Health Headlines - October 10

Patients Have Died Due to Crowded Emergency Rooms: Survey

Patients have died because of crowded conditions in U.S. emergency departments, according to some doctors who took part in a survey released Tuesday by the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) at its annual meeting.

The survey of 1,496 emergency physicians found that nearly 80 percent (1,200) expressed grave concerns about overcrowding in their emergency departments. Half of the respondents said they'd personally encountered a patient who'd suffered due to "boarding" -- a practice in which admitted emergency patients wait (often in hallways) for an inpatient bed in the hospital. And 200 doctors said they knew of patients who'd died because of boarding.

The poll also found that 80 percent of respondents said crowded conditions have worsened in the past year, while 21 percent said their hospitals actively support ending or reducing the problem of boarding.

The ACEP is calling for an Emergency Patients' State of Rights that would include: the right to emergency care; the right to privacy; the right to be treated in a reasonable amount of time; the right to health plan coverage based on symptoms; the right to move out of the emergency department to an inpatient area once admitted to the hospital; and the right to access on-call specialty consultants.

The organization also wants Congress to pass the proposed Access to Emergency Medical Services Act, which would provide more funding to emergency departments.

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Major Gaps in European Flu Pandemic Plans

There are major weaknesses in European plans to deal with a possible flu pandemic, says a study published Tuesday in the October issue of the WHO Bulletin.

Problems with vaccine and antiviral drug distribution, insufficient stockpiles, and jumbled plans for border controls were among the shortcomings identified by scientists at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine who looked at pandemic planning in 29 European countries, Agence France-Presse reported.

"Our findings show that even in Europe, which may be better prepared than some regions, considerable gaps and inconsistencies persist and several areas of operational planning have not been addressed," the study authors wrote. They concluded that "the remaining gaps and inconsistencies need urgent attention."

Since 2003, 329 people worldwide have been infected by the H5N1 bird flu virus. Of those, 201 died. Most of the infections were due to close contact with infected poultry. But experts fear that the H5N1 virus may mutate into a form that's easily transmitted among humans and trigger a pandemic that could threaten millions, AFP reported.

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Power Co. Agrees to Massive Cut in Air Pollution

In the single largest environmental enforcement settlement in U.S. history, American Electric Power has agreed to reduce air pollution by 813,000 tons a year at an estimated cost of $4.6 billion, pay a $15 million penalty, and spend $60 million to lessen the effects of its past excess emissions.

The settlement was announced Tuesday by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Justice. The federal government's partners in the settlement included eight states and 13 citizen groups.

The agreement imposes caps on emissions of pollutants from 16 power plants in five states: West Virginia, Kentucky, Virginia, Ohio and Indiana. New pollution control measures mean the plants will emit 79 percent less sulfur dioxide and 69 percent less nitrogen oxides than they did in 2006.

"Today's settlement will save $32 billion in health costs per year for Americans," Granta Nakayama, assistant administrator for EPA's enforcement and compliance assurance program, said in a prepared statement. "Less air pollution from power plants means fewer cases of asthma and other respiratory illnesses."

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Depression Common Among Japanese Teens

About 10.7 percent of Japanese youth aged 12 to 13 suffer depression, according to a survey conducted by researchers at Hokkaido University. The finding comes at a time of growing concern about a recent rash of youth suicides in the country, Agence France-Presse reported.

"It is surprising that the prevalence rate is that high," said research team leader Professor Kenzo Denda. "Cases of depression among children have been overlooked until now. But we should consider measures seriously in view of the fact that such depression has a causal relationship with suicides."

The researchers, who conducted face-to-face interviews with young people, also found that about 4.2 percent of children aged 9 to 13 suffered from depression and the rate increased as children got older, AFP reported.

Bullying at school has been pinpointed as a major factor in the recent wave of child suicides in Japan.

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Verbal Abuse by Teachers Linked to Early Sexual Activity

Verbal abuse by teachers is associated with an increased risk that children (especially girls) will have sex before the age of 14, concludes a Canadian study in the October issue of the American Journal of Public Health.

The researchers, who followed 312 children in a rural Quebec town from kindergarten to age 23, found that those who were subjected to shouting, harsh criticism or embarrassment by elementary school teachers were more likely to have early sexual intercourse, the Canadian Press reported.

Students who were most disruptive in the classroom were most frequently targeted by teachers. The study also found an association between peer rejection and girls engaging in early sexual intercourse, perhaps as a way to boost self-esteem.

About 10 to 15 percent of students are regularly subjected to verbal abuse by teachers, and about the same percentage experience peer rejection, said study lead author Mara Brengden, a psychology professor at the Universite du Quebec in Montreal. She said teacher training should include the potential consequences of negative behavior toward students.

"Teachers need to have a lot more training, but also a lot more support in dealing with problem children," Brengden told the CP. "On the side of children, it is also important to maybe think about targeted interventions to help them develop positive relationships with their teachers and with their classmates."

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Health 'Report Cards,' Counseling Cut Risk of Heart Disease, Stroke

Health "report cards" and telephone counseling reduced the risk of heart disease and stroke in high-risk patients, according to the results of the first year of a study of hundreds of people, ages 45-64, in British Columbia, Canada.

The study found that receiving health risk profiles from their doctors and having follow-up telephone sessions with a lifestyle counselor resulted in a "statistically significant" reduction in risk among patients, CBC News reported.

In preparing the health risk profiles, doctors looked at a number of factors, including cholesterol levels, blood pressure, diabetes, smoking status, physical activity, and body mass index. In the telephone sessions, the lifestyle counselors discussed the health risk profiles with patients and encouraged them to set goals, such as reducing blood pressure and losing weight.

The findings were published Tuesday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. The researchers plan to continue the study for two more years, CBC News reported.

Health Tips for October 10

Health Tip: The Benefits of Omega-3s

Omega-3 fatty acids -- found in fish and certain plant oils -- are crucial for healthy brain growth and development. They can also help protect the body against certain diseases and conditions.

Here are some of the health benefits they may offer, courtesy of the University of Maryland Medical Center:

* Reduce bad cholesterol and raise good cholesterol levels.
* Lower high blood pressure.
* Prevent heart disease, and reduce the risk of heart attack.
* Reduce the risk of stroke.
* Help control diabetes.
* Reduce arthritis pain.
* Aid in weight loss.
* Protect against osteoporosis.
* Reduce the risk of mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, depression and bipolar disorder.

Health Tip: Speak With Your Teen About Dating Safety

Dating is a natural part of the teen years. But it's important for both teenagers and parents to review some basic dating safety information.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services offers these suggestions when talking to your teen:

* Encourage your child to get to know someone over the phone or at school before going out on a date.
* If your child wants to go out, make sure it's to a public place.
* Encourage fun and safe outings, like a picnic, a trip to the mall, or the movies.
* Talk to your child about the importance of speaking up about what makes her comfortable and uncomfortable.
* Make sure she -- and her date -- both understand what time she is to return home.
* Be sure that your child tells you where she's going, who she'll be with, and how you can reach her.

Health Headlines - October 9

Breast Cancer Chemo Drugs Under Scrutiny

Medical experts are debating whether chemotherapy drugs called anthracyclines -- a mainstay of breast cancer chemo -- should be relegated to the sidelines, the Associated Press reported Monday.

The drugs have been linked to an increased risk of heart disease in some women and new research suggests that anthracyclines are no more effective against breast cancer than chemo drugs that are safer for most women.

A study in this month's Journal of Oncology found that breast cancer survivors who received an anthracycline drug were 26 percent more likely to develop heart failure within 10 years than those who were given different chemo drugs, the AP reported.

An article in this month's Journal of the American College of Cardiology said that outright heart failure during chemotherapy is rare, affecting about two percent of patients. But author Dr. Pamela Douglas, a Duke University cardiologist, said research has found that 10 percent to 50 percent of patients who receive anthracycline drugs experience subtle heart weakening, which makes them more vulnerable to common age-related conditions such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

Douglas noted that other factors may play a role in the development of heart problems in breast cancer patients, including chest radiation, stress, physical inactivity during treatment, and weight gain, the AP reported.

The National Breast Cancer Coalition is trying to persuade oncologists and U.S. government regulators to reconsider treatment guidelines, but many oncologists are skeptical and want more proof that other chemo drugs work as well as anthracyclines, the wire service said.

Douglas recommended that all breast cancer patients have a formal heart risk assessment before the start of treatment. Results may influence cancer therapy or help doctors identify women who will need extra heart care after cancer treatment, the AP reported.

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U.S., U.K. Scientists Win 2007 Nobel Prize for Medicine

American and British scientists won the 2007 Nobel Prize in medicine, it was announced Monday, for their discoveries that led to a powerful method for manipulating mouse genes. This has helped advance research into a number of diseases, including cancer, diabetes, cystic fibrosis and heart disease.

Mario R. Capecchi of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Oliver Smithies of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Sir Martin J. Evans of Cardiff University in Wales, received the prestigious award for their work on a technique called gene targeting, which enables scientists to modify or inactivate specific genes in mice in order to study how the targeted genes affect health and disease, the Associated Press reported.

Since 1989, more than 10,000 genes in mice (about half of all mouse genes) have been studied using this technique.

