Health Headlines - March 31

Mass. Gov to Ease Stem Cell Restrictions

Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick said he plans to reverse stem cell research restrictions put in place by his predecessor, Republican Mitt Romney.

Patrick, a Democrat, said Friday at a meeting of the Life Sciences Collaborative that he would ask the Public Health Council to change the stem cell research rules, the Associated Press reported.

"I believe that life sciences should be guided by science, not politics," Patrick said at the gathering of biotechnology officials.

The restrictions put in place last August by Romney, a presidential hopeful, said that embryos could not be created for the sole purpose of using them for research. That prompted complaints from researchers who said that could prohibit them from using some embryonic stem cells, the AP reported.

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HIV Cases in Asia Could Double in Five Years

Unless governments in Asia take action to halt the spread of HIV, the number of people infected with the virus could double within five years, experts warned Friday.

Currently, about 8.6 million people in Asia are infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. If current levels of inadequate government response continue, that number could increase to about 20 million within five years, said the independent Commission on Aids in Asia.

The commission, which is funded by UNAIDS, issued the warning during a two-day workshop in Manila, Philippines, the Associated Press reported.

HIV/AIDS kills about 500,000 people a year in Asia and causes financial losses of about $10 billion a year. The commission said the economic cost could reach $29 billion a year if the epidemic is not brought under control within five years.

Despite the serious threat posed by HIV/AIDS, the commission noted that current spending on HIV control in Asia is only about 10 percent of the required $5 billion a year, the AP reported.

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Sedative Drugs Increase Risk of Early Death in Alzheimer's Patients

The inappropriate use of sedative drugs called neuroleptics to control the behavior of dementia patients in nursing homes is causing the early death of many of those patients, concludes a study released by the Alzheimer's Research Trust in the U.K.

A five-year investigation found that patients prescribed neuroleptics died an average of six months earlier than normal, BBC News reported. It's known that dementia patients who take these drugs are three times more likely to have a stroke.

Neuroleptics include chlorpromazine, haloperidol, risperidone, thioridazine and trifluoperazine. Guidelines recommend that these drugs be given to patients who are severely agitated or violent. But study lead researcher Professor Clive Ballard of King's College London said the drugs are used inappropriately in most cases and cause more harm than good.

He and his colleagues studied 165 Alzheimer's disease patients at more than 100 nursing homes who were being prescribed neuroleptics. The researchers switched half the patients to dummy (placebo) pills, while the other half kept taking neuroleptic drugs.

At 24 months, 78 percent of the patients in the placebo group were still alive, compared with 55 percent of those in the neuroleptic group. At 36 months, the survival rates were 62 percent vs. 35 percent and at 42 months, 60 percent vs. 25 percent, BBC News reported.

The findings were presented at the Alzheimer's Research Trust conference in Edinburgh.

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Investigators Mull NIH Conflict-of-Interest Policies

A wide-ranging review of conflict-of-interest policies at the U.S. National Institutes of Health being conducted by federal investigators could have a major impact on scientists who don't work for the agency but receive government funding for their research, the Associated Press reported.

Currently, NIH conflict-of-interest rules don't apply to grantees outside the agency. The institutions, such as universities, where those researchers work are expected to enforce their own ethics rules and report any conflicts of interest to the NIH.

In a letter to Rep. Joe Barton of Texas, the top Republican on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Health and Human Services inspector general Daniel Levinson outlined the plans for the review, which will "determine the extent to which the NIH oversees grantee institutions' financial conflict-of-interest issues."

Taking a closer look at conflict-of-interest among government-funded scientists at outside institutions is necessary, experts said.

"Many senior scientists in academia supported by NIH also have well-paid private arrangements with drug companies, arrangements that may harm their medical research," Ned Feder, an investigator for the advocacy group Project on Government Oversight, told the AP.

In his letter, Levinson said criminal investigators in his office are also looking into potential conflicts of interest by 103 NIH scientists who received payments from drug and biotech companies and were previously the focus of internal NIH investigations last year, the AP reported.

In 2005, the NIH banned agency employees from consulting for drug companies.

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Animal Studies Suggest Anesthesia Drugs Harm Children's Brains

Animal studies that suggest that anesthesia can be harmful to developing brains have raised concerns about potential risks for young children who have surgery.

But at a meeting held Thursday to discuss the issue, U.S. Food and Drug Administration scientists said they have no evidence that anesthesia and sedation drugs can cause brain damage in children, the Associated Press reported.

"A safety signal has been identified in animals for many drugs used to provide sedation and anesthesia. This database is growing. The relevance of the animal findings to pediatric patients is unknown," Dr. Arthur Simone, an FDA medical officer, told experts at the meeting.

An FDA study published this month in the journal Anesthesia & Analgesia said the drugs can lead to subtle, prolonged changes in behavior -- including learning and memory problems -- in rats and other laboratory animals, the AP reported.

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Green Tea May Help Fight HIV

Green tea may help reduce the risk of HIV infection and slow the spread of the virus in people who are already infected, concludes a study by U.S. and U.K. scientists.

They found that a component of green tea called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) prevents HIV -- the virus that causes AIDS -- from binding to immune system cells. EGCG does this by binding to immune system cells first, leaving no room for HIV to attach to the cells, BBC News reported.

The study, which looked at the ability of EGCG to block HIV from binding to immune cells in test tubes, appears in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

"Our research shows that drinking green tea could reduce the risk of becoming infected by HIV, and could also slow down the spread of HIV," said Professor Mike Williamson of the University of Sheffield in the U.K.

"It is not a cure, and nor is it a safe way to avoid infection, however, we suggest that it should be used in combination with conventional medicines to improve quality of life for those infected," he said.

Williamson said research is underway to determine the levels of protection offered by different amounts of green tea, BBC News reported. Experts not involved in the study noted that this is very preliminary research.

Health Headlines - March 30

Green Tea May Help Fight HIV

Green tea may help reduce the risk of HIV infection and slow the spread of the virus in people who are already infected, concludes a study by U.S. and U.K. scientists.

They found that a component of green tea called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) prevents HIV -- the virus that causes AIDS -- from binding to immune system cells. EGCG does this by binding to immune system cells first, leaving no room for HIV to attach to the cells, BBC News reported.

The study, which looked at the ability of EGCG to block HIV from binding to immune cells in test tubes, appears in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

"Our research shows that drinking green tea could reduce the risk of becoming infected by HIV, and could also slow down the spread of HIV," said Professor Mike Williamson of the University of Sheffield in the U.K.

"It is not a cure, and nor is it a safe way to avoid infection, however, we suggest that it should be used in combination with conventional medicines to improve quality of life for those infected," he said.

Williamson said research is underway to determine the levels of protection offered by different amounts of green tea, BBC News reported. Experts not involved in the study noted that this is very preliminary research.

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Kuwait Bird Flu Outbreak Prompts Cull of 1.1 Million Chickens

About 1.1 million chickens will be slaughtered within the next few days in an effort to halt an outbreak of the H5N1 bird flu virus in Kuwait, an agricultural official said Thursday.

The chickens will be destroyed at farms owned by three large companies and located in Wafra, south of Kuwait City on the Saudi border. That's where most of the 57 cases of the H5N1 virus have been detected since the start of the outbreak in late February, Agence France Presse reported.

Since the outbreak began, about 200,000 fowl that were in contact with infected birds have been killed. Kuwait has banned the import and export of birds, shut down bird markets, and closed the nation's only zoo.

In early March, a team of experts from the World Organization for Animal Health traveled to Kuwait to assess the outbreak and help officials deal with it, AFP reported.

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Bird Flu Likely Cause of 2 Deaths in Indonesia

It's likely that bird flu has claimed the lives of two more people in Indonesia, the country's health ministry said Thursday. The two victims died after each tested positive for bird flu in an initial test. Follow-up tests are being conducted to verify the results.

If it's confirmed that the two people -- one on the island of Sumatra and one in the capital city of Jakarta -- died of bird flu, that would bring Indonesia's death toll to 71, the highest in the world, Agence France Presse reported.

Prior to these latest cases, Indonesia had announced three confirmed bird flu deaths since last Saturday, which brought the death toll to 69 out of 89 cases of bird flu in humans. Indonesia had hoped to stamp out human infections this year.

Most human cases of bird flu in the country have been caused by contact with sick birds. As part of the effort to halt human infections, Indonesian officials have outlawed the widespread practice of keeping chickens in backyards in Jakarta, AFP reported.

Since the end of 2003, the H5N1 bird flu virus has infected 284 people and killed 169 around the world. Most of the cases have occurred in Southeast Asia. The figures don't include the latest two cases in Indonesia, or the death of a Chinese teenager announced on Thursday.

Experts worry that the H5N1 virus may mutate into a form that's easily transmitted between humans and cause a global pandemic.

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FDA Launches Web Site Warning of Online Accutane Sales

People conducting Web searches to buy the acne drug Accutane (isotretinoin) online will now be confronted with a U.S. Food and Drug Administration site warning of the dangers of this type of online purchase, the agency announced Wednesday.

"Isotretinoin is a drug approved for the treatment of severe acne that does not respond to other forms of treatment," the FDA said in a statement. "If the drug is improperly used, it can cause severe side effects, including birth defects. Serious mental health problems have also been reported with isotretinoin use."

The new Web page should pop up whenever someone searches for Accutane, or any other generic form of isotretinoin, such as Amnesteem, Claravis or Sotret. The page -- http://www.fda.gov/buyonline/accutane -- warns against using the drug without a doctor's or pharmacist's supervision.

Because the use of isotretinoin is strongly linked to birth defects, the FDA and manufacturers have previously collaborated on the iPLEDGE program, aimed at ensuring that women who use the drug do not become pregnant, while curbing the use of isotretonoin in women who are pregnant.

