a lot. Choose a straight-backed, adjustable chair with armrests and a swivel seat for your desk chair. Prop your feet up below your desk, so your knees are elevated above your hips. Roll up a towel or place a pillow at your lower back while sitting at your desk. Health Tip: Help Manage Back Pain When you begin to feel back pain, resist the urge to stay in bed for a prolonged period. It's better to remain active, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC). As long as you don't have a serious underlying medical problem that's causing your pain, the UMMC offers these suggestions for how to tame it: For the first few days, take it easier, but only for a few days. After that, gradually become more active until you're back to your regular routine. Apply either heat or ice to your sore back -- whichever feels better. You can also alternate between the two, starting with ice for the first two or three days, followed by muscle-relaxing heat beginning the next day. If it's OK with your doctor, take an over-the-counter pain reliever such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Take a warm bath before bed to soothe your back and help you sleep. Sleep with a pillow between your legs (if on your side), or under your knees (if on your back).

Health Headlines - January 22

Kennedy Released From Hospital After Inaugural Collapse

Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) was released from hospital Wednesday morning after collapsing at President Barack Obama's inaugural luncheon in the Capitol on Tuesday.

Media reports said he was in "good spirits" on his release and was urged by his doctors to get some rest.

Tests at Washington Hospital Center late Tuesday showed that Kennedy, who was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor last spring, had suffered a seizure as a result of "simple fatigue," his doctor said, according to the Boston Herald.

Dr. Edward Aulisi, chairman of neurosurgery at the hospital, said late Tuesday night, "Sen. Kennedy is awake, talking with family and friends, and feeling well. He will remain. . . overnight for observation."

Sen. Jay Rockefeller, (D-W. Va.), told reporters that at the Congressional luncheon, Obama noticed when Kennedy, 76, became ill, and rushed over to his table, the Associated Press reported.

"There was a call for silence throughout the room," Rockefeller said. "The president went over immediately. The lights went down, just to reduce the heat, I think."

Obama then spoke briefly of Kennedy's latest health problem in his remarks to the luncheon guests, the New York Times reported. "Right now, part of me is with him," Obama said. "This is a joyous time, but also a sobering time. Our prayers are with him and his wife, Vicki."

Kennedy had been outside all morning to attend the swearing-in and listen to Obama's inaugural address.

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Many Children Have Mild Autistic Symptoms: Study

A new U.K. study says many children have mild autistic traits, such as difficulty communicating with peers and teachers, but their problems aren't severe enough to attract special attention.

But these mild traits could impair development, said the authors of the study, which included 8,000 children, BBC News reported.

The findings suggest "that drawing a dividing line between those with autism and the rest of the population involves making an arbitrary decision," said Prof. David Skuse, one of the study authors.

"Clinicians and those involved in education need to be aware that there are children who do not have autism but who nevertheless have somewhat elevated levels of autistic traits -- our research suggests that these children are at slightly greater risk of developing behavioral and emotional problems," Skuse told BBC News.

The study appears in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

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Early Pregnancy Drinking Boosts Pre-Term Birth Risk

Heavy drinking early in pregnancy greatly increases a woman's risk of premature delivery, says a study that included more than 4,700 Australian women.

Those who drank heavily in the first third of pregnancy and then stopped had an almost 80 percent higher risk of premature delivery. There was no evidence of increased risk for women who drank low levels of alcohol throughout pregnancy, BBC News reported.

"The risk of pre-term birth is highest for women who drink heavily or at binge levels," said study leader Dr. Colleen O'Leary, of the University of Western Australia. "Women should be advised that during pregnancy, drinking alcohol above low levels increases the risk to the baby and that the safest choice is not to drink alcohol during pregnancy."

A sudden halt to drinking may trigger inflammation that could harm the developing fetus in some way, the researchers suggested.

The study was published in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

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China Reports Third Bird Flu Death This Year

A 16-year-old male student in central China's Hunan province died of bird flu Tuesday, the third bird flu death in the country this year.

A provincial government official told the Xinhua news agency Monday that the student fell ill two weeks ago in Guizhou, the provincial capital. He tested positive for the H5N1 strain of avian influenza, and reportedly had had contact with poultry.

The teen is one of four confirmed human bird flu cases in China so far this year.

On Saturday, officials said a 27-year-old woman in east China's Shandong province died of the virus, while a two-year-old girl was infected in northern Shanxi province.

The girl is in the hospital in critical condition, the Associated Press reported. Her family members and others who came in close contact with her were under medical observation.

The first victim of the year, a 19-year-old woman, died in Beijing earlier this month, after being in contact with ducks in a market, the wire service said.

The AP said that World Health Organization (WHO) statistics show this strain of bird flu has killed 248 people worldwide since 2003, when it was first reported to have infected humans. Twenty-one of those deaths have been in China, with a total of 32 cases reported.

None of these cases has been found to be spread by human-to-human contact, according to WHO medical experts, but rather by close contact with different species of birds, especially poultry and fowl.

Health Tips for January 22

Health Tip: If You've Got GERD

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) occurs when stomach contents back up into the esophagus, often causing a feeling of heartburn.

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons offers these suggestions to help tame GERD symptoms:

• Lose weight. Most people are helped "substantially" when they lose significant weight, the society says.
• Wear loose clothing.
• Eat meals at least several hours before bed time, giving the stomach some time to empty.
• Keep the head of the bed about 6 inches to 8 inches higher than the foot of the bed.
• Steer clear of smoking, high-fat foods, spicy foods, caffeine, chocolate and peppermint.
• Talk to your doctor about medications to help control GERD. And while on the subject of medications, ask your doctor if anything you're taking could actually be making your symptoms worse.

Health Tip: Is GERD Causing Sleep Problems?

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) can cause symptoms during the night that can prevent a good night's sleep.

The National Sleep Foundation offers these suggestions to keep GERD symptoms calm at night:

• Be careful of the foods you eat from late afternoon until bedtime. Try to avoid spicy foods, onions and chocolate.
• Eat a larger meal at lunch, and have a small, light dinner.
• Don't eat anything after two or three hours before you plan to go to bed.
• Don't drink alcohol or smoke before bed.
• Sleep on a pillow or two, with your head and shoulders elevated.
• Try sleeping on your left side.

Health Headlines - January 21

Kennedy Collapses at Obama Inaugural Lunch

Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), who was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor last spring, collapsed at President Barack Obama's inaugural luncheon in the Capitol on Tuesday and was taken to a Washington, D.C., hospital by ambulance.

Kennedy was awake and talking at Washington Hospital Center, the Associated Press reported. With him were his wife, Victoria, and his son, Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.). He will be held for observation and will undergo testing, a hospital official said.

Sen. Christopher J. Dodd, (D-Conn.), told reporters that Kennedy appeared to have a seizure but seemed fine as he was put into the ambulance at around 3 p.m. ET, The New York Times reported.

"The good news is, he's going to be fine," Dodd said, according to the Times.

Kennedy, who will be 77 next month, had been seated at the same table with another of the Senate's elder statesmen, Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.), 91. There were conflicting reports about Byrd, who also left the luncheon early after witnesses said he appeared ill. But his office later said his health was not the reason for the early departure, the AP reported.

Sen. Jay Rockefeller, (D-W. Va.), told reporters that Obama noticed when Kennedy became ill, and rushed over to his table, the AP reported.

"There was a call for silence throughout the room," Rockefeller said. "The president went over immediately. The lights went down, just to reduce the heat, I think."

Obama then spoke briefly of Kennedy's latest health problem in his remarks to the luncheon guests, the Times reported. "Right now, part of me is with him," Obama said. "This is a joyous time, but also a sobering time. Our prayers are with him and his wife, Vicki."

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China Reports Third Bird Flu Death This Year

A 16-year-old male student in central China's Hunan province died of bird flu Tuesday, the third bird flu death in the country this year.

A provincial government official told the Xinhua news agency Monday that the student fell ill two weeks ago in Guizhou, the provincial capital. He tested positive for the H5N1 strain of avian influenza, and reportedly had had contact with poultry.

The teen is one of four confirmed human bird flu cases in China so far this year.

On Saturday, officials said a 27-year-old woman in east China's Shandong province died of the virus, while a two-year-old girl was infected in northern Shanxi province.

The girl is in the hospital in critical condition, the Associated Press reported. Her family members and others who came in close contact with her were under medical observation.

The first victim of the year, a 19-year-old woman, died in Beijing earlier this month, after being in contact with ducks in a market, the wire service said.

The AP said that World Health Organization (WHO) statistics show this strain of bird flu has killed 248 people worldwide since 2003, when it was first reported to have infected humans. Twenty-one of those deaths have been in China, with a total of 32 cases reported.

None of these cases has been found to be spread by human-to-human contact, according to WHO medical experts, but rather by close contact with different species of birds, especially poultry and fowl.

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Trials Test Stem Cell Treatments for Stroke, Blindness

In two separate trials to be launched this year, researchers in Scotland will examine whether stem cell therapy can help treat stroke patients and people with corneal blindness, Agence France Presse reported.

This month, a two-year trial involving 20 patients with corneal blindness will begin in Edinburgh and Glasgow. Stem cells of deceased adult donors will be cultivated and then transplanted onto the cornea's surface.

Another team of researchers in Glasgow plans a study in which they'll inject fetal stem cells into the brains of stroke patients in order to determine if the cells can regenerate damaged areas and improve patients' quality of life, AFP reported.

That study, which will test a treatment developed by a British company called ReNeuron, still has to be approved by an ethics committee.

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'Conscience Rule' Gets Legal Challenge

The Conscience Rule, one of the last items on President George W. Bush's health agenda, has been challenged in U.S. District Court.

The Washington Post reports that a lawsuit was filed Jan. 15 in Connecticut by that state's attorney general, Richard Blumenthal, seeking to block a new federal regulation that protects health workers if they refuse to perform medical services to which they object. The rule went into effect in December.

Blumenthal's suit included the states of California, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon and Rhode Island, the Post reported. Separate lawsuits were also filed by Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association.

Central to the Conscience Rule, the newspaper reports, is that it stops federal funding to any health organization -- public or private -- if it doesn't allow health professionals the right to refuse to perform or take part in any health care services they consider objectionable on ethical, moral or religious grounds.

"On the way out, the Bush administration has left a ticking political time bomb that is set to explode literally on the day of the president's [Barack Obama] inaugural and blow apart women's rights," the newspaper quotes Blumenthal as saying.

Rebecca Ayer, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), told the Post that HHS would defend its actions in court. "The department followed appropriate procedures to put the regulation in place, and the regulation is fully supported by law," the newspaper quotes her as saying.

Health Tips for January 21

Health Tip: Oh, Those Aching Muscles

If you've been working out a bit too hard, or if you're just getting into exercise, you might have minor muscle soreness.

The U.S. National Library of Medicine offers these suggestions to help manage minor muscle pain:

• Allow your muscles to rest. Don't engage in any heavy exercise while they recover.
• Take acetaminophen or ibuprofen to ease pain.
• For the first few days, ice the area. After the first two to three days, apply heat to the sore muscles.
• As you recover, try low-impact exercises such as swimming, biking and walking. Gradually work your way up to longer and tougher exercises.
• Sleep, stretch and avoid stress.

Health Tip: Clogged Ears On a Plane?

Changes in altitude, such as those you experience when flying, can cause an uncomfortable "clogged" feeling in your ears.

If you try to relieve the pressure by blowing your nose too hard, you could perforate the eardrum or force bacteria into the deeper parts of the ear.

The U.S. National Library of Medicine offers these suggestions to help you safely relieve pressure in the ears when flying:

• About an hour before your flight is scheduled to leave, take a decongestant.
• Try yawning to gently relieve pressure as altitude changes.
• Keep swallowing to help unclog ears.
• Chew a piece of gum while the plane ascends and descends.
• If your ears still feel clogged, inhale, hold your nose, and very gently exhale with your mouth closed until you feel relief. Be very careful not to do this with too much force.

Health Headlines - January 20

4th Human Bird Flu Case Reported in China

A 16-year-old male student in central China's Hunan province is now the fourth victim of human bird flu in the country this year.

A provincial government official told the Xinhua news agency Monday that the student fell ill two weeks ago in Guizhou, the provincial capital, and is in critical condition.

He tested positive for the H5N1 strain of avian influenza, and reportedly had had contact with poultry.

On Saturday, officials said a 27-year-old woman in east China's Shandong province died of the virus, while a two-year-old girl was infected in northern Shanxi province.

The girl is in the hospital in critical condition, the Associated Press reported. Her family members and others who came in close contact with her were under medical observation.

The first victim of the year, a 19-year-old woman, died in Beijing earlier this month, after being in contact with ducks in a market, the wire service said.

The AP said that World Health Organization (WHO) statistics show this strain of bird flu has killed 248 people worldwide since 2003, when it was first reported to have infected humans. Twenty-one of those deaths have been in China, with a total of 32 cases reported.

None of these cases has been found to be spread by human-to-human contact, according to WHO medical experts, but rather by close contact with different species of birds, especially poultry and fowl.

------

Trials Test Stem Cell Treatments for Stroke, Blindness

In two separate trials to be launched this year, researchers in Scotland will examine whether stem cell therapy can help treat stroke patients and people with corneal blindness, Agence France Presse reported.

This month, a two-year trial involving 20 patients with corneal blindness will begin in Edinburgh and Glasgow. Stem cells of deceased adult donors will be cultivated and then transplanted onto the cornea's surface.

Another team of researchers in Glasgow plans a study in which they'll inject fetal stem cells into the brains of stroke patients in order to determine if the cells can regenerate damaged areas and improve patients' quality of life, AFP reported.

That study, which will test a treatment developed by a British company called ReNeuron, still has to be approved by an ethics committee.

------

'Conscience Rule' Gets Legal Challenge

The Conscience Rule, one of the last items on President George W. Bush's health agenda, has been challenged in U.S. District Court.

The Washington Post reports that a lawsuit was filed Jan. 15 in Connecticut by that state's attorney general, Richard Blumenthal, seeking to block a new federal regulation that protects health workers if they refuse to perform medical services to which they object. The rule went into effect in December.

Blumenthal's suit included the states of California, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon and Rhode Island, the Post reported. Separate lawsuits were also filed by Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association.

Central to the Conscience Rule, the newspaper reports, is that it stops federal funding to any health organization -- public or private -- if it doesn't allow health professionals the right to refuse to perform or take part in any health care services they consider objectionable on ethical, moral or religious grounds.

"On the way out, the Bush administration has left a ticking political time bomb that is set to explode literally on the day of the president's [Barack Obama] inaugural and blow apart women's rights," the newspaper quotes Blumenthal as saying.

Rebecca Ayer, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), told the Post that HHS would defend its actions in court. "The department followed appropriate procedures to put the regulation in place, and the regulation is fully supported by law," the newspaper quotes her as saying.

Health Tips for January 20

Health Tip: Log Your Headache Pain

If you frequently suffer from significant headache pain, it may help to document the circumstances during which it occurs and any potential triggers.

Logging the details of your headaches could become an invaluable tool for you and your doctor.

The University of California, San Francisco Medical Center suggests what to document:

• The duration of each headache.
• How badly your head hurt, and exactly where the pain occurred.
• The day of the week and time of day that the headache occurred.
• Anything you ate or drank before the headache started.
• Activities you did before the headache began.
• Any medication, herb, or other remedy that you took for headache pain.
• How you felt during your headache, including symptoms such as nausea or seeing an aura.
• How headaches have affected your life, including any activities you are forced to miss or no longer feel like doing.

Health Tip: Health Tip: Wine Could Benefit the Heart

Excessive drinking offers no benefits whatsoever, but having a single glass of red wine each day could help the heart, the U.S. Library of Medicine says.

The flavonoids found in red wine (also in grapes and grape juice) are thought to be the heart-healthy components.

Women, however, should consume no more than one drink each day, and no more than two drinks each day for men, says the NLM, which equates a drink of wine to four ounces' worth.

Other ways to help boost heart health include getting regular exercise, eating a healthy diet, avoiding tobacco, and maintaining a proper body weight.

Health Headlines - January 19

Second Human Bird Flu Case Reported This Month in China

A second case this month in China of a human contracting a deadly form of avian flu has been reported.

According to the Associated Press, a 2-year-old girl in northern China has tested positive for the H5N1 bird flu virus, the type that health experts worry could some day mutate into a human worldwide pandemic.

The girl, from the Hunan province, is in the hospital in critical condition, the wire service reported. Her family members and others who came in close contact with her were under medical observation, the A.P. quotes Chinese officials as saying.

A 19-year-old woman died in Beijing earlier this month, after being in contact with ducks in a market, the wire service said.

The A.P. cites World Health Organization (WHO) statistics that say this strain of bird flu has killed 248 people worldwide since 2003, when it was first reported to have infected humans. Twenty-one of those deaths have been in China, with a total of 32 cases reported.

None of these cases has been found to be spread by human-to-human contact, according to WHO medical experts, but rather by close contact with different species of birds, especially poultry and fowl.

------

'Conscience Rule' Gets Legal Challenge

The Conscience Rule, one of the last items on President George W. Bush's health agenda, has been challenged in U.S. District Court.

The Washington Post reports that a lawsuit was filed Jan. 15 in Connecticut by that state's attorney general, Richard Blumenthal, seeking to block a new federal regulation that protects health workers if they refuse to perform medical services to which they object. The rule went into effect in December.

Blumenthal's suit included the states of California, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon and Rhode Island, the Post reported. Separate lawsuits were also filed by Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association.

Central to the Conscience Rule, the newspaper reports, is that it stops federal funding to any health organization -- public or private -- if it doesn't allow health professionals the right to refuse to perform or take part in any health care services they consider objectionable on ethical, moral or religious grounds.

"On the way out, the Bush administration has left a ticking political time bomb that is set to explode literally on the day of the president's [Barack Obama] inaugural and blow apart women's rights," the newspaper quotes Blumenthal as saying.

