Autism Affects Brain in Many Ways: Study
Autism affects many areas of the brain and causes a wide range of problems beyond impaired social interaction, concludes a U.S. study in the journal Child Neuropsychology.
U.S. researchers compared 56 children with autism and 56 children without the condition and found that the children with autism had much more difficulty with complex tasks, such as tying their shoelaces, BBC News reported.
Children with autism also had more problems with their handwriting and were less likely to be able to distinguish between similar-looking people. They also found it much harder to understand complex figures of speech.
According to the researchers, the findings suggest that autism affects sensory perception, memory and movement as it hinders the ability of different parts of the brain to work together to achieve complex tasks.
"These findings show that you cannot compartmentalize autism. It's much more complex," said lead researcher Nancy Minshew, a psychiatry and neurology expert at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
She said autism researchers shouldn't restrict their investigations to communication problems, repetitive behavior, or obsessive interests, BBC News reported.
"Our paper strongly suggests that autism is not primarily a disorder of social interaction but a global disorder affecting how the brain processes the information it receives -- especially when the information becomes complicated," Minshew said.
Folding Picnic Tables Recalled
More than 200,000 folding picnic tables are being recalled because they can buckle or break without warning during use, the U.S Consumer Product Safety Commission says.
The distributor, Atico International USA Inc. of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., has received 26 reports of the tables collapsing. There have been 18 reports of injuries, including muscle strains and a broken foot.
The tables were made in China. They have a green plastic top, four green plastic seats that are attached to the table, and silver/steel aluminum legs. Affected model numbers are W50B2268 and W50H0284, which are printed on the packaging.
The tables were sold for $20 to $40 nationwide between January 2001 and December 2005.
Consumers with these tables should immediately stop using them and call Atico for return instructions. Contact the company toll-free at 1-877-546-4835 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday.
Average 2007 Medicare Monthly Drug Premium: $24
The average premium for Medicare prescription drug coverage next year will be about $24 a month, U.S. officials said.
That's about the same as this year and about 40 percent lower than first estimated for 2007, The New York Times reported.
Many Medicare drug plans currently charge less than $20 a month, with some as low as $1.87 a month. Others charge higher-than-average premiums, including one plan that costs more than $100 a month.
Beneficiaries favored low-cost plans and their choices, along with competition between the private insurers who deliver the drug benefit, had an effect on the average premium, The Times reported.
One expert noted that companies set their premiums low this year in order to attract large numbers of beneficiaries.
"Some plans decided to operate at cost, or below cost, to get a substantial share of the market. But plans cannot sustain that strategy and still make a profit," Babette Edgar, a consultant at the Gorman Health Group and a former Medicare official, told The Times.
It's not clear whether low premiums actually are a boon, noted a lawyer at the nonprofit Center for Medicare Advocacy, which counsels beneficiaries.
"We do not know enough to determine whether the low premiums in 2007 are good for beneficiaries. Plans may be keeping costs low by unduly restricting access to the drugs they cover," attorney Vicki Gottlich told The Times.
Gerald Ford in Hospital for Tests
Former U.S. President Gerald Ford, 93, was admitted to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. on Tuesday for unspecified "testing and evaluation," says a statement released by his office.
The statement didn't offer any more information about why Ford is hospitalized, the Associated Press reported.
"No further releases or updates are anticipated prior to early next week," the statement said. A Mayo Clinic spokesman said he couldn't provide additional details.
Last month, shortness of breath led Ford to spend a few days in a Colorado hospital. In January, he was hospitalized for 12 days for pneumonia, the AP reported.
Ford is the oldest living former U.S. president.
Weight Loss Worsens Cellulite in Some Women
Cellulite may actually become worse in some women after they lose weight, a U.S. study concludes.
Researchers from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons monitored a group of women who shed pounds in medically-supervised programs and found that slimmer women who lost little weight and had looser skin had worse cellulite at the end of the study, BBC News reported.
The average weight loss among women in the study was 30.5 pounds, ranging from 2.3 pounds to 102 pounds of weight loss.
Of the women, 17 had improvement in the appearance of cellulite, while nine found their cellulite became worse.
Those who showed the most improvement were those who lost the most weight and lowered their percentage of thigh fat, BBC News reported. These women had a higher body mass index (BMI) and more severe cellulite at the start of the study.
Women whose cellulite became worse had a much lower BMI at the start of the study, lost a smaller portion of their weight, had no change in the percentage of thigh fat, and their skin became much looser after they lost weight.
The study was published in the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
U.S. Caesarean Rates on the Rise
More than a quarter of babies born each year in the United States are delivered by Caesarean section, says a report released Tuesday by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
The analysis of 2003 data found that the use of C-section in the United States rose 38 percent since 1997, when about a fifth of babies were delivered that way.
Other findings:
* There's been a 60 percent decline in the rate of women who give birth vaginally after they've had a previous child delivered via C-section.
* The rate of repeat Caesareans has increased 33 percent.
* In 2003, the total cost for childbirth in the United States was $34 billion. Hospital stays involving C-section delivery accounted for nearly half that amount -- $15 billion.
* Medicaid was billed for 43 percent of childbirths overall and 41 percent of C-section deliveries.
Food Fact:
Sweeter pineapple
Know what kind to buy, and you can triple the vitamin C. Golden Pineapple, a new variety tagged with a Golden label, is making a splash -- it's sweeter, juicier and contains 3 times as much vitamin C as other varieties of the tropical fruit. When choosing a pineapple, look for fresh, green leaves and be certain they are not wilted or brown. The pineapple should smell sweet and be firm with no soft spots. Diced or sliced fresh pineapple is the perfect way to end a meal. Toss it with some chopped candied ginger if you like.
Fitness Tip of the day:
Write it down.
Stuck in a rut? Reached a plateau? Break the logjam with an activity log! Keeping a fitness journal to track your routine will give you insight into your performance, let you measure your progress and help you set goals.
FAQ of the day:
Are dried fruits safe if I'm sensitive to sulfites?
Sulfites that are added to many dried fruits can cause allergy-like reactions in some individuals -- in some cases these can be life-threatening. That's why the FDA now requires that any foods with sulfites say so on the label. If you are sulfite-sensitive, look for "unsulphured" dried fruits, sold in some supermarkets and natural food stores.
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Health Headlines - August 16
U.S. Caesarean Rates on the Rise
More than a quarter of babies born each year in the United States are delivered by Caesarean section, says a report released Tuesday by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
The analysis of 2003 data found that the use of C-section in the United States rose 38 percent since 1997, when about a fifth of babies were delivered that way.
Other findings:
* There's been a 60 percent decline in the rate of women who give birth vaginally after they've had a previous child delivered via C-section.
* The rate of repeat Caesareans has increased 33 percent.
* In 2003, the total cost for childbirth in the United States was $34 billion. Hospital stays involving C-section delivery accounted for nearly half that amount -- $15 billion.
* Medicaid was billed for 43 percent of childbirths overall and 41 percent of C-section deliveries.
Americans More Finicky About Purchases Than Picking a Doctor: Survey
Americans take nearly twice as long to research major household purchases -- such as a car or a computer -- as they do to select a doctor, says a national survey released Tuesday by Chicago-based Destiny Health, which sells consumer-directed health plans.
On average, people said they took 20 days to research a household purchase, compared with about 9.7 days to choose a doctor.
The survey of 1,000 adults also found that about 60 percent of respondents would not bother to shop for lower-cost or higher-quality doctor care, even if they had easy access to such information.
Only 10 percent of respondents said they would be "extremely likely" to shop around for medical services, while 29 percent said they would be "very likely."
Too Few Children Get Emergency AIDS Therapy
Only 5 percent of the 660,000 children around the world who need emergency AIDS drug therapy have access to it, the medical relief agency Doctors Without Borders (Medecins sans frontieres - MSF) said Tuesday at the International AIDS Conference in Toronto.
The agency said many children who need such treatment live in developing nations and were infected by HIV-positive mothers who themselves had no treatment, Agence France Presse reported.
MSF said urgent action is needed to treat these children and to slash the cost of high-priced pediatric HIV/AIDS drugs.
The group noted that, due to the lack of medical care, about half the children born with HIV die before age two, AFP reported.
"We know that treating children works, but with better tools, we could be treating so many more," said Dr. Moses Masaquoi of MSF in Malawi.
U.S. Drug Directory Full of Errors and Omissions: Report
Tens of thousands of drugs no longer on the market are listed in a U.S. federal prescription drug directory, but it doesn't include more than 9,000 medications that are available, says a new report by the inspector general of the Department of Health and Human Services.
The report said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's National Drug Code Directory is not complete or accurate and that its omissions and errors limit its usefulness, the Associated Press reported.
The directory is supposed to help the FDA and other government agencies identify medication errors, control imports, and handle recalls. As of February 2005, the directory listed 123,856 prescription drugs.
The report said the directory failed to catalog about 9,200 drugs but did include more than 34,000 drugs either no longer sold in the U.S. or listed in error, the AP reported.
The FDA was in general agreement with the report and said it's working to correct the problems with the drug directory, the wire service said.
Experts Call for Widespread HIV Testing
Widespread routine testing for HIV is needed in order to halt the spread of the AIDS-causing virus, according to experts attending the International AIDS Conference in Toronto, Canada.
More than 90 percent of people with HIV don't know they have the virus, which means they don't take steps to ensure they don't infect other people. The experts said large scale routine testing could have a significant impact in preventing transmission of HIV, BBC News reported.
"Prevention has to be at the center of our response. We are not going to solve this epidemic just by scaling up treatment," said Dr. Kevin De Cock of the World Health Organization.
Other experts expressed concern that routine testing for HIV could infringe on civil liberties. They said informed consent is essential for such testing, which would have to be accompanied by comprehensive treatment and support programs, BBC News reported.
In many countries, people who test positive for HIV face social stigma and violence, noted Joanne Csete of the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network.
"HIV is not like other diseases. Women do not get abandoned by their communities, or beaten up by their partners for having other diseases in the way that still unfortunately happens with HIV," Csete said.
Hot Dogs May Contain Cancer-Causing Compounds: Study
Some hot dogs may contain DNA-mutating compounds that could increase a consumer's risk of colon cancer, according to a University of Nebraska study in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry.
Sodium nitrite, used as a preservative in hot dogs, can help form N-nitroso compounds, some of which have been shown to cause cancer in lab animals.
In this study, the researchers mixed extracts from hot dogs with nitrites, which led to the formation of what appeared to be DNA-mutating N-nitroso compounds, LiveScience.com reported.
When these extracts were added to Salmonella bacteria, there were double to quadruple the normal number of DNA mutations. This kind of increase in DNA mutations may increase colon cancer risk, the researchers said.
In the next phase of their research, the scientists plan to feed hot dog meat to mice to see if they develop colon cancer or precancerous conditions, LiveScience.com reported.
This is a preliminary report and the "carcinogenic risk to humans of the compounds studied has not been determined,' said James Hodges, president of the American Meat Institute Foundation.
Food Fact:
Some like it hot.
With good reason -- chiles' heat may bring you significant health protection. Capsaicin, the compound that gives chile peppers their firey heat, contains an anticoagulant that might help prevent heart attacks and strokes caused by blood clots. Chile peppers also contain a mixture of cancer-fighting antioxidants. Remember, don't touch your eyes as you're working with chile peppers, and wash your hands thoroughly afterward. As a general rule, the larger the pepper, the milder it is. To reduce a pepper's intensity, remove the core and seeds.
Fitness Tip of the day:
Get in-line.
Step into a pair of skates for a head-turning pair of legs and a killer derriere. In-line skating is a strength-training and cardio workout all in one. Studies find in-line skating to be more aerobic than cycling, easier on your joints than running, and a great way to shape and tone muscles. Get rolling and you can burn 570 - 900 calories an hour!
FAQ of the day:
Does cranberry juice cure urinary tract infections?
Cure is too strong a word, but cranberry juice has been shown in carefully controlled experiments to help prevent recurrent urinary tract infections, or UTIs. Research in the late 1980s reported that cranberry juice (as well as blueberry juice) prevented common bacteria from adhering to cells that line the urinary tract. Studies in the '90s found that women who drank about 10 oz. of cranberry juice a day had lower levels of bacteria in their urine, and were 75% less likely to develop urinary tract infection in the next month.
More than a quarter of babies born each year in the United States are delivered by Caesarean section, says a report released Tuesday by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
The analysis of 2003 data found that the use of C-section in the United States rose 38 percent since 1997, when about a fifth of babies were delivered that way.
Other findings:
* There's been a 60 percent decline in the rate of women who give birth vaginally after they've had a previous child delivered via C-section.
* The rate of repeat Caesareans has increased 33 percent.
* In 2003, the total cost for childbirth in the United States was $34 billion. Hospital stays involving C-section delivery accounted for nearly half that amount -- $15 billion.
* Medicaid was billed for 43 percent of childbirths overall and 41 percent of C-section deliveries.
Americans More Finicky About Purchases Than Picking a Doctor: Survey
Americans take nearly twice as long to research major household purchases -- such as a car or a computer -- as they do to select a doctor, says a national survey released Tuesday by Chicago-based Destiny Health, which sells consumer-directed health plans.
On average, people said they took 20 days to research a household purchase, compared with about 9.7 days to choose a doctor.
The survey of 1,000 adults also found that about 60 percent of respondents would not bother to shop for lower-cost or higher-quality doctor care, even if they had easy access to such information.
Only 10 percent of respondents said they would be "extremely likely" to shop around for medical services, while 29 percent said they would be "very likely."
Too Few Children Get Emergency AIDS Therapy
Only 5 percent of the 660,000 children around the world who need emergency AIDS drug therapy have access to it, the medical relief agency Doctors Without Borders (Medecins sans frontieres - MSF) said Tuesday at the International AIDS Conference in Toronto.
The agency said many children who need such treatment live in developing nations and were infected by HIV-positive mothers who themselves had no treatment, Agence France Presse reported.
MSF said urgent action is needed to treat these children and to slash the cost of high-priced pediatric HIV/AIDS drugs.
The group noted that, due to the lack of medical care, about half the children born with HIV die before age two, AFP reported.
"We know that treating children works, but with better tools, we could be treating so many more," said Dr. Moses Masaquoi of MSF in Malawi.
U.S. Drug Directory Full of Errors and Omissions: Report
Tens of thousands of drugs no longer on the market are listed in a U.S. federal prescription drug directory, but it doesn't include more than 9,000 medications that are available, says a new report by the inspector general of the Department of Health and Human Services.
The report said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's National Drug Code Directory is not complete or accurate and that its omissions and errors limit its usefulness, the Associated Press reported.
The directory is supposed to help the FDA and other government agencies identify medication errors, control imports, and handle recalls. As of February 2005, the directory listed 123,856 prescription drugs.
The report said the directory failed to catalog about 9,200 drugs but did include more than 34,000 drugs either no longer sold in the U.S. or listed in error, the AP reported.
The FDA was in general agreement with the report and said it's working to correct the problems with the drug directory, the wire service said.
Experts Call for Widespread HIV Testing
Widespread routine testing for HIV is needed in order to halt the spread of the AIDS-causing virus, according to experts attending the International AIDS Conference in Toronto, Canada.
More than 90 percent of people with HIV don't know they have the virus, which means they don't take steps to ensure they don't infect other people. The experts said large scale routine testing could have a significant impact in preventing transmission of HIV, BBC News reported.
"Prevention has to be at the center of our response. We are not going to solve this epidemic just by scaling up treatment," said Dr. Kevin De Cock of the World Health Organization.
Other experts expressed concern that routine testing for HIV could infringe on civil liberties. They said informed consent is essential for such testing, which would have to be accompanied by comprehensive treatment and support programs, BBC News reported.
In many countries, people who test positive for HIV face social stigma and violence, noted Joanne Csete of the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network.
"HIV is not like other diseases. Women do not get abandoned by their communities, or beaten up by their partners for having other diseases in the way that still unfortunately happens with HIV," Csete said.
Hot Dogs May Contain Cancer-Causing Compounds: Study
Some hot dogs may contain DNA-mutating compounds that could increase a consumer's risk of colon cancer, according to a University of Nebraska study in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry.
Sodium nitrite, used as a preservative in hot dogs, can help form N-nitroso compounds, some of which have been shown to cause cancer in lab animals.
In this study, the researchers mixed extracts from hot dogs with nitrites, which led to the formation of what appeared to be DNA-mutating N-nitroso compounds, LiveScience.com reported.
When these extracts were added to Salmonella bacteria, there were double to quadruple the normal number of DNA mutations. This kind of increase in DNA mutations may increase colon cancer risk, the researchers said.
In the next phase of their research, the scientists plan to feed hot dog meat to mice to see if they develop colon cancer or precancerous conditions, LiveScience.com reported.
This is a preliminary report and the "carcinogenic risk to humans of the compounds studied has not been determined,' said James Hodges, president of the American Meat Institute Foundation.
Food Fact:
Some like it hot.
With good reason -- chiles' heat may bring you significant health protection. Capsaicin, the compound that gives chile peppers their firey heat, contains an anticoagulant that might help prevent heart attacks and strokes caused by blood clots. Chile peppers also contain a mixture of cancer-fighting antioxidants. Remember, don't touch your eyes as you're working with chile peppers, and wash your hands thoroughly afterward. As a general rule, the larger the pepper, the milder it is. To reduce a pepper's intensity, remove the core and seeds.
Fitness Tip of the day:
Get in-line.
Step into a pair of skates for a head-turning pair of legs and a killer derriere. In-line skating is a strength-training and cardio workout all in one. Studies find in-line skating to be more aerobic than cycling, easier on your joints than running, and a great way to shape and tone muscles. Get rolling and you can burn 570 - 900 calories an hour!
FAQ of the day:
Does cranberry juice cure urinary tract infections?
