Monday, July 31, 2006

Health Headlines - July 31

Anti-Smoking Guru Has Lung Cancer

Allen Carr, a British anti-smoking advocate whose books and international clinics have helped millions of people quite smoking, has been diagnosed with lung cancer.

Carr, 73, quit his 100-cigarette-a-day habit 23 years ago. Since then, he's written international bestsellers on kicking the habit and has established 70 stop-smoking clinics in 30 countries, BBC News reported.

Sir Anthony Hopkins and Sir Richard Branson are among the celebrities who have benefited from Carr's methods for quitting smoking.

A spokesman for Carr said it's not possible to tell if the lung-cancer diagnosis is linked to Carr's previous cigarette smoking, the BBC reported.

"Allen has spent many years in smoke-filled rooms since he quit, whilst treating smokers for their addiction," the spokesman said. "He is certain that, had he not quit, he would have been dead 20 years ago. He remains in high spirits and sees this latest stage in his remarkable life as an opportunity to make his method even more recognized and widely available."

U.S. Track Athlete Failed Drug Test

U.S. track star Justin Gatlin, the current world record holder in the 100 meters and reigning Olympic champion in the event, revealed Sunday that he had tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug, The New York Times reported.

The case will be considered by a review panel of the United States Anti-Doping Agency. Gatlin faces a possible lifetime ban from track and field.

In a statement released through a publicist, Gatlin said a test at the Kansas Relays on April 22 came back positive for "testosterone or its precursors," but he denied taking any banned drugs, the Times reported.

"I cannot account for these results, because I have never knowingly used any banned substance or authorized anyone else to administer such a substance to me," Gatlin said in the statement.

His admission about failing the drug test comes just days after it was announced that American cyclist and 2006 Tour de France champion Floyd Landis had tested positive for a testosterone imbalance during the race. If a second test confirms the result, Landis could be stripped of his title, the Times reported.

Surroundings Influence Consumption: Study

The size of a can of soda, a serving on a plate, or an ice cream scoop can be an important factor in determining how much people consume, says a U.S. study that provides new evidence that cues from your surroundings influence how much you eat.

This "unit bias" refers to the tendency to think that a single unit of food -- no matter the size -- is the proper amount to consume, the Associated Press reported.

"Whatever size a banana is, that's what you eat, a small banana or a big banana," and "whatever's served on your plate, it just seems locked in our heads: that's a meal," University of Pennsylvania researcher Andrew Geier told the AP.

In one experiment, Geier and his colleagues placed a bowl of M&Ms in the lobby of an apartment building, along with a sign that said the candy was free and people could eat all they wanted. During the 10-day experiment, the researchers put out different-sized spoons -- a tablespoon or a spoon that held a quarter cup.

On the days that the larger spoon was out, people ate about two-thirds more M&Ms than when the tablespoon was placed with the bowl, the AP reported.

Geier said culture influences what people regard as an appropriate food unit. For example, yogurt containers in American food stores are larger than those found in French stores. But French consumers don't make up the difference by eating more containers of yogurt.

The study was published in the journal Psychological Science.

Thailand Faces 2nd Bird Flu Outbreak

The Thai government has ordered the slaughter of 300,000 chickens as officials of that country face the second outbreak of bird flu in the past year.

"The H5N1 virus was found in chickens in a local farm," Assistant Agricultural Minister Charal Trinvuththipong told Agence France-Presse on Sunday. The farm where the outbreak occurred is located in the Nakhon Phanom province, which is to the northeast of Bangkok. "It is the second outbreak [this year] following the one in the Phichit province, Charal added.

On Wednesday, a boy died from bird flu; it was the first human death from the disease in seven months. Charal told the wire service that 100 volunteers have been sent to kill the chickens near the affected area, although the move will not be announced officially until Monday.

So far, bird flu has infected 231 people around the world, and killed 134.

Human casualties remain largely confined to Asia and to people who have had close and prolonged contact with infected birds, such as poultry farm workers. Worries about bird flu have also led to the destruction of tens of millions of poultry, mostly in Asian nations, as officials struggle to contain the virus.

North Carolina Beaches Issue Jellyfish Alert

At least 75 people have been stung in the past week by jellyfish near Wrightsville and Carolina beaches, and the Hanover County Health Department has issued an alert in response, the Associated Press reported Saturday.

"I can't recall any particular year that it's been that bad," Charles Smith, director of Carolina Beach Ocean Rescue, told the wire service. One swimmer had to be taken to New Hanover Regional Medical Center with a suspected Portuguese man-of-war sting.

After arriving early at Wrightsville Beach, in mid-July, these sea nettles are bombarding Carolina Beach, where so many were in the water on Thursday that lifeguards posted red flags to alert visitors of dangerous conditions. At Wrightsville, lifeguards treated a dozen stings a day when the jellyfish were at their peak although they're now down to one sting a day, Ocean Rescue Director Dave Baker told the AP.

Experts say tropical weather, higher temperatures, salinity and rich feeding grounds are probably behind the trend.

Sunday, July 30, 2006

Health Headlines - July 30

North Carolina Beaches Issue Jellyfish Alert

At least 75 people have been stung in the past week by jellyfish near Wrightsville and Carolina beaches, and the Hanover County Health Department has issued an alert in response, the Associated Press reported Saturday.

"I can't recall any particular year that it's been that bad," Charles Smith, director of Carolina Beach Ocean Rescue, told the wire service. One swimmer had to be taken to New Hanover Regional Medical Center with a suspected Portuguese man-of-war sting.

After arriving early at Wrightsville Beach, in mid-July, these sea nettles are bombarding Carolina Beach, where so many were in the water on Thursday that lifeguards posted red flags to alert visitors of dangerous conditions. At Wrightsville, lifeguards treated a dozen stings a day when the jellyfish were at their peak although they're now down to one sting a day, Ocean Rescue Director Dave Baker told the AP.

Experts say tropical weather, higher temperatures, salinity and rich feeding grounds are probably behind the trend.

New Cases of Rabbit Fever Seen in Martha's Vineyard

Massachusetts health officials said Saturday that six new cases of a potentially fatal disease known as "rabbit fever" have been reported on Martha's Vineyard.

The disease, also known as tularemia, has plagued the island since an outbreak in 2000 made 15 people sick and killed one person, the state Department of Health told the Associated Press. The disease is caused by a bacterium commonly found in rodents and rabbits. Humans can get the disease through the bite of an infected dog tick, when an open sore or cut comes into contact with the bacteria, or by inhaling spores. It is not spread from person to person. Symptoms include skin lesions, swollen lymph nodes, or a flu-like feeling.

All six cases were reported between May 13 and July 5, the AP reported. Four patients were landscapers, and all six people had the respiratory form of the illness, were treated and are recovering. Left untreated, 7 percent of those with this form of the illness die, state health officials told the wire service.

Group Suing Over Plan B Seeks White House Documents

As part of its lawsuit to force the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to allow over-the-counter sales of the emergency contraceptive Plan B, the Center for Reproductive Rights seeks to subpoena White House e-mails and other documents, the Associated Press reported.

The group, which wants to determine whether the White House tried to influence FDA regulators on whether to loosen sales restrictions on Plan B, made the request in a July 21 letter to U.S. District Court Judge Viktor Pohorelsky. The letter was released Friday, the AP said. A hearing on the request will be held Thursday.

The FDA had intended to allow over-the-counter sales of Plan B to women aged 17 and older, but delayed its decision to determine how to limit sales to that age group, former FDA Commissioner Lester Crawford stated in a sworn deposition given in the suit.

Currently, the emergency contraceptive can only be sold with a doctor's prescription, although a few states allow pharmacists to dispense the pills.

College Students Learning How to Drink Safely, Study Finds

Although 80 percent of college students drink alcohol, less than 13 percent say they have been hurt or damaged property after they imbibe, a new survey of 28,000 students finds.

The Associated Press reported Saturday that the study involving 44 colleges and universities found 73 percent of those students who do drink protect themselves by using designated drivers, limiting what they spend at bars, counting drinks, and expecting friends to speak up if someone has had too much.

Michael Haines, of the National Social Norms Resource Center, noted some protective measures, such as avoiding drinking games and pacing drinks, deserve more attention than others.

"The safest place for college students to drink alcohol is on college campuses. All data points to that," he said. "Yet more is done to force the drinking off campus... Those policies have failed to reduce drinking."

The National Social Norms Resource Center advocates alcohol safety, recognizing student drinking happens and recommending ways to do it safely.

Critics suggest better alternatives include tougher penalties for student drinking and limiting student access to alcohol.

U.S. Halts Planned Increase in Canadian Cattle Imports

The United States announced Friday that it's stopped plans for a major increase in beef and cattle imports from Canada, due to recent Canadian cases of mad cow disease.

Four cases of mad cow have been detected in Canada so far this year, making for a total of seven over the past few years. Some of the recent cases involved animals that were born after Canada implemented cattle feed safety precautions that should have prevented the animals from becoming infected, the Associated Press reported.

The United States had decided to allow resumption of imports of older cattle from Canada. However, the U.S. Agriculture Department has halted those plans, which were under final consideration by the White House.

No decision on resuming these kinds of Canadian imports will be made until officials have completed an investigation into the recent mad cow cases, the AP reported.

Saturday, July 29, 2006

Health Headlines - July 29

Group Suing Over Plan B Seeks White House Documents

As part of its lawsuit to force the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to allow over-the-counter sales of the emergency contraceptive Plan B, the Center for Reproductive Rights seeks to subpoena White House e-mails and other documents, the Associated Press reported.

