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Shildt Financial Services
210 W. Hamilton Avenue
State College, PA 16801
800-211-7819 (Toll-Free)
234-1419 (Local Area)
shildtfs@aol.com
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 Weekly Health News + Safety Alerts
Shildt Financial Services hopes that you find the following news items to be helpful and informative.
We specialize in NO FEE Employee Benefits Insurance: Health/Medical, Dental, Vision, Short Term Disability, Long Term Disability, Life, Legal, 401(k)/Pension and Long Term Care.
Please Select Your Choice Of News items from our
WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS IN REVIEW for each week dating back to September, 2009 that is located below the SAFETY ALERTS Links.
 SAFETY ALERTS: go to CPSC, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, to help keep your family and yourself safe by checking product recalls and safety news.
Or go to FDA, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, for recalls, market withdrawals and safety alerts.
 WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS
IN REVIEW:
Health News Back To September, 2009
Health Highlights
**Cooked Eggs Recalled in 34 States.
**Taco Bell Identified as Source of Salmonella Outbreak.
**Army Bans Exercise Supplements After Soldiers' Deaths.
**Fungicide Levels in Orange Juice Don't Pose Health Risk: FDA.
**Colorado Considers Strict Trans-Fat Ban In Schools.
**Study Identifies New Location for Brain Speech Center.
**Indoor Tanning Salons Lie About Health Risks.
**Brazilian Blowout Maker Settles California Lawsuit.
**FDA Sued Over Secret Surveillance of Employees who said that the FDA was approving medical devices that they believed posed unacceptable risks to patients.
**Bacteria That Causes Legionnaire's Disease Found in Las Vegas Hotel-Casino.
**Prostate Cancer Found in 2,200-Year-Old Mummy.
**Catholic Colleges Oppose Obamacare Mandatory Birth Control Rule At Catholic Institutions.
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- Obama Tax Plan Will Mean Economic Destruction For Americans: "It is probably the most anti-jobs single idea Obama has come up with."
Newt Gingrich says that President Obama’s call for a 30 percent tax on millionaires is the “most destructive anti-jobs proposal by a president in my lifetime;” it would cause massive stock market losses, hurt every pension fund in the country, damage 401Ks, and send U.S. capital overseas. It is probably the most anti-jobs single idea Obama has come up with. “Every country in the world that has tried to use government power, as Obama puts it, has made people poorer, has made the politicians more powerful, and has ended up with corruption,” Gingrich says. “I think it is exactly the wrong direction.”
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- Supreme Court Tells Obama ‘No!!’: Calls the Obama administration’s argument "extreme" concerning First Amendment rights
Mr. Obama has an aggressive disregard for any constitutional limit on what he wants to do. When the Supreme court rules on Obamacare, let’s hope it uses the U.S. Constitution to decide the issue. How about a ruling on the unConstitutional “czars” Obama has appointed? The czars are making & enforcing important national policy without ever facing a Congressional hearing. How about a ruling on Obama’s “recess” appointments. There is no question that Obama was openly defiant of the rules, traditions and his own position on the issue when he was a Senator. Even more disgusting are all the liberal hypocrites who pointedly refuse to issue a single word of concern or condemnation when Obama does the very same thing, or worse, that Obama condemned President George W. Bush for.
