Health Tip: Understanding Astigmatism
Astigmatism involves distorted vision due to an abnormal curve in the eye's cornea. It's a very common condition, and is usually present at birth.
The U.S. National Library of Medicine offers this additional information:
* Astigmatism often occurs alongside other eye conditions, including nearsightedness or farsightedness.
* It is unclear what causes astigmatism.
* Astigmatism can be diagnosed at a regular eye exam.
* Hard contact lenses or glasses can correct vision problems in people with astigmatism, but soft contact lenses generally don't work as well.
Health Tip: Grinding Your Teeth?
Frequent grinding of the teeth is a condition known as bruxism. Depending on severity, it could cause anything from pain and discomfort to fractures of the teeth.
Here's more information about bruxism, courtesy of the American Dental Association:
* Bruxism may involve clenching of the jaw as well as tooth grinding.
* Triggers may include stress, sleep problems, crooked or missing teeth, or anxiety.
* Symptoms can include headache, painful teeth and a sore jaw.
* Preventives may include a mouth guard to wear during sleep, muscle relaxants, and counseling to deal with stress.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Monday, February 18, 2008
Health Headlines - February 18
U.S. Orders Largest Beef Recall in History
In what is being billed as the largest beef recall in the United States, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Sunday ordered the recall of 143 million pounds of frozen beef produced by a California slaughterhouse that is the subject of an animal-abuse investigation.
The recall from the Chino-based Westland/Hallmark Meat Co., which provided meat to school lunch programs, affects beef products dating back to Feb. 1, 2006, according to an Associated Press report. There have been no reports of illnesses linked to the recalled meat, and USDA officials termed the health threat small.
Officials estimate that about 37 million pounds of the recalled beef went to school programs, but they believe most of the meat has already been eaten, according to Dr. Dick Raymond, USDA Undersecretary for Food Safety.
Most of the beef was sent to distribution centers in bulk packages, and the USDA was planning to work with the distributors to determine how much meat remains, the AP reported.
U.S. officials recently suspended operations at Westland/Hallmark after an undercover Humane Society video showed crippled and sick animals being shoved with forklifts. Felony and misdemeanor charges were filed last week against some employees of the company, and an official investigation continues.
Federal regulations call for keeping downed cattle out of the food supply because they may pose a higher risk of contamination from E. coli, salmonella or mad cow disease.
About 150 school districts around the nation have stopped using ground beef from Hallmark Meat Packing Co., which is associated with Westland. Two fast-food chains, Jack-In-the-Box and In-N-Out, said they would not use beef from Westland/Hallmark, the AP reported. Other chains, such as McDonald's and Burger King, said they do not buy beef from Westland.
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Ocean Species' Changes Seen in Global Warming, Scientist Warns
In the last century, coal miners brought canaries with them into the mine, because the birds were sentries for any change in the air supply. If the canary keeled over, the humans knew they had to get to the surface.
The new age "canaries" are sea snails called pteropods, the food supply for a great many sea species. These small creatures are undergoing physiological changes that may spell future catastrophe, according to a molecular ecologist who gave a report over the weekend to the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Boston.
Gretchen Hofmann, associate professor of biology at the University of California at Santa Barbara, collected pteropods in Antarctica and noticed changes in their physical makeup. This may be caused by an increasingly acidic ocean because of increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, she said in a university news release.
"They (the pteropods) are harbingers of change," she said. "It's possible by 2050 they may not be able to make a shell anymore. If we lose these organisms, the impact on the food chain will be catastrophic."
The acidity makes the animals less able to withstand warmer waters, and they are smaller now, she added. "These observations suggest that warming and acidifying seas will be a complex environment for future marine organisms," Hofmann said.
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Tiny Amounts of Estrogen May be Serious Threat to Fish Population
Some ecosystems near large population centers can be quite fragile, and a study presented over the weekend demonstrated this by using an unlikely substance -- estrogen.
Scientists from Canada's Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) found that extremely tiny amounts of synthetic estrogen -- the type found in birth control pills -- introduced from municipal wastewater plants into lakes and rivers downstream can cause a decline (and even the elimination) of entire populations of some species of fish.
According to a NSERC news release, the study was presented at a session of the Association for the Advancement of Science's annual conference in Boston Feb. 16. Researchers said they added tiny amounts per trillion to a Canadian lake region in a re-creation of what may normally be found in a municipal wastewater plant.
Results of the seven-year study were dramatic. Estrogen exposure led to the near extinction of the lake's fathead minnow population, and the population of larger fish such as pearl dace and lake trout declined.
"Generally, the smaller the fish, the more vulnerable they are to estrogen," said lead researcher Dr. Karen Kidd, a biology professor at the University of New Brunswick (Saint John). "What we demonstrated is that estrogen can wipe out entire populations of small fish, a key food source for larger fish whose survival could in turn be threatened over the longer term," she added in her statement.
The researchers recommended that estrogen be removed from municipal water supplies during the treatment process, just as other contaminants are removed.
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Chinese Plant That Made Suspended Blood Thinner Not Licensed for Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
The Chinese manufacturing plant that supplies a great amount of the active ingredient in a blood thinner associated with four deaths in the United States isn't even certified by its own government to make drugs and other pharmaceutical products, the New York Times reports.
This revelation comes only a few days after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration admitted it violated its own policy by not having inspected the plant before allowing pharmaceutical company Baxter International, which uses ingredients from the Chinese plant, to market the blood thinner heparin in the United States, the Times said.
On Feb. 11, Baxter International suspended sales multi-dose vials of heparin after disclosing that 4 deaths and 350 complications resulted from use of heparin. A spokesman for China's State Food and Drug Administration told the newspaper Friday that the plant in question was not a drug manufacturer but "a producer of chemical ingredients" and not licensed to make pharmaceutical products.
When will the FDA get around to inspecting the Chinese plant? Soon, the Times reports agency spokeswoman Karen Riley as saying. She didn't elaborate, but earlier in the week called the FDA's failure to inspect the plant a "glitch", the newspaper said.
----
Meta-Study: Hispanics Have More Difficulty Controlling Glucose Levels
Confirming earlier studies, researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C. have found that Hispanics have a measurably more difficult time controlling their blood sugar.
Maintaining proper amounts of blood sugar (glucose) is a key element in controlling type 2 diabetes, which is estimated to affect more than 20 million Americans.
The study, which was underwritten in part by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, found that Hispanic patients with diabetes have glucose levels about 0.5 percent higher than Caucasians, according to a Wake Forest news release.
The test used for the analysis was the A1C test, which measures hemoglobin linked with glucose over a two-to-three month time period. The higher the A1C values, the more difficult it is for diabetes patients to control their blood sugar, the researchers said.
The researchers began with 495 studies over a 13-year period and narrowed their focus to 11 studies that comprised results of A1C tests for Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites.
"The Hispanic population has a high prevalence of diabetes and higher A1C than non-Hispanic whites," said Julienne Kirk, associate professor of family and community medicine at Wake Forest, and lead author of the study. "This further elucidates the health disparities that characterize the Hispanic population."
The results of the study are in the February issue of Diabetes Care.
Health Tips for February 18
Health Tip: Protect Your Child From Flu
Children are in constant contact with germs, and can easily spread them to others. Flu is a particularly nasty nemesis, but it can be prevented.
Here are ways to help reduce your child's risk of getting the flu, courtesy of the Children's Hospital at the University of California, San Francisco:
* Flu vaccine is recommended for all healthy children aged 6 months to 5 years.
* Hand washing also is an easy way to help prevent flu. Your child should wash her hands thoroughly and frequently, with soap and warm water.
* Parents and caregivers should also should wash their hands often, and get a flu vaccine.
* Teach your child to cover her mouth when she coughs or sneezes, and to wash her hands afterward.
* Try to keep your child away from others who are sick. Keep her home from school if she has symptoms of a cold or the flu.
Health Tip: Help Prevent Pneumonia
Pneumonia is a respiratory infection, caused by either bacteria or a virus, that can be acquired on its own, or as a common complication of the flu.
A vaccine is available to combat pneumococcal pneumonia, a type of pneumonia caused by bacteria. Ask your doctor if you are at greater risk of this type of pneumonia, and if you should be vaccinated.
Here are additional ways to help protect yourself from pneumonia, courtesy of the American Lung Association:
* Get a flu vaccine every flu season.
* If you notice respiratory symptoms that last for several days, seek treatment at once.
* Get plenty of sleep, exercise regularly, and maintain a healthy diet.
* If you are taking antibiotics for any bacterial infection, be sure to finish the entire prescription.
Children are in constant contact with germs, and can easily spread them to others. Flu is a particularly nasty nemesis, but it can be prevented.
Here are ways to help reduce your child's risk of getting the flu, courtesy of the Children's Hospital at the University of California, San Francisco:
* Flu vaccine is recommended for all healthy children aged 6 months to 5 years.
* Hand washing also is an easy way to help prevent flu. Your child should wash her hands thoroughly and frequently, with soap and warm water.
* Parents and caregivers should also should wash their hands often, and get a flu vaccine.
* Teach your child to cover her mouth when she coughs or sneezes, and to wash her hands afterward.
* Try to keep your child away from others who are sick. Keep her home from school if she has symptoms of a cold or the flu.
Health Tip: Help Prevent Pneumonia
Pneumonia is a respiratory infection, caused by either bacteria or a virus, that can be acquired on its own, or as a common complication of the flu.
A vaccine is available to combat pneumococcal pneumonia, a type of pneumonia caused by bacteria. Ask your doctor if you are at greater risk of this type of pneumonia, and if you should be vaccinated.
Here are additional ways to help protect yourself from pneumonia, courtesy of the American Lung Association:
* Get a flu vaccine every flu season.
* If you notice respiratory symptoms that last for several days, seek treatment at once.
* Get plenty of sleep, exercise regularly, and maintain a healthy diet.
* If you are taking antibiotics for any bacterial infection, be sure to finish the entire prescription.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Health Headlines - February 17
Chinese Plant That Made Suspended Blood Thinner Not Licensed for Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
The Chinese manufacturing plant that supplies a great amount of the active ingredient in a blood thinner associated with four deaths in the United states isn't even certified by its own government to make drugs and other pharmaceutical products, the New York Times reports.
This revelation comes only a few days after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration admitted it violated its own policy by not having inspected the plant before allowing pharmaceutical company Baxter International, which uses ingredients from the Chinese plant, to market the blood thinner heparin in the United States, the Times said.
