Health Headlines - January 17

Atlanta Worst U.S. City for People with Asthma

Atlanta has the dubious honor of being the U.S. asthma capital for 2007, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, which just released its annual rankings of the 100 most challenging places to live for people with the respiratory illness.

Atlanta took the top spot due to its higher-than-average crude death rate (CDR) for asthma, high year-round pollen levels, bad air pollution, and lack of total smoking bans in restaurants, bars or workplaces.

Other factors were the city's high rate of poverty and the large percentage of residents without health insurance. Both of these issues are barriers to good asthma care, the foundation said.

Here are the 10 U.S. cities considered to be the worst places for people with asthma: Atlanta; Philadelphia; Raleigh, N.C.; Knoxville, Tenn.; Harrisburg, Pa.; Grand Rapids, Mich.; Milwaukee, Wis.; Greensboro, N.C.; Scranton, Pa.; Little Rock, Ark.

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Cleveland Clinic Sued Over Towel Left in Patient After Surgery

The Cleveland Clinic in Ohio is being sued by the family of a woman who had a towel left inside her body when she had lung surgery in 1995.

The 27-by-18 inch green cotton towel was only discovered more than a year after Bonnie Valle died in 2002, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported. She donated her body to science and the towel was found in August 2003 by a first-year anatomy student at Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine.

The legal action launched by Valle's family against the Cleveland Clinic seeks more than $2 million in damages. A jury trial to decide the case was scheduled to start Tuesday, the Plain Dealer reported.

Lawyers for the clinic will argue that the towel did not kill Valle. In fact, they plan to have a doctor testify that the towel actually assisted Valle's breathing and may have helped her live longer than expected.

However, the plaintiffs' legal team have medical experts that will tell the court that Valle could have lived at least five more years if the towel had not been left inside her body during the surgery, the Plain Dealer reported.

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Molecule Shows Promise Against Cancer

A molecule called dichloroacetate (DCA) shows great promise as a treatment for many different kinds of cancer, according to a Canadian study published Tuesday in the journal Cancer Cell.

DCA has been used for decades to treat metabolic diseases in children. The University of Alberta study found that DCA can shrink lung, breast, and brain tumors in both animal and human tissue tests, the Toronto Star reported.

The molecule did not seem to have any harmful effect on normal cells.

The researchers said DCA appears to reverse changes that occur in cancer cells that make them harder to kill. By reversing these changes, DCA makes cancer cells more vulnerable to normal cell death programming, the Star reported.

DCA is a manufactured molecule that's widely available and is not patented by any pharmaceutical company. The study authors said that means that the molecule could offer extremely inexpensive cancer therapy, costing as little as a few cents a day.

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Castro in 'Grave' Condition: Newspaper Report

Cuban leader Fidel Castro is in "grave" condition, according to a Spanish newspaper report Tuesday.

The Associated Press reported that El Pais newspaper said Castro, 80, has had at least three failed operations and complications from an intestinal infection and that he faces "a very grave prognosis."

The Cuban government has released little information about Fidel Castro since he had emergency intestinal surgery in July and temporarily ceded power to his brother Raul.

Some U.S. doctors believed he was suffering from diverticular disease, which can cause bleeding in the lower intestine, especially in people over 60. In severe cases, emergency surgery may be required. The Spanish newspaper reported that its sources said Castro had suffered a bout of the disease.

"In the summer, the Cuban leader bled abundantly in the intestine,'' El Pais reported. "His condition, moreover, was aggravated because the infection spread and caused peritonitis, the inflammation of the membrane that covers the digestive organs.''

In December, the newspaper added, Castro had an abdominal wound that was leaking more than a pint of fluids a day, causing '''a severe loss of nutrients.'' The Cuban leader was being fed intravenously, the report said.

The report could not be immediately confirmed, according to the AP. A Cuban diplomat in Madrid said the report was a lie.

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Canadian Pharmacists Seek Ban on Export of Drugs to U.S.

Canadian pharmacists want their government to forbid the export of prescription drugs to the United States, the Globe and Mail reported.

The demand is a response to a U.S. Congress bill that would make it legal for American pharmacies and wholesalers to import approved prescription drugs from Canada and certain other countries, where the drugs cost less than they do in the United States. The bill would also allow individual Americans to buy drugs for their own use from Canadian pharmacies.

In a letter to Canada's health minister, four organizations representing pharmacists and drug distributors said the U.S. bill could have a catastrophic impact on Canadian drug supplies, the Globe and Mail reported.

"This American legislative proposal poses an imminent and serious threat to the security and integrity of Canada's drug supply, and hence a serious and genuine threat to the health and well-being of Canadians," the letter said.

The letter called for "an immediate ban on the export, both bulk and retail, of prescription drugs from Canada."

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Japan Confirms H5N1 Bird Flu Outbreak

The dangerous H5N1 bird flu virus has been confirmed as the cause of an outbreak on a poultry farm in southern Japan, according to the country's agriculture ministry.

About 3,900 chickens died on a farm in the Miyazaki prefecture (state) over the weekend. More than 8,000 birds were then slaughtered in an attempt to control the outbreak and all the dead birds were incinerated, Agence France Presse reported.

"The examination conducted at the National Institute of Animal Health confirmed that the bird flu virus detected in Miyazaki prefecture was the H5N1 strain," said a statement from the agriculture ministry.

Eleven other poultry farms within a 10-kilometer radius of the affected farm have been banned from shipping any chickens or eggs, AFP reported. Hong Kong has banned all poultry imports from Japan.

No human infections have been reported in this latest outbreak in Japan.

Since it first appeared in 2003, the H5N1 virus has killed more about 160 people worldwide. Most of those human infections have been the result of direct contact with infected birds. However, experts fear that the virus may mutate into a form that's easily transmitted between humans.

Health Headlines - January 16

Chicken Eggs Contain Proteins Used in Anti-Cancer Drugs

Genetically modified chickens that can lay eggs containing proteins used to make anti-cancer drugs have been developed by scientists at the Roslin Institute in the U.K.

The scientists say they've produced five generations of chickens (about 500) that can produce useful levels of these proteins in egg whites, BBC News reported.

The research, described in this week's issue of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, could help make a number of drugs easier and less expensive to produce.

"One of the characteristics of lots of medical treatments these days is that they're very expensive," Prof. Harry Griffin, director of the Roslin Institute, told BBC News.

"The idea of producing the proteins involved in treatments in flocks of laying hens means they can produce in bulk, they can produce cheaply and, indeed, the raw material for this production system is quite literally chicken feed," Griffin said.

However, much more research is needed before this method of protein production for medicine could possibly be fully developed, BBC News reported.

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NY Hospital Eyes First U.S. Uterus Transplant

Doctors at a New York City hospital are moving closer to offering the United States' first uterus transplant, the Associated Press reported.

The procedure would be for women who can't have children because they have a defective womb, had their uterus removed because of disease, or were born without a uterus.

The world's only uterus transplant was conducted in Saudi Arabia in 2000. The transplanted womb, from a live donor, had to be removed three months later because of a blood clot.

The doctors at New York Downtown Hospital plan to use wombs from dead donors and to remove the wombs after a recipient gives birth so that she doesn't have to take anti-rejection drugs for the rest of her life, the AP reported.

The hospital's ethics board has conditionally approved the plan for a womb transplant and the doctors have started screening potential transplant recipients. However, the hospital's president said a womb transplant is not expected "any time in the near future."

A number of experts say much more research needs to be done into this kind of transplant before it's conducted on humans, the AP reported.

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World's First Test Tube Baby Gives Birth

The world's first test tube baby -- 28-year-old Louise Brown of England -- gave birth to her first child in late December, the Associated Press reported Monday.

The baby boy, Cameron John Mullinder, weighed just under 6 pounds when he was born Dec. 20 in Bristol. He was conceived naturally.

Louise Brown was born July 25, 1978. Three years ago she married Wesley Mullinder.

Louise Brown isn't the first test tube baby to give birth. That distinction was claimed by her sister Natalie in 1999, the AP reported.

Louise Brown was conceived by what was then ground-breaking in-vitro fertilization (IVF), which is now a common procedure. The likelihood of an infertile couple having a baby through IVF is now about one in five, about the same odds of natural conception by a fertile couple.

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Japan and Thailand Hit with Bird Flu Outbreaks

Japanese workers on Monday began incinerating about 12,000 chickens that had died of bird flu or had been killed in order to prevent the spread of an outbreak at a farm in the southern part of the country.

Experts are conducting tests to determine if the outbreak was caused by the dangerous H5N1 bird flu virus, the Associated Press reported.

Officials banned shipments of eggs and 330,000 chickens at 16 poultry farms within a 6.2-mile radius of the affected farm, which has been disinfected. The farm is located in the southern prefecture (state) of Miyazaki, which is Japan's largest poultry-producing region.

In other bird flu news, Thailand announced a new outbreak of H5N1 in ducks in the northern part of the country. The outbreak was confirmed after the deaths of about 100 ducks. It's the first such case in about six months. In order to control the outbreak, officials ordered the slaughter of about 2,100 ducks, the AP reported.

Since it first appeared in Asia in 2003, the H5N1 bird flu virus has decimated poultry flocks in many parts of the world and killed at least 159 people, according to the World Health Organization. Most of the people killed by the H5N1 virus were infected by direct contact with sick birds. However, experts fear that the virus may mutate into a form that's easily transmitted between humans.