"Gene targeting has pervaded all fields of biomedicine. Its impact on the understanding of gene function and its benefits to mankind will continue to increase over many years to come," said the citation for the $1.54 million Nobel Prize in medicine, the AP reported.

The award will be presented Dec. 10, along with Nobel Prizes for chemistry, physics, literature, peace and economics.

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Ultrasound Contrast Drugs to Carry Black Box Warning

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is preparing to warn doctors about hazards associated with contrast drugs injected into the veins of patients undergoing ultrasound imaging to detect possible heart problems, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The drugs are meant to enhance the ultrasound images. An FDA spokeswoman said the agency "has been investigating reports of deaths and serious cardiopulmonary reactions" in patients and plans to alert doctors about "these serious risks and to provide guidance regarding the safe use" of the drugs.

The warning, which could be issued this week, involves the Bristol-Myers Squibb drug Definity and General Electric's Optison, the Journal reported.

The manufacturers have agreed to start placing the FDA's most serious black-box warning on the drugs' labeling, the FDA spokeswoman said. The warning will tell doctors not to use the drugs in patients with unstable angina, unstable cardiopulmonary disease, or acute heart attack.

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Indonesia Reports 87th Bird Flu Death

Bird flu has killed a 44-year woman on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, making her the country's 87th victim of the H5N1 virus, BBC News reported.

The woman became sick after she bought chickens from a market in Pekanbaru city in central Sumatra. Blood tests showed that she was infected with H5N1, said health ministry officials.

So far, there have been 108 confirmed cases (87 fatal) of bird flu in Indonesia, which has been worst hit of all nations. Since it first appeared in Asia in 2003, the H5N1 virus has killed more than 180 people worldwide.

Nearly all human cases are believed to have been caused by close contact with infected poultry, BBC News reported. It's feared that if the virus mutates into a form that's easily transmitted between people, it could spark a pandemic and put millions of human lives at risk.

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Sam's Club Orders Nationwide Recall of Beef Patties

The Wal-Mart chain's Sam's Club stores have announced a nationwide recall of beef patties that are believed to be responsible for four cases of E. coli bacteria poisoning in Minnesota.

The Associated Press reports the ground beef patties were produced by Cargill Inc., whose U.S. offices are based in Wayzata, Minn. Sam's Club identified the suspect meat as having an expiration date of Feb. 12, 2008 and were coded UPC 0002874907056 Item #700141.

Cargill announced a voluntary nationwide recall of more than 840,000 pounds of the frozen beef patties Saturday. A company spokesman told the wire service that the packages carried the dates Aug. 9, 10, 15, 16 and 17, and that every package had the number "Est.924A" inside the USDA mark of inspection.

The victims became sick between Sept. 10 and Sept. 20, the wire service reports. Two were hospitalized, and one remained in the hospital Saturday, the AP reports.

The beef patties were frozen and sold under the name American Chef's Selection Angus Beef Patties in three Minneapolis-area stores, but they may be in other Sam's Club outlets as well, health officials told the wire service.

"We can't be certain that meat from other stores is not involved, since the brand ... was likely sold at other Sam's Club locations," Heidi Kassenborg, acting director of the dairy and food inspection division of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, is quoted as saying.

The E. coli bacterium causes diarrhea and abdominal cramping, usually two-to-five days after the tainted food is consumed. Left untreated, it can cause more serious complications, including kidney failure.

Health Tips for October 9

Health Tip: Classifying Burns

Burns are classified in three ways: as first-, second- or third-degree burns.

These designations are based on severity, and usually dictate what kind of treatment the burn requires.

Here is information about each type of burn, courtesy of the American Academy of Family Physicians:

* First-degree burns are least serious, characterized by red, painful, swollen areas on the skin that turn white when pressure is applied. They typically heal within three to six days.
* Second-degree burns are thicker, more painful burns that may blister. They usually swell significantly, and the skin may appear splotchy. They typically heal within two to three weeks.
* Third-degree burns are the most severe, affecting all layers of the skin, and may look white or charred. They may not be painful, as the nerves may be damaged from a third-degree burn. This type of burn typically requires a very long time to heal.

Health Tip: Playtime for Newborns

Playtime and sensory stimulation is very important for children, even newborns.

Babies just born will learn to associate the feel of your touch, the sound of your voice, and the sight of your face with the needs for comfort and food.

The American Academy of Family Physicians offers these suggestions for your newborn's playtime activities:

* Use brightly colored, stimulating toys designed for newborns, like rattles, unbreakable mirrors, musical toys, and toys that are of interesting colors and textures.
* Play music, and dance with your baby.
* Make faces and sounds at your baby, like sticking out your tongue smiling, laughing, and talking.
* Encourage your baby to focus by holding and moving a preferred toy.

Health Headlines - October 8

Sam's Club Orders Nationwide Recall of Beef Patties

Just as one meat producer announced that it is closing down because of a massive beef patty recall (see next item), the Wal-Mart chain's Sam's Club stores have announced a nationwide recall of beef patties that are believed to be responsible for four cases of E. coli bacteria poisoning in Minnesota.

The Associated Press reports the ground beef patties were produced by Cargill Inc., whose U.S. offices are based in Wayzata, Minn. Sam's Club identified the suspect meat as having an expiration date of Feb. 12, 2008 and were coded UPC 0002874907056 Item #700141.

Cargill announced a voluntary nationwide recall of more than 840,000 lbs. of the frozen beef patties Saturday. A company spokesman told the wire service that the packages carried the dates Aug. 9, 10, 15, 16 and 17, and that every package had the number "Est.924A" inside the USDA mark of inspection.

The children became sick between Sept. 10 and Sept. 20, the wire service reports. Two were hospitalized, and one remained in the hospital Saturday, the A.P. reports.

The beef patties were frozen and sold under the name American Chef's Selection Angus Beef Patties in three Minneapolis-area stores, but they may be in other Sam's Club outlets as well, health officials told the wire service.

"We can't be certain that meat from other stores is not involved, since the brand... was likely sold at other Sam's Club locations," Heidi Kassenborg, acting director of the dairy and food inspection division of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, is quoted as saying.

The E. coli bacterium causes diarrhea and abdominal cramping, usually two-to-five days after the tainted food is consumed. Left untreated, it can cause more serious complications, including kidney failure.

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U.S. Meat Company Folds After Massive Recall

Topps Meat Co., a leading U.S. supplier of frozen hamburgers, announced Friday that it was going out of business after a massive recall in September of 21.7 million pounds of frozen beef, The New York Times reported.

The recall was linked to beef patties tainted with the E.coli 0157:H7 strain of bacteria. The burgers were made at the company's Elizabeth, N.J. plant, the Times said.

Health officials first reported a case of illness linked to the meat on July 5, when an 18-year-old girl in Pennsylvania was sickened. On July 8, another case surfaced in New Jersey.

"This is a tragedy for all concerned," Topps CEO Anthony D'Urso said in a statement. "In one week we have gone from the largest U.S. manufacturer of frozen hamburgers to a company that cannot overcome the economic reality of a recall this large."

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Medicare Drug Program has Marketing and Distribution Abuses, Newspaper Probe Finds

The new drug benefit program for U.S. Medicare recipients has a lot of problems, the New York Times reports, including deceptive sales tactics on the part of some private insurers, claims being improperly denied, and lack of response to consumers' questions and complaints.

Sometimes, the newspaper reports in an exclusive investigative article, the denial of appropriate medication is life-threatening, especially for patients with HIV and AIDS, and while Medicare officials have ordered corrections to be made when they learn about drug program errors, the problems are a long way from being solved.

The Times says it examined 91 audit reports of the Medicare drug program begun in 2006, and found that among the 11 insurance companies fined $770,000 for "marketing violations," were three of the nation's largest: UnitedHealth, Humana and WellPoint.

Yet, officials from the Department of Health and Human Services say they're satisfied with how quickly they have responded to the abuses, and that the auditing program is showing its effectiveness. "The start-up period is over," Kerry N. Weems, acting administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, told the Times. "I am simply not going to tolerate marketing abuses."

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Government Grant Awarded to Find Therapy for Tinnitus

At one time or another, almost every person experiences a "ringing" in his or her ears. For many, the phantom sound known as tinnitus can be much more than an annoyance. At its worst, it can affect a person's hearing to the point of distraction.

Scientists at the New York State University at Buffalo have been studying the causes for tinnitus and have announced receiving a $2.9 million U.S. government grant to see if a therapy can be developed.

According to a university news release, researchers have spent the last 10 years training laboratory rats to signal when the tinnitus sound occurs. But humans have also been part of the research, principal investigator Richard Salvi says in the news release.

"By using positron emission tomography [known as PET scanning] to view the brain activity of people with tinnitus we've been able to show that these phantom auditory sensations originated somewhere in brain, not in the ear," Salvi said. "That changed the whole research approach."

The ultimate goal, Savli said, is to find the right drug(s) to suppress constant noise-induced tinnitus.

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Former U.S. Track Hero Admits Steroid Use

Former American track star Marion Jones pleaded guilty Friday to lying to U.S. federal agents about her use of performance-enhancing steroids, The New York Times reported.