On Feb. 11, Baxter International suspended sales multi-dose vials of heparin after disclosing that 4 deaths and 350 complications resulted from use of heparin. A spokesman for China's State Food and Drug Administration told the newspaper Friday that the plant in question was not a drug manufacturer but "a producer of chemical ingredients" and not licensed to make pharmaceutical products.
When will the FDA get around to inspecting the Chinese plant? Soon, the Times reports agency spokeswoman Karen Riley as saying. She didn't elaborate, but earlier in the week called the FDA's failure to inspect the plant a "glitch", the newspaper said.
----
Meta-Study: Hispanics Have More Difficulty Controlling Glucose Levels
Confirming earlier studies, researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C. have found that Hispanics have a measurably more difficult time controlling their blood sugar.
Maintaining proper amounts of blood sugar (glucose) is a key element in controlling type 2 diabetes, which is estimated to affect more than 20 million Americans.
The study, which was underwritten in part by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, found that Hispanic patients with diabetes have glucose levels about 0.5 percent higher than Caucasians, according to a Wake Forest news release.
The test used for the analysis was the A1C test, which measures hemoglobin linked with glucose over a two-to-three month time period. The higher the A1C values, the more difficult it is for diabetes patients to control their blood sugar, the researchers said.
The researchers began with 495 studies over a 13-year period and narrowed their focus to 11 studies that comprised results of A1C tests for Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites.
"The Hispanic population has a high prevalence of diabetes and higher A1C than non-Hispanic whites," said Julienne Kirk, associate professor of family and community medicine at Wake Forest, and lead author of the study. "This further elucidates the health disparities that characterize the Hispanic population."
The results of the study are in the February issue of Diabetes Care.
-----
555 Americans Killed in All-Terrain Vehicle Accidents in 2006
At least 555 people died in 2006 from accidents involving all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said Thursday.
More than 100 children were among the fatalities, the agency said. It expects the numbers to climb as additional data arrive from hospitals and coroners across the country, the Associated Press reported.
While groups representing consumers and parents have said for years that the vehicles are unsafe, the industry that makes ATVs cites driver error, the wire service reported.
"ATVs have never been shown to be an unsafe product, but there have been bad decisions made by people sitting on the seat," said a spokesman for the Specialty Vehicle Institute of America.
In its annual analysis released Thursday, the CPSC said Pennsylvania has led the nation in ATV deaths since 1982, followed by California, West Virginia, Texas and Kentucky. At least one ATV fatality was reported in each of the 50 states.
In 2005, 666 confirmed ATV deaths were reported. And because the CPSC said it is still analyzing data for that year, the toll could rise to as high as 870, the AP reported.
On the day the report was released, the CPSC announced the recall of 95,000 Polaris-brand ATVs that had potentially defective control panels that could ignite, the wire service said.
-----
Nearly 1 in 3 U.S. Births Are C-Sections: Report
Nearly one in three American women who gave birth in 2005 did so by Cesarean section, the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality said Thursday in its latest News and Numbers report.
The ratio was about one in five in 1995, the agency said in a prepared statement.
The report also noted that:
- Some 1.3 million women had C-sections in 2005, a 38 percent jump over the 800,000 performed in 1995.
- Vaginal deliveries in hospitals fell from about 3 million in 1995 to 2.9 million in 2005.
- Hospitals charged a combined $21.3 billion for patient stays involving vaginal deliveries in 2005, compared to $17.5 billion for those involving C-sections.
-----
Government-Issued Trailers for Hurricane Victims Pose Risks: CDC
Many of the trailers used to house Gulf Coast victims of hurricanes Katrina and Rita contain toxic levels of formaldehyde fumes, U.S. health officials said Thursday.
Officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said people living in the government-issued trailers should be moved out as soon as possible because tests showed that fumes from 519 trailers and mobile homes in Louisiana and Mississippi averaged about five times higher than levels found in most modern homes. In some trailers, the levels were nearly 40 times higher, prompting concerns that the residents could come down with breathing problems, the Associated Press reported.
The CDC urged the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which supplied the trailers, to move people from the trailers as quickly as possible, with priority given to families with children, elderly people, or anyone with asthma or other chronic respiratory problems.
"We do not want people exposed to this for very much longer," said Mike McGeehin, director of a CDC division that focuses on environmental hazards.
FEMA provided about 120,000 travel trailers to victims of the 2005 hurricanes Katrina and Rita. In 2006, some occupants began reporting headaches and nosebleeds. The complaints were linked to formaldehyde, a colorless gas with a pungent smell used in the production of plywood and resins, the AP said.
-----
A Month on Fast-Food Diet Damages Liver: Report
Otherwise healthy people who were asked to eat mainly fast food for four weeks and cut down on their physical activity quickly developed signs of liver damage and pre-diabetic insulin resistance, Swedish researchers report.
In the study, 18 slim, healthy men and women were asked to reduce their daily physical activity to 5,000 steps per day and to consume at least two fast-food meals per day, preferably from well known chain restaurants.
The goal: to double daily caloric intake and boost body weight by 10 to 15 percent and then observe the effects on the liver.
A second group of healthy adults were asked to continue on their normal diet.
As reported in the journal Gut, researchers at the University of Linkoping found that the participants' levels of a particular liver enzyme called alanine aminotransferase (ALT) spiked within a week of being on the fast-food diet and more than quadrupled during the four-week study period.
In fact, ALT levels reached concentrations that indicated liver damage in 11 of the 18 participants, the researchers said. One participant also developed signs of a condition called "fatty liver," where unhealthy levels of fat collect in the organ.
The participants on the fast-food regimen also showed a sharp rise in the fat content of their liver cells, which is commonly associated with insulin resistance. Cellular resistance to insulin boosts risks for diabetes and cardiovascular disease, the researchers noted.
None of these unhealthy effects were noted in participants who ate normal diets, the researchers added.
Overall, people on the fast-food/low exercise regimen gained an average of more than 14 pounds within 4 weeks, and one person gained more than 26 pounds in just two weeks, the researchers said.
Health Tips for February 17
Health Tip: Tracking Ovulation
Women who are trying to get pregnant need to understand their menstrual cycles, especially when they are ovulating.
Ovulation is the release of a mature egg that occurs once during each menstrual cycle, in which the egg is ready to be fertilized.
Here is information to help you understand your monthly ovulation cycle, courtesy of the American Pregnancy Association:
* A menstrual cycle is measured from the first day of one menstrual period to the first day of the next menstrual period.
* A menstrual cycle typically lasts between 28-32 days, but it can be shorter or longer.
* Determine the date of ovulation by calculating the middle of your menstrual cycle -- ovulation typically occurs between day 11 and day 21 of a cycle.
* Ovulation can also be calculated by counting 12 to 16 days before the first day of your next period.
Health Tip: Heavy Menstrual Bleeding
Unusually heavy menstrual bleeding, medically known as menorrhagia, can be caused by a variety of factors.
Here are common causes, courtesy of the University of Virginia Health System:
* Hormonal or chemical imbalances.
* Platelet disorders.
* Pelvic inflammatory disease.
* Uterine fibroids.
* An abnormal pregnancy.
* Abnormalities in the pelvis, including infections, tumors or polyps.
* Some birth control methods, including IUD.
* Liver, kidney or thyroid disease.
Women who are trying to get pregnant need to understand their menstrual cycles, especially when they are ovulating.
Ovulation is the release of a mature egg that occurs once during each menstrual cycle, in which the egg is ready to be fertilized.
Here is information to help you understand your monthly ovulation cycle, courtesy of the American Pregnancy Association:
* A menstrual cycle is measured from the first day of one menstrual period to the first day of the next menstrual period.
* A menstrual cycle typically lasts between 28-32 days, but it can be shorter or longer.
* Determine the date of ovulation by calculating the middle of your menstrual cycle -- ovulation typically occurs between day 11 and day 21 of a cycle.
* Ovulation can also be calculated by counting 12 to 16 days before the first day of your next period.
Health Tip: Heavy Menstrual Bleeding
Unusually heavy menstrual bleeding, medically known as menorrhagia, can be caused by a variety of factors.
Here are common causes, courtesy of the University of Virginia Health System:
* Hormonal or chemical imbalances.
* Platelet disorders.
* Pelvic inflammatory disease.
* Uterine fibroids.
* An abnormal pregnancy.
* Abnormalities in the pelvis, including infections, tumors or polyps.
* Some birth control methods, including IUD.
* Liver, kidney or thyroid disease.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Health Headlines - February 16
Maker of Blood Thinner Used Chinese-Owned Firm in Wisconsin
The maker of recalled batches of the blood thinning drug heparin used the Chinese operations of a Wisconsin firm to produce the drug, the Chicago Tribune reported Friday.
Earlier this week, Baxter International suspended production of heparin after acknowledging that the blood thinner may be linked to allergic reactions among more than 50 dialysis patients in 12 states. Baxter used Waunakee, Wisc.-based Scientific Protein Laboratories (SPL) to ship the drug's active ingredient, the newspaper said. U.S. federal health inspectors reportedly never visited the plant outside Shanghai before the drug's production.
On Thursday, SPL stated that it produced heparin at its plant near Shanghai, then shipped the blood thinner to Baxter. Baxter then sterilized and packaged the heparin.
It's not clear which stage of production may be responsible for the problems that apparently led to the allergic reactions, the Tribune said. Heparin is made from an enzyme produced in pig intestines, and Baxter said a "central part of the investigation" was focusing on production of the active ingredient.
In November, health workers in Missouri first noticed an increase in allergic reactions among users of heparin, which is commonly prescribed to thin blood among patients undergoing kidney dialysis or heart surgery. Baxter recalled suspected lots in January, and suspended shipments earlier this week.
The Chinese link to the heparin problems added to the nation's growing tally of confirmed and suspected cases of tainted goods supplied to the United States. Over the past year, numerous instances have surfaced of potentially unsafe Chinese-made toys, toothpaste, pet foods and other products bound for U.S consumers.
-----
555 Americans Killed in All-Terrain Vehicle Accidents in 2006
At least 555 people died in 2006 from accidents involving all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said Thursday.
More than 100 children were among the fatalities, the agency said. It expects the numbers to climb as additional data arrive from hospitals and coroners across the country, the Associated Press reported.
While groups representing consumers and parents have said for years that the vehicles are unsafe, the industry that makes ATVs cites driver error, the wire service reported.
"ATVs have never been shown to be an unsafe product, but there have been bad decisions made by people sitting on the seat," said a spokesman for the Specialty Vehicle Institute of America.