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Bacteria Contamination Spurs Wrinkle Cream Recall

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday announced the recall of DermaFreeze365 commercial skin care lotions because of contamination with the Psuedomonas aeruginosa bacterium. The bacterium can cause a wide variety of serious illness, including eye infections and even blindness.

According the products' maker, Woodridge Labs. Inc., of Panorama City, Calif., the recalled products include DermaFreeze365 Instant Line Relaxing Formula (UPC Codes 6-05923-36501-6, 6-05923-36502-3 and 6-05923-10563-6) and DermaFreeze365 Neck & Chest (UPC Code 6-05923-36503-0).

"Because the DermaFreeze365 Instant Line Relaxing Formula may be applied to the area of the eye, there is a possibility that inadvertent introduction of the tainted product could result in serious eye infections and, in rare circumstances, blindness," the company said in a statement.

Contamination with P. aeruginosa was noticed during routine testing and affected products may appear discolored, the company said. "Consumers that have the product should discontinue use of the product and destroy it immediately, or return it to their place of purchase for further processing," Woodridge Labs said.

No cases of illness have yet been reported, but patients with any product-linked health concerns should contact their physician.

Further information on the recall can be obtained at 818-902-5537 or via email at recall@woodridgelab.com.

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Food Dominates TV Ads for Children

Food is the most common product in televisions ads that target American children and teens, and many of those commercials are for junk food, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation study released Thursday.

In this study, the largest ever to look at television food marketing to young people, researchers analyzed more than 1,600 hours of U.S. television programming broadcast in 2005, the Washington Post reported.

Children ages 8 to 12 watch the most food commercials, an average of 21 a day. That adds up to 7,600 food commercials (about 51 hours worth) a year, the study said. Teens, ages 13 to 17, see an average of 17 food ads a day (more than 6,000 per year), and children ages 2 to 7 see 12 food ads per day (4,400 a year).

The study found that 34 percent of television commercials aimed at children and teens were for candy and snacks, 28 percent were for cereal, 10 percent for fast foods, and 4 percent for dairy products. There were no commercials for fruit or vegetables, the Post reported.

After food, the most common products in televisions ads aimed at children and teens were music, video games and movies.

"The study is really important. It's the first time in over a decade that anybody has looked at television advertising aimed at children. And it's the first time that anyone has looked at such a huge sample of ads," Margo Wootan, director of nutrition for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a consumer advocacy group, told the Post.

Health Headlines - March 29

FDA Launches Web Site Warning of Online Accutane Sales

People conducting Web searches to buy the acne drug Accutane (isotretinoin) online will now be confronted with a U.S. Food and Drug Administration site warning of the dangers of this type of online purchase, the agency announced Wednesday.

"Isotretinoin is a drug approved for the treatment of severe acne that does not respond to other forms of treatment," the FDA said in a statement. "If the drug is improperly used, it can cause severe side effects, including birth defects. Serious mental health problems have also been reported with isotretinoin use."

The new Web page should pop up whenever someone searches for Accutane, or any other generic form of isotretinoin, such as Amnesteem, Claravis or Sotret. The page -- http://www.fda.gov/buyonline/accutane -- warns against using the drug without a doctor's or pharmacist's supervision.

Because the use of isotretinoin is strongly linked to birth defects, the FDA and manufacturers have previously collaborated on the iPLEDGE program, aimed at ensuring that women who use the drug do not become pregnant, while curbing the use of isotretonoin in women who are pregnant.

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Bacteria Contamination Spurs Wrinkle Cream Recall

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday announced the recall of DermaFreeze365 commercial skin care lotions because of contamination with the Psuedomonas aeruginosa bacterium. The bacterium can cause a wide variety of serious illness, including eye infections and even blindness.

According the products' maker, Woodridge Labs. Inc., of Panorama City, Calif., the recalled products include DermaFreeze365 Instant Line Relaxing Formula (UPC Codes 6-05923-36501-6, 6-05923-36502-3 and 6-05923-10563-6) and DermaFreeze365 Neck & Chest (UPC Code 6-05923-36503-0).

"Because the DermaFreeze365 Instant Line Relaxing Formula may be applied to the area of the eye, there is a possibility that inadvertent introduction of the tainted product could result in serious eye infections and, in rare circumstances, blindness," the company said in a statement.

Contamination with P. aeruginosa was noticed during routine testing and affected products may appear discolored, the company said. "Consumers that have the product should discontinue use of the product and destroy it immediately, or return it to their place of purchase for further processing," Woodridge Labs said.

No cases of illness have yet been reported, but patients with any product-linked health concerns should contact their physician.

Further information on the recall can be obtained at 818-902-5537 or via email at recall@woodridgelab.com.

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Food Dominates TV Ads for Children

Food is the most common product in televisions ads that target American children and teens, and many of those commercials are for junk food, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation study released Thursday.

In this study, the largest ever to look at television food marketing to young people, researchers analyzed more than 1,600 hours of U.S. television programming broadcast in 2005, the Washington Post reported.

Children ages 8 to 12 watch the most food commercials, an average of 21 a day. That adds up to 7,600 food commercials (about 51 hours worth) a year, the study said. Teens, ages 13 to 17, see an average of 17 food ads a day (more than 6,000 per year), and children ages 2 to 7 see 12 food ads per day (4,400 a year).

The study found that 34 percent of television commercials aimed at children and teens were for candy and snacks, 28 percent were for cereal, 10 percent for fast foods, and 4 percent for dairy products. There were no commercials for fruit or vegetables, the Post reported.

After food, the most common products in televisions ads aimed at children and teens were music, video games and movies.

"The study is really important. It's the first time in over a decade that anybody has looked at television advertising aimed at children. And it's the first time that anyone has looked at such a huge sample of ads," Margo Wootan, director of nutrition for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a consumer advocacy group, told the Post.

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Huge Rise in Spending on Psychotherapeutic Drugs

Between 1997 to 2004, spending by Americans on psychotherapeutic drugs to treat depression, anxiety, pain, schizophrenia and other conditions increased from $7.9 billion to $20 billion.

That's an increase of more than 150 percent, says the latest News and Numbers released Thursday by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

The report said:

• Overall prescriptions for psychotherapeutic drugs increased from 141.9 million in 1997 to 244.3 million in 2004. The number of people prescribed at least one such drug went from 21 million to 32.6 million, and the average price per purchase rose from $55.80 to $82.
• The largest increase was for antipsychotic medications used to manage schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and other psychoses. Sales of these drugs increased from $1.3 billion to $4.1 billion from 1997 to 2004.
• Over that same period, spending for central nervous system stimulants to treat pain and control seizures nearly tripled, from $0.6 billion to $1.7 billion.
• Spending on antidepressants more than doubled, from $5.1 billion to $12.1 billion. Spending on anxiolytics, sedatives and hypnotics for anxiety and sleep disorders increased from $0.9 billion to $2.1 billion.

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Heterosexual Men Should be Circumcised to Reduce HIV Infection Risk: U.N. Agencies

Heterosexual men should be circumcised because there is "compelling" evidence that it's linked to a 60 percent reduction in their risk of contracting HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, the World Health Organization and UNAIDS recommended Wednesday.

However, experts with the two U.N health agencies noted that men need to understand that circumcision does not provide full protection against HIV infection and that they must use other protective measures as well, the Associated Press reported.

Those other measures include condoms, abstinence, delaying the start of sexual activity and limiting the number of sexual partners. The experts said that if circumcised men develop a false sense of security and don't take these added measures, they could undermine the partial protection offered by circumcision.

The agencies also said men must be cautioned that they're at higher risk for HIV infection if they have sex before they've healed after being circumcised. And men with HIV are more likely to infect their partner if they have sex before the wound is healed, the AP reported.

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Pollen Blankets U.S. Southeast

The U.S. Southeast has been blanketed in pollen during the past week and people are suffering through one of the worst allergy seasons in years, the Associated Press reported.

In Atlanta, the pollen count reached 5,499 particles per cubic meter of air Monday, while in South Carolina it hit 4,862. In the Southeast, a pollen count of 120 is considered extremely high.

The high pollen counts are due to a lack of rain, which scrubs pollen from the air. Most of the pollen is coming from pine trees.

Allergy sufferers are being advised to limit their outdoor activities during the morning, when pollen is at its worst. Allergy specialist Dr. Lisa Hutto told the AP that wearing a mask when doing yard work and changing clothes and showering immediately after coming inside can help reduce allergy symptoms.

The heavy pollen is covering cars, outdoor furniture and porches but people shouldn't use a garden hose to remove it.

"Washing the pollen off could cause it to become airborne, and you could have more exposure. Even if you hose off your porch or car, it's just going to come back," Hutto told the AP.

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Patch Boosts Women's Sex Drive

A patch for women with low sex drive will be available from the U.K.'s National Health Service beginning in April.

The Intrinsa patch -- which is worn on the abdomen and delivers a low dose of testosterone -- will be available only to women with early menopause who have had their ovaries removed during hysterectomy, BBC News reported.

Testosterone plays an important role in female sexual desire.

Trials involving more than 500 women who had hysterectomies found that the Intrinsa patch was associated with a 74 percent increase in satisfying sex, BBC News reported.

The patch is made by Proctor and Gamble.

Health Headlines - March 28

U.S. Presidential Spokesman's Cancer Returns

U.S. Presidential spokesman Tony Snow's cancer has returned and has spread, the White House announced Tuesday.

In 2005, Snow was diagnosed with colon cancer and underwent surgery and six months of chemotherapy, the Associated Press reported. Last year, a small growth was found in his lower right pelvic area.

The growth was removed Tuesday and doctors said that it was cancerous and that the cancer had spread to Snow's liver.