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Two Meningitis Cases Hit N.J. High School Hockey Players

Another outbreak of the highly contagious disease meningitis in at least two members of a northern New Jersey high school hockey team prompted the cancellation of all sporting events at Ramapo High School over the weekend.

This is the second meningitis-like outbreak in the Northeast United States in three weeks. Schools in three Rhode Island communities were closed in early January after one death and three illnesses were determined to be related and caused by inflammation of membranes in the brain.

According to The Record of Hackensack, one high school hockey player is hospitalized in serious condition. At least one other earlier case of the student's teammate was diagnosed as meningitis, and health officials say the two cases are linked. A third case involving a student who was not a hockey team member was found not to be meningitis, although the symptoms were similar, the newspaper reported.

Health officials are determining who should receive antibiotics and told The Record that they didn't believe mass doses would be necessary. The paper cited officials as saying they saw no need "to dispense medication on a mass level to all students and staff."

Meningitis is caused by inflammation to the membranes covering the brain. Symptoms can include high fever, headaches, vomiting and, most important, pain and stiffness in the neck.

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Adding Sound to Actions Increases Understanding, Study Says

Electrical impulses in the brain called mirror neurons may cause a link between an action and a sound associated with that action, new research has found.

This cause-and-effect relationship can help scientists understand how a sound associated with an action increases a person's ability to better understand a particular task. The study is published in the Jan. 10 edition of The Journal of Neuroscience.

The study, conducted by scientists from the neurology department at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, added more support to the theory that a mirror neuron system exists in humans, according to a news release from the journal.

The study subjects, all with no musical training, were taught to play a short piece on a keyboard. Subsequent brain activity was more intense in the "human equivalent of the area in the brain where mirror neurons were found in monkeys... when subjects listened to music they knew how to play compared with equally familiar music they did not know how to play," the news release said.

"Mirror-neuron circuits appear to encode and reflect templates for specific actions," the authors conclude.

Health Headlines - January 15

New Clue to Late Stage Alzheimer's Cause Found

A major international study has found that a gene known as SORL1 may provide yet another clue into the cause of late onset Alzheimer's disease.

The research, which was supported in part by the U.S. government's National Institutes of Health, examined blood samples from 6,000 people from a number of different racial, ethnic, and national backgrounds for signs of Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's is caused by plaque forming in the brain to impede cognitive functioning, especially in older people. Eventually, total dementia, including memory loss and impairment of daily functioning, occurs in Alzheimer's patients. So far, no cure has been found.

But this latest research indicates there may be a genetic predisposition, according to a news release from the U.S. government's National Institute on Aging (NIA). The researchers found that faulty versions of the SORL1 gene contribute to the formation of the amyloid plaques that cause Alzheimer's.

And while the scientists didn't find a definite genetic link between SORL1 and the plaque formation, "... we know that genetic factors can play a role," NIA director Dr. Richard J. Hodes says in the news release. "This discovery provides a completely new genetic clue about the late onset forms of this very complex disease. We are eager to investigate the role of this gene further."

Results of the study are found in the online version of the journal Nature Genetics.

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Two Meningitis Cases Hit N.J. High School Hockey Players

Another outbreak of the highly contagious disease meningitis in at least two members of a northern New Jersey high school hockey team prompted the cancellation of all sporting events at Ramapo High School over the weekend.

This is the second meningitis-like outbreak in the Northeast United States in three weeks. Schools in three Rhode Island communities were closed in early January after one death and three illnesses were determined to be related and caused by inflammation of membranes in the brain.

According to The Record of Hackensack, one high school hockey player is hospitalized in serious condition. At least one other earlier case of the student's teammate was diagnosed as meningitis, and health officials say the two cases are linked. A third case involving a student who was not a hockey team member was found not to be meningitis, although the symptoms were similar, the newspaper reported.

Health officials are determining who should receive antibiotics and told The Record that they didn't believe mass doses would be necessary. The paper cited officials as saying they saw no need "to dispense medication on a mass level to all students and staff."

Meningitis is caused by inflammation to the membranes covering the brain. Symptoms can include high fever, headaches, vomiting and, most important, pain and stiffness in the neck.

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Adding Sound to Actions Increases Our Understanding, Study Says

Electrical impulses in the brain called mirror neurons may cause a link between an action and a sound associated with that action, new research has found.

This cause-and-effect relationship can help scientists understand how a sound associated with an action increases a person's ability to better understand a particular task. The study is published in the Jan. 10 edition of The Journal of Neuroscience.

The study, conducted by scientists from the neurology department at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, added more support to the theory that a mirror neuron system exists in humans, according to a news release from the journal.

The study subjects, all with no musical training, were taught to play a short piece on a keyboard. Subsequent brain activity was more intense in the "human equivalent of the area in the brain where mirror neurons were found in monkeys... when subjects listened to music they knew how to play compared with equally familiar music they did not know how to play," the news release said.

"Mirror-neuron circuits appear to encode and reflect templates for specific actions," the authors conclude.

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U.S. Government to Probe Surgical Procedure on Dog at Cleveland Clinic

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says it will investigate an incident at the world-renowned Cleveland Clinic that involved a neurosurgeon inducing a brain aneurism -- a bulge in a blood vessel -- in a dog so a new medical device could be demonstrated to salespeople.

The dog was killed after the procedure, according to the Associated Press.

The wire service reports that clinic officials notified the USDA of the incident. The clinic's report said that while the inducement of the aneurism had been authorized, the use of the medical device had not, the A.P. said. The identity of the surgeon was not made public.

Neither the USDA nor the Cleveland Clinic expressly forbids the use of animals for medical experiments, but the U.S. Animal Welfare Act sets guidelines for proper treatment, and that's what the USDA will look into in this case.

"We're just trying to determine what occurred here," the wire service quotes USDA spokesman Darby Holladay as saying.

The Cleveland Clinic often ranks at the top in surveys of medical institutions that specialize in cardiac-related treatment, especially surgery.

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Lettuce May Have Caused E. Coli Outbreak at Taco John's

Contaminated lettuce from California may have caused the E. coli outbreak late last year that left about 80 people sick after they ate at two Taco John's restaurants in Minnesota and Iowa, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Friday.

Of the 81 people who became ill, 26 were hospitalized. No one died in the outbreak.

Government investigators said the strain of bacteria in the Taco John's outbreak matched that found in samples taken from dairy farms in California's Central Valley. The FDA said the dairy farms are located near lettuce fields, the Associated Press reported.

Investigators are still trying to determine whether manure from the dairy farms could have contaminated the neighboring lettuce fields, said the FDA, which added that it's possible that other sources of contamination caused the Taco John's outbreak.

This is the second time in recent months that California cattle or dairy farms have been investigated as sources of E. coli contamination in produce. In September, an outbreak that killed three and sickened nearly 200 people in 26 states and Canada was traced to contaminated spinach grown in California.

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Genetic Code Used to Personalize Warfarin Doses

Starting this month, about 1,000 U.S. patients with a heart condition called atrial fibrillation will take part in a project to match their warfarin dose to their specific genetic code.

People with atrial fibrillation are at increased risk for deadly blood clots, and take warfarin to thin their blood and prevent clots. About two million Americans with atrial fibrillation take warfarin, the Associated Press reported.

Determining the appropriate warfarin dose is crucial. Taking too much can cause dangerous bleeding, and taking too little can lead to a stroke. Currently, trial and error is used to determine the correct dose of warfarin. Each year, warfarin-dosing errors result in tens of thousands of hospitalizations and deaths.

The DNA testing in this new project should help identify patients whose bodies break down warfarin slower or faster than normal. Their dosages can then be adjusted to prevent dangerous complications, the AP reported.

The project is a collaboration between the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and Medco Health Solutions of Franklin Lakes, N.J.

Using a person's genetic profile to determine the most appropriate medicine or dose is called targeted therapy or personalized medicine. In the United States, a number of studies looking at targeted therapy are under way or being planned, the AP reported.

Health Headlines - January 14

Adding Sound to Actions Increases Our Understanding, Study Says

Electrical impulses in the brain called mirror neurons may cause a link between an action and a sound associated with that action, new research has found.

This cause-and-effect relationship can help scientists understand how a sound associated with an action increases a person's ability to better understand a particular task. The study is published in the Jan. 10 edition of The Journal of Neuroscience.

The study, conducted by scientists from the neurology department at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, added more support to the theory that a mirror neuron system exists in humans, according to a news release from the journal.

The study subjects, all with no musical training, were taught to play a short piece on a keyboard. Subsequent brain activity was more intense in the "human equivalent of the area in the brain where mirror neurons were found in monkeys... when subjects listened to music they knew how to play compared with equally familiar music they did not know how to play," the news release said.

"Mirror-neuron circuits appear to encode and reflect templates for specific actions," the authors conclude.

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U.S. Government to Probe Surgical Procedure on Dog at Cleveland Clinic

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says it will investigate an incident at the world-renowned Cleveland Clinic that involved a neurosurgeon inducing a brain aneurism -- a bulge in a blood vessel -- in a dog so a new medical device could be demonstrated to salespeople.

The dog was killed after the procedure, according to the Associated Press.

The wire service reports that clinic officials notified the USDA of the incident. The clinic's report said that while the inducement of the aneurism had been authorized, the use of the medical device had not, the A.P. said. The identity of the surgeon was not made public.