In its annual analysis released Thursday, the CPSC said Pennsylvania has led the nation in ATV deaths since 1982, followed by California, West Virginia, Texas and Kentucky. At least one ATV fatality was reported in each of the 50 states.
In 2005, 666 confirmed ATV deaths were reported. And because the CPSC said it is still analyzing data for that year, the toll could rise to as high as 870, the AP reported.
On the day the report was released, the CPSC announced the recall of 95,000 Polaris-brand ATVs that had potentially defective control panels that could ignite, the wire service said.
-----
Nearly 1 in 3 U.S. Births Are C-Sections: Report
Nearly one in three American women who gave birth in 2005 did so by Cesarean section, the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality said Thursday in its latest News and Numbers report.
The ratio was about one in five in 1995, the agency said in a prepared statement.
The report also noted that:
- Some 1.3 million women had C-sections in 2005, a 38 percent jump over the 800,000 performed in 1995.
- Vaginal deliveries in hospitals fell from about 3 million in 1995 to 2.9 million in 2005.
- Hospitals charged a combined $21.3 billion for patient stays involving vaginal deliveries in 2005, compared to $17.5 billion for those involving C-sections.
-----
Government-Issued Trailers for Hurricane Victims Pose Risks: CDC
Many of the trailers used to house Gulf Coast victims of hurricanes Katrina and Rita contain toxic levels of formaldehyde fumes, U.S. health officials said Thursday.
Officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said people living in the government-issued trailers should be moved out as soon as possible because tests showed that fumes from 519 trailers and mobile homes in Louisiana and Mississippi averaged about five times higher than levels found in most modern homes. In some trailers, the levels were nearly 40 times higher, prompting concerns that the residents could come down with breathing problems, the Associated Press reported.
The CDC urged the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which supplied the trailers, to move people from the trailers as quickly as possible, with priority given to families with children, elderly people, or anyone with asthma or other chronic respiratory problems.
"We do not want people exposed to this for very much longer," said Mike McGeehin, director of a CDC division that focuses on environmental hazards.
FEMA provided about 120,000 travel trailers to victims of the 2005 hurricanes Katrina and Rita. In 2006, some occupants began reporting headaches and nosebleeds. The complaints were linked to formaldehyde, a colorless gas with a pungent smell used in the production of plywood and resins, the AP said.
-----
Month on Fast-Food Diet Damages Liver: Report
Otherwise healthy people who were asked to eat mainly fast food for four weeks and cut down on their physical activity quickly developed signs of liver damage and pre-diabetic insulin resistance, Swedish researchers report.
In the study, 18 slim, healthy men and women were asked to reduce their daily physical activity to 5,000 steps per day and to consume at least two fast-food meals per day, preferably from well known chain restaurants.
The goal: to double daily caloric intake and boost body weight by 10 to 15 percent and then observe the effects on the liver.
A second group of healthy adults were asked to continue on their normal diet.
As reported in the journal Gut, researchers at the University of Linkoping found that the participants' levels of a particular liver enzyme called alanine aminotransferase (ALT) spiked within a week of being on the fast-food diet and more than quadrupled during the four-week study period.
In fact, ALT levels reached concentrations that indicated liver damage in 11 of the 18 participants, the researchers said. One participant also developed signs of a condition called "fatty liver," where unhealthy levels of fat collect in the organ.
The participants on the fast-food regimen also showed a sharp rise in the fat content of their liver cells, which is commonly associated with insulin resistance. Cellular resistance to insulin boosts risks for diabetes and cardiovascular disease, the researchers noted.
None of these unhealthy effects were noted in participants who ate normal diets, the researchers added.
Overall, people on the fast-food/low exercise regimen gained an average of more than 14 pounds within 4 weeks, and one person gained more than 26 pounds in just two weeks, the researchers said.
Health Tips for February 16
Health Tip: Signs of an Unhealthy Menstrual Cycle
A regular, healthy menstrual cycle is a good indicator of a woman's reproductive health. If you have problems with your period, see your doctor.
Here's a list of warning signs that something may be wrong, provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services:
* If you have no menstrual cycle by age 15, or within three years of breast development.
* If you have no period for more than 90 days.
* If you suddenly have irregular periods after having had regular periods consistently.
* If you have periods very often (21 days or less since the prior one) or very infrequently (45 days or more since the prior one).
* If you have periods that last longer than seven days.
* If you have abnormally heavy bleeding, or bleed or spot between periods.
* If you have severe pain, sickness or fever during your period or after using tampons.
Health Tip: Caring for a Newborn's Umbilical Cord
Once a newborn's umbilical cord is cut just after birth, the remaining piece needs proper care to prevent infection.
The American Pregnancy Association offers these suggestions:
* Keep the area around the cord clean. Ask your doctor what is recommended -- perhaps cleaning regularly with rubbing alcohol, or just water and a gentle cleanser.
* Make sure the cord area stays dry. Use a newborn diaper with an area cut out to expose the cord. Also, let your baby wear a short t-shirt and a diaper when possible to help air get to the area.
* Don't give your baby a full, submerged bath -- just a sponge bath -- until after the cord has fallen off.
* Never pick or pull at the remaining cord, but let it fall off on its own.
A regular, healthy menstrual cycle is a good indicator of a woman's reproductive health. If you have problems with your period, see your doctor.
Here's a list of warning signs that something may be wrong, provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services:
* If you have no menstrual cycle by age 15, or within three years of breast development.
* If you have no period for more than 90 days.
* If you suddenly have irregular periods after having had regular periods consistently.
* If you have periods very often (21 days or less since the prior one) or very infrequently (45 days or more since the prior one).
* If you have periods that last longer than seven days.
* If you have abnormally heavy bleeding, or bleed or spot between periods.
* If you have severe pain, sickness or fever during your period or after using tampons.
Health Tip: Caring for a Newborn's Umbilical Cord
Once a newborn's umbilical cord is cut just after birth, the remaining piece needs proper care to prevent infection.
The American Pregnancy Association offers these suggestions:
* Keep the area around the cord clean. Ask your doctor what is recommended -- perhaps cleaning regularly with rubbing alcohol, or just water and a gentle cleanser.
* Make sure the cord area stays dry. Use a newborn diaper with an area cut out to expose the cord. Also, let your baby wear a short t-shirt and a diaper when possible to help air get to the area.
* Don't give your baby a full, submerged bath -- just a sponge bath -- until after the cord has fallen off.
* Never pick or pull at the remaining cord, but let it fall off on its own.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Health Headlines - February 15
555 Americans Killed in All-Terrain Vehicle Accidents in 2006
At least 555 people died in 2006 from accidents involving all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said Thursday.
More than 100 children were among the fatalities, the agency said. It expects the numbers to climb as additional data arrive from hospitals and coroners across the country, the Associated Press reported.
While groups representing consumers and parents have said for years that the vehicles are unsafe, the industry that makes ATVs cites driver error, the wire service reported.
"ATVs have never been shown to be an unsafe product, but there have been bad decisions made by people sitting on the seat," said a spokesman for the Specialty Vehicle Institute of America.
In its annual analysis released Thursday, the CPSC said Pennsylvania has led the nation in ATV deaths since 1982, followed by California, West Virginia, Texas and Kentucky. At least one ATV fatality was reported in each of the 50 states.
In 2005, 666 confirmed ATV deaths were reported. And because the CPSC said it is still analyzing data for that year, the toll could rise to as high as 870, the AP reported.
On the day the report was released, the CPSC announced the recall of 95,000 Polaris-brand ATVs that had potentially defective control panels that could ignite, the wire service said.
-----
Nearly 1 in 3 U.S. Births Are C-Sections: Report
Nearly one in three American women who gave birth in 2005 did so by Cesarean section, the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality said Thursday in its latest News and Numbers report.
The ratio was about one in five in 1995, the agency said in a prepared statement.
The report also noted that:
- Some 1.3 million women had C-sections in 2005, a 38 percent jump over the 800,000 performed in 1995.
- Vaginal deliveries in hospitals fell from about 3 million in 1995 to 2.9 million in 2005.
- Hospitals charged a combined $21.3 billion for patient stays involving vaginal deliveries in 2005, compared to $17.5 billion for those involving C-sections.
-----
Government-Issued Trailers for Hurricane Victims Pose Risks: CDC
Many of the trailers used to house Gulf Coast victims of hurricanes Katrina and Rita contain toxic levels of formaldehyde fumes, U.S. health officials said Thursday.
Officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said people living in the government-issued trailers should be moved out as soon as possible because tests showed that fumes from 519 trailers and mobile homes in Louisiana and Mississippi averaged about five times higher than levels found in most modern homes. In some trailers, the levels were nearly 40 times higher, prompting concerns that the residents could come down with breathing problems, the Associated Press reported.
The CDC urged the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which supplied the trailers, to move people from the trailers as quickly as possible, with priority given to families with children, elderly people, or anyone with asthma or other chronic respiratory problems.
"We do not want people exposed to this for very much longer," said Mike McGeehin, director of a CDC division that focuses on environmental hazards.
FEMA provided about 120,000 travel trailers to victims of the 2005 hurricanes Katrina and Rita. In 2006, some occupants began reporting headaches and nosebleeds. The complaints were linked to formaldehyde, a colorless gas with a pungent smell used in the production of plywood and resins, the AP said.
-----
China Factory in Heparin Case Never Inspected by FDA
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has never inspected a Chinese factory where the active ingredient in the blood thinner heparin is made, although agency officials stressed it is not yet known whether this plant played a role in recent problems with the now-suspended drug.
While no FDA inspection of the facility has been conducted to date, preparations are being made to perform an inspection as soon as possible, an FDA spokesman said in a statement, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.
FDA spokeswoman Heidi Robello told the Associated Press that the agency was also making plans to inspect a finishing plant in New Jersey as soon as possible.
Hundreds of people have suffered severe allergic reactions and at least four people have died recently after being given heparin, and Baxter International has suspended the sale of the drug while it investigates the source of the problem. Baxter is responsible for half of the U.S. supply of heparin. The medication is used in kidney dialysis and heart surgery to ward off the risk of clotting. The active ingredient in the medication is made from pig intestines, but Robello said she did not know whether the pigs used to make the active ingredient came from China.
Baxter Spokeswoman Erin Gardiner told the AP that the company bought the active ingredient from another concern, which she would not identify other than to say it had plants in the United States and China.
Gardiner did tell the Los Angeles Times that the supplier had been manufacturing heparin for more than 30 years, and had supplied Baxter for more than two decades. The plant in China had only been in operation for several years.