Cure is too strong a word, but cranberry juice has been shown in carefully controlled experiments to help prevent recurrent urinary tract infections, or UTIs. Research in the late 1980s reported that cranberry juice (as well as blueberry juice) prevented common bacteria from adhering to cells that line the urinary tract. Studies in the '90s found that women who drank about 10 oz. of cranberry juice a day had lower levels of bacteria in their urine, and were 75% less likely to develop urinary tract infection in the next month.
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Health Headlines - August 15
Dell Recalls Laptop Batteries That Could Catch Fire
Dell Inc. is recalling 4.1 million notebook computer batteries because they might pose a fire hazard in what the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says is the largest computer-related recall in its history, The New York Times reported Monday.
Dell has documented six instances since last December in which laptops have overheated or caught fire, the Times said.
The move follows a series of smaller recalls of the lithium-ion batteries. Affected laptops were sold between April 2004 and July 2006 -- some 2.7 million units in the United States and the rest overseas. Consumers are advised to stop using these products immediately.
The batteries were produced by a unit of Sony Corp. and were not unique to Dell, the Times reported. The newspaper said additional manufacturers might have to issue recalls.
Lithium-ion batteries are used in a host of electronic devices including cellphones, power tools, camcorders and digital cameras. The potential for these batteries to catch fire "has been acknowledged for years," the Times reported. Renewed scrutiny of the technology has come after a number of recent fires, some aboard planes, the newspaper said.
U.S. Swans Have Bird Flu, But Not Deadly H5N1 Form
The type of bird flu found in two swans in Michigan is not the deadly virus spreading in Asia, U.S. officials said Monday.
Initial tests on the two wild mute swans from a southeastern Michigan nature preserve found that they have a mild form of avian flu that's been detected at least twice before in North America, the Bloomberg news service reported.
Additional tests are being run to determine if this form of bird flu could kill young chickens. It will take 7 to 10 days for those results.
"This is not the highly pathogenic avian influenza that has spread in other parts of the world. We do not believe that this represents a threat to human health," Ron DeHaven, administrator of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, said at a news briefing.
The deadly H5N1 bird flu virus has infected 238 people in 10 countries, killing at least 139. Most of the people were infected through direct contact with poultry. H5N1 hasn't been found in North America, Bloomberg reported.
Celt War Paint Rich in Anti-Cancer Compound
A plant called Woad -- which the Celts used to get blue dye for their war paint -- contains high levels of an anti-cancer compound called glucobrassicin, says an Italian study in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture.
Woad belong to the same plant family as cauliflower and broccoli. This study found that woad contains 20 times more glucobrassicin than broccoli -- and damaging the plant increases the compound's concentration, BBC News reported.
Being able to extract enough glucobrassicin from woad to test its effects may make it easier to perform studies on the compound's ability to protect against cancer.
"The availability of glucobrassicin in good amounts and at low cost could finally permit studies to be performed in order to clarify the anti-cancer role of glucobrassicin-rich vegetables, like broccoli, in the human diet," said researcher Dr. Stefania Galletti of the University of Bologna.
Derivatives of glucobrassicin have anti-tumor properties and are effective against breast cancer, BBC News reported. Research suggests that glucobrassicin flushes cancer-causing compounds from the body.
Ariel Sharon's Condition Worsens
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's condition has taken a sharp downturn, Sheba Medical Center officials said Monday.
The hospital said an MRI scan showed deterioration in Sharon's brain function and his urine output "declined significantly during the last 24 hours," the Jerusalem Post reported.
Sharon, 78, has developed pneumonia in both lungs, and is listed in serious condition. The medical team looking after him decided to administer powerful antibiotics and steroids in an effort to halt his decline.
A hospital spokesperson said an update would be issued if there's a significant change in Sharon's health, the Post reported. He's been in a coma since a stroke on Jan. 4.
Report Suggests Wider Use of Prisoners in Drug Research
The U.S. government should ease laws that severely restrict the testing of pharmaceuticals on prison inmates, says a report by an influential panel of medical experts.
The practice was all but halted three decades ago after cases of abuse were revealed, The New York Times reported.
The current rules, passed in 1978, permit prisoners to take part in federally funded biomedical research if it poses no more than "minimal" risk to the participants. This new report by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences recommended that research with greater risks should be allowed if it has the potential to benefit prisoners.
All such studies should be subject to an independent review, said the report, which was given to federal officials earlier this month.
Critics of the proposed changes questioned whether prisoners can truly make un-coerced decisions, expressing doubts about the merits of testing pharmaceuticals on prisoners, who often lack basic health care, The Times reported.
Pills or Microbicides to Prevent HIV Infection Urgently Needed: Gates
Science and industry need to boost efforts to develop pills or microbicides that can prevent the transmission of HIV, Bill and Melinda Gates said as they opened the 16th International AIDS Conference Sunday in Toronto, Canada.
"We want to call on everyone here and around the world to help speed up what we hope will be the next big breakthrough in the fight against AIDS," Bill Gates told conference delegates. "This could mark a turning point in the epidemic, and we have to make it an urgent priority."
The development of a pill or microbicide that can halt the transmission of HIV -- the virus that causes AIDS -- is urgent for a number of reasons, the Washington Post reported.
First, there's no indication that an AIDS vaccine will be developed soon and, second, AIDS treatments will become a serious drain on the world's resources if the rate of HIV infection is not reduced. A third factor is that a pill or microbicide that prevents HIV infection can be controlled by women and used without the knowledge or permission of men.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has provided more than $110 million in recent years for research on vaginal microbicides to prevent HIV infection during intercourse. The foundation has said it plans to increase such funding, the Post reported.
Dell Inc. is recalling 4.1 million notebook computer batteries because they might pose a fire hazard in what the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says is the largest computer-related recall in its history, The New York Times reported Monday.
Dell has documented six instances since last December in which laptops have overheated or caught fire, the Times said.
The move follows a series of smaller recalls of the lithium-ion batteries. Affected laptops were sold between April 2004 and July 2006 -- some 2.7 million units in the United States and the rest overseas. Consumers are advised to stop using these products immediately.
The batteries were produced by a unit of Sony Corp. and were not unique to Dell, the Times reported. The newspaper said additional manufacturers might have to issue recalls.
Lithium-ion batteries are used in a host of electronic devices including cellphones, power tools, camcorders and digital cameras. The potential for these batteries to catch fire "has been acknowledged for years," the Times reported. Renewed scrutiny of the technology has come after a number of recent fires, some aboard planes, the newspaper said.
U.S. Swans Have Bird Flu, But Not Deadly H5N1 Form
The type of bird flu found in two swans in Michigan is not the deadly virus spreading in Asia, U.S. officials said Monday.
Initial tests on the two wild mute swans from a southeastern Michigan nature preserve found that they have a mild form of avian flu that's been detected at least twice before in North America, the Bloomberg news service reported.
Additional tests are being run to determine if this form of bird flu could kill young chickens. It will take 7 to 10 days for those results.
"This is not the highly pathogenic avian influenza that has spread in other parts of the world. We do not believe that this represents a threat to human health," Ron DeHaven, administrator of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, said at a news briefing.
The deadly H5N1 bird flu virus has infected 238 people in 10 countries, killing at least 139. Most of the people were infected through direct contact with poultry. H5N1 hasn't been found in North America, Bloomberg reported.
Celt War Paint Rich in Anti-Cancer Compound
A plant called Woad -- which the Celts used to get blue dye for their war paint -- contains high levels of an anti-cancer compound called glucobrassicin, says an Italian study in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture.
Woad belong to the same plant family as cauliflower and broccoli. This study found that woad contains 20 times more glucobrassicin than broccoli -- and damaging the plant increases the compound's concentration, BBC News reported.
Being able to extract enough glucobrassicin from woad to test its effects may make it easier to perform studies on the compound's ability to protect against cancer.
"The availability of glucobrassicin in good amounts and at low cost could finally permit studies to be performed in order to clarify the anti-cancer role of glucobrassicin-rich vegetables, like broccoli, in the human diet," said researcher Dr. Stefania Galletti of the University of Bologna.
Derivatives of glucobrassicin have anti-tumor properties and are effective against breast cancer, BBC News reported. Research suggests that glucobrassicin flushes cancer-causing compounds from the body.
Ariel Sharon's Condition Worsens
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's condition has taken a sharp downturn, Sheba Medical Center officials said Monday.
The hospital said an MRI scan showed deterioration in Sharon's brain function and his urine output "declined significantly during the last 24 hours," the Jerusalem Post reported.
Sharon, 78, has developed pneumonia in both lungs, and is listed in serious condition. The medical team looking after him decided to administer powerful antibiotics and steroids in an effort to halt his decline.
A hospital spokesperson said an update would be issued if there's a significant change in Sharon's health, the Post reported. He's been in a coma since a stroke on Jan. 4.
Report Suggests Wider Use of Prisoners in Drug Research
The U.S. government should ease laws that severely restrict the testing of pharmaceuticals on prison inmates, says a report by an influential panel of medical experts.
The practice was all but halted three decades ago after cases of abuse were revealed, The New York Times reported.
The current rules, passed in 1978, permit prisoners to take part in federally funded biomedical research if it poses no more than "minimal" risk to the participants. This new report by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences recommended that research with greater risks should be allowed if it has the potential to benefit prisoners.
All such studies should be subject to an independent review, said the report, which was given to federal officials earlier this month.
Critics of the proposed changes questioned whether prisoners can truly make un-coerced decisions, expressing doubts about the merits of testing pharmaceuticals on prisoners, who often lack basic health care, The Times reported.
Pills or Microbicides to Prevent HIV Infection Urgently Needed: Gates
Science and industry need to boost efforts to develop pills or microbicides that can prevent the transmission of HIV, Bill and Melinda Gates said as they opened the 16th International AIDS Conference Sunday in Toronto, Canada.
"We want to call on everyone here and around the world to help speed up what we hope will be the next big breakthrough in the fight against AIDS," Bill Gates told conference delegates. "This could mark a turning point in the epidemic, and we have to make it an urgent priority."
The development of a pill or microbicide that can halt the transmission of HIV -- the virus that causes AIDS -- is urgent for a number of reasons, the Washington Post reported.
First, there's no indication that an AIDS vaccine will be developed soon and, second, AIDS treatments will become a serious drain on the world's resources if the rate of HIV infection is not reduced. A third factor is that a pill or microbicide that prevents HIV infection can be controlled by women and used without the knowledge or permission of men.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has provided more than $110 million in recent years for research on vaginal microbicides to prevent HIV infection during intercourse. The foundation has said it plans to increase such funding, the Post reported.
Monday, August 14, 2006
Health Headlines - August 14
No Ill Effects From Exercise By Older People with Hypertension
Older people with mild hypertension -- high blood pressure -- don't have to worry about moderate exercise, Johns Hopkins researchers say.
The increase in their blood pressure resulting from limited exercise is normal and lasts only for a short while, they conclude. So, older people with slightly elevated blood pressure should know that, generally speaking, exercise is good for them.
According to the Associated Press, the findings come after scientists from the Johns Hopkins University Heart Institute studied 105 men and women between the ages of 55 and 75 who had untreated, mild hypertension. After six months, the researchers concluded that the results from exercise were, by-and-large, the same as those for people who didn't suffer from high blood pressure. And for good measure, the study participants lost an average of 4 pounds each.
"Among people who are otherwise healthy except for mild hypertension -- which represents an awful lot of people -- the message is, after a proper screening, participating in an exercise program appears to be beneficial," the wire service quotes lead research Dr. Kerry Stewart as saying.
Thousands of Summer Reading Program Toys Recalled
A library summer reading program that spanned 41 states has resulted in a toy recall.
According to stories in the Springfield, Ohio News-Sun and the Associated Press, thousands of bendable toy dogs and cats that were part of the reading program were discovered to have been contaminated with lead.
The reading program, called "Paws, Claws, Scales, and Tails," was prepackaged and distributed by Highsmith Co. of Fort Atkinson, Wisc. The flexible cats and dogs, which were part of the package and made in China, contained four times the acceptable amount of lead, a company spokesperson told the newspaper. This resulted in the recall.
Through its local and state affiliates, the American Library Association is alerting the families of the children who participated in the program. The dogs and cats were given as awards for meeting or exceeding the reading requirements in the program.
This is no daunting task. "They went very quickly. They were very cute," the A.P. quotes Linda DeCramer, the children's librarian in Ripon, Wisc. as saying. The toys are described as slightly less than 4 inches long, small enough to be sucked or chewed on by a child.
HIV Prevention Pill Needs More Study
Can a pill taken once a day prevent HIV infection?
There's some evidence that a drug called Viread (tenofovir) -- already approved for treating HIV/AIDS in combination with other drugs -- might do the job, but it's going to take a larger study to make sure, according to a report by the Associated Press.
The first test of Viread as an HIV preventative, the wire service reports, was in Africa, and fewer people became infected when they took the drug. The problem was that very few people in the control group -- the study subjects who took a placebo -- became infected either, so a larger study is needed to determine Viread's effectiveness.
The results of the Africa study were released in Toronto Saturday, as health professionals gathered for the International AIDS Conference. "It's incredibly encouraging," the A.P. quotes Dr. Helene Gayle, president of the antipoverty group CARE and co-chair of the conference, as saying. The drug "would be an incredibly important new prevention tool that we should make available as soon as possible," she added.
Initial research on animals has indicated that taking Viread before being exposed to HIV, either through drugs or sex, could help prevent infection, the wire service reported.
Dehydration Poses Danger In Airline On Board Liquid Ban
The new ban on air travelers carrying any liquids with them when they board a flight carries a threat of dehydration for some people with medical conditions, the Associated Press reports.
As a result, the wire service reports, at least one airline -- Atlanta-based Delta -- is adding extra supplies of bottled water on board. Water, soda and nutritional drinks are banned from being brought aboard a plane under the new regulations implemented after British law enforcement officials arrested a number of men in connection with a plot that would have involved mixing liquids to make a bomb.
The possibility of dehydration does pose a problem for some people who need to keep their body chemistry constantly in balance. "Some people can't eat ordinary airline food," the A.P. quotes Dr. David Freedman of the University of Alabama at Birmingham as saying. Freedman noted the problems faced by people who rely on Ensure and other over-the-counter nutritional supplement drinks, which have been banned.
Dehydration can pose some dangers, Dr. Marc Siegel, an internal medicine physician with the New York University School of Medicine, told the wire service. It is especially dangerous for those with diseased hearts or kidneys, he said. "Though I'm not calling this life-threatening, dehydration is not a good state for anyone ill to be in," Siegel is quoted as saying.
Internet Drug Purchases Can be Dangerous: Study
The dangers of buying drugs from online pharmacies are highlighted in a British study published in the current issue of The Lancet medical journal.
The study cites the case of a 64-year woman who went blind after four years of taking drugs she bought on the Internet, Britain's Independent newspaper reported. The woman self-diagnosed herself with chronic fatigue syndrome and, on the advice of a neighbor, bought oral steroids from an online pharmacy in Thailand.
As she suffered vision loss, doctors found cataracts in both eyes and signs of glaucoma, both side effects of steroid use. The study authors warned doctors to be alert for patients who may have bought drugs online, the Independent reported.
"Some of the drug therapies can be counterfeit and contain a concoction of compounds that bear little resemblance to the drug names on the bottle," the study authors noted.
"Even if the patient receives the actual drug, there are many problems with this unchecked availability, including interactions with coexisting treatment, side effects, and the lack of careful medical monitoring," they wrote.
FDA Adds Raw Clams to Pacific Northwest Shellfish Warning
Raw clams from the Pacific Northwest were added Friday to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's list of raw shellfish from the region that should be avoided because they may harbor disease-causing bacteria.
The agency issued its first warning July 31 that people shouldn't eat raw oysters from the region, saying the shellfish could harbor Vibro parahaemolyticus (VP), which could cause gastrointestinal problems among healthy consumers and more serious illnesses like blood infection (septicemia) in the elderly and others with weaker immune systems.
VP is a natural bacteria that's most prevalent during summer, the agency said. The FDA attributed its warnings to an "unusual increase" in the number of recent cases of gastrointestinal illness attributed to Pacific Northwest shellfish. The region's shellfish are distributed nationwide.
Older people with mild hypertension -- high blood pressure -- don't have to worry about moderate exercise, Johns Hopkins researchers say.
The increase in their blood pressure resulting from limited exercise is normal and lasts only for a short while, they conclude. So, older people with slightly elevated blood pressure should know that, generally speaking, exercise is good for them.
According to the Associated Press, the findings come after scientists from the Johns Hopkins University Heart Institute studied 105 men and women between the ages of 55 and 75 who had untreated, mild hypertension. After six months, the researchers concluded that the results from exercise were, by-and-large, the same as those for people who didn't suffer from high blood pressure. And for good measure, the study participants lost an average of 4 pounds each.
"Among people who are otherwise healthy except for mild hypertension -- which represents an awful lot of people -- the message is, after a proper screening, participating in an exercise program appears to be beneficial," the wire service quotes lead research Dr. Kerry Stewart as saying.
Thousands of Summer Reading Program Toys Recalled
A library summer reading program that spanned 41 states has resulted in a toy recall.
According to stories in the Springfield, Ohio News-Sun and the Associated Press, thousands of bendable toy dogs and cats that were part of the reading program were discovered to have been contaminated with lead.
The reading program, called "Paws, Claws, Scales, and Tails," was prepackaged and distributed by Highsmith Co. of Fort Atkinson, Wisc. The flexible cats and dogs, which were part of the package and made in China, contained four times the acceptable amount of lead, a company spokesperson told the newspaper. This resulted in the recall.
Through its local and state affiliates, the American Library Association is alerting the families of the children who participated in the program. The dogs and cats were given as awards for meeting or exceeding the reading requirements in the program.
This is no daunting task. "They went very quickly. They were very cute," the A.P. quotes Linda DeCramer, the children's librarian in Ripon, Wisc. as saying. The toys are described as slightly less than 4 inches long, small enough to be sucked or chewed on by a child.
HIV Prevention Pill Needs More Study
Can a pill taken once a day prevent HIV infection?