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said that Snow, 51, was resting comfortably after the surgery to remove the growth and that he had vowed to aggressively fight the disease with an as-yet-to-be-determined course of treatment, the AP reported.

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Merck Cleared in Vioxx Lawsuit

A jury in Madison County, Ill., has decided in favor of drug maker Merck in a lawsuit over the painkiller drug Vioxx.

The jury deliberated for two days before announcing its verdict Tuesday in the case of a 52-year-old woman who died of a heart attack. The jury agreed with Merck's lawyers, who argued that Patty Schwaller's sudden death was more likely caused by her weight and other health issues than by Vioxx, the Associated Press reported.

Schwaller had taken Vioxx for about 20 months. In the lawsuit, her widower claimed that the drug contributed to his wife's death and that Merck failed to adequately warn people taking the drug that it increased the risk of cardiovascular problems.

Vioxx was pulled off the market in 2004 after Merck's own research showed the drug increased the risk of heart attack and stroke. So far, 15 Vioxx lawsuits have been tried and Merck has won 10 of those cases, the AP reported. The company faces thousands of lawsuits.

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No Smoking While Driving in New Delhi

In what's believed to be a first for any major city worldwide, the High Court in New Delhi has banned smoking while driving in India's capital city, the Associated Press reported.

The smoking ban was among a number of new laws introduced to fight bad driving habits in the city. The court also outlawed the use of mobile phones while driving. People caught smoking or using a cell phone face a $32 fine -- a heavy penalty by local standards.

People who break the law more than five times will have their license revoked, the AP reported.

More than 1,900 people die on New Delhi's roads each year. Traffic laws, which haven't been updated since they were introduced 20 years ago, are largely ignored by drivers, the AP reported.

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Family Members Main Cause of Whooping Cough in Infants

Family members are the most common source of whooping cough (pertussis) in infants, says an international study in the April issue of the Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal.

The 20-month study of infants in four countries -- Canada, France, Germany and the United States -- found that household family members such as parents, siblings, aunts and uncles, cousins and grandparents were responsible for 75 percent of pertussis cases among infants for whom a source could be identified. Parents alone were the source in 55 percent of infant cases, the study said.

"It is important to understand how the disease is spread, particularly to infants who are too young to be vaccinated themselves, so that steps can be taken to prevent infections in these vulnerable infants and potentially save lives," senior author Dr. Annelies Van Rie, assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Public Health, said in a prepared statement.

"It is troubling to learn that infants are often infected with pertussis by their own family members, who are often unaware of having pertussis themselves, and in whom pertussis could have been prevented if they had received a pertussis booster vaccination," Van Rie said.

Infants, who are more vulnerable to severe pertussis and serious complications, account for 90 percent of pertussis deaths in the United States. Pertussis is spread through airborne droplets released when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

In the past two decades, the number of pertussis cases in the United States has tripled. This is partly because pertussis immunity from early childhood vaccinations wears off and leaves adolescents and adults susceptible to the disease. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends pertussis booster shots for teens and adults.

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Americans Urged to Take Diabetes Risk Test

One in five Americans either has type 2 diabetes and doesn't know it or has pre-diabetes, a precursor to type 2 diabetes, says the American Diabetes Association (ADA).

Tuesday is the 19th annual American Diabetes Alert Day, and the ADA is urging people who are overweight, physically inactive, and over age 45 to take a test to help them determine their level of risk.

The American Diabetes Risk Test includes questions about weight, age, lifestyle and family history. People who score 10 points or more on the test are at high risk for diabetes and are encouraged to see their doctor. The test is available at the ADA's Web site (www.diabetes.org) or by calling 1-800-342-2383.

"Today is a day for Americans to take charge of their health. The diabetes epidemic has taken a devastating toll on families and communities across the country," Dr. Larry C. Deeb, the ADA's president of medicine and science, said in a prepared statement.

"But there is hope. Early detection and treatment can help prevent type 2 diabetes or serious complications associated with diabetes, such as heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney disease, amputation, and even death. By taking the American Diabetes Risk Test, people can be one step closer to having the information they need to lead a healthier life," Deeb said.

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Seasonal Flu Identified Among Airline Passengers

Seasonal flu is the likely cause of illness among several passengers who were aboard a Continental Airlines flight Monday from Hong Kong to Newark, N.J., the Houston Chronicle reported.

The flight crew noticed that a number of passengers appeared ill during the flight and notified U.S. health authorities. The plane was held on the tarmac for two hours after it landed in Newark. After an investigation, health officials cleared the sick passengers to enter the United States.

The passengers' symptoms were consistent with seasonal influenza, Curtis Allen, a spokesman for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told the Chronicle. Some of the passengers were already sick when they boarded the aircraft in Hong Kong but more became ill during the flight, Allen said.

The ill passengers caused concern because the SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) outbreak originated in Asia in 2002 and was spread, in part, by airline passengers. Thousands of people were infected by SARS and hundreds died.

Health Headlines - March 27

Day Care Linked to Poor School Behavior

Preschoolers who spent a year or more in a day care center were more likely to be disruptive in class when they started school, and this effect persisted through the sixth grade, according to a large U.S. study released Monday.

The long-term study compared 1,300 pre-school children in various settings, including attending a large day care center, staying home with a parent, and being looked after by a nanny or a relative, The New York Times reported.

When the children were in school, their teachers rated them on such disruptive behaviors as interrupting class, teasing and bullying. Every year spent in a day care center for at least 10 hours a week was associated with a 1 percent higher score on a standardized assessment of behavior problems, the study found.

This was true regardless of the child's sex or family income, and regardless of the quality of the day care center, the Times reported. The study did not examine why time in day care could lead to poor behavior in school.

More than two million American preschoolers attend day care. Disruptive behavior by these children when they start school likely contributes to the load on teachers who must manage large classrooms, the study authors said.

The U.S. government-financed Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development did find that children who spent time in high-quality day care centers had higher vocabulary scores in elementary school, The Times reported.

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Report Describes 'Semi-Identical' Twins

The world's only known "semi-identical" twins are described in a study published online Monday by the journal Nature.

Geneticists said the twins, born in the United States, almost certainly resulted from two sperm cells that fused with a single egg, Agence France Presse reported. While a double fertilization of an egg is rare, this is the first known case that resulted in live birth.

"Their similarity is somewhere between identical and fraternal twins," said study lead author Vivienne Souter.

One of the twins is a hermaphrodite (both male and female genitalia) while the other twin is a boy with normally developed sexual organs. The twins, whose identity and current location were not revealed, have almost no hope of survival, AFP reported.

Fraternal twins occur when two eggs are fertilized by separate sperm. Each egg becomes an embryo. Identical twins occur when one egg is fertilized by a single sperm. The egg later splits and results in two distinct -- but genetically alike -- humans.

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Mediterranean Diet Benefits Heart Attack Patients

Heart attack patients can benefit from eating a Mediterranean-style diet, which features fish, olive oil and other sources of healthy fats, says a U.S. study presented at the American College of Cardiology's conference in New Orleans.

The study included 101 people who'd had a heart attack in the six weeks prior to the start of the study. The patients were divided into two groups. One group followed the low-fat American Heart Association Step II diet, while the other group was put on a Mediterranean diet, Agence France Presse reported.

Both groups of patients were instructed to limit cholesterol intake to no more than 200 milligrams a day and to limit saturated fat intake to no more than 7 percent of total calories.

After an average of about four years, both groups had similar combined rates of death, repeat heart attack, stroke, unstable chest pain, or hospitalization for heart failure, AFP reported.

When compared to heart attack patients who received no dietary counseling, those in the two intervention groups were about two-thirds less likely to suffer cardiovascular complications.

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Organic Kiwi Fruit Healthier

Organic kiwi fruit contains much higher levels of compounds believed to offer health benefits, says a University of California, Davis study.

Researchers grew two identical plots of kiwi fruit. One plot was grown organically and one received the standard mix of herbicides, pesticides and chemical fertilizer, Agence France Presse reported.

When mature, the organic kiwi fruit had 18 percent and 27 percent higher levels, respectively, of polyphenols and antioxidant activity. The organic fruit also had higher levels of vitamin C. The study was published in the journal Chemistry & Industry.

Polyphenols are believed to reduce cholesterol and improve blood circulation. Some research has suggested that polyphenols may also help prevent some kinds of cancer, AFP reported. Antioxidants are believed to neutralize free radicals that can damage cells, resulting in poor health and disease.

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Elizabeth Edwards' Cancer Has Spread Into Hip

Elizabeth Edwards' breast cancer has spread to her right hip, she revealed during an interview broadcast Sunday night on the television news program "60 Minutes."

The interview was shown three days after it was announced that Edwards' breast cancer, first diagnosed in 2004, had returned in an incurable form that had spread to her ribs, The New York Times reported.

During the "60 Minutes" interview, Edwards, 57, was asked if the cancer was present in any other areas of her body, in addition to her ribs.

"There are a couple of hot spots, on the bone scan, in my right hip, for example," she replied. She did not mention any other areas that might also have cancer, The Times reported.

The Edwards said the cancer would not stop John Edwards' campaign to win the Democratic presidential nomination. The candidate also challenged suggestions by some critics that he would exploit his wife's cancer to win votes.

"First of all, there's not a single person in America that should vote for me because Elizabeth has cancer. Not a one," he said. "If you're considering doing it, don't do it. Do not vote for us because you feel some sympathy or compassion for us. That would be an enormous mistake."

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Outpatient Use of Natrecor Offers No Benefits: Study

Giving once- or twice-weekly outpatient injections of the heart failure drug Natrecor does not reduce the risk of death or hospitalization for heart or kidney problems, according to research presented at the American College of Cardiology meeting in New Orleans.