The group, which wants to determine whether the White House tried to influence FDA regulators on whether to loosen sales restrictions on Plan B, made the request in a July 21 letter to U.S. District Court Judge Viktor Pohorelsky. The letter was released Friday, the AP said. A hearing on the request will be held Thursday.

The FDA had intended to allow over-the-counter sales of Plan B to women aged 17 and older, but delayed its decision to determine how to limit sales to that age group, former FDA Commissioner Lester Crawford stated in a sworn deposition given in the suit.

Currently, the emergency contraceptive can only be sold with a doctor's prescription, although a few states allow pharmacists to dispense the pills.

College Students Learning How to Drink Safely, Study Finds

Although 80 percent of college students drink alcohol, less than 13 percent say they have been hurt or damaged property after they imbibe, a new survey of 28,000 students finds.

The Associated Press reported Saturday that the study involving 44 colleges and universities found 73 percent of those students who do drink protect themselves by using designated drivers, limiting what they spend at bars, counting drinks, and expecting friends to speak up if someone has had too much.

Michael Haines, of the National Social Norms Resource Center, noted some protective measures, such as avoiding drinking games and pacing drinks, deserve more attention than others.

"The safest place for college students to drink alcohol is on college campuses. All data points to that," he said. "Yet more is done to force the drinking off campus... Those policies have failed to reduce drinking."

The National Social Norms Resource Center advocates alcohol safety, recognizing student drinking happens and recommending ways to do it safely.

Critics suggest better alternatives include tougher penalties for student drinking and limiting student access to alcohol.

Reynolds Spends Millions to Fight Anti-Smoking Measures

North Carolina-based tobacco company Reynolds American Inc. is bankrolling a number of campaigns against proposed state smoking bans and cigarette tax hikes, the Associated Press reports.

Reynolds, the second-largest cigarette maker in the United States, plans to spend $40 million to defeat proposed smoking bans in Arizona and Ohio and proposed cigarette tax increases in California and Missouri, the AP said.

In Arizona and Ohio, Reynolds is funding efforts to compete with anti-smoking measures that will go before voters in November. In Ohio, the company is working with the bar and restaurant industry to push a measure that would roll back anti-smoking laws already passed by more than 20 local governments.

As part of its efforts, Reynolds is providing funding to pro-tobacco groups with names such as the "Non-Smoker Protection Committee" in Arizona and "Smoke Less Ohio," the wire service said.

U.S. Halts Planned Increase in Canadian Cattle Imports

The United States announced Friday that it's stopped plans for a major increase in beef and cattle imports from Canada, due to recent Canadian cases of mad cow disease.

Four cases of mad cow have been detected in Canada so far this year, making for a total of seven over the past few years. Some of the recent cases involved animals that were born after Canada implemented cattle feed safety precautions that should have prevented the animals from becoming infected, the Associated Press reported.

The United States had decided to allow resumption of imports of older cattle from Canada. However, the U.S. Agriculture Department has halted those plans, which were under final consideration by the White House.

No decision on resuming these kinds of Canadian imports will be made until officials have completed an investigation into the recent mad cow cases, the AP reported.

Second Face Transplant Patient Sent Home

A Chinese farmer who received the world's second face transplant last spring was sent home Friday, the Associated Press reported.

Li Guoxing thanked the doctors and nurses after being released from Xijing Hospital in the central city of Xi'an, and said he was "very happy to go home," according to the Xinhua News Agency.

The 30-year-old man's face was mauled by a black bear after he used a stick to try to drive the bear away from his cow herd. During the 15-hour operation in April, an 18-member surgical team gave Li a nose, upper lip, cheek and eyebrow from a brain-dead donor.

Li will get to spend a week with his wife and two children in the remote mountain village where he lives before returning for more treatments, the wire service said.

Last year, French doctors performed the world's face partial face transplant when they gave a woman who had been disfigured in a dog attack a new chin, nose and lips.

Friday, July 28, 2006

Health Headlines - July 28

Landis Fails Drug Test After Tour de France Win

Floyd Landis, the U.S. cyclist whose dramatic comeback over three grueling Alpine passes propelled him to victory in the Tour de France last week, tested positive for a banned steroid substance after winning that stage of the race, his team announced Thursday.

Landis, 31, returned a positive "A" sample for an "unusual level of testosterone/epistosterone" after the grueling ride on July 20, according to the Phonak Cycling Team. The team said it was notified of the finding Wednesday by the International Cycling Union, the sport's governing body, the New York Times reported on Thursday.

Landis has been suspended pending the results of a second test, and if that sample confirms the initial finding, he will be fired from the team, the Times reported.

Landiss mother, Arlene, told the newspaper that her son was taking medicine for his degenerative hip condition, for which he planned to have hip-replacement surgery this fall.

This year's Tour was overshadowed earlier by a doping scandal that left four of the top five finishers from last year's race out of the event, the Times reported.

Most Seniors Satisfied With Medicare Drug Plans: Survey

More than 80 percent of seniors enrolled in Medicare drug plans say they are satisfied with their plan, but almost two in 10 say they have encountered a major problem in using it, a new survey shows.

The Kaiser Family Foundation survey released Thursday tracked 1,585 seniors, including 623 who are enrolled in the Part D drug plan. The findings showed that, for most seniors, initial experiences were positive, and almost three in four seniors who are enrolled in a drug plan would choose the same plan again.

Among seniors who have used their drug plans, those in fair or poor health were more likely to report major problems with their plan (27 percent) than seniors in excellent or very good health (12 percent). Higher rates of problems were also reported by seniors who took six or more prescriptions daily (29 percent) and seniors with incomes of less than $20,000 annually (26 percent).

The survey also found that among seniors who have used their Medicare drug plan, 46 percent say they are saving money on prescription drugs. Thirty-four percent reported paying about the same as they did last year for drugs, while 17 percent said they were paying more.

FDA Warns Against Drinking High-Strength Hydrogen Peroxide

Drinking high-strength hydrogen peroxide for medicinal purposes_-- even at just 35 percent strength -- can lead to serious health risks, including death, The U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned Thursday.

The FDA has issued warning letters to two Texas-based companies whose web sites, it said, make illegal medical claims about products containing the high-strength peroxide.

The agency added that high-strength hydrogen peroxide has never been approved to be taken internally and that it considers products at 35 percent strength dangerous, even if handled according to the manufacturer's directions. That's because the high-strength hydrogen peroxide is more than 10 times stronger than the solution used in over-the-counter drugs to disinfect minor cuts, can be highly corrosive and can cause gastrointestinal irritation or ulceration, the agency said.

Japan Lifts Ban on U.S. Beef Imports

The Japanese agriculture ministry on Thursday lifted the country's ban of U.S. beef imports, ending a boycott imposed earlier this year due to concerns about mad cow disease, the Associated Press reported.

Only beef from selected U.S. facilities will be allowed into Japan. Inspectors from that country toured 35 U.S. plants to determine whether they met Japanese standards designed to guard against mad cow disease in beef.

A problem was found at one of the plants, which will not be immediately allowed to resume shipments to Japan, according to ministry official Hiroaki Ogura. A second plant will remain under surveillance because it was found to have previously violated import rules, the AP reported.

Sun Exposure Kills 60,000 Per Year: WHO Report

Overexposure to the sun's harmful ultraviolet radiation (UVR) kills 60,000 people a year, but most of these deaths are almost entirely preventable through simple protective measures, according to the World Health Organization.

UVR causes sunburn, triggers cold sores and ages the skin, according to its report, the first to outline the global health burden of sun exposure. Simple measures, such as covering up when in the sun, could cut the deaths, the BBC reported on Thursday. "We all need some sun, but too much sun can be dangerous -- and even deadly," said Dr Maria Neira, Director for Public Health and the Environment at WHO.

Of the 60,000 deaths, 48,000 are caused by malignant melanomas and 12,000 by other skin cancers, the report found. Small amounts of UVR are needed for good health and play an essential role in the production of vitamin D by the skin.

One in 5 Hispanic Teens Abuse Prescription Drugs

One in five U.S. Hispanic teenagers reported trying prescription drugs to get high, according to federal drug prevention officials who on Wednesday announced a national campaign to curb the problem.

A 2005 survey by Partnership for a Drug-Free America found that while use of illegal drugs among Hispanics is typically lower than other groups, family practices can both complicate and help solve the problem. Families that normally buy medications without prescriptions at Latin American pharmacies often stock up on them, then return to the U.S. with the drugs, making the medications easily available to teens, Carlos Ugarte, a senior public health adviser for the National Council of La Raza, a Hispanic advocacy group, told the Associated Press.

Ugarte said that parents also hold the key to education about prescription drug abuse by emphasizing family values and respect for elders. Only one-third of parents in the partnership's study said they had discussed the risks of prescription and over-the-counter medicines.

U.S. Approves Massachusetts Universal Health Insurance

A new Massachusetts health plan, the first in the country that requires all residents to have medical insurance, was approved by the federal government Wednesday.

The state's universal health insurance program will use a combination of subsidies and penalties to make coverage more affordable for its poorer residents and to encourage people to buy it. Gov. Mitt Romney signed the health care law in April, and since then it has been under review by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Associated Press reported.

Federal approval means Massachusetts will continue to receive $385 million annually for the next two years to help provide premium assistance to insure the working poor. The program is expected to affect an estimated 500,000 people.

Thursday, July 27, 2006

Health Headlines - July 27

Japan to Lift Ban on U.S. Beef Imports

Official Japanese government approval will be given Thursday for the resumption of U.S. beef imports, ending a ban imposed earlier this year due to concerns about mad cow disease.

Agriculture ministry official Hiroaki Ogura said government authorization for resumption of U.S. beef imports will be given after a ministry meeting to finalize details, such as when Japan will begin accepting beef shipments, the Associated Press reported.