There's some evidence that a drug called Viread (tenofovir) -- already approved for treating HIV/AIDS in combination with other drugs -- might do the job, but it's going to take a larger study to make sure, according to a report by the Associated Press.
The first test of Viread as an HIV preventative, the wire service reports, was in Africa, and fewer people became infected when they took the drug. The problem was that very few people in the control group -- the study subjects who took a placebo -- became infected either, so a larger study is needed to determine Viread's effectiveness.
The results of the Africa study were released in Toronto Saturday, as health professionals gathered for the International AIDS Conference. "It's incredibly encouraging," the A.P. quotes Dr. Helene Gayle, president of the antipoverty group CARE and co-chair of the conference, as saying. The drug "would be an incredibly important new prevention tool that we should make available as soon as possible," she added.
Initial research on animals has indicated that taking Viread before being exposed to HIV, either through drugs or sex, could help prevent infection, the wire service reported.
Dehydration Poses Danger In Airline On Board Liquid Ban
The new ban on air travelers carrying any liquids with them when they board a flight carries a threat of dehydration for some people with medical conditions, the Associated Press reports.
As a result, the wire service reports, at least one airline -- Atlanta-based Delta -- is adding extra supplies of bottled water on board. Water, soda and nutritional drinks are banned from being brought aboard a plane under the new regulations implemented after British law enforcement officials arrested a number of men in connection with a plot that would have involved mixing liquids to make a bomb.
The possibility of dehydration does pose a problem for some people who need to keep their body chemistry constantly in balance. "Some people can't eat ordinary airline food," the A.P. quotes Dr. David Freedman of the University of Alabama at Birmingham as saying. Freedman noted the problems faced by people who rely on Ensure and other over-the-counter nutritional supplement drinks, which have been banned.
Dehydration can pose some dangers, Dr. Marc Siegel, an internal medicine physician with the New York University School of Medicine, told the wire service. It is especially dangerous for those with diseased hearts or kidneys, he said. "Though I'm not calling this life-threatening, dehydration is not a good state for anyone ill to be in," Siegel is quoted as saying.
Internet Drug Purchases Can be Dangerous: Study
The dangers of buying drugs from online pharmacies are highlighted in a British study published in the current issue of The Lancet medical journal.
The study cites the case of a 64-year woman who went blind after four years of taking drugs she bought on the Internet, Britain's Independent newspaper reported. The woman self-diagnosed herself with chronic fatigue syndrome and, on the advice of a neighbor, bought oral steroids from an online pharmacy in Thailand.
As she suffered vision loss, doctors found cataracts in both eyes and signs of glaucoma, both side effects of steroid use. The study authors warned doctors to be alert for patients who may have bought drugs online, the Independent reported.
"Some of the drug therapies can be counterfeit and contain a concoction of compounds that bear little resemblance to the drug names on the bottle," the study authors noted.
"Even if the patient receives the actual drug, there are many problems with this unchecked availability, including interactions with coexisting treatment, side effects, and the lack of careful medical monitoring," they wrote.
FDA Adds Raw Clams to Pacific Northwest Shellfish Warning
Raw clams from the Pacific Northwest were added Friday to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's list of raw shellfish from the region that should be avoided because they may harbor disease-causing bacteria.
The agency issued its first warning July 31 that people shouldn't eat raw oysters from the region, saying the shellfish could harbor Vibro parahaemolyticus (VP), which could cause gastrointestinal problems among healthy consumers and more serious illnesses like blood infection (septicemia) in the elderly and others with weaker immune systems.
VP is a natural bacteria that's most prevalent during summer, the agency said. The FDA attributed its warnings to an "unusual increase" in the number of recent cases of gastrointestinal illness attributed to Pacific Northwest shellfish. The region's shellfish are distributed nationwide.
Saturday, August 12, 2006
Health Headlines - August 13
HIV Prevention Pill Needs More Study
Can a pill taken once a day prevent HIV infection?
There's some evidence that a drug called Viread (tenofovir) -- already approved for treating HIV/AIDS in combination with other drugs -- might do the job, but it's going to take a larger study to make sure, according to a report by the Associated Press.
The first test of Viread as an HIV preventative, the wire service reports, was in Africa, and fewer people became infected when they took the drug. The problem was that very few people in the control group -- the study subjects who took a placebo -- became infected either, so a larger study is needed to determine Viread's effectiveness.
The results of the Africa study were released in Toronto Saturday, as health professionals gathered for the International AIDS Conference. "It's incredibly encouraging," the A.P. quotes Dr. Helene Gayle, president of the antipoverty group CARE and co-chair of the conference, as saying. The drug "would be an incredibly important new prevention tool that we should make available as soon as possible," she added.
Initial research on animals has indicated that taking Viread before being exposed to HIV, either through drugs or sex, could help prevent infection, the wire service reported.
Dehydration Poses Danger In Airline On Board Liquid Ban
The new ban on air travelers carrying any liquids with them when they board a flight carries a threat of dehydration for some people with medical conditions, the Associated Press reports.
As a result, the wire service reports, at least one airline -- Atlanta-based Delta -- is adding extra supplies of bottled water on board. Water, soda and nutritional drinks are banned from being brought aboard a plane under the new regulations implemented after British law enforcement officials arrested a number of men in connection with a plot that would have involved mixing liquids to make a bomb.
The possibility of dehydration does pose a problem for some people who need to keep their body chemistry constantly in balance. "Some people can't eat ordinary airline food," the A.P. quotes Dr. David Freedman of the University of Alabama at Birmingham as saying. Freedman noted the problems faced by people who rely on Ensure and other over-the-counter nutritional supplement drinks, which have been banned.
Dehydration can pose some dangers, Dr. Marc Siegel, an internal medicine physician with the New York University School of Medicine, told the wire service. It is especially dangerous for those with diseased hearts or kidneys, he said. "Though I'm not calling this life-threatening, dehydration is not a good state for anyone ill to be in," Siegel is quoted as saying.
Internet Drug Purchases Can be Dangerous: Study
The dangers of buying drugs from online pharmacies are highlighted in a British study published in the current issue of The Lancet medical journal.
The study cites the case of a 64-year woman who went blind after four years of taking drugs she bought on the Internet, Britain's Independent newspaper reported. The woman self-diagnosed herself with chronic fatigue syndrome and, on the advice of a neighbor, bought oral steroids from an online pharmacy in Thailand.
As she suffered vision loss, doctors found cataracts in both eyes and signs of glaucoma, both side effects of steroid use. The study authors warned doctors to be alert for patients who may have bought drugs online, the Independent reported.
"Some of the drug therapies can be counterfeit and contain a concoction of compounds that bear little resemblance to the drug names on the bottle," the study authors noted.
"Even if the patient receives the actual drug, there are many problems with this unchecked availability, including interactions with coexisting treatment, side effects, and the lack of careful medical monitoring," they wrote.
FDA Adds Raw Clams to Pacific Northwest Shellfish Warning
Raw clams from the Pacific Northwest were added Friday to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's list of raw shellfish from the region that should be avoided because they may harbor disease-causing bacteria.
The agency issued its first warning July 31 that people shouldn't eat raw oysters from the region, saying the shellfish could harbor Vibro parahaemolyticus (VP), which could cause gastrointestinal problems among healthy consumers and more serious illnesses like blood infection (septicemia) in the elderly and others with weaker immune systems.
VP is a natural bacteria that's most prevalent during summer, the agency said. The FDA attributed its warnings to an "unusual increase" in the number of recent cases of gastrointestinal illness attributed to Pacific Northwest shellfish. The region's shellfish are distributed nationwide.
"To date, there have been 72 laboratory-confirmed, and an additional 105 probable, VP illness[es] reported from Washington State, Oregon and New York linked to contaminated oysters and clams," the FDA statement said.
Anyone who wants to eat clams or oysters harvested in the Pacific Northwest and similar shellfish from unknown origin should thoroughly cook them first, the FDA warned in Friday's updated statement.
Officials in Washington State are continuing to identify and close affected oyster beds, and shellfish from beds identified as contaminated have been recalled, the agency said.
HIV Spreading Rapidly Among Gay and Bisexual Men in Asia
Stigma, intolerance, and government inaction are fueling the rapid spread of HIV -- the virus that causes AIDS -- among gay and bisexual men in Asia, says a report released Friday.
The survey of nearly two dozen countries found that HIV rates among men who have sex with men could be as high as 28 percent in Bangkok, Thailand; 16 percent in Andhra Pradesh, India; and 14 percent in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Agence France Presse reported.
"...These data represent an alarming trend, since male-male sexual activity in the region is diverse, often completely hidden, and beyond the reach of current prevention efforts," the report's authors noted.
The report was written by a Bangkok-based group called TREAT Asia, an initiative of the U.S. AIDS campaign organization amFAR, AFP reported.
"Governments in the region and international donors need to support appropriate prevention, care and treatment efforts for MSM (men who have sex with men) populations, or face a spiraling epidemic that could be far worse than any seen in gay communities in the West," said Keven Frost, director of TREAT Asia.
Coke and Pepsi in India are Safe, Companies Say
Some states in India have banned Coca-Cola products due to alleged high levels of pesticides, but the soft drink company says the beverages produced in India are as safe as others made elsewhere in the world.
"No detectable levels of pesticides (were found) in Indian soft drinks when measured against the EU (European Union) criteria in an independent lab study," said a statement released Friday by Coca-Cola.
Last week, the privately-funded New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment said it found unacceptable pesticide levels in 11 drinks made in India by Coca-Cola and Pepsi, Agence France Presse reported.
Can a pill taken once a day prevent HIV infection?
There's some evidence that a drug called Viread (tenofovir) -- already approved for treating HIV/AIDS in combination with other drugs -- might do the job, but it's going to take a larger study to make sure, according to a report by the Associated Press.
The first test of Viread as an HIV preventative, the wire service reports, was in Africa, and fewer people became infected when they took the drug. The problem was that very few people in the control group -- the study subjects who took a placebo -- became infected either, so a larger study is needed to determine Viread's effectiveness.
The results of the Africa study were released in Toronto Saturday, as health professionals gathered for the International AIDS Conference. "It's incredibly encouraging," the A.P. quotes Dr. Helene Gayle, president of the antipoverty group CARE and co-chair of the conference, as saying. The drug "would be an incredibly important new prevention tool that we should make available as soon as possible," she added.
Initial research on animals has indicated that taking Viread before being exposed to HIV, either through drugs or sex, could help prevent infection, the wire service reported.
Dehydration Poses Danger In Airline On Board Liquid Ban
The new ban on air travelers carrying any liquids with them when they board a flight carries a threat of dehydration for some people with medical conditions, the Associated Press reports.
As a result, the wire service reports, at least one airline -- Atlanta-based Delta -- is adding extra supplies of bottled water on board. Water, soda and nutritional drinks are banned from being brought aboard a plane under the new regulations implemented after British law enforcement officials arrested a number of men in connection with a plot that would have involved mixing liquids to make a bomb.
The possibility of dehydration does pose a problem for some people who need to keep their body chemistry constantly in balance. "Some people can't eat ordinary airline food," the A.P. quotes Dr. David Freedman of the University of Alabama at Birmingham as saying. Freedman noted the problems faced by people who rely on Ensure and other over-the-counter nutritional supplement drinks, which have been banned.
Dehydration can pose some dangers, Dr. Marc Siegel, an internal medicine physician with the New York University School of Medicine, told the wire service. It is especially dangerous for those with diseased hearts or kidneys, he said. "Though I'm not calling this life-threatening, dehydration is not a good state for anyone ill to be in," Siegel is quoted as saying.
Internet Drug Purchases Can be Dangerous: Study
The dangers of buying drugs from online pharmacies are highlighted in a British study published in the current issue of The Lancet medical journal.
The study cites the case of a 64-year woman who went blind after four years of taking drugs she bought on the Internet, Britain's Independent newspaper reported. The woman self-diagnosed herself with chronic fatigue syndrome and, on the advice of a neighbor, bought oral steroids from an online pharmacy in Thailand.
As she suffered vision loss, doctors found cataracts in both eyes and signs of glaucoma, both side effects of steroid use. The study authors warned doctors to be alert for patients who may have bought drugs online, the Independent reported.
"Some of the drug therapies can be counterfeit and contain a concoction of compounds that bear little resemblance to the drug names on the bottle," the study authors noted.
"Even if the patient receives the actual drug, there are many problems with this unchecked availability, including interactions with coexisting treatment, side effects, and the lack of careful medical monitoring," they wrote.
FDA Adds Raw Clams to Pacific Northwest Shellfish Warning
Raw clams from the Pacific Northwest were added Friday to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's list of raw shellfish from the region that should be avoided because they may harbor disease-causing bacteria.
The agency issued its first warning July 31 that people shouldn't eat raw oysters from the region, saying the shellfish could harbor Vibro parahaemolyticus (VP), which could cause gastrointestinal problems among healthy consumers and more serious illnesses like blood infection (septicemia) in the elderly and others with weaker immune systems.
VP is a natural bacteria that's most prevalent during summer, the agency said. The FDA attributed its warnings to an "unusual increase" in the number of recent cases of gastrointestinal illness attributed to Pacific Northwest shellfish. The region's shellfish are distributed nationwide.
"To date, there have been 72 laboratory-confirmed, and an additional 105 probable, VP illness[es] reported from Washington State, Oregon and New York linked to contaminated oysters and clams," the FDA statement said.
Anyone who wants to eat clams or oysters harvested in the Pacific Northwest and similar shellfish from unknown origin should thoroughly cook them first, the FDA warned in Friday's updated statement.
Officials in Washington State are continuing to identify and close affected oyster beds, and shellfish from beds identified as contaminated have been recalled, the agency said.
HIV Spreading Rapidly Among Gay and Bisexual Men in Asia
Stigma, intolerance, and government inaction are fueling the rapid spread of HIV -- the virus that causes AIDS -- among gay and bisexual men in Asia, says a report released Friday.
The survey of nearly two dozen countries found that HIV rates among men who have sex with men could be as high as 28 percent in Bangkok, Thailand; 16 percent in Andhra Pradesh, India; and 14 percent in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Agence France Presse reported.
"...These data represent an alarming trend, since male-male sexual activity in the region is diverse, often completely hidden, and beyond the reach of current prevention efforts," the report's authors noted.
The report was written by a Bangkok-based group called TREAT Asia, an initiative of the U.S. AIDS campaign organization amFAR, AFP reported.
"Governments in the region and international donors need to support appropriate prevention, care and treatment efforts for MSM (men who have sex with men) populations, or face a spiraling epidemic that could be far worse than any seen in gay communities in the West," said Keven Frost, director of TREAT Asia.
Coke and Pepsi in India are Safe, Companies Say
Some states in India have banned Coca-Cola products due to alleged high levels of pesticides, but the soft drink company says the beverages produced in India are as safe as others made elsewhere in the world.
"No detectable levels of pesticides (were found) in Indian soft drinks when measured against the EU (European Union) criteria in an independent lab study," said a statement released Friday by Coca-Cola.
Last week, the privately-funded New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment said it found unacceptable pesticide levels in 11 drinks made in India by Coca-Cola and Pepsi, Agence France Presse reported.
Health Headlines - August 12
Internet Drug Purchases Can be Dangerous: Study
The dangers of buying drugs from online pharmacies are highlighted in a British study published in the current issue of The Lancet medical journal.
The study cites the case of a 64-year woman who went blind after four years of taking drugs she bought on the Internet, Britain's Independent newspaper reported. The woman self-diagnosed herself with chronic fatigue syndrome and, on the advice of a neighbor, bought oral steroids from an online pharmacy in Thailand.
As she suffered vision loss, doctors found cataracts in both eyes and signs of glaucoma, both side effects of steroid use. The study authors warned doctors to be alert for patients who may have bought drugs online, the Independent reported.
"Some of the drug therapies can be counterfeit and contain a concoction of compounds that bear little resemblance to the drug names on the bottle," the study authors noted.
"Even if the patient receives the actual drug, there are many problems with this unchecked availability, including interactions with coexisting treatment, side effects, and the lack of careful medical monitoring," they wrote.
FDA Adds Raw Clams to Pacific Northwest Shellfish Warning
Raw clams from the Pacific Northwest were added Friday to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's list of raw shellfish from the region that should be avoided because they may harbor disease-causing bacteria.
The agency issued its first warning July 31 that people shouldn't eat raw oysters from the region, saying the shellfish could harbor Vibro parahaemolyticus (VP), which could cause gastrointestinal problems among healthy consumers and more serious illnesses like blood infection (septicemia) in the elderly and others with weaker immune systems.
VP is a natural bacteria that's most prevalent during summer, the agency said. The FDA attributed its warnings to an "unusual increase" in the number of recent cases of gastrointestinal illness attributed to Pacific Northwest shellfish. The region's shellfish are distributed nationwide.
"To date, there have been 72 laboratory-confirmed, and an additional 105 probable, VP illness[es] reported from Washington State, Oregon and New York linked to contaminated oysters and clams," the FDA statement said.
Anyone who wants to eat clams or oysters harvested in the Pacific Northwest and similar shellfish from unknown origin should thoroughly cook them first, the FDA warned in Friday's updated statement.
Officials in Washington State are continuing to identify and close affected oyster beds, and shellfish from beds identified as contaminated have been recalled, the agency said.
HIV Spreading Rapidly Among Gay and Bisexual Men in Asia
Stigma, intolerance, and government inaction are fueling the rapid spread of HIV -- the virus that causes AIDS -- among gay and bisexual men in Asia, says a report released Friday.
The survey of nearly two dozen countries found that HIV rates among men who have sex with men could be as high as 28 percent in Bangkok, Thailand; 16 percent in Andhra Pradesh, India; and 14 percent in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Agence France Presse reported.
"...These data represent an alarming trend, since male-male sexual activity in the region is diverse, often completely hidden, and beyond the reach of current prevention efforts," the report's authors noted.
The report was written by a Bangkok-based group called TREAT Asia, an initiative of the U.S. AIDS campaign organization amFAR, AFP reported.