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- Wannabe-Dictator Obama Ordains Himself As "The I Can Do Whatever I Want To Do President"
Obama not only overstepped the bounds of executive authority, he spat in the face of precedent. If Congress stands up to a President whose increasingly unhinged decisions fly in the face of precedent, logic & law, then the President may determine if their session isn’t “session-y” enough; & issue edicts by fiat while liberals far & wide cheer his naked power grab. Obama’s cronies have benefited while working Americans suffered through fiscal disasters like General Electric’s new Chinese-employment-at-the-expense-of-40,000-American-workers program. The so-called “Occupiers”—who can’t be more than one or two felony convictions from out-thugging the labor unions—are mutating into a liberal brute squad. The dovish candidate Obama has blossomed into a saber-rattler, Nobel be damned. And then Obama announced last week that he gets to make up the rules as he goes along. It’s time for Obama to face demotion
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- Comrade Obama Condemns Capitalism In America, Not To Help Americans, But To Help Himself Toward More Power and Re-Election
Communism for the masses has consistently delivered poverty, loss of freedom & death. Capitalism, on the other hand, has worked for the masses whenever & wherever it has been tried; it has delivered spectacular wealth & a high standard of living to all those who are willing to work. The scam of politicians taking from those who produce & giving the stolen loot to those whom they deem to be in need does not work; the poverty rate is about the same today as it was 47 years ago. It doesn’t matter how much of other people’s money you give away, it does nothing to lift people up. The hard evidence shows that it is government’s redistribution-of-wealth policies that have not worked. Obama’s socialist & communist mentors had it all wrong. It is collectivism, in all its ugly incarnations, that doesn’t work. Welfare programs have bankrupted the USA & stripped millions of....
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- Obama Gets A Well-Deserved Big ‘F’ For Big Failure On His 1,000-Day Report Card
Consider the facts: JOBS: Obama has presided over the loss of 2.2 million jobs. DEBT: Obama has increased taxpayer debt by $4.2 trillion. Every day, the nation runs a deficit of $4.2 billion. FORECLOSURE AND BANKRUPTCY: 2.4 million homes have been foreclosed on. Homeowners and businesses have declared 4 million bankruptcies. THE STIMULUS: Obama promised that his $787 billion stimulus would save or create 3.5 million jobs by the end of 2010. He came up 7.3 million jobs short of his goal, according to the Heritage Foundation. HEALTHCARE: Obamacare did not reduce healthcare costs as promised and is in fact responsible for increasing costs in 2011. Health insurance premiums are up 13 percent. POVERTY: Nearly 3 million more Americans live in poverty than did before Obama took office. FREEDOM: Many of Obama’s acts and initiatives, without legislation, have reduced American freedom and the rule of law.
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- Occupy Wall Street Protesters Are 'Idiots' Being Fueled By and Exploited By Radical President Obama and the Old Socialistic Core of the Democratic Party
David Horowitz says: “If you’ve watched their interviews you know that they’re morons. But what is behind them is ACORN, George Soros, and the core of the Democratic Party. That’s why we ought to pay attention to them.” Horowitz further says that it’s fueled by the old left “that was demoralized by the collapse of socialism and was dormant for a few years, and then came back. “These are the people on the left who didn’t leave when they saw all their lies exposed. The left said socialism is the answer and still says that. “Republicans must stop being nice if they want to defeat Obama in 2012”. Horowitz says Democrats will use weapons of slander, vilification, and politics of personal destruction to defeat the GOP nominee.
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Health Highlights
**FDA Approves New Drug for Type 2 Diabetes.
**Erin Brockovich Takes on High School Girls' Mystery Illness.
**Spinal Cord Injury Treatment Tested on Dogs.
**Wearing High Heels Affects A Woman's Biomechanics.
**Fake News Sites for Acai Berry Pills Shut Down by FTC.
**Hospital Stays for C. difficile Infections Increased: From 86,000 in 1993 to 349,000 in 2008 and to 337,000 in 2009.
**No Obvious Medical Explanation for Mysterious Skin Disease.
**Studies Show Link Between Brown Fat and Cold and Exercise.
**Insulated Lunch Boxes and Thermal Food Carriers Recalled Because of Poisoning Hazard.
**Cancer Vaccine Trial Begins.
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- Obama Promotes Shortening Senior Citizens’ Lives By Cutting Medical Care for the Elderly: Obama Wants To Make Enormous Cuts To Medicare To Expand Services For Illegal Aliens and Medicaid
Pitting grandma's well-being against the nation's fiscal health — is a false choice. Future federal healthcare spending can be significantly reduced by repealing the expansion of Medicaid & the billions poured into medical & interpreter services for illegal immigrants under Obamacare before these provisions go into effect. Obamacare, enacted 18 months ago, raided Medicare to fund new entitlements for low-income groups — in essence, robbing grandma to spread the wealth. Obamacare reduces future funding for Medicare by $575 billion over 10 years, & applies most of it ($410 billion) to increase Medicaid enrollment & benefits. Obamacare transforms Medicaid from a temporary safety net to a permanent alternative to private health insurance. Grandma’s life need not be cut short to cut federal health spending.