Only beef from selected U.S. facilities will be allowed into Japan. Inspectors from that country toured 35 U.S. plants to determine whether they met Japanese standards designed to guard against mad cow disease in beef.

A problem was found at one of the plants, which will not be immediately allowed to resume shipments to Japan. A second plant will remain under surveillance because it was found to have previously violated import rules, the AP reported.

The Japanese ban earlier this year came after a veal shipment from the U.S. was found to contain banned animal parts known to carry mad cow disease. A previous two-year ban on U.S. beef was lifted in late 2005.

Dad's Family History Important to Breast Cancer Screening

When doctors take a woman's family history as part of breast cancer screening, they need to gather thorough information about her father's relatives, too, according to a U.S. study in the September issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Breast cancer cases in the father's family are under-reported in screenings, the researchers said. They analyzed data collected from 800 women and found that 16 percent of them reported breast cancer on their mother's side, compared with 10 percent on their father's side, BBC News reported.

This doesn't match the statistical expectation that a population of women should show an equal percentage of relatives with breast cancer in both their mother's and father's families.

"The most likely explanation for these findings may be underreporting of breast cancer on the paternal side," wrote researchers led by John Quillin of Virginia Commonwealth University.

Bird Flu Vaccine Shows Promise

More than 80 percent of people given an experimental bird flu vaccine developed by British drug maker GlaxoSmithKline PLC showed a protective immune response, the Associated Press reported on Wednesday.

Using a very low dose of inactivated virus, subjects were given a special adjuvant -- an added substance used to stimulate an immune response -- along with 3.8 micrograms of inactivated H5N1 bird flu virus. The company said this is the first time such a low dose of inactivated virus has been able to stimulate this large an immune response. The study, conducted in Belgium, involved 400 healthy adults from 18 to 60 years old.

The company said it hopes to make regulatory filings for the vaccine in the coming months.

Sharon Moved to Intensive Care Unit

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was transferred to the intensive care unit of a Tel Aviv hospital Wednesday after doctors discovered a blood infection.

Sharon, 78, was listed as in a serious but stable condition, the Associated Press reported Wednesday.

The former Israeli leader, who has been in a coma since suffering a massive stroke Jan. 4, was expected to undergo a kind of kidney dialysis, where his blood would be filtered to remove excess fluids that have been accumulating in his body, a spokesman at the Sheba Medical Center Hospital said in a statement. He is also receiving antibiotics intravenously to treat the bacterial infection in his blood.

Sharon's condition had deteriorated significantly earlier in the week, when officials at the medical center said that his kidneys were failing and that they had noticed changes in his brain membrane, the AP reported.

Dr. John Martin, a professor of cardiovascular medicine at London's University College, told the AP that the infection in Sharon's blood indicates that his immune system is weak, and the problem could damage other vital organs, such as the liver.

Pfizer Seeks OK for Stand-Alone Heart Pill

Drug giant Pfizer, Inc. will apply for approval to sell a new heart treatment as a stand-alone pill, rather than only in combination with Lipitor, the company's best-selling cholesterol treatment, the New York Times reported Wednesday.

The new drug, torcetrapib, is still being tested in clinical trials and could be at least 18 months away from federal approval. Trials so far have shown that torcetrapib, a statin drug, substantially raises the levels of so-called good cholesterol, a novel approach to preventing heart attacks and strokes, and Wall Street analysts say it could become a blockbuster medicine, with sales of several billion dollars annually, the Times reported.

Pfizer's decision reverses a strategy that had drawn criticism from doctors who said the company was putting profits ahead of patients health. Not all patients, doctors complained, can easily switch from one statin to another, and some patients cannot take statins at all. In June 2005, an article in the New England Journal of Medicine criticized Pfizer's strategy. By offering torcetrapib only in a combination pill, Pfizer would have forced patients taking other statins such as Zocor, from Merck to switch to Lipitor if they wanted torcetrapib's benefits, the Times reported.

Pfizer expects to submit an application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to sell the combination pill in the second half of 2007, and if the drug trials continue to show good results, the FDA could give its approval for the stand-alone pill by the first half of 2008.

Smoking May Boost Alcohol Consumption

Smoking may reduce alcohol's effects and promote increased drinking, a U.S. study on rats suggests.

If the same holds true in humans, it may mean that smokers can tolerate drinking more than other people and are therefore at greater risk for alcohol-related problems, BBC News reported.

The rats' blood was tested after they were given varying doses of nicotine and alcohol. The level of alcohol in the rats' blood decreased as their nicotine levels increased.

The researchers said this may be because nicotine somehow delays the movement of alcohol from the stomach into the intestines, which is a major site of absorption for alcohol into the bloodstream.

The findings appear in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.

"Since the desired effect of alcohol is significantly diminished by nicotine -- particularly among heavy- or binge-drinkers such as college students -- this may encourage drinkers to drink more to achieve the pleasurable or expected effect. In other words, cigarette smoking appears to promote the consumption of alcohol," said lead researcher Wei-Jeun Chen, associate professor of neuroscience at Texas A & M Health Science Center.

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

Health Headlines - July 26

New Sunscreen Promises More Protection

A new sunscreen just approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration promises protection for the full range of both ultraviolet A and B rays.

However, that doesn't mean people can disregard standard advice to avoid the sun and still protect their skin, experts stressed.

Anthelios SX, made by L'Oreal, is new in that it contains ecamsule (Mexoryl), an agent that shields skin from short-wave UVA rays -- something sunscreens currently available in the United States are unable to do. The product will be available to consumers this fall.

"There is nothing like this in the U.S.," said Dr. Darrell S. Rigel, a clinical professor of Dermatology at New York University and advisor to L'Oreal. "Basically, it lasts longer, and it gives better protection against UVA."

But a better sunscreen doesn't change the basic rules of skin protection.

"No sunscreen completely protects people against UVA radiation," said FDA spokeswoman Kimberly A. Rawlings. "This product and other sunscreens reducing UVA exposure should be used in conjunction with limiting time in the sun and wearing protective clothing. FDA has not compared this product with other sunscreens capable of reducing UVA exposure."

According to experts, UVB causes sunburn and skin cancer, while UVA causes aging and some skin cancers. Most sunscreens currently contain two active ingredients: avobenzone and octocrylene. Anthelios SX, which has an SPF of 15, contains those compounds as well, but adds in Mexoryl. Sunscreens containing Mexoryl have been available in Europe, Asia and Canada since 1993.

Why it has taken so long for the FDA to approve the product is not clear.

Rigel noted that most UVA protections are not chemically stable and breakdown quickly. "What Mexoryl does is stabilize them and make them last longer," he said.

While the retail price of Anthelios SX is not known, four-ounce sunscreens containing the same ingredients sell elsewhere for about $40.

One expert believes the best sun protection combines physical sun blocks with chemical ones.

"A lot of sunscreens break down in the sun. That's the dirty little secret that no one talks about," said Dr. Jeffrey C. Salomon, an assistant clinical professor of plastic surgery at Yale University School of Medicine. "In most sunscreens, there are both chemical and physical sun blocks."

Sun blocks such as zinc oxide and titanium physically block the sun from coming in, Salomon said. "Chemical sun blocks break down rapidly in the sun," he said. "You want a sunscreen that blocks both UVA and UVB, that has a high SPF, and that is waterproof."

"It's best to use a sunblock that contains both physical as well as chemical blockers," Salomon advised. Salomon recommends putting a shot-glass-size amount of sunblock on each arm and leg and on the chest and back. In addition, it should be put on at least 30 minutes before going into the sun and reapplied every two hours.

Patient Obesity Is Obscuring Medical Scans

In yet another example of how obesity is playing havoc with Americans' health, a new study finds that the number of inconclusive diagnostic imaging exams has doubled in the last 15 years -- a phenomenon experts attribute to all those extra pounds.

"Obesity is affecting the ability to image these people. We're having trouble finding out what's wrong," explained Dr. Raul N. Uppot, lead author of the study, and an assistant radiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and an instructor in radiology at Harvard Medical School, both in Boston.

"When they come to the hospital, people are so concerned about the disease they have that they don't realize that being obese could hinder the ability to deliver health care," he said.

In fact, it could hinder it considerably, given medicine's ever-growing reliance on imaging technology such as X-rays and ultrasound.

"In the past 10 years or so, medicine has become so dependent on imaging," Uppot said. "Instead of doing very meticulous clinical examinations, a lot of doctors now rely on CT scans, ultrasounds, etcetera, to tell them what's happening inside the body. What happens when you're too big to fit on a table? Or you can fit on a table but the image is poor quality?"

The new study is published in the August issue of the journal Radiology.

The findings did not come as a surprise to outside experts. "The study shows more systemically what all of us felt was true anyway," said Dr. Levon Nazarian, professor of radiology and vice chairman for education at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, in Philadelphia.

"Patients may not realize that there are two aspects to being overweight, one of which is the increased risk of a number of different diseases," Nazarian added. "They may not realize that once they actually get sick, their size is going to limit the ability to even tell them what's wrong."

According to official estimates, about two-thirds of adult Americans are overweight or obese, and the effect on individual health and the health-care system is considerable. Obese people are more likely to develop illnesses such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease. Hospitals have also had to "super-size" their wheelchairs and beds to accommodate the new generation of sick and overweight Americans.

To assess the effect of obesity on the quality of imaging exams, the researchers reviewed all radiology records from tests performed at Massachusetts General Hospital between 1989 and 2003. Specifically, they were looking at incomplete exams due to patient size.

"We looked at people who were able to fit on the imaging equipment and get the scan," Uppot said. "When radiologists read the film, they had trouble interpreting the film because the quality of the image was not very good because of [the patient's] size."