Jones pleaded guilty to one count of making false statements to federal agents about her use of performance-enhancing drugs. She was also to plead guilty to one count of making false statements to federal agents in connection with a separate check fraud case. She appeared Friday afternoon at the U.S. District Court in White Plains.

Jones, 31, won three gold and two bronze medals at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. She's been under a cloud of suspicion for years, but had repeatedly denied using banned substances, the Times reported.

An admission to using performance-enhancing drugs would likely result in Jones being stripped of her five Olympic medals.

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Appendix is More Than an Annoyance, Scientists Say

Of what possible use can the appendix be?

The small, lower abdominal organ, believed to have been a digestive aid in prehistoric humans, is nothing more than a sometimes-annoying appendage today, and the only time it's addressed in medicine is when it becomes inflamed.

But Duke University scientists say they believe they have found a practical use for the appendix in homo sapiens, the Associated Press reports.

Writing in the latest issue of the Journal of Theoretical Biology, the Duke researchers say the appendix acts as a "rebooting" mechanism to restore the massive amount of bacteria that assist in digestion.

It's needed, they say, because certain diseases, such as amoebic dysentery, can literally wipe out the supply of the intestine's helpful bacteria and cause all sorts of digestive problems.

The appendix "acts as a good safe house for bacteria," Duke professor Bill Parker, a study co-author, told the A.P.. It also is a breeding factory to produce the good germs lost to disease, he added.

Parker told the wire service the appendix needed to be removed if it became inflamed and couldn't be treated medically. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates the annual number of deaths in the United States from appendicitis to be between 300 and 400.

Health Tips for October 8

Health Tip: R.I.C.E for Injuries

If you suffer from a sports related injury, use R.I.C.E. The term stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation.

Rest - Take a break from exercise or any type of movement that may stress the injured area. A minor injury should be rested for one or two days, while more severe injuries may need longer.

Ice - Ice the affected area. Icing reduces pain, limits swelling and bleeding, and encourages rapid healing. Wrap ice in a towel to avoid direct contact with the skin.

Compress - Compress the injury with a stretch bandage. Make sure not to wrap it too tight, just enough to support the injured area comfortably.

Elevate - Elevate the limb. If possible, try to keep the injured part above the level of the heart. At the very least, try to keep it higher than the hips. This helps limit swelling and also prevents movement of the area that is injured.

Health Tip: Beware of Mixing OTCs

Beware of mixing over the counter medications without realizing the possible consequences. Send for a free brochure published jointly by the Consumer Healthcare Products Association and the Food and Drug Administration. Visit the following sites for details: http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov or http://tinyurl.com/36a293.

Health Headlines - October 7

Sam's Club Orders Nationwide Recall of Beef Patties

Just as one meat producer announced that it is closing down because of a massive beef patty recall (see next item), the Wal-Mart chain's Sam's Club stores have announced a nationwide recall of beef patties that are believed to be responsible for four cases of E. coli bacteria poisoning in Minnesota.

The Associated Press reports the ground beef patties were produced by Cargill Inc., whose U.S. offices are based in Wayzata, Minn. Sam's Club identified the suspect meat as having an expiration date of Feb. 12, 2008 and were coded UPC 0002874907056 Item #700141.

The children became sick between Sept. 10 and Sept. 20, the wire service reports. Two were hospitalized, and one remained in the hospital Saturday, the A.P. reports.

The beef patties were frozen and sold under the name American Chef's Selection Angus Beef Patties in three Minneapolis-area stores, but they may be in other Sam's Club outlets as well, health officials told the wire service.

"We can't be certain that meat from other stores is not involved, since the brand... was likely sold at other Sam's Club locations," Heidi Kassenborg, acting director of the dairy and food inspection division of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, is quoted as saying.

The E. coli bacterium causes diarrhea and abdominal cramping, usually two-to-five days after the tainted food is consumed. Left untreated, it can cause more serious complications, including kidney failure.

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U.S. Meat Company Folds After Massive Recall

Topps Meat Co., a leading U.S. supplier of frozen hamburgers, announced Friday that it was going out of business after a massive recall in September of 21.7 million pounds of frozen beef, The New York Times reported.

The recall was linked to beef patties tainted with the E.coli 0157:H7 strain of bacteria. The burgers were made at the company's Elizabeth, N.J. plant, the Times said.

Health officials first reported a case of illness linked to the meat on July 5, when an 18-year-old girl in Pennsylvania was sickened. On July 8, another case surfaced in New Jersey.

"This is a tragedy for all concerned," Topps CEO Anthony D'Urso said in a statement. "In one week we have gone from the largest U.S. manufacturer of frozen hamburgers to a company that cannot overcome the economic reality of a recall this large."

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Former U.S. Track Hero Admits Steroid Use

Former American track star Marion Jones pleaded guilty Friday to lying to U.S. federal agents about her use of performance-enhancing steroids, The New York Times reported.

Jones pleaded guilty to one count of making false statements to federal agents about her use of performance-enhancing drugs. She was also to plead guilty to one count of making false statements to federal agents in connection with a separate check fraud case. She appeared Friday afternoon at the U.S. District Court in White Plains.

Jones, 31, won three gold and two bronze medals at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. She's been under a cloud of suspicion for years, but had repeatedly denied using banned substances, the Times reported.

An admission to using performance-enhancing drugs would likely result in Jones being stripped of her five Olympic medals.

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Appendix is More Than an Annoyance, Scientists Say

Of what possible use can the appendix be?

The small, lower abdominal organ, believed to have been a digestive aid in prehistoric humans, is nothing more than a sometimes-annoying appendage today, and the only time it's addressed in medicine is when it becomes inflamed.

But Duke University scientists say they believe they have found a practical use for the appendix in homo sapiens, the Associated Press reports.

Writing in the latest issue of the Journal of Theoretical Biology, the Duke researchers say the appendix acts as a "rebooting" mechanism to restore the massive amount of bacteria that assist in digestion.

It's needed, they say, because certain diseases, such as amoebic dysentery, can literally wipe out the supply of the intestine's helpful bacteria and cause all sorts of digestive problems.

The appendix "acts as a good safe house for bacteria," Duke professor Bill Parker, a study co-author, told the A.P.. It also is a breeding factory to produce the good germs lost to disease, he added.

Parker told the wire service the appendix needed to be removed if it became inflamed and couldn't be treated medically. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates the annual number of deaths in the United States from appendicitis to be between 300 and 400.

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Lead Danger Prompts Recall of Boy Scouts Badges

As many as 1.6 million Boy Scouts of America badges are being recalled because they may contain high levels of lead, the Associated Press reported.

Tests on the Chinese-made painted, plastic badges revealed high levels of lead in the paint. The recalled totem badges -- given to Cub Scouts, aged 7 to 8 -- have a yellow and blue border, a picture of a wolf and bear, and read "Progress Toward Ranks."

No illnesses linked to the badges have been reported, Boy Scouts spokesman Gregg Shields told the AP. The problem was discovered during testing of a number of Boy Scout products.

The totem badges are supplied to the Boy Scouts of America by Kahoot Products Inc., based in Roswell, Ga. Under the voluntary recall, the company is advising parents to take the badges away from children. Kahoot supplies about 39 products to the Boy Scouts of America.

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Medicare, Medicaid to Gain $4 Billion From Part D Plans

Due to lower-than-expected drug costs in 2006, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) expects to collect $4 billion from Part D drug plan sponsors, the agency said Friday.

The collections results from the payment reconciliation that CMS has completed for 2006, the first year of the Part D drug program. The actual drug costs that year for almost all Part D plans were well below expected levels in their 2006 bids.

The CMS said a number of factors contributed to the lower-than-expected costs, including the fact that 2006 was the first time plans were bidding on the new Part D program, and the fact that there was higher-than-anticipated use of generic drugs in the program.

As plans gain further experience with the Part D program, their bid submissions in future years will likely more accurately reflect their actual costs to provide prescription drug coverage, the CMS said. For example, 2007 bid submissions were significantly lower than those submitted in 2006.

Health Tips for October 7

Health Tip: Water Works for Weight Loss

Nothing quells the appetite like water, lots and lots of water. Start out with two quart bottles in the morning and carry one with you to work or wherever you go. If you like, divvy up the 64 ounces of water into eight (8-ounce) bottles or four pint (16-ounce) bottles to carry around with you all day. Freeze half of them the night before and they will last all day, even in a hot car. Keep some unfrozen so they will be ready to drink immediately.

Yes. You will have to make more frequent bathroom trips, but it is worth it. Drink your 64 ounces of water before dinner, if possible, so you're not up half the night going to the bathroom.

Water not only fills you up and lessens your appetite, it prevents those "hungry horrors" we all encounter when our blood sugar drops and we reach for cookies, candy, ice cream, fries or other high-calorie treats. Water also flushes out the system, rids the body of bloat and toxins and rosies up the complexion. Now, start splashing.

Health Tip: Body Fat Testing

An extremely important part of your fitness program is being able to measure your progress. Body fat testing is not painful, nor is it expensive. You can get it done at most any gym or fitness center. Simply ask if they have an expert who can measure body composition. It's also a good idea to take before and after photos and post them somewhere you'll see them every day.