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Health Highlights
**'Totally Drug-Resistant' Tuberculosis Reported in India.
**New Fees Would Accelerate Generic Drug Reviews: FDA.
**WHO Weighs in On Faulty Breast Implants.
**Computer 'Exergames' Benefit Older Adults' Brains.
**American Red Cross Hit With Large Fine.
**Development of Experimental Alzheimer's Drug Halted.
**Human Deaths From Bird Flu Reported in Cambodia, Vietnam.
**Lung Association Slams States' Anti-Smoking Efforts.
**Experts Look to Refine Autism Diagnosis.
**New Stem Cell-Based Drug Approved by South Korea To Help Regenerate Knee Cartilage.
**Merck to Pay $36 Million to Settle Vioxx Lawsuits in Canada.
**One of World's Smallest Babies Leaving L.A. Hospital.
**More Evidence for Oxaliplatin as Colon Cancer Chemotherapy.
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Health Highlights
**Metal Tissue Holders May be Radioactive.
**Lymphoma Drug Adcetris Gets New Warning About Brain Infection.
**U.S. Man Receives Synthetic Windpipe.
**Study Links Processed Meat With Increased Risk of Pancreatic Cancer.
**Fungicide in Orange Juice Spotted First by Coca-Cola, Company Says.
**J&J Unit Warned Over Faulty Insulin Pump: FDA.
**Red Wine Researcher Accused of Scientific Fraud.
**Appeals Court Ruling Supports Texas Abortion Law.
**Lawsuits Launched Over Alleged DES-Breast Cancer Link.
**$1,000 Genome Mapping Soon Available, Company Says.
**North Carolina Sterilization Victims Should Receive $50K Each.
**Powerful New Painkillers Could Lead to More Violent Robberies Says Senator.
**Drug Maker Recalls Bottles of Excedrin, NoDoz, Bufferin and Gas-X.
**'Exoskeleton' Helps Paralyzed Stand, Take Steps.
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- Obama’s Perilous New Plan For Defense Cuts Will End US Safety: "Shedding the most qualified, combat-experienced, volunteer ground forces in the nation’s history would be like Apple canceling the production of iPhones to save money. It makes no sense," said Jay Carafano.
The Pentagon should be pushing “bold new moves” to protect the country’s interests instead of its perilous new plan to reduce troops dramatically & slash spending, a Heritage Foundation expert says. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced the new strategy today, calling for greater U.S. military presence in Asia, pulling troops from Europe, & cutting spending by nearly half a trillion dollars. The new strategy amounts to pulling “the safety net out from a global security architecture that has protected U.S. vital interests worldwide since 1945.” The Pentagon should invest in more combat planes and stealth fighters, ramp up production of Navy vessels, & put the missile defense program on the fast track", Jay Carafano...
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Health Highlights
**Tainted Ground Beef Linked to 19 Salmonella Cases: CDC.
**Most U.S. Hospital Errors Unreported.
**Unpublished Drug Study Findings Could Harm Patients.
**Enfamil Infant Formula Back on Store Shelves.
**Experts Rank Best Weight-Loss Diets.
**U.S. Drug Shortages Reached Record High in 2011.
**Vaccine Shields Monkeys From HIV-Like Virus.
**Shredded Cheese Recalled in 3 States.
**Questions Raised About Anorexia Nervosa Treatment.
**Chinese Man Dies of H5N1 Bird Flu.
**ADHD Pill Shortages May Continue.
**ADHD Drug Shortage Pushes Parents to Seek Substitutes: But experts say medication switches must be done carefully.
**Could Daily Aspirin Harm Seniors' Eyes? Study found possible association between drug and age-related macular degeneration.