In 1989, 0.10 percent of inconclusive exams were due to patient size. By 2003, that number had almost doubled to 0.19 percent.

"What was most alarming was the increase," Uppot said. "The number itself was small."

Difficulties varied according to the type of imaging. By 2003, abdominal ultrasounds exhibited the most difficulty in giving a proper diagnosis (1.9 percent), followed by chest X-rays (0.18 percent), abdominal computed tomography (CT), abdominal X-rays, chest CT and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Ultrasound sends high-frequency sound waves through the patient, where they bounce off internal organs and come back, like a submarine's sonar. But the thicker the fat, the less able the waves are to penetrate. A similar phenomenon is at work with X-rays, the study authors said.

CT scans and MRI have a different problem -- weight limitations of the table that holds the patient and the size of the opening on the imager.

"Many manufacturers have started to address the issue by increasing table weights," Uppot said.

The weight limit for CT scans has been increased from 450 pounds to 550 pounds. For MRI, the weight limit went from 350 to 550 pounds, he said.

But that doesn't solve the bigger problem. "We are now able to fit people on the machine. Then the issue is, what do you do?" Uppot said.

The imaging power can be increased on standard X-ray and CT machines, but this leads to an increase in radiation dose as well, he said.

"What we're realizing is that not only do obese people have increased health problems but our ability to deliver quality diagnostic imaging to them is limited," Uppot said. "A large patient can no longer walk into a hospital and say, 'I want the best quality care, let me get imaged and operated on.' If you're that big, there will be issues."

The problems don't stop with diagnosis. "It puts stress on personnel," said Dr. Jorge Guerra, professor of radiology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. "X-ray personnel will be more prone to injury. We receive patients who are 400, 500, 600 pounds. It paralyzes our ability to provide care for other patients. We need special equipment, special beds, the imaging is lower quality so it takes longer to complete." Size also affects interventional radiology, or procedures meant to treat a patient, which is Guerra's specialty.

And as the University of Miami builds a new hospital, it is having to take into account that more than one-third of the patient population will be more than 350 pounds, he said.

Proteins Hold Clues to Chronic Pain

Low blood levels of two anti-inflammatory proteins could be key to chronic pain, researchers report.

Low concentrations of two cytokines, IL-4 and IL-10, were found in patients with chronic widespread pain, according to a German study published in the August issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism.

Cytokines are proteins that act as messengers between cells.

The study included 40 patients who'd received intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) as a novel treatment for pain that hadn't responded to standard therapy and another 15 patients who did not receive IVIG. The study also included a control group of 40 healthy people.

Blood samples were collected from all the study volunteers, and the pain patients were asked to rate their pain, fatigue, mood and cognitive function.

Compared with the control group, the 40 pain patients had significantly lower levels of IL-4 and IL-10. The 15 patients in the second group had similar results, although the difference in their levels of IL-10 compared to people in the control group was not statistically significant.

Several factors may be involved in low levels of these cytokines and how they influence pain, the study authors said. They noted that previous studies have shown that IL-10 reduces sensitivity to pain and that IL-4 can also dull pain response.

Genetic variations in different cytokine genes are associated with certain diseases. For example, IL-4 gene variations are associated with asthma, Crohn's disease and chronic polyarthritis, the researchers said.

"The low levels of IL-4 and IL-10 we observed in the patients with chronic widespread pain might therefore also be caused by genetic alterations either in the cytokine genes themselves or in regulatory elements, although other factors may be involved," they explained.

Health Tip: Considering a Chiropractor?

Chiropractors usually treat musculoskeletal conditions, which include pain in the bones, joints, muscles, tendons or ligaments.

According to the U.S. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, one of the most common conditions treated by chiropractors is chronic lower back pain. Other conditions that may be suited to chiropractic include headaches, neck pain, arthritis, sports-related injuries and muscle strains.

Chiropractors typically treat patients with one or more "adjustments" -- by applying a controlled, sudden burst of force on a joint to increase mobility and decrease pain.

Other forms of chiropractic therapy include use of heat, ice, therapeutic massage and rehabilitative exercise.

Chiropractors are regulated by each state, and most require the practitioners to earn continuing education credits to maintain their licenses. Chiropractors are not licensed in any state to perform major surgery or prescribe drugs.

Health Tip: About Tubal Ligation

Tubal ligation is a form of female sterilization, often referred to as having your "tubes tied."

In this procedure, a woman's fallopian tubes are blocked to prevent fertilization of a woman's egg by a man's sperm. The woman is typically able to go home a few hours after the procedure.

According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), risks associated with tubal ligation include bleeding, infection and damage to other organs during surgery. If the fallopian tubes are not completely sealed off, the potential for pregnancy still exists.

Although the procedure sometimes is reversible, women who have tubal ligation should consider it a permanent form of sterilization, the NLM says. Only 50 percent to 80 percent of women eventually become pregnant after tubal ligation reversal, it adds.

Health Tip: Addressing Acne

Acne is a problem for many teens -- and for some adults, as well. These clusters of pimples and blemishes usually occur on the face but also on areas such as the back and shoulders.

While the causes of acne aren't fully understood, heredity and hormonal changes are thought to be prime culprits. Many people believe that greasy foods or fatty sweets such as chocolate may cause an outbreak, but the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases says that's a myth. Another common myth is that dirty skin causes acne, the institute says.

Other factors, while they don't cause acne, can make it worse. These include use of oil-based cosmetics, stress, tight clothing or hats, and abrasive facial cleansers. The institute warns against popping, squeezing or picking at acne, which are likely to worsen the skin's appearance.

Health Tip: Using Generic Drugs

As the cost of prescription drugs continues to soar, patients and doctors alike are turning to generic alternatives. But are they the same?

Yes, says the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Generics are chemically identical to their brand-name counterparts, and are equally safe and effective.

Like brand-name drugs, prescription generics must also be approved by the FDA.

Brand-name drugs are more expensive because the manufacturers must pay hefty fees for creating and patenting new drugs, says the FDA. A new drug is protected by patent for a number of years, but once that patent expires, other drugmakers are able to produce the bioequivalent generic at a lower cost.

If you're currently taking a brand-name prescription drug, ask your doctor or pharmacist about whether there's a generic alternative.

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

Health Headlines - July 25

No Proof 12-Step Programs Are Best: Study

Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12-step programs do not reduce the severity of addictions any more than other interventions, a new study concludes.

A review of eight trials involving 3,417 men and women ages 18 and older, led by Marica Ferri of the Italian Agency for Public Health in Rome, found no evidence that 12-step interventions were any more or less successful in increasing the number of people who stayed in treatment or reducing the number who relapsed after being sober, the New York Times reported Tuesday.

In some of the studies reviewed, AA was compared with other psychological treatments including cognitive-behavioral therapy, motivational enhancement therapy, and relapse-prevention therapy. The group was also compared with other spiritual and nonspiritual 12-step programs. Scientists found no proof that any of the therapies were superior to any other intervention in reducing alcohol dependence or alcohol-related problems.

The findings were published in The Cochrane Library, a journal devoted to systematic reviews of health care interventions.

An Alcoholics Anonymous staffer told the Times that the organization did not comment on published studies of the program, but some experts said the study conclusions would not change how the programs are run.

John F. Kelly, a clinical psychologist at Harvard, said he still believed that AA and other 12-step programs were effective. The programs are not cure-alls, Kelly told the newspaper, "but I would say at a minimum, they help."

CDC to Offer Free Colon Cancer Tests to Poor

A government-funded project is offering free colon cancer testing for the poor in five states as part of a new push to screen for the nation's No. 2 cancer killer.

Some 148,600 Americans will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer this year, and more than 55,000 will die, the Associated Press reported Tuesday. Up to 60 percent of those deaths could be prevented if everyone over age 50 underwent routine screening, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said, yet just over half get tested. Black Americans are especially at risk, the agency said.

The CDC's new free-screening project will be offered in Suffolk County, N.Y., Baltimore, St. Louis, Seattle/King County, Wash., and statewide in Nebraska. Currently, Medicare pays for colorectal screening, but that federal insurance program is for people 65 and older.

If the screening project is successful, the CDC said the program may one day be expanded nationwide, the AP reported.

States Aid Stem-Cell Work Despite Bush Veto

Several U.S. governors have committed state money to controversial stem cell research, despite President George Bush's veto of legislation that hoped to expand federally financed projects. Stem cell research has become a hot-button campaign issue in elections across the country, the New York Times reported Tuesday.

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Bush supporter, cited the veto as he lent $150 million from the state's general fund last Thursday to pay for grants to stem cell scientists. In Illinois, Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich offered $5 million for similar grants in his state. Before those announcements, the Times reported, the only money available was $72 million that five states had allocated for the research and $90 million that the U.S. National Institutes of Health had provided since 2001 for work on a restricted number of stem cell lines.

Within hours of Bush's veto last Wednesday, funding for stem cell research became key issues in elections in Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Missouri and Tennessee. In many cases, Republican moderates, mindful of polls showing public support for expanded stem cell research and expecting attacks from Democrats, sought to distinguish their positions from the president's, the Times reported.

Scientists May Have Found Second Code in DNA

Researchers say they've found a second code in DNA in addition to the genetic code that specifies all the proteins a cell can make.

The second code, superimposed on the first, sets the placement of nucleosomes -- miniature protein spools around which the DNA is looped. The spools protect and control access to the DNA itself, the New York Times reported Tuesday. The finding was published in the current issue of Nature by Eran Segal of the Weizmann Institute in Israel and Jonathan Widom of Northwestern University in Illinois and their colleagues.