Neither the USDA nor the Cleveland Clinic expressly forbids the use of animals for medical experiments, but the U.S. Animal Welfare Act sets guidelines for proper treatment, and that's what the USDA will look into in this case.

"We're just trying to determine what occurred here," the wire service quotes USDA spokesman Darby Holladay as saying.

The Cleveland Clinic often ranks at the top in surveys of medical institutions that specialize in cardiac-related treatment, especially surgery.

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Lettuce May Have Caused E. Coli Outbreak at Taco John's

Contaminated lettuce from California may have caused the E. coli outbreak late last year that left about 80 people sick after they ate at two Taco John's restaurants in Minnesota and Iowa, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Friday.

Of the 81 people who became ill, 26 were hospitalized. No one died in the outbreak.

Government investigators said the strain of bacteria in the Taco John's outbreak matched that found in samples taken from dairy farms in California's Central Valley. The FDA said the dairy farms are located near lettuce fields, the Associated Press reported.

Investigators are still trying to determine whether manure from the dairy farms could have contaminated the neighboring lettuce fields, said the FDA, which added that it's possible that other sources of contamination caused the Taco John's outbreak.

This is the second time in recent months that California cattle or dairy farms have been investigated as sources of E. coli contamination in produce. In September, an outbreak that killed three and sickened nearly 200 people in 26 states and Canada was traced to contaminated spinach grown in California.

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Genetic Code Used to Personalize Warfarin Doses

Starting this month, about 1,000 U.S. patients with a heart condition called atrial fibrillation will take part in a project to match their warfarin dose to their specific genetic code.

People with atrial fibrillation are at increased risk for deadly blood clots, and take warfarin to thin their blood and prevent clots. About two million Americans with atrial fibrillation take warfarin, the Associated Press reported.

Determining the appropriate warfarin dose is crucial. Taking too much can cause dangerous bleeding, and taking too little can lead to a stroke. Currently, trial and error is used to determine the correct dose of warfarin. Each year, warfarin-dosing errors result in tens of thousands of hospitalizations and deaths.

The DNA testing in this new project should help identify patients whose bodies break down warfarin slower or faster than normal. Their dosages can then be adjusted to prevent dangerous complications, the AP reported.

The project is a collaboration between the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and Medco Health Solutions of Franklin Lakes, N.J.

Using a person's genetic profile to determine the most appropriate medicine or dose is called targeted therapy or personalized medicine. In the United States, a number of studies looking at targeted therapy are under way or being planned, the AP reported.

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House Passes Medicare Drug Price Bill

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill Friday to require Medicare to negotiate bulk drug prices with pharmaceutical companies. The White House opposes the move and President Bush is prepared to veto it, Bloomberg news reported.

Supporters say the bill could lead to savings of $96 billion over 10 years. Opponents counter that government studies show the measure wouldn't produce any savings.

"It is clear that Medicare can do better, and we are insisting that they do so," said Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., House Energy and Commerce Committee chairman.

He noted that prices for drugs purchased under the Medicare program are more than 80 percent higher than for other federal programs that negotiate with drug companies, Bloomberg reported.

Current law expressly forbids Medicare from directly negotiating prices with drug makers, Bloomberg said.

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Multilingualism Delays Dementia

Fluency in more than one language is associated with a significant delay in the onset of symptoms of dementia, according to a Canadian study in the February issue of the journal Neuropsychologia.

Researchers studied 184 people. Among those who spoke two or more languages, dementia began to appear at an average age of 76.1 in men and 75.1 in women, compared to 70.8 years in men and 71.9 years in women who spoke just one language, the Globe and Mail reported.

The mental agility required to be fluent in multiple languages may help delay the onset of dementia, suggested principal investigator Ellen Bialystok, an associate scientist at the Rotman Research Institute of the Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care in Toronto.

"How you learn the language probably doesn't make much difference; how good your grammar is probably doesn't matter. What matters is that you have to manage two complete language systems at once," Bialystok told the Globe and Mail.

Health Headlines - January 13

Lettuce May Have Caused E. Coli Outbreak at Taco John's

Contaminated lettuce from California may have caused the E. coli outbreak late last year that left about 80 people sick after they ate at two Taco John's restaurants in Minnesota and Iowa, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Friday.

Of the 81 people who became ill, 26 were hospitalized. No one died in the outbreak.

Government investigators said the strain of bacteria in the Taco John's outbreak matched that found in samples taken from dairy farms in California's Central Valley. The FDA said the dairy farms are located near lettuce fields, the Associated Press reported.

Investigators are still trying to determine whether manure from the dairy farms could have contaminated the neighboring lettuce fields, said the FDA, which added that it's possible that other sources of contamination caused the Taco John's outbreak.

This is the second time in recent months that California cattle or dairy farms have been investigated as sources of E. coli contamination in produce. In September, an outbreak that killed three and sickened nearly 200 people in 26 states and Canada was traced to contaminated spinach grown in California.

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Genetic Code Used to Personalize Warfarin Doses

Starting this month, about 1,000 U.S. patients with a heart condition called atrial fibrillation will take part in a project to match their warfarin dose to their specific genetic code.

People with atrial fibrillation are at increased risk for deadly blood clots, and take warfarin to thin their blood and prevent clots. About two million Americans with atrial fibrillation take warfarin, the Associated Press reported.

Determining the appropriate warfarin dose is crucial. Taking too much can cause dangerous bleeding, and taking too little can lead to a stroke. Currently, trial and error is used to determine the correct dose of warfarin. Each year, warfarin-dosing errors result in tens of thousands of hospitalizations and deaths.

The DNA testing in this new project should help identify patients whose bodies break down warfarin slower or faster than normal. Their dosages can then be adjusted to prevent dangerous complications, the AP reported.

The project is a collaboration between the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and Medco Health Solutions of Franklin Lakes, N.J.

Using a person's genetic profile to determine the most appropriate medicine or dose is called targeted therapy or personalized medicine. In the United States, a number of studies looking at targeted therapy are under way or being planned, the AP reported.

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House Passes Medicare Drug Price Bill

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill Friday to require Medicare to negotiate bulk drug prices with pharmaceutical companies. The White House opposes the move and President Bush is prepared to veto it, Bloomberg news reported.

Supporters say the bill could lead to savings of $96 billion over 10 years. Opponents counter that government studies show the measure wouldn't produce any savings.

"It is clear that Medicare can do better, and we are insisting that they do so," said Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., House Energy and Commerce Committee chairman.

He noted that prices for drugs purchased under the Medicare program are more than 80 percent higher than for other federal programs that negotiate with drug companies, Bloomberg reported.

Current law expressly forbids Medicare from directly negotiating prices with drug makers, Bloomberg said.

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Multilingualism Delays Dementia

Fluency in more than one language is associated with a significant delay in the onset of symptoms of dementia, according to a Canadian study in the February issue of the journal Neuropsychologia.

Researchers studied 184 people. Among those who spoke two or more languages, dementia began to appear at an average age of 76.1 in men and 75.1 in women, compared to 70.8 years in men and 71.9 years in women who spoke just one language, the Globe and Mail reported.

The mental agility required to be fluent in multiple languages may help delay the onset of dementia, suggested principal investigator Ellen Bialystok, an associate scientist at the Rotman Research Institute of the Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care in Toronto.

"How you learn the language probably doesn't make much difference; how good your grammar is probably doesn't matter. What matters is that you have to manage two complete language systems at once," Bialystok told the Globe and Mail.

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U.S. Arthritis Costs Hit $128 Billion

The direct and indirect costs of arthritis and related rheumatic conditions in the United States totaled $128 billion in 2003, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday.

That amount was 48 percent more than the $86.2 billion cost in 1997 and the tab is expected to increase as the U.S. population grows older and heavier, the Associated Press reported.

In 2003, arthritis and related conditions incurred $80.8 billion in direct costs, such as medical expenses, and $47 billion in indirect costs, such as lost wages, the CDC said.

The agency estimated that 46.1 million people in the United States were treated for arthritis and related conditions in 2003, and that 8 million more people will be hit by arthritis between 2005 and 2015, the AP reported.

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FDA Wants Ban on Cattle Material in Medical Products

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration wants to ban certain cattle material from medical products in order to safeguard against mad cow disease (bovine spongiform encephalopathy).

The proposal would cover drugs, vaccines and medical devices intended for use in people and ruminant animals such as cattle and sheep. The proposed rule would ban the use of cattle materials that pose the highest risk of containing infectious material.

This includes:

• The brain, skull, eyes and spinal cords from cattle 30 months and older.
• The tonsils and a portion of the small intestines from all cattle regardless of the animals' age or health.
• Any material from "downer" cattle -- those that can't walk.
• Any material from cattle not inspected and passed for human consumption.
• Fetal calf serum if appropriate procedures have not been followed to prevent its contamination with materials prohibited by the proposed rule.
• Tallow that contains more than 0.15 percent insoluble impurities if the tallow is derived from materials prohibited by this propose rule.
• Mechanically separated beef.

Health Headlines - January 12

U.S. House Passes Stem Cell Bill

A bill to loosen restrictions on embryonic stem cell research in the United States was approved by the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday, the Associated Press reported.

But the 253-174 tally was short of the two-thirds margin that would be needed to override a promised veto by President Bush, the wire service said.

The bill is identical to one passed by the House and Senate in 2005 and later vetoed by Bush.

But there's been a change since 2005. The Democrats, who favor expanded stem cell research, now control Congress and they'll keep pushing the bill.

