Health Tips for February 2

Health Tip: Have Clean Air at Home

Polluted air inside the home can aggravate asthma and allergy symptoms. The American Lung Association offers these suggestions to help keep the air clean at home: Don't allow smoking in the home. Have your home tested for radon gas. Make sure your home's humidity level is below 50 percent. Install a dehumidifier if humidity levels are too high. To prevent attracting mold, make sure no plumbing is dripping or leaking. Keep trash covered and food securely stored to ward off pests. Avoid using candles or sprays to hide odors. Avoid using household products that contain toxic chemicals. Health Tip: Protect Yourself From Air Pollution Air pollution can aggravate asthma symptoms, and make problems with the heart and lungs worse. The American Academy of Family Physicians offers these suggestions to help protect you and your family from the effects of air pollution: When air pollution is high, stay inside for as much of the day as possible. Plan outdoor activities for first thing in the morning or after sunset. Avoid exercising or exerting yourself too much. The more rapidly you breathe, the more pollution you inhale. If you have chronic lung or heart problems, speak to your doctor about other steps you can take to protect yourself.

Herbal remedies, heart drugs don't mix

Taking ginkgo biloba, St. John's wort and other widely used herbal supplementsmay be risky for people on heart disease medication, especially the elderly, according to a medical review released on Monday.

Some herbal remedies may increase the potency of prescription drugs for heart disease or make them less effective, a team of experts concluded.

Mixing herbs and drugs also could cause serious heart rhythm problems and bleeding, according to the review published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Use of herbal supplements among elderly patients is especially concerning because they typically have more than one disease, take multiple medications and already are at greater risk of bleeding, the report said.

Previous studies have sounded alarms about use of herbal supplements which are not regulated like traditional medicines. This review examined how supplements and cardiovascular drugs may interact.

"We can see the effect of some of these herb-drug interactions -- some of which can be life-threatening -- on tests for blood clotting, liver enzymes and, with some medications, on electrocardiogram," Dr. Arshad Jahangir of the Mayo Clinic in Arizona said in a telephone interview.

Many patients fail to disclose their use of herbal remedies so healthcare providers should be more probing, Jahangir said in a telephone interview.

"We need to be actively ask about alternative or complementary medicine patients may be seeking on their own to assess these potential interactions or side affects," said Jahangir, a cardiologist.

"They don't even consider that herbs could have a negative effect," he said. "Their impression is that 'natural' is safe,"

Jahangir said doctors and patients need to know about the potential harm herbal products can have, citing reports that more than 15 million Americans use herbal remedies.

The Council for Responsible Nutrition, an industry trade association, said the article represents a biased, poorly written and contrived attack on herbal supplements.

"Many herbal supplements offer healthful benefits and fiber, garlic, and Hawthorne provide heart health benefits, and the potential risk for a drug interaction can be eliminated by speaking openly with your doctor," the group's vice president, Douglas MacKay, said in a statement.

"If consumers are buying from reputable companies, they can feel confident in the quality and safety of these products," MacKay added.

Ginkgo biloba is taken to sharpen cognitive skills and St. John's wort is used to fight depression and sleep disorders.

The Nutritional Business Journal, an industry publication, estimates U.S. consumer sales of supplements climbed more than 6 percent in 2008 to reach $25.2 billion.

Health Headlines - February 1

C-Section Doesn't Affect Breast-Feeding: Study

Contrary to a widely held belief, having a "non-natural" instrumental or Caesarean section birth doesn't affect how long a mother breast-feeds, says a British study that included 2,000 new moms.

But the researchers did find that a mother's ethnicity and the number of previous births did have an impact. White mothers were 70 percent more likely to stop breast-feeding than non-white women, BBC News reported.

The study also found that babies who began breast-feeding within an hour of being born weren't breast-fed longer than those who started breast-feeding within 48 hours of birth.

All the mothers in the study received breast-feeding help from the same peer support group. On average, the moms breast-fed for 21 weeks, and half of them breast-fed for more than 27 weeks, much longer than the national average, BBC News reported.

The study was published in the journal BMC Pediatrics.

-----

Antibiotics Combo More Effective Than Single Drug

Having patients take the two antibiotics lankacidin and lankamycin at the same time is a more effective way to combat pathogenic bacteria than using either antibiotic on its own, says a new study.

Individually, each drug is marginally effective at fighting pathogens, said the American and Israeli researchers. However, when used together, the two antibiotics are much more likely to be effective against dangerous pathogens such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureas (MRSA), United Press Internationalreported.

"What we found most amazing is that the two antibiotics appeared to help each other in stopping pathogens from making new proteins and in inhibiting bacterial growth," lead investigator Alexander Mankin, professor and associate director of the Center for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology at the University of Illinois in Chicago, said in a news release.