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- Barack Obama’s Latest Idiotic Claims and Outright Lies: Obama sets the tone for what may be the dirtiest political campaign in our country's history
Obama’s re-election committee says it plans to raise more than $1 billion for the campaign. Since he can’t possibly run on his record, most of that money will be spent attacking and smearing his opponent. The Republican nominee is going to get hit by a $750 million wrecking ball. Let’s hope enough voters see through the smears, lies and deliberate obfuscations. It won’t take much to tip the scale one way or the other. We know that almost half of the voters in this country don’t pay a penny in taxes. As net recipients of much of Obama’s largesse (with our money, of course), you know they will support the Democrats, no matter what.
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Health Highlights
**FDA OKs Pneumonia Vaccine for Older Adults.
**Durezol vs. Durasal: FDA Warns of Drug Name Mix-Up.
**Build-A-Bear Recalls Colorful Hearts Bears for Possible Choking Hazard.
**Third Baby Sickened With Bacteria Sometimes Tied to Formula.
**2nd Study Linking Retrovirus to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Is Retracted.
**Obesity, Diabetes Pose 1-2 Threat to Young Americans: Time spent carrying extra weight matters as much as the amount of extra weight itself.
**Music May Help Ease Pain for Anxious People: By engaging the mind, melodies compete with pain pathways.
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Health Highlights
**Wal-Mart Pulls Infant Formula From Stores After Newborn's Death.
**Health Officials Urge Women to Remove Faulty French-Made Breast Implant.
**Motrin Coated Caplets Recalled.
**17,000 Chickens Are Being Slaughtered In Hong Kong After Discovery of H5N1 Bird Flu Virus.
**ShoulderFlex Massager Poses Strangulation Risk: FDA.
**HIV Vaccine Receives FDA Approval for Human Safety Tests.
**HPV Vaccination Efforts Should Focus on Girls.
**U.S. Population Growth Slowest Since Before Baby Boomers.
**Ground Beef Linked to Salmonella Outbreak.
**New Malaria Vaccine Shows Promise.
**New Safety Warning for Multaq Heart Drug.
**Lipitor Sales Plummet After Generics Hit Market.
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- Obama's Approval Plunges Below Worst-Ever President Carter: Obama is using a devious anti-Congress campaign to get re-elected
President Barack Obama has one of the worst approval ratings of any president in modern political history. 43 percent rating in Gallup’s daily presidential job approval index today is far below Democrat Jimmy Carter’s 51 percent at the same point in his presidency. Carter has been considered one of the 20th century’s worst presidents, according to the index. “Gallup finds that Obama's overall job approval rating so far has averaged 49 percent. Only three former presidents have had a worse average rating at this stage: Carter, [Gerald] Ford, and Harry S. Truman. Only Truman won re-election in an anti-Congress campaign that Obama's team is using as a model.”
