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Shildt Financial Services hopes that you find the following news items to be helpful and informative.
IN REVIEW: Health News Back To September, 2008
Health Highlights (Oct. 30, 2009 to Nov. 6, 2009) Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay: Recalled Dietary Supplements May Contain Steroids The business Bodybuilding.com has recalled 65 dietary supplement products sold online that may contain steroids, says the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The national and international recalls announced by the Boise, Idaho-based company include all lots and expiration dates of dietary supplements that might contain ingredients that are or should be classified as steroids, including "Superdrol," "Madol," "Tren," "Turinabol," and "Androstenedione," United Press International reported. To learn more about the recall, consumers can contact Bodybuilding.com at 866-236-8417. The FDA said products with steroids pose health threats, including acute liver injury, male infertility and increased risk of heart attack, stroke and death, UPI reported. ----- BPA in Canned Foods Cause for Concern Measurable levels of the chemical additive bisphenol A (BPA) were found in a variety of canned goods, including some that claimed to be BPA-free, according to an analysis released this week by the nonprofit advocacy group Consumers Union. Studies have linked BPA to reproductive abnormalities and increased risk of diabetes and cancer. Some countries have banned the sale of baby bottles made with BPA, which is a plastic hardener and a component of epoxy resin. BPA is used in many products, including food-can linings. Consumers Union said children who eat multiple servings of some of the food products included in the analysis could ingest amounts of BPA "near levels that have caused adverse effects in several animal studies," the Los Angeles Times reported. In a letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Consumers Union said the findings lend support to calls to ban BPA from use in materials that come in contact with foods and beverages. An FDA spokesman told the Times that a review of existing evidence about BPA's health effects was nearing completion, and that the agency would "make a decision how to proceed" by the end of the month. ----- Breast Cancer May Change When It Spreads About 40 percent of breast tumors change when they spread, which means that many patients with metastatic breast cancer may require treatment alterations, say Scottish researchers. They examined 211 breast tumors that had traveled to the lymph nodes in the armpit. This is the location breast cancer usually spreads to first, BBC News reported. The researchers were surprised to find that the breast cancer had changed in so many patients and in so many ways. "This suggests there is a need to test which type of disease a woman has in the lymph nodes, because it could radically alter the course of treatment she receives," said lead researcher Dr. Dana Faratian, of the Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research Unit in Edinburgh. "This research may show why some women whose cancer has spread to the lymph nodes do not respond to treatment," said Professor David Harrison, director of Breakthrough Breast Cancer, BBC News reported. The study appears in the journal Annals of Oncology. ----- Tests Can Detect Early Dementia Early dementia can be detected using memory and language tests, say British researchers. Their 20-year study included 241 elderly people who were given regular tests to assess their thinking and cognitive abilities, BBC News reported. Scrutiny of the test results revealed subtle clues associated with later mental impairment. The researchers found that participants who had more difficulty with language expression, learning and recall tasks went on to develop mild cognitive impairment or pre-dementia. The study appears in the journal Neurology. Most dementias are diagnosed only after considerable loss of brain tissue. These findings could help lead to earlier diagnosis of dementia, which is important because treatment is most effective when started early, BBC News reported. ----- Cereal's 'Immunity' Claim Outrages Experts Health and nutrition experts are attacking Kellogg for claims that one of its cereals benefits children's immune systems because it contains increased levels of vitamins A, C and E. Bold lettering on the front of Cocoa Krispies boxes claims the cereal "Now helps support your child's IMMUNITY," a declaration likely to catch the eye of parents worried about the danger the H1N1 virus presents to their children. "The idea that eating Cocoa Krispies will keep a kid from getting swine flu, or from catching a cold, doesn't make sense," Marion Nestle, a nutrition professor at New York University, told USA Today. "Yes, these nutrients are involved in immunity, but I can't think of a nutrient that isn't involved in the immune system." After she saw the cereal box claims in August, she sent a letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which has jurisdiction over false or misleading labeling. Nestle hasn't heard back from the agency. Many others are outraged by the marketing tactic. The City of San Francisco sent a letter to the FDA asking that it make Kellogg prove its claim, USA Today reported. The claim "was not created to capitalize on the current H1N1 flu situation," said Kellogg spokeswoman Susanne Norwitz. The cereal was developed "in response to