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

-----

New Disinfectant Kills Wide Range Of Pathogens

A new rapid-acting disinfectant may help reduce deadly infections in hospitals, say German scientists.

The disinfectant is a simple alkaline detergent formulation mixed with 20 percent propanol, United Press International reported.

In tests on surgical instruments, the disinfectant killed bacteria, viruses, fungi and prions that cause mad cow disease in cattle and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans.

"Standard formulations that eliminate prions are very corrosive," study leader Dr. Michael Beekes of the Robert Koch Institute in Berlin, said in a news release, UPIreported. "The solution we've come up with is not only safer and more material-friendly but easy to prepare, cheap and highly effective."

The study is published in the February issue of the Journal of General Virology.

-----

Children's Pendants Recalled Because of Cadmium

High levels of the toxic heavy metal cadmium have prompted a recall of "The Princess and The Frog" movie-themed children's pendants, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced Friday.

Cadmium is known to cause cancer and recent research suggests it can harm brain development in children.

The voluntary recall by FAF Inc. of Greenville, R.I., includes 55,000 pendants sold exclusively at Wal-Mart stores. It's the first time a consumer product has been recalled in the United States because of cadmium, the Associated Press reported.

Several weeks ago, the AP published results of an investigation that found high levels of cadmium in "The Princess and The Frog" pendants and other Chinese-made children's metal jewelry.

-----

Gates Foundation Offers $10 Billion for Vaccine Research

Over the next 10 years, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will donate $10 billion for research on new vaccines and to make them available to the world's poorest nations.

In a statement issued on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates said "we must make this the decade of vaccines," the Associated Press reported.

He also said that "innovation will make it possible to save more children than ever before."

-----

Cell Phone Bans May Not Reduce Crashes

Bans on the use of cell phones and other hand-held devices while driving haven't reduced road crashes in California, Connecticut, New York or Washington, D.C., according to a new study by the Highway Loss Data Institute.

Researchers compared insurance claims in those areas and in regions that don't have cell phone bans, CNN reported. The study found no changes in collision rates before and after cell phone restrictions took effect.

"The laws aren't reducing crashes, even though we know that such laws have reduced hand-held phone use, and several studies have established that phoning while driving increases crash risk," said institute president Adrian Lund.

"So the new findings don't match what we already know about the risk of phoning and texting while driving," he added, CNN reported.

-----

Newer Emergency Contraceptive Beats Plan B in Study

A newer type of morning-after pill called ulipristal acetate (brand name ellaOne) is more effective than levonorgestrel (brand name Plan B), the most widely used emergency contraceptive, says a new study that included 1,700 women, ages 16 to 36.

The women received either Plan B or ellaOne within three to five days of having unprotected sex. There were 22 pregnancies in the Plan B group and 15 pregnancies in the ellaOne group, the Associated Press reported.

The researchers also found that the risk of pregnancy among women who took ellaOne within five days after sex was nearly half that of those who took Plan B -- 1.8 percent vs. 2.6 percent. Plan B is effective only if taken within three days after sex, while ellaOne is effective for up to five days after sex.

The study -- funded by ellaOne's maker, HRA Pharma -- was published Friday in The Lancet.

Plan B is approved in more than 140 countries and is available without a prescription in nearly 50 of those countries. EllaOne is approved only in Europe and requires a prescription, the AP reported.

Health Tips for February 1

Health Tip: Testing a Walker Before You Buy

If you've been advised to buy a walker to help with mobility and balance, it's important to find the right fit. Here are suggestions from the Calgary Health Region: Put on the shoes you'll be wearing when you test the walker. Stand up straight. Put the walker in front of and partially around you. Place both hands on the handgrips of the walker. Your elbows should be slightly bent and the hand grips should be at wrist level when your arms are hanging by your side. Otherwise, adjust the walker's height. Health Tip: Make Your Home Fall-Proof Falls in the home can lead to serious injury, including the all-too-common broken hip. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons offers these suggestions to minimize the risk of falling: Keep stairs clear and well-lit, and make sure there are handrails on both sides. Also, there should be no loose rugs, carpets or boards. Make sure there's a slip-resistant rug outside the shower, with handrails and non-skid strips on the shower/tub floor. In the bedroom, make sure there is clear and easy access to the door. Also, keep a lamp or flashlight near the bed. Install a night light in the hallway, making that late-night trip to the bathroom safer. Make sure furniture and decorations don't block walkways. Keep all cords neat and out of the way, and all rugs or carpets firmly attached to the floor.

Health Headlines - January 29

Students Benefit From Milk Switch: Study

Substituting low-fat and fat-free milk for whole milk in schools can greatly reduce students' consumption of calories and fat and help combat childhood obesity, says a new study.