"One way or another, we're going to get this done this year," Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) said in a meeting Wednesday with Washington Post reporters and editors.

Under a policy introduced by Bush in August 2001 taxpayer dollars can be used to study only stem cells derived from embryos that had already been destroyed by that date. That covers about 21 colonies of cells out of nearly 400 that currently exist, the Post reported.

The new bill seeks to increase that number by allowing federal funding of research on cells from embryos slated for disposal at fertility clinics and donated by parents.

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Americans Need More Health Screening: Reports

While overall quality in the U.S. health system improved in 2006, too few Americans are being screened and counseled to prevent colorectal cancer, obesity, and other conditions, according to two annual reports released Thursday by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

The National Healthcare Quality Report and the National Healthcare Disparities Report looked at 40 core quality measures and found a 3.1 percent increase in the quality of care in 2006 -- the same rate of improvement seen in the previous two years.

However, the use of proven prevention strategies is lagging behind other gains in health care. For example:

• Only about 52 percent of adults reported receiving recommended colorectal cancer screenings. The disease kills some 56,000 Americans each year.
• Fewer than half of obese adults reported being counseled about diet by a health care professional. About a third of American adults are obese, which increases risks of high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and osteoarthritis.
• Only 49 percent of people with asthma said they were told how to change their environment to control the disease, and only 28 percent said they received an asthma management plan.
• Only 48 percent of diabetic adults received all three recommended screenings -- blood sugar tests, foot exams, and eye exams. These screenings can help prevent diabetes complications.

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FDA Expands Use of "Lean" on Food Labeling

A final rule to allow expanded use of the nutrient content claim "lean" on food labels was announced Thursday by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Under the new rule, labels on meals-on-the-go (such as burritos, pizza rolls, egg rolls, and sandwiches) can carry the word "lean" if the items have less than 8 grams total fat, 3.5 grams or less saturated fat, and less than 80 milligrams of cholesterol per amount customarily consumed (140 grams).

Prior to the rule change, the nutrient content claim "lean" applied only to seafood and game meat products, and to meal and main dish products that met FDA criteria.

"FDA acknowledges that meals-on-the-go have made their way into consumers' diets as a convenient meal option. With controlled nutrient and portion size, these foods serve a useful purpose in assisting consumers in selecting a diet that is consistent with recommended U.S. Dietary Guidelines," the agency said in a news release.

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Recalled Air Pumps Pose Explosion Hazard

Sportsstuff Inc. of Omaha, Neb. is recalling about 11,000 air pumps used to inflate products such as rafts and toys. The pumps can overheat and explode, posing risks to users and bystanders.

So far, the company has received 52 reports of pumps exploding, including 13 cases of lacerations. Some people suffered facial cuts, and there was one reported eye injury, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said.

The recalled products are 2.5-PSI pumps with model numbers 57-1504-A and 57-1504. The model number is located on the Underwriters' Laboratories label on the top of each pump.

The pumps were sold from January 2004 to January 2005 at stores across the United States. Some pumps were sold individually and others were bundled with an inflatable water trampoline.

Consumers with these pumps should immediately stop using them and contact Sportsstuff for a free replacement. Call the company toll-free at 888-814-8833 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. CT, Monday through Friday.

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Drug Makers Providing More Research Information

Since medical journals started to pressure pharmaceutical companies to enter studies in a U.S. government registry, drug makers have done a better job of providing important information about their research, says an editorial published Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The editorial said that 8 percent of the 2,983 studies added to the federal registry in 2006 did not describe key outcomes, such as deaths or cholesterol levels, being measured in the trials. In previous years, the rate was 26 percent, the Associated Press reported.

The U.S. federal registry was launched in 2000 but there was only limited drug industry participation until late 2004, when the members of the International Committee on Medical Journal Editors said they'd only publish studies that were signed into the registry in the early stages, the AP reported.

The committee made the move, in part, to prevent drug makers from trying to hide the findings of trials that produced unfavorable results.

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Cannabis Increases Fatal Crash Risk

Drivers who tested positive for cannabis over a 10-year period were 29 percent more likely to cause a fatal crash than drivers who didn't use the drug, says a study in the current issue of the Canadian Journal of Public Health.

Researchers analyzed test results from 32,543 U.S. motorists. Between 1993 and 2003, 1,567 of those drivers tested positive for cannabis, but not for alcohol.

"Those who tested positive for cannabis had 29 percent more risk of having committed a driving action that led to the crash than those who did not," study leader Michel Bedard, director of public health at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario, told CBC News.

The increased risk linked to cannabis persisted even after the researchers factored in age, sex and previous driving record.

"It tells us that cannabis is not a safe substitute for alcohol, and I especially mean that for young people," Bedard told CBC News.

The study authors said more research is needed in order to determine at what dose cannabis starts to impair driving ability.

Health Headlines - January 11

Wide Variations in Drug Plan Costs for U.S. Seniors

A senior citizen in one U.S. state may pay thousands of dollars more in out-of-pocket expenses than a senior in another state who takes the same medications -- even if both seniors choose the lowest-cost Medicare Part D plans available to them, according to a University of Michigan (U-M) study.

"The expected costs of even the least expensive plans in each state varied by hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars," study leader and U-M health care policy researcher Dr. Matthew Davis said in a prepared statement.

In some cases, there was a difference of as much as $10,000 a year in the costs that seniors pay for the same drugs, depending on where they lived.

The study, published in the January issue of the Journal of General Internal Medicine, compares current costs in all Medicare Part D plans across all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

It's anticipated that Congress may soon vote on whether to require the Medicare system to negotiate lower prices for drugs taken by millions of seniors enrolled in Part D prescription drug plans.

That proposed change, along with others, may save some seniors a lot of money, according to the study authors.

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Quick-Relief Drugs Favored by Asthma Patients

People with asthma are more likely to use drugs that provide quick relief of symptoms such as wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath than medications designed for long-term control of asthma, a new national survey released Wednesday found.

About 31 percent of asthma patients surveyed said they use quick-relief medications; 14 percent said they use longer-term preventive drugs to control their asthma symptoms; 31 percent said they use both kinds of medications; and 24 percent used no drugs, according to the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, which did the survey.

The survey of people with active asthma also found:

• More than 25 percent reported having a peak flow meter at home for measuring their ability to expel air from their lungs
• 48 percent of adults said they'd had at least one asthma attack in the previous year
• Women were more likely to have asthma attacks than men -- 50 percent vs. 40 percent.

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L.A. Studies Ban on Trans Fats

Los Angeles is considering a ban on artery-clogging trans fats in restaurant food, the Associated Press reported.

City supervisors voted Tuesday to study the feasibility of prohibiting trans fats in restaurant meals. Public health officials will review the issue with community health organizations and the restaurant industry.

Last year, the New York City Board of Health voted to ban trans fats in restaurants, the AP reported.

Trans fats have also been targeted by the U.S. federal government. Since early 2006, the Food and Drug Administration has required that labels on all packaged foods list trans-fat content.

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Toronto SARS Crisis Caused by Hospital-Infections: Report

Poor hospital-infection control led to the SARS epidemic that infected hundreds and killed 44 people in and around Toronto, Canada, in 2003, according to a report released Tuesday by an Ontario provincial commission investigating the outbreak.

"Systemic problems ran through every hospital and every government agency," Doug Hunt, chief counsel for the commission, said at a news conference to announce the release of the findings, The New York Times reported.

The SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) outbreak began in the Toronto area in February 2003 when a woman returned home after she was infected while on a trip to Hong Kong. She died shortly after she returned home to the Toronto area.

The woman's son became infected and spent 16 hours in a crowded hospital emergency waiting room, where he transmitted the SARS virus to two other patients. The virus continued to spread from there, the commission said.

In early May 2003, officials announced that the SARS crisis was over and surveillance and prevention measures were relaxed. As a result, early signs of a SARS outbreak at one hospital were not detected. In late May, health officials announced a second, larger SARS outbreak in the Toronto area. In total, 375 SARS cases were identified in Ontario.

The commission recommended dozens of changes to hospital practices and health surveillance and said the province's labor ministry should do more to protect workers from disease outbreaks, the Times reported.

Worldwide, there were more than 8,000 SARS infections and 774 deaths. Most of the infections and deaths occurred in Asia. Outside of Asia, the Toronto area was hardest hit by SARS. The virus has not posed a health risk in recent years.

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Indonesia Reports 1st Bird Flu Death in 6 Weeks

A 14-year-old boy in Indonesia who died of H5N1 bird flu Wednesday is the first person in the country to be killed by the virus in six weeks, health officials said.

The boy died four days after he was admitted to a hospital for flu-like symptoms. Prior to that, the last recorded bird-flu death in Indonesia occurred on Nov. 28 when a 35-year-old woman died at a Jakarta hospital, the Associated Press reported.

Since bird flu first appeared in Asian poultry flocks in 2003, 58 people in Indonesia have been killed by the H5N1 virus. That's more than a third of the worldwide bird flu death toll.

Over the past three months, there's been a dramatic decrease in the number of bird-flu infections and deaths in Indonesia. It's believed that may be partly due to a national campaign to vaccinate poultry and boost public awareness about bird flu, the AP reported.

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Gonorrhea Increases Bladder-Cancer Risk

Men who've had the sexually transmitted disease gonorrhea are twice as likely as other men to develop bladder cancer, says a Harvard School of Public Health study in the British Journal of Cancer.