Biologists have long suspected that some positions on the DNA strand might be more favorable for nucleosomes than others, but no overall pattern was apparent. Segal and Widom analyzed the sequence at some 200 sites in the yeast genome where nucleosomes are known to bind, and discovered that there is indeed a hidden pattern, the Times reported.

If confirmed, the discovery of this second genetic code could provide insights into the higher order control of the genes, such as the critical but still mysterious process by which each type of human cell is allowed to activate the genes it needs but cannot access the genes used by other types of cell, the Times reported.

FDA Approves First Treatment for Hunter Syndrome

A drug called Elaprase (idursulfase) on Monday became the first treatment for Hunter syndrome to be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Hunter syndrome is a rare, inherited disease that can cause premature death.

The condition is caused by a defect in the body's ability to produce a chemical required to break down complex sugars. It can cause growth delay, joint stiffness, respiratory and cardiac problems, liver and spleen enlargement, neurological defects, and death.

The FDA designated Elaprase an orphan product, which are generally developed to treat rare diseases or conditions that affect fewer than 200,000 people in the United States. Hunter syndrome is diagnosed in about one out of 65,000 to 132,000 births.

The FDA approval was based on a study of 96 Hunter syndrome patients. It found that patients treated with Elaprase showed an improved ability to walk. Side effects included potentially fatal hypersensitivity reactions including respiratory distress, drop in blood pressure, and seizure.

Elaprase is made by Shire Human Genetic Therapies, Inc. of Cambridge, Mass. The treatment is expected to cost about $300,000 per patient per year, the Associated Press reported.

Monday, July 24, 2006

Health Headlines - July 24

Breakthrough Cancer Drug Gleevec May Hurt Heart: Study

Gleevec, the cancer wonder drug, may be toxic to the heart and lead to heart failure in patients, researchers reported Sunday in an analysis of the drug.

The findings, published online in the journal Nature Medicine, detail how Gleevec inadvertently targets a protein maintaining cells that contract the heart muscle and help to force blood through the body. The implications of the study call into question a whole class of new cancer drugs that work in a similar way, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

The study followed up on 10 patients who developed severe heart failure after taking Gleevec. Those cases were first reported in 2004 by the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

Scientists, however, do not know why Gleevec caused the heart to fail. "This finding is a big surprise," Thomas L. Force, a cardiologist researcher who led a Thomas Jefferson University team and conducted the study with Jean-Bernard Durand of the Texas cancer center, told the Inquirer. Gleevec is the first of a new class of cancer drugs designed to focus on a single cancer protein and avoid many side effects of previous cancer drugs.

Novartis, which makes Gleevec, called the side effect rare, and said that patients who show symptoms are easily treated with standard medications. The company said it had already reported the 10 cases of heart failure to health officials and that the side effect is now included on the drug's warning label, the Inquirer reported.

FDA to Tighten Rules for Drug Advisory Panelists

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Monday it plans to tighten guidelines for outside scientists and doctors who serve on agency advisory panels that make recommendations on drugs and medical devices going to market.

The new guidelines are expected to specify when panelists should be disqualified because of conflicts of interest and to make public panelists' financial disclosures, Bloomberg News reported Monday.

Scott Gottlieb, the FDA's deputy commissioner for medical and scientific affairs, told Bloomberg the new restrictions are designed to "make sure that the current system is rigorous, consistent and transparent."

Congress and public advocacy groups have in the past criticized the FDA for appointing doctors and scientists who have financial or other relationships with the companies whose products they are asked to consider. The House has already approved legislation that seeks to prevent the FDA from allowing those with conflicts to serve on advisory panels, Bloomberg reported.

Sharon's Condition Deteriorates, Medical Experts Say

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's kidneys are failing and changes have been detected in his brain, medical experts said Monday.

Sharon, 78, has been in a coma at The Sheba Medical Center near Tel Aviv since suffering a severe stroke in January. A hospital spokeswoman refused to say whether his life was threatened by his deteriorating condition, the Associated Press reported.

But Dr. John Martin, a cardiovascular expert at London's University College, told the AP that the kidney failure and changes in the brain membrane that Sharon suffered in the past two days indicate that the former leader's life was in danger. His comments were echoed by other physicians quoted in Israeli media.

Kidney dialysis and drugs to treat what appears to be cerebral edema could lead to an improvement in Sharon's condition within hours, Martin said.

Sharon had a small stroke in December and was put on blood thinners before suffering a severe brain hemorrhage in January. The Israeli leader underwent several brain surgeries to stop the bleeding, and many independent experts doubted he would ever recover, the AP reported.

Heart Drug May Help to Reduce Stress in Ovarian Cancer Patients

The bad news: Chronic stress may cause malignant ovarian tumors to grow faster.

The good news: A heart disease drug may be able to block that growth.

Researchers from the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston report in the latest issue of the journal Nature Medicine that their research on laboratory mice indicates there is a relationship between "psychological stress and the biological processes that make ovarian tumors grow and spread."

The scientists placed mice with ovarian cancer in a confined space. This situation caused an increase in tumor growth, according to senior author Dr. Anil Sood, M. D. Anderson's director of ovarian cancer research. But when the mice were given the heart drug propranolol -- which belongs in a category known as beta blockers -- the stress hormones that were causing the tumor growth were impaired.

"Beta blockers have been shown to be protective against cardiac disease," Sood says in the news release. "No one has studied their effect on chronic stress as it relates to cancer in humans."

Teenager Ordered to Resume Cancer Treatment

A 16-year-old Virginia boy suffering from a type of lymph gland cancer known as Hodgkin's disease has been ordered to resume treatment under a doctor's directions, the Associated Press reports.

The ongoing legal battle between the state of Virginia and the family of Starchild Abraham Cherrix resulted in this latest ruling, the family attorney told the wire service.

The disagreement began when Abraham stopped his chemotherapy after three months, the AP reported. It made him nauseated and weak, according to the family's lawyer John Stepanovich. The teenager's parents, Jay and Rose Cherrix, allowed him to find an alternative organic diet and herbal supplements from Mexico to treat the disease.

The state of Virginia intervened, and juvenile court judge Jesse E. Demps ordered the boy to report to a hospital by July 25 for treatment under a doctor's direction.

Scientists Identify Ovarian Stem Cells That May Cause Cancer

Once it has progressed beyond its early stage, ovarian cancer is one of the most difficult malignancies to treat. But Massachusetts General Hospital researchers report in the July 25 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that discovery of stem-like ovarian cells may help develop more effective chemotherapy.

"We feel these stem-like cancer cells may be resistant to traditional chemotherapy and could be responsible for the ultimately fatal drug-resistant recurrence that is characteristic of ovarian cancer," Dr. Paul Szotek, first author of the research, says in a Massachusetts General Hospital news release. About 16,000 women in the United States die from ovarian cancer every year. The cancer is hard to detect in its early stages and is very resistant to chemotherapy.

Laboratory mice were used in experiments that allowed scientists to detect the stem cells that might be cancer precursors.

Sunday, July 23, 2006

Health Headlines - July 23

Antibiotics Not Warranted for Runny Noses

Countering common practice, a new study suggests that doctors not prescribe antibiotics to help combat runny noses with colored discharge.

"Most patients will get better without antibiotics, supporting the 'no antibiotic as first line advice,'" two New Zealand researchers report in the July 22 issue of the British Medical Journal.

While antibiotics probably are effective for some cases of acute purulent rhinitis, as it is formally called, "they can cause harm, usually in the form of gastrointestinal effects," added Drs. Bruce Arroll and Timothy Kenealy, of the University of Auckland.

Their finding was based on data from seven carefully controlled trials comparing results when antibiotics were or were not given to people with severe head colds.

The great majority of patients did not benefit from antibiotic treatment. Depending on which individual trial was studied, anywhere from six to 14 people had to be given antibiotics for any one of them to benefit.

And the side effects of antibiotic therapy in those patients included vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain. Such side effects occurred in only one of 78 patients in one study, but one in 12 patients in another study.

"Rhinitis no, but sinusitis yes," said Dr. Robert A. Nathan, chairman of the rhinitis/sinusitis committee of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.

Antibiotics can make a difference when the sinus is infected, Nathan said, adding that "I'm not even sure what rhinitis is."

Rhinitis is typically defined as an inflammation of the nose, generally due to an allergy, Nathan said. If an infection is responsible, it almost always is caused by a virus, against which antibiotics are ineffective, he said. On the other hand, sinus infections are usually caused by bacteria.

A careful diagnosis often is needed to tell the difference between rhinitis and sinusitis, Nathan said. "You need an X-ray or CT scan to confirm it," he noted.

But many doctors are not that thorough, the New Zealand researchers wrote.

"Indeed, one study found that purulent nasal discharge was a stronger predictor of antibiotic use than any other characteristic of patients," they said.

The researchers did not address the issue of overuse of antibiotics leading to growth of resistant strains of bacteria, but it is an important one, said Dr. Mark Dykewicz, professor of internal medicine at St. Louis University and a member of the academy's rhinitis/sinusitis committee.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2004 changed the labeling on antibiotics to warn doctors about the risk of resistant bacteria, Dykewicz said. The study "supports current practice guidelines that discourage use of antibiotics for purulent rhinitis of less than seven to 10 days," he said.

Dykewicz says he counsels patients who ask for antibiotic treatment of severe rhinitis that "it is likely that the infection is viral rather than bacterial, and so antibiotics are unlikely to help." He considers antibiotic treatment only if the infection lasts for perhaps two weeks, Dykewicz said.

High-Sugar, Low-Caffeine 'Energy' Drinks Don't Work

People who think sugary drinks are a pick-me-up may be in for a letdown: New research finds sweetened beverages actually boost sleepiness.