"Governments in the region and international donors need to support appropriate prevention, care and treatment efforts for MSM (men who have sex with men) populations, or face a spiraling epidemic that could be far worse than any seen in gay communities in the West," said Keven Frost, director of TREAT Asia.
Coke and Pepsi in India are Safe, Companies Say
Some states in India have banned Coca-Cola products due to alleged high levels of pesticides, but the soft drink company says the beverages produced in India are as safe as others made elsewhere in the world.
"No detectable levels of pesticides (were found) in Indian soft drinks when measured against the EU (European Union) criteria in an independent lab study," said a statement released Friday by Coca-Cola.
Last week, the privately-funded New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment said it found unacceptable pesticide levels in 11 drinks made in India by Coca-Cola and Pepsi, Agence France Presse reported.
The levels were 24 times higher than limits set by the Bureau of Indian Standards. However, those limits are not yet law.
Pepsi products have also been banned by some states in India. In statements released earlier, Pepsi said that its products made in India are safe.
Coca-Cola and Pepsi have been given six weeks by India's Supreme Court to reveal the ingredients of their soft drinks, AFP reported.
Smoke Alarms Fail to Alert Older Adults
Older adults are less likely than other people to hear conventional smoke alarms, especially when they're asleep, concludes a study by the U.S. Fire Protection Research Foundation.
In clinical testing, the high-pitched signal typically used on U.S. smoke alarms did a poor job of alerting people ages 65 and older. The study also found that a male voice alarm is not suitable for older adults.
The high frequency alarm typically used in smoke alarms should be replaced by a signal that is more likely to awaken people of all ages, the study authors found. The foundation said it's trying to determine which kind of signal would be most effective.
Older adults are more than twice as likely to die in a home fire as the average person, the foundation said. On average, some 800 older adults die in home fires each year in the United States, the report noted.
Kaiser Fined $2 Million for Kidney Transplant Problems
U.S. health maintenance organization Kaiser Permanente has been hit with a $2 million fine and will shell out $3 million to an organ donor program as compensation for its mismanagement of a kidney transplant center, California officials said.
It's the most severe penalty ever ordered by the state's five-year-old Department of Managed Care, the Associated Press reported. Kaiser is the largest HMO in the United States.
In 2004, Kaiser told about 1,500 kidney transplant patients in Northern California to transfer from University of California hospitals to the HMO's new San Francisco transplant center.
Kaiser did not talk with regulators about the transfer of the patients, which led to delays in some patients' transplants. The new center did 56 kidney transplants in 2005, and about twice that number of patients died while waiting for a transplant, the wire service said.
In May 2006, Kaiser suspended its Northern California transplant program in response to increasing pressure from regulators and a series of patient lawsuits, the AP reported.
A spokesperson for the state's managed care department said Kaiser's administrative oversight of the patient transfers was inadequate and the staff was too small to accomplish the task.
The dangers of buying drugs from online pharmacies are highlighted in a British study published in the current issue of The Lancet medical journal.
The study cites the case of a 64-year woman who went blind after four years of taking drugs she bought on the Internet, Britain's Independent newspaper reported. The woman self-diagnosed herself with chronic fatigue syndrome and, on the advice of a neighbor, bought oral steroids from an online pharmacy in Thailand.
As she suffered vision loss, doctors found cataracts in both eyes and signs of glaucoma, both side effects of steroid use. The study authors warned doctors to be alert for patients who may have bought drugs online, the Independent reported.
"Some of the drug therapies can be counterfeit and contain a concoction of compounds that bear little resemblance to the drug names on the bottle," the study authors noted.
"Even if the patient receives the actual drug, there are many problems with this unchecked availability, including interactions with coexisting treatment, side effects, and the lack of careful medical monitoring," they wrote.
FDA Adds Raw Clams to Pacific Northwest Shellfish Warning
Raw clams from the Pacific Northwest were added Friday to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's list of raw shellfish from the region that should be avoided because they may harbor disease-causing bacteria.
The agency issued its first warning July 31 that people shouldn't eat raw oysters from the region, saying the shellfish could harbor Vibro parahaemolyticus (VP), which could cause gastrointestinal problems among healthy consumers and more serious illnesses like blood infection (septicemia) in the elderly and others with weaker immune systems.
VP is a natural bacteria that's most prevalent during summer, the agency said. The FDA attributed its warnings to an "unusual increase" in the number of recent cases of gastrointestinal illness attributed to Pacific Northwest shellfish. The region's shellfish are distributed nationwide.
"To date, there have been 72 laboratory-confirmed, and an additional 105 probable, VP illness[es] reported from Washington State, Oregon and New York linked to contaminated oysters and clams," the FDA statement said.
Anyone who wants to eat clams or oysters harvested in the Pacific Northwest and similar shellfish from unknown origin should thoroughly cook them first, the FDA warned in Friday's updated statement.
Officials in Washington State are continuing to identify and close affected oyster beds, and shellfish from beds identified as contaminated have been recalled, the agency said.
HIV Spreading Rapidly Among Gay and Bisexual Men in Asia
Stigma, intolerance, and government inaction are fueling the rapid spread of HIV -- the virus that causes AIDS -- among gay and bisexual men in Asia, says a report released Friday.
The survey of nearly two dozen countries found that HIV rates among men who have sex with men could be as high as 28 percent in Bangkok, Thailand; 16 percent in Andhra Pradesh, India; and 14 percent in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Agence France Presse reported.
"...These data represent an alarming trend, since male-male sexual activity in the region is diverse, often completely hidden, and beyond the reach of current prevention efforts," the report's authors noted.
The report was written by a Bangkok-based group called TREAT Asia, an initiative of the U.S. AIDS campaign organization amFAR, AFP reported.
"Governments in the region and international donors need to support appropriate prevention, care and treatment efforts for MSM (men who have sex with men) populations, or face a spiraling epidemic that could be far worse than any seen in gay communities in the West," said Keven Frost, director of TREAT Asia.
Coke and Pepsi in India are Safe, Companies Say
Some states in India have banned Coca-Cola products due to alleged high levels of pesticides, but the soft drink company says the beverages produced in India are as safe as others made elsewhere in the world.
"No detectable levels of pesticides (were found) in Indian soft drinks when measured against the EU (European Union) criteria in an independent lab study," said a statement released Friday by Coca-Cola.
Last week, the privately-funded New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment said it found unacceptable pesticide levels in 11 drinks made in India by Coca-Cola and Pepsi, Agence France Presse reported.
The levels were 24 times higher than limits set by the Bureau of Indian Standards. However, those limits are not yet law.
Pepsi products have also been banned by some states in India. In statements released earlier, Pepsi said that its products made in India are safe.
Coca-Cola and Pepsi have been given six weeks by India's Supreme Court to reveal the ingredients of their soft drinks, AFP reported.
Smoke Alarms Fail to Alert Older Adults
Older adults are less likely than other people to hear conventional smoke alarms, especially when they're asleep, concludes a study by the U.S. Fire Protection Research Foundation.
In clinical testing, the high-pitched signal typically used on U.S. smoke alarms did a poor job of alerting people ages 65 and older. The study also found that a male voice alarm is not suitable for older adults.
The high frequency alarm typically used in smoke alarms should be replaced by a signal that is more likely to awaken people of all ages, the study authors found. The foundation said it's trying to determine which kind of signal would be most effective.
Older adults are more than twice as likely to die in a home fire as the average person, the foundation said. On average, some 800 older adults die in home fires each year in the United States, the report noted.
Kaiser Fined $2 Million for Kidney Transplant Problems
U.S. health maintenance organization Kaiser Permanente has been hit with a $2 million fine and will shell out $3 million to an organ donor program as compensation for its mismanagement of a kidney transplant center, California officials said.
It's the most severe penalty ever ordered by the state's five-year-old Department of Managed Care, the Associated Press reported. Kaiser is the largest HMO in the United States.
In 2004, Kaiser told about 1,500 kidney transplant patients in Northern California to transfer from University of California hospitals to the HMO's new San Francisco transplant center.
Kaiser did not talk with regulators about the transfer of the patients, which led to delays in some patients' transplants. The new center did 56 kidney transplants in 2005, and about twice that number of patients died while waiting for a transplant, the wire service said.
In May 2006, Kaiser suspended its Northern California transplant program in response to increasing pressure from regulators and a series of patient lawsuits, the AP reported.
A spokesperson for the state's managed care department said Kaiser's administrative oversight of the patient transfers was inadequate and the staff was too small to accomplish the task.
Friday, August 11, 2006
Health Headlines - August 11
Pharmacies Warned to Stop Mass Sales of Compounded Inhaled Drugs
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has warned three pharmacies -- RoTech Healthcare Inc., CCS Medical, and Reliant Pharmacy Services -- to stop mass producing and distributing compounded, unapproved inhalation drugs.
Compounding typically involves the small-scale custom preparation by pharmacies of drugs that are not commercially available. This is done following a doctor's decision that a patient has a special need that can't be met by FDA-approved drugs. This type of practice often is permitted by the FDA.
Inhalation drugs are used to treat diseases such as asthma, emphysema, bronchitis, and cystic fibrosis. There are many FDA-approved drugs to treat these conditions.
However, the FDA said that it's aware of some pharmacies that compound millions of doses of inhalation drugs each year. The agency warned that patients and doctors may not know what's contained in these mass-produced drugs.
"Compounded inhalation drugs are not reviewed by the FDA for safety and effectiveness, often are not produced according to good drug manufacturing practice, and typically are not sterile. This may expose patients to unnecessary risk. To avoid these risks, we encourage patients to use FDA-approved drugs whenever possible," Dr. Steven Galson, director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in a prepared statement.
Problems associated with compounded drugs should be reported to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
Report Describes U.S. Underage Binge Drinking Patterns
Rates of underage binge drinking in the Unites States are highest in parts of Washington, D.C., North Dakota and South Dakota, Montana, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin, says a report released Thursday by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
The lowest rates of underage binge drinking are in other portions of Washington, D.C, and in areas of Detroit, Los Angeles, Utah, Tennessee, Maryland, Mississippi, Florida, and Georgia.
The data was collected during national surveys done from 2002 to 2004. Binge drinking is defined as having five or more drinks within a couple of hours at least once in the previous 30 days.
Thirteen of the 15 areas that had the highest rates for underage binge drinking also had the highest rates of underage alcohol use.
"We have made real progress in convincing young people to abstain from drug use. Now we need to have the same positive results with alcohol abuse and dependence," Assistant Surgeon General Eric Broderick, SAMHSA's acting administrator, said in a prepared statement.
Proteins That Weaken With Age Contribute to Alzheimer's: Study
Two proteins -- HSF-1 and DAF-16 -- that get rid of excess amounts of a sticky protein called beta-amyloid in the brain appear to become less effective with age, says a U.S. study in the journal Science.
Clumps of beta-amyloid in the brain are a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. The study provides a molecular connection between aging and Alzheimer's, experts said.
The findings suggest that using drugs to help boost the cleanup efforts of HSF-1 and DAF-16 may offer a new way of fighting Alzheimer's, the Associated Press reported.
"It's a whole new way of thinking in the Alzheimer's field," said lead researcher Dr. Andrew Dillin, a biologist at California's Salk Institute for Biological Studies.
He and others at the Scripps Research Institute are already searching for potential drug candidates, the AP reported.
U.S. Expands Bird Flu Monitoring in Wild Birds
The United States is expanding its monitoring for bird flu in wild migratory birds to cover the entire country and American territories in the Pacific, federal officials said.
Expanded testing for the H5N1 bird flu virus will be conducted by scientists in the lower 48 states, Hawaii and other Pacific Islands, the Associated Press reported. Monitoring for bird flu in wild birds began in Alaska just before the start of summer.
"This move to test thousands more wild birds throughout the country will help us to quickly identify, respond and control the virus if it arrives in the United States. Because we cannot control wild birds, our best protection is an early warning system," said Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns.
It's expected that feces or tissue samples will be collected from 75,000 to 100,000 wild birds. In addition, about 50,000 samples will be taken from ground and water where the birds gather.
Test sites are likely to include national and state parks and wildlife refuges, city parks and ponds, and private lands where owners have given permission, the AP said.
Rights Group Opposes Coercive HIV Testing
Saudi Arabia and India are among a number of countries violating civil liberties by adopting coercive policies for HIV testing, alleges the group Human Rights Watch. HIV is the virus that causes AIDS.
A press release issued by the New York-based group said an increasing number of nations are either proposing or using mandatory or discriminatory HIV test programs that often fail to ensure confidentiality, Agence France Presse reported.
The fear and stigma associated with these kinds of programs may make people try to avoid testing and contribute to the spread of HIV, the group said. The release was issued a few days before Sunday's start of the 16th International AIDS Conference in Toronto.
"There is little or no evidence that HIV testing by itself has any impact on this deadly epidemic. But voluntary HIV testing programs that respect rights, ensure confidentiality and are linked to counseling and treatment have been enormously successful," said Joe Amon, head of the HIV/AIDS section of Human Rights Watch.
One state in India has proposed mandatory pre-marital testing for HIV, while another state proposed HIV testing for all people seeking or holding a driver's license, AFP reported.
United Nations' organizations including the World Health Organization and UNAIDS must update their guidelines to clearly state that HIV testing should be linked to counseling and medical care, Human Rights Watch urged.
Medicare Weighs Cuts to Doctors' Reimbursement Rates
Medicare reimbursement rates for doctors could decrease by about 5 percent in 2007, a cut that U.S. physicians say could make it more difficult for elderly patients to see a doctor, the Associated Press reported.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will soon issue new regulations to update reimbursement rates for next year, agency administrator Mark McClellan told reporters this week. But he didn't provide an exact figure on the proposed rate change.
However, trustees for the Medicare program projected in May that there would be a 4.7 percent decrease, the AP reported.
The proposed reductions are due to a "vicious cycle" in health care, McClellan said. As doctors provide more and more services per patient, Medicare spending increases faster than the overall economy.
But the proposed rate reductions may be blocked by Congress, the AP reported.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has warned three pharmacies -- RoTech Healthcare Inc., CCS Medical, and Reliant Pharmacy Services -- to stop mass producing and distributing compounded, unapproved inhalation drugs.
Compounding typically involves the small-scale custom preparation by pharmacies of drugs that are not commercially available. This is done following a doctor's decision that a patient has a special need that can't be met by FDA-approved drugs. This type of practice often is permitted by the FDA.
Inhalation drugs are used to treat diseases such as asthma, emphysema, bronchitis, and cystic fibrosis. There are many FDA-approved drugs to treat these conditions.
However, the FDA said that it's aware of some pharmacies that compound millions of doses of inhalation drugs each year. The agency warned that patients and doctors may not know what's contained in these mass-produced drugs.
"Compounded inhalation drugs are not reviewed by the FDA for safety and effectiveness, often are not produced according to good drug manufacturing practice, and typically are not sterile. This may expose patients to unnecessary risk. To avoid these risks, we encourage patients to use FDA-approved drugs whenever possible," Dr. Steven Galson, director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in a prepared statement.
Problems associated with compounded drugs should be reported to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
Report Describes U.S. Underage Binge Drinking Patterns
Rates of underage binge drinking in the Unites States are highest in parts of Washington, D.C., North Dakota and South Dakota, Montana, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin, says a report released Thursday by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
The lowest rates of underage binge drinking are in other portions of Washington, D.C, and in areas of Detroit, Los Angeles, Utah, Tennessee, Maryland, Mississippi, Florida, and Georgia.
The data was collected during national surveys done from 2002 to 2004. Binge drinking is defined as having five or more drinks within a couple of hours at least once in the previous 30 days.
Thirteen of the 15 areas that had the highest rates for underage binge drinking also had the highest rates of underage alcohol use.
"We have made real progress in convincing young people to abstain from drug use. Now we need to have the same positive results with alcohol abuse and dependence," Assistant Surgeon General Eric Broderick, SAMHSA's acting administrator, said in a prepared statement.
Proteins That Weaken With Age Contribute to Alzheimer's: Study
Two proteins -- HSF-1 and DAF-16 -- that get rid of excess amounts of a sticky protein called beta-amyloid in the brain appear to become less effective with age, says a U.S. study in the journal Science.
Clumps of beta-amyloid in the brain are a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. The study provides a molecular connection between aging and Alzheimer's, experts said.
The findings suggest that using drugs to help boost the cleanup efforts of HSF-1 and DAF-16 may offer a new way of fighting Alzheimer's, the Associated Press reported.
"It's a whole new way of thinking in the Alzheimer's field," said lead researcher Dr. Andrew Dillin, a biologist at California's Salk Institute for Biological Studies.
He and others at the Scripps Research Institute are already searching for potential drug candidates, the AP reported.
U.S. Expands Bird Flu Monitoring in Wild Birds
The United States is expanding its monitoring for bird flu in wild migratory birds to cover the entire country and American territories in the Pacific, federal officials said.
Expanded testing for the H5N1 bird flu virus will be conducted by scientists in the lower 48 states, Hawaii and other Pacific Islands, the Associated Press reported. Monitoring for bird flu in wild birds began in Alaska just before the start of summer.
"This move to test thousands more wild birds throughout the country will help us to quickly identify, respond and control the virus if it arrives in the United States. Because we cannot control wild birds, our best protection is an early warning system," said Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns.
It's expected that feces or tissue samples will be collected from 75,000 to 100,000 wild birds. In addition, about 50,000 samples will be taken from ground and water where the birds gather.
Test sites are likely to include national and state parks and wildlife refuges, city parks and ponds, and private lands where owners have given permission, the AP said.
Rights Group Opposes Coercive HIV Testing
Saudi Arabia and India are among a number of countries violating civil liberties by adopting coercive policies for HIV testing, alleges the group Human Rights Watch. HIV is the virus that causes AIDS.
A press release issued by the New York-based group said an increasing number of nations are either proposing or using mandatory or discriminatory HIV test programs that often fail to ensure confidentiality, Agence France Presse reported.