The researchers, who analyzed the medical histories of 286 bladder cancer patients, said inflammation caused by gonorrhea may be the reason for that increased risk, BBC News reported.

"Gonorrhea is an infection that often recurs, causing local inflammation and symptoms such as incomplete emptying of the bladder," said study lead author Dr. Dominique Michaud, assistant professor of epidemiology. "The inflammation itself or the associated symptoms could be contributing to the development of bladder cancer."

"This study strengthens the suspected link between infection with the gonorrhea bacterium and bladder cancer in men," Professor John Toy, medical director of Cancer Research UK, told BBC News. "The next step is to confirm whether the increased risk could be caused directly by the gonorrhea infection or its symptoms."

Health Headlines - January 10

NYC Odor Probably Originated in New Jersey

New York City officials suspect that the mysterious odor that wafted over Manhattan on Monday originated in New Jersey.

The strong odor prompted the evacuation of some buildings, and about a dozen people were taken to hospitals complaining of difficulty breathing, but officials said the smell was not harmful.

A spokesman for the city's Department of Environmental Protection told the Associated Press that the agency believes the odor originated along New Jersey's industrialized waterfront, which is located just across the Hudson River from New York City.

"The way we tracked the dispersion of the smell and the prevailing winds indicates that it came from New Jersey, somewhere near Secaucus," said spokesman Charles Sturcken.

People in Bergen and Hudson counties in New Jersey also complained about the odor. New Jersey Environmental Protection Commissioner Lisa Jackson told the AP that her agency is reviewing Monday's emissions records from industrial plants -- including oil refineries -- in the area where the leak may have originated.

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Instinctive Decision-Making Better in Some Circumstances: Study

In certain situations, making snap decision based on your instincts may be better than taking a long time to think things over, suggests a study by British researchers at University College London.

The study included 10 volunteers who were told to look at a computer screen that contained more than 650 identical symbols. There was a single rotated version of the symbol and the volunteers were asked to determine which side of the computer screen contained the rotated symbol, BBC News reported.

When they were given a fraction of a second to look at the computer screen, the volunteers were 95 percent successful in determining the location of the rotated symbol. When they were given more than a second to look at the computer screen, they were 70 percent successful.

According to the researchers, the volunteers' instinctive decisions were more likely to be correct because their subconscious brain recognized that the rotated version of the symbol was different than all the others, BBC News reported.

On the other hand, the conscious brain identified the rotated symbol as being identical to all the others, albeit in a different orientation.

In certain situations -- such as those requiring quick reaction -- relying on your inbuilt, involuntary subconscious processes can be more effective than using your higher-level cognitive functions, the researchers noted.

The study was published in the journal Current Biology.

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Capsaicin Attacks Mitochondria of Cancer Cells

The way that an ingredient in jalapeno peppers kills cancer cells has been identified by researchers at Nottingham University in the U.K, BBC News reported.

The scientists found that capsaicin triggers the death of cancer cells by attacking the mitochondria, which generates energy for the cells. Healthy cells are not harmed by capsaicin. This finding suggests that it may be possible to develop new cancer drugs that target the mitochondria of cancer cells.

In this study, capsaicin was tested on human lung and pancreatic cancer cells, BBC News reported. Capsaicin belongs to a family of molecules called vanilloids.

"As these compounds attack the very heart of the tumor cells, we believe that we have in effect discovered a fundamental 'Achilles heel' for all cancers," said lead researcher Dr. Timothy Bates.

"The biochemistry of the mitochondria in cancer cells is very different from that in normal cells. This is an innate selective vulnerability of cancer cells," he noted.

The study was published in the journal Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications.

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Schwarzenegger Proposes Universal Health Care for Californians

All California residents would have to have health insurance and all but the smallest businesses would be required to offer insurance to their workers, under a proposed plan announced Monday by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

People without insurance would face tax penalties. The poorest people in the state would receive government subsidies to help them get coverage, the Associated Press reported.

Under the proposal, businesses with 10 or more workers would have to offer insurance to their employees or pay four percent of their payroll into a state fund. Businesses with less than 10 workers would be exempt.

The plan would make it illegal for insurers to deny coverage to people because of medical conditions. An expansion of the state and federal Healthy Families program would ensure that all children, regardless of their immigration status, have health insurance, the AP reported.

By cutting costs and redirecting money already in the health-care system, the plan would save $10 billion a year, Schwarzenegger said.

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U.S. Stem Cell Debate to Resume in Congress

The battle between the U.S. Congress and President Bush over stem cell research is set to resume this week when the House of Representatives debates a bill that seeks to expand taxpayer-funded embryonic stem cell research.

A new factor in the debate will be U.S. research reported this week that suggests that stem cells can be extracted from pregnant women's amniotic fluid as well as from human embryos, the Associated Press reported.

Bush and other opponents of embryonic stem cell research say it is immoral because embryos must be destroyed to harvest the stem cells. However, scientists aren't sure that stem cells harvested from amniotic fluid hold as much promise as embryonic stem cells for developing treatments and cures for diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and Alzheimer's.

The bill to be debated in the House would revoke Bush's 2001 ban on federal funding for deriving new stem cells from fertilized embryos. Six months ago, Bush cast the lone veto of his presidency against an identical bill, the AP reported.

It's believed the House wouldn't be able to muster the two-thirds majority vote needed to override the president's veto. However, the same bill is expected to be debated in the Senate within the next few weeks. Proponents of the bill may be able to gather enough Senate votes to challenge Bush's veto.

According to polls, Americans are overwhelmingly in favor of federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.

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Nanoparticles Block Blood Flow to Tumors

U.S. scientists say they may have found a way to cut off the supply of blood and nutrients to cancer tumors, BBC News reported.

Researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara said they used tiny nanoparticles to mimic the action of blood cells called platelets to create clots that prevented blood from reaching tumors in mice.

Blocking blood flow cuts off a tumor's supply of nutrients and oxygen. The nanoparticles used in this study were designed to bind to a protein structure found only in tumors and associated blood vessels, BBC News reported.

These kinds of nanoparticles may also be able to deliver chemotherapy drugs directory to a tumor and the surrounding area, the researchers said.

The study appears in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Health Headlines - January 9

Downtown Austin, Texas, Closed After Discovery of Dead Birds

About 10 blocks in downtown Austin, Texas, were closed off early Monday after as many as 60 dead birds were found along a main road, but preliminary tests did not detect any dangerous chemicals in the air, the Associated Press reported.

The dead pigeons, grackles and sparrows were scattered along Congress Avenue. No human injuries or illnesses were reported. Officials said there was no threat to public health.

After the dead birds were discovered, police closed off a 10-block stretch of Congress Avenue, along with several side streets and all buildings in the area. Emergency workers in hazardous-material suits tested the area for environmental contaminants or gas or chlorine links, the AP reported.

It will likely take several days before test results on the dead birds are available, officials said.

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Mysterious Odor Hits New York City

A mysterious odor caused a scare in New York City and parts of New Jersey on Monday morning.

The strong odor, described by many people as similar to natural gas, resulted in the evacuation of some buildings and affected some subway and train lines. However, the mysterious smell, which quickly dissipated, did not appear to be harmful, The New York Times reported.

The odor was reported from midtown Manhattan to Battery Park City and also in Jersey City, N.J. Reports about the smell began coming in shortly before 9 a.m.

Speaking at a news conference Monday morning, New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said city officials hadn't been able to pinpoint the source of the odor. Air-quality sensors around Manhattan did not detect high concentrations of natural gas, the Times reported.

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Sex-Hormone Imbalance Evident in Some Bulimia Cases: Study

Some women with the binge eating disorder bulimia may have a sex hormone imbalance, says a study by researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, BBC News reported.

Bulimia is normally regarded as a mental condition that's treated with psychological therapies such as counseling and cognitive behavioral therapy. The findings of this study suggest that some women with bulimia may have too much of the male hormone testosterone.

In this study, half of the 21 bulimia patients treated for testosterone imbalance reported less hunger and reduced cravings for fatty, sugary foods, BBC News reported. Three of the patients no longer suffered from bulimia, which is characterized by compulsive overeating.

The women in the study were treated with a contraceptive pill containing the female sex hormone estrogen. This treatment reduced testosterone levels in the women's bodies.

Bulimia is about 10 times more common in women than in men.

"Hormone treatment may very well be an alternative to cognitive behavioral treatment," Steve Bloomfield of the Eating Disorders Association told BBC News. However, it's likely that only a few women with bulimia would benefit from hormone treatment, Bloomfield added.

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Refrigerated Version of Inhaled Flu Vaccine Approved

A new formulation of the inhaled flu vaccine FluMist has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Associated Press reported Monday.

The new version allows the vaccine to be refrigerated instead of frozen. This will allow more places like schools and pharmacies to store the vaccine, manufacturer MedImmune Inc. told the wire service.

FluMist, first approved in 2003, is sanctioned for people ages five to 49, although its maker is seeking expanded approval for toddlers as young as a year old who do not have respiratory conditions such as asthma, the AP reported.

The company said the new formula should be available by August, well before next winter's flu season.

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Californians Denied Health Coverage for Job Risk, Medication Use

Even though they're in good health and can afford health insurance, some California residents are being denied health coverage because they have high-risk jobs or are taking certain medications, according to a report published Monday in the Los Angeles Times.