The General Accounting Office has said that the FDA appears to inspect only 7 percent of drug-making plants outside the United States, so this latest news is likely to lead to more criticism of the agencys inability to police the nations drug supply, the WSJ reported.
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Month on Fast-Food Diet Damages Liver: Report
Otherwise healthy people who were asked to eat mainly fast food for four weeks and cut down on their physical activity quickly developed signs of liver damage and pre-diabetic insulin resistance, Swedish researchers report.
In the study, 18 slim, healthy men and women were asked to reduce their daily physical activity to 5,000 steps per day and to consume at least two fast-food meals per day, preferably from well known chain restaurants.
The goal: to double daily caloric intake and boost body weight by 10 to 15 percent and then observe the effects on the liver.
A second group of healthy adults were asked to continue on their normal diet.
As reported in the journal Gut, researchers at the University of Linkoping found that the participants' levels of a particular liver enzyme called alanine aminotransferase (ALT) spiked within a week of being on the fast-food diet and more than quadrupled during the four-week study period.
In fact, ALT levels reached concentrations that indicated liver damage in 11 of the 18 participants, the researchers said. One participant also developed signs of a condition called "fatty liver," where unhealthy levels of fat collect in the organ.
The participants on the fast-food regimen also showed a sharp rise in the fat content of their liver cells, which is commonly associated with insulin resistance. Cellular resistance to insulin boosts risks for diabetes and cardiovascular disease, the researchers noted.
None of these unhealthy effects were noted in participants who ate normal diets, the researchers added.
Overall, people on the fast-food/low exercise regimen gained an average of more than 14 pounds within 4 weeks, and one person gained more than 26 pounds in just two weeks, the researchers said.
Health Tips for February 15
Health Tip: Painful Urination
Pain while urinating often indicates an infection -- usually in the urinary tract. However, it can also be caused by other conditions, and should always be diagnosed and treated by a doctor.
Here are possible causes of painful urination, courtesy of the U.S. National Library of Medicine:
* A urinary tract infection (UTI).
* Gonorrhea or chlamydia, both of which can cause inflammation of the urethra.
* An inflamed prostate.
* Chronic inflammation of the wall of the bladder.
* Inflammation of the vagina.
* Inflammation of the vulva.
Health Tip: Causes for Jaundice
Jaundice occurs when excess bilirubin builds up in the liver, causing the skin and whites of the eyes to develop a yellowish tint. Bilirubin is produced when hemoglobin from red blood cells is broken down by the body.
The Cleveland Clinic offers these possible causes of jaundice:
* A tumor or gallstone obstructing a bile duct.
* Inflammation of the liver (hepatitis).
* A narrowing of a bile duct.
* Cirrhosis of the liver.
* Pancreatic cancer.
* Insufficient blood supply to the liver.
* Congenital defects affecting bilirubin production.
* Malaria.
Pain while urinating often indicates an infection -- usually in the urinary tract. However, it can also be caused by other conditions, and should always be diagnosed and treated by a doctor.
Here are possible causes of painful urination, courtesy of the U.S. National Library of Medicine:
* A urinary tract infection (UTI).
* Gonorrhea or chlamydia, both of which can cause inflammation of the urethra.
* An inflamed prostate.
* Chronic inflammation of the wall of the bladder.
* Inflammation of the vagina.
* Inflammation of the vulva.
Health Tip: Causes for Jaundice
Jaundice occurs when excess bilirubin builds up in the liver, causing the skin and whites of the eyes to develop a yellowish tint. Bilirubin is produced when hemoglobin from red blood cells is broken down by the body.
The Cleveland Clinic offers these possible causes of jaundice:
* A tumor or gallstone obstructing a bile duct.
* Inflammation of the liver (hepatitis).
* A narrowing of a bile duct.
* Cirrhosis of the liver.
* Pancreatic cancer.
* Insufficient blood supply to the liver.
* Congenital defects affecting bilirubin production.
* Malaria.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Health Headlines - February 14
Happy Valentine's Day!
Avastin Shown Effective in Treating Breast Cancer, Maker Says
The Genentech drug Avastin (bevacizumab), approved in the United States to treat colorectal and lung cancers, has proven effective in recent clinical tests as a treatment for breast cancer, The New York Times reported, citing a company statement.
The drug lengthened the time before the cancer grew worse, the company said. The newer trials followed initial testing that did not include all "procedures in place that the FDA would have liked," the newspaper said.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is scheduled to decide by Feb. 23 whether to sanction Avastin for breast cancer, although that decision may be delayed to give the agency more time to evaluate the newer clinical data, the Times reported.
In December, an FDA advisory panel of experts voted to recommend against approving the drug for breast cancer, saying the drug's ability to slow the disease didn't outweigh Avastin's potential toxic side effects, "especially since women getting Avastin did not live significantly longer," the newspaper said.
The full FDA isn't bound by the decisions of its expert panels but usually follows them.
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Patches Containing Potent Painkiller Recalled
Patches containing the powerful prescription opiod painkiller fentanyl have been recalled because a flaw could cause patients or caregivers to overdose on the drug, the Associated Press reported.
Sold in the United States under the brand name Duragesic by PriCara and generically by Sandoz Inc., the recall includes all 25-microgram-per-hour patches with expiration dates on or before December 2009. The patches were also sold in Canada under the Duragesic brand by Janssen-Ortho Inc. and generically by Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd., the AP said.
A total of about 32 million patches will be recalled. PriCara estimates that two patches per million -- or a total of 64 -- have the defect, the Wall Street Journal said.
The AP said some of the patches might have a cut in the lining that contains fentanyl in gel form. If the gel leaks into the drug's packaging, it could cause a patient or caregiver to come in contact with the drug, possibly leading to difficulty breathing and even a fatal overdose. The drug is often prescribed for people dealing with chronic pain, such as cancer patients.
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Anger Plus Depression Means Double Trouble for Heart
Hostility and depression often appear together, and the combination can put a strain on the heart, a new study finds.
Researchers at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis examined emotional symptoms and blood markers of inflammatory proteins in 316 healthy people aged 50 to 70.
As reported in The New York Times, patients with depressive symptoms and hostility were more prone to higher levels of the inflammatory proteins interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein -- each of which have been linked to heart disease risk.
"The relationship of these negative emotions to inflammatory markers is more complex and much stronger than depression or hostility individually," lead researcher Jesse Stewart, assistant professor of psychology, told the Times. "There are, of course, mental health reasons to treat depression and hostility. Now we know there is a physical health reason -- the link to cardiovascular diseases," he added.
The study is published in the February-March issue of Psychosomatic Medicine.
-----
Research Shows How Breast Cancer Becomes Treatment-Resistant
Breast and ovarian cancers caused by a faulty BRCA2 gene often become resistant to standard drugs, and British scientists now believe they know why, the BBC News reported.
The findings could help doctors spot those patients who stand to benefit most from particular treatments, and also give insights into how medicines lose their effectiveness.
Reporting in the journal Nature, researchers at the Institute of Cancer Research in the United Kingdom, noted that healthy BRCA2 is actually a tumor suppressor. But a defective form of the gene renders cells incapable of fixing damaged DNA, which in turn encourages malignancy.
The new research was conducted with both breast and ovarian cancer cells. The research team found that after exposure to standard chemotherapy, some cells mutate back to the normal BRCA2 gene type. This allows the cells to overcome DNA damage but it does not neutralize the tumor. It does, however, neutralize the effectiveness of the cancer drugs, leading to drug resistance.
"The research deepens our understanding of why some breast cancer patients with a faulty BRCA2 gene may stop responding to treatment," Prof. Herbie Newell, executive director of translational research at Cancer Research UK, told the BBC. "This type of research is becoming increasingly important as we seek to tailor cancer therapies to individual patients," he said.
-----
'Icy Hot' Heat Therapy Products Recalled for Burn Hazard
The maker of "Icy Hot" Heat Therapy products is recalling them nationwide after receiving reports of first-, second-, and third-degree burns among some users, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Monday in an announcement on its Web site.
Tennessee-based Chattem Inc. said all lots and sizes of the following products are affected:
- Icy Hot Heat Therapy Air Activated Heat - Back
- Icy Hot Heat Therapy Air Activated Heat - Arm, neck, and leg
- Icy Hot Heat Therapy Air Activated Heat - Arm, neck and leg single consumer use samples included in cartons of 3-oz. Aspercreme Pain Relieving Cream.
The products were sold over the counter at food, drug, and mass merchandise stores nationwide. Consumers should stop using them immediately, discard them, or return them to the manufacturer for a full refund.
Health Tips for February 14
Health Tip: Let Shin Splints Heal
Shin splints occur when too much or too strenuous exercise causes pain in the lower legs. They usually aren't serious.
The U.S. National Library of Medicine offers these suggestions on how to help shin splints heal:
* Most shin splints will benefit from plenty of rest. You should not exercise for at least a week, and take a break of at least two-to-four weeks from running.
* Ice the injury for 20 minutes, at least twice a day.
* Use over-the-counter pain relievers to ease discomfort.
* For stress fractures, at least a month's rest is required. You should not run or exercise during that time.
Health Tip: If Your Child Goes to the Hospital
can be a frightening experience for anyone to go to the hospital, particularly for a young child.
Here are suggestions on how to prepare your child for a hospital stay, courtesy of Children's Hospital Boston:
* Before you go, explain to your child what will happen, what it might be like, and why the child needs to go.
* Use books, pictures and stories to explain the situation to very young children.
* Let your child choose special items from home to take along -- pictures, books, toys or music that may help her feel more comfortable.
* Read books together about going to the hospital.
* While at the hospital or during the procedure (if possible), try to do something together to take her mind off of what's happening. Examples may include singing, counting, listening to music or reading.
Shin splints occur when too much or too strenuous exercise causes pain in the lower legs. They usually aren't serious.
The U.S. National Library of Medicine offers these suggestions on how to help shin splints heal:
* Most shin splints will benefit from plenty of rest. You should not exercise for at least a week, and take a break of at least two-to-four weeks from running.
* Ice the injury for 20 minutes, at least twice a day.
* Use over-the-counter pain relievers to ease discomfort.
* For stress fractures, at least a month's rest is required. You should not run or exercise during that time.
Health Tip: If Your Child Goes to the Hospital
can be a frightening experience for anyone to go to the hospital, particularly for a young child.
Here are suggestions on how to prepare your child for a hospital stay, courtesy of Children's Hospital Boston:
* Before you go, explain to your child what will happen, what it might be like, and why the child needs to go.
* Use books, pictures and stories to explain the situation to very young children.
