NurseTips

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Health Headlines - March 20

Medicare Cuts Trigger Concerns About Healthcare Access: AMA

Cuts in Medicare payments to doctors have eight out of 10 Americans concerned about access to care for seniors and baby boomers, according to a survey released Wednesday by the American Medical Association.

On July 1, there will be a 10.6 percent cut in Medicare payments to doctors. Over the next decade those cuts will grow to about 40 percent, while medical practice costs increase by 20 percent, according the AMA.

In response to this year's payment cut, 60 percent of doctors say they'll be forced to limit the number of new Medicare patients they can treat. Currently, about 30 percent of Medicare patients looking for a new primary care doctor are having difficulty finding one, and the payment cuts will make access even more difficult, the group said.

"As physicians, we are terribly concerned about how these Medicaid cuts will impact our senior patients," AMA board member Dr. William A. Hazel said in a prepared statement. "Seniors and boomers are concerned too; our new poll shows that 88 percent of current Medicare patients are worried about how the cuts will impact their access to health care."

The first wave of baby boomers will be eligible for Medicare in three years when they turn 65.

Nearly three-quarters of the 1,006 telephone survey respondents, aged 18 and older, said they believe Congress should stop the cuts so that doctors can continue to treat Medicare patients, the AMA said.

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Carbon Monoxide May Benefit Lung Disease Patients: Study

Extremely low doses of carbon monoxide -- a dangerous gas found in car exhaust and produced by faulty heating equipment -- may help ease symptoms of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), suggests a study by researchers at the University Medical Center at Groningen in the Netherlands.

The study included 18 people who were given a low dose of carbon monoxide for two hours on four consecutive days. When the researchers checked the level of a certain type of immune cell linked to inflammation in lung mucus, they found it had decreased by about one third, on average, in the participants, BBC News reported. In addition, the volunteers' lungs seemed to become more resistant to the effects of an irritating chemical.

The study was published in New Scientist magazine. The Dutch team plans to conduct more studies with larger numbers of people.

One expert told BBC News he has serious concerns about the safety of this kind of treatment.

"The difficulty with carbon monoxide is that there is a fine balance between levels that influence COPD, and toxic levels, and it would be very hard to gauge a safe dose for patients. This makes it potentially quite dangerous," said Dr. Paolo Paredi, of the National Heart and Lung Institute, in Great Britain.

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Gene Variations Influence PTSD Risk

Gene differences may explain why some people recover from a traumatic event while others develop post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD), according to a study that included 900 adults who suffered abuse when they were children.

The study found that specific variations in a stress related gene may be influenced by trauma at a young age, and these variations increase the risk of PTSD in adulthood. Among adults who suffered severe child abuse, those with the gene variations scored 31 on a scale of PTSD, compared to 13 for those without the variations, the Associated Press reported.

The study, published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association, is one of the first to show that external, non-genetic factors can affect genes in a way that increases the risk of PTSD, the researchers said.

The findings suggest there are important periods in childhood when the brain is vulnerable "to outside influences that can shape the developing stress-response system," said study co-author Dr. Kerry Ressler of Emory University, the AP reported.

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FDA Delays Decision on New Antibiotic

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration wants more information about how a new antibiotic called ceftobiprole works before the agency decides whether to approve the medicine. It is designed to treat diabetic food infections and complicated skin infections, including methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

On Tuesday, the FDA said it issued an approvable letter for ceftobiprole, which means the agency wants more time to inspect study locations and review data. It's not clear whether new studies will have to be conducted or how long the extended review will take, Bloomberg News reported.

The drug, developed by Johnson & Johnson and Basilea Pharmaceutica AG, has also been submitted for approval in Europe, Canada and Switzerland.

Ceftobiprole is among a number of new antibiotics being developed to fight MRSA, which sickens about two million Americans a year and costs about $20 billion a year to treat, Bloomberg reported. MRSA causes nearly two-thirds of all skin infections in emergency rooms. About one in 20 patients hospitalized with MRSA dies, according to the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

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FDA Cautions on COPD Inhaler and Stroke Risk

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration cautioned Tuesday that a respiratory inhaler used for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease may heighten the risk for stroke.

The agency said that German drug maker Boehringer Ingelheim, which manufactures Spiriva HandiHaler, reported that ongoing safety monitoring identified a possible increased risk of stroke in patients who take the medicine.

The inhaler contains tiotropium bromide and is used to treat bronchospasm associated with COPD, the FDA said in a prepared statement, adding that additional information is needed to further evaluate this preliminary information.

Boehringer Ingelheim reported that it has conducted an analysis of the safety data from 29 placebo-controlled clinical studies involving 13,500 patients with COPD, the FDA said. In 25 of the clinical studies, patients were treated with Spiriva HandiHaler, which is a once-daily, long-term maintenance medicine. In the other four, patients were treated with another formulation of tiotropium approved in Europe, Spiriva Respimat.

Based on data from these studies, the FDA statement said, the preliminary estimates of the risk of stroke were eight patients per 1,000 patients treated for one year with Spiriva, and six patients per 1,000 patients treated for one year with a placebo. That translates to an estimated excess risk of any type of stroke due to Spiriva to two patients for each 1,000 patients using Spiriva over a one-year period.

The FDA said it was working with the drug maker to evaluate the potential link, and it cautioned patients using Spiriva to not stop using the medication without talking to their doctors.

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Stress Common Among U.S. College Students: Survey

Stress is a major problem for many U.S. college students, according to a survey that included 2,253 undergraduate students, ages 18-24, at 40 schools nationwide.

Four in 10 students said they were stressed often, nearly 20 percent said they felt stress all the time, one in five said they had felt too stressed to be with friends or do homework, and about the same number said things had been so bad in the past three months that they had given serious consideration to dropping out of school, the survey found.

The poll was conducted for the Associated Press and mtvU, a television network available at many colleges and universities.

Among the other findings:

Many students said they had symptoms such as: difficulty concentrating, sleeping and being motivated; agitation; worry; being too tired to work; eating problems; and feeling lonely and depressed.
About one in six said they had friends in the past year who had discussed committing suicide, and about one in 10 respondents said they had seriously considered suicide themselves.
Primary sources of stress included school work and grades, financial problems, relationships and dating, family problems, and extracurricular activities.
Women were more likely than men to feel stressed -- 45 percent vs. 34 percent.
White students reported more stress than black and Hispanic students.
About 26 percent of students said they considered talking to a counselor or getting other professional help, but only 15 percent said they actually did so.

Health Tips for March 20

Health Tip: Massage During Pregnancy

The medical community continues to debate the merits of getting a massage during pregnancy, according to the American Pregnancy Association.

Before you get a massage while you're pregnant, always check with your doctor. The association believes for many pregnant women, massage can offer benefits that include:

* Improved regulation of hormones related to stress and anxiety.
* Reduced swelling of the joints.
* Improvement of nerve pain.
* Better circulation.
* Fewer muscle aches and pains.
* Better sleep.

The association advises that you should always work with a certified prenatal massage therapist, who is attuned to the needs of pregnant women. Of particular concern may be your body's position during the massage. Discuss this with your doctor and massage therapist in advance.

Women with high-risk pregnancies or medical conditions such as preeclampsia should be particularly careful about discussing the risks of massage with their physician.

Health Tip: Treating Head Lice

Head lice are tiny insects that live in the hair. They can be transmitted from person to person, or by sharing items such as clothing or linens with an infested person.

The U.S. National Library of Medicine offers these suggestions to treat and remove head lice and their eggs:

* Thoroughly wash hair with a medicated shampoo or lotion that contains permethrin.
* Use a metal nit comb to pick eggs out of the hair. Metal combs are more effective than plastic ones. Rub olive oil on the hair or rub the comb in beeswax before combing to make eggs easier to remove.
* Begin treatment as soon as you spot symptoms of lice.
* Thoroughly wash all clothing, towels and bed linens in very hot water and detergent.

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Health Headlines - March 19

FDA Cautions on COPD Inhaler and Stroke Risk

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration cautioned Tuesday that a respiratory inhaler used for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease may heighten the risk for stroke.

The FDA said it was working with the drug maker to evaluate the potential link, and it cautioned patients using Spiriva to not stop using the medication without talking to their doctors.

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Stress Common Among U.S. College Students: Survey

Stress is a major problem for many U.S. college students, according to a survey that included 2,253 undergraduate students, ages 18-24, at 40 schools nationwide.