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Health Highlights
**Recalled Defibrillator Leads Could Injure Patients.
**Asthma, Bronchitis Among Top Kids' Medical Conditions.
**New Bill Would Boost Monitoring of Medical Implants.
**Minnesota Boy Contracts Rare Swine Flu Strain.
**U.S. Had Record-Low Marriage Rate in 2010.
**Medicare Won't Pay Prescription Drug Bills Believed to be Fraudulent.
**FDA Issues Warning Letters About Lap-Band Ads.
**Numerous Problems at Heart Start Centers.
**Cilantro Recalled in Seven States.
**Cooked Chicken Breasts Recalled by N. Carolina Company.
**Robotic Therapy May Help Some Stroke Survivors Walk.
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Health Highlights
**Eating Raw Cookie Dough Raises Illness Risk.
**Cantaloupe Listeria Outbreak That Caused 30 Deaths Over: CDC.
**Dangerous Texting While Driving Rises in U.S.
**CooperVision Avaira Aquaform Sphere Soft Contact Lenses Recalled.
**Many Cereals Very High in Sugar.
**Stronger Graduated License Laws For Teens Could Prevent More Than 2,000 Road Deaths Each Year.
**Japanese Baby Formula Recalled Due to Radiation.
**Consumers Groups, Others Gain Access to Medicare Claims Database.
**Flashing White Lights Scene in 'Breaking Dawn' Movie Poses Seizure Risk.
**Starchy Foods May Boost Risk of Breast Cancer Recurrence.
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- Recovery to Begin Once Obama Is Voted Out of the White House: "The fact of the matter is I think that we haven’t even begun the recovery under this president's watch. Unfortunately, this guy is in over his head, in my opinion, big time," says Home Depot co-founder Ken Langone
"If we change the faces in the White House, we're on the road to recovery," Ken Langone says. "I believe it's that simple: we need leadership, we need cheerleading, we need encouragement," he said. "We need businessmen & fat cats to feel like they're doing something good, not that they're villains & not that they're criminals. America's best days are ahead."The U.S. needs leadership committed to cutting back on spending,
Langone says. "The fact of the matter is I think that we haven’t even begun the recovery under this president's watch. Unfortunately, this guy is in over his head, in my opinion, big time. We got to have a change in the White House," Langone says. "Politicians are like drug addicts around money."
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Health Highlights
**Use of Pysch Meds High Among U.S. Foster Children.
**Grape Tomatoes Recalled.
**Senators Challenge Pfizer's Attempt to Block Generic Lipitor Sales.
**Laptops' Wi-Fi May Damage Sperm.
**Former Players Sue NCAA Over Head Injuries.
**Obesity Screening, Counseling Added to Medicare Coverage.
**Federal Government Appeals Ruling on Cigarette Warning Images.
**Scientists Spot Gene Linked to Sleep Duration.
**More U.S. Kids Being Exempted From Vaccinations.
**Chickenpox Shot Benefits More Than Babies.
**Ocean Spray Recalls Craisins.
**Opioids May Be Overused for Chronic Stomach Pain: Doubling of prescriptions over 10 years is cause for concern.
**Kids of All Weights Benefit From Car Seats: Even overweight children safer when using the correct seat for their height and weight.
**Birds Every Bit As Smart As Apes.
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- Obama Calling Americans and the Business Community Lazy Is 'Disgusting': Obama spends his time campaigning and vacationing instead of tending to the nation’s business
Donald Trump says President Barack Obama’s recent statement that Americans have become lazy is “disgusting,” and somewhat ironic, considering the president spends his time campaigning and vacationing instead of tending to the nation’s business. “I've been watching this for a long time and I’ve never seen any president work like this — this is crazy. . . . He’s really campaigning and vacationing. “It’s interesting that he calls people lazy — I mean, he’s done one business deal in his life — that was his house,” Trump said. “When they allow China to manipulate their currency, when they allow other people and other countries to do what they’re doing against our country — you know, it would be nice if the government could give a little help,” he said. “But for him to say that the business people of this country are lazy is....
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Health Highlights
**Low Levels of Arsenic Common in Apple Juice: FDA.
**New Insomnia Drug Approved by FDA.
**Baseball Players Will be Tested for Human Growth Hormone.
**Group Issues Annual List of Unsafe Toys.
**Dog Illnesses May be Linked to Chicken Jerky Treats.
**HIV/AIDS Epidemic May be Leveling Off.
**Foster Children In The United States Are More Likely Than Mentally-Ill Children To Receive a Cocktail of Powerful Antipsychotic Drugs.
**Autoimmune Woes May Raise Risk for Lung Clots: Risks climbed for patients hospitalized for such conditions as rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's.