It examined the impact of the New York City Department of Education's decision to switch from whole fat to low-fat/fat-free milk in 2005. The change meant that a milk-drinking student was exposed to 33 fewer calories and 3.4 fewer grams of fat per school day, which works out to nearly 6,000 fewer calories and more than 600 fewer grams of fat a year.

The effect was even greater for a student who drinks white milk -- 7,000 fewer calories and more than 900 fewer grams of fat a year. The researchers also found that school purchases of milk increased 1.3 percent after the switch.

Making changes to school milk policy can help reduce students' consumption of calories and fat without decreasing their intake of important vitamins and minerals, the researchers concluded.

The study appears in the latest Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

-----

Rural Hospitals Admit More Medicare Patients

In 2007, Medicare patients accounted for 45 percent of all stays at rural hospitals and 35 percent of stays at urban hospitals, says a new U.S. government report.

The latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality also found that 36 percent of urban hospital patients and 25 percent of rural hospital patients were covered by private insurance. About 20 percent of patients in both urban and rural hospitals had Medicaid and about 5 percent were uninsured.

Among the other findings:

• About half of the 2,000 rural hospitals in the United States had fewer than 50 beds, compared with 20 percent of urban hospitals.
• Among the two-thirds of rural residents who were hospitalized in rural hospitals, the top five illnesses were: pneumonia (267,000 stays); congestive heart failure (166,000 stays); chronic obstructive lung disease (146,000 stays); chest pain (110,000 stays); and fluid and electrolyte disorders, primarily dehydration and fluid overload (106,000 stays).
• Among the one-third of rural residents admitted to urban hospitals, the top five illnesses were: hardening of the arteries (108,000 stays); osteoarthritis (79,000 stays); back problems (75,000 stays); medical device, implant or graft complications (61,000 stays); and heart attack (61,000 stays).

-----

States Weigh Tougher Rules on Youth Head Injuries

Measures to tighten restrictions on when young athletes can return to play after suffering a head injury are being considered by a number of states.

Last year, Washington state set a precedent when it passed what's considered the strongest return-to-play law in the nation. It forbids athletes under 18 from returning to the game unless they have written approval from a licensed health-care provider. Similar bills are pending in several other states, including California and Pennsylvania, the Associated Press reported.

Last year, Maine lawmakers approved creation of a working group on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of concussions in young athletes. New Jersey has created a commission to examine brain injury research.

On Monday, a U.S. House committee will hold a forum to look at how high schools and colleges handle athlete concussions, the AP reported. The same committee has held hearings on head injuries in the NFL.

-----

Vital Social Skill Seems to Develop at Young Age

Babies develop an important social skill -- gazing -- when they're as young as 5 months old, according to a British study.

The researchers found that when babies pay joint attention to an object, they use an area of the brain (left prefrontal cortex) that's involved in complex cognitive and social behaviors, United Press International reported.

Joint attention -- when two people share attention to the same object -- is an important social skill necessary for teaching, language learning and collaboration, the researchers explained. Impairment in joint attention is one of the earliest signs of autism.

The study appears in the journal Biology Letters.

Health Tips for January 29

Health Tip: Spot the Signs of TMJ

TMJ (temporomandibular joint) disorders, affecting the jaw, are commonly triggered by grinding or clenching the teeth. The Nemours Foundation says TMJ disorders frequently have these symptoms: Pain of muscle spasms in the facial muscles, the jaw joint, in or around the ear, shoulders or neck. Painful chewing, yawning or talking. Unusual sounds when opening or closing the mouth, such as clicking or popping noises. Problems biting or chewing. The jaw "locking up." Difficulty hearing or ringing in the ears, feeling dizzy, or having headaches. Health Tip: Does Your Child Grind the Teeth? Bruxism is used to describe grinding the teeth or clenching the jaws, especially while asleep or under stress. In many cases, the teeth aren't damaged, although some kids who grind may have headaches or earaches. The Nemours Foundation offers this list of bruxism's possible warning signs: Your child makes a grinding sound while asleep. Your child's jaw or face is sore in the morning. Your child sucks the thumb. Your child bites the fingernails. Your child has signs of biting on the inside of the cheek. Your child frequently chews on items such as toys or pencils.

Health Headlines - January 28

C-Section Doesn't Affect Breast-Feeding: Study

Contrary to a widely held belief, having a "non-natural" instrumental or Caesarean section birth doesn't affect how long a mother breast-feeds, says a British study that included 2,000 new mothers.

But the researchers did find that a mother's ethnicity and the number of previous births did have an impact. White mothers were 70 percent more likely to stop breast-feeding than non-white women, BBC News reported.