"People wishing to alleviate sleepiness through the consumption of a high-sugar, low-caffeine content energy drink -- erroneously believing the 'sugar rush' to be effective -- should avoid drinks that have little or no caffeine," said study co-author Clare Anderson, from the Sleep Research Centre at Loughborough University in the United Kingdom. "It is caffeine that is particularly effective for alleviating sleepiness, not sugar," she added.

Anderson and her colleague Jim Horne found that, one hour after drinking a high-sugar, low-caffeine drink, people had slower reaction times and experienced more lapses in concentration than if they had consumed a caffeine- and sugar-free beverage.

They reported the findings in the July online edition of Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental.

As Anderson explained, "Many soft drinks contain large amounts of sugar, and previous findings had indicated that such large amounts may improve cognitive performance. However, these effects were almost immediate."

The real question, for Anderson, was whether that quick boost had any longer-term effect beyond the first 15 minutes after the so-called sugar rush disappeared.

To help answer that, she and Horne had 10 healthy adults restrict their sleep to just five hours on the day prior to the trial. Then, 60 minutes after eating a light lunch, these healthy adults were given either a high-sugar, low-caffeine energy drink (42 grams of sugar plus 30 milligrams caffeine) or an identically tasting zero-sugar drink used as a placebo. Forty-two grams of sugar is equal to about 8 teaspoons, Anderson said.

The participants were next asked to complete a 90-minute test during the afternoon low-energy period. The test assessed their level of sleepiness and ability to concentrate.

"Around 70 minutes after consumption, there was a worsening of sleepiness --delayed reaction time, increased lapses in attention -- following the consumption of a high-sugar drink, in comparison to a placebo," Anderson said.

Her conclusion: Highly-sugared drinks without caffeine do not counteract sleepiness beyond perhaps a short sugar rush. In fact, they appear to boost drowsiness.

"These drinks are of little benefit to sleepy people," Anderson said. "Caffeinated drinks, even sugary ones, are much better for counteracting detrimental effects of sleepiness."

One nutrition expert agreed that sugar won't help push energy levels past the initial minutes-long sugar rush, and even caffeine won't help you stay awake beyond a few hours.

"Energy drinks are a misnomer," said Lona Sandon, an assistant professor of clinical nutrition at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. "Sure, they provide energy in the form of calories, usually from some form of a simple sugar," she added.

Sandon explained that simple sugars are digested, absorbed and metabolized very quickly, so the energy they contain doesn't last long. "Some energy drinks may have just enough caffeine to stimulate your central nervous system and give you a false sense of feeling energized for a short period of time," Sandon said. "Keep in mind, a dose of caffeine large enough to have an energizing effect -- about 1 regular soda or cup of coffee -- will only last about 3 hours."

According to the Texas expert, there is a more lasting and healthy means of staying fresh: good sleep and a healthful diet.

"To improve a feeling of having energy, start by getting plenty of rest, fluids, and fuel your body with quality nutrients from fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein sources," Sandon said. "A balanced diet, including carbohydrate, fat, and protein, will keep you feeling satisfied longer."

Saturday, July 22, 2006

Health Headlines - July 22

HHS Chief's Foundation Got Tax Breaks, Gave Little to Charity: Report

A charitable foundation set up by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt and his relatives enabled them to claim millions of dollars in tax deductions while providing little to charity, The Washington Post reported Friday.

The foundation was set up in 2000 with almost $9 million from Leavitt family assets. Much of that money went into investments or loans to the family's business interests and real estate holdings.

Less than 1 percent of the Leavitt Foundation's assets were donated to charity in 2002, 2003 and 2004, the Post reported. And since 2000, Mike Leavitt alone has claimed about $1.2 million in tax write-offs.

"They're basically sitting on all this money, getting a charitable write-off and doing nothing with it," said Rick Cohen, executive director of the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy.

The Post had asked Cohen to review the Leavitt Foundation's records and tax returns.

Christina Pearson, an HHS spokeswoman, said the foundation's activities are 'totally legal and proper.'

Senators Peck at U.S. Bird Flu Testing Program

The voluntary nature of the U.S. Agriculture Department's bird flu testing program threatens the U.S. poultry industry, a group of U.S. Senators (five Democrats and one Republican) wrote in a letter to Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns.

The letter cited a federal audit that found that the U.S. government does not have a comprehensive plan for bird flu testing and monitoring in the commercial poultry industry, the Associated Press reported. A plan will be in place by October, says the Agriculture Department.

"It is surprising that USDA does not have a program that monitors and collects data on what testing is taking place," the senators wrote in the letter. "We are deeply concerned that the agency has waited until this year to begin to develop a comprehensive surveillance plan for avian influenza, which will not be complete until October."

They contend that USDA is relying too heavily on states and noted that many states don't have enough staff help to coordinate a bird flu surveillance program, the AP reported.

More U.S. Doctors Using Electronic Medical Records

In 2005, 23.9 percent of office-based American doctors were using partial or full electronic medical records (EMRs), an increase of 31 percent from the number of doctors using them in 2001, according to a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report released Friday.

The survey of about 1,900 doctors found that those in the Midwest (26.9 percent) and West (33.4 percent) were more likely to use EMRs than those in the Northeast (14.4 percent).

Doctors in metropolitan areas (24.8 percent) were more likely to use EMRs than those in non-metropolitan areas (16.9 percent).

Solo practitioners -- who account for a third of doctors but for two-thirds of medical practices -- were least likely to used EMRs.

Despite increased use, the report noted that only 9.3 percent of doctors used EMRs with all four of the basic functions considered necessary for a complete EMR system. The four functions are: computerized orders for prescriptions, computerized orders for tests, reporting of test results, and physician notes).

Study Finds High Lead Levels in Paints

Some paints used in China, India and Malaysia have lead levels that are much higher than the legal limit in the United States and pose a serious health hazard to children, says a University of Cincinnati study in the September issue of the journal Environmental Research.

These dangerously-high lead levels pose a threat to children around the world because the paints may be used on products that are shipped to other countries. Lead can cause brain damage and other health problems in children.

The researchers sampled 80 paints in four countries. They found that about 50 percent of paint sold in China, India and Malaysia had lead levels 30 times greater than the U.S. limit of 600 parts per million, and some of the paints had levels as much as 300 times the U.S. limit, Agence France Presse reported.

About 10 percent of paint sold in Singapore had lead levels higher than the U.S. limit.

Previous research found high lead levels in paint sold in Indonesia, Peru and the Seychelles.

FDA Scientists Cite Agency Shortcomings in Poll

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration seems to care more about speeding new drugs to market than ensuring medication safety, more than one-third (37 percent) of the agency's scientists said in a new survey.

The poll, conducted by the Union of Concerned Scientists, also found that 39 percent of the 997 FDA scientists surveyed said the agency wasn't "acting effectively to protect public health," the Baltimore Sun reported Friday. Another 32 percent said the FDA didn't always release complete and accurate information to the public, the newspaper reported.

An FDA spokeswoman called the survey unscientific and "a counterproductive exercise based on leading questions and innuendo."

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) issued a statement saying the FDA was in need of "a major overhaul and a culture change at the highest levels," the Sun reported.

U.S. Warns of Unapproved Lyme Disease Remedy

Citing at least one death from an unapproved remedy for Lyme disease, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned doctors and consumers Friday against use of the product, called "bismacine," and also known as chromacine.

The agency issued a statement saying the injected product is not FDA-approved to treat any condition whatsoever. The product contains high amounts of bismuth, a heavy metal used in some pill remedies to treat bacteria that cause stomach ulcers. But the agency said the substance is not approved to be injected.

Poisoning from bismuth can lead to cardiovascular collapse and kidney failure, the FDA warned.

In April, one person died after using the product, and at least one other person has been hospitalized after receiving bismacine, the agency said. The product isn't considered a pharmaceutical and has been dispensed by individual druggists, alternative health practitioners, or by people claiming to be medical doctors, the FDA added.

Drugmakers Given OK to Color Pills

Drugmakers have been granted U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval to begin using pigments to color pills, tablets, and liquids to brighten their appeal, the Associated Press reported.

The pearlescent pigments, similar to those that give cosmetics a pearly sheen, can produce metallic, satiny, and shimmery finishes, the wire service said. The FDA approved their use some eight years after a New Jersey firm first petitioned the agency, the AP added.

Similar pigments are used in lipsticks, eye shadows, nail polishes and automobile paints, the wire service said. Four years ago, the FDA approved their use in coloring contact lenses.

The new rule specifies that the pigments cannot comprise more than 3 percent of the drug's weight, the AP noted.

Friday, July 21, 2006

Health Headlines - July 21

U.S. Women Pump Iron More: Report

In what it called a first look at Americans' prevalence for weightlifting and general strength-training, a new U.S. government report Thursday found almost one in 5 women do twice-weekly workouts pumping iron.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's report, published in its weekly Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, found an overall increase in weightlifting and other forms of strength-training. In 2004, about 20 percent of U.S. adults were doing strength-training at least twice a week, up slightly from the late 1990s, when about 18 percent of adults were, the Associated Press reported.

Women improved the most: About 17.5 percent did twice-a-week workouts in 2004, up from about 14.5 percent in 1998. Men, in contrast, held steady at around 21.5 percent.

Long-term concerns about bone loss, and a recognition that strength-training can help, may also be factors fueling women's interest, according to Judy Kruger, a CDC epidemiologist who was the study's lead author.

The data, from an annual national survey of thousands of U.S. adults, also showed a marked increase in the percentage of people 65 and older who did at least two workouts each week.