The fear and stigma associated with these kinds of programs may make people try to avoid testing and contribute to the spread of HIV, the group said. The release was issued a few days before Sunday's start of the 16th International AIDS Conference in Toronto.
"There is little or no evidence that HIV testing by itself has any impact on this deadly epidemic. But voluntary HIV testing programs that respect rights, ensure confidentiality and are linked to counseling and treatment have been enormously successful," said Joe Amon, head of the HIV/AIDS section of Human Rights Watch.
One state in India has proposed mandatory pre-marital testing for HIV, while another state proposed HIV testing for all people seeking or holding a driver's license, AFP reported.
United Nations' organizations including the World Health Organization and UNAIDS must update their guidelines to clearly state that HIV testing should be linked to counseling and medical care, Human Rights Watch urged.
Medicare Weighs Cuts to Doctors' Reimbursement Rates
Medicare reimbursement rates for doctors could decrease by about 5 percent in 2007, a cut that U.S. physicians say could make it more difficult for elderly patients to see a doctor, the Associated Press reported.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will soon issue new regulations to update reimbursement rates for next year, agency administrator Mark McClellan told reporters this week. But he didn't provide an exact figure on the proposed rate change.
However, trustees for the Medicare program projected in May that there would be a 4.7 percent decrease, the AP reported.
The proposed reductions are due to a "vicious cycle" in health care, McClellan said. As doctors provide more and more services per patient, Medicare spending increases faster than the overall economy.
But the proposed rate reductions may be blocked by Congress, the AP reported.
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Health Headlines - August 10
Sugary Drinks Are Key to Americans' Weight Problems: Study
Increased consumption of soda and other sugary drinks over the past four decades is a key reason why Americans are getting fatter, says a scientific review published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Harvard School of Public Health researchers, who reviewed 30 nutrition studies over 40 years, said their findings supported public health efforts to limit consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, the Associated Press reported.
The findings collectively suggest that soda and sugary drinks "should be discouraged," the authors wrote. They noted that an extra can of soda a day can increase a person's weight by 15 pounds in a single year.
According to the report, about a third of all carbohydrates in the American diet come from added sweeteners, and beverages account for about half this amount, the AP reported.
Protect Yourself From Rabies: Health Officials
Recent incidents in the United States have prompted health officials to urge people to protect themselves from rabies by preventing animal bites and seeking medical help if they believe they've been exposed to the fatal disease, USA Today reported.
In May, 16-year-old Zach Jones of Houston died of rabies after being infected by a bat bite. About one percent of wild bats are rabid, and people don't always know when they've been bitten by a bat.
There have been a number of rabies scares this year. In the Tucson area, residents of about 10 homes were advised to get rabies vaccinations after they reported bats in their bedrooms. In another case, warning letters were sent to about 440 people who attended a camp in New Richmond, Ohio, because bats were seen where the people slept.
In Virginia, letters were sent to the families of 948 children who attended a Girl Scout camp, where there were reports of bats in the cabins, said David Goodfriend, director of the Loudoun County Health Department.
"With rabies, we always want to err on the side of caution," Goodfriend told USA Today. "It's extremely rare ... but the outcome is so severe."
U.S. Hospice Care a $10 Billion Industry
Over the past decade, hospice care in the United States has grown to a $10 billion industry, according to data compiled by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO).
The growth is due to the fact that more Americans want to manage the end of their lives, experts said.
"People nowadays are much more interested in options available to them and more people are recognizing the value of hospice care," Jon Radulovic, NHPCO spokesman, told Agence France Presse.
In 2004, 1.06 million people sought care at 3,600 U.S. hospice facilities, an increase of 110,000 people from 2003.
Radulovic estimated that there are currently about 4,100 U.S. hospice facilities. In 1974, there was just one hospice in the country and by 1985, there were 1,545, AFP reported.
There's a growing awareness among terminally ill patients that they don't have to die in a hospital bed while hooked up to life support equipment, Radulovic said.
FDA and Drug Maker Reach Deal on Morning-After Pill
Over-the-counter (OTC) sales of the Plan B emergency contraceptive in the United States could begin within a few weeks, after federal regulators and drug maker Barr Laboratories reached an agreement Monday.
Under the deal, Barr will resubmit its application for OTC sales of Plan B within two weeks and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will act quickly on the application, The New York Times reported.
The FDA asked that the new Barr application restrict OTC sales to women 18 years of age or older. OTC sales of Plan B would be restricted to pharmacies and licensed clinics. Girls younger than 18 would need a prescription to get Plan B.
Barr Chairman Bruce Downey told The Times that acting FDA Commissioner Andrew C. von Eschenbach assured him in a phone call that the agency was committed to resolving the Plan B impasse.
The FDA has delayed a decision on OTC sales of Plan B for three years. Critics say the delay was fueled by politics, because many anti-abortion groups oppose wider availability of Plan B.
Timely Psychiatric Therapy Rare for Patients on Antidepressants: Study
Most patients who are prescribed antidepressant drugs don't get the psychotherapy they require immediately after they start taking the drugs, a period of time when there can be a temporary increased risk for suicidal behavior, a U.S. study finds.
Researchers reviewed prescription and doctor visit records of nearly 80,000 adults and about 5,000 youngsters from July 2001 through September 2003 and found that only about a third of children and even fewer adults saw a doctor or therapist for mental health care within a month of beginning antidepressant drug treatment, the Associated Press reported.
Factors that may contribute to the problem include: cost of therapy, a shortage of psychiatrists in some parts of the United States, and a lack of follow-up by busy family physicians.
The study -- by Medco Health Solutions Inc., which manages prescription benefits for health plans -- was conducted before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's 2004 recommendation that new antidepressant users see a doctor once a week during the first month of antidepressant treatment and three more times in the following two months, the AP reported.
The FDA has also asked drug companies to place warnings on antidepressant drugs that call for close monitoring of suicidal thoughts or violent behavior in the first few weeks after patients start treatment.
China Confirms Human Bird Flu Death in 2003
The first laboratory-confirmed bird flu death in China occurred in November 2003 rather than the previously reported date of October 2005, the country's top health officials said Tuesday.
This means that China had the first human case in the current H5N1 bird flu outbreak. The new information indicates that China needs to improve its bird flu surveillance and reporting systems, experts said.
The 2003 case involved a 24-year-old Beijing man who died during the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). The man was diagnosed with serious pneumonia without a clear cause. After he died, tests showed that SARS was not the cause. Because of that, experts kept the man's sample for further research. That sample contained H5N1, China Daily reported.
The source of the bird flu infection in the man is not known, officials said. There were no reported outbreaks of H5N1 in the Beijing area at the time.
China reported its first bird flu outbreak in poultry in late January 2004. To date, the country has reported 20 human infections and 13 deaths, including the November 2003 case, China Daily reported.
Increased consumption of soda and other sugary drinks over the past four decades is a key reason why Americans are getting fatter, says a scientific review published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Harvard School of Public Health researchers, who reviewed 30 nutrition studies over 40 years, said their findings supported public health efforts to limit consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, the Associated Press reported.
The findings collectively suggest that soda and sugary drinks "should be discouraged," the authors wrote. They noted that an extra can of soda a day can increase a person's weight by 15 pounds in a single year.
According to the report, about a third of all carbohydrates in the American diet come from added sweeteners, and beverages account for about half this amount, the AP reported.
Protect Yourself From Rabies: Health Officials
Recent incidents in the United States have prompted health officials to urge people to protect themselves from rabies by preventing animal bites and seeking medical help if they believe they've been exposed to the fatal disease, USA Today reported.
In May, 16-year-old Zach Jones of Houston died of rabies after being infected by a bat bite. About one percent of wild bats are rabid, and people don't always know when they've been bitten by a bat.
There have been a number of rabies scares this year. In the Tucson area, residents of about 10 homes were advised to get rabies vaccinations after they reported bats in their bedrooms. In another case, warning letters were sent to about 440 people who attended a camp in New Richmond, Ohio, because bats were seen where the people slept.
In Virginia, letters were sent to the families of 948 children who attended a Girl Scout camp, where there were reports of bats in the cabins, said David Goodfriend, director of the Loudoun County Health Department.
"With rabies, we always want to err on the side of caution," Goodfriend told USA Today. "It's extremely rare ... but the outcome is so severe."
U.S. Hospice Care a $10 Billion Industry
Over the past decade, hospice care in the United States has grown to a $10 billion industry, according to data compiled by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO).
The growth is due to the fact that more Americans want to manage the end of their lives, experts said.
"People nowadays are much more interested in options available to them and more people are recognizing the value of hospice care," Jon Radulovic, NHPCO spokesman, told Agence France Presse.
In 2004, 1.06 million people sought care at 3,600 U.S. hospice facilities, an increase of 110,000 people from 2003.
Radulovic estimated that there are currently about 4,100 U.S. hospice facilities. In 1974, there was just one hospice in the country and by 1985, there were 1,545, AFP reported.
There's a growing awareness among terminally ill patients that they don't have to die in a hospital bed while hooked up to life support equipment, Radulovic said.
FDA and Drug Maker Reach Deal on Morning-After Pill
Over-the-counter (OTC) sales of the Plan B emergency contraceptive in the United States could begin within a few weeks, after federal regulators and drug maker Barr Laboratories reached an agreement Monday.
Under the deal, Barr will resubmit its application for OTC sales of Plan B within two weeks and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will act quickly on the application, The New York Times reported.
The FDA asked that the new Barr application restrict OTC sales to women 18 years of age or older. OTC sales of Plan B would be restricted to pharmacies and licensed clinics. Girls younger than 18 would need a prescription to get Plan B.
Barr Chairman Bruce Downey told The Times that acting FDA Commissioner Andrew C. von Eschenbach assured him in a phone call that the agency was committed to resolving the Plan B impasse.
The FDA has delayed a decision on OTC sales of Plan B for three years. Critics say the delay was fueled by politics, because many anti-abortion groups oppose wider availability of Plan B.
Timely Psychiatric Therapy Rare for Patients on Antidepressants: Study
Most patients who are prescribed antidepressant drugs don't get the psychotherapy they require immediately after they start taking the drugs, a period of time when there can be a temporary increased risk for suicidal behavior, a U.S. study finds.
Researchers reviewed prescription and doctor visit records of nearly 80,000 adults and about 5,000 youngsters from July 2001 through September 2003 and found that only about a third of children and even fewer adults saw a doctor or therapist for mental health care within a month of beginning antidepressant drug treatment, the Associated Press reported.
Factors that may contribute to the problem include: cost of therapy, a shortage of psychiatrists in some parts of the United States, and a lack of follow-up by busy family physicians.
The study -- by Medco Health Solutions Inc., which manages prescription benefits for health plans -- was conducted before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's 2004 recommendation that new antidepressant users see a doctor once a week during the first month of antidepressant treatment and three more times in the following two months, the AP reported.
The FDA has also asked drug companies to place warnings on antidepressant drugs that call for close monitoring of suicidal thoughts or violent behavior in the first few weeks after patients start treatment.
China Confirms Human Bird Flu Death in 2003
The first laboratory-confirmed bird flu death in China occurred in November 2003 rather than the previously reported date of October 2005, the country's top health officials said Tuesday.
This means that China had the first human case in the current H5N1 bird flu outbreak. The new information indicates that China needs to improve its bird flu surveillance and reporting systems, experts said.
The 2003 case involved a 24-year-old Beijing man who died during the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). The man was diagnosed with serious pneumonia without a clear cause. After he died, tests showed that SARS was not the cause. Because of that, experts kept the man's sample for further research. That sample contained H5N1, China Daily reported.
The source of the bird flu infection in the man is not known, officials said. There were no reported outbreaks of H5N1 in the Beijing area at the time.
China reported its first bird flu outbreak in poultry in late January 2004. To date, the country has reported 20 human infections and 13 deaths, including the November 2003 case, China Daily reported.
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Health Headlines - August 9
Nasal Allergies Linked to Increased Parkinson's Disease Risk
People with nasal allergies are nearly three times more likely to develop Parkinson's disease later in life than the general population, says a Mayo Clinic study published Tuesday in the journal Neurology.
While the study of 196 Parkinson's patients concluded that allergic rhinitis was associated with increased the risk of the disease, it found no link between other inflammatory diseases (such as asthma, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis) and Parkinson's, United Press International reported.
Study lead author James Bower noted that this was a small study and that Parkinson's is a complex disease and many factors contribute to its development.
"I wouldn't worry if you have allergies. Treat the allergy symptoms you have to alleviate them at the time," Bower said.
Wide Variation in Family Health Insurance Premiums
In 2004, health insurance premiums for job-related family coverage varied by as much as $4,000 a year between the least expensive and most expensive state, according to data released Tuesday by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
The District of Columbia had the most expensive average cost for family coverage ($11,742), while North Dakota had the least expensive ($7,800). The national average cost was $10,006.
The four other most expensive states were: New Jersey ($11,425); New Hampshire ($11,156); Connecticut ($11,035); and Maine ($10,823). The four other least expensive states were: Arkansas ($8,383); Hawaii ($8,580); Utah ($8,654); and Idaho ($8,908).
These premiums can be paid totally by the employer or the employee, or they can share the cost.
Generic Version of Plavix Being Sold in U.S.
A cheaper version of the best-selling blood thinner drug Plavix is now being sold in the United States by Canadian generic drug maker Apotex Corp.
However, the new drug faces challenges. Plavix maker Bristol-Myers Squibb and its partner, Sanofi-Aventis SA, which markets Plavix outside of the United States, claim that their patent has been infringed. The companies say they're exploring legal and commercial options to fight the generic drug, the Associated Press reported.
However, due to an agreement they signed with Apotex, the two companies have to wait five days before they can seek an injunction to stop sales of the generic drug.
An Apotex spokesman would not divulge how much of the drug has been sold so far in the United States, or the price of the pills, the AP reported. Last year, sales of Plavix totaled about $5.9 billion. It's the second-best selling drug in the world, after the cholesterol drug Lipitor.
Sleeping Pill Sales Surge in U.S.
Americans' use of prescription sleeping pills rose nearly 50 percent -- from 29 million to 43 million prescriptions -- between 2001 and 2005, according to a study by the Consumers Union, which publishes Consumer Reports magazine.
The study said the growth in direct-to-consumer advertising of sleeping pills is one reason for surging sales, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The findings add to the debate about how drug company advertising influences medical choices made by doctors and patients. Some critics say sleeping pill ads may lead to unnecessary use of the drugs.
"We've always known there are people who suffer from insomnia. But what the advertising has done is make a big noise about a problem that may not have been that big of a problem. In a sense, they've helped create the disease," Dr. Marvin M. Lipman, chief medical officer for Consumers Union, told the Times.
In 2005, the drug industry spent more than $4 billion in consumer advertising, a fivefold increase from a decade ago. The United States is one of the few countries that allows direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising.
JAMA Won't Ban Authors Who Don't Disclose Pharma Links
Researchers who don't disclose ties to drug companies will not be barred from publishing studies in the Journal of the American Medical Association, says the journal's editor-in-chief.
Catherine DeAngelis told the Bloomberg news service that drugmakers would launch lawsuits if medical journals joined together to ban authors who did not reveal their financial ties to pharmaceutical companies.
"There's a risk for antitrust suits. I've talked to lawyers, and so have other journals," DeAngelis said.
However, authors who do fail to disclose links to drugmakers can expect "appropriate corrective actions," from their universities, DeAngelis wrote in an editorial published Monday.
Last month, it was revealed that two separate studies published in JAMA were authored by researchers who did not disclose their ties to drug companies. The journal published corrections for both studies, Bloomberg reported.
While medical journals may face legal action if they collectively agree to ban authors who violate disclosure rules, there's nothing to stop the journals from sharing the names of such authors, said Pennsylvania State University law professor Stephen Ross, a former lawyer for the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.
Doctors Separate Conjoined Twins With Shared Kidney
Doctors in Utah successfully separated four-year-old conjoined twins and finished reconstruction surgery Tuesday, the Associated Press reported.
The twin girls -- Kendra and Maliyah Herrin -- were born fused at the midsection and shared a kidney and one set of legs. It took nearly 16 hours of surgery to separate them. During the operation, the doctors divided the girls' shared liver and cut Maliyah's connection to Kendra's kidney.
Maliyah will be placed on dialysis and is expected to receive a kidney from her mother within three-to-six months. Doctors at Primary Children's Medical Center in Salt Lake City said this was the first known surgical attempt to separate twins with a shared kidney, the AP reported.
After the surgery to separate the twins, doctors began separate operations to reconstruct the girls' pelvic rings and several internal organs. The girls are expected to remain in intensive care for about a week and will be hospitalized for at least a month, the wire service said.
People with nasal allergies are nearly three times more likely to develop Parkinson's disease later in life than the general population, says a Mayo Clinic study published Tuesday in the journal Neurology.
While the study of 196 Parkinson's patients concluded that allergic rhinitis was associated with increased the risk of the disease, it found no link between other inflammatory diseases (such as asthma, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis) and Parkinson's, United Press International reported.
Study lead author James Bower noted that this was a small study and that Parkinson's is a complex disease and many factors contribute to its development.
"I wouldn't worry if you have allergies. Treat the allergy symptoms you have to alleviate them at the time," Bower said.
Wide Variation in Family Health Insurance Premiums
In 2004, health insurance premiums for job-related family coverage varied by as much as $4,000 a year between the least expensive and most expensive state, according to data released Tuesday by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
The District of Columbia had the most expensive average cost for family coverage ($11,742), while North Dakota had the least expensive ($7,800). The national average cost was $10,006.
The four other most expensive states were: New Jersey ($11,425); New Hampshire ($11,156); Connecticut ($11,035); and Maine ($10,823). The four other least expensive states were: Arkansas ($8,383); Hawaii ($8,580); Utah ($8,654); and Idaho ($8,908).
These premiums can be paid totally by the employer or the employee, or they can share the cost.
Generic Version of Plavix Being Sold in U.S.