The poll was conducted for the Associated Press and mtvU, a television network available at many colleges and universities.

Among the other findings:

Many students said they had symptoms such as: difficulty concentrating, sleeping and being motivated; agitation; worry; being too tired to work; eating problems; and feeling lonely and depressed.
About one in six said they had friends in the past year who had discussed committing suicide, and about one in 10 respondents said they had seriously considered suicide themselves.
Primary sources of stress included school work and grades, financial problems, relationships and dating, family problems, and extracurricular activities.
Women were more likely than men to feel stressed -- 45 percent vs. 34 percent.
White students reported more stress than black and Hispanic students.
About 26 percent of students said they considered talking to a counselor or getting other professional help, but only 15 percent said they actually did so.

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U.N. Agency Warns of Indonesian Bird Flu Crisis

The "critical" H5N1 bird flu situation in Indonesia could lead to a virus mutation that could trigger a human pandemic, the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization warned Tuesday.

The prevalence of the H5N1 strain of bird flu remains serious, despite national and international efforts to contain it. Joseph Domenech, the U.N. agency's chief veterinary officer, said he's "deeply concerned that the high level of virus circulation in birds in the country could create conditions for the virus to mutate and to finally cause a human influenza pandemic," Agence France-Presse reported.

He noted that the virus is present in nearly all areas of Indonesia, which has reported a total of 105 human deaths from bird flu, including 11 this year.

To date, most human cases of bird flu in Indonesia and other affected countries have been the result of close contact with infected poultry. However, experts fear that H5N1 may mutate into a form that's easily transmitted between people.

Domenech said the human death rate "from bird flu in Indonesia is the highest in the world, and there will be more human cases if we do not focus more on containing the disease at the source in animals," AFP reported.

New H5N1 variants have recently emerged, "creating the possibility that vaccines currently in use may not be fully protecting poultry against the disease," Domenech said.

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Progress Against TB Slowing: WHO

Progress against the global tuberculosis epidemic may be slowing, a World Health Organization report suggests.

The report, released Monday, found that the rate of new cases fell by less than 1 percent between 2005 and 2006, far less than the targeted annual decrease of 5 to 7 percent, the Associated Press reported.

The WHO report, based on government data from 202 countries and regions, said there were an estimated 9.2 million new TB cases and 1.5 million TB deaths worldwide in 2006. Countries with the most TB cases were India, China, Indonesia, South Africa and Nigeria. By region, Asia (55 percent) and Africa (31 percent) had the majority of TB cases.

The WHO said TB infection rates decreased about 3 percent in the United States and were stable in Europe, the AP reported.

Outdated drugs, obsolete diagnostic tests, overburdened health systems, and a lack of vaccines are among the factors contributing to the slowdown in the fight against TB, Dr. Marcos Espinal, executive secretary of the WHO's Stop TB Partnership, told the AP.

Some health experts say the WHO's TB policy is too passive and the organization needs a more proactive strategy to combat the disease.

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Vegan Diet May Reduce Heart Disease Risk in Arthritis Patients

A vegan diet may help reduce the increased risk of heart attack and stroke in people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), says a Swedish study.

RA causes inflammation that affects arteries; heart attack and stroke are among the leading causes of death among people with RA. The new study found that RA patients who ate a vegan diet had lower levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol, a major heart disease risk factor, BBC News reported.

The study by researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm included 38 people who ate a vegan diet that included nuts, sunflower seeds, fruits and vegetables, millet, corn and sesame milk. The diet led to a decrease in total cholesterol levels and a reduction in the amount of LDL cholesterol. The volunteers on the diet also had a lower body mass index at the end of the 12-month study.

The findings were published in the journal Arthritis Research and Therapy.

The new research is interesting, but should be considered with caution, a spokeswoman for the Arthritis Research Campaign told BBC News. "A vegan diet may be helpful in reducing cholesterol, but it is difficult to get enough of some important nutrients on a vegan diet," she said.

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ADHD May Increase Girls' Risk of Eating Disorders

Teen girls with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may have a significantly increased risk of developing eating disorders, says a University of Virginia study that included 140 girls with ADHD and 88 girls without the disorder.

The researchers found that some of the girls with ADHD were 5 percent to 10 percent more likely to show signs of an eating disorder than girls without ADHD, CBC News reported.

"Girls with ADHD may be more at risk of developing eating disorders as adolescents because they already have impulsive behaviors that can set them apart from their peers," study lead author Amori Yee Mikami said in a prepared statement. "As they get older, their impulsivity may make it difficult for them to maintain healthy eating and a healthy weight, resulting in self-consciousness about their body image and the binging and purging symptoms."

The study, published in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology, also found that girls with ADHD were more likely to have received critical parenting when they were younger, had more difficulty relating to peers, and were more likely to be overweight, CBC News reported.

ADHD affects about 5 percent of school-age children, the researchers said.

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Children With Allergies Less Active Than Peers: Survey

Many American children with allergies aren't getting the treatment they need, and children with allergies are less active and productive than their peers, according to survey presented Monday at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.

The survey included more than 500 parents of children with allergic rhinitis and a similar number of parents of children without allergies. Among the findings:

About 76 percent of parents said spring was the worst time of year for their children's nasal allergies.
Forty percent of parents said their children's allergies interfered with sleep, compared to eight percent of parents of children without allergies.
Twenty-one percent of parents said allergies limited their children's activities, compared with 11 percent of parents of children without allergies.
Forty percent of parents of children with allergies said the condition interfered with school performance. Only 10 percent of parents of children without allergies said health issues caused poorer school performance.
The most bothersome symptom for children with allergic rhinitis is a stuffed up nose (27 percent), but about 46 percent of parents said their children also suffered more serious symptoms, such as headache and ear and facial pain.
About 48 percent of allergic children in the survey are currently taking prescription drugs to treat symptoms. Of those, 57 percent have had their medication switched. Ineffective allergy control was the leading reason for changing medications.
Bothersome side effects -- such as products dripping down the throat, bad taste, burning, and headache -- were among the reasons for dissatisfaction with allergy medications.

The Pediatric Allergies in America survey was released by Sepracor Inc, a manufacturer and distributor of respiratory pharmaceutical products.

Health Tips for March 19

Health Tip: Tame Tension Headaches

Tension headaches are often triggered by stress or anxiety, causing pain and muscle tension in the head and neck.

Here are suggestions to help keep tension headaches at bay, courtesy of the U.S. National Library of Medicine:

* Help control stress and anxiety with exercise, meditation, yoga or other stress-relieving methods.
* Get plenty of sleep each night.
* If you have muscle soreness in the upper back, neck or head, gently massage the muscles in these areas.
* Know what causes headaches for you, and try to prevent the condition. For example, if cold temperatures tend to cause your headaches, try to keep warm.
* Try sleeping with a different pillow, or sleeping in a different position.
* Maintain good posture. Exercise the neck and shoulders often, especially when typing, reading or working at a computer.

Health Tip: A Sprain in the Neck

A neck sprain can be caused by a car accident, a sudden impact or fall. Neck pain should be evaluated by a doctor, to see what kind of treatment may be required.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons lists these possible symptoms of a neck sprain:

* Pain in the back of the neck -- especially pain that increases when the neck is moved.
* Stiffness or decreased range of neck movement.
* Pain that is greater a day or so after an injury than immediately following it.
* Muscle pain or spasms in the tops of the shoulders.
* Headache, particularly at the back of the head.
* Sore throat.
* Numbness in the arms or hands, or weakness or a tingling sensation in the arms.
* Irritability, fatigue, problems sleeping and an inability to concentrate.

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Health Headlines - March 18

Children With Allergies Less Active Than Peers: Survey

The survey included more than 500 parents of children with allergic rhinitis and a similar number of parents of children without allergies. Among the findings:

About 76 percent of parents said spring was the worst time of year for their children's nasal allergies.
Forty percent of parents said their children's allergies interfered with sleep, compared to eight percent of parents of children without allergies.
Twenty-one percent of parents said allergies limited their children's activities, compared with 11 percent of parents of children without allergies.
Forty percent of parents of children with allergies said the condition interfered with school performance. Only 10 percent of parents of children without allergies said health issues caused poorer school performance.
The most bothersome symptom for children with allergic rhinitis is a stuffed up nose (27 percent), but about 46 percent of parents said their children also suffered more serious symptoms, such as headache and ear and facial pain.
About 48 percent of allergic children in the survey are currently taking prescription drugs to treat symptoms. Of those, 57 percent have had their medication switched. Ineffective allergy control was the leading reason for changing medications.
Bothersome side effects -- such as products dripping down the throat, bad taste, burning, and headache -- were among the reasons for dissatisfaction with allergy medications.