The restrictions are included in confidential underwriting guidelines that health plans provide to insurance brokers. The Los Angeles Times obtained the guidelines -- not available to the public -- for four health plans in California: PacifiCare Health Systems Inc., Health Net Inc., Blue Shield of California, and Blue Cross of California.

According to the guidelines, all four health plans use prescription drug use as a basis for deciding who qualifies for individual health policies.

The Times also found that three of the four health plans (except Blue Cross of California) exclude applicants based on occupation. Pro athletes, firefighters, migrant workers and roofers are among those considered to be high-risk applicants.

Excluding certain high-risk people helps keep insurance affordable for the majority of people, health plan representatives told the newspaper. However, consumer advocates told the Times that the guidelines are too restrictive.

"This isn't cherry picking; this is ignoring whole orchards of people," said Jamie Court, president of the Foundation for Consumer and Taxpayer Rights.

There are 6.6 million uninsured Californians. On Monday, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was expected to announce a plan to expand coverage to many of those people, the Associated Press reported.

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Alzheimer's Gene's Effects Only Hit in Old Age

A gene (APOE4) associated with Alzheimer's disease only impacts people in old age and does not cause mental decline earlier in life, says an Australian study in the journal Neuropsychology.

The 20-year study of 6,560 people found that people with APOE4 maintained the same language abilities, memory skills, and reaction times as other people through most of their adult lives, the Australian Associated Press reported.

The finding suggests that very early Alzheimer's disease is not the cause of mental decline in people with the APOE4 before they reach old age, said lead author Anthony Jorm of the University of Melbourne.

APOE4 is believed to be a major risk factor for Alzheimer's disease, the AAP reported.

Health Headlines - January 8

R.I. Schools to Reopen, No Link Found in Latest Meningitis-Type Case

Schools in three Rhode Island communities are scheduled to reopen Monday after health officials determined that the case of a Coventry student stricken with meningitis-like symptoms was not connected to similar cases earlier reported in Warwick and West Warwick. All of the cases involved inflammation of membranes that protect the brain.

The Providence Journal reports that the schools in the three communities, which were closed last week while health officials investigated the highly contagious illnesses, will reopen Monday.

"The children in Warwick and West Warwick had encephalitis," the newspaper quotes state Health Department Director Dr. David R. Gifford as saying at a Saturday news conference. "This child [in Coventry] had features that were similar. Out of an abundance of caution, we closed the schools. Now we have the information and we're confident the schools can open."

The two earlier cases were attributed to mycoplasma bacteria. One death earlier in 2006 also was caused by the same inflammation, the Journal reported.

Meanwhile, Rhode Island and U.S. health officials will continue to investigate the cause of the outbreak. "We will look at information we collected over the last several days," Dr. Matthew Moore of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told the newspaper. "I think as a public health agency, we try to learn from every situation."

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Oprah Takes AIDS Test in South Africa at Her Leadership Academy

Re-enforcing her style of being out front, Oprah Winfrey took an HIV test in Capetown, South Africa Saturday during a visit to the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls, emphasizing that AIDS is a scourge in Africa that must be stopped.

The Associated Press reports that Winfrey encouraged all 152 students at the academy to take the HIV test, which can detect the virus that causes AIDS. Almost five-and-a-half million of South Africa's 48 million population have AIDS, the wire service reports, and Winfrey told the students that the sign of a good leader is one who leads by example.

"Part of leadership is having the courage to demonstrate true action," the A.P. quotes Winfrey as saying. "Today I have taken the test to demonstrate why it's so important."

The results of Winfrey's and the students' HIV tests won't be publicly revealed, the wire service reported, and the test, offered for free, was not mandatory.

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Warm Weather in Northeast Prompts Early Allergy Return

In addition to the somewhat startling appearance of spring plants and flowers sprouting in unfrozen ground, the unusually warm winter weather in the Northeast has also brought an unwelcome early seasonal visitor -- allergies.

The Associated Press reports that doctors' office are being swamped with people who are sneezing, whose eyes itch and run, and whose post-nasal drip is causing coughing.

It's not the cold or the flu, experts say. According to the A.P., mold spores, which usually don't multiply until April or May, have begun to appear, and the changing temperatures may also irritate nasal passages.

"It's an explosion of people who are realizing that they may have allergies," the wire service quotes Manhattan allergist Dr. Clifford W. Bassett, vice chairman in charge of public education of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, as saying.

What to do? First, check with your physician to make sure your symptoms actually are from an allergy. Then, if your doctor approves, take the allergy medication you would be taking three months from now, and wait for the cold weather finally to make its presence felt.

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Fashion Group Issues Guidelines to Guard Against Models' Eating Disorders

Scientific studies have shown that teenagers -- especially females -- are significantly influenced by the size and shape of fashion models.

And because so many of those young women who show off the latest apparel on the runway and in magazines are very thin, the New York Times reports that one fashion industry umbrella organization has issued guidelines to promote healthy behavior among fashion models.

Some health and nutrition professionals had hoped for more than the guidelines from the Council of Fashion Designers of America, the Times reports. Those guidelines recommend fittings for younger models in the daytime rather than at night, that designers be alert to models who may have eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia and improvement in the nutritional content of the food offered by caterers backstage at fashion shows.

Fashion designers in Milan and Madrid have banned using the services of overly thin models the newspaper said, following the death last year of 21-year-old model Ana Carolina Reston, whose death was attributed to complications from anorexia. European design companies have adopted a height-to-weight ratio, the Times reports.

But American designers aren't ready to go that far. "I feel like we should promote health as a part of beauty rather than setting rules," the newspaper quotes Diane von Furstenberg, the president of the designers' council, as saying.

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FDA Considers Osteoporosis Claims for Supplements

The makers of dietary supplements containing calcium and vitamin D would be given greater leeway to promote the products as helping to prevent osteoporosis, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration proposed Friday.

Responding to a petition filed by a division of the Coca-Cola Company, the agency said it would consider allowing manufacturers to cite a reduced risk of the bone disease from consumption of products containing both calcium and vitamin D.

The agency said it would also consider dropping a decade-old requirement that supplement makers include specific label references to a person's sex, age and race, since the benefits of vitamin D and calcium apply to all consumers.

"All persons lose bone with age, and the loss can influence an individual's risk of developing osteoporosis," said Robert Brackett, director of FDA's Center for Food Safety and Nutrition. "Maintenance of an adequate intake of calcium and vitamin D in all stages of life can help lower one's risk."

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U.S. Approves First Drug for Obese Dogs

Recognizing that overeating isn't limited to beings with two legs, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved the first prescription drug to manage obesity in dogs.

Pfizer's Stentrol (dirlotapide) reduces appetite and a dog's ability to absorb fat, the agency said. The FDA cited surveys showing that up to 30 percent of U.S. dogs are overweight and about 5 percent are obese (more than 20 percent above ideal weight).

Overweight pets, like people, are at higher risk of health problems ranging from cardiovascular conditions and joint problems to diabetes, the FDA said.

To discourage use of the medication by people, Stentrol's label will warn that the drug is not intended for human use, should be kept away from children, and may cause adverse reactions in people, including abdominal pain, diarrhea, headache, nausea and vomiting.

Health Headlines - January 7

Warm Weather in Northeast Prompts Early Allergy Return

In addition to the somewhat startling appearance of spring plants and flowers sprouting in unfrozen ground, the unusually warm winter weather in the Northeast has also brought an unwelcome early seasonal visitor -- allergies.

The Associated Press reports that doctors' office are being swamped with people who are sneezing, whose eyes itch and run, and whose post-nasal drip is causing coughing.

It's not the cold or the flu, experts say. According to the A.P., mold spores, which usually don't multiply until April or May, have begun to appear, and the changing temperatures may also irritate nasal passages.

"It's an explosion of people who are realizing that they may have allergies," the wire service quotes Manhattan allergist Dr. Clifford W. Bassett, vice chairman in charge of public education of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, as saying.

What to do? First, check with your physician to make sure your symptoms actually are from an allergy. Then, if your doctor approves, take the allergy medication you would be taking three months from now, and wait for the cold weather finally to make its presence felt.

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Fashion Group Issues Guidelines to Guard Against Models' Eating Disorders

Scientific studies have shown that teenagers -- especially females -- are significantly influenced by the size and shape of fashion models.

And because so many of those young women who show off the latest apparel on the runway and in magazines are very thin, the New York Times reports that one fashion industry umbrella organization has issued guidelines to promote healthy behavior among fashion models.

Some health and nutrition professionals had hoped for more than the guidelines from the Council of Fashion Designers of America, the Times reports. Those guidelines recommend fittings for younger models in the daytime rather than at night, that designers be alert to models who may have eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia and improvement in the nutritional content of the food offered by caterers backstage at fashion shows.

Fashion designers in Milan and Madrid have banned using the services of overly thin models the newspaper said, following the death last year of 21-year-old model Ana Carolina Reston, whose death was attributed to complications from anorexia. European design companies have adopted a height-to-weight ratio, the Times reports.

But American designers aren't ready to go that far. "I feel like we should promote health as a part of beauty rather than setting rules," the newspaper quotes Diane von Furstenberg, the president of the designers' council, as saying.

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FDA Considers Osteoporosis Claims for Supplements

The makers of dietary supplements containing calcium and vitamin D would be given greater leeway to promote the products as helping to prevent osteoporosis, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration proposed Friday.

Responding to a petition filed by a division of the Coca-Cola Company, the agency said it would consider allowing manufacturers to cite a reduced risk of the bone disease from consumption of products containing both calcium and vitamin D.