The study also found that babies who began breast-feeding within an hour of being born weren't breast-fed longer than those who started breast-feeding within 48 hours of birth.

All the mothers in the study received breast-feeding help from the same peer support group. On average, they breast-fed for 21 weeks, and half of them breast-fed for more than 27 weeks, much longer than the national average, BBC Newsreported.

The study was published in the journal BMC Pediatrics.

-----

Antibiotics Combo More Effective Than Single Drug

Having patients take the two antibiotics lankacidin and lankamycin at the same time is a more effective way to combat pathogenic bacteria than using either antibiotic on its own, a new study says.

Individually, each drug is marginally effective at fighting pathogens, said the American and Israeli researchers. However, when used together, the two antibiotics are much more likely to be effective against dangerous pathogens such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureas (MRSA), United Press Internationalreported.

"What we found most amazing is that the two antibiotics appeared to help each other in stopping pathogens from making new proteins and in inhibiting bacterial growth," lead investigator Alexander Mankin, professor and associate director of the Center for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology at the University of Illinois in Chicago, said in a news release.

The study was published online in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

-----

New Disinfectant Kills Wide Range of Pathogens

A new rapid-acting disinfectant may help reduce deadly infections in hospitals, German scientists say.

The disinfectant is a simple alkaline detergent formulation mixed with 20 percent propanol, United Press International reported.

In tests on surgical instruments, the disinfectant killed bacteria, viruses, fungi and prions that cause mad cow disease in cattle and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans.

"Standard formulations that eliminate prions are very corrosive," study leader Dr. Michael Beekes, of the Robert Koch Institute in Berlin, said in a news release, UPIreported. "The solution we've come up with is not only safer and more material-friendly but easy to prepare, cheap and highly effective."

The study appears in the February issue of the Journal of General Virology.

-----

Curbs on L.A. Medical Marijuana Dispensaries Called 'Disaster' for Patients

A Los Angeles ordinance that places restrictions on medical marijuana dispensaries will dramatically restrict patient access to the drug, according to critics of the law.

The measure, passed Tuesday by the city council, forces dispensaries to comply with local restrictions, such as being at least 1,000 feet away from parks, schools and libraries. In addition, dispensaries will not be allowed to abut or be across an alley from residential property, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The restrictions will make it difficult to find suitable locations, say the operators of the estimated 150 medical marijuana dispensaries.

"It's a disaster for patients," James Shaw, director of the Union of Medical Marijuana Patients, told the city council after the vote, the Times reported.

Health Tips for January 28

Health Tip: Children Who Are at Risk for Ear Infection

Ear infections are common in children, and may be chronic. The American Academy of Family Physicians offers this list of risk factors for ear infections in children: Being around smokers. Having had a prior ear infection or a family history of ear infection. Going to day care. Being born prematurely or having a low birth weight. Having frequent colds or other infections. Going to bed with a bottle, or using a pacifier. Being a boy. Having allergy-related nasal congestion. Having nasally speech. Health Tip: Does Your Child Have an Ear Infection? Ear infections are common in babies and young children. Unfortunately, youngsters who can't talk yet aren't able to tell you when something is wrong. Here are signs, courtesy of the American College of Emergency Physicians Foundation, that your young child has an ear infection: Pain, which your baby may indicate by acting fussy, pulling on the ear, being irritable during feeding, or crying when lying down. A white or yellow drainage from the ear that may have an unpleasant odor. Difficulty hearing. A fever, usually between 100 and 104 degrees Fahrenheit. (37.78 to 40 degrees Celsius).

Health Headlines - January 27

Defect Prompts Recall of 2 Million Needles

Two million Exel/Exelint Huber needles are being recalled because there's a risk they can push pieces of silicone into patients' bodies, says the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The needles are used to access injection ports implanted beneath the skin of patients with chronic diseases who require frequent injections, the Associated Press reported.

The voluntary recall by Miami-based Nipro Medical Corp. includes needles made between January 2007 and August 2009.

An FDA inspection of Nipro's manufacturing plant found that 60 to 72 percent of the needles have a design problem that can cause the needle to dislodge bits of silicone from the injection ports and possibly push the pieces into a patient's bloodstream, the AP reported.

-----

Victoza Approved for Type 2 Diabetes

Victoza (liraglutide) has been approved to treat type 2 diabetes in some adults, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said in a news release.

But the agency warned that the once-daily injection shouldn't be used as an initial (first-line) treatment until additional studies are completed, since the drug may cause thyroid tumors or a rare disease called medullary thyroid cancer. People at risk for this type of cancer shouldn't use the drug, the FDA stressed.