The Pediatric Allergies in America survey was released by Sepracor Inc, a manufacturer and distributor of respiratory pharmaceutical products.

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Symptoms of Severe West Nile Can Last for Years

Most people who suffer a severe West Nile virus infection continue to have symptoms for years and may have symptoms for the rest of their lives, according to a U.S. study that followed 108 patients in Texas for five years.

"What we are finding is that about 60 percent of people, one year after severe infection with West Nile, still report symptoms," researcher Kristy Murray, of the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, said in a prepared statement.

She and her colleagues also found that most, if not all, recoveries from West Nile infection appeared to occur within two years.

"Once they hit two years it completely plateaus. If a patient has not recovered by that time, it is very likely they will never recover," Murray said.

About 40 percent of patients in the study continued to have symptoms five years after infection. Memory loss, tremors and loss of balance were among the long-term symptoms.

The findings were presented Monday in Atlanta at the International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases.

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Genomics and Health Disparities Are Focus of New NIH Center

A new center to study how genetic, clinical, lifestyle and socio-economic factors affect the health of minority groups in the United States has been created by the National Institutes of Health.

The Intramural Center for Genomics and Health Disparities will be a resource "to help move research related to the complex factors underlying health disparities into the 21st century," NIH Director Dr. Elias A. Zerhouni said in a prepared statement.

The new center will be directed by genetic epidemiologist Charles N. Rotimi, former director of the National Human Genome Center at Howard University.

"The priority of our center will be to understand how we can use the tools of genomics to address some of the issues we see with health disparities," Rotimi said in a prepared statement. "The availability of tremendous expertise and the remarkable research infrastructure at NIH will make our research activities more robust and will allow us to tackle questions in ways that were not feasible in the past."

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EPA Introduces Poison-Prevention Video

As part of National Poison Prevention Week (March 16-22), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has launched a poison-prevention segment on Green Scene, the agency's new series of environmental videos.

The segment includes information about how to protect children from toxic substances around the home and what to do in case of an accidental poisoning.

Every 13 seconds, a U.S. poison control center receives a call about an unintentional poisoning. In 2006, poison centers reported more than 77,000 calls prompted by concerns about potential exposure to common household pesticides (potential exposures do not necessarily represent a poisoning). More than 50 percent of the 2 million poisoning incidents each year involve children younger than six years old, according to the American Association of Poison Control Centers.

As part of this year's National Poison Prevention Week, the EPA is conducting extensive outreach targeting Hispanic people, including television interviews to be aired on "Cada Dia," Telemundo's national morning program and the Telemundo Washington affiliate in the District of Columbia. Other interviews include Univision TV and Radio, and CNN Radio en Espanol.

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Exercise Doesn't Help Fight Depression: Study

A new study challenges previous research suggesting that exercise helps fight depression and anxiety. Dutch researchers followed 7,200 twins and 1,200 of their siblings for up to 11 years and found that a common set of genes influences both mental health and exercise behavior, USA Today reported.

The researchers concluded that people who are most mentally healthy also tend to be active and that genes, not environment, are the most significant factor.

"I'm not saying exercise might not help someone's mood. But it also may not work at all," said Eco DeGeus, a psychologist who specializes in exercise at Vrije University in Amsterdam, USA Today reported.

The findings were presented at a meeting of the American Psychosomatic Society.

Duke University Medical Center psychologist Dr. James Blumenthal said there's strong evidence that exercise can help ease depression symptoms.

"I doubt that there's no link between exercise and mood because again and again we've seen that when they become sedentary, people are more likely to get depressed, and becoming active improves mood," Blumenthal told USA Today.

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Male Reproductive Health Set in Early Stages of Pregnancy

Men's fertility problems are determined while they're developing in the womb, say University of Edinburgh researchers whose studies in rats showed that common male genital disorders, low sperm count and testicular cancer may all be connected to hormone levels during the early stages of pregnancy.

Based on their findings in rats, the researchers concluded that a human male's future reproductive health is determined by levels of male hormones (androgens) in a critical "window" at 8-12 weeks of pregnancy, BBC News reported.

In addition, the researchers said there's a link between levels of male hormones at this stage of pregnancy and the distance between the base of the penis and the anus. They suggested checking this measurement in baby boys could help predict future reproductive problems.

"We know from other studies that androgens work during fetal development to program the reproductive tract. But our assumption was that it would be much later in pregnancy," said study leader Dr. Michelle Welsh, BBC News reported.

The findings appear in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

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China Reports New H5N1 Outbreak

H5N1 bird flu was responsible for the deaths of chickens in poultry markets in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, but the outbreak has been contained, according to the country's Ministry of Agriculture.

On it's Web site last week, the ministry said bird flu killed 114 chickens and prompted the slaughter of 518 others, Agence France-Presse reported. This is the fifth H5N1 bird flu outbreak in China this year.

So far this year, the H5N1 virus has killed three people in China. The country, which is the largest poultry-producer in the world, has reported 20 human deaths since the virus first appeared in 2003. Chinese officials have pledged to aggressively combat the virus.

The H5N1 virus has killed 235 people worldwide. Most of the human cases have been linked to close contact with infected birds. Officials fear the virus may mutate into a form that's easily transmitted between humans, triggering a pandemic that may kill millions of people worldwide.

Health Tips for March 18

Health Tip: Use Sunscreen Year-Round

While you may remember to use sunscreen before you head to the beach during the summer heat, your skin should be protected any time you are in the sun -- even during winter.

Here are suggestions for how and when to use sunscreen, courtesy of The Skin Cancer Foundation:

* Children aged 6 months or older should always wear sunscreen when they are outdoors. Children younger than 6 months should not be exposed to the sun whenever possible.
* People who work or sit near windows for long periods should wear sunscreen. Harmful UV rays do pass through windows.
* Wear sunscreen year-round, even on cloudy days, whenever you'll be outside.
* Use sunscreen with an SPF (sun protection factor) of 15 or higher. Make sure the product offers broad-spectrum protection.

Health Tip: Risk Factors for Melanoma

Melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer. While it can be treated when caught early, it can spread and become deadly over time.

It is important to inspect your skin carefully and regularly to check for any new or changing moles or colored patches.

The Skin Cancer Foundation says you are at greater risk for melanoma if you have any of these risk factors:

* Having prolonged or frequent exposure to the sun or UV rays, especially if you don't wear sunscreen.
* Having a lot of moles.
* Having fair skin.
* Having a family history of melanoma.
* Having been previously diagnosed with melanoma.
* Having an immune system weakened by chemotherapy, a recent organ transplant, HIV/AIDS, or lymphoma.

Monday, March 17, 2008

Health Headlines - March 17

Optical Scanning Method May Be Able to Detect Early Onset of Alzheimer's

A team of researchers from Harvard Medical School and Boston University says it has found a way to detect the amyloid plaque in the brain that may be able to signal the progression of Alzheimers disease while the patient is still alive.

According to a news release from the Optical Society of America, the detection method, which uses near-infrared light detection to scan a person's brain to find the plaque, is being tested on living subjects. Finding the amyloid substances, believed to be the chief cause of memory loss and other symptoms of Alzheimer's dementia, had previously been accomplished only during autopsies.

"We're primarily interested in finding a way of diagnosing and monitoring Alzheimer's disease during life," U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Research Scientist Eugene Hanlon says in the news release. "We think this technique has a lot of potential for detecting the disease early on."

Hanlon and his colleagues from Harvard Medical School-Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Boston University used the near-infrared scanning technology to demonstrate that as the microscopic plaques accumulate, the optical properties of the brain change. The current research on living subjects will determine the technology's effectiveness as a an early-detection tool, the news release said.

The study is published in the current issue of the journal Optics Letters.

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Varicose, Spider Vein Removal Jump to No. 2 as Most-Performed Cosmetic Surgery

Varicose vein removal has moved ahead of eyelid surgery as the second most often performed cosmetic surgical procedure, according to a new survey.

The reason for this, The American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery (AACS) says in a news release, is cosmetic surgery preferences of men, not women, have changed dramatically. Sclerotherapy, the removal of spider veins and varicose veins, has increased about 226 percent among U.S. men in the past five years, the AACS says, while it has only increased about 3.5 percent as a preference for U.S. females.