Rebecca Ayer, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), told the Post that HHS would defend its actions in court. "The department followed appropriate procedures to put the regulation in place, and the regulation is fully supported by law," the newspaper quotes her as saying.

-----

FDA Lax in Review of High-Risk Medical Devices: Report

From 2003 to 2007, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved some 228 medical devices -- some of them for sensitive uses -- without a full scale review, a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report said Thursday.

The report found that two dozen distinct types of devices -- such as metal hip joints, external defibrillators to assist heart attack victims, and electrodes for pacemakers -- were approved without close scrutiny, the Associated Press said.

Some devices approved have been recalled because of malfunctions and other problems, according to the consumer group Public Citizen. "It all adds up to less-than-rigorous device review, and it's placing tens of thousands of Americans at risk," Peter Lurie, deputy director of Public Citizen's health research group, told the news service.

While the report did not look into whether any patients were harmed as a result of the approvals, it does highlight calls for closer scrutiny of the FDA's medical device approval process, which has been subject to charges that scientists were pressured to OK some medical machinery against their professional judgment, the AP said.

In 1976, Congress established a three-tiered classification system for these devices, which include everything from tongue depressors to silicone breast implants to pacemakers, the AP said. Low-risk devices such as bandages could be cleared by notifying the FDA before going to market, while high-risk devices such as pacemakers would face tighter scrutiny. Manufacturers were required to provide evidence of safety and effectiveness, but subsequent gains in technology have increased not only the number of devices coming to market but also the number of upgraded products coming up for review, the news service said.

"In general, we agree with the conclusions and recommendations," FDA spokeswoman Karen Riley said. "We are considering legal and procedural options to accomplish this objective."

-----

Health Care Reform Near Top of Public's Wish List for 2009

When it comes to what the American public wants its political leaders to attack first in the coming year, health care reform is near the top of the list, a new survey shows.

As President-elect Barack Obama prepares to take office next Tuesday, researchers from the Kaiser Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health report that finding ways to help the newly unemployed afford basic health insurance was outranked only by efforts to help businesses generate new jobs while preserving old ones as the most pressing political mandates for the future.

While improving the economy is overwhelmingly the top priority -- three-quarters of those surveyed said that should be the first business for the new Administration -- 43 percent view health care as a top concern, ranking it third just behind fighting terrorism, at 48 percent. Health care was of greater concern than reducing the federal budget deficit (39 percent), improving public schools (37 percent), working to create more clean energy sources (36 percent) and dealing with Iraq (35 percent). More than 60 percent of Americans believe that in light of the overwhelming economic problems facing the country, "it is more important than ever to take on health reform now."

"The economic crisis has created an unprecedented window of opportunity for health reform. But we are in the early happy talk stage on health reform, and the window could close if policymakers cannot move fairly quickly to take advantage of the opportunity they have," Kaiser President and CEO Drew Altman said in a news release.

A key health reform idea that draws support from both liberals and conservatives is more regulation of health insurance companies and more consumer protections.

That's not to say that members of each political party hold the same opinion on how to do that.

"We can see the framework of a winning package of health reform proposals from the public's perspective," said Robert J. Blendon, a professor of health policy and political analysis at the Harvard School of Public Health. But there are some distinct differences among partisans that will pose a challenge to policymakers, he added, "with the key split being how to pay for health care reform."

Conducted last December among a nationally representative random sample of 1,628 adults aged 18 and over, the survey involved phone interviews that were done in both English and Spanish.

-----

Pneumonia Vaccine for Young Children Works: CDC

A pediatric pneumonia vaccine introduced in 2000 has led to a significant drop in hospitalizations for young children with the respiratory disease, U.S. health officials reported Thursday.

In 2006, the rate of hospitalizations for pneumonia among children 2 years old or younger was 8.1 per 1,000 children -- 35 percent lower than the rate before the vaccine was introduced. This reduction means there were an estimated 36,300 fewer pneumonia hospitalizations in 2006, compared to pre-vaccine levels, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The bacteria streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is a leading bacterial cause of childhood pneumonia, which accounts for an estimated 8 percent of all childhood hospital admissions, the CDC said.

Routine childhood immunization with the PCV7 vaccine began in 2000 and substantial declines in hospital admissions for pneumonia in young children were previously reported through 2004, the CDC said in its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

The updated results confirm that pneumococcus is a leading cause of pneumonia in children, and they show the need for continued monitoring of the immunization program's effects on pneumonia hospitalizations among children, the CDC said.

Health Tips for January 19

Health Tip: Help Stop Thumbsucking

Many children suck their thumbs, but it can cause dental problems if children continue to suck their thumb beyond age 4.

Most children stop on their own, but continued thumbsucking could be a sign of a behavioral problem, such as anxiety or depression.

The U.S. National Library of Medicine offers these suggestions to help your child quit the habit:

• Ask your pediatrician about having your child use a thumb guard.
• Apply a bitter-tasting material on your child's thumb. But always check with the child's doctor to make sure it's safe.
• Make a deal with your child. If he or she agrees to stop sucking the thumb, offer a reward.
• Offer praise and attention when you notice that your child isn't thumbsucking.
• If your child's teeth have been affected by thumbsucking, talk to the child's dentist about what can be done to correct it.

Health Tip: Braces Basics

Braces require special care to help keep them functioning properly and prevent tooth damage.

The American Association of Orthodontists offers these suggestions for taking care of your teeth and braces:

• Brush and floss your teeth each day. Infrequent brushing can lead to more trips to the dentist or orthodontist.
• The cleaner and healthier teeth are, the faster they will move, the AAO says.
• If you play a sport, you may need to wear a mouth guard.
• Never chew on pens, pencils, erasers or fingernails.
• Stay away from foods that are very hard or crunchy, sticky or chewy.

Health Headlines - January 18

'Conscience Rule' Gets Legal Challenge

The Conscience Rule, one of the last items on President George W. Bush's health agenda, has been challenged in U.S. District Court.

The Washington Post reports that a lawsuit was filed Jan. 15 in Connecticut by that state's attorney general, Richard Blumenthal, seeking to block a new federal regulation that protects health workers if they refuse to perform medical services to which they object. The rule went into effect in December.

Blumenthal's suit included the states of California, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon and Rhode Island, the Post reported. Separate lawsuits were also filed by Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association.

Central to the Conscience Rule, the newspaper reports, is that it stops federal funding to any health organization -- public or private -- if it doesn't allow health professionals the right to refuse to perform or take part in any health care services they consider objectionable on ethical, moral or religious grounds.

"On the way out, the Bush administration has left a ticking political time bomb that is set to explode literally on the day of the president's [Barack Obama] inaugural and blow apart women's rights," the newspaper quotes Blumenthal as saying.

Rebecca Ayer, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), told the Post that HHS would defend its actions in court. "The department followed appropriate procedures to put the regulation in place, and the regulation is fully supported by law," the newspaper quotes her as saying.

-----

FDA Lax in Review of High-Risk Medical Devices: Report

From 2003 to 2007, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved some 228 medical devices -- some of them for sensitive uses -- without a full scale review, a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report said Thursday.

The report found that two dozen distinct types of devices -- such as metal hip joints, external defibrillators to assist heart attack victims, and electrodes for pacemakers -- were approved without close scrutiny, the Associated Press said.

Some devices approved have been recalled because of malfunctions and other problems, according to the consumer group Public Citizen. "It all adds up to less-than-rigorous device review, and it's placing tens of thousands of Americans at risk," Peter Lurie, deputy director of Public Citizen's health research group, told the news service.

While the report did not look into whether any patients were harmed as a result of the approvals, it does highlight calls for closer scrutiny of the FDA's medical device approval process, which has been subject to charges that scientists were pressured to OK some medical machinery against their professional judgment, the AP said.

In 1976, Congress established a three-tiered classification system for these devices, which include everything from tongue depressors to silicone breast implants to pacemakers, the AP said. Low-risk devices such as bandages could be cleared by notifying the FDA before going to market, while high-risk devices such as pacemakers would face tighter scrutiny. Manufacturers were required to provide evidence of safety and effectiveness, but subsequent gains in technology have increased not only the number of devices coming to market but also the number of upgraded products coming up for review, the news service said.

"In general, we agree with the conclusions and recommendations," FDA spokeswoman Karen Riley said. "We are considering legal and procedural options to accomplish this objective."

-----

Health Care Reform Near Top of Public's Wish List for 2009

When it comes to what the American public wants its political leaders to attack first in the coming year, health care reform is near the top of the list, a new survey shows.

As President-elect Barack Obama prepares to take office next Tuesday, researchers from the Kaiser Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health report that finding ways to help the newly unemployed afford basic health insurance was outranked only by efforts to help businesses generate new jobs while preserving old ones as the most pressing political mandates for the future.

While improving the economy is overwhelmingly the top priority -- three-quarters of those surveyed said that should be the first business for the new Administration -- 43 percent view health care as a top concern, ranking it third just behind fighting terrorism, at 48 percent. Health care was of greater concern than reducing the federal budget deficit (39 percent), improving public schools (37 percent), working to create more clean energy sources (36 percent) and dealing with Iraq (35 percent). More than 60 percent of Americans believe that in light of the overwhelming economic problems facing the country, "it is more important than ever to take on health reform now."

"The economic crisis has created an unprecedented window of opportunity for health reform. But we are in the early happy talk stage on health reform, and the window could close if policymakers cannot move fairly quickly to take advantage of the opportunity they have," Kaiser President and CEO Drew Altman said in a news release.

A key health reform idea that draws support from both liberals and conservatives is more regulation of health insurance companies and more consumer protections.

That's not to say that members of each political party hold the same opinion on how to do that.

"We can see the framework of a winning package of health reform proposals from the public's perspective," said Robert J. Blendon, a professor of health policy and political analysis at the Harvard School of Public Health. But there are some distinct differences among partisans that will pose a challenge to policymakers, he added, "with the key split being how to pay for health care reform."

Conducted last December among a nationally representative random sample of 1,628 adults aged 18 and over, the survey involved phone interviews that were done in both English and Spanish.

-----

Pneumonia Vaccine for Young Children Works: CDC

A pediatric pneumonia vaccine introduced in 2000 has led to a significant drop in hospitalizations for young children with the respiratory disease, U.S. health officials reported Thursday.

In 2006, the rate of hospitalizations for pneumonia among children 2 years old or younger was 8.1 per 1,000 children -- 35 percent lower than the rate before the vaccine was introduced. This reduction means there were an estimated 36,300 fewer pneumonia hospitalizations in 2006, compared to pre-vaccine levels, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The bacteria streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is a leading bacterial cause of childhood pneumonia, which accounts for an estimated 8 percent of all childhood hospital admissions, the CDC said.

Routine childhood immunization with the PCV7 vaccine began in 2000 and substantial declines in hospital admissions for pneumonia in young children were previously reported through 2004, the CDC said in its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

The updated results confirm that pneumococcus is a leading cause of pneumonia in children, and they show the need for continued monitoring of the immunization program's effects on pneumonia hospitalizations among children, the CDC said.

Health Tips for January 18

Health Tip: Keep Gestational Diabetes Under Control

Gestational diabetes occurs in women during pregnancy, and it requires careful attention to keep mother and baby safe and healthy.

When you're pregnant, your body produces hormones that impair the work of insulin. So the pregnant woman produces extra insulin, but in some women this isn't enough. They get gestational diabetes, which tends to go away when pregnancy ends.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services offers these guidelines if you're prone to gestational diabetes:

• Work with a dietitian to develop a meal plan that accommodates both you and baby.
• Avoid eating sweets, eat frequent small meals throughout the day, and watch your carbohydrate intake.
• Eat sufficient fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
• Generally, exercise for at least 30 minutes each day is recommended. Talk with your doctor about how much and what kind of exercise is appropriate for you.
• Check your blood sugar frequently as recommended by your doctor, and record your results so you can monitor them.
• Take your diabetes medications exactly as prescribed by your doctor.

Health Tip: What Causes Sore Breasts?

Breast soreness is common in young women, but it becomes less common as they get older.

Breast pain may be constant, or come and go over time. Pain that won't go away or frequently comes back should be discussed with a doctor.

The American Academy of Family Physicians lists these common causes of breast soreness:

• Hormonal changes associated with the menstrual cycle.
• Retaining water, which often happens during the menstrual cycle.
• An injury or damage to the breast.
• Pregnancy or breast-feeding.
• An infection in the breast.
• Breast cancer, although this is a rare cause of breast pain.

FDA: 'Postpone' eating foods containing peanut butter

The Food and Drug Administration says Americans should "postpone" eating cookies, crackers, candy and ice cream that contain peanut butter or peanut paste while the agency works to establish which products are tainted with the strain of salmonella typhimurium which has sickened 474 people nationwide and is implicated in six deaths.

"Product specific information will become available in the next few days," says Stephen Sundlof, director of FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.

While snack products are potentially contaminated, supermarket peanut butter is not.

It appears that the only peanut butter linked to the outbreak was an institutional brand sold in 5 to 50 pounds tubs to schools, hospitals and nursing homes under the King Nut and Parnell's Pride label. It was never sold at the retail level and is not available at supermarkets and grocery stores, FDA says.

As for products that might contain the tainted peanut butter and peanut paste, FDA is encouraging companies that bought from the Peanut Corporation of America's Blakely, Ga., plant to inform consumers their products might be contaminated.

Tests by the Georgia Dept. of Agriculture found peanut butter from the plant tested positive for salmonella, but tests to determine if that salmonella is an exact DNA match to the outbreak strain are still ongoing.

The agency is also asking that companies which make peanut butter or paste containing products that aren't linked to product from the Georgia plant to also make that known to the public.

For the FDA's up-to-date list of affected products, visit: www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/salmonellatyph.html#recalls.

The list of items affected by the salmonella-tainted peanut butter from the plant rose substantially Friday night when the Kellogg Company added 12 new items to its list, including select snack-size packs of Famous Amos Peanut Butter Cookies and Keebler Soft Batch Homestyle Peanut Butter Cookies.

Kellogg said the products "have the potential to be contaminated with salmonella."

"The actions we are taking today are in keeping with our more than 100-year commitment to providing consumers with safe, high-quality products," said David Mackay, president and CEO, Kellogg Company.

Kellogg is one of 85 companies which bought peanut butter and peanut paste produced in the Georgia plant.

PCA Friday expanded its recall of peanut butter and peanut paste made at the plant to include all peanut butter produced on or after August 8, 2008 and all peanut paste produced on or after September 26, 2008.

The peanut butter was sold in containers ranging in size from five to 1,700 pounds. The peanut paste was sold in sizes ranging from 35 pounds to tanker containers, the company said in a release.

Peanut paste consists of ground, roasted peanuts and is used as an ingredient in cookies, crackers, cereals and ice creams, says FDA's Sundlof.

Supermarkets nationwide worked Friday and Saturday to remove potentially tainted products.

A spokesperson for Wal-Mart said the Bentonville-Ark.-company had contacted each of its stores so they immediately can "pull and hold" the crackers.

Costco pulled the Kellogg crackers off store shelves Tuesday night even before Kellogg had made its announcement, says Craig Wilson, Costco's vice president of food safety.

There was an empty gap Saturday on the shelves of the Marsh grocery store in Brownsburg, Ind., where several varieties of Keebler snack crackers with peanut butter fillings had been removed.

Dan Fredrickson, manager of the Woodman's Food Market in Madison, Wis. says he thought his shelves were empty because his supplier recently stopped shipping the product. But he said in any recall, he said his store acts quickly.

"It's off the shelves as soon as we are notified," Fredrickson says.

In Colorado, managers at several Fort Collins-area King Soopers and Safeway grocery stores said they received the recall notice Thursday and immediately pulled the crackers from their shelves.

Ron Freeman, chief financial officer for Asheville, N.C.-based Ingles markets says all the Keebler and Austin products placed on hold were taken off its shelves on Thursday.

"We pulled them all as soon as realized they were being recalled," he said.

West Des Moines- based Hy-Vee Inc. is holding the products until they receive more information about them.

The firm will "err on the side of caution. When something like this is not easily identified, we like to act in the best interest of our customers," says Chris Friesleben, director of communications.

That extends even to the firm's bakery items, she says." We have peanut butter cookies and other things we bake, and we're not even making those anymore in our bakery plant. We're going to suspend production for awhile."

Grocery stores in Mountain Home, Ark., have pulled the Austin and Keebler brand of peanut butter crackers off there shelves and some stores were offering customer refunds of the products.

"As soon as a recall is issued, we send it out to the stores," says Jim Wieland, director of pricing at Harps and Price Cutter Food Stores at its general office in Springdale, Ark.

For the full Kellogg list, see www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/kellogg201_09.html

For FDA's Frequently Asked Questions list about the outbreak, visit:

www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/salmonellatyph/faq.html

Beware of frostbite in sub-zero weather

Frostbite is especially dangerous for people with certain medical conditions. People with peripheral vascular diseases, diabetes and the alcoholic population are at an even greater risk.

With alcoholics, the dehydrating effects, combined with the fact many of them are malnourished, allows them to be highly susceptible.

The most common places to get frostbite are the cheeks, chin, fingers, nose and toes.

Frostbite is staged just like burns. There are four stages. The first degree is characterized by a central area of pallor, a white splotch in the skin with numbness around it.

At the second degree, people will see blisters that can have clear, milky fluid inside.

You might see redness around the area develop within the first 12 to 24 hours. At the third degree, it's really just a much deeper injury that could become blood blisters. The fourth degree is an extension into the muscle and even to the bone -- toes fall off, tips of noses fall off. It's very dangerous.

Smokers are also at a higher risk.

The nicotine causes vessels to clamp down and causes a lack of blood flow to the skin. Exhaustion, with people who work out and get tired, also puts people at risk.

Wear multi-layered clothing, with the inner-most layer being polypropylene or silk, which keeps moisture away from the skin.