* Let your child choose special items from home to take along -- pictures, books, toys or music that may help her feel more comfortable.
* Read books together about going to the hospital.
* While at the hospital or during the procedure (if possible), try to do something together to take her mind off of what's happening. Examples may include singing, counting, listening to music or reading.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Health Headlines - February 13
Anger Plus Depression Means Double Trouble for Heart
Hostility and depression often appear together, and the combination can put a strain on the heart, a new study finds.
Researchers at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis examined emotional symptoms and blood markers of inflammatory proteins in 316 healthy people aged 50 to 70.
As reported in The New York Times, patients with depressive symptoms and hostility were more prone to higher levels of the inflammatory proteins interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein -- each of which have been linked to heart disease risk.
"The relationship of these negative emotions to inflammatory markers is more complex and much stronger than depression or hostility individually," lead researcher Jesse Stewart, assistant professor of psychology, told the Times. "There are, of course, mental health reasons to treat depression and hostility. Now we know there is a physical health reason -- the link to cardiovascular diseases," he added.
The study is published in the February-March issue of Psychosomatic Medicine.
-----
Research Shows How Breast Cancer Becomes Treatment-Resistant
Breast and ovarian cancers caused by a faulty BRCA2 gene often become resistant to standard drugs, and British scientists now believe they know why, the BBC News reported.
The findings could help doctors spot those patients who stand to benefit most from particular treatments, and also give insights into how medicines lose their effectiveness.
Reporting in the journal Nature, researchers at the Institute of Cancer Research in the United Kingdom, noted that healthy BRCA2 is actually a tumor suppressor. But a defective form of the gene renders cells incapable of fixing damaged DNA, which in turn encourages malignancy.
The new research was conducted with both breast and ovarian cancer cells. The research team found that after exposure to standard chemotherapy, some cells mutate back to the normal BRCA2 gene type. This allows the cells to overcome DNA damage but it does not neutralize the tumor. It does, however, neutralize the effectiveness of the cancer drugs, leading to drug resistance.
"The research deepens our understanding of why some breast cancer patients with a faulty BRCA2 gene may stop responding to treatment," Prof. Herbie Newell, executive director of translational research at Cancer Research UK, told the BBC. "This type of research is becoming increasingly important as we seek to tailor cancer therapies to individual patients," he said.
-----
'Icy Hot' Heat Therapy Products Recalled for Burn Hazard
The maker of "Icy Hot" Heat Therapy products is recalling them nationwide after receiving reports of first-, second-, and third-degree burns among some users, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Monday in an announcement on its Web site.
Tennessee-based Chattem Inc. said all lots and sizes of the following products are affected:
- Icy Hot Heat Therapy Air Activated Heat - Back
- Icy Hot Heat Therapy Air Activated Heat - Arm, neck, and leg
- Icy Hot Heat Therapy Air Activated Heat - Arm, neck and leg single consumer use samples included in cartons of 3-oz. Aspercreme Pain Relieving Cream.
The products were sold over the counter at food, drug, and mass merchandise stores nationwide. Consumers should stop using them immediately, discard them, or return them to the manufacturer for a full refund.
For more information, visit the FDA.
-----
Fake Malaria Drugs Likely Made in China, Study Finds
An unspecified number of people have been arrested after a global sting aimed at catching people who trade in fake anti-malaria medications, investigators reported in this week's edition of the journal Public Library of Science - Medicine.
Scientific inspection of the fake drugs indicates they probably were made in southern China, study lead author Dr. Paul Newton, of the Wellcome Trust-University of Oxford, said in statement.
Newton and other researchers, law enforcement authorities, and public health workers collaborated to collect and test 391 samples of genuine and fake artesunate tablets collected across southeast Asia. Some were found to contain inaccurate and potentially toxic ingredients, including safrole, used to produce the street drug ecstacy.
The researchers also used a technique called forensic palynology to study pollen contamination of the fake tablets. This pollen evidence suggested that at least some of the counterfeit samples came from southern China, they said.
One suspect arrested in 2006 allegedly traded 240,000 blisterpacks of the counterfeit medicine. In some countries in southeast Asia and Africa, as many as half of all purchased artesunate tablets may be fake, the researchers said.
-----
Researchers Discover Another Way That HIV Attacks Cells
A weapon that HIV uses to invade human cells has been identified by scientists trying to figure out all the different ways the AIDS-causing virus launches its powerful attack on the immune system.
U.S. government researchers say they've identified a new HIV receptor, which helps guide the virus to a place in the gut where it can begin its assault on the body, reports The New York Times.
The discovery was reported Sunday in the journal Nature Immunology by a team led by Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
It's been long understood that HIV prefers to invade the gut's lymph nodes and tissues, then replicate itself. Fauci and his colleagues found that a molecule called alpha-4 beta-7, which is programmed to direct immune cells to the gut, also acts as a receptor for HIV, the newspaper said.
Several other receptors for HIV have been identified previously. Scientists have been trying for years to identify these molecules, then target them with newly devised drugs as a way to stop HIV from invading human cells and replicating itself.
-----
Computer Program Guides Medical Students Through Complicated Hip Surgery
Using a computer program similar to the GPS navigation system, 32 medical students at four hospitals in the United Kingdom have successfully completed a complicated hip surgical procedure that usually takes years to perfect.
BBC News reports that the procedure, known as hip resurfacing, uses a chrome alloy to smooth and redefine diseased or damaged ball joints in the hips. It takes years to become proficient at doing this, the BBC reports, but the computer guidance system has allowed medical students to do the surgery almost flawlessly.
The surgical trial was used on various models of diseased or damaged hips, the BBC reports, but those who supervised the project seemed confident enough from the outcome to consider the experiment successful.
Dr. Justin Cobb, head of the Biosurgery and Surgical Technology Group at Imperial College London, told a recent scientific meeting that the computer-driven surgery augers well for other procedures. "Even students, with the right technology, can achieve expert levels straight away," the BBC quotes him as saying. "More importantly, we've also demonstrated that no patient has to be on an inexperienced surgeon's learning curve."
Health Tips for February 13
Health Tip: Pack a Healthier Lunch
Packing a lunch made at home may seem like a good way to save money and calories, but even homemade sandwiches can contribute to a bulging waistline.
The American Academy of Family Physicians offers these suggestions to limit calories when making sandwiches:
* Choose low-fat or fat-free lunch meats and cheeses, or stick to lean meats such as chicken or turkey. Try using veggie patties or veggie hot dogs.
* Make a sandwich or a pita stuffed with fresh vegetables, low-fat cheese, and a fat-free condiment such as mustard.
* Try using all-natural or reduced-fat peanut butter.
* Instead of chips, pack carrot sticks, celery or other crunchy veggies to go with your sandwich.
* Use low-fat or fat-free mayonnaise when making chicken or tuna salad sandwiches.
Health Tip: Allergy Shots Aren't for Everyone
Allergy shots help sensitize your body to allergens -- things to which you're allergic.
While the shots are safe and effective for most people, not everyone should have them, the American Academy of Family Physicians warns.
Here's the academy's list of people who probably shouldn't have allergy shots:
* People with severe asthma.
* People who have heart problems.
* People who take a beta blocker for a heart condition.
* Children under age 5.
* Pregnant women.
Packing a lunch made at home may seem like a good way to save money and calories, but even homemade sandwiches can contribute to a bulging waistline.
The American Academy of Family Physicians offers these suggestions to limit calories when making sandwiches:
* Choose low-fat or fat-free lunch meats and cheeses, or stick to lean meats such as chicken or turkey. Try using veggie patties or veggie hot dogs.
* Make a sandwich or a pita stuffed with fresh vegetables, low-fat cheese, and a fat-free condiment such as mustard.
* Try using all-natural or reduced-fat peanut butter.
* Instead of chips, pack carrot sticks, celery or other crunchy veggies to go with your sandwich.
* Use low-fat or fat-free mayonnaise when making chicken or tuna salad sandwiches.
Health Tip: Allergy Shots Aren't for Everyone
Allergy shots help sensitize your body to allergens -- things to which you're allergic.
While the shots are safe and effective for most people, not everyone should have them, the American Academy of Family Physicians warns.
Here's the academy's list of people who probably shouldn't have allergy shots:
* People with severe asthma.
* People who have heart problems.
* People who take a beta blocker for a heart condition.
* Children under age 5.
* Pregnant women.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Health Headlines - February 12
'Icy Hot' Heat Therapy Products Recalled for Burn Hazard
The maker of "Icy Hot" Heat Therapy products is recalling them nationwide after receiving reports of first-, second-, and third-degree burns among some users, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Monday in an announcement on its Web site.
Tennessee-based Chattem Inc. said all lots and sizes of the following products are affected:
- Icy Hot Heat Therapy Air Activated Heat - Back
- Icy Hot Heat Therapy Air Activated Heat - Arm, neck, and leg
- Icy Hot Heat Therapy Air Activated Heat - Arm, neck and leg single consumer use samples included in cartons of 3-oz. Aspercreme Pain Relieving Cream.
The products were sold over the counter at food, drug, and mass merchandise stores nationwide. Consumers should stop using them immediately, discard them, or return them to the manufacturer for a full refund.
For more information, visit the FDA.
-----
Fake Malaria Drugs Likely Made in China, Study Finds
An unspecified number of people have been arrested after a global sting aimed at catching people who trade in fake anti-malaria medications, investigators reported in this week's edition of the journal Public Library of Science - Medicine.
Scientific inspection of the fake drugs indicates they probably were made in southern China, study lead author Dr. Paul Newton, of the Wellcome Trust-University of Oxford, said in statement.
Newton and other researchers, law enforcement authorities, and public health workers collaborated to collect and test 391 samples of genuine and fake artesunate tablets collected across southeast Asia. Some were found to contain inaccurate and potentially toxic ingredients, including safrole, used to produce the street drug ecstacy.
The researchers also used a technique called forensic palynology to study pollen contamination of the fake tablets. This pollen evidence suggested that at least some of the counterfeit samples came from southern China, they said.
One suspect arrested in 2006 allegedly traded 240,000 blisterpacks of the counterfeit medicine. In some countries in southeast Asia and Africa, as many as half of all purchased artesunate tablets may be fake, the researchers said.
-----
Researchers Discover Another Way That HIV Attacks Cells
A weapon that HIV uses to invade human cells has been identified by scientists trying to figure out all the different ways the AIDS-causing virus launches its powerful attack on the immune system.
U.S. government researchers say they've identified a new HIV receptor, which helps guide the virus to a place in the gut where it can begin its assault on the body, reports The New York Times.