**More Aggressive Chemo May Help Younger Lymphoma Patients.
**Four Common Meds Send Thousands of Seniors to Hospital.
**Newer Blood Thinner May Pose Danger to Trauma Patients.
**Yawning May Cool the Brain When Needed.
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- Did The U.S. Sanction Murder?: From The Land of The Free and The Home of the Brave to the Land of the Cowed and the Cowardly
We have gone from what was once “the land of the free & the home of the brave” to what is rapidly becoming the land of the cowed and the cowardly. Untold millions of our countrymen (some legal, some not) feed at the public trough — & get angry at us producers if we suggest cutting back their goodies by even a penny. All of that is bad enough. But now our government has decided that it is above the law. That it can listen in on any conversation it wishes; open any mail; snoop on any citizen any time & any where; accuse us of all sorts of crimes & misdemeanors; & incarcerate us at will. Oh, & murder anyone it says deserves it. Today, our government takes four times more from us than the 10% the God of the Old Testament asked of his people. In fact, if you add up all of the hidden taxes we pay, the figure is probably closer to 60%. I’m sorry, but this is not the.....
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Health Highlights
**Smucker's Peanut Butter Recalled.
**Romaine Lettuce Salad Products Recalled.
**More U.S. Companies Penalizing Workers for Bad Health Habits.
**1 in 5 U.S. Adults Now Use Psychiatric Meds.
**J&J Working to Remove Chemicals From Baby Products.
**Nearly 5 Million More Contact Lenses Recalled by CooperVision.
**New Drug Slows Prostate Cancer Spread to Bones.
**Area of the Brain Associated with Addiction Is Larger in Video Gamers.
**Kotex Tampons Recalled Because of Possible Dangerous Infections.
**Pneumococcal Vaccine Prevnar Effective in Adults.
**Rising Number of U.S. Newborns Addicted to Pain Drugs.
**Pfizer Tries to Delay Sales of Generic Lipitor.
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- Obama Wants To Rob Senior Citizens of The Care They've Been Counting On, Make America a Medicaid Nation, Make Private Health Plans Unaffordable, and Bankrupt Our Government
Keep in mind that the Obamacare reduced future Medicare funding by over $500 billion, largely by slashing what hospitals & doctors will be paid to care for seniors; some hospitals may be forced to stop accepting Medicare. Now the president’s deficit reduction proposal calls for a third round of reductions including even further reductions in what doctors & hospitals are paid to care for seniors. The more Medicare reimbursement rates are cut, the less likely it is that doctors & hospitals can afford to provide hip replacements, bypass surgeries, cataract operations and etc. that have transformed the experience of aging. Obama says he is a defender of the elderly; he said he would not take one dime from Medicare benefits. But numbers tell the truth. The president is robbing Medicare & Grandma to spread the wealth by...
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Health Highlights
**MRSA Boosts Death Risk in Kids With Flu.
**Sending Chickenpox Virus Through Mail Dangerous and Illegal.
**Half of U.S. Students Sexually Harassed.
**Large Infants at Increased Risk for Obesity.
**Hospital Funding Linked to Patient Satisfaction: Hospitals to be punished financially by the federal government for things they can't control.
**Safety of Electronic Health Records Requires Scrutiny.
**Genetic Test Improves Cancer Treatment.
**Drug Maker to Run New Clinical Trial on Cholesterol Medicine Trilipix.
**Shingles Vaccine Shortage Influences Immunizations.
**FDA Targets Illegal Tobacco Sales to Minors.
**U.S. Agency Restores Web Database on Doctor Disciplinary Actions.
**Drugs Slipped Into Drinks Sending Many to ER: Majority of victims are women, but nearly 40 percent are male.
**'Mini-Strokes & Earlier Deaths.
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- Big Failure and Big Liar Obama Strikes Again with HARP [Home Affordable Refinance Program]: Obama’s Campaign Ploy Rewards Banksters And Loots American Taxpayers
In announcing revised rules to the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP), President Barack Obama bought himself a campaign ploy attractive to millions of homeowners struggling to keep their homes and a payoff to his bankster buddies who are now encouraged to make more “risky” loans that bear no risk at all. The new regulations encourage banks to make bad loans but absolve them of any of the liability. Shenanigans such as these are only possible under a fiat money system of greed and corruption. The banksters and Wall Street are the clear winners, and the American taxpayer once again suffers from the criminal enterprise that inhabits Washington, D.C.