You need eye protection, too. Goggles will keep heat trapped in. You can do real corneal damage if not. Mittens are better than gloves because they trap heat better. Stay away from things which can cause heat loss.

When you start to feel intense stinging pain in an exposed area, that area is freezing, and the nerves are responding by sending intense pain to the brain.

Health Headlines - January 17

FDA Lax in Review of High-Risk Medical Devices: Report

From 2003 to 2007, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved some 228 medical devices -- some of them for sensitive uses -- without a full scale review, a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report said Thursday.

The report found that two dozen distinct types of devices -- such as metal hip joints, external defibrillators to assist heart attack victims, and electrodes for pacemakers -- were approved without close scrutiny, the Associated Press said.

Some devices approved have been recalled because of malfunctions and other problems, according to the consumer group Public Citizen. "It all adds up to less-than-rigorous device review, and it's placing tens of thousands of Americans at risk," Peter Lurie, deputy director of Public Citizen's health research group, told the news service.

While the report did not look into whether any patients were harmed as a result of the approvals, it does highlight calls for closer scrutiny of the FDA's medical device approval process, which has been subject to charges that scientists were pressured to OK some medical machinery against their professional judgment, the AP said.

In 1976, Congress established a three-tiered classification system for these devices, which include everything from tongue depressors to silicone breast implants to pacemakers, the AP said. Low-risk devices such as bandages could be cleared by notifying the FDA before going to market, while high-risk devices such as pacemakers would face tighter scrutiny. Manufacturers were required to provide evidence of safety and effectiveness, but subsequent gains in technology have increased not only the number of devices coming to market but also the number of upgraded products coming up for review, the news service said.

"In general, we agree with the conclusions and recommendations," FDA spokeswoman Karen Riley said. "We are considering legal and procedural options to accomplish this objective."

-----

Health Care Reform Near Top of Public's Wish List for 2009

When it comes to what the American public wants its political leaders to attack first in the coming year, health care reform is near the top of the list, a new survey shows.

As President-elect Barack Obama prepares to take office next Tuesday, researchers from the Kaiser Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health report that finding ways to help the newly unemployed afford basic health insurance was outranked only by efforts to help businesses generate new jobs while preserving old ones as the most pressing political mandates for the future.

While improving the economy is overwhelmingly the top priority -- three-quarters of those surveyed said that should be the first business for the new Administration -- 43 percent view health care as a top concern, ranking it third just behind fighting terrorism, at 48 percent. Health care was of greater concern than reducing the federal budget deficit (39 percent), improving public schools (37 percent), working to create more clean energy sources (36 percent) and dealing with Iraq (35 percent). More than 60 percent of Americans believe that in light of the overwhelming economic problems facing the country, "it is more important than ever to take on health reform now."

"The economic crisis has created an unprecedented window of opportunity for health reform. But we are in the early happy talk stage on health reform, and the window could close if policymakers cannot move fairly quickly to take advantage of the opportunity they have," Kaiser President and CEO Drew Altman said in a news release.

A key health reform idea that draws support from both liberals and conservatives is more regulation of health insurance companies and more consumer protections.

That's not to say that members of each political party hold the same opinion on how to do that.

"We can see the framework of a winning package of health reform proposals from the public's perspective," said Robert J. Blendon, a professor of health policy and political analysis at the Harvard School of Public Health. But there are some distinct differences among partisans that will pose a challenge to policymakers, he added, "with the key split being how to pay for health care reform."

Conducted last December among a nationally representative random sample of 1,628 adults aged 18 and over, the survey involved phone interviews that were done in both English and Spanish.

-----

Pneumonia Vaccine for Young Children Works: CDC

A pediatric pneumonia vaccine introduced in 2000 has led to a significant drop in hospitalizations for young children with the respiratory disease, U.S. health officials reported Thursday.

In 2006, the rate of hospitalizations for pneumonia among children 2 years old or younger was 8.1 per 1,000 children -- 35 percent lower than the rate before the vaccine was introduced. This reduction means there were an estimated 36,300 fewer pneumonia hospitalizations in 2006, compared to pre-vaccine levels, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The bacteria streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is a leading bacterial cause of childhood pneumonia, which accounts for an estimated 8 percent of all childhood hospital admissions, the CDC said.

Routine childhood immunization with the PCV7 vaccine began in 2000 and substantial declines in hospital admissions for pneumonia in young children were previously reported through 2004, the CDC said in its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

The updated results confirm that pneumococcus is a leading cause of pneumonia in children, and they show the need for continued monitoring of the immunization program's effects on pneumonia hospitalizations among children, the CDC said.

Health Tips for January 17

Health Tip: Signs of Ovulation

If you're trying to get pregnant, it's important to know when you're ovulating.

Here are common signs that may indicate ovulation, courtesy of the American Pregnancy Association:

• A change in cervical fluid appearance. During or just before ovulation, cervical fluid usually takes on the appearance of egg whites. But cervical fluid appearance varies from woman to woman.
• A spike in your basal body temperature -- your temperature at rest measured when you first get up in the morning -- can indicate that you have just ovulated. In most women, basal temperature goes down slightly just before ovulation. This is followed by a sharp rise in temperature, a sign that ovulation has just occurred.
• Cervical changes -- a woman may find that her cervix feels softer than usual, and may be in a higher position.
• Other symptoms -- deemed secondary because they may not happen as consistently or in as many women -- may include spotting, tenderness of the breasts, cramping, bloating, greater awareness of the senses, and a stronger sex drive.

Health Tip: Easing a Croupy Cough

Croup occurs when the larynx (voicebox) is infected by a virus. It is most commonly identified by a hoarse voice, tight breathing, and a low-pitched cough that sounds like a seal's bark.

The Lucile Packard Children's Hospital offers these suggestions to help soothe your child's croupy cough:

• Let your child stand in a hot shower and absorb the steam (be careful that the water is not hot enough to burn).
• While the child is in the shower, hold a wet washcloth near your child's face, and have the child breathe in.
• Add warm water to a humidifier in your child's room.
• To avoid pneumonia, it is important that your child cough up mucus that has built up in the lungs. So the idea is to promote a "productive" cough, the hospital says, not prevent a cough entirely.

Health Headlines - January 16

Health Care Reform Near Top of Public's Wish List for 2009

When it comes to what the American public wants its political leaders to attack first in the coming year, health care reform is near the top of the list, a new survey shows.

As President-elect Barack Obama prepares to take office next Tuesday, researchers from the Kaiser Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health report that finding ways to help the newly unemployed afford basic health insurance was outranked only by efforts to help businesses generate new jobs while preserving old ones as the most pressing political mandates for the future.

While improving the economy is overwhelmingly the top priority -- three-quarters of those surveyed said that should be the first business for the new Administration -- 43 percent view health care as a top concern, ranking it third just behind fighting terrorism, at 48 percent. Health care was of greater concern than reducing the federal budget deficit (39 percent), improving public schools (37 percent), working to create more clean energy sources (36 percent) and dealing with Iraq (35 percent). More than 60 percent of Americans believe that in light of the overwhelming economic problems facing the country, "it is more important than ever to take on health reform now."

"The economic crisis has created an unprecedented window of opportunity for health reform. But we are in the early happy talk stage on health reform, and the window could close if policymakers cannot move fairly quickly to take advantage of the opportunity they have," Kaiser President and CEO Drew Altman said in a news release.

A key health reform idea that draws support from both liberals and conservatives is more regulation of health insurance companies and more consumer protections.

That's not to say that members of each political party hold the same opinion on how to do that.

"We can see the framework of a winning package of health reform proposals from the public's perspective," said Robert J. Blendon, a professor of health policy and political analysis at the Harvard School of Public Health. But there are some distinct differences among partisans that will pose a challenge to policymakers, he added, "with the key split being how to pay for health care reform."

Conducted last December among a nationally representative random sample of 1,628 adults aged 18 and over, the survey involved phone interviews that were done in both English and Spanish.

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Pneumonia Vaccine for Young Children Works: CDC

A pediatric pneumonia vaccine introduced in 2000 has led to a significant drop in hospitalizations for young children with the respiratory disease, U.S. health officials reported Thursday.

In 2006, the rate of hospitalizations for pneumonia among children 2 years old or younger was 8.1 per 1,000 children -- 35 percent lower than the rate before the vaccine was introduced. This reduction means there were an estimated 36,300 fewer pneumonia hospitalizations in 2006, compared to pre-vaccine levels, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The bacteria streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is a leading bacterial cause of childhood pneumonia, which accounts for an estimated 8 percent of all childhood hospital admissions, the CDC said.

Routine childhood immunization with the PCV7 vaccine began in 2000 and substantial declines in hospital admissions for pneumonia in young children were previously reported through 2004, the CDC said in its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

The updated results confirm that pneumococcus is a leading cause of pneumonia in children, and they show the need for continued monitoring of the immunization program's effects on pneumonia hospitalizations among children, the CDC said.

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House OKs Widened Coverage in Children's Insurance Program

The U.S. House of Representatives approved Wednesday an expansion of a children's health insurance program that would extend coverage to about 400,000 to 600,000 children, including those of legal immigrants and pregnant legal immigrants, the Associated Press reported.

The vote was 289 to 139, and the Senate was expected to take up the measure Thursday, AP said.

The State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) legislation was vetoed twice by President George W. Bush in 2007, but supporters were confident the bill would pass soon after President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration.

"In this moment of crisis, ensuring that every child in America has access to affordable health care is not just good economic policy, but a moral obligation we hold as parents and citizens," Obama said after the House vote.

Current law requires legal immigrants to wait five years before becoming eligible for coverage under the SCHIP and Medicaid programs. The new bill means, supporters say, that children can get quicker treatment for acute conditions such as asthma and diabetes without having to seek care in an emergency room. Critics had opposed lifting the five-year waiting period, saying it violated a pledge by immigrant sponsors that people coming into the United States would not be dependent on government assistance, AP reported.

The measure adds $33 billion to fund SCHIP over the next four years, and will come from a 61-cent increase in the federal excise tax on a pack of cigarettes and comparable increases for other tobacco products.

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Software Glitch Exposed Vets to Wrong Drug Doses

A glitch during an annual software upgrade last August at Veterans Affairs health centers around the country exposed some patients to incorrect drug doses, delayed treatments and other medical errors, according to internal documents obtained by the Associated Press.

While no evidence of serious harm was shown, the VA only began issuing safety alerts to medical centers on Oct. 10, and all the glitches were corrected in December. Nine patients at VA centers in Milwaukee, Durham, N.C., and Marion, Ind., were given incorrect drug doses, six of them involving heparin drips given for up to 11 hours longer than necessary, the AP reported Wednesday. Other errors involved drug infusions that continued for up to 15 hours past the doctor's prescribed deadline. Nearly one-third of the VA's 153 medical centers reported seeing some kind of glitch.

The problems are of concern since the federal government is pushing toward universal use of electronic medical records to curb medical errors blamed on paper systems, such as poorly written prescriptions. President George W. Bush supported the effort, and incoming President-elect Barack Obama has proposed spending an additional $50 billion a year for health IT programs, AP said.

But health care experts say the VA's problems highlight the need for closer monitoring. Dr. Jeffrey A. Linder, an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School who has studied electronic health systems, told the news service, "There's a lot of hype out there about electronic health records, that there is some unfettered good. It's a big piece of the puzzle, but they're not magic. There is also a potential for unintended consequences."

The VA's glitches involved medical data that sometimes popped up under another patient's name on the computer screen, the AP said. When doctors pulled up records of different patients within 10 minutes of each other, the first patient's data sometimes appeared under the second person's name. In some records, a doctor's stop order for intravenous injections also failed to clearly display.

VA officials told the AP that veterans with questions can request a copy of their medical records by accessing the "My HealtheVet" online system at http://www.myhealth.va.gov.

Health Tips for January 16

Health Tip: What Seniors Eat

Nutrition is an important part of a healthy lifestyle at any age, a requirement that doesn't change as you get older.

Here are some dietary guidelines for older people, courtesy of the Cleveland Clinic:

• Seniors should get 1- to 1.2-grams of protein each day per kilogram of their weight. For instance, a 150-pound person (70 kg) should get 70 to 100 grams of protein daily. Those with chronic kidney disease should ask their doctor about how much protein is safe.
• Seniors need 1,000 milligrams of calcium each day, and 1,000 units of vitamin D daily.
• Seniors should take special care to eat a balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables.
• Seniors should take a multivitamin if their diet isn't balanced, they've been sick, or are losing weight. Vitamins don't include protein, however.

Health Tip: Oh, Those Aching Muscles

If you've been working out a bit too hard, or if you're just getting into exercise, you might have minor muscle soreness.

The U.S. National Library of Medicine offers these suggestions to help manage minor muscle pain:

• Allow your muscles to rest. Don't engage in any heavy exercise while they recover.
• Take acetaminophen or ibuprofen to ease pain.
• For the first few days, ice the area. After the first two to three days, apply heat to the sore muscles.
• As you recover, try low-impact exercises such as swimming, biking and walking. Gradually work your way up to longer and tougher exercises.
• Sleep, stretch and avoid stress.

Health Headlines - January 15

House OKs Widened Coverage in Children's Health Insurance Program

The U.S. House of Representatives approved Wednesday an expansion of a children's health insurance program that would extend coverage to about 400,000 to 600,000 children, including those of legal immigrants and pregnant legal immigrants, the Associated Press reported.

The vote was 289 to 139, and the Senate was expected to take up the measure Thursday, AP said.

The State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) legislation was vetoed twice by President George W. Bush in 2007, but supporters were confident the bill would pass soon after President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration.

"In this moment of crisis, ensuring that every child in America has access to affordable health care is not just good economic policy, but a moral obligation we hold as parents and citizens," Obama said after the House vote.

Current law requires legal immigrants to wait five years before becoming eligible for coverage under the SCHIP and Medicaid programs. The new bill means, supporters say, that children can get quicker treatment for acute conditions such as asthma and diabetes without having to seek care in an emergency room. Critics had opposed lifting the five-year waiting period, saying it violated a pledge by immigrant sponsors that people coming into the United States would not be dependent on government assistance, AP reported.

The measure adds $33 billion to fund SCHIP over the next four years, and will come from a 61-cent increase in the federal excise tax on a pack of cigarettes and comparable increases for other tobacco products.

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Software Glitch Exposed Vets to Wrong Drug Doses

A glitch during an annual software upgrade last August at Veterans Affairs health centers around the country exposed some patients to incorrect drug doses, delayed treatments and other medical errors, according to internal documents obtained by the Associated Press.

While no evidence of serious harm was shown, the VA only began issuing safety alerts to medical centers on Oct. 10, and all the glitches were corrected in December. Nine patients at VA centers in Milwaukee, Durham, N.C., and Marion, Ind., were given incorrect drug doses, six of them involving heparin drips given for up to 11 hours longer than necessary, the AP reported Wednesday. Other errors involved drug infusions that continued for up to 15 hours past the doctor's prescribed deadline. Nearly one-third of the VA's 153 medical centers reported seeing some kind of glitch.

The problems are of concern since the federal government is pushing toward universal use of electronic medical records to curb medical errors blamed on paper systems, such as poorly written prescriptions. President George W. Bush supported the effort, and incoming President-elect Barack Obama has proposed spending an additional $50 billion a year for health IT programs, AP said.

But health care experts say the VA's problems highlight the need for closer monitoring. Dr. Jeffrey A. Linder, an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School who has studied electronic health systems, told the news service, "There's a lot of hype out there about electronic health records, that there is some unfettered good. It's a big piece of the puzzle, but they're not magic. There is also a potential for unintended consequences."

The VA's glitches involved medical data that sometimes popped up under another patient's name on the computer screen, the AP said. When doctors pulled up records of different patients within 10 minutes of each other, the first patient's data sometimes appeared under the second person's name. In some records, a doctor's stop order for intravenous injections also failed to clearly display.

VA officials told the AP that veterans with questions can request a copy of their medical records by accessing the "My HealtheVet" online system at http://www.myhealth.va.gov.

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Anti-Smoking Advocate Tapped for HHS Deputy

President-elect Barack Obama has nominated William V. Coor, executive director of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, a nonprofit group that seeks to reduce tobacco use among children and adults, for deputy secretary at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the New York Times reported.

If confirmed by the Senate, Coor would serve as No. 2 in the department under former Senate majority leader Sen. Tom Daschle (D-S.D.), who was selected last month by Obama to head the health agency. Coor worked as Daschle's chief counsel and policy director when Daschle was minority leader. As a member of Obama's transition team, Coor also led efforts to evaluate the department he is now nominated to join and previously had served as chief of staff at HHS under former secretary Donna Shalala in the Clinton administration, according to the Times.

"Reforming our health care system will be a top priority of my administration and key to putting our economy back on track," Obama said in a statement. "Under the leadership of Tom Daschle and Bill Corr, I am confident that my Department of Health and Human Services will bring people together to reach consensus on how to move forward with health care reform."

The new Congress is expected to aggressively pursue federal regulation of cigarettes, raising taxes on tobacco products and approving an international tobacco control treaty, the newspaper said. As a senator, Obama, an occasional smoker himself, co-sponsored a bill that would have given the U.S. Food and Drug Administration broad powers to regulate tobacco products, including cigarettes.

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FDA Approves Guidelines for 'Off-Label' Drug Use

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has OK'd guidelines that would make it easier for drug companies to use medical journal articles to promote drugs for unapproved uses, the Associated Press reported.

While pharmaceutical firms are not allowed to advertise products for "off-label" uses, the agency has allowed salespeople to distribute articles about such uses if they have been published in a peer-reviewed medical journal. A law permitting that distribution expired in 2006, and drug makers have been lobbying for its renewal ever since. The FDA said the new guidelines, posted online Monday, are designed to discourage "ghostwriting" of medical reviews and recommended that companies disclose financial relationships with article authors, the wire service said.