The discovery was reported Sunday in the journal Nature Immunology by a team led by Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
It's been long understood that HIV prefers to invade the gut's lymph nodes and tissues, then replicate itself. Fauci and his colleagues found that a molecule called alpha-4 beta-7, which is programmed to direct immune cells to the gut, also acts as a receptor for HIV, the newspaper said.
Several other receptors for HIV have been identified previously. Scientists have been trying for years to identify these molecules, then target them with newly devised drugs as a way to stop HIV from invading human cells and replicating itself.
-----
Computer Program Guides Medical Students Through Complicated Hip Surgery
Using a computer program similar to the GPS navigation system, 32 medical students at four hospitals in the United Kingdom have successfully completed a complicated hip surgical procedure that usually takes years to perfect.
BBC News reports that the procedure, known as hip resurfacing, uses a chrome alloy to smooth and redefine diseased or damaged ball joints in the hips. It takes years to become proficient at doing this, the BBC reports, but the computer guidance system has allowed medical students to do the surgery almost flawlessly.
The surgical trial was used on various models of diseased or damaged hips, the BBC reports, but those who supervised the project seemed confident enough from the outcome to consider the experiment successful.
Dr. Justin Cobb, head of the Biosurgery and Surgical Technology Group at Imperial College London, told a recent scientific meeting that the computer-driven surgery augers well for other procedures. "Even students, with the right technology, can achieve expert levels straight away," the BBC quotes him as saying. "More importantly, we've also demonstrated that no patient has to be on an inexperienced surgeon's learning curve."
-----
Breakdown of Body's Iron Transporter May Be Cause of Brain Lesions
British and Indian scientists say they have possibly found the method by which particles of iron get into the brain and cause Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's disease.
Researchers at the University of Warwick and the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur say that the collapse of the mechanism that carries iron safely through the body can cause worm-like fibrils of iron rust to form outside a protective cover, and this exposes iron oxide in dangerous ways to cells.
According to a news release from Warwick University, the key element in this process is a protein called transferrin, which safely carries iron through the bloodstream without exposing it to other cells until it is needed.
But when transferrin is disrupted in some way, it no longer seals the iron particles from the rest of the body, and some of the iron can find its way to the brain and cause the lesions associated with Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's disease, the scientists found.
This discovery is only one step in helping to find causes of these neurological diseases, and more research is being planned, according to the university news release.
-----
Aspirin Use Effective in Preventing Colon Cancer in Men, Latest Study Confirms
If you're a man and take at least two standard 325 mg. aspirin tablets weekly, you may be able to reduce your chances of getting colon cancer by more than 20 percent, The New York Times reports.
Reporting on a study in the January 2008 issue of the journal Gastroenterology, the newspaper said that the latest study, led by Harvard assistant professor of medicine Dr,. Howard T. Chan, confirmed earlier randomized studies indicating that prolonged aspirin use can act as a deterrent to colorectal cancer.
Men who took between 6 and 14 standard aspirin pills weekly decreased their colon cancer risk by 28 percent, and those who took more than 14 pills a week had a 70 percent decline in risk, the Times reported.
However, two cautions are important, the newspaper added. First, aspirin can be very difficult on some stomachs and can even cause intestinal bleeding. Second, the results were measured on a test group of 47,000 men over a very long time -- 18 years. The effectiveness of aspirin use occurs only after continuous use for five years or more, the Times reported.
"The results provide additional proof that a simple drug like aspirin can help prevent colon cancer," Chan told the newspaper.
Health Tips for February 12
Health Tip: Reduce Stress at Work
Your job can be a great source of stress, which can significantly impact your physical and emotional health.
The AARP offers these suggestions for handling stress on the job:
* Set up regular evaluations and meetings with your manager to establish expectations, goals and discuss your workload.
* Build your prioritization and time management skills, so that you avoid having to always work overtime, or take work home with you. Allow yourself free time away from work to relax and do things you enjoy.
* Take advantage of any flexible work schedules, long lunch breaks and exercise opportunities that your employer offers.
* Don't check email or answer work-related calls at home, unless it can't be avoided.
* Recognize when it's time to look for another job if your current one is causing significant stress and unhappiness.
Health Tip: Baby Teeth Need Attention
Even though baby teeth eventually fall out and are replaced by permanent teeth, they still need proper care.
Here are suggestions to keep baby's teeth healthy, courtesy of the American Academy of Family Physicians:
* It's never too early to start brushing. As soon as the infant's first tooth erupts, start brushing twice a day with a damp washcloth.
* Once your baby is a year old, start brushing teeth with a toothbrush and toothpaste (without fluoride) that are designed for babies.
* Make sure your baby sees the dentist by the first birthday. Make sure the child has regular, twice yearly checkups every year.
* Avoid too much juice, which may contain lots of sugar that can lead to decay.
* Don't give your baby a bottle once the infant has reached 1 year of age.
Your job can be a great source of stress, which can significantly impact your physical and emotional health.
The AARP offers these suggestions for handling stress on the job:
* Set up regular evaluations and meetings with your manager to establish expectations, goals and discuss your workload.
* Build your prioritization and time management skills, so that you avoid having to always work overtime, or take work home with you. Allow yourself free time away from work to relax and do things you enjoy.
* Take advantage of any flexible work schedules, long lunch breaks and exercise opportunities that your employer offers.
* Don't check email or answer work-related calls at home, unless it can't be avoided.
* Recognize when it's time to look for another job if your current one is causing significant stress and unhappiness.
Health Tip: Baby Teeth Need Attention
Even though baby teeth eventually fall out and are replaced by permanent teeth, they still need proper care.
Here are suggestions to keep baby's teeth healthy, courtesy of the American Academy of Family Physicians:
* It's never too early to start brushing. As soon as the infant's first tooth erupts, start brushing twice a day with a damp washcloth.
* Once your baby is a year old, start brushing teeth with a toothbrush and toothpaste (without fluoride) that are designed for babies.
* Make sure your baby sees the dentist by the first birthday. Make sure the child has regular, twice yearly checkups every year.
* Avoid too much juice, which may contain lots of sugar that can lead to decay.
* Don't give your baby a bottle once the infant has reached 1 year of age.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Health Headlines - February 11
Computer Program Guides Medical Students Through Complicated Hip Surgery
Using a computer program similar to the GPS navigation system, 32 medical students at four hospitals in the United Kingdom have successfully completed a complicated hip surgical procedure that usually takes years to perfect.
BBC News reports that the procedure, known as hip resurfacing, uses a chrome alloy to smooth and redefine diseased or damaged ball joints in the hips. It takes years to become proficient at doing this, the BBC reports, but the computer guidance system has allowed medical students to do the surgery almost flawlessly.
The surgical trial was used on various models of diseased or damaged hips, the BBC reports, but those who supervised the project seemed confident enough from the outcome to consider the experiment successful.
Dr. Justin Cobb, head of the Biosurgery and Surgical Technology Group at Imperial College London, told a recent scientific meeting that the computer-driven surgery augers well for other procedures. "Even students, with the right technology, can achieve expert levels straight away," the BBC quotes him as saying. "More importantly, we've also demonstrated that no patient has to be on an inexperienced surgeon's learning curve."
-----
Breakdown of Body's Iron Transporter May Be Cause of Brain Lesions
British and Indian scientists say they have possibly found the method by which particles of iron get into the brain and cause Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's disease.
Researchers at the University of Warwick and the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur say that the collapse of the mechanism that carries iron safely through the body can cause worm-like fibrils of iron rust to form outside a protective cover, and this exposes iron oxide in dangerous ways to cells.
According to a news release from Warwick University, the key element in this process is a protein called transferrin, which safely carries iron through the bloodstream without exposing it to other cells until it is needed.
But when transferrin is disrupted in some way, it no longer seals the iron particles from the rest of the body, and some of the iron can find its way to the brain and cause the lesions associated with Alzheimer's Parkinson's and Huntington's disease, the scientists found.
This discovery is only one step in helping to find causes of these neurological diseases, and more research is being planned, according to the university news release.
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Aspirin Use Effective in Preventing Colon Cancer in Men, Latest Study Confirms
If you're a man and take at least two standard 325 milligram (mg) aspirin tablets weekly, you may be able to reduce your chances of getting colon cancer by more than 20 percent, the New York Times reports.
Reporting on a study in the January 2008 issue of the journal Gastroenterology, the newspaper said that the latest study, led by Harvard assistant professor of medicine Dr,. Howard T. Chan, confirmed earlier randomized studies indicating that prolonged aspirin use can act as a deterrent to colorectal cancer.
Men who took between 6 and 14 standard aspirin pills weekly decreased their colon cancer risk by 28 percent, and those who took more than 14 pills a week had a 70 percent decline in risk, the Times reported.
However, two cautions are important, the newspaper added. First, aspirin can be very difficult on some stomachs and can even cause intestinal bleeding. Second, the results were measured on a test group of 47,000 men over a very long time -- 18 years. The effectiveness of aspirin use occurs only after continuous use for five years or more, the Times reported.
"The results provide additional proof that a simple drug like aspirin can help prevent colon cancer," Chan told the newspaper.
-----
Not 'Buckling Up' More Prevalent Among the Very Obese
The more a person weighs, the less likely he or she is to wear a car seat belt, increasing the possibility of injury or death, according to a story by the Associated Press.
Led by Vanderbilt University psychologist David Schlundt, researchers from Meharry Medical College in Nashville studied 2002 information from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and found a direct relationship between obesity and not buckling up when getting into the car.
"They really have a hard time getting that belt buckle over them," Schlundt told the wire service. "They have to stretch it out and then over and then some can't see the buckle."
According to the A.P., deciding not to wear a seat belt because of being overweight is more than a lifestyle decision. Schlundt's group found that only 70 percent of the very obese reported always wearing a seat belt, compared to 83 percent of those who fell into normal-weight categories.
And the latest U.S. government statistic show that more than half the people killed in automobile accidents weren't wearing their seat belts, the A.P. reports.
The research was recently published in the journal Obesity.
-----
Trek Recalls Girls' Bicycles
U.S. bicycle maker Trek has recalled about 49,000 MT220 girls' bicycles due to a risk of frame failure during use, which can cause riders to lose control and suffer injuries, said the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
The company has received 13 reports of frames breaking, including four incidents that resulted in minor injuries. The recall covers MT220 bicycles from model years 2005 (light metallic blue), 2006 (metallic silver and metallic purple or pink and pearl white), and 2007 (pink and white pearl or metallic purple). The model name is printed on the frame of the bicycle. MT220 bicycles from model year 2008 are not included in the recall.