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Health Highlights
**Sleep Apnea, Obesity and Mental Issues Linked in Kids.
**High Doses of Bone Growth Drug May Boost Cancer Risk For Patients Undergoing Spinal Fusion.
**Glaxo to Pay $3 Billion to Settle Criminal and Civil Investigations.
**Strengthen Chantix Warnings About Risks Of Suicidal Behavior and Depression.
**Expand Vytorin's Use to Include Some Kidney Patients.
**Laser Treatment Turns Brown Eyes Blue: Complications and Blinding Condition Possible.
**FDA Testing Pet Food for Salmonella That Is Making Pet Owners Sick.
**Melanoma-Detecting Device Approved by FDA.
**Scientists Rejuvenate Cells From Elderly.
**Group Challenges J&J on Chemicals in Baby Shampoo.
**Gene-Tweaked Mosquitoes May Lower Dengue Fever Cases.
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Health Highlights
**Turkish Pine Nuts Linked to Salmonella Outbreak.
**Birth Control Pills and Having Babies Reduce Ovarian Cancer Risk.
**Heart Disease Costliest Health Problem for U.S. Men.
**'Super Broccoli' Makes Its Debut.
**Sepsis Drug Xigris Pulled From Market.
**Mammograms May Save Fewer Lives Than Expected.
**Fresh & Easy Bagged Spinach Recalled.
**Target Recalls Children's Frog Masks.
**GPS-Equipped Shoes for Dementia Patients.
**Bath Salt Chemicals Banned by DEA.
**Experts Ponder Testing Anthrax Vaccine in Children.
**Guilty Plea in First Proven U.S. Case of Organ Trafficking.
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- Obama, The Imperial President Who Morphs Into More Of A Third-World-Style-Dictator Every Day, Deliberately Kills Jobs, and Thinks Americans Are Stupid
Barack Obama lies with impunity, disregards the Constitution, ignores the laws he doesn’t agree with, does what he wishes, and has started three unConstitutional wars. Congress has abdicated its responsibility, the Federal judiciary has become the oligarchy Thomas Jefferson warned about. Obama has appointed dozens of czars without the consent of Congress; these czars set policy for Obama’s regulatory agencies. These agencies are answerable to no one and nothing. Obama’s agenda of killing jobs, suppressing innovation and supporting unviable “green” technologies is their lone goal. So it’s not enough that the President just ignores Congress, Congress has decided it wants to give the President carte blanche to ignore Congress even further. Obama probably has also released a forged birth certificate & used a fraudulent Social Security number.