The agency said it would also consider dropping a decade-old requirement that supplement makers include specific label references to a person's sex, age and race, since the benefits of vitamin D and calcium apply to all consumers.

"All persons lose bone with age, and the loss can influence an individual's risk of developing osteoporosis," said Robert Brackett, director of FDA's Center for Food Safety and Nutrition. "Maintenance of an adequate intake of calcium and vitamin D in all stages of life can help lower one's risk."

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Study Offers Snapshot of Substance Abuse in U.S.

San Francisco leads the nation in illicit drug use and Chicago has the highest rate of binge drinking, a federal review of the nation's 15 largest cities revealed Friday.

San Francisco (12.7 percent) and Detroit (9.5 percent) topped the national average of 8.1 percent in illicit drug use, according to the report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

Chicago (25.7 percent) and Houston (25.6 percent) had higher rates of binge drinking than the national average of 22.7 percent, the survey found. Binge drinking was defined as consuming five or more drinks on the same occasion at least once during the prior 30 days.

Detroit also led the survey in cigarette use for the 15 cities, whose populations comprise about one-third of the nation's total, SAMHSA said.

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U.S. Approves First Drug for Obese Dogs

Recognizing that overeating isn't limited to beings with two legs, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved the first prescription drug to manage obesity in dogs.

Pfizer's Stentrol (dirlotapide) reduces appetite and a dog's ability to absorb fat, the agency said. The FDA cited surveys showing that up to 30 percent of U.S. dogs are overweight and about 5 percent are obese (more than 20 percent above ideal weight).

Overweight pets, like people, are at higher risk of health problems ranging from cardiovascular conditions and joint problems to diabetes, the FDA said.

To discourage use of the medication by people, Stentrol's label will warn that the drug is not intended for human use, should be kept away from children, and may cause adverse reactions in people, including abdominal pain, diarrhea, headache, nausea and vomiting.

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Less Folate in Women May Lead to Birth Defects

A trend toward declining blood folate levels in young women could lead to an upswing in serious birth defects of the brain and spine, a U.S. government study warns.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study, released Thursday, found an 8 percent to 16 percent drop in folate levels among women of childbearing age between 1999 and 2004, the Associated Press reported.

While the exact causes of the drop aren't certain, the increasing popularity of low-carbohydrate diets may be a factor, experts said. High-carb foods, including flour, cereal, and bread products, are often fortified with folate.

Folate is a natural B vitamin; when artificially produced in supplements, it's referred to as folic acid. It's not clear if the drop in women's folate levels has led to an increase in so-called "neural tube" defects such as spina bifida, the AP reported.

The decline in folate levels has been most pronounced in white women, the CDC study found, although black women continue to get the least amount of folate overall, the wire service said.

Health Headlines - January 6

FDA Considers Osteoporosis Claims for Supplements

The makers of dietary supplements containing calcium and vitamin D would be given greater leeway to promote the products as helping to prevent osteoporosis, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration proposed Friday.

Responding to a petition filed by a division of the Coca-Cola Company, the agency said it would consider allowing manufacturers to cite a reduced risk of the bone disease from consumption of products containing both calcium and vitamin D.

The agency said it would also consider dropping a decade-old requirement that supplement makers include specific label references to a person's sex, age and race, since the benefits of vitamin D and calcium apply to all consumers.

"All persons lose bone with age, and the loss can influence an individual's risk of developing osteoporosis," said Robert Brackett, director of FDA's Center for Food Safety and Nutrition. "Maintenance of an adequate intake of calcium and vitamin D in all stages of life can help lower one's risk."

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Study Offers Snapshot of Substance Abuse in U.S.

San Francisco leads the nation in illicit drug use and Chicago has the highest rate of binge drinking, a federal review of the nation's 15 largest cities revealed Friday.

San Francisco (12.7 percent) and Detroit (9.5 percent) topped the national average of 8.1 percent in illicit drug use, according to the report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

Chicago (25.7 percent) and Houston (25.6 percent) had higher rates of binge drinking than the national average of 22.7 percent, the survey found. Binge drinking was defined as consuming five or more drinks on the same occasion at least once during the prior 30 days.

Detroit also led the survey in cigarette use for the 15 cities, whose populations comprise about one-third of the nation's total, SAMHSA said.

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U.S. Approves First Drug for Obese Dogs

Recognizing that overeating isn't limited to beings with two legs, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved the first prescription drug to manage obesity in dogs.

Pfizer's Stentrol (dirlotapide) reduces appetite and a dog's ability to absorb fat, the agency said. The FDA cited surveys showing that up to 30 percent of U.S. dogs are overweight and about 5 percent are obese (more than 20 percent above ideal weight).

Overweight pets, like people, are at higher risk of health problems ranging from cardiovascular conditions and joint problems to diabetes, the FDA said.

To discourage use of the medication by people, Stentrol's label will warn that the drug is not intended for human use, should be kept away from children, and may cause adverse reactions in people, including abdominal pain, diarrhea, headache, nausea and vomiting.

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Less Folate in Women May Lead to Birth Defects

A trend toward declining blood folate levels in young women could lead to an upswing in serious birth defects of the brain and spine, a U.S. government study warns.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study, released Thursday, found an 8 percent to 16 percent drop in folate levels among women of childbearing age between 1999 and 2004, the Associated Press reported.

While the exact causes of the drop aren't certain, the increasing popularity of low-carbohydrate diets may be a factor, experts said. High-carb foods, including flour, cereal, and bread products, are often fortified with folate.

Folate is a natural B vitamin; when artificially produced in supplements, it's referred to as folic acid. It's not clear if the drop in women's folate levels has led to an increase in so-called "neural tube" defects such as spina bifida, the AP reported.

The decline in folate levels has been most pronounced in white women, the CDC study found, although black women continue to get the least amount of folate overall, the wire service said.

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Infant Car Seats Fail Crash Tests

Most infant car seats don't make the grade in crash safety tests, a leading consumer publication warns.

In crashes at speeds as low as 35 mph, most of the 12 seats tested by Consumer Reports "failed disastrously," the magazine said. It said only two models passed all of its tests -- the Baby Trend Flex-Loc and the Graco SnugRide with expanded polystyrene foam, the Associated Press reported. Both sell for about $90.

While the magazine said any car seat is better than none at all, it urged parents to purchase either the Baby Trend or Graco models.

Consumer Reports said it tested the type of seat that faces the rear, using dummies weighing between 22 and 30 pounds, depending on manufacturer specifications. Four of the seats -- meant to snap in and out of their bases -- flew out of their bases at crash speeds of 38 mph, the magazine said.

Other reasons for test failure included twisting too far in place, hurling crash dummies out of the seats, and not fitting well in several types of cars, the AP reported.

The magazine urged a federal recall of what it said was the poorest performing seat -- the Evenflo Discovery. Evenflo issued a statement disputing the magazine's results, saying U.S. government, scientific, and manufacturer testing hadn't yielded similar conclusions.

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Elder Bush Has Hip Replaced

Former President George H.W. Bush has had surgery to replace his right hip, according to a spokesman at the Mayo Clinic, where the surgery was performed.

Bush, the 82-year-old father of the current president, had the operation hours after attending the funeral of another former chief executive, Gerald R. Ford, the Associated Press reported.

Bush had his left hip replaced at the Mayo Clinic in 2000, and former First Lady Barbara Bush had hip surgery there in 1997, the AP said.

Bush is expected to be released by Saturday, a Mayo spokesman told the wire service.

Health Headlines - January 5

Meningitis, Encephalitis Scare Shuts R.I. Schools

More than 20,000 Rhode Island students missed a day of school on Thursday as investigators searched for a possible connection between a youngster's death from encephalitis two weeks ago and a newly suspected case of meningitis.

Classes were cancelled for students in Warwick, Coventry and West Warwick on Thursday. But officials were quick to say that it was premature to label the illnesses as an outbreak, the Associated Press reported.

The suspected case of meningitis was reported late Wednesday at the Hopkins Hill School in Coventry. Meningitis involves an inflammation of the lining that covers the brain and spinal cord.

Encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain, is being cited as the cause of death of a Warwick second-grader last month. At least two other students have contracted the illness, the AP said.

Health investigators are exploring if there's any connection between the two sets of illnesses, or whether either is related to a recent upswing in so-called "walking pneumonia" in these communities. In rare cases, this type of pneumonia can progress to either encephalitis or meningitis, the wire service said.

There are no plans to close schools in other parts of Rhode Island, a state public health official told the AP.

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Maker of Schizophrenia Drug Agrees to Fines

Eli Lilly has agreed to pay up to $500 million to settle 18,000 lawsuits from users who claim the schizophrenia drug Zyprexa (olanzapine) caused diabetes and other health problems, The New York Times reported. The drug is also prescribed for bipolar disorder.

These new agreements and earlier settlements bring Lilly's tab in defending Zyprexa lawsuits to at least $1.2 billion, the newspaper said. Some 20 million people have taken the drug since its introduction in 1996.

The settlements do not affect other ongoing civil or criminal investigations by state attorneys general and federal prosecutors, the Times said.

Clinical trials have shown that Zyprexa can cause severe weight gain and rises in cholesterol and blood sugar, the newspaper said. The drug is designed to reduce psychotic hallucinations and delusions.