Victoza, among a class of medicines called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, is meant to be used along with diet and exercise to control blood sugar by helping the pancreas make more insulin after a person eats.

In clinical studies involving more than 3,900 patients, people who took Victoza had more cases of pancreatic inflammation (pancreatitis) than people who took other diabetes drugs, the FDA said. The drug should be stopped if severe abdominal pain develops or tests confirm pancreatitis, the agency said.

Victoza is produced by Denmark-based Novo Nordisk.

-----

Hearing Problems Decreasing: Study

The rate of hearing problems among Americans ages 45 to 75 has been decreasing for years, says a new study.

Researchers analyzed the results of hearing tests conducted between 1993 and 2008 on about 5,300 people who were at least 45 years old and born between 1902 and 1962, the Associated Press reported. The participants were residents of Beaver Dam, Wis., and their children, who lived in different places.

Men had an average 13 percent reduced risk of hearing impairment for every five-year increase in their date of birth, the study found. For women, the decrease was about 6 percent, the AP reported.

The study was published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

Experts suggested a number of reasons for the decline in hearing problems, including fewer noisy jobs, better workplace ear protection, immunizations and antibiotics that prevent certain diseases, and perhaps even a decrease in smoking, the AP reported.

-----

Processed Foods Main Source of Sodium for Many

Many people consume too much sodium, and processed foods are the main reason why, new research shows.

ScienceDaily reported Tuesday on the study set to appear in the February issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Australian researchers conducted a systematic review of the sodium contents of processed foods available in that country. Previous research has shown that high sodium intake can raise blood pressure.

The team at the George Institute for International Health in Sydney said their database and descriptive data offer the tools and information needed for continued monitoring of sodium content in processed foods.

The Australian research "is important in that these real-time data provide baseline information on the sodium content of many foods in Australia," American Society for Nutrition spokesman Roger Clemens said in a society news release. "A successful sodium-reduction process is likely to involve several steps, a gradual decrease in sodium such that food safety is not compromised while attempting to reduce the risk of elevated blood pressure among those who may respond to lower dietary sodium."

-----

More Melamine-Tainted Dairy Products Found in China

Chinese officials say they've ordered the removal of melamine-tainted dairy products from the shelves of more than a dozen convenience stores in the southern province of Guizhou.

The order to remove cartons of milk and frozen milk products dating from early 2009 came after health inspectors tested the products and found they contained melamine, the Associated Press reported.

Health authorities are investigating why the tainted dairy products hadn't already been pulled from the convenience store shelves, said Guizhou government spokeswoman Ling Hu.

The action comes more than a year after melamine-contaminated milk sickened hundreds of thousands of children in China, the AP reported. Melamine is used in the manufacture of plastics and fertilizer.

-----

U.S. Unprepared for Bioterror Attack: Panel

The United States isn't prepared for a biological terrorist attack, such as the release of deadly bacteria or viruses, according to a Congressionally mandated panel.

The poor preparation for the swine flu outbreak in 2009 shows that the nation isn't positioned to respond to something more serious, said Randy Larsen, executive director of the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation, the Associated Press reported.

Larsen noted that the United States ran out of H1N1 swine flu vaccine despite a six-month warning from health officials that the disease would be potentially deadly.

He said no one in the Obama administration has the lead for protecting the nation against a bioterrorism attack, the AP reported.

-----

Blood Glucose Level Affects Decision Making: Study

Blood glucose levels affect a person's decisions about present and future rewards, says a new study.

Participants were asked a series of questions about whether they'd prefer to receive a certain sum of money tomorrow or a larger amount at a later date. The questions were asked before and after drinking either a regular soda or a diet soda with an artificial sweetener, United Press International reported.

Those who drank a regular soda and had a higher blood glucose level were more likely to decide to receive a larger amount of money at a later date, while those who drank a diet soda and had a lower blood glucose level tended to take the smaller amount of money immediately.

The University of South Dakota researchers said their findings suggest that higher levels of blood glucose are associated with more future-oriented decisions, UPIreported.

The study appears in the journal Psychological Science.

Health Tips for January 27

Health Tip: Risk Factors for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal tunnel syndrome is characterized by pain, weakness, tingling and numbness in the wrists and hands. It can lead to difficulty holding or gripping objects. The National Women's Health Information Center lists these common risk factors for carpal tunnel syndrome: Abnormally small bones that form the carpal tunnel (between the wrists and hands). Frequent and repetitive movements of the hands and wrists. Any damage to the wrist joints or hands. Being pregnant. Being menopausal. Having had a mastectomy. Being obese. Certain medical problems, including rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, hypothyroidism or lupus Health Tip: Reduce Your Risk of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Carpal tunnel syndrome includes a number of conditions characterized by swelling, pain, tingling and weakness in the wrists and hands. The National Women's Health Information Center says you can help prevent carpal tunnel syndrome by taking these precautions: When you work at a computer, make sure your equipment is kept at an ideal height and distance, limiting strain on your hands and wrists. Also, keep your elbows near your sides as you type. Take a break once an hour. Scatter activities that require repetitive movements of the hands and wrists. Gently stretch and bend your hands and wrists in the opposite direction from typical movements. Keep your muscles warm while you work. Consider fingerless gloves if you work in a cold office.