Health Headlines - October 6

Former U.S. Track Hero Admits Steroid Use

Former American track star Marion Jones pleaded guilty Friday to lying to U.S. federal agents about her use of performance-enhancing steroids, The New York Times reported.

Jones pleaded guilty to one count of making false statements to federal agents about her use of performance-enhancing drugs. She was also to plead guilty to one count of making false statements to federal agents in connection with a separate check fraud case. She appeared Friday afternoon at the U.S. District Court in White Plains.

Jones, 31, won three gold and two bronze medals at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. She's been under a cloud of suspicion for years, but had repeatedly denied using banned substances, the Times reported.

An admission to using performance-enhancing drugs would likely result in Jones being stripped of her five Olympic medals.

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Vaccine Caused Nigeria Polio Outbreak

A vaccine meant to protect poor Nigerian children from polio ended up triggering an outbreak in the African country, according to health officials.

At least 69 children are paralyzed and experts say a weakened form of live polio virus used in an oral vaccine appears to be the cause, the Associated Press reported.

Children in developed countries typically receive a polio vaccine with an inactivated strain of virus. But that vaccine is given by injection, is more expensive, and requires more training to deliver. For that reason, the cheaper oral vaccine -- containing a weakened live virus -- is used in many developing countries, the AP said.

Vaccinated children can excrete the virus, which can then end up in the water supply in countries with poor sanitation, experts say. Once ingested by non-immunized children, the weakened polio strain can, in rare cases, mutate into something more dangerous, health officials say.

Such vaccine-linked outbreaks have occurred before in countries such as China, Haiti and the Philippines, the AP noted.

Officials at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization (WHO) announced the cause of the Nigeria outbreak last week, although they said they have known about it for a year.

WHO's top polio official, Dr. David Heymann, said his organization felt the outbreak was a problem for scientists and not something that would impact on global immunization practices, so WHO did not immediately publicize the incident.

The outbreak comes as a further blow to global efforts to eradicate polio, which have succeeded in lowering polio rates by over 99 percent since 1988. However, in 2003, Nigerian politicians canceled vaccine campaigns for a year, claiming they were a Western plot to sterilize Muslims. Cases of polio soon shot up dramatically, the AP noted.

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U.S. Meat Company Folds After Massive Recall

Topps Meat Co., a leading U.S. supplier of frozen hamburgers, announced Friday that it was going out of business after a massive recall in September of 21.7 million pounds of frozen beef, The New York Times reported.

The recall was linked to beef patties tainted with the E.coli 0157:H7 strain of bacteria. The burgers were made at the company's Elizabeth, N.J. plant, the Times said.

Health officials first reported a case of illness linked to the meat on July 5, when an 18-year-old girl in Pennsylvania was sickened. On July 8, another case surfaced in New Jersey.

"This is a tragedy for all concerned," Topps CEO Anthony D'Urso said in a statement. "In one week we have gone from the largest U.S. manufacturer of frozen hamburgers to a company that cannot overcome the economic reality of a recall this large."

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Lead Danger Prompts Recall of Boy Scouts Badges

As many as 1.6 million Boy Scouts of America badges are being recalled because they may contain high levels of lead, the Associated Press reported.

Tests on the Chinese-made painted, plastic badges revealed high levels of lead in the paint. The recalled totem badges -- given to Cub Scouts, aged 7 to 8 -- have a yellow and blue border, a picture of a wolf and bear, and read "Progress Toward Ranks."

No illnesses linked to the badges have been reported, Boy Scouts spokesman Gregg Shields told the AP. The problem was discovered during testing of a number of Boy Scout products.

The totem badges are supplied to the Boy Scouts of America by Kahoot Products Inc., based in Roswell, Ga. Under the voluntary recall, the company is advising parents to take the badges away from children. Kahoot supplies about 39 products to the Boy Scouts of America.

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'Gay Bomb' Research Wins 'Ig Nobel' Prize

A "gay bomb" designed to make enemy troops sexually irresistible to each other, a study on the side effects of sword swallowing, and the discovery that impotence drugs can help hamsters recover from jet lag are among the winners of this year's Ig Nobel Prizes ceremony, held at Harvard University.

All the research honored by the Ig Nobel Prizes is real and published, BBC News reported. The awards were created in 1991 by the science humor magazine Annals of Improbable Research, and are intended to "celebrate the unusual, honor the imaginative -- and spur people's interest in science, medicine and technology."

Genuine Nobel laureates hand out the Ig Nobel awards to the winners, who receive a handmade prize and certificate, but no cash.

The "gay bomb" research was conducted by the U.S. military but none of the scientists involved attended the ceremony because they couldn't be tracked down, BBC News reported.

Among the other winners: researchers who figured out how bed sheets become wrinkled; a scientist who developed a method to extract vanilla fragrance and flavoring from cow dung; and a team that showed that rats can't tell the difference between somebody speaking Dutch backwards and somebody speaking Japanese backwards.

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Medicare, Medicaid to Gain $4 Billion From Part D Plans

Due to lower-than-expected drug costs in 2006, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) expects to collect $4 billion from Part D drug plan sponsors, the agency said Friday.

The collections results from the payment reconciliation that CMS has completed for 2006, the first year of the Part D drug program. The actual drug costs that year for almost all Part D plans were well below expected levels in their 2006 bids.

The CMS said a number of factors contributed to the lower-than-expected costs, including the fact that 2006 was the first time plans were bidding on the new Part D program, and the fact that there was higher-than-anticipated use of generic drugs in the program.

As plans gain further experience with the Part D program, their bid submissions in future years will likely more accurately reflect their actual costs to provide prescription drug coverage, the CMS said. For example, 2007 bid submissions were significantly lower than those submitted in 2006.

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No Proof Common Knee Arthritis Treatments Work

There's no evidence that many common treatments for knee osteoarthritis benefit patients, according to a scientific review released Thursday by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

The review authors analyzed 23 studies. They failed to find any convincing evidence of benefit from arthroscopic surgery to clean the knee joint, with or without removal of debris and loose cartilage.

An analysis of another 53 studies found no benefit from glucosamine and chondroitin -- over-the-counter dietary supplement ingredients widely purported to relieve osteoarthritis-related knee pain and improve physical functioning.

The review authors also concluded that there's no convincing evidence that injections with hyaluronan preparations (substances intended to improve knee joint lubrication) benefit patients with knee osteoarthritis.

"Millions of Americans seek relief from the pain and reduced mobility caused by osteoarthritis of the knee. However, they should work with their clinicians to decide the best course of treatment for them based on what has and has not been proven to work," AHRQ Director Dr. Carolyn M. Clancy said in a prepared statement.

It's believed that one in ten Americans 64 and older has knee osteoarthritis.

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Canada Halts Prexige Sales

Due to concerns about serious liver damage, Health Canada said Thursday that it will no longer allow the sale of the anti-inflammatory medicine Prexige. The Cox-2 selective inhibitor drug, used to treat osteoarthritis in adults, has been on the market in Canada since November 2006, CBC News reported.

"As a result of its review, Health Canada has concluded that the risk of serious liver-related adverse events with Prexige cannot be safely and effectively managed at the 100 milligram daily dose," the agency said in a news release.

Four incidents of hepatitis, including two cases in Canada, have been linked to Prexige (generic name lumiracoxib), CBC News reported. The drug, made by Novartis AG of Switzerland, was taken off the market in Australia in August 2007 after incidents of serious liver damage were linked to the 200 milligram and 400 milligram daily doses of the drug.

Health Canada advised patients who take Prexige to contact their doctor to discuss other treatment options and to return remaining doses of the drug to their pharmacy for proper disposal.

Health Tips for October 6

Health Tip: Dyslexia in Adults

Dyslexia is a common learning disability in which a person may have difficulty reading, spelling and interpreting words. It's often diagnosed during childhood, when a child is learning to read and write.

However, dyslexia can continue to make reading and writing difficult in adults who did not receive help in childhood.

The International Dyslexia Association lists these common symptoms of dyslexia in adults:

* Avoiding or hiding problems with reading and writing.
* Poor spelling.
* Problems with time management and organizational skills.
* Often relying on memory and speaking skills rather than reading and writing.
* Holding a job well below one's intellectual ability.

Health Tip: Prevent Athlete's Foot

Athlete's foot is a fungal infection, often found in public locker rooms and showers, or anywhere else that is damp, dark and warm.

Here are suggestions to help prevent athlete's foot, courtesy of the American Podiatric Medical Association:

* Don't walk barefoot in public areas like pools, showers, locker rooms or dressing rooms. Always wear flip flops or some kind of shower shoes.
* Before putting on shoes, sprinkle the feet with talcum powder to keep them dry.
* Wear shoes that allow air to circulate so that your feet stay drier.
* Wear thick, absorbent socks that keep your feet dry, and change them at least daily.

Health Headlines - October 5

Experts Offer Fish-Consumption Guidelines for Pregnant Women

Contrary to current U.S. government advice, pregnant and breast-feeding women should eat at least 12 ounces of fish and seafood a week to ensure optimal brain development in their babies, leading scientists say in an advisory to be released Thursday by a nonprofit coalition, the Washington Post reported.