A cheaper version of the best-selling blood thinner drug Plavix is now being sold in the United States by Canadian generic drug maker Apotex Corp.
However, the new drug faces challenges. Plavix maker Bristol-Myers Squibb and its partner, Sanofi-Aventis SA, which markets Plavix outside of the United States, claim that their patent has been infringed. The companies say they're exploring legal and commercial options to fight the generic drug, the Associated Press reported.
However, due to an agreement they signed with Apotex, the two companies have to wait five days before they can seek an injunction to stop sales of the generic drug.
An Apotex spokesman would not divulge how much of the drug has been sold so far in the United States, or the price of the pills, the AP reported. Last year, sales of Plavix totaled about $5.9 billion. It's the second-best selling drug in the world, after the cholesterol drug Lipitor.
Sleeping Pill Sales Surge in U.S.
Americans' use of prescription sleeping pills rose nearly 50 percent -- from 29 million to 43 million prescriptions -- between 2001 and 2005, according to a study by the Consumers Union, which publishes Consumer Reports magazine.
The study said the growth in direct-to-consumer advertising of sleeping pills is one reason for surging sales, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The findings add to the debate about how drug company advertising influences medical choices made by doctors and patients. Some critics say sleeping pill ads may lead to unnecessary use of the drugs.
"We've always known there are people who suffer from insomnia. But what the advertising has done is make a big noise about a problem that may not have been that big of a problem. In a sense, they've helped create the disease," Dr. Marvin M. Lipman, chief medical officer for Consumers Union, told the Times.
In 2005, the drug industry spent more than $4 billion in consumer advertising, a fivefold increase from a decade ago. The United States is one of the few countries that allows direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising.
JAMA Won't Ban Authors Who Don't Disclose Pharma Links
Researchers who don't disclose ties to drug companies will not be barred from publishing studies in the Journal of the American Medical Association, says the journal's editor-in-chief.
Catherine DeAngelis told the Bloomberg news service that drugmakers would launch lawsuits if medical journals joined together to ban authors who did not reveal their financial ties to pharmaceutical companies.
"There's a risk for antitrust suits. I've talked to lawyers, and so have other journals," DeAngelis said.
However, authors who do fail to disclose links to drugmakers can expect "appropriate corrective actions," from their universities, DeAngelis wrote in an editorial published Monday.
Last month, it was revealed that two separate studies published in JAMA were authored by researchers who did not disclose their ties to drug companies. The journal published corrections for both studies, Bloomberg reported.
While medical journals may face legal action if they collectively agree to ban authors who violate disclosure rules, there's nothing to stop the journals from sharing the names of such authors, said Pennsylvania State University law professor Stephen Ross, a former lawyer for the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.
Doctors Separate Conjoined Twins With Shared Kidney
Doctors in Utah successfully separated four-year-old conjoined twins and finished reconstruction surgery Tuesday, the Associated Press reported.
The twin girls -- Kendra and Maliyah Herrin -- were born fused at the midsection and shared a kidney and one set of legs. It took nearly 16 hours of surgery to separate them. During the operation, the doctors divided the girls' shared liver and cut Maliyah's connection to Kendra's kidney.
Maliyah will be placed on dialysis and is expected to receive a kidney from her mother within three-to-six months. Doctors at Primary Children's Medical Center in Salt Lake City said this was the first known surgical attempt to separate twins with a shared kidney, the AP reported.
After the surgery to separate the twins, doctors began separate operations to reconstruct the girls' pelvic rings and several internal organs. The girls are expected to remain in intensive care for about a week and will be hospitalized for at least a month, the wire service said.
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Health Headlines - August 8
Indonesia Reports 43rd Bird-Flu Death
Indonesian officials announced Monday that a 16-year-old boy had died of bird flu. If it's confirmed by the World Health Organization (WHO), it would bring that country's death toll to 43, the highest in the world.
The boy was admitted to a hospital on Saturday and died late Monday. Tests at a laboratory in Jakarta showed he had the H5N1 virus, said Dr. Santoso Suroso, director of the city's infectious diseases hospital.
Health officials said the boy had contact with sick chickens at his home, just east of Jakarta, the Associated Press reported.
If a WHO-accredited laboratory confirms this as a bird-flu death, it would be the 43rd in Indonesia since July 2005. A third of those deaths have occurred this year. Vietnam has recorded 42 bird-flu deaths, but has not had any this year.
Experts have criticized Indonesian officials for not doing enough to halt the spread of bird flu among the millions of backyard poultry in that country.
In related news, officials in Thailand have started visiting every home in 29 provinces to provide people with information about how to protect themselves from bird flu if they discover dead poultry, Agence France Presse reported.
Thailand reported its 16th bird-flu death on the weekend.
The virus has killed at least 135 people worldwide since it first appeared in Asia in late 2003. Most cases have been traced to contact with infected birds. But experts worry that the virus could mutate into a form that's easily transmitted between people.
Sexually Explicit Music Linked to Sex at Younger Age
Teens who listen to music spiced with raunchy, sexual lyrics start to have sex at a younger age than those who prefer more sedate tunes, says a U.S. study in the August issue of the journal Pediatrics.
The study included 1,461 youngsters, aged 12 to 17, who were first interviewed in 2001 and again in 2002 and 2004. Most of the participants were virgins at the time of the initial interview.
Those who listened to a lot of music with degrading sexual messages -- depicting men as "sex-driven studs" and women as sex objects -- and explicit references to sex acts were more likely (51 percent) to start having sexual intercourse or other sexual activities within two years than teens who listened to little or no sexually charged music (29 percent), the Associated Press reported.
Study leader author and Rand Corp. researcher Steven Martino said heavy exposure to sexually degrading music gives teens "a specific message about sex." Boys learn they should relentlessly pursue women, and girls learn they're sex objects, he said.
"We think that really lowers kids' inhibitions and makes them less thoughtful," about sexual decisions and may lead them to make choices they regret, Martino noted.
But one expert said parents and others shouldn't be too quick to pull the plug on this kind of music.
Elderly Should Take Probiotics: Experts
Elderly people should take probiotic supplements -- including drinks, capsules or yogurt -- to protect themselves against bowel conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), according to experts.
People over age 60 have about 1,000-fold less "friendly" bacteria and more disease-causing bacteria in their guts compared with younger adults, scientists said at a briefing in London, England, BBC News reported.
Probiotic products, which contain live strains of bacteria, can help boost the amount of friendly bacteria in the guts of older people and help protect them against acute and chronic bowel diseases.
"The (scientific) literature has reported about 80 human studies with positive results against bowel conditions like traveler's diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome and antibiotic-associated diarrhea," said Glenn Gibson, professor of food microbiology at Reading University.
He said that while probiotic products are useful for healthy adults -- for example, helping to fight bacteria that cause food poisoning -- they are even more beneficial for older people, the BBC reported.
However, Gibson and his colleagues said consumers need to carefully check products to determine whether they contain the correct strain of live bacteria -- such as bifidobacteria or lactobacilli -- and that there are at least 10 million bacterium in the product.
Castro Said to Be Recovering Quickly From Intestinal Surgery
Cuban President Fidel Castro, 79, is recovering quickly from intestinal surgery and may be back to work within a few weeks, according to Vice President Carlos Lage.
"In a few weeks he'll be recovered and he'll return to his duties," Lage told reporters Sunday, the Associated Press reported.
Lage said Castro's return as leader of Cuba would expose a U.S. policy of "lies" behind speculation that Castro wouldn't recover. He also dismissed reports that Castro had stomach cancer.
"The operation that he underwent was successful and he is recovering favorably. Fidel's going to be around for another 80 years," Lage said.
There's been no sign of Castro since July 31, when it was announced that he'd undergone surgery and had temporarily ceded power to his younger brother, Defense Minister Raul Castro.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, a Castro ally, said the Cuban leader was out of bed and talking after his surgery, the AP reported.
British Drug Trial Victim Says He Has Cancer
One of six men who became seriously ill earlier this year after volunteering for a drug trial in London, England, says he has early signs of cancer.
David Oakley told the Mail on Sunday newspaper that he's seeking compensation from Parexel, a clinical research organization that carried out the drug trial on behalf of German pharmaceutical company TeGenero, BBC News reported.
There's no evidence to confirm that Oakley's cancer was caused by the experimental drug, the newspaper said.
About two months ago, blood tests detected "cells that shouldn't be there," which indicates early signs of cancer, according to Oakley.
The drug in the trial, TGN 1412, has been under development for treatment of diseases such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and certain cancers.
British authorities investigated the incident involving the six men and concluded that Parexel failed to follow proper procedures, BBC News reported. Parexel has previously said that all guidelines were followed during the trial.
Indonesian officials announced Monday that a 16-year-old boy had died of bird flu. If it's confirmed by the World Health Organization (WHO), it would bring that country's death toll to 43, the highest in the world.
The boy was admitted to a hospital on Saturday and died late Monday. Tests at a laboratory in Jakarta showed he had the H5N1 virus, said Dr. Santoso Suroso, director of the city's infectious diseases hospital.
Health officials said the boy had contact with sick chickens at his home, just east of Jakarta, the Associated Press reported.
If a WHO-accredited laboratory confirms this as a bird-flu death, it would be the 43rd in Indonesia since July 2005. A third of those deaths have occurred this year. Vietnam has recorded 42 bird-flu deaths, but has not had any this year.
Experts have criticized Indonesian officials for not doing enough to halt the spread of bird flu among the millions of backyard poultry in that country.
In related news, officials in Thailand have started visiting every home in 29 provinces to provide people with information about how to protect themselves from bird flu if they discover dead poultry, Agence France Presse reported.
Thailand reported its 16th bird-flu death on the weekend.
The virus has killed at least 135 people worldwide since it first appeared in Asia in late 2003. Most cases have been traced to contact with infected birds. But experts worry that the virus could mutate into a form that's easily transmitted between people.
Sexually Explicit Music Linked to Sex at Younger Age
Teens who listen to music spiced with raunchy, sexual lyrics start to have sex at a younger age than those who prefer more sedate tunes, says a U.S. study in the August issue of the journal Pediatrics.
The study included 1,461 youngsters, aged 12 to 17, who were first interviewed in 2001 and again in 2002 and 2004. Most of the participants were virgins at the time of the initial interview.
Those who listened to a lot of music with degrading sexual messages -- depicting men as "sex-driven studs" and women as sex objects -- and explicit references to sex acts were more likely (51 percent) to start having sexual intercourse or other sexual activities within two years than teens who listened to little or no sexually charged music (29 percent), the Associated Press reported.
Study leader author and Rand Corp. researcher Steven Martino said heavy exposure to sexually degrading music gives teens "a specific message about sex." Boys learn they should relentlessly pursue women, and girls learn they're sex objects, he said.
"We think that really lowers kids' inhibitions and makes them less thoughtful," about sexual decisions and may lead them to make choices they regret, Martino noted.
But one expert said parents and others shouldn't be too quick to pull the plug on this kind of music.
Elderly Should Take Probiotics: Experts
Elderly people should take probiotic supplements -- including drinks, capsules or yogurt -- to protect themselves against bowel conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), according to experts.
People over age 60 have about 1,000-fold less "friendly" bacteria and more disease-causing bacteria in their guts compared with younger adults, scientists said at a briefing in London, England, BBC News reported.
Probiotic products, which contain live strains of bacteria, can help boost the amount of friendly bacteria in the guts of older people and help protect them against acute and chronic bowel diseases.
"The (scientific) literature has reported about 80 human studies with positive results against bowel conditions like traveler's diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome and antibiotic-associated diarrhea," said Glenn Gibson, professor of food microbiology at Reading University.
He said that while probiotic products are useful for healthy adults -- for example, helping to fight bacteria that cause food poisoning -- they are even more beneficial for older people, the BBC reported.
However, Gibson and his colleagues said consumers need to carefully check products to determine whether they contain the correct strain of live bacteria -- such as bifidobacteria or lactobacilli -- and that there are at least 10 million bacterium in the product.
Castro Said to Be Recovering Quickly From Intestinal Surgery
Cuban President Fidel Castro, 79, is recovering quickly from intestinal surgery and may be back to work within a few weeks, according to Vice President Carlos Lage.
"In a few weeks he'll be recovered and he'll return to his duties," Lage told reporters Sunday, the Associated Press reported.
Lage said Castro's return as leader of Cuba would expose a U.S. policy of "lies" behind speculation that Castro wouldn't recover. He also dismissed reports that Castro had stomach cancer.
"The operation that he underwent was successful and he is recovering favorably. Fidel's going to be around for another 80 years," Lage said.
There's been no sign of Castro since July 31, when it was announced that he'd undergone surgery and had temporarily ceded power to his younger brother, Defense Minister Raul Castro.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, a Castro ally, said the Cuban leader was out of bed and talking after his surgery, the AP reported.
British Drug Trial Victim Says He Has Cancer
One of six men who became seriously ill earlier this year after volunteering for a drug trial in London, England, says he has early signs of cancer.
David Oakley told the Mail on Sunday newspaper that he's seeking compensation from Parexel, a clinical research organization that carried out the drug trial on behalf of German pharmaceutical company TeGenero, BBC News reported.
There's no evidence to confirm that Oakley's cancer was caused by the experimental drug, the newspaper said.
About two months ago, blood tests detected "cells that shouldn't be there," which indicates early signs of cancer, according to Oakley.
The drug in the trial, TGN 1412, has been under development for treatment of diseases such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and certain cancers.
British authorities investigated the incident involving the six men and concluded that Parexel failed to follow proper procedures, BBC News reported. Parexel has previously said that all guidelines were followed during the trial.
Monday, August 07, 2006
Health Headlines - August 7
Rabies Vaccinations Suggested for Nearly 1,000 Girl Scouts
In what is being called "the largest proactive rabies outreach effort ever conducted in the United States," local and federal health officials are recommending rabies vaccinations for almost 1,000 Girl Scouts who attended a Northern Virginia camp last month near Washington, D.C.
Although the chances that any of the campers contracted the usually fatal disease were very small, the Washington Post reports, the presence of bats in the camp sleeping shelters at Camp Potomac Woods caused Loudoun County officials to make the recommendation.
According to health officials, the Post reports, about 1 percent of bats are rabid, and none of the five bats caught after their presence was first reported had the rabies virus.
But because the disease is incurable once symptoms appear, officials thought it best to notify all parents, the newspaper reported.
"We think the risk is extremely small, but we can't say there is no risk," Loudoun County Health Department Director David Goodfriend is quoted as saying. "Really, at the end of the day, it's the parents' decision of what level of risk they are willing to bear."
According to the Post, at least 14 campers have begun the month-long vaccination series, which contains 6-to-nine shots. The estimated cost per person for the treatment is $2,000.
Second-hand Smoke Hikes Osteoporosis Risk
Dramatic results from a mainland China study have confirmed the association between inhaling second-hand smoke and increasing your risk of contracting the bone disease osteoporosis.
BBC News reports that a study presented at a recent meeting of the International Osteoporosis Foundation meeting in Toronto showed that pre-menopausal women tripled their chances of getting osteoporosis if they were regularly exposed to passive smoking, and even men -- whose osteoporosis rate is four times less -- increased their risk.
The study, conducted by a team of scientists from the Harvard School of Public Health, examined 14,000 men and women in rural China who lived with at least one person who smoked every day.
They found that a pre-menopausal woman who lived with one smoker doubled her osteoporosis risk. If she lived with two more more smokers, the risk tripled, BBC News reports. The women also had a 2.6 times greater risk for a non-spine fracture, compared to non-smokers, the researchers found.
An estimated 10 million Americans suffer from osteoporosis, as well as another 18 million who have low bone mass. If calcium intake is not sufficient, osteoporosis may result. And while it is most often associated with post-menopausal women, more and more research indicates osteoporosis can occur much earlier in life.
Fruits and Vegetables Added to Food Subsidy Program
A U.S. government federal food subsidy program for poor mothers and children is adding fruits, vegetables and whole grains to its list, the first time in more than 30 years that any foods have been added.
But this doesn't mean that the government is going to pay more to qualifying families under the Women, Infants and Children program, the Associated Press reports. The program, administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, now pays $35 a month for items such as juice, cheese, and eggs. The addition of fruits and vegetables simply means that the amount allotted for the original items will be reduced so that fruits and vegetables can be included.
The program would pay for $6 worth of fruits and vegetables for children and $8 for women, according to the wire service. The changes were proposed by the federally chartered Institute of Medicine, which had been advocating dietary changes to reflect scientific research that found fruits and vegetables to be essential in a daily diet.
From 'Mud Mania' to Red Rash in One Week
Your mother's admonition that playing in the mud is unhealthy may have reached a new level of veracity.
The Associated Press reports that more than 300 people in the greater St. Louis area have called county health officials complaining about a rash that apparently comes from infected hair follicles.
What did all of these people have in common? They all attended a St. Louis County-sponsored event in late July known as the Mighty Mud Mania, in which thousands of people -- many of them children -- ran through a mud-filled obstacle course. Many of the children were totally covered in mud, the wire service reports.
The county health department told the A.P. that it started receiving calls early last week about a rash breaking out on the bodies of those who had taken part in the mud event. The health department identified at least 23 cases as folliculitis, an inflammation of hair follicles caused by contact with bacteria found in the soil, the wire service reports.
The condition isn't considered to be life-threatening, but one parent, Jason Crump, the father of two boys who had to take antibiotics to fight the rash, is quoted as saying, "I'll make my own mud pit in the backyard."
Second Test Confirms High Testosterone Levels in Cycling Champion
The bad news anticipated by many people in the cycling world became a reality today, when the results of a second test confirmed that Tour de France champion Floyd Landis's testosterone level was three times beyond acceptable levels and that part of the hormone found in his urine was synthetic.
As a result, the New York Times reports, Landis may lose his title and be banned from competitive cycling. Shortly after the results of the second test were announced, Landis's team, Phonak, fired him, the newspaper reported.