By contrast, U.S men seem to be thinking twice about hair transplants, according to the survey. Price may be a factor, with hair transplant costs increasing by almost $1,300 in the past five years, while sclerotherapy costs have declined by slightly more than $100, according to AACS statistics.

Liposuction remains the top cosmetic surgical procedure, the AACS says, followed by sclerotherapy and blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery). The top non-surgical cosmetic procedure is Botox injection, the AACS reports.

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Meningitis Kills 1 of 3 College Students in Upstate New York

An 18-year-old student at an upstate New York college has died from what health officials suspect is a case of bacterial meningitis, the New York Times reports.

The death March 14 of Craig Schiesser, a freshman at the State University of New York (SUNY) College at Oswego on Lake Ontario, was one of three bacterial meningitis cases reported on two upstate New York college campuses in the past week-and-a-half, the newspaper reports.

Two Cornell University students, a 21-year-old woman and a 19-year-old man, have been hospitalized, the Times reports, causing health to warn students that they may need to take medicine to prevent their contracting the disease.

This is particularly true of anyone who may have been in contact with Schiesser during the past 10 days, the newspaper said. Health and college officials were also investigating whether the three cases were connected through campus parties, because the two colleges are relatively near each other.

Earlier this year, two fatal cases of bacterial meningitis struck a high school guidance counselor and a 17-year-old high school senior over a 24-hour period and within a few miles of each other in the New York City suburban area of Long Island.

Bacterial meningitis inflames the outer membranes of the brain and spinal cord and kills a few hundred people nationwide each year, the Times reports. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, symptoms include a sore neck, headaches, flu-like symptoms and a high fever.

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Breast Cancer Awareness Program Unites U.S., Mexico

The effort to expand breast cancer awareness went beyond United States borders this weekend as U.S. First lady Laura Bush joined Mexico's First Lady Margarita Zavala in announcing an alliance between the two countries for awareness and research into cures for the deadly disease.

The Associated Press reports that the U.S.-Mexico Partnership for Breast Cancer Awareness and Research was officially launched March 14, with Bush and Zavala speaking about ways to educate people not only about preventative measures but also in getting rid of stigmas associated with breast cancer.

"In Mexico, one out of every 258 women will discover they have breast cancer in the next 10 years," the wire service quotes Bush saying at the ceremony in the Mexico City. "The majority of these cases will be detected in their later stages, greatly reducing their chances of survival."

Eventually, the partnership will extend to Brazil and Costa Rica, the A.P. reported. And the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation create training programs in Mexico.

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Lubbock Has Worst Teeth in U.S.: Study

The best teeth in the United States are found in Madison, Wis., Nashville, Tenn., and Raleigh, N.C., while the worst are in Lubbock, Texas. Three other cities in the Lone Star state -- El Paso, San Antonio, and Dallas -- are also in the bottom 15 cities, says an article in next month's Men's Health magazine.

The authors looked at U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data on the number of annual dentists visits, canceled appointments, regular flossers, and households using fluoride in 100 large cities, the Associated Press reported.

Some experts theorized that high level of fluoride in Lubbock's well water may be a factor. Too much fluoride in water can cause tooth enamel to become rough, leaving white or brown stains.

Others suggested that dental care is too expensive, which means low-income people can't afford regular checkups or education, the AP reported.

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Microwave Popcorn Chemical Damages Airways: Study

Inhalation of a chemical used in microwave popcorn artificial butter flavoring damaged the airways of mice, which developed a condition that can lead to a life-threatening lung disease, says a study by researchers at the U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS).

Mice exposed to diacetyl vapors for three months developed lymphocytic bronchiolitis, a precursor to obliterative bronchiolitis (popcorn lung). None of the mice developed the more serious disease, said ConsumerReports.org.

"This is one of the first studies to evaluate the respiratory toxicity of diacetyl at levels relevant to human health. Mice were exposed to diacetyl at concentrations and durations comparable to what may be inhaled at some microwave popcorn packaging plants," study co-author Daniel L. Morgan, chief of the Respiratory Toxicology Group at the NIEHS, said in a prepared statement.

He and his colleagues concluded that workplace exposure to diacetyl contributes to the development of obliterative bronchiolitis, but noted that more research was needed. The study was published online in the journal Toxicological Sciences.

Obliterative bronchiolitis has been noted in microwave popcorn packaging plant workers who have inhaled significant concentrations of artificial butter flavoring. Late last year, a number of leading popcorn makers said they planned to eliminate diacetyl from their products, ConsumerReports.org said.

Health Tips for March 17

Health Tip: Seniors, Listen to Your Bodies

With a doctor's approval, exercise is a great choice for everyone, including seniors. But older people must listen to what their bodies tell them about how much they can handle.

Here are warning signs that you have done too much and that you should contact your doctor without delay, courtesy of the American Academy of Family Physicians:

* Chest pain or pressure in your chest.
* Dizziness or lightheadedness.
* Difficulty breathing, or severe shortness of breath.
* Balance problems.
* Nausea.
* Sore or strained muscles, especially if the pain lasts for several days.

Health Tip: Take a Childbirth Class

A childbirth class can provide moms-to-be with lots of useful information and help reduce the fear and uncertainty often associated with giving birth.

The American Pregnancy Association mentions these benefits of childbirth classes:

* You will learn about options and methods to help control pain, including medications, massage, breathing and relaxation techniques.
* The information and experiences you share can help you feel more confident about your body being able to handle childbirth.
* Talking about your fears, questions and expectations with other participants can help relieve anxiety and better prepare you.
* The shared experience can help create a stronger bond between you and your partner.
* Taking a tour of the hospital where you plan to have your baby (often where the class is offered) allows you to become familiar with the environment, observe the staff and ask questions.

Sunday, March 16, 2008

Health Headlines - March 16

Meningitis Kills 1 of 3 College Students in Upstate New York

An 18-year-old student at an upstate New York college has died from what health officials suspect is a case of bacterial meningitis, the New York Times reports.

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Breast Cancer Awareness Program Unites U.S., Mexico

Eventually, the partnership will extend to Brazil and Costa Rica, the A.P. reported. And the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation create training programs in Mexico.

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Unique Risk Factors May Help Spread Heart Disease in Developing Nations

Certain health issues may be helping the rapid spread of heart disease in developing nations, suggests a study that looked at 1,593 black and white cardiovascular disease patients in South Africa.

Many of the patients were obese, a recognized risk factor for heart disease. But the researchers noted other factors in these patients, including HIV infection and tuberculosis, late diagnosis, and a tendency to seek medical care only after consultation with a traditional healer failed to help, Agence France-Presse reported.

The study appears in The Lancet medical journal. An accompanying commentary noted that the study's findings are "relevant to many areas of the world that face similar threats and the emergence of epidemics of heart disease."

The commentary said that in "some developing countries, such as India, the epidemiological transition has been more rapid and the speed of transition will vary from country to country depending on the exposure time and competing causes."

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Lubbock Has Worst Teeth in U.S.: Study

Some experts theorized that high level of fluoride in Lubbock's well water may be a factor. Too much fluoride in water can cause tooth enamel to become rough, leaving white or brown stains.

Others suggested that dental care is too expensive, which means low-income people can't afford regular checkups or education, the AP reported.

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Microwave Popcorn Chemical Damages Airways: Study

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Officials Investigating Possible CJD Deaths in Quebec

Health officials are investigating whether two people who died in Quebec in the last few months had a form of neurodegenerative Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), CBC News reported.

The two deaths in the Saguenay-Lac St. Jean region -- one in December and another in February -- are being treated with extreme caution by Canadian health authorities, who said it generally takes a few months to get test results in such cases. They refused to release any details.

So-called classic CJD appears only in humans, while variant CJD is believed to occur in humans who have eaten beef from cattle with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), otherwise known as mad cow disease. Both forms are fatal. Classic CJD kills one in a million Canadians each year.

The two Quebec cases were made public in a story first aired Wednesday by CKRS-FM radio in Chicoutimi, CBC News reported. The radio story noted that two patients have never died of CJD within such a short period of time in one area of Canada.

Health Tips for March 16

Health Tip: The Road to a Healthy Heart

The American Heart Association says there are a few simple things you can do to keep active and promote a healthier heart:

* Do housework yourself, instead of hiring someone else to do it.
* Work in the garden or mow the grass. Using a riding mower doesn't count.
* Go out for a short walk before breakfast, after dinner or both. Start with a 10-minute walk and work up to 30 minutes.
* Walk or bike to the corner store.
* When watching television, pedal a stationary bicycle.
* Park on the outskirts of a shopping mall and walk to the stores.