The recalled bikes were sold from April 2004 through June 2007 for about $300. Consumers should take these bicycles away from children immediately and return them to a Trek dealer for a free replacement bicycle or a $100 discount on a different size Trek bicycle.
For more information, contact Trek Bicycle Corp., of Waterloo, Wis., at (800) 373-4594.
-----
-----
Expanded Recall of New Era Canned Vegetables
A nationwide recall of canned vegetable products made by the New Era Canning Company of Michigan is being expanded for a third time, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Thursday. The recalled products may be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum, which produces the toxin that causes botulism. Infection with the toxin can cause life-threatening illness or death.
The recalled New Era products are large institutional-sized cans, weighing between six and seven pounds, of various types of beans, blackeye peas, and asparagus. They're marketed under ten different brand names: Classic Sysco; Code; Frosty Acres Restaurant's Pride Preferred; GFS; Kitchen Essentials; Monarch Heritage; Necco; New Era; Nugget; and Reliance Sysco.
To date, no illnesses have been reported to the FDA. Consumers should not consume these products, even if they appear to be normal, because of the potential serious risk to health. Consumers who have the affected products, or who have used them in recipes, should immediately throw the cans and food away, the FDA said.
A complete list of specific brands, products, and lot codes subject to the New Era recalls can be found at the FDA Web site. Consumers with questions can call the FDA at 1-888-SAFEFOOD.
Health Tips for February 11
Health Tip: Giving Pain Medication to Your Child
Giving your child medications, even over-the-counter medicines, should always be carefully monitored by your doctor.
The American Academy of Family Physicians offers these suggestions before you give any pain medication to your child:
* If a person younger than age 18 has the flu or chickenpox, never give the person aspirin, which could lead to a rare but deadly condition called Reye's Syndrome.
* Acetaminophen (the active ingredient in Tylenol) is a generally safe painkiller for young children.
* Be careful about giving ibuprofen to children who are allergic to aspirin, as they may also be allergic to ibuprofen.
* Pain relievers may be dangerous for children with asthma, so don't administer them without a doctor's consent.
* Be careful not to give your child too much of the same medication. Sometimes the same active ingredient can be found in more than one medication.
Health Tip: Understanding Laryngitis
Laryngitis occurs when the larynx -- which houses the vocal cords -- becomes inflamed. The results are hoarseness or loss of voice.
Here is additional information about laryngitis, courtesy of the U.S. National Library of Medicine:
* Most cases of laryngitis are caused by a virus, which cannot be treated with an antibiotic.
* In rarer cases, laryngitis is caused by a bacterial infection.
* Other causes may include allergies or an injury to the larynx.
* In addition to loss of voice, other symptoms of laryngitis may include fever, swollen lymph nodes, or swollen glands in the neck.
* To help vocal cords heal, try resting your voice.
* Use a humidifier to soothe a scratchy sore throat.
Giving your child medications, even over-the-counter medicines, should always be carefully monitored by your doctor.
The American Academy of Family Physicians offers these suggestions before you give any pain medication to your child:
* If a person younger than age 18 has the flu or chickenpox, never give the person aspirin, which could lead to a rare but deadly condition called Reye's Syndrome.
* Acetaminophen (the active ingredient in Tylenol) is a generally safe painkiller for young children.
* Be careful about giving ibuprofen to children who are allergic to aspirin, as they may also be allergic to ibuprofen.
* Pain relievers may be dangerous for children with asthma, so don't administer them without a doctor's consent.
* Be careful not to give your child too much of the same medication. Sometimes the same active ingredient can be found in more than one medication.
Health Tip: Understanding Laryngitis
Laryngitis occurs when the larynx -- which houses the vocal cords -- becomes inflamed. The results are hoarseness or loss of voice.
Here is additional information about laryngitis, courtesy of the U.S. National Library of Medicine:
* Most cases of laryngitis are caused by a virus, which cannot be treated with an antibiotic.
* In rarer cases, laryngitis is caused by a bacterial infection.
* Other causes may include allergies or an injury to the larynx.
* In addition to loss of voice, other symptoms of laryngitis may include fever, swollen lymph nodes, or swollen glands in the neck.
* To help vocal cords heal, try resting your voice.
* Use a humidifier to soothe a scratchy sore throat.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Health Headlines - February 10
Aspirin Use Effective in Preventing Colon Cancer in Men, Latest Study Confirms
If you're a man and take at least two standard 325 milligram (mg) aspirin tablets weekly, you may be able to reduce your chances of getting colon cancer by more than 20 percent, the New York Times reports.
Reporting on a study in the January 2008 issue of the journal Gastroenterology, the newspaper said that the latest study, led by Harvard assistant professor of medicine Dr,. Howard T. Chan, confirmed earlier randomized studies indicating that prolonged aspirin use can act as a deterrent to colorectal cancer.
Men who took between 6 and 14 standard aspirin pills weekly decreased their colon cancer risk by 28 percent, and those who took more than 14 pills a week had a 70 percent decline in risk, the Times reported.
However, two cautions are important, the newspaper added. First, aspirin can be very difficult on some stomachs and can even cause intestinal bleeding. Second, the results were measured on a test group of 47,000 men over a very long time -- 18 years. The effectiveness of aspirin use occurs only after continuous use for five years or more, the Times reported.
"The results provide additional proof that a simple drug like aspirin can help prevent colon cancer," Chan told the newspaper.
-----
Not 'Buckling Up' More Prevalent Among the Very Obese
The more a person weighs, the less likely he or she is to wear a car seat belt, increasing the possibility of injury or death, according to a story by the Associated Press.
Led by Vanderbilt University psychologist David Schlundt, researchers from Meharry Medical College in Nashville studied 2002 information from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and found a direct relationship between obesity and not buckling up when getting into the car.
"They really have a hard time getting that belt buckle over them," Schlundt told the wire service. "They have to stretch it out and then over and then some can't see the buckle."
According to the A.P., deciding not to wear a seat belt because of being overweight is more than a lifestyle decision. Schlundt's group found that only 70 percent of the very obese reported always wearing a seat belt, compared to 83 percent of those who fell into normal-weight categories.
And the latest U.S. government statistic show that more than half the people killed in automobile accidents weren't wearing their seat belts, the A.P. reports.
The research was recently published in the journal Obesity.
-----
Sad Shoppers Often Regret Purchases
Sad and self-focused people who attempt to increase their self-esteem by shopping tend to spend more for the same item than other people and often end up regretting their purchases, according to a U.S. study released Friday at the annual meeting of the Society for Social and Personality Psychology.
"What we think is going on is that sad and self-focused people are feeling pretty bad about themselves and have a decreased valuation of themselves. They want to enhance this valuation, and one way to do this is be acquiring material goods," said study co-author Cynthia Cryder, a doctoral student at Carnegie Mellon University, Agence France-Presse reported.
These people may be seeking to boost their self-esteem by transferring the value of items to themselves. But this kind of purchase often results in later regret.
"A huge key to avoiding decision-effects like this is being aware that you're sad in the first place. But that's rather hard to do," Cryder said. "Participants in studies such as ours usually have no idea that their feelings influence their decisions, so it's impossible to correct."
She suggested people "always re-evaluate major purchases one day or one week after you make them so that you can make sure that whatever you bought is still attractive to you," AFP reported. "That lowers the probability that you'll have an over-priced mistake due to some fleeting influence that you didn't know about and still don't know about. You just know, 'Wow... why did I pay so much for that?'"
-----
Trek Recalls Girls' Bicycles
U.S. bicycle maker Trek has recalled about 49,000 MT220 girls' bicycles due to a risk of frame failure during use, which can cause riders to lose control and suffer injuries, said the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
The company has received 13 reports of frames breaking, including four incidents that resulted in minor injuries. The recall covers MT220 bicycles from model years 2005 (light metallic blue), 2006 (metallic silver and metallic purple or pink and pearl white), and 2007 (pink and white pearl or metallic purple). The model name is printed on the frame of the bicycle. MT220 bicycles from model year 2008 are not included in the recall.
The recalled bikes were sold from April 2004 through June 2007 for about $300. Consumers should take these bicycles away from children immediately and return them to a Trek dealer for a free replacement bicycle or a $100 discount on a different size Trek bicycle.
For more information, contact Trek Bicycle Corp., of Waterloo, Wis., at (800) 373-4594.
-----
Merck to Pay More Than $650 Million to Settle Drug Pricing Fraud Charges
In one of the largest-ever healthcare fraud settlements, New Jersey-based Merck & Co. agreed Thursday to pay more than $650 million to resolve charges that it cheated Medicaid out of millions of dollars in discounts over eight years through routine overbilling for the arthritis drug Vioxx and the cholesterol drug Zocor, the Washington Post reported.
According to U.S. prosecutors, Merck gave the drug to hospitals at low cost in order to get poor patients used to the expensive pills. When these patients were discharged from hospital, many kept taking the drugs and the government had to pay the higher costs.
The investigation began in 2000 after a Merck district sales manager alerted federal authorities about what he believed were questionable sales tactics by the company, the Post reported.
Merck did not admit wrongdoing. It stood by its pricing strategies, but wanted to resolve the matter, according to a statement released by executives of the United States' third-largest drug maker.
As part of the settlement, the company agreed to heightened oversight by regulators for five years. Merck remains the subject of a separate grand jury investigation related to Vioxx marketing. It's also trying to reach another multibillion-dollar settlement of thousands of lawsuits filed by people who had heart attacks after taking Vioxx.
-----
Expanded Recall of New Era Canned Vegetables
A nationwide recall of canned vegetable products made by the New Era Canning Company of Michigan is being expanded for a third time, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Thursday. The recalled products may be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum, which produces the toxin that causes botulism. Infection with the toxin can cause life-threatening illness or death.
The recalled New Era products are large institutional-sized cans, weighing between six and seven pounds, of various types of beans, blackeye peas, and asparagus. They're marketed under ten different brand names: Classic Sysco; Code; Frosty Acres Restaurant's Pride Preferred; GFS; Kitchen Essentials; Monarch Heritage; Necco; New Era; Nugget; and Reliance Sysco.
To date, no illnesses have been reported to the FDA. Consumers should not consume these products, even if they appear to be normal, because of the potential serious risk to health. Consumers who have the affected products, or who have used them in recipes, should immediately throw the cans and food away, the FDA said.
A complete list of specific brands, products, and lot codes subject to the New Era recalls can be found at the FDA Web site. Consumers with questions can call the FDA at 1-888-SAFEFOOD.