consumers expressing a need for more positive nutrition." ----- Diabetes Drug Label to Address Safety Concerns: FDA A drug used to treat type 2 diabetes, Byetta, may contribute to kidney malfunction, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned Monday as it moved to revise safety information on the label. Over a three-year period, the FDA received 78 reports of kidney problems, including kidney failure, among patients using Byetta, it said in a statement. Some of the patients had pre-existing kidney disease, while others were at risk of developing kidney disease. "Health care professionals and patients taking Byetta should pay close attention to any signs or symptoms of kidney problems," said Dr. Amy Egan, of the Division of Metabolism and Endocrinology Products at the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. "Patients also should be aware that problems with kidney function could lead to changes in urine color, frequency of urination or the amount of urine, unexplained swelling of the hands or feet, fatigue, changes in appetite or digestion, or dull ache in mid to lower back." Patients with any of these symptoms should notify their physician right away. Because of the safety concerns, the FDA is working with drug make Eli Lilly and Co. to update prescribing information on the label. Altered kidney function, which causes waste products to build up in the blood, can lead to serious or life-threatening conditions. ----- Recalled Ground Beef Possibly Tied to Two Deaths Fresh ground beef that was recalled because of possible E. coli contamination may be linked with two deaths and 26 illnesses, according to a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention official. The recall includes nearly 546,000 pounds of fresh ground beef distributed by Ashville, N.Y.-based Fairbank Farms to stores from Maine to North Carolina. The ground beef was sold in a number of forms, from hamburger patties to meatloaf and meatball mix, the Associated Press reported. One death involved a New York adult with several underlying health conditions, said Lola Scott Russell of the CDC. The other death was in New Hampshire, where a patient died from complications, according to state health officials. The strain of E. coli that prompted the recall is 0157:H7, which infects about 70,000 Americans a year and kills 52, Russell told the AP. The U.S. Department of Agriculture said customers with concerns should contact the stores where they buy their meat. ----- Chinese Drywall Contains Higher Chemical Content Chinese-made drywall has higher amounts of some chemicals than American-made drywall, say U.S. government agencies that have investigated reports of health problems, foul smells and corrosion by owners of homes with the Chinese product. The Environmental Protection Agency and other departments have analyzed the drywall and say further study is needed to determine if there's a direct link between the problems and the wallboard, the Associated Press reported. During the peak of the U.S. housing boom, materials became scarce, and construction companies imported millions of pounds of Chinese-made drywall, which ended up in thousands of homes. ----- Academy of Family Physicians' Deal with Coca-Cola Co. Sparks Outrage Almost two dozen doctors have quit the American Academy of Family Physicians after the group announced a deal with Coca-Cola Co. to fund educational materials about soft drinks on the academy's consumer health and wellness Web site. "Coca-Cola, like other sodas, causes enormous suffering and premature death by increasing the risks of obesity, diabetes, heart attacks, gout and cavities," Dr. Walter Willett, a nutrition expert at Harvard University, said in an e-mail to the Associated Press. The academy "should be a loud critic of these products and practices, but by signing a deal with Coke their voice has almost surely been muzzled," Willett said. The six-figure alliance between the academy and Coke is similar to ads decades ago in which doctors said mild cigarettes are safe, Dr. William Walker, public health officer for Contra Costa County near San Francisco, told the AP. He and 20 other doctors who work with his local medical practice have quit the American Academy of Family Physicians in protest. Coke won't have any control over editorial content on the Web site, said academy CEO Dr. Douglas Henley. The new online information, to be posted in January, will note the link between soft drinks and obesity and focus on sugar-free alternatives. ----- Obesity Linked to Cancer Obesity causes about 100,500 new cases of cancer each year in the United States, according to an American Institute for Cancer Research study. Cancers most commonly associated with obesity include: breast, 33,000 cases a year; endometrial, 20,700 cases; kidney 13,900 cases; colorectal, 13,200 cases; pancreas, 11,900 cases; esophagus, 5,800 cases, and gallbladder, 2,000 cases, USA Today reported. The findings are based on an analysis of cancer data and a report released earlier this year by a panel of experts. "The list of cancers affected by obesity will almost certainly increase as more research is completed," said Michael Thun, emeritus vice president of epidemiological research at the American Cancer Society, USA Today reported. "Several other types of cancer -- liver, multiple myeloma and certain leukemias -- have been linked to obesity in some studies, but this needs confirmation," Thun said. |
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