Health Tip: Let Shin Splints Heal

Shin splints occur when too much or too strenuous exercise causes pain in the lower legs. They usually aren't serious.

The U.S. National Library of Medicine offers these suggestions on how to help shin splints heal:

* Most shin splints will benefit from plenty of rest. You should not exercise for at least a week, and take a break of at least two-to-four weeks from running.
* Ice the injury for 20 minutes, at least twice a day.
* Use over-the-counter pain relievers to ease discomfort.
* For stress fractures, at least a month's rest is required. You should not run or exercise during that time.

Saturday, March 15, 2008

Health Headlines - March 15

Unique Risk Factors May Help Spread Heart Disease in Developing Nations

Certain health issues may be helping the rapid spread of heart disease in developing nations, suggests a study that looked at 1,593 black and white cardiovascular disease patients in South Africa.

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Lubbock Has Worst Teeth in U.S.: Study

Some experts theorized that high level of fluoride in Lubbock's well water may be a factor. Too much fluoride in water can cause tooth enamel to become rough, leaving white or brown stains.

Others suggested that dental care is too expensive, which means low-income people can't afford regular checkups or education, the AP reported.

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South Korean Researcher Retracts Anti-Aging Papers

Two papers on anti-aging technology published in international journals have been retracted by a professor at a South Korean technical university after it was discovered that he fabricated evidence, the Associated Press reported.

Officials at the state-run Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology said biotechnology professor Kim Tae-kook admitted that he used forged data in a 2005 paper on anti-aging technology published in the journal Science, and in a follow-up 2006 paper published in the journal Nature Chemical Biology.

Kim has been suspended from teaching and conducting research at the institute, which is still investigating whether to impose additional disciplinary measures, the AP reported. It's not clear if Kim will face criminal charges.

In the 2005 paper, Kim claimed to have found a way to use magnetic nanoparticles to find target proteins in the human body, a discovery he claimed could lead to the development of anti-aging drugs. In the 2006 paper, Kim said he had used the technology to identify target proteins and had developed two chemical substances that could slow aging.

In 2005, it was revealed that leading South Korean scientist Hwang Woo-suk faked evidence in what had been hailed as breakthrough stem cell research.

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Microwave Popcorn Chemical Damages Airways: Study

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Officials Investigating Possible CJD Deaths in Quebec

Health officials are investigating whether two people who died in Quebec in the last few months had a form of neurodegenerative Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), CBC News reported.

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More Americans Getting Colorectal Cancer Screenings

The percentage of Americans age 50 and older who had a colorectal cancer screening test increased from 53.9 percent to 60.8 percent between 2002 and 2006, a new report found.

However, while rates of colorectal cancer screening increased among all racial and ethnic groups, minority groups continued to have lower screening rates than whites. In addition, rates continued to be lower among those with no health insurance, low income, and less than a high school education.

The findings are reported in the March 14 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Lack of awareness of the need for colorectal cancer screening, lack of doctor recommendations for screening, lack of health insurance, and lack of a usual source of health care are among the factors that may contribute to disparities in colorectal cancer screening rates, the study authors said.

Previous studies found that men were more likely than women to be checked for colorectal cancer, but data in this new study suggest a narrowing of that gender gap.

"While we are encouraged to see an increase in colorectal cancer screening rates, certain groups are still not getting screened as recommended," report lead author Dr. Djenaba A. Joseph, medical officer in the CDC's division of cancer prevention and control, said in a prepared statement. "We need to ensure that all adults have access to these life-saving tests because there is strong evidence that screening can prevent colorectal cancer deaths."

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States. In 2004, nearly 145,000 people in the country were diagnosed with the disease and more than 53,000 died from it, the CDC said. Regular colorectal cancer screening is recommended for everyone age 50 and older.

Health Tips for March 15

Health Tip: Cardiac Rehabilitation

Cardiac rehabilitation under professional supervision often is recommended for people who have had a heart attack, heart surgery, or a related operation.

The American Heart Association lists these benefits of cardiac rehabilitation:

* A rehab program, based on a medical evaluation, often is tailored to a person's specific needs and health problems.
* During physical activity, your blood pressure and heart rate are closely monitored.
* Getting regular exercise can help reduce stress, strengthen your heart, and increase your energy.
* Rehabilitation often includes counseling on making lifestyle changes, including on what to eat, how to prepare food, how to manage stress, quitting smoking, and the importance of taking your medications.
* An associated support group may be available to help you talk about and deal with your concerns and health issues.

Health Tip: Before You Use a Blood Thinner

Blood thinning medications are prescribed to help prevent heart attacks, strokes and blood vessel blockages caused by clots.

They also are prescribed for people who have cardiac problems including atrial fibrillation, phlebitis or congestive heart failure, the Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital says.

Blood thinners may interact with popular medications -- like aspirin, ibuprofen and antacids -- so before you take a blood thinner, you should tell your doctor about any other medications you take.

People who use blood thinners need to avoid drinking alcohol and smoking. They also should have their blood tested regularly, to monitor how well the medication is working.

Friday, March 14, 2008

Health Headlines - March 14

More Americans Getting Colorectal Cancer Screenings

The percentage of Americans age 50 and older who had a colorectal cancer screening test increased from 53.9 percent to 60.8 percent between 2002 and 2006, a new report found.

The findings are reported in the March 14 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Previous studies found that men were more likely than women to be checked for colorectal cancer, but data in this new study suggest a narrowing of that gender gap.

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Violence-Related Injuries Led to 308,200 Hospitalizations in 2005

In 2005, U.S. hospitals treated 308,200 people for attempted suicide, assault, rape, abuse, and other violence-related trauma, at a cost of $2.3 billion, says the latest News and Numbers report from the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

The number of violence-related hospitalizations increased by 24,000 between 2002 and 2005, the report said. In 2005, about 23 percent of violence-related hospitalizations involved uninsured patients and 27 percent involved Medicaid recipients.

Among the other findings:

About 66 percent of all violence-related hospital patients had attempted suicide or injured themselves on purpose; about 31 percent were victims of attempted murder, fights, rape or other assaults; and about four percent were victims of sexual or other abuse.
More than half the patients admitted for self-inflicted injuries had mixed or overdosed on drugs.
Crushing and internal injuries, skull and facial fractures, and head injuries were the main reasons for admitting half of the assault victims.
Nearly 52 percent of abuse cases involved children. About one-third of them were victims of child neglect, physical and psychological abuse, or physical assault such as shaken baby syndrome.

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Toy Sundae Sets Pose Choking Hazard

A potential choking hazard has prompted the recall of about 22,000 Play Wonder toy sundae sets distributed by Battat Inc. of Plattsburgh, N.Y., and sold at Target stores from December 2006 through December 2007.

The recalled toy includes six wooden scoops of ice cream, three cherries that attach to the top of the ice cream scoops, banana slices, a spoon and bowl. The wooden cherries pose a choking hazard to young children, said the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The recall affects model number DPCI-204-12-0526, which can be found on the packaging.

There have been no reports of injuries, the CPSC said.

Consumers with the recalled toy sundae sets should take them away from children and return the toy to any Target store for a full refund. For more information, phone Battat Inc. at 1-800-247-6144.

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EPA Announces Modest Tightening of Smog Standards

Ignoring its own scientific advisory panel's recommendation for a much stricter smog standard, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday announced only a modest tightening of the standard.

Currently, the standard for average concentrations of ozone at ground level over an eight-hour period is 84 parts per billion. The EPA's expert panel recommended a new level of 60 to 70 parts per billion. The EPA decided to lower it to 75, but implementation of that less ambitious standard could take decades, The New York Times reported.

The EPA's decision was criticized by many environmental and health groups.

"The EPA's own risk estimates show that between 75 and 70, there will be hundreds more deaths and thousands more visits to emergency rooms, and hundreds of thousands of more lost school days," Dr. John M. Balbus, the chief health scientist at the Environmental Defense Fund, told the Times.

"The Environmental Protection Agency has missed a real opportunity to protect children's health with (its) decision to reduce the ozone standard from its current 0.08 parts per million (ppm) to 0.075 ppm," American Academy of Pediatrics President Dr. Renee R. Jenkins said in a prepared statement. "While any reduction in air pollution is a step in the right direction, EPA's new ozone standard, the first in a decade, fails to go far enough."