Natrecor is approved in the U.S. for treatment of severely ill, hospitalized heart failure patients. However, at one point it was widely used off-label by doctors who gave weekly injections to less sick heart failure patients in the belief that the drug would offer these patients long-term benefits, Forbes reported.

The new study of 920 people found that this outpatient use of Natrecor provided absolutely no benefit. The finding should halt the practice of giving once- or twice-weekly Natrecor to outpatients, said researcher Clyde W. Yancy, medical director of the Baylor Heart and Vascular Institute in Dallas.

Previous research suggested that Natrecor harmed the kidneys and increased the risk of death. But Yancy said this new study found no major evidence of an association between the drug and kidney problems, increased risk of death, or other safety issues, Forbes reported.

Health Headlines - March 26

Tooth Decay Linked to Ethnicity

Tooth decay and gum disease can be linked to a U.S. immigrant's ethnicity and country of origin, a large study contends.

And the finding holds true no matter how long that immigrant has been in the country, researchers from New York University College of Dentistry say.

In what is touted as the largest-ever study on the oral health of immigrants, the NYU researchers analyzed tooth decay and periodontal disease rates in more than 1,500 Chinese, Haitian, Indian, West Indian, Puerto Rican, Dominican, and Central and South American immigrants of Hispanic origin living in New York City.

The team's leader, Dr. Gustavo D. Cruz, director of global oral public health at NYU, was to present the findings Saturday at the International Association for Dental Research meeting in New Orleans.

In a prepared statement, Cruz said the study revealed, for example, that Puerto Ricans, Haitians and Indians were more likely to suffer from gum disease, while Hispanics were more likely to have tooth decay.

Cruz found that rates of tooth decay and periodontal disease can be linked to ethnicity and country of origin even among immigrants who have lived for many years in the United States and have increased income and education levels.

"For example, some ethnic groups may be more prone to tooth decay partly because their traditional foods are high in refined carbohydrates, while other groups may be less susceptible to decay because refined carbohydrates are almost absent from their diet," he said.

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FDA Renews Warning About Arsenic in Mineral Water

U.S. health officials are renewing their warning to consumers not to drink "Jermuk" brand mineral water because some bottles contain higher-than-acceptable levels of arsenic, a toxic substance that can cause cancer in humans.

The Food and Drug Administration reissued the warning Saturday due to an expansion of the recall by the products' importers and distributors. Jermuk water is imported from Armenia and distributed under different labels in California. Five brands have been recalled since March 7.

The latest recall, begun March 16 by the product's distributor, is for "Jermuk Natural Mineral Water Fortified with Gas from the Spring." This product is also labeled as "Produced by Sam-Har Co. Republic of Armenia" and "Exclusive Distributor in USA: Arnaz & Nelli Inc., CA 91605."

Although arsenic is a known human poison, there's little chance someone would become seriously ill after drinking the recalled products over a brief period of time -- days to weeks. But, a person would likely experience nausea, abdominal pain and possibly vomiting, which are signs of arsenic poisoning, the FDA said in a prepared statement.

The agency said it has sampled the contents of 500 milliliter green glass and/or plastic bottles of all of the brands and found they contained between 454 and 674 micrograms of arsenic per liter of water. The FDA's standard of quality for bottled water allows no more than 10 micrograms per liter.

No illnesses have been reported so far. Consumers who drank this water and have concerns should contact their health-care provider.

The following products were recalled on March 7:

• "Jermuk Original Sparkling Natural Mineral Water Fortified With Natural Gas From The Spring."
• "Jermuk, 1951, Natural Mineral Water, Jermuk Mayr Gortsaran CJSC." The product is in plastic bottles.
• "Jermuk Sodium Calcium Bicarbonate and Sulphate Mineral Water."
• "Jermuk, Natural Mineral Water Sparkling."

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U.S. Census Bureau Overestimated Uninsured

The U.S. Census Bureau said Friday that it overestimated by 1.8 million the number of people who did not have health insurance in 2005. Instead of 46.6 million people (15.9 percent of the population), the actual number was 44.8 million (15.3 percent), the Associated Press reported.

In fact, for the last decade, the bureau said it has overstated the number of people without health insurance. That's because some residents who reported having insurance were counted as having no coverage.

The errors were discovered while the bureau was updating the computer system for its Current Population Survey, according to a press release. The bureau plans to issue new figures in August for every year going back to 1995, the AP reported.

There were no problems with any other questions in the survey, the bureau said.

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Japan Launching New Tamiflu Inquiry

Japanese officials said Friday they're going to begin a new inquiry into a possible connection between the anti-flu drug Tamiflu and reports of abnormal behavior and deaths among users.

Previously, the country's health ministry said there was no clear evidence of a causal link between Tamiflu and the incidents. The ministry now wants experts to review past cases, Agence France Presse reported.

Since 2004, the health ministry has received 22 reports of abnormal behavior (15 teenagers and seven adults), including four deaths. Earlier this week, government officials ordered the Japanese importer of Tamiflu to warn doctors not to prescribe the antiviral drug to teens, AFP reported.

There have been more than a dozen reported cases of young people taking Tamiflu who fell or jumped from buildings, the news service said.

Tamiflu is made by the Swiss drug company Roche, which has denied that there's any link between the drug and abnormal behavior. Tamiflu, often prescribed to treat people with seasonal flu, is also considered a frontline drug against a potential flu pandemic.

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U.S. College Students Face Price Increases for Birth Control Pills

Steep increases in the price of birth control pills for U.S. college students has health officials worried that some students will switch to less effective methods or use no birth control at all, the Associated Press reported.

The cost of birth control pills at student health centers is doubling or tripling due to a change in the Medicaid rebate law that abolishes an incentive for drug makers to offer significant discounts to colleges. At some colleges, students may have to pay several hundred dollars more per year for birth control pills.

"It's terrible, because these are students who are working very hard to pay for their tuition and books at a time when tuition costs are edging up as well," Linda Lekawski, director of the university health center at Texas A&'M, told the AP.

At Texas A&M, it's expected that the old price of $15 a month for birth control pills will triple.

About 39 percent of undergraduate women use birth control pills, according to the American College Health Association, which is lobbying the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to alter the new Medicaid rebate law to keep birth control pill prices low for college students, the AP reported.

Health Headlines - March 25

FDA Renews Warning About Arsenic in Mineral Water

U.S. health officials are renewing their warning to consumers not to drink "Jermuk" brand mineral water because some bottles contain higher-than-acceptable levels of arsenic, a toxic substance that can cause cancer in humans.

The Food and Drug Administration reissued the warning Saturday due to an expansion of the recall by the products' importers and distributors. Jermuk water is imported from Armenia and distributed under different labels in California. Five brands have been recalled since March 7.

The latest recall, begun March 16 by the product's distributor, is for "Jermuk Natural Mineral Water Fortified with Gas from the Spring." This product is also labeled as "Produced by Sam-Har Co. Republic of Armenia" and "Exclusive Distributor in USA: Arnaz & Nelli Inc., CA 91605."

Although arsenic is a known human poison, there's little chance someone would become seriously ill after drinking the recalled products over a brief period of time -- days to weeks. But, a person would likely experience nausea, abdominal pain and possibly vomiting, which are signs of arsenic poisoning, the FDA said in a prepared statement.

The agency said it has sampled the contents of 500 milliliter green glass and/or plastic bottles of all of the brands and found they contained between 454 and 674 micrograms of arsenic per liter of water. The FDA's standard of quality for bottled water allows no more than 10 micrograms per liter.

No illnesses have been reported so far. Consumers who drank this water and have concerns should contact their health-care provider.

The following products were recalled on March 7:

• "Jermuk Original Sparkling Natural Mineral Water Fortified With Natural Gas From The Spring."
• "Jermuk, 1951, Natural Mineral Water, Jermuk Mayr Gortsaran CJSC." The product is in plastic bottles.
• "Jermuk Sodium Calcium Bicarbonate and Sulphate Mineral Water."
• "Jermuk, Natural Mineral Water Sparkling."

-----

U.S. Census Bureau Overestimated Uninsured

The U.S. Census Bureau said Friday that it overestimated by 1.8 million the number of people who did not have health insurance in 2005. Instead of 46.6 million people (15.9 percent of the population), the actual number was 44.8 million (15.3 percent), the Associated Press reported.

In fact, for the last decade, the bureau said it has overstated the number of people without health insurance. That's because some residents who reported having insurance were counted as having no coverage.

The errors were discovered while the bureau was updating the computer system for its Current Population Survey, according to a press release. The bureau plans to issue new figures in August for every year going back to 1995, the AP reported.

There were no problems with any other questions in the survey, the bureau said.

-----

Japan Launching New Tamiflu Inquiry

Japanese officials said Friday they're going to begin a new inquiry into a possible connection between the anti-flu drug Tamiflu and reports of abnormal behavior and deaths among users.

Previously, the country's health ministry said there was no clear evidence of a causal link between Tamiflu and the incidents. The ministry now wants experts to review past cases, Agence France Presse reported.

Since 2004, the health ministry has received 22 reports of abnormal behavior (15 teenagers and seven adults), including four deaths. Earlier this week, government officials ordered the Japanese importer of Tamiflu to warn doctors not to prescribe the antiviral drug to teens, AFP reported.

There have been more than a dozen reported cases of young people taking Tamiflu who fell or jumped from buildings, the news service said.

Tamiflu is made by the Swiss drug company Roche, which has denied that there's any link between the drug and abnormal behavior. Tamiflu, often prescribed to treat people with seasonal flu, is also considered a frontline drug against a potential flu pandemic.