Fish and seafood are rich in nutrients that promote brain and nervous system development in developing fetuses, infant and young children.

But in 2001, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said new mothers and mothers-to-be should eat no more than 12 ounces of seafood per week due to concerns about mercury contamination.

The new advisory comes from the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition, which has nearly 150 members, including the March of Dimes, American Academy of Pediatrics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Post reported.

The FDA plans to study the coalition's new guidelines but will not change its recommendations on fish consumption by pregnant and breast-feeding women, an FDA representative said.

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FDA Mulls Behind-the-Counter Drug Sales

An expansion of "behind-the-counter" sales -- where people are allowed to buy certain drugs directly from pharmacists without a doctor's prescription -- is being considered by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

In its announcement Wednesday, the agency said its seeking public input on the issue, including whether this would be a way to improve uninsured patients' access to medicines, the Associated Press reported.

The FDA has scheduled a Nov. 14 meeting in Washington, D.C. to gather opinions from patients, pharmacists, doctors and anyone else who wants to offer their views. The agency also will accept written comments through Nov. 28.

The agency has no petitions to switch specific drugs to behind-the-counter sales, Ilisa Bernstein, the FDA's director of pharmacy affairs, told the AP. She refused to list drugs that may be considered for behind-the-counter sales.

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Disabled Americans Have High Rate of Smoking

The rate of smoking among disabled Americans is nearly 50 percent higher than in the general population (29.9 percent vs. 19.8 percent), says a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study released Thursday.

The analysis of 2004 data revealed that disabled people in Delaware have the highest smoking rate (39.4 percent), while those in Puerto Rico have the lowest (16.5 percent). About 70 percent of disabled people who smoke and had visited a doctor in the previous year had been advised to quit smoking. However, about 40 percent of those advised to quit smoking received no information about smoking cessation treatments.

It's unclear why disabled people are more likely to smoke and the issue requires further study, the study authors said. They noted that people with disabilities are less likely than those without disabilities to receive preventive health care and are therefore more subject to illness and disease.

"About 50 million Americans are living with a disability and most Americans will experience a disability some time during the course of their lives," Dr. Edwin Trevathan, director of the CDC's National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, said in a prepared statement.

"The release of these findings during Disability Awareness Month reminds us that disparities persist in health and health care of people with disabilities," he said.

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Many HIV Patients Overweight, Obese: U.S. Study

Nearly two-thirds of HIV-infected Americans may be overweight or obese, suggests a study of 663 HIV patients at Navy hospitals in San Diego and Bethesda, Md.

"We used to worry that they would lose weight and become wasted. Maybe we should redirect our concerns to making sure they are maintaining a healthy, normal weight," said study author Dr. Nancy Crum-Cianflone of TriService AIDS Clinical Consortium in San Diego, the Associated Press reported.

Of all the patients in the study, 63 percent were overweight or obese and only three percent were underweight. None of the patients was considered to be "wasted." Among patients with full-blown AIDS, about 30 percent were overweight or obese.

Patients who were infected at a younger age, those who had the virus for a longer time, and those who had high blood pressure were more likely to be overweight or obese, the AP reported.

The findings were to be presented Thursday at an infectious disease meeting in San Diego.

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More U.S. Children Taking Drugs for Digestive Problems

Between 2002 and 2006, there was a 56 percent increase in the number of American children aged 4 and younger taking prescription drugs for heartburn and other digestive problems, according to a Medco Health Solutions Inc. analysis released Thursday.

Last year, more than 557,000 children in that age group were taking the drugs. The analysis also found there was a 31 percent increase among children ages 5-11 (551,653 in 2006) and a six percent increase among children ages 12-18 (one million in 2006), the Associated Press reported.

Overall, about two million U.S. children 18 and younger used prescription drugs for digestive or gastrointestinal problems in 2006.

"It's a signal that something's going on that we need to keep an eye on," Dr. Robert Epstein, Medco's chief medical officer, told the AP. "Whether it's parents getting their children diagnosed more frequently, or obesity," or other factors, "it bears further study," he said.

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Kraft Recalls White Chocolate Baking Squares

Potential salmonella contamination has prompted a recall of Kraft's six-ounce Baker's Premium White Chocolate Baking Squares sold in the United States.

The recall, announced Thursday, covers product that has the UPC Code 0043000252200 and reads best when used by March 31, April 1, April 2 and April 3, 2008, the Associated Press reported.

Consumers with the recalled white chocolate should immediately discard it, Kraft said. The company launched the recall after testing by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration detected the presence of salmonella in some packages of the white chocolate baking squares. Kraft said it's investigating the source of the problem.

The company said the recall doesn't involve any other varieties of Baker's White Chocolate or any other Baker's products sold in the U.S. the AP reported.

Health Tips for October 5

Health Tip: Getting a Flu Vaccine

An annual flu vaccine can help protect you from the nasty effects of the flu virus.

Here's some background information about the flu vaccine, courtesy of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

* The injected vaccination contains a killed virus. It is approved for people over the age of 6 months.
* The nasal form of the vaccine is made with a weakened virus, and is approved for people ages 2-49 years. It's not recommended for pregnant women.
* Approximately two weeks after the vaccination, your body develops the antibodies needed to protect itself from specific strains of the flu virus.
* Flu season generally runs from October through May. The best months to be vaccinated are October and November, but you can still be vaccinated later.
* You cannot get the flu from a flu shot, but minor side effects may include swelling, low-grade fever, and aches and pains.
* Similarly, you cannot develop full-blown flu from the nasal spray vaccine, but minor side effects may include runny nose, headache, and sore throat.

Health Tip: Understanding Compulsive Overeating

Compulsive overeating occurs when a person uncontrollably binges on large amounts of food. The affected person usually is overcome with feelings of guilt and shame.

Brown University offers these common reasons for why people compulsively overeat:

* To satisfy an obsession or preoccupation with food, weight and eating.
* To cope with other issues that the person can't control.
* To deal with stress, anxiety or depression.
* To mask low self-esteem.

Health Headlines - October 4

Bush Vetoes Child Health Insurance Bill

President George W. Bush on Wednesday vetoed the child's health insurance bill known as SCHIP, only the fourth veto of his presidency.

Congress's $60 billion, five-year plan to re-fund the State Children's Health Insurance Program was $35 billion more than current spending and $30 billion more than the Bush administration had proposed, The New York Times said. The bill would have expanded enrollment to 10 children million from 6.6 million.

Bush had argued that increasing funding would widen the program's original intent of providing health insurance to poor children, expanding it to members of the middle class.

Condemnation of the president's act was swift.

"Today we learned that the same president who is willing to throw away a half trillion dollars in Iraq is unwilling to spend a small fraction of that amount to bring health care to American children," said Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.).

The American Medical Association issued a statement saying it was "deeply disappointed."

"For children to get a good start in life, they need access to medical care that this program makes possible ... The AMA strongly urges members of Congress from both political parties to stand on the side of America's parents and children by voting to override the veto," the statement continued.

Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said he believed the Senate already had enough votes to override the veto, but the outcome appeared less certain in the House of Representatives, the Times reported.

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Raise Benefits for Injured Veterans, Panel Suggests

Disability payments for injured U.S. war veterans should be raised by up to 25 percent, a special commission recommended Wednesday.

Citing veterans' lost "quality of life" stemming from service to the nation, the Veterans' Disability Benefits Commission concluded in a 544-page report that the Pentagon and the Department of Veterans Affairs provided insufficient mental health coverage and inadequate disability payments, the Associated Press reported.

The panel, concluding a 2 1/2-year investigation, also said extra payments to injured veterans should be made as soon as possible.

"Congress should increase the compensation rates up to 25 percent as an interim and baseline future benefit for loss of quality of life, pending development and implementation of quality of life measures," the panel's report said.

Among its 113 recommendations, the panel also said benefits should be given out for any service-related injury, regardless of whether it was incurred in combat, the AP reported.

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FDA Strengthens Potency Rule on Thyroid Drug

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday strengthened rules governing the expiration of a popular thyroid drug, saying manufacturers had to ensure that the drug retained at least 95 percent of its potency until the expiration date.

Levothyroxine sodium, used to treat underactive thyroid and other thyroid disorders, is used by more than 13 million people in the United States, the agency said in a statement. The thyroid is key to regulating metabolism in every cell of the body.

The FDA, noting it was acting on the recommendations of a panel of experts, said drug makers had two years to comply. Currently, the drug is allowed a potency range as low as 90 percent, the agency said.

Consumers can do their part, the FDA suggested, by storing the drug in a dry place in room temperature, avoiding hot and humid areas such as bathrooms.

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Age, Tumor Size Major Factors in Breast Cancer Survival

Age and tumor size at time of diagnosis are major factors that influence breast cancer survival, according to an Australian study of more than 100,000 women.

Researchers found that the five-year survival rate is 98 percent if a breast tumor is less than 10 millimeters in diameter at the time of diagnosis, compared with 95 percent for 11-15mm tumors, 93 percent for 16-19mm tumors, 88 percent for 20-29mm tumors, 73 percent for tumors larger than 30 mm, and 49 percent for tumors of unknown size, The Australian reported.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare study also found that women ages 50-59 had a 90 percent likelihood of being alive five years after a breast cancer diagnosis (irrespective of tumor size), compared with 86 percent for women in their 30s and younger.