Health Headlines - January 26

U.S. Veterans With PTSD Fight for Better Coverage

Thousands of U.S. veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars who were discharged from the military because of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have been told they can apply for an expedited review of their cases to determine if they were improperly denied benefits.

The legal notices sent to about 4,300 veterans explain that they have until July 24 to join a lawsuit against the U.S. military in order to be included in the expedited review, the Associated Press reported.

The lawsuit was launched by seven combat veterans who allege the military illegally denied health care and other benefits to veterans discharged because of PTSD during a six-year period that ended Oct. 14, 2008.

Each of the seven plaintiffs was given a disability rating of 10 percent or less when discharged. Since October 2008, the military has given a disability rating of at least 50 percent to those discharged with PTSD, the AP reported.

A higher disability rating ensures lifelong monthly disability benefits for a veteran, free health care for the veteran and his/her spouse and health care for the veteran's minor children.

-----

Regular Sex Benefits Men's Hearts: Study

Having sex at least twice a week can reduce a man's risk of serious heart disease by almost half, says a new study.

It included more than 1,000 men, aged 40 to 70, who had no history of heart disease and were followed for 16 years. Men who had sex twice a week were as much as 45 percent less likely to develop serious heart conditions than men who had sex less than once a month, CBS News reported.

The study appears in the American Journal of Cardiology. Women weren't part of the study, but experts believe the findings would be true for them too.

Sex could help heart health through its physical and emotional effects, said the researchers, CBS News reported. Sex can be good exercise and men who have regular sex are more likely to be in a healthy relationship that reduces stress and provides them with social support.

-----

No Medical Marijuana Limits: California Supreme Court

A California law that imposed limits on the amount of medical marijuana a patient can legally possess was overturned Thursday by the California Supreme Court.

In 1996, voters approved a measure to allow patients with a doctor's recommendation to possess an unspecified amount of marijuana. But in 2003, state lawmakers limited that amount to 8 ounces of dried marijuana, theAssociated Press reported.

In its ruling, the court said only voters can alter amendments they've added to the state's constitution through the initiative process.

In related news, the Washington state Supreme Court ruled that police can arrest a patient or search a home even if a patient has a doctor's permission to use marijuana for medicinal purposes. In the ruling, the court upheld the conviction of a man who had a doctor's authorization and was arrested with 2 pounds of marijuana.

-----

Past Decade Warmest on Record: NASA

The past decade was the warmest on record, according to Earth surface temperature data released Thursday by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

NASA said the figures also show that 2009 was the second warmest year since 1880, when scientists first started recording such data. The warmest year was 2005 and the other warmest years have all occurred since 1998, The New York Times reported.

Changes in ocean heating and cooling cycles cause variations in annual global temperatures, but when "we average temperature over 5 or 10 years to minimize that variability we find global warming is continuing unabated," said James E. Hansen, director of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies.

The newly released data show an upward trend of about 0.36 degrees Fahrenheit (0.2 degrees Celsius) per decade over the past 30 years. Since 1880, there's been an average 1.5 degree F rise in global temperatures, the Times reported.

-----

Same-Sex Couples Good Parents: Study

Same-sex couples are as good as male/female couples when it comes to parenting, say researchers who reviewed 81 studies of one- and two-parent families, including gay, lesbian and heterosexual couples.

"Children being raised by same-gender parents, on most all of the measures that we care about, self-esteem, school performance, social adjustment and so on, seem to be doing just fine and, in most cases, are statistically indistinguishable from kids raised by married moms and dads on these measures," said review co-author Timothy Biblarz, of the University of Southern California, USA Todayreported.

"It's more about the quality of the parenting than the gender of the parents," noted co-author Judith Stacey of New York University.

The researchers also found that "two women who choose to parent together are slightly more likely than a heterosexual couple to be actively committed to hands-on parenting. We don't have data yet on two men parenting, but I think it will come out fairly similar," Stacey said, USA Today reported.

The review findings will be published Friday in the Journal of Marriage and Family.