The newspaper said it had obtained documents purporting that Lilly marketers knowingly downplayed the drug's risks, and that the company allegedly marketed the drug for uses other than those sanctioned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

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FTC Fines Weight-Loss Product Distributors

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has levied $25 million in fines on the distributors of four products touted to help people lose weight, saying the marketers made false advertising claims.

The agency said the products could remain available to the public, but that the marketers would have to cease making the false statements, the Associated Press reported.

The products, including "Xenadrine EFX" and "One a Day Weight Smart," have been touted as producing rapid weight loss and even reducing users' risks of osteoporosis, Alzheimer's disease and cancer, the FTC said.

The two other products involved are "Cortaslim" and "TrimSpa," the wire service reported.

The largest fine was imposed on the marketer of Xenadrine EFX, New Jersey-based RTC Research and Development, LLC. The fine is expected to range between $8 million and $12.8 million, the AP said.

Some of the fines could be levied as civil penalties that could ultimately find their way back to consumers, FTC Commissioner Deborah Platt Majoras told the wire service.

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Couple Fights to Stunt Daughter's Growth

A Washington State couple is fighting to continue a deliberate effort to medically stunt the growth of their severely mentally disabled daughter, the Bloomberg news service reported.

Nine-year-old Ashley, whose last name is being kept confidential, has the mental capacity of a 3-month-old infant, the wire service said. She must be fed through a tube, and cannot walk, talk or support the weight of her head.

Her parents -- who have fought to remain anonymous -- argue that stunting her growth will make her more comfortable and make it easier to care for the child, who is bed-ridden.

Treatments to keep her at the present size of approximately 4 1/2 feet long and 75 pounds began in 2004, Bloomberg reported. They included high doses of estrogen and a hysterectomy. Doctors at Seattle Children's Hospital who had been consulted on the treatments revealed details of the girl's case in a medical journal article last October.

The article has sparked a heated debate over whether stunting the growth of a severely retarded person is medically ethical, the wire service said.

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Cervical Cancer Admissions Fall More Than One-Third

Hospitalization rates for cervical cancer cases declined 36 percent between 1994 and 2004, according to the latest News and Numbers issued Wednesday by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

The statistical breakdown showed that during those 10 years, the number of admissions dropped from 25.9 patients to 16.6 patients per every 100,000 women, and the number of admissions per year fell from 34,600 to 24,800.

The study also found that in 2004:

• Cervical cancer hospitalizations were more than 40 percent higher in the South than in the West (19.0 vs. 13.2 admissions per 100,000).
• Women aged 18 to 44 accounted for half of all hospitalizations for cervical cancer; women aged 45 to 64 accounted for 37 percent.
• Hysterectomy was performed in 60 percent of all hospital stays for cervical cancer. Women in the West were almost 40 percent more likely to have a hysterectomy than women in the Northeast.
• Private insurers were billed for half of the hospital stays for cervical cancer. Medicaid was billed for 28 percent, Medicare got the bill for 11 percent of the stays, and 7 percent were uninsured.

Health Headlines - January 4

Cervical Cancer Admissions Fall More Than One-Third

Hospitalization rates for cervical cancer cases declined 36 percent between 1994 and 2004, according to the latest News and Numbers issued Wednesday by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

The statistical breakdown showed that during those 10 years, the number of admissions dropped from 25.9 patients to 16.6 patients per every 100,000 women, and the number of admissions per year fell from 34,600 to 24,800.

The study also found that in 2004:

• Cervical cancer hospitalizations were more than 40 percent higher in the South than in the West (19.0 versus 13.2 admissions per 100,000).
• Women 18 to 44 accounted for half of all hospitalizations for cervical cancer; women 45 to 64 accounted for 37 percent.
• Hysterectomy was performed in 60 percent of all hospital stays for cervical cancer. Women in the West were almost 40 percent more likely to have a hysterectomy than women in the Northeast.
• Private insurers were billed for half of the hospital stays for cervical cancer. Medicaid was billed for 28 percent, Medicare got the bill for 11 percent of the stays, and 7 percent were uninsured.

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U.S. Health Spending Grows, But Results Fall Short: Report

The United States has had one of the highest growth rates in per capita health-care spending since 1980 among developed countries, but does not appear to provide substantially greater results for its citizens on important health measures, a new report finds.

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation's latest installment of Snapshots: Health Care Costs, the United States has spent more per capita on health care than other countries -- 15.2 percent of the gross domestic product in 2003, up from 8.8 percent in 1980. This almost 7 percentage-point increase in the health share of GDP is larger than increases seen in other high-income countries, or put another way, at least three percentage points higher than for any of the 19 developed countries examined in the group's analysis.

This growing gap between health-care spending in the United States and other higher-income countries -- all of which provide universal health coverage -- should encourage policymakers to look more closely at how American health dollars are being spent and the value citizens are receiving for those dollars, the report suggested.

The "snapshot," released Wednesday and titled Health Care Spending in the United States and OECD Countries, is available online at http://www.kff.org/insurance/snapshot/chcm010307oth.cfm.

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FDA Not Using Advisory Committees Effectively: Report

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is not using its own advisory com mittees effectively when considering the approval of new drugs and overrules the findings of those panels 28 percent of the time, says a Public Citizen study published in a letter in the current edition of The Lancet.

Public Citizen found that the FDA often allowed drug companies to make oral presentations to the agency's 18 drug advisory committees without a countervailing FDA view. The agency, however, failed to present its own interpretation of company data 18 percent of the time, or at 49 of 275 drug advisory committee meetings examined by Public Citizen from Jan. 1, 1997, to June 30, 2006, the Associated Press reported.

The data also showed that the FDA was holding advisory meetings less often than it did in the late 1990s -- only 24 percent, or 35 of 147, new molecular entities (NMEs) approved between 2000 and June 30, 2006, were preceded by meetings. The citizen's group said that represented a decrease from 1998 and 1999, when the FDA held meetings for 40 percent and 52 percent of approved NMEs, respectively, the AP said.

"Advisory committees are a vital element of the nation's drug safety net, but by failing to use these committees adequately, this resource is being squandered," Dr. Peter Lurie, deputy director of Public Citizen's Health Research Group and an author of the letter, said in a prepared statement.

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Starbucks, A&W to Cut Trans Fats From Foods

Starbucks stores in 10 U.S. cities will have no trans fats in their food as of Wednesday, the Associated Press reported.

Starbucks Corp. is cutting trans fats from the doughnuts, muffins and other treats in half its U.S. stores and plans to eventually drop trans fats from all company-operated coffeehouses. Spokesman Brandon Borrman said Tuesday that the company has been working to eliminate the fats from its menu for about two years.

Stores in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia, Portland, Ore., San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C., will be affected by Wednesday's deadline.

Borrman said Starbucks had already replaced the fats in its nationally distributed food products, such as its seasonal pumpkin muffins and gingerbread. Starbucks has about 5,600 company-owned coffeehouses in the United States. Other sites, such as kiosks in airports and grocery stores, are licensed by the company but operated by other businesses, the AP reported.

Meanwhile, the Canadian Press reported Wednesday that A&W Food Services of Canada said it was the first national hamburger chain to offer "zero or significantly lower" trans fat menu items.

The Vancouver-based operator said it had eliminated trans fat from its French fries, Chubby Chicken Burger, Chicken Grill Deluxe, Swiss Veggie Deluxe, poutine (a fries, cheese and gravy dish) and hash browns. The company also said it had reduced trans fats by more than 95 percent in its onion rings, Chubby Chicken pieces and Chubby Chicken strips, and by 85 percent in its breakfast sandwiches.

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Trauma of War Boosts Heart-Attack Risk for Aging Veterans: Study

Two new studies on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) show that veterans from World War II through the conflict in Iraq likely have a greater risk of heart attack as they age and also report worse physical health, more doctor visits and more missed workdays, the Associated Press reported.

The first study, by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health and Boston University and published in the Jan. 1 Archives of General Psychiatry, joins existing evidence that veterans with PTSD also have more autoimmune diseases such as arthritis and psoriasis. "The burden of war may be even greater than people think,'' said lead author Laura Kubzansky of Harvard, who studies anxiety, depression and anger as risk factors for heart disease.

The second study, funded by the U.S. Army, was based on a survey of 2,863 soldiers one year after returning from combat in Iraq. The findings were published in the Jan. 1 issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry.

The groundbreaking Harvard study examined 1,946 male veterans from World War II and Korea, gleaned through data from the Veterans Administration Normative Aging Study, a long-term research project tracking Boston-area vets. Although the men had different levels of PTSD symptoms, very few had enough symptoms for a true diagnosis, Kubzansky said. The study needs to be repeated to see if the findings hold true for PTSD-diagnosed veterans, and for women, she added.

Dr. Gary J. Kennedy, director of geriatric psychiatry at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City, called the Harvard study "impressive." Kennedy, who was not involved in the research, said, "We've got a whole generation of veterans coming back [from Iraq and Afghanistan] and their health needs are just going to be tremendous." He added that one symptom of PTSD is avoiding activity, which could account for some of the effect on the heart.

Medical authorities first accepted post-traumatic stress disorder as a psychiatric condition in 1980 at the urging of Vietnam veterans, the AP reported. In PTSD, the body's normal hormonal response to stress becomes trigger-happy, scientists believe. Long after traumatic events, people remain edgy and prone to nightmares and flashbacks. The continual release of adrenaline prompted by these symptoms may wear down the cardiovascular system, Kubzansky said.