Younger women in the study tended to develop more aggressive tumors and more research needs to be done to determine the reason why and what can be done about it, said Helen Zorbas, director of the National Breast Cancer Center, which commissioned the study.

She said the findings highlight the importance of screening to detect breast cancer in the early stages, The Australian reported.

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Child's Cells May Protect Mother Against Breast Cancer

U.S. researchers say that having children may help reduce a woman's risk of breast cancer as a result of protective cells transferred from the fetus to the mother.

The study by a team from the University of Washington and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle included 35 women who'd been diagnosed with breast cancer and 47 who'd never had the disease.

About 43 percent of the women in the non-breast cancer group had a child's DNA in their blood, compared with 14 percent of the women in the breast cancer group, Agence France-Presse reported.

"My hypothesis was that maybe fetal cells can get into a mother and recognize a pre-cancer breast cancer cell and kill it before it becomes an active cancer," said lead author V.K. Gadi.

He noted that fetal cells could remain in the mother for the rest of her life and help protect her against cancer, AFP reported. The study appears in the October issue of the journal Cancer Research.

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Rattles Pose Choking Hazard

A recall of about 82,000 Chinese-made rattles that can break open and release small beads that pose a choking hazard to young children was announced Tuesday by the Target chain of department stores. There have been no reported injuries.

The Plush Boy Rattles were sold at Target stores across the United States from March 2007 through May 2007 for about $1. The rattles were sold in three styles: a white baseball with red stitching; a brown football with white stitching; and an orange basketball with black stitching, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said.

A tag sewn into the rattles contains the following information: Reg. No. PA5706(CN), Distributed by Double Nice Co LTd. 3f-2 No. 325, Wu Chuan Road, Taichung, Taiwan, Made in China.

Consumers with these rattle should take them away from children and return them to a Target store for a full refund. For more information, contact Target at 1-800-440-0680.

Health Tips for October 4

Health Tip: Nicotine Withdrawal

Nicotine is an extremely addictive substance that causes physical and psychological reactions in the body when it is no longer available.

The highly addictive nicotine in cigarettes is what makes quitting smoking so difficult.

The American Cancer Society lists these common symptoms of nicotine withdrawal:

* Dizziness.
* Insomnia, restlessness and difficulty concentrating.
* Depression, irritability and moodiness.
* Feeling frustrated or anger.
* Headache, fatigue and increased appetite.

Some people have found using the nicotine patch or chewing gum with nicotine in it as useful transitional methods for quitting smoking

But, health experts warn, eventually it is your own will-power that's needed to quit.

Health Tip: Helping Halitosis

Halitosis is the term for persistent bad breath.

The condition can be caused by a a variety of factors and conditions, some of which are behaviors that can be avoided to reduce bad breath.

Here are some common causes of halitosis and ways to help reduce it, courtesy of the American Dental Association:

* What you eat can cause halitosis, so avoid potent foods like garlic and onions. Not eating can also cause bad breath, so don't avoid meals.
* Poor dental hygiene can lead to bad breath, so brush, floss and use mouthwash frequently to keep breath fresh.
* Dry mouth can exacerbate bad breath, so stay well hydrated, and try sucking on sugar-free candies to stimulate saliva production.
* Don't smoke.
* Since bad breath can be caused by a medical condition, such as a respiratory infection, bronchitis, sinusitis, liver or kidney illness, and many others, talk to your doctor about a diagnosis.

Health Headlines - October 3

Rattles Pose Choking Hazard

A recall of about 82,000 Chinese-made rattles that can break open and release small beads that pose a choking hazard to young children was announced Tuesday by the Target chain of department stores. There have been no reported injuries.

The Plush Boy Rattles were sold at Target stores across the United States from March 2007 through May 2007 for about $1. The rattles were sold in three styles: a white baseball with red stitching; a brown football with white stitching; and an orange basketball with black stitching, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said.

A tag sewn into the rattles contains the following information: Reg. No. PA5706(CN), Distributed by Double Nice Co LTd. 3f-2 No. 325, Wu Chuan Road, Taichung, Taiwan, Made in China.

Consumers with these rattle should take them away from children and return them to a Target store for a full refund. For more information, contact Target at 1-800-440-0680.

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EBV Vaccine May Spur Immune System to Attack Cancer

It may be possible to use a vaccine for Epstein Barr virus (EBV) -- a widespread herpes virus -- to stimulate the immune system to attack cancer cells, says a study presented at the National Cancer Research Institute conference in the U.K.

EBV usually causes no health problems, but the virus is associated with certain kinds of cancer, including lymphomas and naso-pharyngeal carcinoma. In these cases, the cells in the tumors are infected with EBV, BBC News reported.

Researchers found that the vaccine produced heightened immune response to cancer cells infected with EBV, BBC News reported. The vaccine used in the study targets two proteins (EBNA1 and LMP2) that are present in cancer cells infected with EBV.

"The initial results of these vaccinations are promising. It seems that the vaccine is able to encourage the body's immune response to the proteins present in the tumor," said study author Dr. Neil Steven. "The next stage is to assess how effective this process can be in attacking tumors."

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More Accidents at U.S. Labs Handling Deadly Substances

Since 2003, there have been more than 100 accidents and shipping errors involving U.S. labs that handle the world's most dangerous germs and toxins, according to an Associated Press review of confidential reports submitted to federal regulators.

Workers who suffered skin cuts, needle sticks, and bites or scratches by infected animals were among the documented incidents involving bird flu virus, anthrax, and plague-causing bacteria and other dangerous substances at 44 labs in 24 states. No one died and officials said the public was never at risk in any of these cases.

The AP found a steady increase in the number of such incidents. For example, labs reported 36 accidents and lost shipments between January and August 2007, nearly double the number reported during all of 2004.

Since 2004, the number of labs approved by the federal government to handle the deadliest substances has nearly doubled to 409. Federal regulators conduct routine inspections of the labs about once every three years. However, interim inspections are done when a lab reports an accident.

The lab incidents are being examined by the House Energy and Commerce investigations subcommittee, which will hold a hearing Thursday, the AP reported.

"It may be only a matter of time before our nation has a public health incident with potentially catastrophic results," said subcommittee chairman Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich).

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No Link Between Bone-Building Drugs, Irregular Heart Rhythms: FDA

There is no statistically significant evidence of a link between the popular bone-building drugs Reclast and Fosamax and irregular heart rhythms in older women, says the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Doctors and patients should continue using the osteoporosis treatments as usual, said the FDA, which launched a safety review in May after the publication of medical journal studies that found that women using the drugs had higher rates of irregular heart beats than women taking a placebo, the Associated Press reported.

On its Web site, the FDA said it could take another year to complete the safety review of Reclast and Fosamax but, so far, the agency has found no causal relationship between the drugs and heart problems.

In the case of Reclast, the FDA review found that women taking the drug didn't develop heart spasms until more than a month after taking it, suggesting the drug was not the cause of the problem, the AP reported.

Reclast is made by Norvartis AG and Fosamax is made by Merck & Co.

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Uric Acid May Boost Mini-Stroke Risk

High levels of uric acid -- which causes gout -- may increase the risk of mini-strokes that can cause mental decline in older adults, says a Johns Hopkins University study in the journal Neurology.

Researchers found that people over age 60 with elevated uric acid levels had up to five times more volume of brain areas showing evidence of mini-stroke than those with average or low uric acid levels, BBC News reported.

Previously, the same team found an association between elevated uric acid levels and poor performance on tests of memory and speed of thought.

"Having found that uric acid levels are linked to both mild cognitive decline and mini-strokes we need to learn how these are related," said lead researcher Dr. David Schretlen.

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Group Wants More Money for Breast/Cervical Cancer Screening

Due to continued inadequate funding, only one in five eligible women receives screening under the U.S. National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection and Prevention Program (NBCCEDP).

That's the conclusion of a report released Monday by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN).

Six months ago, President Bush signed a bill reauthorizing the program and raising the funding to $275 million over five years. But the ACS CAN -- a nonprofit advocacy organization -- wants federal lawmakers to immediately boost funding for the program from its current $202 million to $250 million. That increase would provide screening and any necessary treatment to 130,000 additional women.

The report noted that in many parts of the United States, the program has difficulty maintaining services for the women it currently serves.

"We have scientific evidence that links insurance status to state of cancer diagnosis, with uninsured women twice as likely to have a worse outcome. Women who need this program are delaying critical screenings and treatments because the necessary resources haven't been made available," ACS CAN President Daniel E. Smith said in a prepared statement.

"What if the eligible women who aren't being served by this program included your mother, your sister, your daughter or your friend? Years of insufficient funding for the NBCCEDP not only mean that four out of five eligible women will continue to go unserved, but with rising health care costs, even those served today may not be able to access services in the future. This is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month -- it's time for Congress and the President to provide more funding," Smith said.

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Alzheimer's Drug May Combat Breast Cancer Recurrence

An Alzheimer's disease drug shows promise as a treatment to prevent breast cancer recurrence, according to research presented at the (U.K.) National Cancer Research Institute conference in Birmingham, BBC News reported.