-----

U.S. College Students Face Price Increases for Birth Control Pills

Steep increases in the price of birth control pills for U.S. college students has health officials worried that some students will switch to less effective methods or use no birth control at all, the Associated Press reported.

The cost of birth control pills at student health centers is doubling or tripling due to a change in the Medicaid rebate law that abolishes an incentive for drug makers to offer significant discounts to colleges. At some colleges, students may have to pay several hundred dollars more per year for birth control pills.

"It's terrible, because these are students who are working very hard to pay for their tuition and books at a time when tuition costs are edging up as well," Linda Lekawski, director of the university health center at Texas A&'M, told the AP.

At Texas A&M, it's expected that the old price of $15 a month for birth control pills will triple.

About 39 percent of undergraduate women use birth control pills, according to the American College Health Association, which is lobbying the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to alter the new Medicaid rebate law to keep birth control pill prices low for college students, the AP reported.

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Alcohol, Tobacco Bigger Threats Than Marijuana, Ecstasy: Study

Alcohol and tobacco are more dangerous than some illegal drugs, such as marijuana or Ecstasy, and need to be reclassified to reflect the threat they pose to society, says a British study published Saturday in The Lancet medical journal.

Using three factors to determine the harm they cause, Professor David Nutt of Bristol University and his colleagues concluded that alcohol and tobacco were among the top 10 most dangerous substances, the Associated Press reported.

The three factors used to determine the rankings of 20 substances were: physical harm to the user; potential for addiction; and impact on society. Heroin and cocaine were ranked most dangerous, followed by barbiturates and street methadone. Alcohol was ranked number five and marijuana number nine. Ecstasy was near the bottom of the list.

Nutt noted that alcohol and tobacco are legal in the United States, Britain and most other countries, while marijuana and Ecstasy are illegal. He questioned the scientific rationale for this kind of approach to drug classification, calling it ill thought-out and arbitrary, the AP reported.

Alcohol is associated with more than half of all visits to hospital emergency rooms and tobacco causes 40 percent of all illnesses that require hospitalization. Both substances have other negative effects on society, such as harming families and using up police resources, the study said.

Health Headlines - March 24

U.S. Census Bureau Overestimated Uninsured

The U.S. Census Bureau said Friday that it overestimated by 1.8 million the number of people who did not have health insurance in 2005. Instead of 46.6 million people (15.9 percent of the population), the actual number was 44.8 million (15.3 percent), the Associated Press reported.

In fact, for the last decade, the bureau said it has overstated the number of people without health insurance. That's because some residents who reported having insurance were counted as having no coverage.

The errors were discovered while the bureau was updating the computer system for its Current Population Survey, according to a press release. The bureau plans to issue new figures in August for every year going back to 1995, the AP reported.

There were no problems with any other questions in the survey, the bureau said.

-----

Japan Launching New Tamiflu Inquiry

Japanese officials said Friday they're going to begin a new inquiry into a possible connection between the anti-flu drug Tamiflu and reports of abnormal behavior and deaths among users.

Previously, the country's health ministry said there was no clear evidence of a causal link between Tamiflu and the incidents. The ministry now wants experts to review past cases, Agence France Presse reported.

Since 2004, the health ministry has received 22 reports of abnormal behavior (15 teenagers and seven adults), including four deaths. Earlier this week, government officials ordered the Japanese importer of Tamiflu to warn doctors not to prescribe the antiviral drug to teens, AFP reported.

There have been more than a dozen reported cases of young people taking Tamiflu who fell or jumped from buildings, the news service said.

Tamiflu is made by the Swiss drug company Roche, which has denied that there's any link between the drug and abnormal behavior. Tamiflu, often prescribed to treat people with seasonal flu, is also considered a frontline drug against a potential flu pandemic.

-----

U.S. College Students Face Price Increases for Birth Control Pills

Steep increases in the price of birth control pills for U.S. college students has health officials worried that some students will switch to less effective methods or use no birth control at all, the Associated Press reported.

The cost of birth control pills at student health centers is doubling or tripling due to a change in the Medicaid rebate law that abolishes an incentive for drug makers to offer significant discounts to colleges. At some colleges, students may have to pay several hundred dollars more per year for birth control pills.

"It's terrible, because these are students who are working very hard to pay for their tuition and books at a time when tuition costs are edging up as well," Linda Lekawski, director of the university health center at Texas A&'M, told the AP.

At Texas A&M, it's expected that the old price of $15 a month for birth control pills will triple.

About 39 percent of undergraduate women use birth control pills, according to the American College Health Association, which is lobbying the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to alter the new Medicaid rebate law to keep birth control pill prices low for college students, the AP reported.

-----

Alcohol, Tobacco Bigger Threats Than Marijuana, Ecstasy: Study

Alcohol and tobacco are more dangerous than some illegal drugs, such as marijuana or Ecstasy, and need to be reclassified to reflect the threat they pose to society, says a British study published Saturday in The Lancet medical journal.

Using three factors to determine the harm they cause, Professor David Nutt of Bristol University and his colleagues concluded that alcohol and tobacco were among the top 10 most dangerous substances, the Associated Press reported.

The three factors used to determine the rankings of 20 substances were: physical harm to the user; potential for addiction; and impact on society. Heroin and cocaine were ranked most dangerous, followed by barbiturates and street methadone. Alcohol was ranked number five and marijuana number nine. Ecstasy was near the bottom of the list.

Nutt noted that alcohol and tobacco are legal in the United States, Britain and most other countries, while marijuana and Ecstasy are illegal. He questioned the scientific rationale for this kind of approach to drug classification, calling it ill thought-out and arbitrary, the AP reported.

Alcohol is associated with more than half of all visits to hospital emergency rooms and tobacco causes 40 percent of all illnesses that require hospitalization. Both substances have other negative effects on society, such as harming families and using up police resources, the study said.

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Tourist States Would be Hardest Hit in Flu Pandemic: Report

Nevada, Hawaii and other states whose economies rely on tourism and entertainment would probably be hit hardest if there was a severe influenza pandemic, according to a report released Thursday by the Trust for America's Health.

The report estimated that Nevada's economy would suffer a decline of more than 8 percent, while Hawaii would feel about a 6.6 percent economic hit, the Associated Press reported.

The gross domestic product in four other states -- Alaska, Louisiana, Nebraska and Wyoming -- would also decrease by more than 6 percent. And while the economies of Virginia and Maryland would likely fare the best during a pandemic, they would still suffer major declines of 5.13 percent and 5.06 percent, respectively, the AP reported.

"In a pandemic, we will see people avoiding discretionary travel and avoiding large gatherings for the legitimate fear of contagion. It's a natural reaction not to want to be in large groups when there is an easily transmittable disease afoot," said Jeffrey Levi, executive director of Trust for America's Health, which conducts research and lobbies for measures to improve public health.

Overall, the United States would experience a $683 billion (5.5 percent) economic loss during a pandemic, the report predicted.

Health Headlines - March 23

Elizabeth Edwards' Cancer Has Returned

Elizabeth Edwards, wife of Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, announced Thursday that her cancer had returned and was no longer curable.

But Edwards, who was treated for breast cancer in 2004, said she was optimistic about her future and her husband's political campaign.

"I don't look sickly, I don't feel sickly. I am as ready as any person can be for that," she said at a news conference with her husband by her side.

The recurrence of the cancer -- this time in a rib on her right side -- means the disease is no longer curable but can be managed with medications, the couple said.

Edwards, 57, was initially diagnosed with breast cancer in the final days of the 2004 presidential campaign when her husband was the running mate of Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry.

John Edwards, a former U.S. senator from North Carolina, said he would continue his push for the presidency, with his wife's blessing.

"The campaign goes on," he said at a news conference outside the couple's home.

Elizabeth Edwards' breast cancer, invasive ductal carcinoma, is the most common form of the disease, accounting for up to 80 percent of all cases of the illness. Almost 180,000 American women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year, according to the American Cancer Society.

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Tourist States Would be Hardest Hit in Flu Pandemic: Report

Nevada, Hawaii and other states whose economies rely on tourism and entertainment would probably be hit hardest if there was a severe influenza pandemic, according to a report released Thursday by the Trust for America's Health.

The report estimated that Nevada's economy would suffer a decline of more than 8 percent, while Hawaii would feel about a 6.6 percent economic hit, the Associated Press reported.

The gross domestic product in four other states -- Alaska, Louisiana, Nebraska and Wyoming -- would also decrease by more than 6 percent. And while the economies of Virginia and Maryland would likely fare the best during a pandemic, they would still suffer major declines of 5.13 percent and 5.06 percent, respectively, the AP reported.

"In a pandemic, we will see people avoiding discretionary travel and avoiding large gatherings for the legitimate fear of contagion. It's a natural reaction not to want to be in large groups when there is an easily transmittable disease afoot," said Jeffrey Levi, executive director of Trust for America's Health, which conducts research and lobbies for measures to improve public health.

Overall, the United States would experience a $683 billion (5.5 percent) economic loss during a pandemic, the report predicted.

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U.S. Efforts to Eliminate TB Slowing: Report

Progress is slowing in efforts to eliminate tuberculosis in the United States, according to a new federal report.

That trend suggests that multiple steps are needed to accelerate progress in eliminating TB and to guard against a resurgence of the disease in the United States, the report said.

Surveillance data show that national TB rates fell to an all-time low of 4.6 cases per 100,000 people in 2006 -- a total of 13,767 active cases. But, the decline in the TB rate in 2006 (3.2 percent) was one of the smallest in more than a decade.

The report also said that minorities and foreign-born individuals continue to be disproportionately affected by TB. In 2006, Asians were 21 times more likely to have TB than whites, and blacks and Hispanics were about eight times more likely to have TB.