The veracity of some journal articles were questioned last year when Merck & Co. was accused of ghostwriting articles about its painkiller Vioxx. The drug was withdrawn from the market in 2004 for safety reasons, the AP reported.

Companies such as Pfizer Inc. and Eli Lilly said the guidelines merely reauthorize a longstanding policy that benefits doctors and patients, but critics contend the new directives contain a loophole allowing firms to distribute product articles to doctors even when they involve uses that have not been federally approved, AP reported.

Health Tips for January 15

Health Tip: Understanding Seasonal Sadness

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is triggered when the seasons change, most often with the onset of winter and the corresponding decrease in sunlight.

The American Academy of Family Physicians lists these common symptoms of winter-onset seasonal affective disorder:

• Appetite changes, particularly a desire for sweets and starches.
• Gaining weight.
• Sleeping too much.
• Lack of energy and a feeling of fatigue.
• Feeling irritable, anxious and having problems concentrating.
• Not wanting to participate in social activities and a general lack of interest in things you once enjoyed.
• Increased concern about being rejected socially.

Treatments are available for SAD. Talk with your doctor if you have these symptoms.

Health Tip: Walking for Exercise

Walking is a great form of daily exercise that can help you achieve and maintain a healthy weight.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons offers these suggestions to help you establish a walking-for-exercise program:

• Walk at your usual pace for about 5 minutes, then speed it up to where your heart is beating faster and you feel like you're inhaling more air. Keep up this pace for about 15 minutes. Repeat your warm-up pace for another 5 minutes.
• Always wear a sturdy pair of shoes that offer good arch and heel support.
• While you walk, remember to let your arms swing.
• Walk with your toes pointing straight ahead.
• Flatten your abdomen, straighten your back, and walk with your head up.
• Walk briskly and with long strides, but make sure your stride is comfortable.

Health Headlines - January 14

Anti-Smoking Advocate Tapped for HHS Deputy

President-elect Barack Obama has nominated William V. Coor, executive director of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, a nonprofit group that seeks to reduce tobacco use among children and adults, for deputy secretary at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the New York Times reported Tuesday.

If confirmed by the Senate, Coor would serve as No. 2 in the department under former Senate majority leader Sen. Tom Daschle (D-S.D.), who was selected last month by Obama to head the health agency. Coor worked as Daschle's chief counsel and policy director when Daschle was minority leader. As a member of Obama's transition team, Coor also led efforts to evaluate the department he is now nominated to join and previously had served as chief of staff at HHS under former secretary Donna Shalala in the Clinton administration, according to the Times.

"Reforming our health care system will be a top priority of my administration and key to putting our economy back on track," Obama said in a statement. "Under the leadership of Tom Daschle and Bill Corr, I am confident that my Department of Health and Human Services will bring people together to reach consensus on how to move forward with health care reform."

The new Congress is expected to aggressively pursue federal regulation of cigarettes, raising taxes on tobacco products and approving an international tobacco control treaty, the newspaper said. As a senator, Obama, an occasional smoker himself, co-sponsored a bill that would have given the U.S. Food and Drug Administration broad powers to regulate tobacco products, including cigarettes.

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FDA Approves Guidelines for 'Off-Label' Drug Use

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has OK'd guidelines that would make it easier for drug companies to use medical journal articles to promote drugs for unapproved uses, the Associated Press reported Tuesday.

While pharmaceutical firms are not allowed to advertise products for "off-label" uses, the agency has allowed salespeople to distribute articles about such uses if they have been published in a peer-reviewed medical journal. A law permitting that distribution expired in 2006, and drug makers have been lobbying for its renewal ever since. The FDA said the new guidelines, posted online Monday, are designed to discourage "ghostwriting" of medical reviews and recommended that companies disclose financial relationships with article authors, the wire service said.

The veracity of some journal articles were questioned last year when Merck & Co. was accused of ghostwriting articles about its painkiller Vioxx. The drug was withdrawn from the market in 2004 for safety reasons, the AP reported.

Companies such as Pfizer Inc. and Eli Lilly said the guidelines merely reauthorize a longstanding policy that benefits doctors and patients, but critics contend the new directives contain a loophole allowing firms to distribute product articles to doctors even when they involve uses that have not been federally approved, AP reported.

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FDA Lax in Overseeing Doctors' Conflicts in Trials: Report

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration does little to oversee financial conflicts that doctors involved in clinical trials of drugs and medical devices may have, government investigators said Monday.

In 42 percent of trials, the FDA failed to receive disclosure forms from physicians and said that efforts to police such disclosures weren't worth the effort, The New York Times reported. Results of the investigation, conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, were expected to be released Monday and fuel an ongoing debate about how money that doctors receive for this research could skew study results, the newspaper said.

Fewer than 1 percent of the doctors helping oversee clinical trials registered with the agency -- about 206 of the 29,691 clinical investigators listed. And those who filed the required disclosures reported that they had a significant conflict of interest, the Times said. Since the FDA does not have a complete list of these physicians, the agency has no way of knowing whether every doctor required to file actually did so, the newspaper said.

Doctors have been required by the FDA since 1999 to reveal such conflicts, and companies are required to collect and to consult with the agency before trials begin to resolve outstanding problems. Previous studies have found that one-fifth to one-third of all doctors have such conflicts, according to the Times.

FDA spokeswoman Karen Riley told the newspaper that the agency opposed reviewing doctors' financial conflicts before trials because they represented just one possible source of bias.

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Chinese Distributor Pulls Suspect Dog Food

A Chinese distributor has pulled a popular dog food brand from its pipeline following reports that about 10 dogs got sick after eating the product, two had died, and a third was gravely ill, the Associated Press reported Monday.

Shanghai Yidi Pet Co. said it stopped selling Optima brand dog food last week and notified its customers not to feed it to their pets. The sickened dogs were believed to be suffering from aflatoxin poisoning. Aflatoxin is a naturally occurring chemical in a fungus sometimes found on corn and other grains that can cause liver damage. The company said it was unclear how the dog food might have been contaminated, but indicated that it might have spoiled in storage before reaching shops, AP said.

While Optima is the name of an American dog food brand, it was unclear if the food sold in China came from the United States. In the United States, Optima products are made by Nashville, Tenn.-based Doane Pet Care Co., which was bought in 2006 by Mars Inc., makers of Pedigree brand pet foods. Mars' Web site does not list any international operations, and it was unclear if Doane was the manufacturer of the brand sold in China. Calls for more information to the American and the Chinese companies went unanswered before business hours Monday, the wire service reported.

Health Tips for January 14

Health Tip: Prevent Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas that can lead to serious illness or death if inhaled in significant amounts.

Potential sources include: unvented kerosene and gas space heaters, furnaces, wood stoves, gas stoves, fireplaces and water heaters, and automobile exhaust.

Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning could include tiredness, headache, confusion, nausea and dizziness.

The National Safety Council offers these suggestions to help protect you and your loved ones from carbon monoxide poisoning:

• Make sure that every appliance in your home is installed properly and is working correctly.
• Have your furnace, chimneys and flues inspected and cleaned each year.
• If using a fireplace, make sure the flue is open.
• Never heat your home with a gas range or oven.
• Be sure that your stove and furnace vent outdoors and there are no leaks in the exhaust systems. Also make sure that your furnace takes in enough fresh air.
• Never burn charcoal indoors or in any enclosed space, such as in a camper or R.V.
• Never leave a gas-fueled tool or vehicle running inside a garage or tool shed, or anywhere indoors.
• Never use kerosene or gas heaters indoors.

Health Tip: Keep Bathroom Chemicals Locked Up

The bathroom may be full of potential dangers and temptations for young children.

Here are suggestions to prevent little hands from getting into bathroom chemicals or medications, courtesy of the National Safety Council:

• Always keep drugs stored in a medicine cabinet that is secured with a lock or child-proof latch.
• All medications should have a child-proof cap, and make sure it is secure and tight.
• Mouthwash may contain alcohol, which even in small amounts can be dangerous for children. Keep mouthwash away from a child's reach.
• When throwing away expired or unused medications, make sure the containers are secure and cannot be opened by children.
• Store toilet cleaners -- which often contain toxic chemicals -- in a locked area that children cannot reach.

Health Headlines - January 13

FDA Lax in Overseeing Doctors' Conflicts in Trials: Report

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration does little to oversee financial conflicts that doctors involved in clinical trials of drugs and medical devices may have, government investigators said Monday.

In 42 percent of trials, the FDA failed to receive disclosure forms from physicians and said that efforts to police such disclosures weren't worth the effort, The New York Times reported. Results of the investigation, conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, were expected to be released Monday and fuel an ongoing debate about how money that doctors receive for this research could skew study results, the newspaper said.

Fewer than 1 percent of the doctors helping oversee clinical trials registered with the agency -- about 206 of the 29,691 clinical investigators listed. And those who filed the required disclosures reported that they had a significant conflict of interest, the Times said. Since the FDA does not have a complete list of these physicians, the agency has no way of knowing whether every doctor required to file actually did so, the newspaper said.

Doctors have been required by the FDA since 1999 to reveal such conflicts, and companies are required to collect and to consult with the agency before trials begin to resolve outstanding problems. Previous studies have found that one-fifth to one-third of all doctors have such conflicts, according to the Times.

FDA spokeswoman Karen Riley told the newspaper that the agency opposed reviewing doctors' financial conflicts before trials because they represented just one possible source of bias.

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Chinese Distributor Pulls Suspect Dog Food

A Chinese distributor has pulled a popular dog food brand from its pipeline following reports that about 10 dogs got sick after eating the product, two had died, and a third was gravely ill, the Associated Press reported Monday.

Shanghai Yidi Pet Co. said it stopped selling Optima brand dog food last week and notified its customers not to feed it to their pets. The sickened dogs were believed to be suffering from aflatoxin poisoning. Aflatoxin is a naturally occurring chemical in a fungus sometimes found on corn and other grains that can cause liver damage. The company said it was unclear how the dog food might have been contaminated, but indicated that it might have spoiled in storage before reaching shops, AP said.

While Optima is the name of an American dog food brand, it was unclear if the food sold in China came from the United States. In the United States, Optima products are made by Nashville, Tenn.-based Doane Pet Care Co., which was bought in 2006 by Mars Inc., makers of Pedigree brand pet foods. Mars' Web site does not list any international operations, and it was unclear if Doane was the manufacturer of the brand sold in China. Calls for more information to the American and the Chinese companies went unanswered before business hours Monday, the wire service reported.

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106 Major League Baseball Players Got Exemptions for ADHD Drugs

Almost 8 percent of all Major League Baseball players used drugs to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) during the 2008 season, almost twice the percentage of the general population.

The drugs -- usually stimulants -- to treat ADHD are among those banned for general use in the major leagues, according to the Associated Press. The 106 exemptions -- 7.86 percent of all major league players -- are actually three more than granted during the 2007 season, the wire service reported.

The U.S. National Institute of Mental health estimates that 3 to 5 percent of American children have ADHD.

A Major League Baseball spokesman told the AP that making that sort of comparison might not be a fair one. "We are far younger than the general population," Rob Manfred, baseball's executive vice president of labor relations, was quoted as saying, "and we have far better access to medical care than the general population."

But Dr. Gary Wadler, chairman of the committee that creates a list of banned drugs for sports organizations, told the wire service he was concerned about the percentage exemptions for ADHD drugs in professional baseball.

"I've been in private practice for a lot of years," Wadler told the AP. "I can count on one hand the number of individuals that have ADD. To say that (7.86 percent) of major league baseball players have attention deficit disorder is crying out for an explanation."

Health Tips for January 13

Health Tip: Coping With Pet Allergies

If being near a pet makes you sniffle, sneeze, and your eyes water, you may not have to live a pet-free life.

The American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology offers these suggestions:

• Always wash your hands after you touch a pet. And avoid kissing or hugging your furry friend.
• Keep cat litter boxes away from vents, and try to limit your exposure to them.
• Give your pet a bath each week to reduce dander. And try to have a person who isn't allergic regularly brush your pet outdoors.
• Don't allow pets on upholstered furniture. If necessary, cover the furniture in plastic.
• Make sure your pet is on a healthy diet to help reduce shedding.
• Try to eliminate rugs and carpets from your home, and use a double filter or micro-filter bag in your vacuum.
• Ask your doctor about getting allergy shots to control symptoms.

Health Tip: Allergies and Your Eyes

Allergens such as dust, animal dander, pollution and pollen can cause allergic conjunctivitis, a non-contagious condition that results in red, watery and itchy eyes.

The American Academy of Family Physicians offers these suggestions to help prevent these symptoms:

• Try eye drops specifically made to treat allergic conjunctivitis. Some may require a prescription.
• Use over-the-counter lubricating eye drops, sometimes called "artificial tears," to soothe the eyes.
• Take an antihistamine that's been approved by your doctor.
• Apply a cool washcloth across your eyes.
• If you wear contact lenses, stop using them and wear glasses until symptoms clear.

Health Headlines - January 12

106 Major League Baseball Players Granted Exemptions for ADHD Drugs

Almost 8 percent of all major league baseball players used drugs to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) during the 2008 season, almost twice the percentage of the general population.

The drugs -- usually stimulants -- to treat ADHD are among those banned for general use in the major leagues, according to the Associated Press. The 106 exemptions -- 7.86 percent of all major league players -- are actually three more than granted during the 2007 season, the wire service reports.

The National Institute of Mental health estimates that 3-to-5 percent of U.S. children have ADHD.

A major league spokesman told the A.P. that making that sort of comparison might not be a fair one. "We are far younger than the general population," Rob Manfred, baseball's executive vice president of labor relations, is quoted as saying, "and we have far better access to medical care than the general population."

But Dr. Gary Wadler, chairman of the committee that creates a list of banned drugs for sports organizations, told the wire service he was concerned about the percentage exemptions for ADHD drugs in major league baseball.

"I've been in private practice for a lot of years," W#adler told the A.P.. "I can count on one hand the number of individuals that have ADD. To say that (7.86 percent) of major league baseball players have attention deficit disorder is crying out for an explanation."

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CDC Director Gerberding Submits Resignation

The first woman to head the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has submitted her resignation, the Associated Press has learned.

The wire service reports it obtained a copy of Dr. Julie Gerberding's resignation e-mail to employees at the Department of Health and Human Services, the CDC's parent agency. William Gimson, the CDC's chief operating officer, will be interim director after Barack Obama becomes president, the AP reports, but no permanent successor has been announced.

Gerberding became CDC director in July 2002, after joining the agency in 1998 as an infectious disease specialist. There had been some speculation she would remain as the agency's director, the AP reports, but her resignation, effective Jan. 20, was accepted by the Obama transition team.

The CDC investigates disease outbreaks and is the official government record-keeper of U.S. health statistics.

Gerberding has been considered an effective communicator, the wire service reports, but a number of problems occurred during her time in office.

These included a shortage of flu vaccine in 2003 and 2004; the departure of a number of CDC scientists during a reorganization she ordered; the CDC's response time to complaints about formaldehyde levels in trailers being provided to Hurricane Katrina survivors, and what was explained as a "computer glitch" when Gerberding reported that obesity had surpassed smoking as the top cause of death in the United States.

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FDA Delays Decision on Gardasil Approval for Older Women

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has asked drug maker Merck & Co. for more information before it decides whether to expand approval for Gardasil, a human papillomavirus vaccine, Merck said Friday.

Gardasil is currently approved for females ages 9 to 26. Merck has asked the FDA to widen approval for its use in women aged 27 to 45, the Associated Press reported. The drug is designed to guard against HPV, which is responsible for most cases of cervical cancer.

The FDA wants additional data from an ongoing 48-month study of Gardasil, the wire service said. The agency's action does not affect currently approved uses or Merck's application to approve the drug for use in males ages 9 to 26.

The vaccine costs about $360 for the three required doses, and some experts have said it's not cost-effective for older women, Dow Jones news service reported. A Harvard study funded by the U.S. government and published last year, found the vaccine was cost-effective for girls, but not for females in their 20s, the AP said.

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Consumers Union Urges Expanded Testing of Infant Formula

Consumers Union urged the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday to expand testing of infant formula for melamine and related compounds, and to recall all contaminated products.

The request came after the FDA published two new reports of contamination on its Web site over the holidays, doubling the number cases previously reported last November. The FDA deemed melamine levels in the new cases extremely minute and safe for babies. Traces of the industrial chemical melamine and a byproduct, cyanuric acid, have now been found in four of 89 containers of infant formula made in the United States, the Associated Press reported.

The two new cases involved containers of Mead Johnson's Enfamil LIPIL with Iron that had traces of cyanuric acid, a weak acid used as a chlorine stabilizer in swimming pools. Previous tests had found traces of melamine in a can of milk-based liquid Nestle Good Start Supreme Infant Formula with Iron. A third major formula maker, Abbott Laboratories, whose brands include Similac, told the AP in November that in-house tests had detected traces of melamine in its formula, but far below levels the FDA found in the other formulas.

Consumers Union called the FDA risk assessment from November 2008 "flawed," saying it ignored important scientific data. The FDA now says that up to one part per million of melamine in formula is safe. Levels in the new cases were well below that standard, but an agency risk assessment issued as recently as October 2008 had said that no amount of melamine in formula could be considered safe.

Melamine-tainted formula has sickened tens of thousands of children in China, killing at least six. The melamine was apparently added to milk powder by manufacturers to make their watered-down formulas appear more nutritious. The FDA has said that domestic supplies are safe, however, because U.S. formula makers do not obtain ingredients for their products from China.

Abbott Laboratories, Nestle and Mead Johnson make more than 90 percent of the infant formula produced in the United States, the AP said.

Health Tips for January 12

Health Tip: If Your Child Takes Medicine

While pharmacists can't diagnose an illness or condition, they can recommend over-the-counter medications or discuss side effects.