The drug, a gamma secretase inhibitor, attacks the Notch gene that stimulates cancer cells. In about one third of women successfully treated for breast cancer, the disease recurs because some cancer cells survive treatment.

"Our work has revealed the importance of several pathways not previously known to regulate stem cell survival and self-renewal, which is tremendously exciting," said team leader Dr. Robert Clarke of the University of Manchester.

Since the drug has already undergone health and safety checks for its use in Alzheimer's patients, Clarke said it may be possible to speed up a clinical trial designed to assess the drug's effectiveness against breast cancer recurrence, BBC News reported.

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U.S. Meat Supply 'Safest in World,' Says Government Official

In an effort to ease consumers' fears in the wake of a recall of 21.7 million pounds of ground beef that may be contaminated with E. coli bacteria, a U.S. Department of Agriculture official said Monday that the country's meat supply is "the safest in the world," the Associated Press reported.

The recall was announced after more than a dozen people in eight states became ill and it was confirmed that several got E. coli from ground beef processed by Topps Meat Co. in New Jersey. Other cases are still under investigation.

Government officials discovered inadequate E. coli safety measures at the Topps plant but the federal government is on top of the problem, Dr. Richard Raymond, undersecretary of food safety, said in an interview on CBS's The Early Show.

"I think the American meat supply is the safest in the world," Raymond said. "A recall like this does show that we are on the job, we are doing our inspections, our investigation, and we respond when we find problems to make sure that the supply is safe."

He reminded consumers to take proper precautions when handling raw meat at home, the AP reported, such as: washing hands; using a separate cutting board to prepare meat; cooking meat to 160 degrees Fahrenheit; and using a food thermometer to verify the meat's temperature.

Health Tips for October 3

Health Tip: Quitting Smoking Has Immediate Benefits

Most people know that in the long term, quitting smoking offers enormous health benefits.

But within weeks -- and even hours -- after quitting smoking, your body has already shown health improvements.

The Canadian non-profit organization Tobacco Facts lists some of the immediate health benefits when you quit smoking:

* Within eight hours, the level of carbon monoxide in the body drops, while oxygen levels rise to normal.
* After two days, taste and smell is enhanced, and the risk of heart attack decreases.
* Breathing becomes easier within three or four days, because of increased lung capacity.
* After two weeks, no nicotine is left in the body, and blood flow is improved.
* Within three months, circulation and lung function are improved, and physical activity is significantly easier.
* Within nine months, coughing, congestion, fatigue and shortness of breath are significantly reduced.

Health Tip: Treating Fatty Liver Disease

Fatty liver disease is a condition whose name describes it perfectly: excess fat builds up in the liver.

This excess fat can cause inflammation in the liver, and this can eventually lead to dangerous hardening of the organ.

Although fatty liver disease cannot be cured, here are some treatments to help reduce or reverse damage, courtesy of the American Liver Foundation:

* Lose weight sensibly through a healthy, balanced diet and regular exercise.
* Lower triglyceride levels through diet and exercise, or through medications.
* Do not drink alcohol.
* Diabetics should keep their disease well under control.
* Eat a healthy, low-calorie and low-fat diet.
* Exercise regularly.
* Have regular checkups and exams with a doctor who specializes in liver diseases.

Health Headlines - October 2

Group Wants More Money for Breast/Cervical Cancer Screening

Due to continued inadequate funding, only one in five eligible women receives screening under the U.S. National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection and Prevention Program (NBCCEDP).

That's the conclusion of a report released Monday by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN).

Six months ago, President Bush signed a bill reauthorizing the program and raising the funding to $275 million over five years. But the ACS CAN -- a nonprofit advocacy organization -- wants federal lawmakers to immediately boost funding for the program from its current $202 million to $250 million. That increase would provide screening and any necessary treatment to 130,000 additional women.

The report noted that in many parts of the United States, the program has difficulty maintaining services for the women it currently serves.

"We have scientific evidence that links insurance status to state of cancer diagnosis, with uninsured women twice as likely to have a worse outcome. Women who need this program are delaying critical screenings and treatments because the necessary resources haven't been made available," ACS CAN President Daniel E. Smith said in a prepared statement.

"What if the eligible women who aren't being served by this program included your mother, your sister, your daughter or your friend? Years of insufficient funding for the NBCCEDP not only mean that four out of five eligible women will continue to go unserved, but with rising health care costs, even those served today may not be able to access services in the future. This is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month -- it's time for Congress and the President to provide more funding," Smith said.

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Alzheimer's Drug May Combat Breast Cancer Recurrence

An Alzheimer's disease drug shows promise as a treatment to prevent breast cancer recurrence, according to research presented at the (U.K.) National Cancer Research Institute conference in Birmingham, BBC News reported.

The drug, a gamma secretase inhibitor, attacks the Notch gene that stimulates cancer cells. In about one third of women successfully treated for breast cancer, the disease recurs because some cancer cells survive treatment.

"Our work has revealed the importance of several pathways not previously known to regulate stem cell survival and self-renewal, which is tremendously exciting," said team leader Dr. Robert Clarke of the University of Manchester.

Since the drug has already undergone health and safety checks for its use in Alzheimer's patients, Clarke said it may be possible to speed up a clinical trial designed to assess the drug's effectiveness against breast cancer recurrence, BBC News reported.

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U.S. Meat Supply 'Safest in World,' Says Government Official

In an effort to ease consumers' fears in the wake of a recall of 21.7 million pounds of ground beef that may be contaminated with E. coli bacteria, a U.S. Department of Agriculture official said Monday that the country's meat supply is "the safest in the world," the Associated Press reported.

The recall was announced after more than a dozen people in eight states became ill and it was confirmed that several got E. coli from ground beef processed by Topps Meat Co. in New Jersey. Other cases are still under investigation.

Government officials discovered inadequate E. coli safety measures at the Topps plant but the federal government is on top of the problem, Dr. Richard Raymond, undersecretary of food safety, said in an interview on CBS's The Early Show.

"I think the American meat supply is the safest in the world," Raymond said. "A recall like this does show that we are on the job, we are doing our inspections, our investigation, and we respond when we find problems to make sure that the supply is safe."

He reminded consumers to take proper precautions when handling raw meat at home, the AP reported, such as: washing hands; using a separate cutting board to prepare meat; cooking meat to 160 degrees Fahrenheit; and using a food thermometer to verify the meat's temperature.

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Children Can Suffer Heart Attacks

Heart attacks in children are a rare but under-recognized health issue, say Ohio doctors who documented nine cases of heart attacks in children as young as 12 that occurred between 1995 and 2006.

The doctors found that none of the children (all but one were boys) had common heart attack risk factors such as obesity, high blood pressure, drug abuse, unhealthy cholesterol levels, or family history, the Associated Press reported.

The most likely cause of their heart attacks was a heart spasm that briefly cut off blood supply, said the study, which appears in the October issue of the journal Pediatrics.

It's not clear what causes these spasm-related heart attacks. The researchers found that the young heart attack patients in this study did have abnormal levels of an enzyme made by injured or dying heart tissue and many had abnormal heart-imaging tests, the AP reported.

None of the patients in the study experienced any long-term problems.

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Frozen Beef Patty Recall Widened to 21 Million Pounds

A New Jersey meat distributor on Saturday widened by millions its recall of frozen beef patties potentially contaminated with e. coli, after U.S. health inspectors found inadequate safety measures at its plant.

The Topps Meat. Co., based in Elizabeth, said it was now recalling 21.7 million pounds of ground beef products, up from 332,000 pounds of ground beef initially recalled on Sept. 25, the Associated Press reported.

The initial recall resulted after at least six people in New York State became ill, and three were hospitalized. Investigators now think 25 people may have been sickened in eight states.

Health officials said cases were found in Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Maine, New Jersey, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania. And the company said the recalled products had been distributed to retail grocery stores and food service institutions throughout the United States.

The recall represents all Topps products with either a "sell by date" or "best if used by date" between Sept. 25, 2007 and Sept. 25, 2008, which can be found on the back panel of the packages.

In addition, all the recalled products have a USDA establishment number of EST 9748, also located on the back panel of the package and/or in the USDA legend.

The move comes after federal inspectors on Friday said they suspended the grinding of raw products after finding inadequate safety measures at the Topps plant. The USDA has declined to detail the inadequate safety measures, but said New York health officials have found additional Topps products tainted with the bacteria, the AP reported.

Geoffrey Livermore, Topps' operations vice president, said the company was continuing to work with the USDA, state health departments, retailers and distributors and has augmented its procedures with microbiologists and food safety experts.

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Travelers to Latin American, Caribbean Warned of Dengue Fever

U.S. travelers to Latin America and Caribbean countries are being warned about a major outbreak of dengue fever, a mosquito-borne illness that has been spreading at a rapid pace in tropical and subtropical countries in recent months.

According to the Associated Press, dengue fever has killed nearly 200 people in Latin America and the Caribbean this year and has infected hundreds of thousands of human victims.

The outbreak is especially evident in urban slums, the wire service reports, and is expected to get worse as the rainy season approaches. There are no vaccines or cures for the four different types of dengue fever, which causes high fever, joint pain, nausea, rashes, and severe headache.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta is warning U.S. visitors to Latin America and the Caribbean to use mosquito repellant and stay inside screened areas whenever possible.