Foreign-born individuals accounted for more than half of all TB cases in the United States in 2006. This group of people had a TB rate nearly 10 times higher than U.S.-born individuals (21.9 vs. 2.3 cases per 100,000), the report said.

The findings are published in the March 23 issue of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Another report in this week's MMWR said there were only 49 documented cases of extensively drug-resistant (XDR) tuberculosis in the United States between 1993 and 2006. While the overall risk of XDR-TB remains low in the country, the 49 cases have been widely dispersed and pose a continued risk to efforts to treat and control the disease, the report said.

In related news, a report released Thursday by the World Health Organization said the worldwide rate of TB infections leveled off in 2005, at less than 150 cases per 100,000 people.

One expert noted that it was the first good news about the worldwide TB epidemic since 1993, the Associated Press reported.

However, while the worldwide rate remained steady, the actual number of TB cases increased, due to a growing global population. The WHO said there were 8.8 million new TB cases and 1.6 million TB deaths in 2005, the last year for which comprehensive data was available.

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Congressional Committee Reviews Anemia Drugs

The marketing and regulation of the commonly used anemia drugs Epogen, Aranesp and Procrit are under review by a U.S. Congressional committee. The review was prompted by recent evidence that the drugs may cause blood clots, worsen cancer or increase the risk of death if overused, The New York Times reported.

The drugs are mainly used to treat patients with anemia caused by kidney failure or chemotherapy.

The House Committee on Energy and Commerce sent letters to drug makers Amgen (Epogen and Aranesp) and Johnson & Johnson (Procrit), asking them to clarify when they knew about the possible risks associated with the drugs and how they have promoted the drugs, the Times reported.

On March 9, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the drug makers agreed to put a "black box" warning (the most serious kind) on the labels of the anemia drugs to warn about the newly identified risks. An FDA advisory panel is scheduled to meet May 10 to discuss the safety of the drugs.

In the letters to the drug companies, committee members said they viewed reports of safety issues associated with the drugs "with increasing alarm." They also noted that as much as $700 million in annual sales of the three drugs were for uses that did not conform to the label, the Times reported.

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Meningitis in Infancy Affects School Performance: Study

Babies who survive meningitis may struggle during their school years, a British study in the journal Archives of Disease in Childhood suggests.

Meningitis, an infection of the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord, can cause serious disability or death.

Imperial College London researchers compared 461 teen students who survived meningitis as babies with 289 students who never had the disease. The study found that 25 percent of the meningitis survivors failed to pass a single national exam, compared with 6.6 percent of students in the comparison group, BBC News reported.

The researchers also found that about eight percent of meningitis survivors were in special schools. That's about four times the British national average.

"The adverse consequences of infantile meningitis clearly extend into adult life and seriously affect educational achievement," the study authors wrote. "It is essential that all cases of bacterial meningitis occurring during the first year of life are followed up fully so that children who require educational and other support are recognized at an early age."

Health Headlines - March 22

U.S. Hospitalizations Rise for Serious Brain Injuries

After a decade of decline, admissions to American hospitals for the most serious type of head injury -- type 1 traumatic brain injury -- rose nearly 38 percent from 2001 to 2004, says the latest News and Numbers report from the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

The report said:

• In 2004, there were nearly 204,000 hospitalizations for traumatic brain injury at a cost of $3.2 billion. Seven of 10 hospitalizations involved people with type 1 brain injury at a combined cost of $2.7 billion.
• 40 percent of people suffered type 1 injuries due to falls -- such as off ladders, down stairs, or on ice. Other causes included: motor vehicle accidents (26 percent), sports, being hit by a falling object (8 percent), bicycle mishaps and other transportation accidents (4 percent), and shootings (2 percent).
• People age 65 and older accounted for 35 percent of hospitalizations for type 1 injuries, followed by those ages 18 to 44 (31 percent), ages 45 to 64 (19 percent), and children and adolescents (15 percent).
• About 13 percent of people with type 1 injuries died while in the hospital, and nearly 28 percent were transferred to a nursing home or some other kind of rehabilitation facility. Among people with other types of head injuries, 1 percent died while in the hospital and about 8 percent were discharged to a nursing home or rehab facility.

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Brain Injury Can Alter Moral Judgments, Study Says

Damage to a part of the brain thought to generate emotional behavior may change a person's moral judgment, according to new research.

The New York Times reports that the research, published in the March 22 issue of the journal Nature, found that an injury to this section of the brain, called the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, could actually change a person's willingness to harm or kill another person.

The study, done by scientists at the University of Iowa, was a small one, the newspaper reports, and the findings are hypothetical: No one in the study actually altered his or her behavior because of the brain injury.

But, the researchers found, people could dramatically change their behavior and rationalize it when that section of the brain is "offline." For example, those with the brain injury were twice as likely as a control group to justify killing a crying baby if they thought the noise would reveal people who were hiding from enemy soldiers.

"The difference was very clear, for all of the ventromedial patients," the Times quotes study leader Dr. Michael Koenigs as saying.

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Millions of Unused Flu Vaccines to be Destroyed

Millions of doses of unused flu vaccine in the United States will be destroyed after June 30, even though the vaccine is still good and could remain useful for a few more years, the Associated Press reported.

The June 30 expiration date is set by the Food and Drug Administration. The annual destruction of vaccines from the previous flu season clears the way for creation of a new vaccine against strains expected to dominate the next flu season.

"What they don't want to have happen is people inadvertently getting vaccinated with last year's vaccine," which would not be as effective in a new flu season because the prior vaccine targets older flu strains, Dr. Peter Patriarca, a scientist who once led the FDA's flu vaccine division, told the AP.

Some experts argue that having no vaccine during the summer means that American travelers can't get a flu shot before they visit other parts of the world where the flu is in season. It also means no summer vaccinations for children, who need two doses the first time they're vaccinated against the flu.

"All of those issues have come up in the past," but there's great reluctance to change the policy, government vaccine adviser Dr. William Schaffner, of Vanderbilt University, told the AP. "These ideas clearly have merit and at the very least ought to be discussed."

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Report Knocks Chinese Restaurant Food

Many items on a typical Chinese restaurant menu are bad for your waistline and blood pressure, says a new report by the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

Here are some examples cited in the consumer group's report:

• A plate of stir-fried greens has 900 calories and 2,200 milligrams of sodium.
• An order of eggplant in garlic sauce has 1,000 calories and 2,000 milligram of sodium.
• A plate of General Tso's chicken with vegetables has 1,300 calories, 3,200 milligrams of sodium and 11 grams of saturated fat.
• Egg rolls have 200 calories and 400 milligrams of sodium.

The average adult needs about 2,000 calories and 2,300 milligrams of salt per day, the Associated Press reported.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest said not much has changed since it examined Chinese restaurant food in a similar report 15 years ago.

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Babies of Illegal Immigrants in U.S. Will Get Medicaid Coverage

The Bush administration made a sudden policy reversal Tuesday when it announced that infants born to undocumented immigrants with low incomes would automatically qualify for one year of Medicaid coverage, the same as babies born to U.S. citizens, The New York Times reported.

Before the reversal, federal officials had insisted that immigrants document the citizenship of their newborns. That policy was adopted last July.

The White House stance was widely criticized and challenged by opponents who noted that, under the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, people born in the country are United States citizens, The Times reported.

"We have heard the concerns and are taking action to ensure that newborns in similar circumstances are treated the same under Medicaid eligibility rules. We intend to modify the documentation requirements to put all babies born in the United States whose deliveries are covered by Medicaid on an equal footing," said Leslie V. Norwalk, acting administrator of the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid.

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Japanese Doctors Warned Not to Give Teens Tamiflu

The Japanese government has ordered the distributor of Tamiflu to warn doctors against prescribing the anti-flu drug to teens. The move follows several reports of dangerous and deadly behavior in teens taking Tamiflu.

The Health Ministry issued the emergency instructions to distributor Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. on Tuesday. The company started distributing warnings to doctors, pharmacies and hospitals on Wednesday, the Associated Press reported.

Japanese concerns over Tamiflu increased after two separate incidents in February in which a boy and a girl, both 14, fell to their deaths from their condominiums. Both teens were taking Tamiflu at the time of their deaths. There have been a number of reports of unusual behavior, such as hallucinations and delirium, in Japanese teens taking the drug.

Officials at Roche Holding AG, the Swiss manufacturer of Tamiflu, said they didn't understand the Japanese government's reasons for the warning order.

"No causal relationship has been established between Tamiflu and these reports, and we don't see this as an appropriate course of action," Roche spokeswoman Martina Rupp told the AP.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which added a new precaution to the Tamiflu label in November, has said it received more than 100 reports of delirium, hallucinations and other unusual psychiatric behavior, mostly in Japanese children treated with Tamiflu, between Aug. 29, 2005, and July 6, 2006, the AP reported.

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High Blood Sugar Increases Women's Cancer Risk

High blood sugar levels increase a woman's risk of cancer, according to new research out of Swedish.

The 13-year study of 64,500 people by University of Umea researchers found that high blood sugar was associated with an increased risk for cancers of the pancreas, skin, womb and urinary tract in women. High blood sugar was also linked with increased breast cancer risk for women younger than age 49, BBC News reported.

Overall, women with the highest blood sugar levels were 26 percent more likely to develop cancer than those with the lowest blood sugar levels, the study found.

This link between high blood sugar and increased cancer risk was not noted in men.

"The results of this research are concerning," said Dr. Greg Martin, science and research manager for the World Cancer Research Fund UK., which helped fund the study. "However, (the findings) are important because if women are aware of the facts, they are likely to be more motivated to change their lifestyle if their blood sugar levels are too high."