U.S. to Cut Back on Mad Cow Testing

The U.S. government plans to reduce its mad cow testing program to about 10 percent of the level it has operated at over the past 2 1/2 years.

Beginning late August, testing will be cut to about 110 tests per day from the current level of about 1,000 tests per day, the Associated Press reported.

There is little justification for the current level of mad cow testing, according to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns. He noted that the reduced testing is still much higher than what is called for by the World Organization for Animal Health.

"It's time that our surveillance efforts reflect what we know is a very, very low level of BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) in the United States," Johanns said.

The proposed move was attacked by critics, who say now is not the time to scale back on the testing, which has cost the government an estimated $1 million per week.

"It surely will not encourage consumers in the U.S. or Japan to rush to the store to buy more beef," said Carol Tucker-Foreman, food policy director for Consumer Federation.

The United States has had three confirmed cases of mad cow disease since December 2003, the AP reported.

Indonesia Confirms 42nd Bird Flu Death

Indonesia on Thursday confirmed its 42nd human death from the H5N1 bird flu virus. The disease has killed the same number of people in Vietnam. The two countries have the highest bird flu death tolls in the world.

The latest victim was a 44-year-old man who died in an East Jakarta hospital earlier this month. Officials said the man was a fried chicken seller, Agence France Presse reported.

While Indonesia and Vietnam have each had 42 bird flu fatalities, there have been no deaths reported in Vietnam so far this year.

The growing death toll in Indonesia concerns experts, who have accused Indonesian officials of acting too slowly to halt the spread of H5N1, AFP reported.

The Indonesian government has focused on vaccinating poultry, rather than conducting mass poultry slaughters, as recommended by the United Nations. Other countries in the region have carried out slaughter programs to control the spread of the H5N1 virus.

Gene Mutations Cause 'Broken Hearts'

Gene mutations that lead to "broken hearts" in fruit flies may offer clues about the causes of human heart defects, say researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

The mutations were found in genes that encode enzymes required to produce a small lipid that modifies a signaling protein required for heart formation. This process occurs during the fruit flies' embryonic stages of development.

The same biochemical pathway may be involved in human heart formation and congenital heart disease, the researchers said.

"We engineered a fruit fly so that the heart would glow in the dark and found a new type of malformation, completely unexpectedly," study senior author Dr. Eric Olson, chairman of molecular biology, said in a prepared statement.

"We coined the term 'brokenhearted' for this defect because two kinds of cardiac cells separated, thus causing the heart to fall apart, with a loss of heart function and embryonic death," Olson said.

The study was published Thursday in the journal Science.

Antidepressants and Migraine Drugs Don't Mix: FDA

People who combine Prozac and similar antidepressants with migraine drugs called triptans run the risk of a life-threatening condition called serotonin syndrome, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns.

The antidepressants, which also include Zoloft, Paxil and Lexapro, are called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). The FDA said on Wednesday that it probably would recommend changes to the drugs' labels as more information became available, the Associated Press reported.

In a second warning, the FDA said babies born to mothers who take SSRIs are at significantly greater risk of a dangerous lung problem called persistent pulmonary hypertension (PPHN). The condition causes high blood pressure in the lungs' blood vessels, restricting oxygen intake into the bloodstream, the AP reported. The condition affects one or two babies per 1,000 born.

The FDA urged makers of the antidepressants to change their labels to include information about PPHN. At the same time, the agency warned that expectant mothers taking antidepressants should not discontinue the drugs without first talking with a doctor, the AP reported.

European Nations Ban Hair Dye Chemicals

The European Union has banned 22 chemicals used in permanent hair dyes because the substances may increase users' risk of bladder cancer, Britain's Independent newspaper reported.

The ban takes effect December 1.

The European Commission had asked the hair dye industry to submit a list of all chemicals used in the products, along with proof that the substances didn't pose a health risk, the newspaper said. The complete list of 115 chemicals is still being evaluated by health experts, who are due to release a report in October, the newspaper said.

No safety information was submitted on the 22 chemicals just banned, the Independent said.

More than 60 percent of European women and up to 10 percent of men color their hair, the newspaper said.

Thursday, July 20, 2006

Health Headlines - July 20

Bush Vetoes Stem Cell Research Bill

As he had promised, President Bush on Wednesday cast the first veto of his presidency, rejecting legislation to ease limits on federal funding for research on stem cells obtained from embryos.

"This bill would support the taking of innocent human life in the hope of finding medical benefits for others. It crosses a moral boundary that our society needs to respect, so I vetoed it," Bush said at the White House where he was surrounded by 18 families who "adopted" frozen embryos that were not used by other couples, and then used those leftover embryos to have children, the Associated Press reported.

Bush's action came a day after the Senate approved the legislation, 63-37, four votes short of the two-thirds margin needed to override. White House officials and Republican congressional leaders claimed it was unlikely that Congress could override the veto.

FDA Issues Advisory on Antidepressant Use During Pregnancy

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration highlighted on Wednesday the findings of two studies on the use of antidepressants -- with contradictory messages for pregnant women who use the drugs.

One study found that women who stopped using a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) drug such as Celexa, Prozac or Zoloft during their pregnancy were five times more likely to experience a return of depression, compared to women who did not interrupt use of the drug.

However, a second study found that maternal use of SSRIs during pregnancy may, in rare cases, boost a newborn's risk for a potentially fatal respiratory condition called persistent pulmonary hypertension (PPHN). Babies were six times more likely to develop PPHN if their mother took an SSRI after her 20th week of pregnancy compared to mothers who did not.

The FDA also noted that the labeling for one SSRI, Paxil, was recently changed after another study found an increased risk for heart defects in babies born to mothers who used the antidepressant during their first trimester of pregnancy.

The FDA does not recommend that pregnant women at risk for depression either take or forego the use of antidepressants, but says the findings "should be considered" in treatment decisions. In the meantime, the agency advises that "women who are pregnant or thinking about becoming pregnant should not stop any antidepressant medication without first consulting their physician."

Supply Can't Meet Demand for Meningitis Vaccine

There's not enough of the new meningitis vaccine Menactra to meet demand in the United States and priority should be given to older teens, say health officials.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that doctors continue giving the vaccine to young people entering high school or college but defer providing it to 11- and 12-year-olds.

"One thing we know about this vaccine is that demand goes up in the summer in anticipation of back-to-college and back-to-school," the CDC's Jeanne Santoli told USA Today.

Menactra was approved in the United States last year for people ages 11 to 55. The vaccine is made by Sanofi Pasteur, which is building a new plant to make more of the vaccine. The plant won't be in operation until 2008.

Demand for the vaccine is expected to decline in the fall, which should ease the shortage. Doctors who postpone giving the vaccine to 11- to 12-year-olds should keep track of those children and call them back for a vaccination when there is more Menactra available, Santoli told USA Today.

Medicare Plan D Headaches Persist: Report

Six months after it was introduced, the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit is still causing headaches for many beneficiaries, says a report released Wednesday by the Center for Medicare Advocacy.

"The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the agency that administers Medicare, continues to tout Part D as a resounding success, while attributing persistent and systemic issues to small glitches in the system," Judith Stein, executive director of the Center for Medicare Advocacy, said in a prepared statement.

"While CMS claims to have fixed the major problems, and purports to be solving individual beneficiary problems in a timely and satisfactory manner, our experience shows otherwise. Our new report highlights some of the most glaring issues and suggests solutions," Stein said.

The report outlines difficulties and problems experienced by people who've signed up for the drug plan.

"The design of Part D promotes enormous variation in the type of plans offered, enrollment experiences, covered drugs, what counts toward the Donut Hole coverage gap, plan costs, and appeals. Many people remain confused and frustrated by Part D's complexity and limitations," the report says.

FDA Approves Two-In-One Hepatitis B Test

Federal health officials have approved a two-in-one test for hepatitis B that should streamline the screening of donated blood and organs.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the test for the hepatitis B virus in people who donate blood, blood components and organs. The test, made by Abbott Laboratories Inc., can also be used to screen blood from cadavers used to supply organs and tissue, the Associated Press reported on Tuesday.

Hepatitis B is caused by a virus that infects the liver and can cause scarring, cancer and failure of the liver, as well as death. The new test, which is fully automated, combines both screening and confirmatory tests, which are now done separately, the AP reported.

Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Health Headlines - July 19

U.S. Senate Passes Embryonic Stem Cell Bill

The U.S. Senate voted Tuesday to approve a bill expanding federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research, the Associated Press reported. President Bush has long vowed to respond with a presidential veto, the first of his 5 1/2-year presidency.

After heated debate, the Senate vote was 63-37, which is four votes short of the two-thirds majority that would be needed to override a veto. A White House spokesman said Bush is unyielding on his stance, despite pleas to pass the legislation from former First Lady Nancy Reagan and Republican California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the wire service said.

Supporters of the measure, however, said the pressure of public opinion would eventually push the government toward funding the controversial research, the AP said. Polls show that as many as 70 percent of Americans support stem cell research.

'There has been an upsurge of demand,' Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., told the AP. 'It has crossed every line we could imagine, certainly partisan lines, ethnic, racial, geographic lines.' Other supporters argue that the research should be permitted under strict ethical rules -- and only on donated embryos that would otherwise be thrown away.

Those opposed to the measure have said such research destroys human life, and with midterm elections just four months away and the Republican majority at stake in Congress, Bush repeated Monday an earlier promise to veto the bill. Neither the Senate nor the House is expected to have the two-thirds majorities necessary to override a veto, the AP reported.

The bill would allow federal funds to be used in research on embryonic stem cell lines derived from fertility treatments that would otherwise be discarded. Though several Republican senators support the measure, the AP said, many GOP lawmakers oppose it, as do conservative voters with whom Bush wants to maintain credibility.