Health Tips for February 10
Health Tip: Preventing Back Injury
Lifting objects -- sometimes even light ones -- is a common cause of back strain and injury.
To help prevent injury when lifting things, follow these techniques suggested by the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons:
* Don't try to lift or move heavy objects in a hurry. Take your time and plan what you need to do.
* Bend at the knees right in front of the object. Don't stand too far from it.
* Make sure your feet are positioned shoulder-width apart.
* With your stomach muscles tightened, lift with your leg muscles instead of with your back as you stand up.
* If the object seems too heavy, ask for help.
Health Tip: Learning to Use Crutches
Certain injuries require the use of crutches. But learning to use them can be a challenge.
Here are suggestions from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons to help you get around on crutches:
* When standing up straight, your crutches should reach to about 1 inch from your armpits, and the hand grips should be level to about the top of your hips.
* Keep your elbows slightly bent when holding the hand grips (they should naturally bend if the crutches are the right size).
* Put most of your weight and pressure on your hands, rather than on your armpits.
* Begin walking by positioning the crutches about 12 inches in front of you, and swing your body forward between the crutches, leading with the injured leg.
* When sitting down, back yourself up and gently lower yourself down into a sitting position, being careful to protect your injured leg.
Lifting objects -- sometimes even light ones -- is a common cause of back strain and injury.
To help prevent injury when lifting things, follow these techniques suggested by the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons:
* Don't try to lift or move heavy objects in a hurry. Take your time and plan what you need to do.
* Bend at the knees right in front of the object. Don't stand too far from it.
* Make sure your feet are positioned shoulder-width apart.
* With your stomach muscles tightened, lift with your leg muscles instead of with your back as you stand up.
* If the object seems too heavy, ask for help.
Health Tip: Learning to Use Crutches
Certain injuries require the use of crutches. But learning to use them can be a challenge.
Here are suggestions from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons to help you get around on crutches:
* When standing up straight, your crutches should reach to about 1 inch from your armpits, and the hand grips should be level to about the top of your hips.
* Keep your elbows slightly bent when holding the hand grips (they should naturally bend if the crutches are the right size).
* Put most of your weight and pressure on your hands, rather than on your armpits.
* Begin walking by positioning the crutches about 12 inches in front of you, and swing your body forward between the crutches, leading with the injured leg.
* When sitting down, back yourself up and gently lower yourself down into a sitting position, being careful to protect your injured leg.
Saturday, February 09, 2008
Health Headlines - February 9
Sad Shoppers Often Regret Purchases
Sad and self-focused people who attempt to increase their self-esteem by shopping tend to spend more for the same item than other people and often end up regretting their purchases, according to a U.S. study released Friday at the annual meeting of the Society for Social and Personality Psychology.
"What we think is going on is that sad and self-focused people are feeling pretty bad about themselves and have a decreased valuation of themselves. They want to enhance this valuation, and one way to do this is be acquiring material goods," said study co-author Cynthia Cryder, a doctoral student at Carnegie Mellon University, Agence France-Presse reported.
These people may be seeking to boost their self-esteem by transferring the value of items to themselves. But this kind of purchase often results in later regret.
"A huge key to avoiding decision-effects like this is being aware that you're sad in the first place. But that's rather hard to do," Cryder said. "Participants in studies such as ours usually have no idea that their feelings influence their decisions, so it's impossible to correct."
She suggested people "always re-evaluate major purchases one day or one week after you make them so that you can make sure that whatever you bought is still attractive to you," AFP reported. "That lowers the probability that you'll have an over-priced mistake due to some fleeting influence that you didn't know about and still don't know about. You just know, 'Wow... why did I pay so much for that?'"
-----
Trek Recalls Girls' Bicycles
U.S. bicycle maker Trek has recalled about 49,000 MT220 girls' bicycles due to a risk of frame failure during use, which can cause riders to lose control and suffer injuries, said the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
The company has received 13 reports of frames breaking, including four incidents that resulted in minor injuries. The recall covers MT220 bicycles from model years 2005 (light metallic blue), 2006 (metallic silver and metallic purple or pink and pearl white), and 2007 (pink and white pearl or metallic purple). The model name is printed on the frame of the bicycle. MT220 bicycles from model year 2008 are not included in the recall.
The recalled bikes were sold from April 2004 through June 2007 for about $300. Consumers should take these bicycles away from children immediately and return them to a Trek dealer for a free replacement bicycle or a $100 discount on a different size Trek bicycle.
For more information, contact Trek Bicycle Corp., of Waterloo, Wis., at (800) 373-4594.
-----
Longer Sleep Cuts Kids' Risk for Weight Problems
The longer children sleep at night, the less likely they are to be overweight or obese, concludes a U.S. study in the February issue of the journal Obesity.
Researchers analyzed 11 published studies and found that the risk of children being overweight or obese declines nine percent for each additional hour of sleep they get per night, CBC News reported.
"Our analysis of the data shows a clear association between sleep duration and the risk for overweight or obesity in children. The risk declined with more sleep," senior author Youfa Wang, an associate professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health's Center for Human Nutrition, said in a prepared statement.
Wang and colleagues found that children who got the least amount of sleep -- less than 9 hours for those under age five, and less than 7 hours for those over age 10 -- were 92 percent more likely to be overweight or obese than children who got more sleep, CBC News reported.
Lack of sleep may increase children's risk of being overweight and obese by affecting their metabolism and hormone levels, the researchers suggested.
"The prevalence of childhood obesity may be decreased by increasing sleep duration, independent of other risk factors for childhood obesity," the researchers wrote. "Our findings have some important public health implications for fighting the growing childhood obesity epidemic."
-----
Merck to Pay More Than $650 Million to Settle Drug Pricing Fraud Charges
In one of the largest-ever healthcare fraud settlements, New Jersey-based Merck & Co. agreed Thursday to pay more than $650 million to resolve charges that it cheated Medicaid out of millions of dollars in discounts over eight years through routine overbilling for the arthritis drug Vioxx and the cholesterol drug Zocor, the Washington Post reported.
According to U.S. prosecutors, Merck gave the drug to hospitals at low cost in order to get poor patients used to the expensive pills. When these patients were discharged from hospital, many kept taking the drugs and the government had to pay the higher costs.
The investigation began in 2000 after a Merck district sales manager alerted federal authorities about what he believed were questionable sales tactics by the company, the Post reported.
Merck did not admit wrongdoing. It stood by its pricing strategies, but wanted to resolve the matter, according to a statement released by executives of the United States' third-largest drug maker.
As part of the settlement, the company agreed to heightened oversight by regulators for five years. Merck remains the subject of a separate grand jury investigation related to Vioxx marketing. It's also trying to reach another multibillion-dollar settlement of thousands of lawsuits filed by people who had heart attacks after taking Vioxx.
-----
Expanded Recall of New Era Canned Vegetables
A nationwide recall of canned vegetable products made by the New Era Canning Company of Michigan is being expanded for a third time, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Thursday. The recalled products may be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum, which produces the toxin that causes botulism. Infection with the toxin can cause life-threatening illness or death.
The recalled New Era products are large institutional-sized cans, weighing between six and seven pounds, of various types of beans, blackeye peas, and asparagus. They're marketed under ten different brand names: Classic Sysco; Code; Frosty Acres Restaurant's Pride Preferred; GFS; Kitchen Essentials; Monarch Heritage; Necco; New Era; Nugget; and Reliance Sysco.
To date, no illnesses have been reported to the FDA. Consumers should not consume these products, even if they appear to be normal, because of the potential serious risk to health. Consumers who have the affected products, or who have used them in recipes, should immediately throw the cans and food away, the FDA said.
A complete list of specific brands, products, and lot codes subject to the New Era recalls can be found at the FDA Web site. Consumers with questions can call the FDA at 1-888-SAFEFOOD.
-----
U.S. Lawmakers Seek Details on Lipitor Ads Featuring Dr. Robert Jarvik
Information about people who may have served as stunt doubles for Dr. Robert Jarvik in television commercials for Lipitor is being sought by a U.S. congressional committee investigating the ad campaign for the cholesterol drug, The New York Times reported.
On Thursday, the committee sent letters to nine advertising firms believed to be involved in the Lipitor ad campaign. The letters noted that the House Energy and Commerce Committee and its subcommittee on oversight and investigations are looking into "false and misleading statements and the use of celebrity endorsements of prescription medications in direct-to-consumer advertising."
Jarvik, a pioneer in artificial hearts, was promised a minimum of $1,350,000 over two years to appear in Lipitor ads, according to a copy of a contract between Jarvik and drug maker Pfizer that was released by the committee.
The ad campaign began in 2006 with a TV ad depicting Jarvik sculling at Lake Crescent near Port Angeles, Wash. But Jarvik doesn't row and a Seattle rowing enthusiast served as Jarvik's stunt double in the ads, The Times reported.
It's believed the House committee is interested in finding out whether doubles for Jarvik were used in other Lipitor ads.
"We are taking a hard look at the deceptive tactics of drug companies in their direct-to-consumer advertising," Bart Stupak (D.-Mich), the subcommittee chairman, said in a prepared statement.
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Tobacco Could Kill 1 Billion People This Century: WHO
Smoking and other types of tobacco use killed 100 million people worldwide in the 20th century, and could kill as many as 1 billion people this century unless dramatic global action is taken to curb tobacco use, said a World Health Organization report released Thursday.
It said all countries must significantly boost efforts to prevent young people from starting to smoke, help smoker kick the habit, and protect nonsmokers from secondhand smoke, the Associated Press reported.
The WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic, 2008 listed six specific tobacco-control policies that should be adopted by governments: raise tobacco taxes and prices; ban tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship; protect people from secondhand smoke; warn people about the dangers of tobacco; help people who want to quit smoking; and monitor tobacco use to understand and reverse the epidemic.
"The tobacco epidemic already kills 5.4 million people a year from lung cancer, heart disease and other illnesses,'' said WHO Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan. ''Unchecked, that number will increase to more than 8 million a year by 2030.''
It's expected that more than 80 percent of tobacco-related deaths will be in low- and middle-income countries by 2030, the AP reported.
The WHO report said nearly two-thirds of the world's smokers live in 10 countries, with 30 percent in China and about 10 percent in India. Other countries with large numbers of smokers include Indonesia, Russia, the United States, Japan, Brazil, Bangladesh, Germany and Turkey.
Governments worldwide collect more than $200 billion in tobacco taxes a year, but spend less than one-fifth of 1 percent of that revenue on tobacco control, the WHO report said.
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