The Nemours Foundation suggests talking to your pharmacist whenever your child needs to take medication. Here are the foundation's safety suggestions:

• Store medications in the kitchen or in a closet -- never in the bathroom or another area with lots of moisture. Always keep medicines out of your child's reach.
• Keep medications in their original containers, so you can reference safety instructions and expiration dates.
• Throw away expired prescriptions, or any that your child has finished taking.
• Talk to your pharmacist about safe ways to make medication taste better for children.
• Administer liquid medications with a medication syringe, instead of a spoon.
• If it says "refrigerate" on the drug your child is taking, be sure to keep it cool while you're on the road.
• Never combine more than one drug in the same container.

Health Tip: Help Stop Thumbsucking

Many children suck their thumbs, but it can cause dental problems if children continue to suck their thumb beyond age 4.

Most children stop on their own, but continued thumbsucking could be a sign of a behavioral problem, such as anxiety or depression.

The U.S. National Library of Medicine offers these suggestions to help your child quit the habit:

• Ask your pediatrician about having your child use a thumb guard.
• Apply a bitter-tasting material on your child's thumb. But always check with the child's doctor to make sure it's safe.
• Make a deal with your child. If he or she agrees to stop sucking the thumb, offer a reward.
• Offer praise and attention when you notice that your child isn't thumbsucking.
• If your child's teeth have been affected by thumbsucking, talk to the child's dentist about what can be done to correct it.

Health Headlines - January 11

CDC Director Gerberding Submits Resignation

The first woman to head the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has submitted her resignation, the Associated Press has learned.

The wire service reports it obtained a copy of Dr. Julie Gerberding's resignation e-mail to employees at the Department of Health and Human Services, the CDC's parent agency. William Gimson, the CDC's chief operating officer, will be interim director after Barack Obama becomes president, the AP reports, but no permanent successor has been announced.

Gerberding became CDC director in July 2002, after joining the agency in 1998 as an infectious disease specialist. There had been some speculation she would remain as the agency's director, the AP reports, but her resignation, effective Jan. 20, was accepted by the Obama transition team.

The CDC investigates disease outbreaks and is the official government record-keeper of U.S. health statistics.

Gerberding has been considered an effective communicator, the wire service reports, but a number of problems occurred during her time in office.

These included a shortage of flu vaccine in 2003 and 2004; the departure of a number of CDC scientists during a reorganization she ordered; the CDC's response time to complaints about formaldehyde levels in trailers being provided to Hurricane Katrina survivors, and what was explained as a "computer glitch" when Gerberding reported that obesity had surpassed smoking as the top cause of death in the United States.

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FDA Delays Decision on Gardasil Approval for Older Women

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has asked drug maker Merck & Co. for more information before it decides whether to expand approval for Gardasil, a human papillomavirus vaccine, Merck said Friday.

Gardasil is currently approved for females ages 9 to 26. Merck has asked the FDA to widen approval for its use in women aged 27 to 45, the Associated Press reported. The drug is designed to guard against HPV, which is responsible for most cases of cervical cancer.

The FDA wants additional data from an ongoing 48-month study of Gardasil, the wire service said. The agency's action does not affect currently approved uses or Merck's application to approve the drug for use in males ages 9 to 26.

The vaccine costs about $360 for the three required doses, and some experts have said it's not cost-effective for older women, Dow Jones news service reported. A Harvard study funded by the U.S. government and published last year, found the vaccine was cost-effective for girls, but not for females in their 20s, the AP said.

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Consumers Union Urges Expanded Testing of Infant Formula

Consumers Union urged the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday to expand testing of infant formula for melamine and related compounds, and to recall all contaminated products.

The request came after the FDA published two new reports of contamination on its Web site over the holidays, doubling the number cases previously reported last November. The FDA deemed melamine levels in the new cases extremely minute and safe for babies. Traces of the industrial chemical melamine and a byproduct, cyanuric acid, have now been found in four of 89 containers of infant formula made in the United States, the Associated Press reported.

The two new cases involved containers of Mead Johnson's Enfamil LIPIL with Iron that had traces of cyanuric acid, a weak acid used as a chlorine stabilizer in swimming pools. Previous tests had found traces of melamine in a can of milk-based liquid Nestle Good Start Supreme Infant Formula with Iron. A third major formula maker, Abbott Laboratories, whose brands include Similac, told the AP in November that in-house tests had detected traces of melamine in its formula, but far below levels the FDA found in the other formulas.

Consumers Union called the FDA risk assessment from November 2008 "flawed," saying it ignored important scientific data. The FDA now says that up to one part per million of melamine in formula is safe. Levels in the new cases were well below that standard, but an agency risk assessment issued as recently as October 2008 had said that no amount of melamine in formula could be considered safe.

Melamine-tainted formula has sickened tens of thousands of children in China, killing at least six. The melamine was apparently added to milk powder by manufacturers to make their watered-down formulas appear more nutritious. The FDA has said that domestic supplies are safe, however, because U.S. formula makers do not obtain ingredients for their products from China.

Abbott Laboratories, Nestle and Mead Johnson make more than 90 percent of the infant formula produced in the United States, the AP said.

Health Tips for January 11

Health Tip: Having High Blood Pressure

Having high blood pressure puts you at higher-than-normal risk of heart disease and stroke, among other medical problems.

Here are risk factors that may make you more likely to develop high blood pressure, courtesy of the American Heart Association:

• Being significantly overweight or obese.
• Eating a diet that's too high in sodium (salt).
• Drinking alcohol to excess, or too frequently.
• Getting insufficient exercise.
• Feeling too much stress or anxiety.
• Having a family history of high blood pressure.
• Being African-American.
• Being age 35 or older.

Health Tip: Check Blood Pressure at Home

Blood pressure can change frequently based on recent exercise, foods you've eaten, or changes in stress levels.

Here are suggestions for monitoring your blood pressure at home, courtesy of the American Heart Association:

• Take a measurement of your upper arm, and buy a blood pressure cuff that's the right size.
• At least 30 minutes before taking your blood pressure, avoid smoking, caffeine and exercise.
• Sit in the proper position, with your back straight and supported, and your feet flat on the floor. Place your lower arm on a flat surface with your upper arm at the level of your heart.
• Read the instructions on how to apply and use the cuff. Or ask your doctor to show you how.
• Take two to three readings at the same time each day, and wait at least one minute between readings. Always record all results.

Health Headlines - January 10

FDA Delays Decision on Gardasil Approval for Older Women

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has asked drug maker Merck & Co. for more information before it decides whether to expand approval for Gardasil, a human papillomavirus vaccine, Merck said Friday.

Gardasil is currently approved for females ages 9 to 26. Merck has asked the FDA to widen approval for its use in women aged 27 to 45, the Associated Press reported. The drug is designed to guard against HPV, which is responsible for most cases of cervical cancer.

The FDA wants additional data from an ongoing 48-month study of Gardasil, the wire service said. The agency's action does not affect currently approved uses, nor Merck's application to approve the drug for use in males ages 9 to 26.

The vaccine costs about $360 for the three required doses, and some experts have said it's not cost-effective for older women, the Dow Jones news service reported. A Harvard study funded by the U.S. government, published last year, found the vaccine was cost-effective for girls, but not for females in their 20s, the AP said.

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Consumers Union Urges Expanded Testing of Infant Formula

Consumers Union urged the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday to expand testing of infant formula for melamine and related compounds, and to recall all contaminated products.

The request came after the FDA published two new reports of contamination on its Web site over the holidays, doubling the number cases previously reported last November. The FDA deemed melamine levels in the new cases extremely minute and safe for babies. Traces of the industrial chemical melamine and a byproduct, cyanuric acid, have now been found in four of 89 containers of infant formula made in the United States, the Associated Press reported.

The two new cases involved containers of Mead Johnson's Enfamil LIPIL with Iron that had traces of cyanuric acid, a weak acid used as a chlorine stabilizer in swimming pools. Previous tests had found traces of melamine in a can of milk-based liquid Nestle Good Start Supreme Infant Formula with Iron. A third major formula maker, Abbott Laboratories, whose brands include Similac, told the AP in November that in-house tests had detected traces of melamine in its formula, but far below levels the FDA found in the other formulas.

Consumers Union called the FDA risk assessment from November 2008 "flawed," saying it ignored important scientific data. The FDA now says that up to one part per million of melamine in formula is safe. Levels in the new cases were well below that standard, but an agency risk assessment issued as recently as October 2008 had said that no amount of melamine in formula could be considered safe.

Melamine-tainted formula has sickened tens of thousands of children in China, killing at least six. The melamine was apparently added to milk powder by manufacturers to make their watered-down formulas appear more nutritious. The FDA has said that domestic supplies are safe, however, because U.S. formula makers do not obtain ingredients for their products from China.

Abbott Laboratories, Nestle and Mead Johnson make more than 90 percent of the infant formula produced in the United States, the AP said.

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Racial, Ethnic Disparities Persist in Spina Bifida Births

Public health efforts to decrease the number of babies born with spina bifida should target women at higher risk, including those who are obese, of Hispanic ethnicity, or who carry certain genetic risk factors, according to a new review by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Spina bifida, a developmental birth defect of the neural tube, called an NTD-affected pregnancy, results in an infant's having an incompletely formed spinal cord. In January 1998, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration mandated adding folic acid to all enriched cereal grain products to reduce the risk. Prior to conception, women are now urged to take 400 micrograms of daily folic acid supplementation.

The new data showed no additional decrease in spina bifida among infants born to non-Hispanic white and Hispanic mothers since mandatory folic acid fortification was implemented, but a 20 percent decrease was registered among infants born to non-Hispanic black mothers, according to the CDC review, which looked at statistics from 1999 to 2005. The findings were published in the Jan. 9 issue of the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

"Future public health efforts to reduce the prevalence of spina bifida should focus on subgroups of women with known risk factors for an NTD-affected pregnancy, such as obesity, Hispanic ethnicity, and certain genetic factors. Additional study of genetic and environmental risk and protective factors is warranted," the CDC review said. "Future decreases in the prevalence of spina bifida might be attenuated as the percentage of NTDs preventable by consuming folic acid continues to diminish," the report added.

An estimated 50 percent to 70 percent of neural tube disorders can be prevented through daily consumption of 400 micrograms of folic acid, the study said.

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Salmonella Cases Still a Mystery

Georgia, Ohio and Minnesota are among the 42 states now affected by the salmonella bacterium that has continued to sicken hundreds of Americans during the past three months with a reported 388 cases, the Associated Press said Thursday.

Georgia officials said they've identified five people who became ill from mid-October to mid-December. No one died, but at least one person was hospitalized. In Ohio, 51 people in 20 counties, where at least a dozen were hospitalized, had the same type of salmonella about the same time as the Georgia cases, health officials said.

A Minnesota health official said Thursday the state has had 30 cases, while in California, 51 cases had been reported as of last week, AP said.

USA Today also reported that officials from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have become concerned enough about the latest incidences to form a task force to find the cause. The CDC is leading the investigation but has not yet released the full list of states or determined which foods may have caused the illnesses.

This can be a daunting task. For example, more than 1,400 people in the United States suffered from salmonella poisoning in 2008 before the source was found -- peppers imported from Mexico. And another 401 cases in 41 states were reported in November, caused by the bacterium in microwaveable pot pies.

Infectious disease specialists don't yet know the source of the current illnesses, if there is indeed a single source.

The CDC says salmonella symptoms include nausea, diarrhea, stomach cramps and fever, and it usually is spread by fecal matter coming in contact with food people eat, whether animal or vegetable.

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Large Lab Admits Problems With Vitamin D Tests

Quest Diagnostics, the largest provider of medical laboratory tests in the United States, says it has fixed a problem that led to higher vitamin D readings for about 7 percent of patients from 2007 to 2008, the Associated Press reported Wednesday.

The Madison, N.J., lab said it noticed an "upward trend" in the vitamin D levels being registered on some of its tests during the summer, then offered free tests for patients whose results were called into question, according to Gary Samuels, the company's vice president for communications. Blood tests to check vitamin D levels are on the rise, because research has shown a possible link between too little "sunshine vitamin" and a higher risk for cancer and heart disease.

Quest's chief medical official, Dr. Wael Salameh, told AP that he doubted patients would have suffered any harm. People with serious vitamin D deficiency, he said, often exhibit physical symptoms such as fractures that doctors would have noticed. "A good doctor would question the test," Salameh added. "For the few vulnerable patients, other indicators would have flagged the situation to their physician."

Quest said the cause of the problem proved to be how some of the company's testing chemicals were mixed. But the company is using a new testing technology, AP reported, which critics say tends to produce higher vitamin D readings.

Health Tips for January 10

Health Tip: See Your Doctor Before Pregnancy

When you're pregnant, certain medical conditions can be dangerous for you and your developing baby, but you might not even be aware of some of these potential health risks.

So, it's important to have a thorough medical exam before you become pregnant.

The American Pregnancy Association offers this list of potential risk factors:

• Diabetes and high blood pressure should be diagnosed and well-controlled before pregnancy.
• Anemia can trigger symptoms of weakness and fatigue. A complete blood count (CBC) is used to measure factors including hemoglobin, red and white blood cell count, and platelet appearance.
• A test measuring thyroid-stimulating hormone can help determine if your thyroid is overactive or underactive. Either condition could pose risks for you and the developing baby.
• You should always be checked for sexually transmitted diseases before you become pregnant.

Health Tip: Medications and Pregnancy

You may take certain over-the-counter supplements and medications without thinking twice. But when you're pregnant, even drugs that you can buy without a prescription can affect the developing fetus.

The American Academy of Family Physicians offers these safety guidelines about medications and pregnancy:

• Don't take any medicine or herbal supplement without checking with your doctor.
• Try not to take any medicine during your first trimester of pregnancy, when your baby is most likely to be affected.
• If you are having pain, acetaminophen is usually safe for pregnant women to take for a short period. But you should first check with your doctor.
• Don't take aspirin while you're pregnant.
• Don't take an NSAID -- such as Advil, Motrin or Aleve -- while you're pregnant, particularly during your third trimester.

Health Headlines - January 9

Racial, Ethnic Disparities Persist in Spina Bifida Births

Public health efforts to decrease the number of babies born with spina bifida should target women at higher risk, including those who are obese, of Hispanic ethnicity, or who carry certain genetic risk factors, according to a new review by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Spina bifida, a developmental birth defect of the neural tube, called an NTD-affected pregnancy, results in an infant's having an incompletely formed spinal cord. In January 1998, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration mandated adding folic acid to all enriched cereal grain products to reduce the risk. Prior to conception, women are now urged to take 400 micrograms of daily folic acid supplementation.

The new data showed no additional decrease in spina bifida among infants born to non-Hispanic white and Hispanic mothers since mandatory folic acid fortification was implemented, but a 20 percent decrease was registered among infants born to non-Hispanic black mothers, according to the CDC review, which looked at statistics from 1999 to 2005. The findings were published in the Jan. 9 issue of the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

"Future public health efforts to reduce the prevalence of spina bifida should focus on subgroups of women with known risk factors for an NTD-affected pregnancy, such as obesity, Hispanic ethnicity, and certain genetic factors. Additional study of genetic and environmental risk and protective factors is warranted," the CDC review said. "Future decreases in the prevalence of spina bifida might be attenuated as the percentage of NTDs preventable by consuming folic acid continues to diminish," the report added.

An estimated 50 percent to 70 percent of neural tube disorders can be prevented through daily consumption of 400 micrograms of folic acid, the study said.

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Salmonella Cases Still a Mystery

Georgia, Ohio and Minnesota are among the 42 states now affected by the salmonella bacterium that has continued to sicken hundreds of Americans during the past three months with a reported 388 cases, the Associated Press said Thursday.

Georgia officials said they've identified five people who became ill from mid-October to mid-December. No one died, but at least one person was hospitalized. In Ohio, 51 people in 20 counties, where at least a dozen were hospitalized, had the same type of salmonella about the same time as the Georgia cases, health officials said.

A Minnesota health official said Thursday the state has had 30 cases, while in California, 51 cases had been reported as of last week, AP said.

USA Today also reported that officials from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have become concerned enough about the latest incidences to form a task force to find the cause. The CDC is leading the investigation but has not yet released the full list of states or determined which foods may have caused the illnesses.

This can be a daunting task. For example, more than 1,400 people in the United States suffered from salmonella poisoning in 2008 before the source was found -- peppers imported from Mexico. And another 401 cases in 41 states were reported in November, caused by the bacterium in microwaveable pot pies.

Infectious disease specialists don't yet know the source of the current illnesses, if there is indeed a single source.

The CDC says salmonella symptoms include nausea, diarrhea, stomach cramps and fever, and it usually is spread by fecal matter coming in contact with food people eat, whether animal or vegetable.

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Large Lab Admits Problems With Vitamin D Tests

Quest Diagnostics, the largest provider of medical laboratory tests in the United States, says it has fixed a problem that led to higher vitamin D readings for about 7 percent of patients from 2007 to 2008, the Associated Press reported Wednesday.

The Madison, N.J., lab said it noticed an "upward trend" in the vitamin D levels being registered on some of its tests during the summer, then offered free tests for patients whose results were called into question, according to Gary Samuels, the company's vice president for communications. Blood tests to check vitamin D levels are on the rise, because research has shown a possible link between too little "sunshine vitamin" and a higher risk for cancer and heart disease.

Quest's chief medical official, Dr. Wael Salameh, told AP that he doubted patients would have suffered any harm. People with serious vitamin D deficiency, he said, often exhibit physical symptoms such as fractures that doctors would have noticed. "A good doctor would question the test," Salameh added. "For the few vulnerable patients, other indicators would have flagged the situation to their physician."

Quest said the cause of the problem proved to be how some of the company's testing chemicals were mixed. But the company is using a new testing technology, AP reported, which critics say tends to produce higher vitamin D readings.