Smoking Habits Unchanged, But Most Would Like to Quit: Poll

About one in four adult Americans smokes cigarettes and the majority smoke less than a pack a day, numbers little changed since 2000, according to Gallup's annual poll on U.S. consumption habits.

The vast majority of smokers would like to give up the habit but consider themselves addicted to cigarettes. The poll found that most smokers -- 75 percent -- have made serious attempts to quit in the past, but had to make one or two serious attempts before finally quitting. The poll further found that the extent of smoking had not changed dramatically since the late 1980s, when more than three in 10 Americans smoked. From 1944 through 1974, Gallup measured smoking rates at 40 percent or higher.

Fifty-five percent of smokers said they smoked less than a pack of cigarettes a day; 36 percent smoked a pack a day -- 20 cigarettes; while 8 percent reported smoking more than a pack a day. The average smoker puffs on 14 cigarettes each day, according to the poll.

In addition to the 25 percent of Americans who currently smoke, another 26 percent said they used to smoke in the past. That leaves 49 percent of Americans who have never smoked. The poll found that Americans with less formal education were more likely to report being a current smoker than those who had completed college.

Gallup's findings were based on telephone interviews with a randomly selected national sample of 1,007 adults, aged 18 years and older, conducted from July 6-9.

Pregnancy Centers Overstate Abortion Risks: Report

Democrats on the U.S. House of Representatives' Government Reform Committee issued a report Monday saying that pregnancy-resource centers are providing false information about the physical and mental health effects of abortion.

Posing as pregnant 17-year-olds, Congressional aides called 25 pregnancy centers that have received some federal funding over the past five years. The aides were routinely told of increased risk for cancer, infertility, and stress disorders, according to the report, which was prepared for Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., the Associated Press reported.

A small fraction of the more than 4,000 pregnancy clinics nationwide get federal funding, mostly for promoting sexual abstinence. With a few exceptions, the federal government doesn't give money specifically for the counseling operations, but Waxman's staff said 25 centers got "capacity building grants." Waxman said that while Americans are divided on the abortion issue, no one should support misleading teenagers about basic medical facts, and those centers should be held accountable for the information they dispense.

"It's wrong to pour millions of federal dollars into organizations that are providing false health information to vulnerable teenagers," Waxman said.

Care Net, an umbrella group for evangelical pregnancy centers across the United States, instructs affiliates to tell callers there is a possibility that abortion can lead to greater risk of breast cancer, according to Molly Ford, an official with the organization. She said there have been several studies that say it does, and several that say it doesn't. A 2003 National Cancer Institute workshop, however, concluded that having an abortion or miscarriage does not increase a woman's subsequent risk of developing breast cancer, the AP reported.

Doctor, 2 Nurses Arrested in New Orleans Hospital Deaths

A doctor and two nurses have been arrested in connection with patient deaths at Memorial Medical Center in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina hit the city.

Immediately after the Aug. 29, 2005, hurricane, rising floodwaters caused Memorial to lose electricity and temperatures inside the hospital reached over 100 degrees. At least 34 patients died waiting for help, the Associated Press reported on Tuesday.

The Louisiana attorney general's office said the three were arrested late Monday and booked on suspicion of second-degree murder. Samples were taken from dozens of patients who died in hospitals and nursing homes in New Orleans, with the intention to test them for potentially lethal doses of drugs such as morphine.

It wasn't immediately clear if the three were suspected of mercy killings, the AP said. Last fall, more than 70 people were subpoenaed in an investigation into rumors that medical personnel at Memorial had euthanized patients who were in pain as they waited to be rescued.

FDA Approves Gemzar to Treat Recurrent Ovarian Cancer

Eli Lilly & Co.'s popular cancer drug Gemzar has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval to be used as a treatment for recurrent ovarian cancer, the company said Monday.

This new approval covers the use of Gemzar in combination with carboplatin to treat women who've suffered an ovarian cancer relapse at least six months after treatment, the Associated Press reported.

Ovarian cancer recurs in 90 percent of women who are diagnosed and treated, according to Lilly. There will be an estimated 20,180 new cases of ovarian cancer in the United States this year, according to the American Cancer Society.

Gemzar already had FDA approval to treat breast cancer, lung cancer, and pancreatic cancer, the AP reported.

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Health Headlines - July 18

FDA Approves Gemzar to Treat Recurrent Ovarian Cancer

Eli Lilly & Co.'s popular cancer drug Gemzar has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval to be used as a treatment for recurrent ovarian cancer, the company said Monday.

This new approval covers the use of Gemzar in combination with carboplatin to treat women who've suffered an ovarian cancer relapse at least six months after treatment, the Associated Press reported.

Ovarian cancer recurs in 90 percent of women who are diagnosed and treated, according to Lilly. There will be an estimated 20,180 new cases of ovarian cancer in the United States this year, according to the American Cancer Society.

Gemzar already had FDA approval to treat breast cancer, lung cancer, and pancreatic cancer, the AP reported.

Hospital Executives Under Scrutiny for Links to Suppliers

Some U.S. hospital executives are being treated to lavish vacations and paid thousands of dollars to advise companies on how best to sell drugs, medical devices and financial services to hospitals, The New York Times reported.

For example, executives who run some of the nation's leading nonprofit hospitals and medical suppliers recently met at a luxury resort in Colorado. The executives and their spouses received a free trip to the resort, courtesy of the Healthcare Research and Development Institute (HRDI).

The institute is a for-profit company that's owned by about three dozen hospital executives but underwritten by about 40 corporate members who all sell supplies to hospitals, the Times reported.

But this seemingly cozy relationship is now under scrutiny. Richard Blumenthal, the attorney general of Connecticut, has launched an investigation into whether the HRDI allows certain companies to buy access to hospital executives who can influence what supplies or services are bought by their hospitals. If that's the case, hospitals may not be getting the best deals, in terms of quality or cost, he said.

"At the very least it suggests insider dealings -- an insidious, incestuous, insider system," Blumenthal told the Times.

So far, Blumenthal has issued more than 100 subpoenas, mostly to hospital suppliers.

Mutated Gene Causes Common Form of Dementia

A mutated gene linked to an inherited form of a common type of dementia called frontotemporal dementia (FTD) has been identified by Canadian and American scientists.

They found that a mutated progranulin gene on chromosome 17 can cause inherited FTD, the Canadian Press reported.

FTD causes about 15 percent of all dementia cases worldwide, and about half of FTD cases are inherited. Alzheimer's disease is the only other type of dementia more common than FTD.

"The immediate implications are that we can now begin to offer genetic counseling and genetic testing for affected families," researcher Dr. Ian Mackenzie, a neuropathologist at the University of British Columbia, told the CP.

"And perhaps even the more important slightly long-term goal is that the knowledge we've gained has very strong implications for possible treatment strategies," Mackenzie added.

FTD is incurable and symptoms typically begin to appear when people are in their 50s and 60s. While it does not destroy memory, FTD causes major changes in personality and behavior.

Medicare Changes Could Cut Payments for Procedures

The Bush administration says current Medicare reimbursement rules encourage hospitals to perform money-making treatments and complex procedures at the expense of cheaper alternatives, The New York Times reported Monday. So, the administration is planning sweeping changes in the rules that critics say would cut funding for some procedures for critically ill patients by up to 30 percent, the newspaper said.

Federal officials say biases in the current system encourage hospitals to treat some patients whose procedures are likely to generate more money for the institutions, at the expense of treating patients whose conditions wind up being less profitable, the newspaper said.

A major change, said U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt, would be that new payments would be based on the severity of a patient's illness, rather than the current system that reimburses a fixed amount for a person with a particular condition, regardless of its severity.

The new plan, the newspaper said, is not expected to save money, but to "shift around billions of dollars." Medicare now pays about $125 billion a year to nearly 5,000 hospitals.

A group of patient-advocacy organizations wrote the federal government a letter warning that the new system would have "a devastating impact" on payments for treatments for critically ill people, cutting reimbursements for some procedures by as much as 30 percent, the Times said.

Congress to Debate Stem Cell Funding

The controversial issue of whether to use public funds for human embryonic stem cell research tops the hot-button topics to be debated by Congress this week.

President Bush has long opposed use of public monies to fund research involving embryonic stem cells, which proponents say could generate potential cures for diseases including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. But the practice is controversial, since the embryos must be destroyed in the process of harvesting stem cells.

Despite polls that suggest as many as 70 percent of Americans support embryonic stem cell research, Bush in 2001 banned the use of federal funding for all but existing stem cell lines, the Associated Press reported. Many scientists complain that stem cells harvested at least five years ago are virtually unusable.

Bush repeatedly has threatened to exercise his first-ever presidential veto if Congress sends him a measure to legalize federally funded human embryonic stem cell research, the AP said.

Critics Say G-8 AIDS Plan Doesn't Go Far Enough

World leaders meeting at the G-8 summit in Russia are calling on the global community to increase funding for more AIDS monitoring and treatment programs, the Associated Press reported.

Advocacy groups welcomed the announcement, but said it was short on specifics. The plan is "an opportunity to get away from this constant cycle of funding shortages and emergency replenishment," said Oliver Buston, a spokesman for the group Debt AIDS Trade Africa (DATA).

"But we were hoping... for a very detailed, time-bound plan of how the G-8 were going to meet their promise, and this document doesn't really deliver that," Buston said.

The agreement proposed "building the capacity of health-care systems in poor countries through recruitment, training and deployment of public and private health workers." But Eric Friedman, a spokesman for the group Physicians for Human Rights, said the statement didn't say how those goals would be achieved, the AP said.