Health Tips for January 26

Health Tip: Triggers for Foot Arthritis

Arthritis can cause pain and swelling in any joint, and the joints of the feet are no exception. The American Podiatric Medical Association says the following triggers may contribute to foot arthritis: An injury to the foot, especially one that was left untreated. A bacterial or viral infection such as pnuemonia or Lyme disease. Bowel disorders such as ileitis or colitis. Use of certain prescription drugs or illicit drugs. Research has suggested that genetic history may also play a role in the development of arthritis. Health Tip: Warning Signs of Juvenile Arthritis When children complain about the pain of stiff, swollen joints, they may have juvenile arthritis. Although the disease affects each child differently, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons says there are some common warning signs. It offers this list: Joint pain that is worse in the morning and eases later in the day. Pain in the knees, feet and hands. Pain that forces your child to limp in the morning. Swelling in the joints or lymph nodes. Joints that are inflamed and feel warm when touched. Irritability, fatigue, and loss of interest in playtime activities. A high fever and/or pink skin rash.

Health Headlines - January 25

Regular Sex Benefits Men's Hearts: Study

Having sex at least twice a week can reduce a man's risk of serious heart disease by almost half, says a new study.

It included more than 1,000 men, aged 40 to 70, who had no history of heart disease and were followed for 16 years. Men who had sex twice a week were as much as 45 percent less likely to develop serious heart conditions than men who had sex less than once a month, CBS News reported.

The study appears in the American Journal of Cardiology. Women weren't part of the study, but experts believe the findings would be true for them too.

Sex could help heart health through its physical and emotional effects, said the researchers, CBS News reported. Sex can be good exercise and men who have regular sex are more likely to be in a healthy relationship that reduces stress and provides them with social support.

-----

No Medical Marijuana Limits: California Supreme Court

A California law that imposed limits on the amount of medical marijuana a patient can legally possess was overturned Thursday by the California Supreme Court.

In 1996, voters approved a measure to allow patients with a doctor's recommendation to possess an unspecified amount of marijuana. But in 2003, state lawmakers limited that amount to 8 ounces of dried marijuana, theAssociated Press reported.

In its ruling, the court said only voters can alter amendments they've added to the state's constitution through the initiative process.

In related news, the Washington state Supreme Court ruled that police can arrest a patient or search a home even if a patient has a doctor's permission to use marijuana for medicinal purposes. In the ruling, the court upheld the conviction of a man who had a doctor's authorization and was arrested with 2 pounds of marijuana.

-----

Past Decade Warmest on Record: NASA

The past decade was the warmest on record, according to Earth surface temperature data released Thursday by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

NASA said the figures also show that 2009 was the second warmest year since 1880, when scientists first started recording such data. The warmest year was 2005 and the other warmest years have all occurred since 1998, The New York Times reported.

Changes in ocean heating and cooling cycles cause variations in annual global temperatures, but when "we average temperature over 5 or 10 years to minimize that variability we find global warming is continuing unabated," said James E. Hansen, director of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies.

The newly released data show an upward trend of about 0.36 degrees Fahrenheit (0.2 degrees Celsius) per decade over the past 30 years. Since 1880, there's been an average 1.5 degree F rise in global temperatures, the Times reported.

-----

Same-Sex Couples Good Parents: Study

Same-sex couples are as good as male/female couples when it comes to parenting, say researchers who reviewed 81 studies of one- and two-parent families, including gay, lesbian and heterosexual couples.

"Children being raised by same-gender parents, on most all of the measures that we care about, self-esteem, school performance, social adjustment and so on, seem to be doing just fine and, in most cases, are statistically indistinguishable from kids raised by married moms and dads on these measures," said review co-author Timothy Biblarz, of the University of Southern California, USA Todayreported.

"It's more about the quality of the parenting than the gender of the parents," noted co-author Judith Stacey of New York University.

The researchers also found that "two women who choose to parent together are slightly more likely than a heterosexual couple to be actively committed to hands-on parenting. We don't have data yet on two men parenting, but I think it will come out fairly similar," Stacey said, USA Today reported.

The review findings will be published Friday in the Journal of Marriage and Family.

-----

Herpes Drug Doesn't Reduce HIV Infection Risk

The herpes drug acyclovir doesn't reduce the risk of HIV infection, a new study says.

The five-year trial included more than 3,400 African couples in which one partner had HIV and one partner was HIV-free, Agence France Presse reported.

The infected partners were randomly selected to take twice-daily doses of acyclovir or a placebo.

During the study, there were 41 HIV infections among couples in which the infected partner took acyclovir, and 43 HIV infections among those who took a placebo. The researchers said this wasn't a significant difference, AFP reported.

The study appears online in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Health Tips for January 25

Health Tip: What's Causing My Shoulder Pain?