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FDA Mulls OK for Blood Thinner From Genetically Engineered Goats

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is moving closer to approval for an anti-clotting drug made from the milk of genetically engineered goats, the Associated Press reported Wednesday.

Called ATryn, the drug was developed by GTC Biotherapeutics, a Massachusetts biotech company, by altering goat genes to produce milk rich in antithrombin, a protein that acts as a natural blood thinner in humans. ATryn has already been approved in Europe, and FDA advisers are expected to meet Friday to make a recommendation on approval. The FDA will then make the final decision, the news service said.

"It's the first time we've held an advisory committee meeting on any product from a genetically engineered animal," FDA spokeswoman Siobhan DeLancey told AP. If the drug is approved, DeLancey added, the agency may require follow-up monitoring to insure patients' immune systems don't make antibodies to the medication.

About 1 in 5,000 people don't produce enough antithrombin, putting them at risk of developing painful blood clots that can break loose and travel through the bloodstream to the lungs or the brain, AP reported. Pregnant women with the disorder are at high risk of miscarriage or stillbirth because of blood clots in the placenta.

Antithrombin has until now been produced from blood products collected from human donors, one expert told AP, but making the protein from goats may be better for humans, since it could ensure a steady supply and reduce concerns about infection.

Health Tips for January 9

Health Tip: Preventing Indigestion

Indigestion is that uncomfortable feeling that develops when you've eaten too much, or when you've had too much of the wrong foods.

The U.S. National Library of Medicine offers these suggestions to help ward off indigestion:

• Eat meals slowly. Allow plenty of time, and don't rush.
• Always chew food thoroughly.
• Allow time to digest food. Don't exercise or get too active immediately after you eat.
• Have a calm, relaxing meal, and rest for a few minutes afterward.
• Don't take a painkiller -- such as an aspirin or NSAID -- on an empty stomach.
• If you do get indigestion, see if an antacid provides relief. Stronger over-the-counter medicines also are available for indigestion.

Health Tip: Foods That Can Aggravate Heartburn

That burning, uncomfortable feeling in the chest after a big meal, lying down or eating certain foods is known as heartburn. Heartburn occurs when acid from the stomach backs up into the esophagus.

The American Academy of Family Physicians says the following foods can trigger or aggravate heartburn:

• Coffee and other products with caffeine, carbonated drinks and alcohol.
• Citrus fruits, onions and chocolate.
• Tomato-based foods.
• Peppermints and other mint-flavored products.
• Fattening or spicy foods.

Health Headlines - January 8

No Cause Given for Latest Salmonella Outbreak

The salmonella bacterium continues to sicken hundreds of Americans, and the latest strain has caused an outbreak in 42 states during the past three months, with a reported 388 cases.

USA Today reports that officials from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have become concerned enough about the latest incidences to form a task force to find the cause.

This can be a daunting task. For example, more than 1,400 people in the United States suffered from salmonella poisoning in 2008 before the source was found -- peppers imported from Mexico. and another 401 cases in 41 states were reported in November, caused by the bacterium in microwaveable pot pies.

Infectious disease specialists don't yet know the source of the current illnesses, if there is indeed a single source.

The CDC says salmonella symptoms include nausea, diarrhea, stomach cramps and fever, and it usually spread by fecal matter coming in contact with food we eat, whether animal or vegetable.

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Fewer Than Half of Distressed Adults Sought Treatment

Of the 24.3 million adults who had serious psychological distress (SPD) in 2006, fewer than half (44.6 percent) sought treatment, the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration said Wednesday.

"This report shows that mental health problems affect almost 10 percent of people over age 18 years old, but less than half receive services that could help improve their situation," SAMHSA Acting Administrator Eric Broderick said in a news release.

The SPD rate was highest among adults aged 18 to 25 (17.9 percent), followed by those aged 26 to 49 (12.2 percent) and 50 or older (7 percent). Of adults 18 to 25, 29.4 percent received mental health services, compared to 47.2 percent among people 26 to 49 and 53.8 percent of those 50 and older.

Slightly more than half (50.9 percent) of whites availed themselves of mental health services, compared to fewer than 30 percent of blacks and Hispanics, the agency said.

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Millions Purchasing Individual Health Insurance Policies

About 10.9 million Americans under age 65 bought individual health insurance policies in 2006, but just 7 million of them were covered for the entire year, according to an analysis released Wednesday by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

Those who were covered for only part of 2006 -- the most recent year for which statistics are available -- were covered for an average of six months, the agency said in a news release.

Most individual health policies are bought because purchasers can't get insurance from their employers, or they are unemployed, or they don't qualify for Medicaid or other public insurance plans, the AHRQ said.

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Agency: Medicare Change Should Mean Lower Drug Costs

A change that begins next year in Medicare's Part D regulations should translate to lower costs for Medicare participants at the pharmacy counter, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said in a news release.

The change, effective Jan. 1, 2010, revises the way pharmacies report negotiated drug prices under Part D. It distinguishes between administrative costs and the actual price of a drug paid to a pharmacy by a pharmacy benefit manager. This change should create a uniform standard of drug costs for all Part D sponsors and result in lower negotiated prices for drugs, the agency said.

The rule also allows the agency to impose a penalty of up to $25,000 for each Medicare enrollee who has been adversely affected when the agency determines that a Part D contract has been violated.

The rule change will be of particular help to beneficiaries with high drug costs, since it should slow the beneficiaries' movement toward Medicare's drug coverage limits, the agency said.

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Health Clubs Roll Out Welcome Mats

Gym memberships in the United States were down 3 percent in 2007, due to the sagging economy, according to the Los Angeles Times. But the good news -- it's getting cheaper to keep New Year's resolutions to get into shape.

The economic downturn has would-be exercisers cutting back on extra costs, fitness centers, health clubs and gyms across the country. So the facilities are offering an array of reduced-price deals for new, current and former members looking to tone up, the newspaper reported.

Bally Total Fitness, for example, is offering a free guest pass for two weeks, while Gold's Gym is offering free enrollment. The Times said that even specialty outfit L.A. Boxing is trying to punch-in new members with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Joe Moore, chief executive of the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association, a fitness trade group that represents more than 9,100 for-profit health and fitness facilities in 78 countries, told the newspaper that consumers should ask managers at independent gyms about cost-cutting promotions and savings.

Health Tips for January 8

Health Tip: Help Manage Back Pain

When you begin to feel back pain, resist the urge to stay in bed for a prolonged period. It's better to remain active, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC).

As long as you don't have a serious underlying medical problem that's causing your pain, the UMMC offers these suggestions for how to tame it:

• For the first few days, take it easier, but only for a few days. After that, gradually become more active until you're back to your regular routine.
• Apply either heat or ice to your sore back -- whichever feels better. You can also alternate between the two, starting with ice for the first two or three days, followed by muscle-relaxing heat beginning the next day.
• If it's OK with your doctor, take an over-the-counter pain reliever such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen.
• Take a warm bath before bed to soothe your back and help you sleep.
• Sleep with a pillow between your legs (if on your side), or under your knees (if on your back).

Health Tip: Symptoms of Computer Strain

Frequent computer use -- especially when it involves poor posture or keystroke repetition -- can damage nerves, muscles, tendons or ligaments.

Here are common symptoms of computer-related injury, courtesy of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons:

• Numbness of the fingers.
• Pain or soreness in the lower back, neck, shoulders or wrists.
• Headache.
• Dryness, redness and soreness of the eyes, or blurred vision.

Health Headlines - January 7

56 Substances That Interact With E.D. Drugs Listed

Certain anti-angina drugs, blood pressure medicines, grapefruit juice and the herbal supplement St. John's wort are among the substances that could negatively interact with popular erectile dysfunction (E.D.) drugs, the consumer group Public Citizen said Monday in releasing a list of 56 such substances.

The substances were analyzed when taken with the E.D. drugs Viagra, Cialis or Levitra, Public Citizen said in a news release. The substances are capable of causing either:

• A life-threatening drop in blood pressure,
• An overdose of the E.D. drugs because the other substances prevent the body from ridding itself of the E.D. drugs,
• Or reducing the effectiveness of the E.D. drugs by speeding up the body's metabolism.

E.D. drugs cause the blood vessels to dilate, and this process can be magnified when taken with blood pressure medicines such as Flomax or Cardura. Men who take hypertension medicines should avoid the E.D. drugs, the consumer group said.

The complete list of substances is available at Public Citizen's worstpills.org Web site.

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Health Clubs Roll Out Welcome Mats

Gym memberships in the United States were down 3 percent in 2007, due to the sagging economy, according to the Los Angeles Times. But the good news -- it's getting cheaper to keep New Year's resolutions to get into shape.

The economic downturn has would-be exercisers cutting back on extra costs, fitness centers, health clubs and gyms across the country. So the facilities are offering an array of reduced-price deals for new, current and former members looking to tone up, the newspaper reported.

Bally Total Fitness, for example, is offering a free guest pass for two weeks, while Gold's Gym is offering free enrollment. The Times said that even specialty outfit L.A. Boxing is trying to punch-in new members with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Joe Moore, chief executive of the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association, a fitness trade group that represents more than 9,100 for-profit health and fitness facilities in 78 countries, told the newspaper that consumers should ask managers at independent gyms about cost-cutting promotions and savings.

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MRI Appears to Verify Everlasting Love

Cynics have long disputed the notion of everlasting love. But medical technology may prove them wrong, Britain's Sunday Times reported.

Researchers at Stony Brook University in New York state scanned the brains of couples who had been together for 20 years. About one in 10 of these couples, when shown pictures of their loved ones, had the same chemical reactions in the brain as newlyweds.

Prior studies had shown that the intense "limerence" felt by new couples was virtually gone after a decade, the newspaper said.

The new study found that true love is born in the brain's "reward-seeking circuitry," not in the heart, as lore would have it. The scientists found that so-called "swans" who maintained an intensive love after two decades together tended to avoid anxiety and stress, shared most experiences, and had other common traits, including being generous, calm and deeply attached.

-----

Red Cross Says It Needs Blood Donors

With the start of the new year comes the America Red Cross' annual appeal for blood donations nationwide, to offset the drop-off in donations that typically occurs during the holiday season.

The lack of donations occurs each year because people are busier than usual during the holidays, and colder weather arrives. This is especially true this year in the northern United States, which has been plagued with an unusually high number of storms, All Headline News reported.

Less than 5 percent of eligible donors have given blood this year. This lack of blood donors has forced the Red Cross to cancel many blood drives throughout the country, the news service said.

Health Tips for January 7

Health Tip: More Than You Can Chew

If you develop trouble chewing, it's important to make sure you are still getting each day's worth of vital nutrients.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration offers these suggestions to help you maintain a healthy diet as you age:

• Instead of trying to munch on raw fruits, opt for fruit juice and canned fruits. Raw fruit alternatives include canned pears and peaches, or applesauce.
• Trade raw vegetables for vegetable juice and softer cooked vegetables, which can be creamed or mashed.
• Opt for ground meat, or get protein from easier-to-chew sources such as eggs and dairy products, including milk, cheese and yogurt.
• As alternatives to bread, eat cooked cereals, bread pudding and rice.

Health Tip: Feel Better by Looking Good

If you have a long-term illness, improving your appearance can help you feel better, the American Cancer Society says.

The ACS offers the following suggestions for improving the way you look (and feel):

• Take time to shave, wash and fix your hair or put on a wig or toupee, and put on makeup. Do this if you're at home, even in bed.
• Get new clothes or tailor your old ones to fit better.
• If you're able and it's OK with your doctor, treat yourself to a massage, facial, pedicure or manicure.
• Try to get as much exercise as you can each day. Even a brisk walk, if approved by your doctor, can do wonders toward making you look and feel better.
• Keep brushing and flossing your teeth regularly, and get dental checkups.
• Be sure to get enough sleep.

Health Headlines - January 6

56 Substances That Interact With E.D. Drugs Listed

Certain anti-angina drugs, blood pressure medicines, grapefruit juice and the herbal supplement St. John's wort are among the substances that could negatively interact with popular erectile dysfunction (E.D.) drugs, the consumer group Public Citizen said Monday in releasing a list of 56 such substances.

The substances were analyzed when taken with the E.D. drugs Viagra, Cialis or Levitra, Public Citizen said in a news release. The substances are capable of causing either:

• A life-threatening drop in blood pressure,
• An overdose of the E.D. drugs because the other substances prevent the body from ridding itself of the E.D. drugs,
• Or reducing the effectiveness of the E.D. drugs by speeding up the body's metabolism.

E.D. drugs cause the blood vessels to dilate, and this process can be magnified when taken with blood pressure medicines such as Flomax or Cardura. Men who take hypertension medicines should avoid the E.D. drugs, the consumer group said.

The complete list of substances is available at Public Citizen's worstpills.org Web site.

-----

MRI Appears to Verify Everlasting Love

Cynics have long disputed the notion of everlasting love. But medical technology may prove them wrong, Britain's Sunday Times reported.

Researchers at Stony Brook University in New York state scanned the brains of couples who had been together for 20 years. About one in 10 of these couples, when shown pictures of their loved ones, had the same chemical reactions in the brain as newlyweds.

Prior studies had shown that the intense "limerence" felt by new couples was virtually gone after a decade, the newspaper said.

The new study found that true love is born in the brain's "reward-seeking circuitry," not in the heart, as lore would have it. The scientists found that so-called "swans" who maintained an intensive love after two decades together tended to avoid anxiety and stress, shared most experiences, and had other common traits, including being generous, calm and deeply attached.

-----

Red Cross Says It Needs Blood Donors

With the start of the new year comes the America Red Cross' annual appeal for blood donations nationwide, to offset the drop-off in donations that typically occurs during the holiday season.

The lack of donations occurs each year because people are busier than usual during the holidays, and colder weather arrives. This is especially true this year in the northern United States, which has been plagued with an unusually high number of storms, All Headline News reported.

Less than 5 percent of eligible donors have given blood this year. This lack of blood donors has forced the Red Cross to cancel many blood drives throughout the country, the news service said.

-----

Avian Flu Returns, This Time in Hong Kong Poultry

Avian flu is back, not that it had ever been entirely eradicated.

New cases of the H5N1 flu virus -- the type that caused the destruction of entire flocks of fowl in previous years -- has resurfaced in Hong Kong poultry, the Los Angeles Times reported, adding to reported human cases at the end of 2008 in Indonesia, Egypt and Cambodia.

Two human deaths also were reported -- a 16-year-old Egyptian girl and a 2-year-old Cambodian girl, the newspaper reported, and other human cases of H5N1 were cited in Indonesia, long a hotbed of avian flu. However, as with all other cases involving humans, there was no indication of the virus being spread from person-to-person, a circumstance scientists have long feared could create a worldwide pandemic.

-----

'Fire-Safe' Cigarettes Required in 14 States by End of 2009

While just about every expert agrees there is no such thing as a "safe" cigarette, at least 14 states this year will require that all cigarettes sold within their borders be "fire-safe," USA Today reported.

These self-extinguishing cigarettes go out on their own if they are left unattended or are dropped, the newspaper reported, and this feature could prevent more than 1,000 fires annually.

Mandatory production of fire-safe cigarettes has long been opposed by the tobacco companies, USA Today reported, and Congress has not been able to pass legislation. So, individual states began adopting their own laws.

The first states to make fire-safe cigarettes mandatory are Texas, Delaware, Oklahoma, Iowa, and Pennsylvania. Later this year, Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Washington and Wisconsin will adopt similar laws.

So, far, the tobacco industry appears to be more cooperative than combative with the new legislation, the newspaper reported. Phillip Morris USA spokesman David Sutton was quoted as saying his company would "continue to work with the states," but would not convert all of its manufacturing to making fire-safe cigarettes.

Health Tips for January 6

Health Tip: Budget Your Calories

The U.S. Department of Agriculture suggests that you budget calories the way you do money -- in general, don't use more than you need.

The agency refers to calories consumed beyond what are essential as "discretionary" calories. It offers these suggestions to help you manage discretionary calories while maintaining a healthy weight:

• The agency suggests you consume a relatively small amount of discretionary calories -- 100 to 300 extra calories each day. The total can vary somewhat based on how much physical activity you get.
• The discretionary calorie allowance can be used on "goodies" that contain solid fats or added sugars. Examples include whole milk, cheese, sausage, biscuits, or sweetened cereals or yogurt.
• The discretionary allowance can also be used by adding a sauce, dressing, butter or sweetened syrup to your food.
• Other goodies that may qualify for this allowance include candy, alcohol or soda.

Health Tip: Maintain a Healthy Weight

Maintaining the pounds you've lost through diet and exercise involves watching what you eat, and how much.

The Cleveland Clinic offers these suggestions:

• Plan on four or more daily servings of whole grains -- including whole wheat breads, pastas, crackers and cereals. Servings should be spread throughout the day.
• Get five or more servings each day of fruits and vegetables, which may include frozen, dried or canned fruits and veggies.
• Keep protein servings to two or three per day, and stick to lean proteins such as skinless chicken or turkey, eggs, fish or dried beans.
• Have at least two servings of low-fat dairy foods, such as milk, yogurt or cheese. If you're pregnant or breast-feeding, raise the amount to three or four servings per day.
• Limit fats, oils and sweets to only a small amount each day.

Health Headlines - January 5

Avian Flu Returns, This Time in Hong Kong Poultry

Avian flu is back, not that it had ever been entirely eradicated.

New cases of of the H5N1 flu virus -- the type that caused the destruction of entire flocks of fowl in previous years -- has resurfaced in Hong Kong poultry, the Los Angeles Times reports, adding to reported human cases at the end of 2008 in Indonesia, Egypt and Cambodia.

Two human deaths also were reported -- a 16-year-old Egyptian girl and a 2-year-old Cambodian girl, the newspaper reports, and other human cases of H5N1were cited in Indonesia, long a hotbed of avian flu. However, as with all other cases involving humans, there was no indication of the virus being spread from person-to-person, a circumstance scientists have long feared could create a worldwide pandemic.