"The science is clear: ozone pollution harms children," Jenkins said.

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FDA Criticized for Oversight of Spinach Facilities

Even though serious sanitation problems were found in nearly half of all U.S. Food and Drug Administration inspections since 2001 of facilities that package fresh spinach, the agency took no "meaningful" enforcement action, according to report released Wednesday by the U.S. House of Representatives' Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

Litter piles, inadequate restroom sanitation, indoor condensation that posed a risk of food contamination by microorganisms, workers with uncovered hair and poor hygiene, and buildings vulnerable to rodent infestation were among the problems noted by FDA inspections of 67 facilities, the Washington Post reported.

None of the problem facilities were referred to FDA enforcement authorities, and the FDA didn't send any warning letters to, or seek injunctions against, the facilities. The House committee report also found that the FDA inspected spinach facilities about once every 2.4 years, even though federal guidelines state that most of the facilities should have been visited at least once a year.

"The inspection reports ... raise serious questions about the ability of the FDA to protect the safety of fresh spinach and other fresh produce," committee investigators wrote. "It appears the FDA is inspecting high-risk facilities infrequently, failing to take vigorous enforcement action when it does inspect and identify violations, and not even inspecting the most probable sources of many outbreaks."

Since 1995, 20 serious outbreaks of E. coli contamination in the United States have been traced to fresh spinach or lettuce. One of the most serious outbreaks occurred in 2006, when bagged spinach processed by California-based Natural Selection Foods sickened more than 200 people and was linked to three deaths, the Post reported.

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Dementia Diagnosis May Provide Relief: Study

Telling patients they have Alzheimer's disease or another form of dementia may actually give them a measure of relief, suggests a study by researchers at Washington University in St. Louis.

Some doctors are reluctant to deliver this kind of diagnosis because they fear it may overwhelm patients. But this study found that giving a dementia diagnosis didn't increase anxiety or depression among patients or caregivers. In fact, most were relieved to have symptoms explained and to learn where they can find help, the Associated Press reported.

The study, which included 90 patients and caregivers, appears in the March issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

"No one is pleased to find out they have dementia," study co-investigator Brian Carpenter, associate professor of psychology, told the AP. "But some people find comfort in getting resolution to their anxiety and concerns, and knowing people can help them."

Health Tips for March 14

Health Tip: When You're Diabetic and Sick

A common cold, flu or infection that is an inconvenience to many people can cause much more serious health problems in diabetics.

When you're sick, your body is under stress and releases hormones that can affect your blood sugar. So it's important to know how to take care of yourself.

Here are suggestions for diabetics on dealing with an illness, courtesy of the American Diabetes Association:

* Closely monitor and regulate your blood sugar, which can fluctuate more than usual while you're sick.
* Keep a notebook where you record your blood sugar and urine ketone levels.
* Talk to your doctor to see if your medications need to be adjusted when you're sick. Have a plan ready ahead of time.
* In advance of illness, prepare a list of contact names and phone numbers of your doctor, dietitian, and diabetes educator.
* Know when you should call your doctor. For instance, if you've been sick for an extended period or can't get your blood sugar under control.

Health Tip: Early-Stage Alzheimer's

People with early-stage Alzheimer's disease may fear losing their independence and being reliant on someone else.

Here are suggestions on how to maintain independence longer, courtesy of the Alzheimer's Association:

* Hire a service or ask a friend to help with activities, such as paying bills, cooking meals, cleaning the house or going to the grocery.
* Write instructions on how to work appliances, place labels on items you frequently forget, and compose notes to help you remember to perform certain tasks.
* Help keep your home safe by reducing the risk of slips and falls. For example, install grab bars in the bathroom. Also, make sure appliances have automatic shutoffs.
* Enroll in a safety alert program, so you can immediately get help if you need it.
* If you can't drive, get a bus schedule, have a cab company's phone number handy, or ask friends and family to drive you.
* Try to stay as physically and socially active as you can, and don't be afraid to ask for help.

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Health Headlines - March 13

FDA Panel Backs New Platelet Drug

An experimental biotech drug to treat a blood-clotting disorder won a recommendation for approval Wednesday from U.S. health experts.

A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel voted unanimously in favor of Amgen's drug, Nplate, according to a company spokeswoman.

The company is seeking approval for Nplate for patients with immune thrombocytopenic purpura, a disorder that causes the body to attack its own platelets, tiny components of blood that help with clotting, the Associated Press reported. The condition, which causes bruising and bleeding after minor injuries, affects about 200,000 people in the United States.

Amgen submitted studies that showed patients treated with the drug had significantly higher platelet levels than those taking placebo. The drug is a genetically engineered version of the protein that encourages platelet production, the AP reported.

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Meth Use Declines in U.S.

A U.S. government crackdown on the availability of chemicals used to make methamphetamine may be one reason why meth use continued to drop in nearly every part of the country last year.

A study released Wednesday by New Jersey-based drug testing company Quest Diagnostics Inc. found that the number of U.S. employees who tested positive for meth decreased 22 percent overall in 2007, the Associated Press reported. However, meth use in the Northest remained steady.

And a new report from the Drug Enforcement Agency said the number of illegal meth lab seizures decreased from 7,347 in 2006 to 5,080 in 2007, a drop of 31 percent. White House drug policy director John Walters said the market for meth has been disrupted by laws restricting the sale of cold medicines that contain pseudoephedrine (a key ingredient in meth), and increased efforts to block the flow of illegal drugs from Mexico.

The Quest study, based on the results of more than 8.4 million worker drug tests, also found that cocaine use in the workforce decreased by 19 percent last year, the largest single-year drop in a decade, the AP reported.

However, positive tests for amphetamines increased by 5 percent, the Quest study said.

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Scientists Discover Key to Pneumonia Bacterium's Penicillin Resistance

U.K. scientists have discovered how a bacterium that causes pneumonia becomes resistant to penicillin, a finding that could lead to the development of new drugs to fight different types of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

The University of Warwick researchers studied Streptococcus pneumoniae, which kills five million children a year worldwide, BBC News reported. S. pneumoniae is among a growing number of bacteria that have developed resistance to penicillin and other drugs.

The researchers found that S. pneumoniae deploys a protein called MurM in order to protect itself from the effects of penicillin. The study appears in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

These findings may help in the development of new drugs that disrupt the chemistry of MurM in order to prevent the bacterium from developing resistance to penicillin, BBC News reported. The research could also help in efforts to combat drug resistance in other types of bacteria.

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Schizophrenics Process Memories Differently: Study

Compared to normal people, schizophrenia patients appear to use different areas of the brain to process short-term memories, says a study by researchers at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn.

The findings may helps explain why schizophrenia is often associated with memory problems.

While normal people in the study used the right side of the brain to remember specific locations, those with schizophrenia used a wider network of areas on both sides of the brain, BBC News reported.

"This suggests that while healthy people recruit a specialized and focused network of brain areas for specific memory function, schizophrenic patients seem to rely on a more diffuse and wider network to achieve the same goal, " said researcher Professor Sohee Park.

"Cognitive impairment, including problems with memory, is one of the most disabling symptoms of schizophrenia, but is even more poorly understood than the other main symptoms -- hallucinations and delusions," Paul Corry, of the schizophrenia charity Rethink, told BBC News. "These findings offer some pointers to further research."

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Kmart Launches $1 OTC Drug Program

A program that offers consumers their choice of one of 10 over-the-counter (OTC) medications for $1 with every prescription purchase has been launched by Kmart Pharmacy.

The 10 kinds of Kmart's American Fare brand OTC medications that are part of the program include aspirin, ibuprofen, children's pain reliever, baby aspirin, nasal decongestant, cough suppressant, anti-diarrhea medication, and cold and allergy tablets.

The program was launched in Florida last week and will be available at every Kmart pharmacy in April. All of the specially labeled $1 American Fare OTC products will be kept behind the pharmacy counter, while regular-priced American Fare products will be on store shelves, the retailer said.

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Researchers 'Hack' Into Heart Device

A team of computer security researchers in the United States was able to reprogram a combination heart defibrillator and pacemaker to make it shut down and deliver potentially fatal jolts of electricity if the device had been implanted in a person, The New York Times reported.

In this laboratory test, the experts from the University of Washington and the University of Massachusetts were also able to gather personal patient data by eavesdropping on signals from the Medtronic Maximo's tiny wireless transmitter, which is used by doctors to monitor and adjust the device without the need for surgery.