Results from the first test -- a routine urine analysis announced about a week after Landis won the Tour de France -- had shown abnormally high levels of the male hormone testosterone. Landis had responded that he always tested with high testosterone levels; it was part of his natural body chemistry, he said.
But the results also found that some of the hormone was synthetic, and Landis has not commented on that aspect, other than to say he never took any drugs.
The International Cycling Union announced Saturday that results from the second tests confirmed the result of an "adverse analytical finding" on July 26, following the analysis of sample A, the Times reports. The organization has recommended a disciplinary procedure against Landis.
Group Sues EPA Over Beach Pollution
An environmental group has sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, charging that it failed to protect beaches around the country from pollution and exposed swimmers to potential illnesses.
The lawsuit was filed Thursday by the Natural Resources Defense Council in U.S. District Court, the Associated Press reported.
Under a law passed by Congress in 2000, the EPA was supposed to update its beach water quality health standards by 2005. The lawsuit says the agency missed that deadline and its current standards are two decades old.
The Natural Resources Defense Council wants the court to order the EPA to complete the water quality studies and issue revised standards, the AP reported.
An EPA spokesman did not comment on the lawsuit but said the state of the nation's beach health "remains high," the AP reported.
In what is being called "the largest proactive rabies outreach effort ever conducted in the United States," local and federal health officials are recommending rabies vaccinations for almost 1,000 Girl Scouts who attended a Northern Virginia camp last month near Washington, D.C.
Although the chances that any of the campers contracted the usually fatal disease were very small, the Washington Post reports, the presence of bats in the camp sleeping shelters at Camp Potomac Woods caused Loudoun County officials to make the recommendation.
According to health officials, the Post reports, about 1 percent of bats are rabid, and none of the five bats caught after their presence was first reported had the rabies virus.
But because the disease is incurable once symptoms appear, officials thought it best to notify all parents, the newspaper reported.
"We think the risk is extremely small, but we can't say there is no risk," Loudoun County Health Department Director David Goodfriend is quoted as saying. "Really, at the end of the day, it's the parents' decision of what level of risk they are willing to bear."
According to the Post, at least 14 campers have begun the month-long vaccination series, which contains 6-to-nine shots. The estimated cost per person for the treatment is $2,000.
Second-hand Smoke Hikes Osteoporosis Risk
Dramatic results from a mainland China study have confirmed the association between inhaling second-hand smoke and increasing your risk of contracting the bone disease osteoporosis.
BBC News reports that a study presented at a recent meeting of the International Osteoporosis Foundation meeting in Toronto showed that pre-menopausal women tripled their chances of getting osteoporosis if they were regularly exposed to passive smoking, and even men -- whose osteoporosis rate is four times less -- increased their risk.
The study, conducted by a team of scientists from the Harvard School of Public Health, examined 14,000 men and women in rural China who lived with at least one person who smoked every day.
They found that a pre-menopausal woman who lived with one smoker doubled her osteoporosis risk. If she lived with two more more smokers, the risk tripled, BBC News reports. The women also had a 2.6 times greater risk for a non-spine fracture, compared to non-smokers, the researchers found.
An estimated 10 million Americans suffer from osteoporosis, as well as another 18 million who have low bone mass. If calcium intake is not sufficient, osteoporosis may result. And while it is most often associated with post-menopausal women, more and more research indicates osteoporosis can occur much earlier in life.
Fruits and Vegetables Added to Food Subsidy Program
A U.S. government federal food subsidy program for poor mothers and children is adding fruits, vegetables and whole grains to its list, the first time in more than 30 years that any foods have been added.
But this doesn't mean that the government is going to pay more to qualifying families under the Women, Infants and Children program, the Associated Press reports. The program, administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, now pays $35 a month for items such as juice, cheese, and eggs. The addition of fruits and vegetables simply means that the amount allotted for the original items will be reduced so that fruits and vegetables can be included.
The program would pay for $6 worth of fruits and vegetables for children and $8 for women, according to the wire service. The changes were proposed by the federally chartered Institute of Medicine, which had been advocating dietary changes to reflect scientific research that found fruits and vegetables to be essential in a daily diet.
From 'Mud Mania' to Red Rash in One Week
Your mother's admonition that playing in the mud is unhealthy may have reached a new level of veracity.
The Associated Press reports that more than 300 people in the greater St. Louis area have called county health officials complaining about a rash that apparently comes from infected hair follicles.
What did all of these people have in common? They all attended a St. Louis County-sponsored event in late July known as the Mighty Mud Mania, in which thousands of people -- many of them children -- ran through a mud-filled obstacle course. Many of the children were totally covered in mud, the wire service reports.
The county health department told the A.P. that it started receiving calls early last week about a rash breaking out on the bodies of those who had taken part in the mud event. The health department identified at least 23 cases as folliculitis, an inflammation of hair follicles caused by contact with bacteria found in the soil, the wire service reports.
The condition isn't considered to be life-threatening, but one parent, Jason Crump, the father of two boys who had to take antibiotics to fight the rash, is quoted as saying, "I'll make my own mud pit in the backyard."
Second Test Confirms High Testosterone Levels in Cycling Champion
The bad news anticipated by many people in the cycling world became a reality today, when the results of a second test confirmed that Tour de France champion Floyd Landis's testosterone level was three times beyond acceptable levels and that part of the hormone found in his urine was synthetic.
As a result, the New York Times reports, Landis may lose his title and be banned from competitive cycling. Shortly after the results of the second test were announced, Landis's team, Phonak, fired him, the newspaper reported.
Results from the first test -- a routine urine analysis announced about a week after Landis won the Tour de France -- had shown abnormally high levels of the male hormone testosterone. Landis had responded that he always tested with high testosterone levels; it was part of his natural body chemistry, he said.
But the results also found that some of the hormone was synthetic, and Landis has not commented on that aspect, other than to say he never took any drugs.
The International Cycling Union announced Saturday that results from the second tests confirmed the result of an "adverse analytical finding" on July 26, following the analysis of sample A, the Times reports. The organization has recommended a disciplinary procedure against Landis.
Group Sues EPA Over Beach Pollution
An environmental group has sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, charging that it failed to protect beaches around the country from pollution and exposed swimmers to potential illnesses.
The lawsuit was filed Thursday by the Natural Resources Defense Council in U.S. District Court, the Associated Press reported.
Under a law passed by Congress in 2000, the EPA was supposed to update its beach water quality health standards by 2005. The lawsuit says the agency missed that deadline and its current standards are two decades old.
The Natural Resources Defense Council wants the court to order the EPA to complete the water quality studies and issue revised standards, the AP reported.
An EPA spokesman did not comment on the lawsuit but said the state of the nation's beach health "remains high," the AP reported.
Sunday, August 06, 2006
Health Headlines - August 6
Fruits and Vegetables Added to Food Subsidy Program
A U.S. government federal food subsidy program for poor mothers and children is adding fruits, vegetables and whole grains to its list, the first time in more than 30 years that any foods have been added.
But this doesn't mean that the government is going to pay more to qualifying families under the Women, Infants and Children program, the Associated Press reports. The program, administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, now pays $35 a month for items such as juice, cheese, and eggs. The addition of fruits and vegetables simply means that the amount allotted for the original items will be reduced so that fruits and vegetables can be included.
The program would pay for $6 worth of fruits and vegetables for children and $8 for women, according to the wire service. The changes were proposed by the federally chartered Institute of Medicine, which had been advocating dietary changes to reflect scientific research that found fruits and vegetables to be essential in a daily diet.
From 'Mud Mania' to Red Rash in One Week
Your mother's admonition that playing in the mud is unhealthy may have reached a new level of veracity.
The Associated Press reports that more than 300 people in the greater St. Louis area have called county health officials complaining about a rash that apparently comes from infected hair follicles.
What did all of these people have in common? They all attended a St. Louis County-sponsored event in late July known as the Mighty Mud Mania, in which thousands of people -- many of them children -- ran through a mud-filled obstacle course. Many of the children were totally covered in mud, the wire service reports.
The county health department told the A.P. that it started receiving calls early last week about a rash breaking out on the bodies of those who had taken part in the mud event. The health department identified at least 23 cases as folliculitis, an inflammation of hair follicles caused by contact with bacteria found in the soil, the wire service reports.
The condition isn't considered to be life-threatening, but one parent, Jason Crump, the father of two boys who had to take antibiotics to fight the rash, is quoted as saying, "I'll make my own mud pit in the backyard."
Second Test Confirms High Testosterone Levels in Cycling Champion
The bad news anticipated by many people in the cycling world became a reality today, when the results of a second test confirmed that Tour de France champion Floyd Landis's testosterone level was three times beyond acceptable levels and that part of the hormone found in his urine was synthetic.
As a result, the New York Times reports, Landis may lose his title and be banned from competitive cycling. Shortly after the results of the second test were announced, Landis's team, Phonak, fired him, the newspaper reported.
Results from the first test -- a routine urine analysis announced about a week after Landis won the Tour de France -- had shown abnormally high levels of the male hormone testosterone. Landis had responded that he always tested with high testosterone levels; it was part of his natural body chemistry, he said.
But the results also found that some of the hormone was synthetic, and Landis has not commented on that aspect, other than to say he never took any drugs.
The International Cycling Union announced Saturday that results from the second tests confirmed the result of an "adverse analytical finding" on July 26, following the analysis of sample A, the Times reports. The organization has recommended a disciplinary procedure against Landis.
Group Sues EPA Over Beach Pollution
An environmental group has sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, charging that it failed to protect beaches around the country from pollution and exposed swimmers to potential illnesses.
The lawsuit was filed Thursday by the Natural Resources Defense Council in U.S. District Court, the Associated Press reported.
Under a law passed by Congress in 2000, the EPA was supposed to update its beach water quality health standards by 2005. The lawsuit says the agency missed that deadline and its current standards are two decades old.
The Natural Resources Defense Council wants the court to order the EPA to complete the water quality studies and issue revised standards, the AP reported.
An EPA spokesman did not comment on the lawsuit but said the state of the nation's beach health "remains high," the AP reported.
Blood Test Detects Early Breast Cancer
A blood test that measures concentrations of proteins can detect the earliest stages of breast cancer, says research published in the Journal of Proteome Research.
The study of 345 women found that the test detected 95 percent of breast cancers, BBC News reported.
The blood test developed by American and British researchers detects minor changes in the concentrations of certain proteins in the blood. Some of these proteins are specific for breast tissue, while others indicate tumor-related inflammation and new blood vessel growth.
The researchers said that by changing the combination of proteins the test detects, it could be used to spot other kinds of cancers, BBC News reported.
"Our pilot studies show that using blood samples, breast cancer and several other types of epithelial cancers can be detected with much better sensitivity and specificity," said Professor Jasminka Godovac-Zimmermann of University College London.
The researchers are studying different protein marker combinations in an effort to identify ones that can be used to screen for several cancers in a single blood test, BBC News reported.
Rabies Outbreak Prompts Dog Slaughter in China
As many as half a million dogs in eastern China could be killed as officials move to control a rabies outbreak that's caused 16 human deaths in the past eight months.
The state news agency Xinhua said the deaths occurred in a number of villages in Shandong province. Authorities have ordered the slaughter of all dogs within a five-kilometer (3.1-mile) radius of each affected village.
It's expected that dogs outside the village kill zones will be vaccinated against rabies, Xinhua said. If the rabies outbreak continues to spread, more dogs will be killed.
Last week, officials in Muding county in the southwest province of Yunnan ordered the slaughter of more than 50,000 dogs in an effort to contain a rabies outbreak that killed three people, Agence France Presse reported.
A U.S. government federal food subsidy program for poor mothers and children is adding fruits, vegetables and whole grains to its list, the first time in more than 30 years that any foods have been added.
But this doesn't mean that the government is going to pay more to qualifying families under the Women, Infants and Children program, the Associated Press reports. The program, administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, now pays $35 a month for items such as juice, cheese, and eggs. The addition of fruits and vegetables simply means that the amount allotted for the original items will be reduced so that fruits and vegetables can be included.
The program would pay for $6 worth of fruits and vegetables for children and $8 for women, according to the wire service. The changes were proposed by the federally chartered Institute of Medicine, which had been advocating dietary changes to reflect scientific research that found fruits and vegetables to be essential in a daily diet.
From 'Mud Mania' to Red Rash in One Week
Your mother's admonition that playing in the mud is unhealthy may have reached a new level of veracity.
The Associated Press reports that more than 300 people in the greater St. Louis area have called county health officials complaining about a rash that apparently comes from infected hair follicles.
What did all of these people have in common? They all attended a St. Louis County-sponsored event in late July known as the Mighty Mud Mania, in which thousands of people -- many of them children -- ran through a mud-filled obstacle course. Many of the children were totally covered in mud, the wire service reports.
The county health department told the A.P. that it started receiving calls early last week about a rash breaking out on the bodies of those who had taken part in the mud event. The health department identified at least 23 cases as folliculitis, an inflammation of hair follicles caused by contact with bacteria found in the soil, the wire service reports.
The condition isn't considered to be life-threatening, but one parent, Jason Crump, the father of two boys who had to take antibiotics to fight the rash, is quoted as saying, "I'll make my own mud pit in the backyard."
Second Test Confirms High Testosterone Levels in Cycling Champion
The bad news anticipated by many people in the cycling world became a reality today, when the results of a second test confirmed that Tour de France champion Floyd Landis's testosterone level was three times beyond acceptable levels and that part of the hormone found in his urine was synthetic.
As a result, the New York Times reports, Landis may lose his title and be banned from competitive cycling. Shortly after the results of the second test were announced, Landis's team, Phonak, fired him, the newspaper reported.
Results from the first test -- a routine urine analysis announced about a week after Landis won the Tour de France -- had shown abnormally high levels of the male hormone testosterone. Landis had responded that he always tested with high testosterone levels; it was part of his natural body chemistry, he said.
But the results also found that some of the hormone was synthetic, and Landis has not commented on that aspect, other than to say he never took any drugs.
The International Cycling Union announced Saturday that results from the second tests confirmed the result of an "adverse analytical finding" on July 26, following the analysis of sample A, the Times reports. The organization has recommended a disciplinary procedure against Landis.
Group Sues EPA Over Beach Pollution
An environmental group has sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, charging that it failed to protect beaches around the country from pollution and exposed swimmers to potential illnesses.
The lawsuit was filed Thursday by the Natural Resources Defense Council in U.S. District Court, the Associated Press reported.
Under a law passed by Congress in 2000, the EPA was supposed to update its beach water quality health standards by 2005. The lawsuit says the agency missed that deadline and its current standards are two decades old.
The Natural Resources Defense Council wants the court to order the EPA to complete the water quality studies and issue revised standards, the AP reported.
An EPA spokesman did not comment on the lawsuit but said the state of the nation's beach health "remains high," the AP reported.
Blood Test Detects Early Breast Cancer
A blood test that measures concentrations of proteins can detect the earliest stages of breast cancer, says research published in the Journal of Proteome Research.
The study of 345 women found that the test detected 95 percent of breast cancers, BBC News reported.
The blood test developed by American and British researchers detects minor changes in the concentrations of certain proteins in the blood. Some of these proteins are specific for breast tissue, while others indicate tumor-related inflammation and new blood vessel growth.
The researchers said that by changing the combination of proteins the test detects, it could be used to spot other kinds of cancers, BBC News reported.
"Our pilot studies show that using blood samples, breast cancer and several other types of epithelial cancers can be detected with much better sensitivity and specificity," said Professor Jasminka Godovac-Zimmermann of University College London.
The researchers are studying different protein marker combinations in an effort to identify ones that can be used to screen for several cancers in a single blood test, BBC News reported.
Rabies Outbreak Prompts Dog Slaughter in China
As many as half a million dogs in eastern China could be killed as officials move to control a rabies outbreak that's caused 16 human deaths in the past eight months.
The state news agency Xinhua said the deaths occurred in a number of villages in Shandong province. Authorities have ordered the slaughter of all dogs within a five-kilometer (3.1-mile) radius of each affected village.
It's expected that dogs outside the village kill zones will be vaccinated against rabies, Xinhua said. If the rabies outbreak continues to spread, more dogs will be killed.
Last week, officials in Muding county in the southwest province of Yunnan ordered the slaughter of more than 50,000 dogs in an effort to contain a rabies outbreak that killed three people, Agence France Presse reported.
Saturday, August 05, 2006
Health Headlines - August 5
Group Sues EPA Over Beach Pollution
An environmental group has sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, charging that it failed to protect beaches around the country from pollution and exposed swimmers to potential illnesses.
The lawsuit was filed Thursday by the Natural Resources Defense Council in U.S. District Court, the Associated Press reported.
Under a law passed by Congress in 2000, the EPA was supposed to update its beach water quality health standards by 2005. The lawsuit says the agency missed that deadline and its current standards are two decades old.
The Natural Resources Defense Council wants the court to order the EPA to complete the water quality studies and issue revised standards, the AP reported.
An EPA spokesman did not comment on the lawsuit but said the state of the nation's beach health "remains high," the AP reported.
Blood Test Detects Early Breast Cancer
A blood test that measures concentrations of proteins can detect the earliest stages of breast cancer, says research published in the Journal of Proteome Research.
The study of 345 women found that the test detected 95 percent of breast cancers, BBC News reported.
The blood test developed by American and British researchers detects minor changes in the concentrations of certain proteins in the blood. Some of these proteins are specific for breast tissue, while others indicate tumor-related inflammation and new blood vessel growth.
The researchers said that by changing the combination of proteins the test detects, it could be used to spot other kinds of cancers, BBC News reported.
"Our pilot studies show that using blood samples, breast cancer and several other types of epithelial cancers can be detected with much better sensitivity and specificity," said Professor Jasminka Godovac-Zimmermann of University College London.
The researchers are studying different protein marker combinations in an effort to identify ones that can be used to screen for several cancers in a single blood test, BBC News reported.
Rabies Outbreak Prompts Dog Slaughter in China
As many as half a million dogs in eastern China could be killed as officials move to control a rabies outbreak that's caused 16 human deaths in the past eight months.