This particular strain of influenza virus had declined in the past two years, the L.A. Times reports, but Michael T. Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, told the newspaper that he is concerned that the public isn't paying attention as closely as it once did. "What alarms me is that we have developed a sense of pandemic-preparedness fatigue," Osterholm is quoted as saying.

-----

'Fire-Safe' Cigarettes Required in 14 States By End of 2009

While just about every expert agrees there is no such thing as a "safe" cigarette, at least 14 states this year will require that all cigarettes sold within their borders be "fire-safe," USA Today reports.

These self-extinguishing cigarettes go out on their own if they are left unattended or are dropped, the newspaper reports, and this feature could -prevent more than 1,000 fires annually.

Mandatory production of fire-safe cigarettes has long been opposed by the tobacco companies, USA Today reports, and Congress had not been able to pass legislation. So, individual states began adopting their own laws.

The first states to make fire-safe cigarettes mandatory are Texas, Delaware, Oklahoma, Iowa, and Pennsylvania. Later this year, Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Washington and Wisconsin will adopt similar laws.

So, far, the tobacco industry appears to be more cooperative than combative with the new legislation, the newspaper reports. Phillip Morris USA company spokesman David Sutton is quoted as saying his company would "continue to work with the states," but would not convert all if its manufacturing to making fire-safe cigarettes.

-----

Blood Clot Drug Causes Higher Death Rate in Elderly Patients, Maker Says

A drug used to treat blood clots formed primarily from deep vein thrombosis or in kidney failure increases the death rate among elderly patients, its maker has warned physicians.

According to the Associated Press, the biotech company Celgene Corp. has alerted doctors in a letter also posted on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Web site, stating that clinical trials using the drug Innohep showed a death increase incidence in patients over age 70 of 13 percent, compared to a death rate of 5 percent when another anti-clotting drug, Heparin, was used.

Celgene had warned doctors in a July 2008 letter that the incidence of death among patients over age 90 was higher when Innohep was used, but the latest letter expanded the warning to "all elderly patients," the A.P. reported.

The study involved 350 patients with deep vein thrombosis who were getting Innohep, and it was stopped in February, 2008, after the mortality results were analyzed. The Innohep group died of various causes, the wire service reported, so no single cause of death stood out.

The FDA stated that it had asked Celgen to revise the information on the Innophep package "to better describe the overall study results which suggest that, when compared to (heparin), Innohep increases the risk of death for elderly patients" with failing kidneys, the A.P. said.

-----

Family History Doesn't Impact Prostate Cancer Treatment

The outcomes of prostate cancer patients treated with brachytherapy (seed implants) were not affected by patients' family history, a new study finds.

Researchers from the Departments of Radiation Oncology and Urology at New York City's Mount Sinai School of Medicine tracked 1,738 prostate cancer patients, of which 187 had a family history of the disease. The scientists found that among all risk groups, family history had no significance on outcome among prostate cancer patients treated with brachytherapy.

Study results were reported in the Jan. 1 issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology *Biology* Physics.

Prostate cancer is the second-most common cancer in men, next to skin cancer. The American Cancer Society estimates that 186,320 new cases of prostate cancer were diagnosed in the United States in 2008, and some 28,660 men died of the disease.

While family history does increase a man's risk of developing prostate cancer, "there is conflicting data on how family history impacts treatment outcomes," the researchers wrote in a news release.

-----

One Way to Thwart Disease: Make Mosquitoes Die Earlier

Since older mosquitoes are more likely to harbor diseases that can be passed to people, Australian researchers say they may have found a way to stem the process: make the mosquitoes die younger.

Dengue fever and malaria are examples of mosquito-borne diseases that have stricken millions of people worldwide. It takes about two weeks for mosquitoes to acquire and incubate the pathogens that cause these diseases and then spread them to people, the Associated Press reported.

So scientists at the University of Queensland tried introducing mosquitoes to a bacterial parasite that wound up cutting the insects' lifespan by about half, to an average of 21 days from 50 days, the wire service reported.

Writing in the journal Science, lead researcher Scott O'Neill said the discovery could prove to be a safer alternative to the widespread use of insecticides.

If the parasite could spread among enough disease-carrying mosquitoes, the method "may provide an inexpensive approach in dengue control," he wrote.

-----

New Immunization Recommendations for Children Unveiled

Updated immunization recommendations for flu shots for children have been unveiled by three leading U.S. health groups.

The revised 2009 schedule calls for routine annual flu shots for children aged 6 months through 18 years. The previous recommendation applied to children from 6 months to 59 months of age. The new recommendation increases the number of eligible children by approximately 30 million.

"Vaccination is the best protection against influenza," Dr. Anne Schuchat, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Disease, said in a news release issued Wednesday. "This important update to the childhood immunization schedule helps us extend protection from influenza and its complications to all children between the ages of 6 months and 18 years, not just those at highest risk of complications from influenza."

The other health groups announcing the new vaccination schedule were the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians.

Recommendations for inoculation against rotavirus -- a disease that causes diarrhea in young children -- include changes for the maximum ages for vaccination. The first dose should be given by 15 weeks of age. The latest age any dose may be given is 15 months. If the vaccine Rotarix is administered at ages 2 and 4 months, a dose at 6 months is not needed, the news release said.

The revised schedule also clarifies vaccination against human papillomavirus, the leading cause of cervical cancer in women. Routine dosing intervals should be used for series catch-up -- i.e., the second and third doses should be administered two and six months after the first dose. The third dose should be given at least 24 weeks after the first dose, the release said.

You can read the full immunization schedule at www.cdc.gov/vaccines.

Health Tips for January 5

Health Tip: Help Prevent Toy Injuries

Toys are associated with thousands of injuries every year, mostly because of misuse or because the toys are too advanced for the children playing with them.

The Lucile Packard Children's Hospital offers these suggestions to help reduce your child's risk of injury when playing with toys:

• Never let your child play with a toy that is not safe or appropriate for his or her age. Before your child plays with a new toy, always read the label and safety instructions.
• Watch your child to make sure toys are used appropriately.
• Make sure your child uses toys in appropriate settings. For example, keep bikes and wheeled toys away from stairs.
• If you have an older child, keep those toys away from younger children.
• Inspect your child's toys frequently for damage that may injure your child, and be aware of toy recalls.
• Check your young child's toys with a "small parts tester," which can evaluate possible choking hazards.

Health Tip: Choosing a Crib

Choosing a crib for your baby isn't child's play.

The National Safety Council offers these suggestions for choosing a crib that will keep your infant safe:

• While antique cribs may be appealing, they may be dangerous and shouldn't be used. Especially dangerous are old cribs that have cutouts, posts in the corners, or may be covered with lead paint.
• Slats on the crib should be no further apart than 2 3/8 inches from each other.
• The posts at the corners should be about the same height as the end panels on the crib -- no more than 1/16 of an inch higher.
• Avoid any decorative cutouts, in which your baby's head or limbs could get stuck.
• The crib side rails, in the raised position, should be at least 26 inches above the top of the mattress support at its lowest position.

Health Headlines - January 4

Blood Clot Drug Causes Higher Death Rate in Elderly Patients, Maker Says

A drug used to treat blood clots formed primarily from deep vein thrombosis or in kidney failure increases the death rate among elderly patients, its maker has warned physicians.

According to the Associated Press, the biotech company Celgene Corp. has alerted doctors in a letter also posted on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Web site, stating that clinical trials using the drug Innohep showed a death increase incidence in patients over age 70 of 13 percent, compared to a death rate of 5 percent when another anti-clotting drug, Heparin, was used.

Celgene had warned doctors in a July 2008 letter that the incidence of death among patients over age 90 was higher when Innohep was used, but the latest letter expanded the warning to "all elderly patients," the A.P. reported.

The study involved 350 patients with deep vein thrombosis who were getting Innohep, and it was stopped in February, 2008, after the mortality results were analyzed. The Innohep group died of various causes, the wire service reported, so no single cause of death stood out.

The FDA stated that it had asked Celgen to revise the information on the Innophep package "to better describe the overall study results which suggest that, when compared to (heparin), Innohep increases the risk of death for elderly patients" with failing kidneys, the A.P. said.

-----

Family History Doesn't Impact Prostate Cancer Treatment

The outcomes of prostate cancer patients treated with brachytherapy (seed implants) were not affected by patients' family history, a new study finds.

Researchers from the Departments of Radiation Oncology and Urology at New York City's Mount Sinai School of Medicine tracked 1,738 prostate cancer patients, of which 187 had a family history of the disease. The scientists found that among all risk groups, family history had no significance on outcome among prostate cancer patients treated with brachytherapy.

Study results were reported in the Jan. 1 issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology *Biology* Physics.

Prostate cancer is the second-most common cancer in men, next to skin cancer. The American Cancer Society estimates that 186,320 new cases of prostate cancer were diagnosed in the United States in 2008, and some 28,660 men died of the disease.

While family history does increase a man's risk of developing prostate cancer, "there is conflicting data on how family history impacts treatment outcomes," the researchers wrote in a news release.

-----

One Way to Thwart Disease: Make Mosquitoes Die Earlier

Since older mosquitoes are more likely to harbor diseases that can be passed to people, Australian researchers say they may have found a way to stem the process: make the mosquitoes die younger.

Dengue fever and malaria are examples of mosquito-borne diseases that have stricken millions of people worldwide. It takes about two weeks for mosquitoes to acquire and incubate the pathogens that cause these diseases and then spread them to people, the Associated Press reported.

So scientists at the University of Queensland tried introducing mosquitoes to a bacterial parasite that wound up cutting the insects' lifespan by about half, to an average of 21 days from 50 days, the wire service reported.

Writing in the journal Science, lead researcher Scott O'Neill said the discovery could prove to be a safer alternative to the widespread use of insecticides.

If the parasite could spread among enough disease-carrying mosquitoes, the method "may provide an inexpensive approach in dengue control," he wrote.

-----

New Immunization Recommendations for Children Unveiled

Updated immunization recommendations for flu shots for children have been unveiled by three leading U.S. health groups.

The revised 2009 schedule calls for routine annual flu shots for children aged 6 months through 18 years. The previous recommendation applied to children from 6 months to 59 months of age. The new recommendation increases the number of eligible children by approximately 30 million.

"Vaccination is the best protection against influenza," Dr. Anne Schuchat, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Disease, said in a news release issued Wednesday. "This important update to the childhood immunization schedule helps us extend protection from influenza and its complications to all children between the ages of 6 months and 18 years, not just those at highest risk of complications from influenza."

The other health groups announcing the new vaccination schedule were the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians.

Recommendations for inoculation against rotavirus -- a disease that causes diarrhea in young children -- include changes for the maximum ages for vaccination. The first dose should be given by 15 weeks of age. The latest age any dose may be given is 15 months. If the vaccine Rotarix is administered at ages 2 and 4 months, a dose at 6 months is not needed, the news release said.

The revised schedule also clarifies vaccination against human papillomavirus, the leading cause of cervical cancer in women. Routine dosing intervals should be used for series catch-up -- i.e., the second and third doses should be administered two and six months after the first dose. The third dose should be given at least 24 weeks after the first dose, the release said.

You can read the full immunization schedule at www.cdc.gov/vaccines.

-----

New Year's Resolution: Restock That Medicine Cabinet

To get the new year off to a safe and healthy start, the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) suggests cleaning out and then restocking your medicine cabinet.

"You should do this once a year, at least," said Dr. Nick Jouriles, president of the ACEP. "A year's worth of showers and baths create heat and humidity that can cause some drugs to lose potency. It's good to get rid of them and replace them if they need to be replaced."

If a pill loses potency, you may not be getting the necessary dosage of medication. Holding on to several old prescriptions can also increase the risk of taking the wrong pill, Jouriles said in a news release.

Actually, a bathroom medicine cabinet isn't always the best place to keep medications, whether prescription or over-the-counter. Instead, keep them in a linen closet or a dark area, especially away from children, the release said.

According to ACEP, here are some essentials for your medicine cabinet:

• Up-to-date prescription and over-the-counter drugs.
• Adhesive bandages of assorted sizes for minor cuts and scrapes.
• Gauze pads for larger cuts and scrapes. And adhesive tape to keep gauze in place.
• Alcohol wipes and hydrogen peroxide to disinfect wounds. Antibiotic ointment to disinfect and protect wounds from infection.
• A thermometer -- but not a mercury-based thermometer.
• Antihistamine -- for allergic reactions.
• Hydrocortisone cream to relieve irritation from rashes.
• Acetaminophen, ibuprofen and aspirin, but aspirin should not be taken by children or teens under age 19.

For more health and safety information, visit emergencycareforyou.org.

-----

Drug Companies Agree to Voluntary Ban on Doctor 'Freebies'

The pharmaceutical industry has agreed to a voluntary moratorium on giving doctors branded items that advertise some of the country's most prescribed drugs, The New York Times reported.

Starting Jan. 1, doctors will see supplies of trinkets such as Viagra pens, Zoloft soap dispensers and Lipitor mugs cut off in a move that proponents of the moratorium say is a step toward eliminating influencing doctors' prescribing habits. But skeptics say the move is only a superficial measure, doing little to curb the far larger amounts of money that big drug companies spend to try to influence physicians.

About 40 drug makers, including Eli Lilly & Company, Johnson & Johnson, and Pfizer have signed on to the code, the Times reported.

Drawn up by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, the new code bars companies from giving doctors branded pens, staplers, flash drives, paperweights, calculators and the like, the Times said. The new guidelines reiterate the group's 2002 code, which prohibited firms from giving physicians expensive gifts such as tickets to sporting events or resort stays, and asked drug companies that finance medical courses, conferences or scholarships to let independent experts choose study materials and scholarship recipients.

In a statement, Diane Bieri, executive vice president of the manufacturers' group, said the updated guidelines were not an admission that gifts could influence doctors, but were meant to emphasize the educational nature of the industry-doctor relationship, the newspaper said.

According to the Times, big firms last year gave away almost $16 billion in free drug samples to doctors and spent an estimated $6 billion more on sales visits and other promotions.

Health Tips for January 4

Health Tip: Take Care of a Cast

When a splint or cast is applied to help a broken bone heal, the cast itself requires some care.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons offers these suggestions:

• Keep your cast dry. Use two layers of waterproof protection to cover it when you shower.
• If you have a walking cast, give it plenty of time to dry and harden before you try to walk on it -- about an hour for a fiberglass cast and two to three days for plaster.
• Avoid letting sand, dirt or powder get into your cast.
• Don't pull out stuffing or break off edges of your cast, and inspect it regularly for weak spots or cracks.
• Don't stick any objects, powders, or deodorants underneath your cast. Talk to your doctor if your cast is itchy and you feel a significant need to scratch.

Health Tip: Help Prevent Stress Fractures

A stress fracture occurs when overused bones and muscles can't absorb additional shock. When the stress on them becomes too great, the impact is transferred to a bone, causing a small fracture.

Here are suggestions to help prevent stress fractures, courtesy of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons:

• When starting a new exercise routine or a new sport, build up your tolerance and stamina. Don't try to do too much too soon, as your body needs time to adjust.
• Vary your activities to rest and alternate strain on your muscles and bones. For example, alternate running with biking.
• Get plenty of vitamin D and calcium in your diet to strengthen bones.
• If swelling or pain results from a particular activity, stop and allow your body to rest for a few days. If pain continues after rest, see your doctor.

Health Headlines - January 3

Family History Doesn't Impact Prostate Cancer Treatment

The outcomes of prostate cancer patients treated with brachytherapy (seed implants) were not affected by patients' family history, a new study finds.

Researchers from the Departments of Radiation Oncology and Urology at New York City's Mount Sinai School of Medicine tracked 1,738 prostate cancer patients, of which 187 had a family history of the disease. The scientists found that among all risk groups, family history had no significance on outcome among prostate cancer patients treated with brachytherapy.

Study results were reported in the Jan. 1 issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology *Biology* Physics.

Prostate cancer is the second-most common cancer in men, next to skin cancer. The American Cancer Society estimates that 186,320 new cases of prostate cancer were diagnosed in the United States in 2008, and some 28,660 men died of the disease.

While family history does increase a man's risk of developing prostate cancer, "there is conflicting data on how family history impacts treatment outcomes," the researchers wrote in a news release.

-----

One Way to Thwart Disease: Make Mosquitoes Die Earlier

Since older mosquitoes are more likely to harbor diseases that can be passed to people, Australian researchers say they may have found a way to stem the process: make the mosquitoes die younger.

Dengue fever and malaria are examples of mosquito-borne diseases that have stricken millions of people worldwide. It takes about two weeks for mosquitoes to acquire and incubate the pathogens that cause these diseases and then spread them to people, the Associated Press reported.

So scientists at the University of Queensland tried introducing mosquitoes to a bacterial parasite that wound up cutting the insects' lifespan by about half, to an average of 21 days from 50 days, the wire service reported.

Writing in the journal Science, lead researcher Scott O'Neill said the discovery could prove to be a safer alternative to the widespread use of insecticides.

If the parasite could spread among enough disease-carrying mosquitoes, the method "may provide an inexpensive approach in dengue control," he wrote.

-----

New Immunization Recommendations for Children Unveiled

Updated immunization recommendations for flu shots for children have been unveiled by three leading U.S. health groups.

The revised 2009 schedule calls for routine annual flu shots for children aged 6 months through 18 years. The previous recommendation applied to children from 6 months to 59 months of age. The new recommendation increases the number of eligible children by approximately 30 million.

"Vaccination is the best protection against influenza," Dr. Anne Schuchat, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Disease, said in a news release issued Wednesday. "This important update to the childhood immunization schedule helps us extend protection from influenza and its complications to all children between the ages of 6 months and 18 years, not just those at highest risk of complications from influenza."

The other health groups announcing the new vaccination schedule were the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians.