But this success at gaining access into the heart device doesn't mean that people with implanted defibrillators or pacemakers need to fear hacker attacks, the researchers emphasized. For this experiment, they needed more than $30,000 worth of lab equipment and a lot of effort. In addition, the Maximo was placed within 2 inches of the test gear, the Times reported.

But the team, which chose the Maximo because it's typical of many implants with wireless communications features, said the results suggest that too little attention is being paid to security in the growing number of medical devices with wireless communications.

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Belgian Parents Face Jail Over Polio Vaccine Fight

Belgian authorities are using prison sentences to force parents to have their children vaccinated against polio. Recently, two sets of parents were given five-month prison terms for failing to have their children vaccinated against the disease. In addition, each parent was slapped with a fine of $4,100 euros ($8,000 U.S).

But the parents' prison sentences have been delayed to give them a chance to have their children vaccinated, the Associated Press reported. Due to privacy laws, Belgian officials did not discuss specifics about the cases, such as why the parents refused to have their children vaccinated or how long the parents have before they're sent to prison.

Belgium and France are the only countries where polio vaccinations are mandated by law. In the United States, polio is one of the diseases children must be vaccinated against, but most states allow exceptions in cases of religious or philosophical objections.

Polio is highly infectious and the hard line taken by Belgian officials is supported by some experts.

"Nobody has the right to unfettered liberty, and people do not have the right to endanger their kids," John Harris, a professor of bioethics at the University of Manchester in Great Britain, told the AP. "The parents in this case do not have any rights they can appeal to. They have obligations they are not fulfilling."

Health Tips for March 13

Health Tip: Age Affects the Senses

Getting older leads to many changes involving your senses of sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch.

Here are common ways that aging impacts the senses, courtesy of the U.S. National Library of Medicine:

* Parts of the ear begin to deteriorate as you get older, potentially affecting your hearing and balance.
* Vision can begin to deteriorate due to age as early as your 30s. By the time you reach 55, you are likely to need glasses -- at least part of the time. Problems with dry eyes, the sharpness of your vision, and inability to tolerate glare and bright lights are common.
* The number of taste buds decreases as you age, and you produce less saliva, which can impact taste.
* Sense of smell often decreases with age, commonly due to deterioration of the nerve endings in the nose.
* Many older people become less sensitive to heat, cold, pain, vibration or pressure.

Health Tip: Am I Getting Too Old to Drive?

Driving can become dangerous for some seniors as they decline both physically and mentally.

Here are warning signs that a senior may no longer be safe behind the wheel, courtesy of the U.S. National Library of Medicine:

* Memory problems, such as forgetting the destination or route.
* Difficulty concentrating.
* Difficulty seeing in general, or under certain conditions.
* Hearing problems.
* Arthritis, especially when it affects the hands and fingers.

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Health Headlines - March 12

More Than Half of Americans Covered by Colon Cancer Screening Laws

For the first time, more than half of the U.S. population -- 54 percent -- is covered by state laws that require insurance providers to cover the cost of colon cancer screening tests, says a report card released Tuesday by a coalition of 11 leading public health organizations, including the American Cancer Society and the American College of Gastroenterology.

The 2008 Colorectal Cancer Legislation Report Card gave an "A" grade to 19 states for colon cancer coverage laws that met certain guidelines, while 26 states received a "D" or "F" for failing to require coverage of colon cancer screening.

Screening rates in states with "A" level coverage laws increased 40 percent faster than the rates in states without such laws, according to a 2006 analysis by the American Cancer Society.

If all Americans aged 50 and older had regular colon cancer screening, colorectal cancer deaths could be reduced by as much as 60 percent, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But only half of people at risk for colon cancer get screened for the disease. Concern about insurance coverage is a major barrier to colon cancer screening, the American Cancer Society analysis found.

When detected early, colon cancer is one of the most treatable cancers. About 90 percent of people diagnosed with early-stage colon cancer survive five years, compared with 10 percent of patients diagnosed with late-stage colon cancer.

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Anemia Drugs Linked to Increased Death Risk: FDA

The anemia drugs Aranesp, Epogen and Procrit are associated with increased risk of death and faster-spreading tumors at high doses, according to U.S. Food and Drug Administration briefing information posted Tuesday on the agency's Web site.

The information said eight clinical trials indicated the drugs -- used to treat weakness or fatigue in patients with chronic kidney disease or those who are undergoing cancer chemotherapy -- posed greater risks for patients with breast, lung, head and neck, and cervical cancers, Bloomberg news reported.

"There is now mounting evidence of documented effects on survival, tumor progression," and blood clots, and this evidence "requires a re-assessment of the net benefits of this class of drugs," FDA staff wrote.

The briefing information was prepared in advance of Thursday's scheduled meeting of an FDA advisory panel that will consider the risks and benefits of the three anemia drugs. They may decide that new restrictions need to be imposed on the use of the drugs, Bloomberg reported.

Aranesp and Epogen are made by Amgen Inc., while Procrit is made by Johnson & Johnson.

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FDA Issues Alert About Tussionex Cough Medicine

Due to numerous reports of serious side effects and death associated with the misuse and inappropriate use of the long-acting prescription cough medicine Tussionex Pennkinetic Extended-Release Suspension, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday issued an alert on the safe and correct use of the medicine.

Tussionex, which contains the narcotic hydrocodone and the antihistamine chlorpheniramine, is approved for use in adults and children over the age of 6. It should be taken no more than once every 12 hours, the FDA said.

"There is a real and serious risk for overdose if this medication is not used according to the labeling," Dr. Curtis Rosebraugh, acting director of the FDA's Office of Drug Evaluation II, said in a prepared statement.

Reports suggest that doctors and other health professionals are sometimes prescribing, and patients are sometimes taking, more than the recommended dose or taking the medication more frequently than once every 12 hours. Reports also indicate that the medicine is being given to children less than 6 years old, the FDA said.

In its alert, the FDA reminded doctors and patients about the proper use of Tussionex. The manufacturer of the cough medicine -- UCB Inc., of Smyrna, Ga. -- has agreed to update to labeling to highlight that Tussionex should not be prescribed or used in children younger than 6, as well as the need for accurate dosing.

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JCPenney Recalls Deep Fryers Due to Fire/Burn Hazard

About 27,000 Cooks Deep Fryers have been recalled by JCPenney Co. due to a faulty heating element that can overheat and pose a fire and burn hazard, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said Tuesday.

To date, there have been five reported incidents involving the deep fryers, including three reports of damaged countertops and one report of a minor burn injury.

The recalled fryers have a brushed stainless steel exterior, a lid with a window, black handles, and 1/3-gallon capacity. "Cooks" is stamped on the side of the fryers and model number 22016 is printed on the bottom of the fryers, which were sold from August 2007 through January 2008 for about $50.

Consumers with recalled fryers should immediately stop using them and return the fryer to the nearest JCPenney store for a full refund, the CPSC said. For more information, contact JCPenney toll-free at 888-333-6063 anytime.

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Stagnant Funding Threatens U.S. Health Research: Report

If the budget of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) remains stagnant, the country could lose a generation of young researchers and their potential discoveries, which would pose a threat to the future of Americans' health, warns a report released Tuesday by seven leading academic research institutions.

The report, A Broken Pipeline? Flat Funding of the NIH Puts a Generation of Science at Risk, details how five consecutive years of flat funding for the NIH have affected 12 promising junior researchers who specialize in areas such as stem cells, cancer and brain diseases, and kidney disease.

"This is a real problem, discussed at almost every meeting one attends on campus, that can't simply be dismissed," Drew Faust, president of Harvard University, said in a prepared statement.

"This is about the investment that America is -- or is not -- making in the health of its citizens and its economy. Right now, the nation's brightest, young researchers, upon whom the future of American medicine rests, are getting the message that biomedical research may be a dead end and they should explore other career options -- and in too many cases, they're taking that message to heart. The President's latest budget proposal that calls for another year without an increase will only make the problem worse," Faust said.

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HIV Can Hide in Cells for Years

U.S. researchers have found that HIV is able to hide in some of the body's cells for years in order to avoid destruction by antiretroviral drugs. The finding confirms that HIV-positive people must take the drugs indefinitely to maintain control of the virus, which causes AIDS, BBC News reported.