"The danger is that the doctors at home [in the United States] don't recognize the dengue," the wire service quotes Dr. Wellington Sun, the chief of the CDC's dengue branch in San Juan, as saying. "The doctors need to raise their level of suspicion for any traveler who returns with a fever."

During the summer of 2007 an outbreak of dengue fever in Asia erupted in a number of countries. By Aug. 1 in Cambodia, nearly 25,000 people had been diagnosed with dengue fever (about three times the number of cases for all of 2005) and nearly 300 children had died, the AP reported. In Indonesia, more than 100,000 cases of dengue fever and 1,100 deaths had also been reported during the same time period.

Health Tips for October 2

Health Tip: Caffeine Facts

Caffeine, the natural substance found in many foods and beverages including coffee, tea and chocolate, can cause symptoms that can vary widely from person to person.

This is known as "caffeine sensitivity," which refers to how much caffeine a person can consume before experiencing side effects.

Here are some common side effects of caffeine, courtesy of the U.S. National Library of Medicine:

* Rapid or increased heart rate.
* Frequent urination.
* Nausea and vomiting.
* Restlessness and insomnia.
* Anxiety and depression.
* Shakiness or tremors.

If you have any of the symptoms occurring regularly, you should check with your physician. Your caffeine tolerance may be less than you think.

Health Tip: Symptoms of Menopause

Menopause, the hormonal change in a woman's body in which her menstrual cycle stops, can happen as early as before age 40, but most often occurs in women between age 45 and 55.

The Foundation for Better Health Care lists these common symptoms of menopause:

* Missed period for at least 12 months, with no cause other than menopause.
* Abnormal periods for you, such as spotting, different cycles or a different flow.
* Vaginal dryness.
* Changes in weight, difficulty sleeping, night sweats and hot flashes.
* Difficulty concentrating, forgetfulness, depression and moodiness.
* Osteoporosis.
* Pain or burning during urination, or loss or weakened bladder control.

Health Headlines - October 1

Frozen Beef Patty Recall Widened to 21 Million Pounds

A New Jersey meat distributor on Saturday widened by millions its recall of frozen beef patties potentially contaminated with e. coli, after U.S. health inspectors found inadequate safety measures at its plant.

The Topps Meat. Co., based in Elizabeth, said it was now recalling 21.7 million pounds of ground beef products, up from 332,000 pounds of ground beef initially recalled on Sept. 25, the Associated Press reported.

The initial recall resulted after at least six people in New York State became ill, and three were hospitalized. Investigators now think 25 people may have been sickened in eight states.

Health officials said cases were found in Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Maine, New Jersey, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania. And the company said the recalled products had been distributed to retail grocery stores and food service institutions throughout the United States.

The recall represents all Topps products with either a "sell by date" or "best if used by date" between Sept. 25, 2007 and Sept. 25, 2008, which can be found on the back panel of the packages.

In addition, all the recalled products have a USDA establishment number of EST 9748, also located on the back panel of the package and/or in the USDA legend.

The move comes after federal inspectors on Friday said they suspended the grinding of raw products after finding inadequate safety measures at the Topps plant. The USDA has declined to detail the inadequate safety measures, but said New York health officials have found additional Topps products tainted with the bacteria, the AP reported.

Geoffrey Livermore, Topps' operations vice president, said the company was continuing to work with the USDA, state health departments, retailers and distributors and has augmented its procedures with microbiologists and food safety experts.

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Travelers to Latin American, Caribbean Warned of Dengue Fever Outbreak

U.S. travelers to Latin America and Caribbean countries are being warned about a major outbreak of dengue fever, a mosquito-borne illness that has been spreading at a rapid pace in tropical and subtropical countries in recent months.

According to the Associated Press, dengue fever has killed nearly 200 people in Latin America and the Caribbean this year and has infected hundreds of thousands of human victims.

The outbreak is especially evident in urban slums, the wire service reports, and is expected to get worse as the rainy season approaches. There are no vaccines or cures for the four different types of dengue fever, which causes high fever, joint pain, nausea, rashes, and severe headache.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta is warning U.S. visitors to Latin America and the Caribbean to use mosquito repellant and stay inside screened areas whenever possible.

"The danger is that the doctors at home [in the United States] don't recognize the dengue," the wire service quotes Dr. Wellington Sun, the chief of the CDC's dengue branch in San Juan, as saying. "The doctors need to raise their level of suspicion for any traveler who returns with a fever."

During the summer of 2007 an outbreak of dengue fever in Asia erupted in a number of countries. By Aug. 1 in Cambodia, nearly 25,000 people had been diagnosed with dengue fever (about three times the number of cases for all of 2005) and nearly 300 children had died, the A.P. reported. In Indonesia, more than 100,000 cases of dengue fever and 1,100 deaths had also been reported during the same time period.

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Patients Having Their Own Stem Cells Injected in British MS Study

Six patients in the United Kingdom suffering from multiple sclerosis are having their own stem cells injected into them as an experiment to see whether this type of treatment can repair the neurological damage that causes MS.

The online edition of the London Telegraph reports that the patients at a hospital in the British city of Bristol are participating in the study, in which stem cells are being taken from the bone marrow in their pelvises and then injected into their arms.

The theory is that these stem cells can repair the neurological damage that causes MS, the newspaper reports. "We believe that bone marrow cells have the capability to repair precisely the type of damage that we see in the brain and spinal cord in MS," trial leader Neil Scolding, professor of clinical neurosciences for North Bristol NHS Trust, told the Telegraph.

"So, by giving patients very large numbers of their own bone marrow cells we hope that this will help stabilise the disease and bring about some repair," he concluded. The patients are between 30 and 60 years old.

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Brain-Eating Amoeba Linked to 6 Deaths

An amoeba that typically lives in lakes and enters the body through the nose and attacks the brain has been linked to six deaths in the United States this year, federal health officials report.

Even though encounters with the single-celled organism are rare, it has killed six boys and young men this year. The increase in cases has health officials concerned, with predictions of more cases in the future, the Associated Press reported.

"This is a heat-loving amoeba. As water temperatures go up, it does better," Michael Beach, a specialist in recreational waterborne illnesses for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told the news ser vice. "In future decades, as temperatures rise, we'd expect to see more cases."

According to the CDC, the amoeba is called Naegleria fowleri, and it killed 23 people in the United States from 1995 to 2004. But health officials have noticed a rise in cases this year, with three in Florida, two in Texas and one in Arizona. The CDC knows of only several hundred cases worldwide since the microscopic bug's discovery in Australia in the 1960s, the AP said.

Though infections tend to be found in southern states, Naegleria lives almost everywhere in lakes, hot springs, even dirty swimming pools, subsisting off algae and bacteria in the sediment. People become infected when they wade through shallow water and stir up the bottom, Beach said.

Symptoms of infection include a stiff neck, headaches and fever. In the later stages, victims will show signs of brain damage such as hallucinations and behavioral changes, he said.

Once infected, most people have little chance of survival, the AP said.

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Most Medicare Beneficiaries Can Get Lower Drug Premiums in 2008

In 2008, more than 90 percent of U.S. Medicare beneficiaries in a stand-alone Part D prescription drug plan will have access to at least one drug plan with a lower premium than they paid this year, the federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said this week.

Beneficiaries in all states will be able to select at least one plan with premiums of less than $20 a month and from at least five plans with premiums of less than $25 a month. In 2008, the average monthly premium for the basic Medicare drug benefit is projected to be $25, according to HHS.

"The actual average premium paid by beneficiaries for standard Part D coverage in 2008 is expected to be nearly 40 percent lower than originally projected when the benefit was established in 2003. Moreover, our data show that the Medicare prescription drug benefit is saving seniors an average of $1,200 a year," HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt said in a prepared statement.

The open enrollment period for 2008 begins Nov. 15 and ends Dec. 31, 2007.

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Breath Could Track Diabetics' Blood Sugar Levels

It may be possible to develop a breath test that offers a simple way to check blood sugar levels in people with diabetes, says a University of California, Irvine study that found that people with type I diabetes exhale higher levels of methyl nitrates when they have high blood glucose levels.

Using a chemical analysis technique developed to test for air pollution, the researchers found that methyl nitrate levels were nearly 10 times higher than normal when children with type 1 diabetes had high blood sugar levels, BBC News reported.

It's believed that methyl nitrate is a byproduct of damage caused to body tissues when blood sugar levels are too high. The study appears in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

"While no clinical breath test exists yet for diabetes, this study shows the possibility of non-invasive methods that can help the millions who have this chronic disease," said study author Dr. Pietro Galassetti, BBC News reported.

Health Tips for October 1

Health Tip: Keep a Positive Mental Outlook

There's a definitive connection between living well and healthfully and having a cheerful outlook on life. Thought for the day: You can't be unhappy when you're smiling or singing.

Health Tip: Choose Your Parents Well

The link between genetics and health is a powerful one. But just because one or both of your parents died young in ill health doesn't mean you cannot counteract the genetic pool handed you. Thought for the day: Follow these basic tips for healthy living and you can better control your own destiny.