The state news agency Xinhua said the deaths occurred in a number of villages in Shandong province. Authorities have ordered the slaughter of all dogs within a five-kilometer (3.1-mile) radius of each affected village.
It's expected that dogs outside the village kill zones will be vaccinated against rabies, Xinhua said. If the rabies outbreak continues to spread, more dogs will be killed.
Last week, officials in Muding county in the southwest province of Yunnan ordered the slaughter of more than 50,000 dogs in an effort to contain a rabies outbreak that killed three people, Agence France Presse reported.
Scientists Identify Proteins That Detect Sour Taste
Two proteins -- called PKD1L3 and PKD2L1 -- in the taste buds of the tongue are responsible for detecting sour tastes, says a study led by Duke University Medical Center researchers.
This is the first study to define how humans perceive sour taste. The basis for perception of other types of tastes, such as bitter and sweet, was already known.
The finding could lead to methods of manipulating taste perception in order to fool the mouth that something sour, such as some health foods or children's medicines, tastes sweet, said study team senior scientist Hiroaki Matsunami, assistant professor of molecular genetics and microbiology.
The study appears in the online edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and will be published in the Aug. 15 print issue.
Matsunami said he plans to use this new information to screen for chemicals that can block the function of sour taste cells. He said the study findings could also help scientists better understand how the sense of taste functions in the brain.
Radiation Treatments Can Trigger Security Alarms
Patients who are receiving radiation treatments -- such as radioiodine for thyroid problems -- need to be warned that they may falsely trigger airport and other security alarms, say researchers at City Hospital in Birmingham, UK.
They had a 46-year-old patient who underwent six weeks of radioiodine therapy and set off a U.S. airport security alarm. The man was interrogated and strip searched before he was finally released, BBC News reported.
After they heard about their patient's experience, the team at City Hospital started issuing all affected patients with a radionuclide card that explains the risk of persisting radioactivity following treatment and outlines potential problems this may cause.
The researchers reviewed the medical literature and found four similar cases.
Radioiodine treatment isn't the only one that can trigger security alarms. An increasing number of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures -- including some heart, bone, and lung scans -- use radioactive particles, BBC News reported.
In the British Medical Journal, the City Hospital researchers wrote: "Airports worldwide are deploying more sensitive radiation detection systems and one would therefore expect more such cases unless we take the responsibility of forewarning our patients."
Track Coach Trevor Graham Banned from USOC Facilities
Controversial American track coach Trevor Graham has been banned from U.S. Olympic Committee facilities because of his connections to more than a half-dozen athletes sanctioned or implicated in doping offenses, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Thursday's USOC announcement came five days after it was revealed that U.S. track star Justin Gatlin had tested positive for testosterone. Graham has for years coached Gatlin, the 2004 Olympic gold medalist and co-world record holder in the 100 meters.
Graham has also coached Tim Montgomery, a former 100-meter world record holder who was suspended after being found liable last December of doping.
In a related announcement, a German track promoter announced Thursday that athletes trained by Graham would not be allowed to compete in a lucrative event in Berlin on Sept. 3.
The USOC ban on Graham may not have much effect, because Graham's base is a Raleigh, N.C., track that isn't under USOC control, the Times reported.
However, the USOC's action against Graham is regarded as a sign of a renewed bid by the committee to take a leadership role in the fight against sports-related doping.
An environmental group has sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, charging that it failed to protect beaches around the country from pollution and exposed swimmers to potential illnesses.
The lawsuit was filed Thursday by the Natural Resources Defense Council in U.S. District Court, the Associated Press reported.
Under a law passed by Congress in 2000, the EPA was supposed to update its beach water quality health standards by 2005. The lawsuit says the agency missed that deadline and its current standards are two decades old.
The Natural Resources Defense Council wants the court to order the EPA to complete the water quality studies and issue revised standards, the AP reported.
An EPA spokesman did not comment on the lawsuit but said the state of the nation's beach health "remains high," the AP reported.
Blood Test Detects Early Breast Cancer
A blood test that measures concentrations of proteins can detect the earliest stages of breast cancer, says research published in the Journal of Proteome Research.
The study of 345 women found that the test detected 95 percent of breast cancers, BBC News reported.
The blood test developed by American and British researchers detects minor changes in the concentrations of certain proteins in the blood. Some of these proteins are specific for breast tissue, while others indicate tumor-related inflammation and new blood vessel growth.
The researchers said that by changing the combination of proteins the test detects, it could be used to spot other kinds of cancers, BBC News reported.
"Our pilot studies show that using blood samples, breast cancer and several other types of epithelial cancers can be detected with much better sensitivity and specificity," said Professor Jasminka Godovac-Zimmermann of University College London.
The researchers are studying different protein marker combinations in an effort to identify ones that can be used to screen for several cancers in a single blood test, BBC News reported.
Rabies Outbreak Prompts Dog Slaughter in China
As many as half a million dogs in eastern China could be killed as officials move to control a rabies outbreak that's caused 16 human deaths in the past eight months.
The state news agency Xinhua said the deaths occurred in a number of villages in Shandong province. Authorities have ordered the slaughter of all dogs within a five-kilometer (3.1-mile) radius of each affected village.
It's expected that dogs outside the village kill zones will be vaccinated against rabies, Xinhua said. If the rabies outbreak continues to spread, more dogs will be killed.
Last week, officials in Muding county in the southwest province of Yunnan ordered the slaughter of more than 50,000 dogs in an effort to contain a rabies outbreak that killed three people, Agence France Presse reported.
Scientists Identify Proteins That Detect Sour Taste
Two proteins -- called PKD1L3 and PKD2L1 -- in the taste buds of the tongue are responsible for detecting sour tastes, says a study led by Duke University Medical Center researchers.
This is the first study to define how humans perceive sour taste. The basis for perception of other types of tastes, such as bitter and sweet, was already known.
The finding could lead to methods of manipulating taste perception in order to fool the mouth that something sour, such as some health foods or children's medicines, tastes sweet, said study team senior scientist Hiroaki Matsunami, assistant professor of molecular genetics and microbiology.
The study appears in the online edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and will be published in the Aug. 15 print issue.
Matsunami said he plans to use this new information to screen for chemicals that can block the function of sour taste cells. He said the study findings could also help scientists better understand how the sense of taste functions in the brain.
Radiation Treatments Can Trigger Security Alarms
Patients who are receiving radiation treatments -- such as radioiodine for thyroid problems -- need to be warned that they may falsely trigger airport and other security alarms, say researchers at City Hospital in Birmingham, UK.
They had a 46-year-old patient who underwent six weeks of radioiodine therapy and set off a U.S. airport security alarm. The man was interrogated and strip searched before he was finally released, BBC News reported.
After they heard about their patient's experience, the team at City Hospital started issuing all affected patients with a radionuclide card that explains the risk of persisting radioactivity following treatment and outlines potential problems this may cause.
The researchers reviewed the medical literature and found four similar cases.
Radioiodine treatment isn't the only one that can trigger security alarms. An increasing number of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures -- including some heart, bone, and lung scans -- use radioactive particles, BBC News reported.
In the British Medical Journal, the City Hospital researchers wrote: "Airports worldwide are deploying more sensitive radiation detection systems and one would therefore expect more such cases unless we take the responsibility of forewarning our patients."
Track Coach Trevor Graham Banned from USOC Facilities
Controversial American track coach Trevor Graham has been banned from U.S. Olympic Committee facilities because of his connections to more than a half-dozen athletes sanctioned or implicated in doping offenses, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Thursday's USOC announcement came five days after it was revealed that U.S. track star Justin Gatlin had tested positive for testosterone. Graham has for years coached Gatlin, the 2004 Olympic gold medalist and co-world record holder in the 100 meters.
Graham has also coached Tim Montgomery, a former 100-meter world record holder who was suspended after being found liable last December of doping.
In a related announcement, a German track promoter announced Thursday that athletes trained by Graham would not be allowed to compete in a lucrative event in Berlin on Sept. 3.
The USOC ban on Graham may not have much effect, because Graham's base is a Raleigh, N.C., track that isn't under USOC control, the Times reported.
However, the USOC's action against Graham is regarded as a sign of a renewed bid by the committee to take a leadership role in the fight against sports-related doping.
Friday, August 04, 2006
Health Headlines - August 4
Researchers Develop Dementia Risk Test
A test that uses lifestyle factors to predict dementia risk has been developed by researchers in Sweden.
People with any one of the risk factors -- cardiovascular disease, obesity, high blood pressure and high cholesterol -- have double the risk of developing dementia. Having all the factors increases the risk by six times, the Associated Press reported.
Researchers tested the risk score on 1,409 middle-aged people and found that it was 70 percent accurate.
The risk factors for dementia are virtually identical to those known to increase cardiovascular disease risk, the AP reported.
"We have known for years that trying to control obesity, blood pressure and cholesterol can prevent heart disease, but now it's not only the heart you can save, but also the brain," said lead author Dr. Miia Kivipelto, associate professor at the Aging Research Center in Stockholm.
The findings were published Thursday in the journal Lancet Neurology, and were previously presented in mid-July at the International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders, in Madrid, Spain.
Thompson Urges Medicaid Reform
Responsibility for long-term care of the growing population of elderly Americans should be shifted to the federal government, while states focus on acute care for people under age 65, says a white paper on Medicaid reform to be released Friday by Tommy G. Thompson, former secretary of health and human services.
"The federal government is the only one large enough to handle this growing problem," Thompson told the Washington Post. "The states are going broke right now under the Medicaid system. Who else is going to be able to handle the elderly?"
His white paper also suggests that health literacy and disease-prevention programs be used to help Medicaid recipients take a more active role in their care. In addition, Medicaid needs to use technology, such as electronic medical records, to help manage cases and improve its ability to collect public health information.
Making Medicare more efficient could save money that states could use to cover the 45.8 million uninsured people in the United States, according to Thompson, who left the Bush cabinet nearly two years ago.
Much of what Thompson is proposing is not new or radical, Diane Rowland, director of the nonprofit Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, told the Post.
Suspected Bird Flu Cases in Indonesia Prove Negative
Tests results on six people in Indonesia suspected of having bird flu have come back negative, easing fears of another outbreak of the deadly H5N1 virus, Agence France Presse reported.
The six people live in a district in North Sumatra where a cluster of seven H5N1 deaths occurred in May. That cluster was the first confirmed incidence of human-to-human transmission of bird flu.
These latest suspected cases raised fears of another outbreak of human-to-human transmission of H5N1. The six suspected patients had flu-like symptoms and were found during surveillance checks of dead poultry in their village, AFP reported.
Scientists fear that if H5N1 mutates into a form that's easily transmitted between people, it could spark a global pandemic.
FDA Approves Seasonal Flu Vaccines
Flu vaccines designed to counter the three strains of seasonal influenza most likely to hit the United States this winter have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The agency said the four manufacturers licensed to sell their vaccines in the United States should have 100 million doses available for the upcoming flu season, which should guarantee that there will be no shortages, the Associated Press reported.
The formulation for the 2006-07 flu season includes one strain used in last season's vaccines and two new strains.
Chiron Corp., GlaxoSmithKline PLC, MedImmune Inc., and Sanofi Pasteur SA are the four manufacturers approved to sell the flu vaccines in the United States, the AP reported.
Each year, between 5 percent and 20 percent of the U.S. population gets the flu, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and there are more than 200,000 hospitalizations and about 36,000 flu-related deaths each year.
Seasonal flu vaccines don't protect people against the bird flu virus. Scientists are attempting to create vaccines to counter that virus.
Doctors Charged in 'High-Tech Drug Dealing' Case
U.S. prosecutors have accused two doctors of being involved in "high-tech drug dealing" by helping sell millions of dollars of diet drugs through on online pharmacy.
The charges state that the doctors -- Ranvir Ahlawat of Toms River, N.J., and Steven Klinman of Elkins Park, Pa. -- approved thousands of prescriptions without seeing any patients in person. It's alleged that most of the orders were for highly addictive, controlled drugs, the Associated Press reported.
The doctors' actions helped RxMedical One.com rake in more than $33.6 million in nine months.
"This is high-tech drug dealing," said U.S. Attorney Patrick Meehan.
The prosecutors charge that Ahlawat and Klinman reviewed questionnaires that customers sent in with their drug orders. It's alleged that Ahlawat sometimes reviewed 1,000 to 1,500 questionnaires a day, the AP reported.
More people could be charged in the case, said prosecutors, who noted that five doctors approved more than 350,000 prescriptions from September 2003 to May 2004.
Merck Wins 1st Vioxx Case in California
Drug maker Merck & Co. has scored a victory in the first Vioxx case to go to trial in California.
A Los Angeles County jury ruled late Wednesday that retired construction manager Stewart Grossberg failed to prove that the painkiller caused his heart attack, the Los Angeles Times reported.
This is Merck's fifth win in eight Vioxx trials. Some experts regard it as an important victory because it came in the Central Civil West courthouse, which is known for granting large awards in product-liability cases.
However, other experts view the verdict as only a qualified victory for Merck because Grossberg's case was considered weak, the Times reported.
Merck faces more than 16,000 Vioxx-related lawsuits in the United States.
A test that uses lifestyle factors to predict dementia risk has been developed by researchers in Sweden.
People with any one of the risk factors -- cardiovascular disease, obesity, high blood pressure and high cholesterol -- have double the risk of developing dementia. Having all the factors increases the risk by six times, the Associated Press reported.
Researchers tested the risk score on 1,409 middle-aged people and found that it was 70 percent accurate.
The risk factors for dementia are virtually identical to those known to increase cardiovascular disease risk, the AP reported.
"We have known for years that trying to control obesity, blood pressure and cholesterol can prevent heart disease, but now it's not only the heart you can save, but also the brain," said lead author Dr. Miia Kivipelto, associate professor at the Aging Research Center in Stockholm.
The findings were published Thursday in the journal Lancet Neurology, and were previously presented in mid-July at the International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders, in Madrid, Spain.
Thompson Urges Medicaid Reform
Responsibility for long-term care of the growing population of elderly Americans should be shifted to the federal government, while states focus on acute care for people under age 65, says a white paper on Medicaid reform to be released Friday by Tommy G. Thompson, former secretary of health and human services.
"The federal government is the only one large enough to handle this growing problem," Thompson told the Washington Post. "The states are going broke right now under the Medicaid system. Who else is going to be able to handle the elderly?"
His white paper also suggests that health literacy and disease-prevention programs be used to help Medicaid recipients take a more active role in their care. In addition, Medicaid needs to use technology, such as electronic medical records, to help manage cases and improve its ability to collect public health information.
Making Medicare more efficient could save money that states could use to cover the 45.8 million uninsured people in the United States, according to Thompson, who left the Bush cabinet nearly two years ago.
Much of what Thompson is proposing is not new or radical, Diane Rowland, director of the nonprofit Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, told the Post.
Suspected Bird Flu Cases in Indonesia Prove Negative
Tests results on six people in Indonesia suspected of having bird flu have come back negative, easing fears of another outbreak of the deadly H5N1 virus, Agence France Presse reported.
The six people live in a district in North Sumatra where a cluster of seven H5N1 deaths occurred in May. That cluster was the first confirmed incidence of human-to-human transmission of bird flu.
These latest suspected cases raised fears of another outbreak of human-to-human transmission of H5N1. The six suspected patients had flu-like symptoms and were found during surveillance checks of dead poultry in their village, AFP reported.
Scientists fear that if H5N1 mutates into a form that's easily transmitted between people, it could spark a global pandemic.
FDA Approves Seasonal Flu Vaccines
Flu vaccines designed to counter the three strains of seasonal influenza most likely to hit the United States this winter have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The agency said the four manufacturers licensed to sell their vaccines in the United States should have 100 million doses available for the upcoming flu season, which should guarantee that there will be no shortages, the Associated Press reported.
The formulation for the 2006-07 flu season includes one strain used in last season's vaccines and two new strains.
Chiron Corp., GlaxoSmithKline PLC, MedImmune Inc., and Sanofi Pasteur SA are the four manufacturers approved to sell the flu vaccines in the United States, the AP reported.
Each year, between 5 percent and 20 percent of the U.S. population gets the flu, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and there are more than 200,000 hospitalizations and about 36,000 flu-related deaths each year.
Seasonal flu vaccines don't protect people against the bird flu virus. Scientists are attempting to create vaccines to counter that virus.
Doctors Charged in 'High-Tech Drug Dealing' Case
U.S. prosecutors have accused two doctors of being involved in "high-tech drug dealing" by helping sell millions of dollars of diet drugs through on online pharmacy.
The charges state that the doctors -- Ranvir Ahlawat of Toms River, N.J., and Steven Klinman of Elkins Park, Pa. -- approved thousands of prescriptions without seeing any patients in person. It's alleged that most of the orders were for highly addictive, controlled drugs, the Associated Press reported.
The doctors' actions helped RxMedical One.com rake in more than $33.6 million in nine months.
"This is high-tech drug dealing," said U.S. Attorney Patrick Meehan.
The prosecutors charge that Ahlawat and Klinman reviewed questionnaires that customers sent in with their drug orders. It's alleged that Ahlawat sometimes reviewed 1,000 to 1,500 questionnaires a day, the AP reported.
More people could be charged in the case, said prosecutors, who noted that five doctors approved more than 350,000 prescriptions from September 2003 to May 2004.
Merck Wins 1st Vioxx Case in California
Drug maker Merck & Co. has scored a victory in the first Vioxx case to go to trial in California.
A Los Angeles County jury ruled late Wednesday that retired construction manager Stewart Grossberg failed to prove that the painkiller caused his heart attack, the Los Angeles Times reported.
This is Merck's fifth win in eight Vioxx trials. Some experts regard it as an important victory because it came in the Central Civil West courthouse, which is known for granting large awards in product-liability cases.
However, other experts view the verdict as only a qualified victory for Merck because Grossberg's case was considered weak, the Times reported.
Merck faces more than 16,000 Vioxx-related lawsuits in the United States.
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