The U.S. National Cancer Institute team followed 40 HIV-positive patients and found that 77 percent of them still had low levels of dormant HIV seven years after starting -- and responding well to -- antiretroviral therapy.

The researchers believe that HIV hides in CD4+ cells, which play a role in the immune system. It's likely that HIV infects these cells before the start of antiretroviral therapy and the amount of virus produced by the infected cells is low, BBC News reported.

The findings were published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

"It is extremely important that new drugs are developed to eradicate HIV infection as the side effects associated with long-term HIV treatment can be severe," said researcher Dr. Sarah Palmer.

Health Tips for March 12

Health Tip: Take Medicines As Prescribed

It's important to follow your doctor's instructions precisely when taking any medication, especially if you're taking more than one.

The American Heart Association offers these suggestions:

* Schedule a time to take your medication every day.
* Try to take your meds when you perform another daily activity, such as brushing your teeth.
* Use a day-of-the-week pillbox.
* Mark the day off on a calendar when you've taken your medication.
* Ask a friend or family member to remind you to take your meds. Have the person call at the same time each day.
* On a white board, write down the names of all of your meds, and mark the board when you've taken them.

Health Tip: Packing Your Prescriptions

If you're planning to hit the road this summer and you need to take your medications along, here are suggestions from AARP:

* In case of an emergency, pack a complete list of all medications you take, including those sold over-the-counter.
* If you're flying, pack medications in their original packages in a carry-on bag, instead of checking them.
* Take more medication than you expect to need, in case travel plans change or you run into problems getting home.
* Pack any medications that need to be refrigerated in insulated, cooled packaging.
* If you're going to another country, make sure you comply with that nation's laws on bringing in medications.

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Health Headlines - March 11

U.S. Drinking Water Contains Wide Variety of Pharmaceuticals

A broad range of prescription and over-the-counter drugs are present in the drinking water supplies of at least 41 million Americans, according to an Associated Press investigation that raises questions about the potential impact on human health.

The investigation included reviews of scientific studies and federal drinking water databases, visits to environmental study sites and water treatment plants, and interviews with hundreds of experts and officials.

Among the findings:

Pharmaceutical drugs have been detected in the drinking water of 24 major metropolitan areas.
Testing in Philadelphia revealed 56 pharmaceuticals or byproducts in treated drinking water.
A sex hormone was found in San Francisco's drinking water.
A metabolized angina medicine and the mood-stabilizing drug carbamazepine was found in the drinking water of 850,000 people in northern New Jersey.
A portion of the drinking water supplied to 18.5 million people in Southern California contained anti-epileptic and anti-anxiety medications.
Six pharmaceuticals were detected in the drinking water for Washington, D.C. and surrounding areas.

When people take a medication, the body doesn't use all of it. The excess is flushed out with other wastes and ends up in wastewater treatment plants, which discharge treated water into rivers, lakes or reservoirs, the AP said.

The concentrations of pharmaceuticals found in drinking water were extremely low and the exact risks to human health from long-term exposure aren't fully understood, the AP reported. However, recent research has shown that such drugs cause alarming effects on human cells and wildlife.

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Gene Variant Linked to Gout

A gene variant that may increase a person's risk of gout has been identified by Scottish researchers, who said their finding may lead to improved treatments for the painful joint condition, BBC News reported.

In healthy people, uric acid is removed by the kidneys and passed out of the body in urine. Gout occurs when there's a buildup of uric acid in the blood, forming crystals in the joints, resulting in inflammation, stiffness and pain. Diet is believed to play a major role in the development of gout. However, many people whose eating habits would seem to put them at risk for gout don't develop the disease.

This new study, by researchers at the MRC Human Genetics Unit in Edinburgh, may help explain why. The researchers found that a variant of the SLC2A gene appears to make it more difficult for the body to remove excess uric acid from the blood, BBC News reported.

The SLC2A gene plays an important role in determining the efficiency of uric acid transport across the membranes of the kidney, the researchers explained. Depending on the form of the gene they inherit, some people will have a higher or lower risk of gout.

The researchers said it may be possible to develop new drugs that target SLC2A, and the protein it controls, in order to better treat gout, BBC News reported. The findings may also lead to improved diagnosis of the condition.

The study was published in the journal Nature Genetics.

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Probiotic Treatment May Benefit Kidney Stone Sufferers

Treatment with "friendly" bacteria may benefit people who suffer from recurrent kidney stones, suggests a Boston University study of about 500 people, BBC News reported.

The study found that those who naturally carry the bacterium Oxalobacter formigenes in their gut were 70 percent less likely to have recurrent calcium oxalate kidney stones. Calcium oxalate is the major component in up to 80 percent of kidney stones.

The study also found that O. formigenes was present in 38 percent of those with no kidney stones, compared to 17 percent of those with recurrent kidney stones, BBC News reported.

The study was published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. The researchers are now investigating the possibility of using the bacteria as a probiotic treatment.

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Are Mothers 'Hard-Wired' to Protect Their Babies?

The same instinct that makes mothers in the animal kingdom protect their offspring against danger appears to be a part of the human mother's brain as well.

The New York Times reported that researchers in Tokyo made magnetic resonance images (MRIs) of 13 mothers, each of whom had a child about 16 months old. The mothers were taken out of the room where they had been with their babies, and a videotape was made of the toddlers crying and reaching for their mothers, the newspaper reported.

When each mother saw the image of her child in distress, the MRI showed a markedly different neural reaction than when she was watching other mothers' babies, the Times said. This dramatic brain pattern reaction seems "to be biologically meaningful in terms of adaptation to specific demands associated with successful infant care," the newspaper quoted the study authors as noting in the study.

No similar study has yet been done with fathers, the Times said. The research was published in the February issue of the journal Biological Psychiatry.

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Texas Closes Shellfish Beds After Detecting Red Tide Organism

The microbe that produces what is known as red tide in coastal waters has been detected in some Texas shellfish beds, causing the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) to close a number of bays to shellfish harvesting.

In addition to closing the shellfish beds at Aransas, Corpus Christi and Copano bays, the state has also issued a recall of oysters, clams and mussels because of an algae bloom of the Dinophysis organism, which can poison the shellfish and cause sickness in humans if they eat them.

According to a DSHS news release, all shellfish harvested from the affected bays since March 1 have been recalled from stores and restaurants. Texas state health officials said anyone who recently bought shellfish and think they may have come from the affected areas should call the stores where they were purchased to determine their origin.

The Dinophysis organism produces okadaic acid, which permeates shellfish and can cause diarrhea, nausea and cramping in humans. Boiling the shellfish will not remove the contamination, Texas officials said. The symptoms can begin within 30 minutes of consumption and can last for up to three days. The contamination usually is not fatal in humans.

Texas DSHS officials are monitoring the affected coastal shellfish beds to determine when they can be re-opened for harvesting. No cases of okadaic acid poisoning had yet been reported by March 8, the state said.

Health Tips for March 11

Health Tip: Your Diet and Sleep

If you've noticed that you feel particularly sleepy or more energized after eating certain foods, that's because what you eat can have an impact on how well you sleep and how awake you are during the day.

Here are examples of foods that can affect your sleep, courtesy of the National Sleep Foundation:

* Carbohydrate-rich foods, such as pastas and breads, can make you more sleepy.
* Carbohydrates work well with proteins to induce sleepiness, which makes combinations such as peanut butter on toast, cereal with milk, or cheese and crackers good bedtime snacks.
* A large meal can make you more tired, especially one with a lot of carbohydrates.
* Caffeine in foods and beverages is a stimulant that blocks hormones in the brain that make you feel sleepy.
* While alcohol may help you relax and fall asleep in the short term, over the course of the night it inhibits the sleep process and can prevent you from getting deep, restful sleep.

Health Tip: Is GERD Causing Sleep Problems?

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

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

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

NurseTips

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Health Headlines - March 20

Health Tips for March 20

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Health Headlines - March 19

Health Tips for March 19

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Health Headlines - March 18

Health Tips for March 18

Monday, March 17, 2008

Health Headlines - March 17

Health Tips for March 17

Sunday, March 16, 2008

Health Headlines - March 16

Health Tips for March 16

Saturday, March 15, 2008

Health Headlines - March 15

Health Tips for March 15

Friday, March 14, 2008

Health Headlines - March 14

Health Tips for March 14

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Health Headlines - March 13

Health Tips for March 13

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Health Headlines - March 12

Health Tips for March 12

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Health Headlines - March 11

Health Tips for March 11

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