The joints, tendons and muscles that make up the shoulder allow for a lot of flexibility. But an injury or a number of medical conditions can cause pain and limit the shoulder's movement. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons says common reasons for shoulder pain include: Tendinitis, the inflammation of a tendon in the shoulder. Bursitis, the inflammation of a sac of fluid in the shoulder that's designed to limit friction during shoulder movement. An injury that leaves the shoulder joint out of position or unstable. Arthritis in the shoulder. Health Tip: Tame Arthritis Symptoms Arthritis can't always be prevented, but you can take steps to keep joints healthier and moving freely. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers these suggestions: Exercise regularly. Aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise at least three days each week. Maintain a healthy body weight, as being overweight can increase your risk of developing arthritis. If you have any signs or symptoms of arthritis, see your doctor promptly to begin early treatment. Do your best to protect joints from injury. Be careful when playing sports, and avoid repetitive bending of the joints.

Health Headlines - January 22

Same-Sex Couples Good Parents: Study

Same-sex couples are as good as male/female couples when it comes to parenting, say researchers who reviewed 81 studies of one- and two-parent families, including gay, lesbian and heterosexual couples.

"Children being raised by same-gender parents, on most all of the measures that we care about, self-esteem, school performance, social adjustment and so on, seem to be doing just fine and, in most cases, are statistically indistinguishable from kids raised by married moms and dads on these measures," said review co-author Timothy Biblarz, of the University of Southern California, USA Todayreported.

"It's more about the quality of the parenting than the gender of the parents," noted co-author Judith Stacey of New York University.

The researchers also found that "two women who choose to parent together are slightly more likely than a heterosexual couple to be actively committed to hands-on parenting. We don't have data yet on two men parenting, but I think it will come out fairly similar," Stacey said, USA Today reported.

The review findings will be published Friday in the Journal of Marriage and Family.

-----

Herpes Drug Doesn't Reduce HIV Infection Risk

The herpes drug acyclovir doesn't reduce the risk of HIV infection, a new study says.

The five-year trial included more than 3,400 African couples in which one partner had HIV and one partner was HIV-free, Agence France Presse reported.

The infected partners were randomly selected to take twice-daily doses of acyclovir or a placebo.

During the study, there were 41 HIV infections among couples in which the infected partner took acyclovir, and 43 HIV infections among those who took a placebo. The researchers said this wasn't a significant difference, AFP reported.

The study appears online in the New England Journal of Medicine.

-----

First Lady Michelle Obama Tackles Childhood Obesity

The nation's mayors are being asked by first lady Michelle Obama to join her campaign to reduce childhood obesity rates, which have tripled in the past 30 years.

About one in three American children is overweight and 17 percent are obese or dangerously overweight, according to the latest figures, the Associated Pressreported.

"The statistics still never fail to take my breath away," Obama said in a speech Wednesday to a meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. She noted that local leaders are among the first to notice what's happening to people in their communities.

Obama plans a major initiative to raise awareness about childhood obesity, with a formal rollout of her program planned for next month, the AP reported. The first lady said she'll seek help from educators, religious leaders, government, community and health centers, and businesses and nonprofit organizations.

-----

Access to Specialists a 'Big Problem' for Some Patients

About 8 percent of the 36 percent of U.S. adults who needed to see a health specialist in 2007 said getting access to one was a "big problem," according to a federal government study.

The latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality also found that:

• Patients who didn't have a usual source of care were much more likely than those with a family physician or other usual source of care to report having difficulty getting specialty care -- 16 percent vs. 6 percent.
• Difficulty getting access to a specialist was more common among non-elderly adults without insurance (26.5 percent) than among non-elderly adults with public coverage (16 percent) or those with private insurance (6 percent).
• Among elderly patients, those with Medicare and supplemental insurance were more likely to say access was a big problem (11 percent) than those with Medicare only (5 percent) or those with Medicare and supplemental private coverage (2.5 percent).

The study was based on data from a national survey that didn't ask respondents the reasons they had difficulty seeing a specialist. But previous research suggests these reasons may include: lack of health insurance; specialist non-participation in patients' health insurance plans; patient difficulty contacting specialists; lengthy wait times to get an appointment; and specialists' office locations.

-----

Too Much Sitting May Harm Health

Sitting for extended periods can harm your health, even if you get regular exercise, experts warn.

It may be time to rethink how physical activity is defined in order to emphasize the dangers of sitting, Elin Ekblom-Bak, of the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences, wrote in an editorial published this week in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, the Associated Press reported.

Guidelines currently recommend the minimum amount of physical activity, but don't suggest people limit the time they spend sitting.

"After four hours of sitting, the body starts to send harmful signals," said Ekblom-Bak, the AP reported. Genes that regulate the amount of glucose and fat in the body start to shut down, she explained.