Health Headlines - March 21

Cheney Visits Hospital for Checkup on Leg Clot

U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney visited a Washington, D.C., hospital on Tuesday after complaining of discomfort in his left lower leg, NBC News reported. Two weeks ago, doctors diagnosed a deep venous thrombosis (DVT) blood clot in that leg and put the vice president on a blood-thinning medication.

According to a statement from Cheney's office, he felt discomfort in the leg Tuesday morning and contacted his physicians. They advised him to return to George Washington University Medical Faculty Associates for "repeat ultrasound imaging" of the DVT.

That imaging has revealed no extension or complications of the clot, and the blood thinner seems to be working, NBC reported. Doctors have advised Cheney to stay on the anticoagulant for several months.

"These results are expected and reassuring and the current course of treatment will continue," the statement read. "The Vice President has returned to the White House to resume his schedule," it added.

DVTs are blood clots that typically form in the legs. They become especially dangerous if they break off and travel to the lungs, triggering a condition called pulmonary embolism.

The leg clots have been associated with prolonged immobility, such as happens on long-haul flights. Prior to his diagnosis, Cheney had just completed a nine-day round-the-world tour involving more than 65 hours on a plane, NBC noted.

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Most Seniors Satisfied with Medicare Advantage: Survey

About 75 percent of doctors believe that seniors will be harmed if the U.S. Congress cuts the Medicare advantage program and 35 percent of seniors -- including 62 percent of those with low incomes -- said they'd forego some healthcare treatments they currently receive if they no longer have the option of choosing a Medicare health plan, according to two surveys released Tuesday by America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP).

The surveys of Medicare beneficiaries and doctors highlight the importance of Medicare health plans to seniors, said Karen Ignagni, president and CEO of AHIP.

"Seniors and their physicians agree that Medicare Advantage is a vital health coverage option. As members of Congress engage in budget discussions, they will be hearing from their low-income and minority constituents who count on the essential benefits and lower out-of-pocket costs Medicare health plans provide," Ignagni said in a prepared statement.

Other findings from the surveys:

• 42 percent of seniors believe they would pay higher out-of-pocket costs if the option of choosing a Medicare Advantage plan was taken away.
• 60 percent of seniors said lower costs or better benefits were the reason they joined a Medicare Advantage plan.
• 90 percent of beneficiaries said they're satisfied with their Medicare Advantage coverage overall, up from 84 percent in 2003.
• By a two-to-one margin, doctors said that Medicare Part D has helped seniors get the prescription drugs they need.

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Hodgkin's Survivors Face Increased Risk of Second Cancer Later in Life

Survivors of Hodgkin's lymphoma have a greatly increased risk of developing a second cancer later in life and need to get screened for certain kinds of cancer at an earlier age than other people, concludes a study published online Monday in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Hodgkin's, a cancer that attacks the lymph system and mainly strikes young adults, has a high survival rate. But researchers said the radiation used to treat Hodgkin's can cause new cancers later in life, the Toronto Star reported.

The study tracked more than 18,000 Hodgkin's survivors in Europe and North America and found that survivors in their mid-30s have the same risk level for colorectal cancer as an average 50-year-old.

The increased risk for a second cancer (most likely breast cancer) is especially evident in young women, the study found.

"Women who are diagnosed (with Hodgkin's) at age 20 have a 25 percent chance of getting a second cancer compared to under five percent for the general population," study lead author Dr. David Hodgson, an oncologist at Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto, Canada, told the Star.

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Administrative Costs Make Up a Third of U.S. Health Care Spending

Administration expenses consume nearly one of every three dollars spent on health care in the United States, but most consumers (76 percent) think that administrative costs should account for just 10 percent of health care spending, according to a national survey of 200 hospital and insurance company executives and 1,000 consumers.

Seventy-nine percent of consumer respondents also said they would like to see an itemization of the portion of their health care bills that goes to administration costs associated with health care claims and billing.

The poll was commissioned by The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.

"While it is possible that consumers do not fully appreciate the cost and complexity of health care administration, hospital and health plan executives identified significant inefficiencies in the business office, describing a medical claims, billing and payment process that is error-prone, redundant and costly," Paula Fryland, executive vice president and manager of PNC's national health care group, said in a prepared statement.

Among the other survey findings:

• Hospital executives said that, on average, 20 percent of submitted claims are delayed or denied and 96 percent of all claims must be submitted more than once.
• Hospitals that don't use electronic billing or claims submission processes reported that, on average, they resubmit a claim 11 times or more. That's nearly four times more often than hospitals that use electronic processes.
• Nearly 25 percent of consumers reported that they'd had a legitimate claim denied by their health plan, and one in five paid the claim out of their own pocket.

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Scientists Develop Malaria Parasite-Resistant Mosquitoes

Genetically-modified mosquitoes that are resistant to the malaria parasite have been developed by American scientists, an achievement that may one day help stop the spread of the deadly disease among humans, Agence France Presse reported.

People contract malaria after being bitten by infected mosquitoes.

The Johns Hopkins University scientists found that the genetically-engineered mosquitoes outbred natural mosquitoes when both were fed malaria-infected blood from mice, says a study published Monday in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

That suggests that it may be possible to introduce the genetically-altered mosquitoes into the wild, where they will push aside natural mosquitoes, AFP reported.

More research is required before this may occur, the scientists noted.

Between 350 million to 500 million people worldwide are infected with malaria each year and 700,000 to 2.7 million die, according to the World Health Organization.

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Duct Tape Won't Treat Warts: Study

Duct tape has many uses, but the claim that it's a cheap, effective treatment for warts is challenged by a new U.S. study in the March issue of the journal Archives of Dermatology.

A small study in 2002 suggested that duct tape helped treat warts on children and young adults. The theory is that the tape irritates the skin and prompts the immune system to attack the virus that causes warts, the Associated Press reported.

But this new study found that warts disappeared in 21 percent of 39 patients who used duct tape for seven days, compared to 22 percent of 41 patients who used moleskin, a cotton-type bandage used to protect the skin.

This new study used transparent duct tape, while the 2002 study used the better-known gray duct tape. Grey duct tape contains rubber while transparent duct tape does not, the AP reported.

"Whether or not the standard type of duct type is effective is up in the air," said study co-author Dr. Rachel Wenner of the University of Minnesota. "Theoretically, the rubber adhesive could somehow stimulate the immune system or irritate the skin in a different manner."

Health Headlines - March 20

Funding Woes Undermine U.S. Biomedical Research: Report

Scientific and medical progress in the United States is being threatened by stagnated funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), says a report released Monday by nine leading American universities.

A lack of adequate funding has halted promising research and threatens the future of young scientists trying to establish careers in academic research. If the problem is not resolved, the United States could fall behind a number of countries in terms of biomedical research, the report warned.

"When scientists have to spend most of their time trying to get funded, caution wins out over cutting-edge ideas, creativity sacrifices to convention, and scientific progress gives way to meetings and grant applications," contributing author Dr. Robert Siliciano, an infectious disease expert at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, said in a prepared statement.

"Right now, very, very productive scientists are doing too little research. Instead, they are spending their time trying to get their labs funded again," Siliciano said.

The NIH budget has been virtually frozen since 2003 and has actually shrunk between 8 and 13 percent after inflation is factored in, the report said. Certain NIH institutes, such as the National Cancer Institute, can fund only 11 percent of research project grant applications. Many of the rejected applications are of exceptional quality, the report said.

Due to the funding problems, a number of scientists are leaving the United States for countries in Europe and Asia that are investing in biomedical science research, according to the report.

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Vitamin C May Reduce Oral Cancer Risk in Men

High levels of vitamin C from food may help lower men's risk of oral cancer, says a Harvard School of Public Health-led study in the March issue of the International Journal of Cancer.

Researchers tracked 42,340 male health professionals from 1986 to 2002 and found that those with the highest intake of vitamin C from food were 52 percent less likely to develop oral premalignant lesions than those with the lowest intake, CBC News reported.

However, the study found that vitamin C from supplements did not reduce the risk of oral premalignant lesions.

The researchers said that other parts of the foods, or the interactions between foods in the diet, may explain why vitamin C from foods cut the risk while vitamin C from supplements did not, CBC News reported.

The study also found that vitamin E and beta carotene increased the risk for lesions in smokers, a finding that should be the subject of further research, the study authors said.

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Common Painkillers, Antibiotics Leading Causes of Drug Problems

Aspirin, ibuprofen, acetaminophen and a number of common antibiotics are among the top 10 drugs that cause bad reactions and other adverse drug events, according to a new report released Monday.

The report, compiled by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices, also found that taking incorrect doses, taking herbal products that interfere with prescription medications, and getting confused about drug names are the most common kinds of problems that lead to adverse drug events.

"Patients need to be more involved in the medicines they're taking," Matthew Grissinger, medication safety analyst at the Institute for Safe Medication Practices, said in a prepared statement. "Before leaving the doctor's office with a prescription, patients should know what the medicine is, why they are taking it and what the prescription says" so they can double-check the prescription at the pharmacy.

The report said the top 10 drugs most commonly implicated in adverse drug events treated in U.S. hospital emergency departments are: Insulin; anticoagulants; the antibiotic amoxicillin; aspirin; the antibiotic trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole; the generic pain drug hydrocodone/APAP; ibuprofen; acetaminophen; the antibiotic cephalexin; and penicillin.

Some of the most common adverse drug events involve alternative medicines, according to the report, released at the annual meeting of the American Pharmacists Association, in Atlanta.

"People think herbal medications are safe because they don't require prescriptions," Grissinger noted. "They don't realize that using alternative medications increase the risk of adverse drug events because they can cause life-threatening interactions with prescription drugs."

People need to tell their doctors about any alternative medicines they are taking, Grissinger said.