Recommendations for inoculation against rotavirus -- a disease that causes diarrhea in young children -- include changes for the maximum ages for vaccination. The first dose should be given by 15 weeks of age. The latest age any dose may be given is 15 months. If the vaccine Rotarix is administered at ages 2 and 4 months, a dose at 6 months is not needed, the news release said.

The revised schedule also clarifies vaccination against human papillomavirus, the leading cause of cervical cancer in women. Routine dosing intervals should be used for series catch-up -- i.e., the second and third doses should be administered two and six months after the first dose. The third dose should be given at least 24 weeks after the first dose, the release said.

You can read the full immunization schedule at www.cdc.gov/vaccines.

-----

New Year's Resolution: Restock That Medicine Cabinet

To get the new year off to a safe and healthy start, the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) suggests cleaning out and then restocking your medicine cabinet.

"You should do this once a year, at least," said Dr. Nick Jouriles, president of the ACEP. "A year's worth of showers and baths create heat and humidity that can cause some drugs to lose potency. It's good to get rid of them and replace them if they need to be replaced."

If a pill loses potency, you may not be getting the necessary dosage of medication. Holding on to several old prescriptions can also increase the risk of taking the wrong pill, Jouriles said in a news release.

Actually, a bathroom medicine cabinet isn't always the best place to keep medications, whether prescription or over-the-counter. Instead, keep them in a linen closet or a dark area, especially away from children, the release said.

According to ACEP, here are some essentials for your medicine cabinet:

• Up-to-date prescription and over-the-counter drugs.
• Adhesive bandages of assorted sizes for minor cuts and scrapes.
• Gauze pads for larger cuts and scrapes. And adhesive tape to keep gauze in place.
• Alcohol wipes and hydrogen peroxide to disinfect wounds. Antibiotic ointment to disinfect and protect wounds from infection.
• A thermometer -- but not a mercury-based thermometer.
• Antihistamine -- for allergic reactions.
• Hydrocortisone cream to relieve irritation from rashes.
• Acetaminophen, ibuprofen and aspirin, but aspirin should not be taken by children or teens under age 19.

For more health and safety information, visit emergencycareforyou.org.

-----

Drug Companies Agree to Voluntary Ban on Doctor 'Freebies'

The pharmaceutical industry has agreed to a voluntary moratorium on giving doctors branded items that advertise some of the country's most prescribed drugs, The New York Times reported.

Starting Jan. 1, doctors will see supplies of trinkets such as Viagra pens, Zoloft soap dispensers and Lipitor mugs cut off in a move that proponents of the moratorium say is a step toward eliminating influencing doctors' prescribing habits. But skeptics say the move is only a superficial measure, doing little to curb the far larger amounts of money that big drug companies spend to try to influence physicians.

About 40 drug makers, including Eli Lilly & Company, Johnson & Johnson, and Pfizer have signed on to the code, the Times reported.

Drawn up by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, the new code bars companies from giving doctors branded pens, staplers, flash drives, paperweights, calculators and the like, the Times said. The new guidelines reiterate the group's 2002 code, which prohibited firms from giving physicians expensive gifts such as tickets to sporting events or resort stays, and asked drug companies that finance medical courses, conferences or scholarships to let independent experts choose study materials and scholarship recipients.

In a statement, Diane Bieri, executive vice president of the manufacturers' group, said the updated guidelines were not an admission that gifts could influence doctors, but were meant to emphasize the educational nature of the industry-doctor relationship, the newspaper said.

According to the Times, big firms last year gave away almost $16 billion in free drug samples to doctors and spent an estimated $6 billion more on sales visits and other promotions.

Health Tips for January 3

Health Tip: Bones, Muscles and Aging

Getting older means changes throughout your body, and the bones and muscles are no exception. So get them into shape, and help ward off certain effects of aging.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons offers this advice:

• Do lots of stretches. Stretching will help your muscles stay flexible.
• Try some lightweight training to build up and strengthen your muscles.
• Over time, getting regular exercise can help you retain muscle mass and help prevent weight gain.
• Even occasional exercise can benefit blood pressure, heart health, and some studies indicate it might reduce your risk of cancer.
• Getting just 30 minutes of exercise can boost your overall health. Try fun activities such as dancing and swimming.

If you haven't exercised before, talk to your doctor before you start.

Health Tip: Relief From Carpal Tunnel

Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when the median nerve, which runs from the forearm into the hand, becomes pressed or squeezed at the wrist, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. The result may be pain, weakness or numbness in the hand and wrist, radiating up the arm.

Some patients are born with an unusually narrow carpal tunnel, which means they're at higher risk. Other contributing factors include trauma or injury to the wrist, an overactive pituitary gland, hypothyroidism, rheumatoid arthritis, work stress or repeated use of vibrating hand tools.

Anti-inflammatory drugs can ease the pain and swelling, while stretching and strengthening exercises can be helpful in people whose symptoms have abated. Surgery may be necessary if symptoms last for six months.

Health Headlines - January 2

New Immunization Recommendations for Children Unveiled

Updated immunization recommendations for flu shots for children have been unveiled by three leading U.S. health groups.

The revised 2009 schedule calls for routine annual flu shots for children aged 6 months through 18 years. The previous recommendation applied to children from 6 months to 59 months of age. The new recommendation increases the number of eligible children by approximately 30 million.

"Vaccination is the best protection against influenza," Dr. Anne Schuchat, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Disease, said in a news release issued Wednesday. "This important update to the childhood immunization schedule helps us extend protection from influenza and its complications to all children between the ages of 6 months and 18 years, not just those at highest risk of complications from influenza."

The other health groups announcing the new vaccination schedule were the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians.

Recommendations for inoculation against rotavirus -- a disease that causes diarrhea in young children -- include changes for the maximum ages for vaccination. The first dose should be given by 15 weeks of age. The latest age any dose may be given is 15 months. If the vaccine Rotarix is administered at ages 2 and 4 months, a dose at 6 months is not needed, the news release said.

The revised schedule also clarifies vaccination against human papillomavirus, the leading cause of cervical cancer in women. Routine dosing intervals should be used for series catch-up -- i.e., the second and third doses should be administered two and six months after the first dose. The third dose should be given at least 24 weeks after the first dose, the release said.

You can read the full immunization schedule at www.cdc.gov/vaccines.

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New Year's Resolution: Restock That Medicine Cabinet

To get the new year off to a safe and healthy start, the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) suggests cleaning out and then restocking your medicine cabinet.

"You should do this once a year, at least," said Dr. Nick Jouriles, president of the ACEP. "A year's worth of showers and baths create heat and humidity that can cause some drugs to lose potency. It's good to get rid of them and replace them if they need to be replaced."

If a pill loses potency, you may not be getting the necessary dosage of medication. Holding on to several old prescriptions can also increase the risk of taking the wrong pill, Jouriles said in a news release.

Actually, a bathroom medicine cabinet isn't always the best place to keep medications, whether prescription or over-the-counter. Instead, keep them in a linen closet or a dark area, especially away from children, the release said.

According to ACEP, here are some essentials for your medicine cabinet:

• Up-to-date prescription and over-the-counter drugs.
• Adhesive bandages of assorted sizes for minor cuts and scrapes.
• Gauze pads for larger cuts and scrapes. And adhesive tape to keep gauze in place.
• Alcohol wipes and hydrogen peroxide to disinfect wounds. Antibiotic ointment to disinfect and protect wounds from infection.
• A thermometer -- but not a mercury-based thermometer.
• Antihistamine -- for allergic reactions.
• Hydrocortisone cream to relieve irritation from rashes.
• Acetaminophen, ibuprofen and aspirin, but aspirin should not be taken by children or teens under age 19.

For more health and safety information, visit emergencycareforyou.org.

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Drug Companies Agree to Voluntary Ban on Doctor 'Freebies'

The pharmaceutical industry has agreed to a voluntary moratorium on giving doctors branded items that advertise some of the country's most prescribed drugs, The New York Times reported.

Starting Jan. 1, doctors will see supplies of trinkets such as Viagra pens, Zoloft soap dispensers and Lipitor mugs cut off in a move that proponents of the moratorium say is a step toward eliminating influencing doctors' prescribing habits. But skeptics say the move is only a superficial measure, doing little to curb the far larger amounts of money that big drug companies spend to try to influence physicians.

About 40 drug makers, including Eli Lilly & Company, Johnson & Johnson, and Pfizer have signed on to the code, the Times reported.

Drawn up by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, the new code bars companies from giving doctors branded pens, staplers, flash drives, paperweights, calculators and the like, the Times said. The new guidelines reiterate the group's 2002 code, which prohibited firms from giving physicians expensive gifts such as tickets to sporting events or resort stays, and asked drug companies that finance medical courses, conferences or scholarships to let independent experts choose study materials and scholarship recipients.

In a statement, Diane Bieri, executive vice president of the manufacturers' group, said the updated guidelines were not an admission that gifts could influence doctors, but were meant to emphasize the educational nature of the industry-doctor relationship, the newspaper said.

According to the Times, big firms last year gave away almost $16 billion in free drug samples to doctors and spent an estimated $6 billion more on sales visits and other promotions.

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Firm Says FDA Approves Its Generic Version of Nicotine Gum

Watson Pharmaceuticals Inc. said Wednesday that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had approved its generic version of the nicotine gum Nicorette, and it will begin selling the mint-flavored gum in early January.

The FDA approved the firm's over-the-counter nicotine polacrilex gum in 2 milligram and 4 milligram strengths. Nicorette, made by British drug maker GlaxoSmithKline PLC, is sold by Johnson & Johnson Healthcare. The agency approved Nicorette gum, available in six flavors, in February 1996, the Associated Press reported.

Watson said the market for over-the-counter nicotine gum was more than $300 million in the year ended September 2008. Perrigo Co. also makes a generic version of fruit-flavored Nicorette, AP said.

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Smoking Ban Cut City's Heart Attack Hospital Admissions

A comprehensive municipal smoking ban in effect in Pueblo, Colo., cut that city's heart attack hospital admissions rate by 41 percent over a three-year period, according to a study released Wednesday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Before the ordinance took effect July 1, 2003, the study said, there were 399 hospital admissions for heart attacks in Pueblo in the 18 months before the law, compared to 237 heart attack hospitalizations from 18 months to three years after implementation, the CDC reported in its publication Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

"These findings provide support for considering smoke-free policies an important component of interventions to prevent heart disease morbidity and mortality," the report said.

The study also said evidence indicates that secondhand smoke exposure produces rapid adverse effects on heart function, blood, and vascular systems that boost the risk of a cardiac event. Eliminating smoking in indoor spaces is the only way to fully protect nonsmokers from secondhand smoke exposure, the study concluded.

The findings echo previous analyses that found "secondhand smoke exposure decreases substantially among nonsmoking employees of restaurants and bars and among nonsmoking adults in the general public after implementation of smoke-free laws," the study said.

Health Tips for January 2

Health Tip: Eating in a Strange Land

If you're traveling abroad, you're going to be tempted to try local dishes.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers these suggestions for what to eat while in a foreign country:

• Avoid all raw foods -- even fruits and vegetables.
• Make sure food is served very hot and cooked thoroughly. Avoid all foods that have been sitting at room temperature for a long period.
• Don't buy food from street vendors. Eat only at restaurants.
• If you do eat fruits, only consume those on which you can peel the skin before eating.
• Stay away from unpasteurized dairy products.

Health Tip: Log Your Exercise

You may have tried tracking what you eat, but how about logging your daily exercise?

Keeping tabs on your activity routine may even inspire you to do more.

The American Academy of Family Physicians offers these suggestions on what to track in your exercise journal:

• Write down every physical activity that you do each day, including what you do and how long you spend doing it.
• Don't just log going for a run or lifting weights. Everyday chores that burn calories count, too. Track activities such as cleaning and vacuuming, or even walking the dog.
• Keep the journal with you, so you can write things down before you forget.
• Commit to entering information in the journal every day.

Health Headlines - January 1

Happy New Year!

Drug Makers Agree to Voluntary Ban on Doctor 'Freebies'

The pharmaceutical industry has agreed to a voluntary moratorium on giving doctors branded items that advertise some of the country's most prescribed drugs, The New York Times reported.

Starting Jan. 1, doctors will see supplies of trinkets such as Viagra pens, Zoloft soap dispensers and Lipitor mugs cut off in a move that proponents of the moratorium say is a step toward eliminating influencing doctors' prescribing habits. But skeptics say the move is only a superficial measure, doing little to curb the far larger amounts of money that big drug companies spend to try to influence physicians.

About 40 drug makers, including Eli Lilly & Company, Johnson & Johnson, and Pfizer have signed on to the code, the Times reported.

Drawn up by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, the new code bars companies from giving doctors branded pens, staplers, flash drives, paperweights, calculators and the like, the Times said. The new guidelines reiterate the group's 2002 code, which prohibited firms from giving physicians expensive gifts such as tickets to sporting events or resort stays, and asked drug companies that finance medical courses, conferences or scholarships to let independent experts choose study materials and scholarship recipients.

In a statement, Diane Bieri, executive vice president of the manufacturers' group, said the updated guidelines were not an admission that gifts could influence doctors, but were meant to emphasize the educational nature of the industry-doctor relationship, the newspaper said.

According to the Times, big firms last year gave away almost $16 billion in free drug samples to doctors and spent an estimated $6 billion more on sales visits and other promotions.

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Smoking Ban Cut City's Heart Attack Hospital Admissions

A comprehensive municipal smoking ban in effect in Pueblo, Colo., cut that city's heart attack hospital admissions rate by 41 percent over a three-year period, according to a study released Wednesday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Before the ordinance took effect July 1, 2003, the study said, there were 399 hospital admissions for heart attacks in Pueblo in the 18 months before the law, compared to 237 heart attack hospitalizations from 18 months to three years after implementation, the CDC reported in its publication Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

"These findings provide support for considering smoke-free policies an important component of interventions to prevent heart disease morbidity and mortality," the report said.

The study also said evidence indicates that secondhand smoke exposure produces rapid adverse effects on heart function, blood, and vascular systems that boost the risk of a cardiac event. Eliminating smoking in indoor spaces is the only way to fully protect nonsmokers from secondhand smoke exposure, the study concluded.

The findings echo previous analyses that found "secondhand smoke exposure decreases substantially among nonsmoking employees of restaurants and bars and among nonsmoking adults in the general public after implementation of smoke-free laws," the study said.

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Firm Says FDA OKs Its Generic Version of Nicotine Gum

Watson Pharmaceuticals Inc. said Wednesday that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had approved its generic version of the nicotine gum Nicorette, and it will begin selling the mint-flavored gum in early January.

The FDA approved the firm's over-the-counter nicotine polacrilex gum in 2 milligram and 4 milligram strengths. Nicorette, made by British drug maker GlaxoSmithKline PLC, is sold by Johnson & Johnson Healthcare. The agency approved Nicorette gum, available in six flavors, in February 1996, the Associated Press reported.

Watson said the market for over-the-counter nicotine gum was more than $300 million in the year ended September 2008. Perrigo Co. also makes a generic version of fruit-flavored Nicorette, AP said.

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Chemo Medication Errors Common in Outpatient Setting: Study

A new study from the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality found that 7 percent of adults and 19 percent of children taking chemotherapy drugs in outpatient clinics or at home were given the wrong dose or experienced other mistakes with their medications.

The study, to be published in the Jan. 1, 2009, issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology, examined data on almost 1,300 patient visits at three adult oncology outpatient clinics and 117 visits at one pediatric facility between Sept. 1, 2005 and May 31, 2006.

Fifty-five of the errors involving adults had the potential to harm, and 11 did cause harm. About 40 percent of the 22 errors in children had the potential for harm, and four children were harmed, according to Dr. Kathleen E. Walsh, the study's leader and an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Massachusetts School of Medicine.

Errors with adults included giving incorrect medication doses because of confusion over conflicting orders -- for example, giving one written order at the time of diagnosis and another on the day of administration. Pediatric errors included giving the wrong amount or the wrong number of doses per day for home medicines because of similarly confusing instructions.

Additionally, more than half of errors involving adults were in clinic administration, 28 percent occurred in ordering medications, and 7 percent were involved in taking drugs in patients homes. More than 70 percent of the pediatric errors occurred at home, the study found.

Walsh and her colleagues suggested that avoiding prewritten chemotherapy orders for adults in outpatient clinics may have prevented many of the errors, whereas those involving children could have been avoided by better communication and training. Specifically, the study called for more support for parents of children who use chemotherapy medications at home.

Health Tips for January 1

Happy New Year!

Health Tip: Alcohol Safety

Before you raise your glass for a holiday toast, remember that alcohol is best consumed in moderation.

The U.S. National Library of Medicine offers these suggestions for holiday drinking:

• Drink only in moderate amounts, and sip it slowly over a long period.
• Always drink alcohol along with some food, not before you've eaten.
• If you're taking any medication, whether prescription or over-the-counter, make sure it is safe to drink alcohol at the same time.
• Never drive after drinking alcohol.
• Never drink alcohol when you are pregnant, underage, or have a history of alcohol abuse.

Health Tip: Mixing Drinks With Medicines

The Cleveland Clinic cites research suggesting that as people age, they become more sensitive to alcohol's effects, including impaired judgment and reaction time.

Also, alcohol can worsen conditions that are common among the elderly, such as high blood pressure, ulcers and diabetes.

Older people, the clinic warns, should be particularly careful to avoid any potential interactions between medications and alcohol. It cites these examples:

• Aspirin on its own can contribute to bleeding of the stomach or intestines. Alcohol use increases this risk.
• Alcohol can worsen drowsiness caused by cold or allergy medications.
• Alcohol, taken with significant amounts of acetaminophen (the active ingredient in Tylenol), can increase the risk of liver damage.
• Some medications, including cough syrups and laxatives, already contain significant amounts of alcohol.