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Drug-Interaction Risk Prompts Recall of Rhino Max Products

Cosmos Trading Inc. of Los Angeles is recalling the supplement product Rhino Max (Rhino V Max) sold in five-tablet and 15-tablet boxes, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said.

The results of FDA lab analyses found that the product contains aminotadalafil, an analogue of Tadalafil, an FDA-approved drug to treat erectile dysfunction. The presence of aminotadalafil poses a threat to consumers because it may interact with nitrates found in some prescription drugs (such as nitroglycerin) and may lower blood pressure to dangerous levels.

People with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or heart disease often take drugs that contain nitrates, the FDA said.

Anyone who has Rhino Max (Rhino V Max) should immediately stop using it and contact their doctor if they've experienced any problems that may be related to the product. Any unused Rhino Max (Rhino V Max) should be returned to the place of purchase for a refund, Cosmos Trading said.

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Indonesia Confirms 4th Bird Flu Outbreak This Year

The fourth outbreak this year of the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus in Thailand was confirmed Monday by the government.

The virus was detected in chickens on a farm in the northeastern province of Mukdahan, Agence France Presse reported.

The outbreak was discovered about two weeks ago and laboratory tests confirmed Sunday that it was caused by the H5N1 virus, a government official said. All chickens, turkeys and ducks on the farm were destroyed, as well as about 30 domestic birds on a nearby farm, AFP reported.

So far, the H5N1 bird flu virus has killed 169 people worldwide. Most of the victims were in Southeast Asia, including 65 in Indonesia. Experts fear that H5N1 could mutate into a form that's easily transmitted between humans and cause a global pandemic.

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60 Million Units of Pet Food Recalled After Kidney Failure Reports

A Canadian manufacturer of pet foods marketed under a number of popular brand names in North America is recalling 60 million containers of its "wet" cat and dog food because of unexplained kidney failure and some reported deaths.

The Associated Press reported that Menu Foods, headquartered in Streetsville, Ontario, has announced the recall of 37 cat food brands and 46 dog food brands, some of which are high end and others that are sold in giant retailers such as Wal-Mart and Krogers.

The wire service quoted company spokeswoman Sarah Tuite as saying the problem may have occurred when Menu changed suppliers of wheat gluten, a protein used in pet food preparation. An undisclosed number of kidney failures have been reported, and at least 10 deaths have also been confirmed, the company said.

Procter and Gamble, which markets the high-end Iams and Eukanuba brands made by Menu Foods, already announced its own recall Saturday. According to the AP, specific 3 oz., 5.5 oz., 6 oz. and 13.2 oz. canned and 3 oz. and 5.3 oz. foil pouch cat and dog wet food with products made by Menu Foods but sold under the Iams and Eukanuba brands with the code dates of 6339 through 7073 followed by the plant code 4197, have been pulled off store shelves nationwide.

Menu Foods has recall information on its Web site: www.menufoods.com/recall. And it also has a phone number for consumer questions: 866-895-2708. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration Saturday announced it was going to join in the investigation. Its Web site for consumers to report any bad reactions from their pets is: http://www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/complain.html

Health Headlines - March 19

60 Million Units of Pet Food Recalled After Unexplained Kidney Failure Reports

A Canadian manufacturer of pet foods marketed under a number of popular brand names in North America is recalling 60 million containers of its "wet" cat and dog food because of unexplained kidney failure and some reported deaths.

The Associated Press reports that Menu Foods, headquartered in Streetsville, Ontario, has announced the recall of 37 cat food brands and 46 dog food brands, some of which are high end and others that are sold in giant retailers such as Wal-Mart and Krogers.

The wire service quotes company spokeswoman Sarah Tuite as saying the problem may have occurred when Menu changed suppliers of wheat gluten, a protein used in pet food preparation. An undisclosed number of kidney failures have been reported, and at least 10 deaths have also been confirmed, the company says.

Procter and Gamble, which markets the high-end the Iams and Eukanuba brands made by Menu Foods, already announced its own recall Saturday. According to the A.P., specific 3 oz., 5.5 oz., 6 oz. and 13.2 oz. canned and 3 oz. and 5.3 oz. foil pouch cat and dog wet food with products made by Menu Foods but sold under the Iams and Eukanuba with the code dates of 6339 through 7073 followed by the plant code 4197, have been pulled off store shelves nationwide.

Menu Foods has recall information on its Web site: http://www.menufoods.com/recall. And it also has a phone number for consumer questions: 866-895-2708. And the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Saturday announced it was going to join in the investigation. Its Web site for consumers to report any bad reactions from their pets is http://www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/complain.html

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Simultaneous Surgery for Colon, Liver Cancer Has Benefits, Study Says

A single surgery to remove malignant tumors from both the colon and liver is a better choice in some cases than separate operations, new research has found.

Scientists from the Duke University Medical Center reported to the annual meeting of the Society of Surgical Oncology in Washington, D.C. that in about a third of the cases in which cancer is found in the colon, it has already spread to the liver. In some of these cases, when only a small amount of the liver has to be removed, they say, it is better to perform both surgeries at the same time.

"The standard approach for these patients has been to remove the colorectal cancer and give them chemotherapy afterwards, waiting to remove liver tumors later if patients do not appear to be developing disease elsewhere in the body, " said senior investigator Dr. Bryan Clary in a Duke University news release. "These findings suggest there might be an alternative that is as safe and may even lead to better outcomes."

The chance of the liver surviving is better by simultaneous surgery, the scientists concluded, because it may spare the organ the toxic effects of chemotherapy. About 25,000 patients with colorectal and liver tumors could be eligible for the simultaneous surgery annually, Clary said.

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Certain Fruit Juices Shown to Have Strong Antioxidant Qualities

The benefits of specific types of fruit juice to fight against disease have been documented in a number of medical studies. Now, BBC News reports that a team of scientists from Glasgow University have identified purple grape, cranberry and apple juice as those that contain the most antioxidants to fight disease such as Alzheimer's, cancer and heart disease.

The specific chemicals are called polyphenols, and they have the strongest antioxidant properties that fight the substances called free radicals, which are believed to damage cells and precipitate a number of harmful conditions in the body.

According to BBC News, the Glasgow researchers showed purple grape juice made with Concord grapes to have the best range of polyphenols with the highest antioxidant capacity. These were equal to those found in Beaujolais red wine, shown by previous studies that, when used in moderation, was an effective deterrent to free radical buildup in the body.

The BBC quotes Alan Crozier, Professor of Plant Biochemistry and Human Nutrition at Glasgow University, as saying, "Supplementing a healthy diet with a regular intake of a variety of fruit juices such as purple grape juice, grapefruit juice, cloudy apple juice and cranberry juice, will, without major dietary changes, increase the consumer's intake of phenolic antioxidants. "

The study will appear in an upcoming issue of the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry.

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Railroad Gets Favorable Ruling Birth Control Pill Insurance Case

What isn't for the gander isn't for the goose, a federal appeals court has ruled in a lawsuit involving the Union Pacific Railroad and its deliberations as to whether it would deny paying for birth control pills as part of its health insurance benefits.

The New York Times reports that the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit has ruled 2-to-1 that because Union Pacific Railroad didn't offer health insurance coverage for any other type of contraception, it would not be in violation of the Pregnancy Discrimination Act if it were to deny female employees insurance reimbursement for prescription birth control pills.

"Union Pacific's health plans do not cover any contraception used by women such as birth control, sponges, diaphragms, intrauterine devices or tubal ligations or any contraception used by men such as condoms and vasectomies," the Times quotes the opinion"s language. "Therefore, the coverage provided to women is not less favorable than that provided to men."

The class action lawsuit had been initiated because the railroad had been considering removing insurance coverage for birth control pills, which it now offers. Although it now has a favorable ruling, a Union Pacific spokesperson told the Times there were no immediate plans to remove reimbursement. for prescription birth control pills. "We're not going to take it away," Mark Davis, said.

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FDA Approves Drug for Rare Blood Disorder

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Friday that it's approved a first-of-its-kind drug to treat a rare blood disorder called paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), which can cause disability and premature death.

The newly approved drug, Soliris (eculizumab), is a new molecular entity that contains an ingredient not previously marketed in the United States.

"This product is important in that it offers a treatment other than blood transfusion that may help this small population of patients who are often very ill," Dr. Steven Galson, director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in a prepared statement.

Soliris does not cure PNH, but treats the breakdown of red blood cells, the most common characteristic of the disease. Patients with PNH can suffer pain, fatigue, debilitating weakness, blood clots and strokes, heart disease and intestinal disease.

The FDA approval of the drug was partly based on a study of 87 patients that found that half showed stabilization of blood hemoglobin over 26 weeks. The study was conducted by the maker of Soliris, Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. of Cheshire, Ct.

Studies showed that serious meningococcal infection was a risk for patients taking Soliris, so the FDA ordered a boxed warning on the drug's labeling and said that all patients must receive meningococcal vaccination prior to being given Soliris.

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Indonesia Reports Another Bird Flu Victim

A 32-year-old man is the latest victim of bird flu in Indonesia, bringing that country's death toll to 65, the highest in the world, Agence France Presse reported.

The man died Wednesday in a Jakarta hospital. While officials said it's not clear how he was infected, they said he did keep a parrot at home. Most bird flu victims have had contact with sick or infected birds. The health ministry said there are no reports of other people with influenza-like illness in the man's neighborhood.

Also on Friday, the Southeast Asian nation of Laos announced its second human death from bird flu. The disease was confirmed in a woman who died earlier this month, AFP reported.

So far, the H5N1 bird flu virus has killed 169 people worldwide. Most of the victims were in Southeast Asia. Experts fear that H5N1 could mutate into a form that's easily transmitted between humans and cause a global pandemic.