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Health Highlights
**Mercury Ban Would Affect Vaccines, Experts Warn.
**Specific Facial Features Linked to Autism.
**Anti-HIV Vaginal Gel Also Protects Against Herpes.
**Hip Resurfacing Safety and Effectiveness Unproven.
**Baby Spit-Up Isn't GERD.
**Blood Test Detects Down Syndrome in Fetus.
**Listeria-Related Recall of Giant Eagle Shredded Lettuce.
**Huge Rise in Children's Sports-Related Knee Injuries.
**Millions of U.S. Women Plagued by Chronic Pain.
**Sports Equipment Anti-Concussion Claims Challenged.
**Banned Drug Found in Weight Loss Supplements.
**Bagged Salad Products Recalled.
**Studies Reveal Huge Impact of Melanoma.
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Health Highlights
**Drugs Found in One-Third of Dead Drivers.
**More Top-Rated Booster Seats Available in U.S.
**Possible to Maintain Weight Loss for Long Time.
**CooperVision Issues New Contact Lens Recall Announcement.
**B.O.B. Jogging Strollers Recalled.
**Ground Beef Recalled Due to E. Coli Concerns.
**Leukemia Drug - Sprycel - Linked to Lung Problem: FDA.
**Neuroscientists Develop Means of Making Brain 'See-Through'.
**Foreign Insects Invaded U.S. After 9/11.
**Pot-Shaped 'Pothead Candy' Causes Outrage.
**California Bans Tanning Bed Use by Minors.
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- Big Nanny Government Runs Amuck and Declares War On Children’s Lemonade Stands
It is the startling fact that all across the country, children are being told that their lemonade stands are against the law. And not just lemonade stands, but sales of Girl Scout cookies and Japanese green tea have also been declared enemies of the State.I kid you not. In community after community, these budding entrepreneurs are being told to pack it up and scoot before they’re charged with various violations. In some instances, in fact, fines have been levied. Our parents made sure we realized there was no such thing in this world as something for nothing. If you wanted something, you had to earn it. I wish I saw more examples of today’s youngsters working as hard for their spending money as we did a generation or two ago. Kids today take their $100 sneakers and jeans for granted as well as their $200 electronic gizmos. Would they actually be better off if they had to trudge down the highway...
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Health Highlights
**Texting Doubles Drivers' Reaction Times.
**Listeria Blamed for Woman's Miscarriage.
**Pill to Prevent Grey Hair Raises Questions.
**Vitamin D Levels Lowest in Fair-Skinned People.
**Avastin May Cause Fertility Problems in Women.
**Stress Affects Mothers' Interactions With Children.
**Teens Underestimate Fast-Food Calories.
**Injectable Contraception Increases African Women's Risk for HIV.
**Medicare Slow to Stop Prescription Drug Abuse.
**Talk Therapy Helps Schizophrenia Patients.
**New Labels State Alcohol Content of Four Loko Drink: One Can Contains As Much Alcohol as Four to Five Cans of Beer.
**Velveeta Single-Serve Microwavable Cups Recalled.
**Breast Cancer Drug Coverage Halted by Blue Shield of California.
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- Obama Is the Job-Wrecker-In-Chief
Realistic private sector "unemployment" is well over 10% under Obama's watch while federal regulatory agency "employment" has surged 13 percent; these agencies' budgets are up 16 percent. The EPA's new Transport Rule could destroy thousands of jobs, & its ozone regulation could cost upward of $1 trillion & millions of jobs in the construction industry over the next decade. Other Obama gems include his maximum achievable control technology standards for cement, which may send thousands of jobs offshore, & Obama’s unconscionable action in preventing Boeing from opening a plant in South Carolina. Meanwhile, the Interagency Working Group on Food Marketed to Children with its innocuous regulations could destroy 74,000 jobs and cost $28.3 billion in the first year alone. Even the Obama-enamored New York Times has pronounced Obama's promise to create 5 million green jobs over 10 years a pipe dream.
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Health Highlights
**Tyson Recalls Ground Beef After E. Coli Scare.
**26 States Appeal To U.S. Supreme Court For A Speedy Ruling On "Grave" Constitutional Concerns of Obamacare.
**Reebok Kicked by FTC for Sneaker Health Claims.
**U.S. Lifts Restrictions on Imported Cantaloupes.
**Jewelry Industry Will Self-Regulate Toxin in Kids' Jewelry.
**Laughter Might Be Good Medicine for Alzheimer's Patients.
**Why It's Good If You're Easily Embarrassed.
**Keep Kids in Rear-Facing Car Seats Until Age 2.
**Halloween Trappings Can Trigger Asthma, Allergies.
**Oral Steroids Linked to Vitamin D Deficiency.
**FDA Warns LASIK Providers: Stop Making False Claims.
**Cancer Patients at Risk for Serious Blood Clot.
**Obesity More Likely in 'Night-Owl' Kids.
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- Obama’s Blatant Dishonesty Continues To Grow As He Pushes The American Jobs Act
“I can confidently predict that Obama’s American Jobs Act will be a hodgepodge of half measures, none of which will make much of a difference to the massive unemployment (and underemployment) in the United States. I’ll have more to say about all of this, including the President’s laughable promise that his various make-work projects won’t add a penny to the deficit, in future columns. In the meantime, you and I know the best way to create more jobs: It’s for government to get the heck out of the way. Reduce regulations, lower taxes and reward people for taking risks. Let people keep more of the fruits of their labors, and you can bet on a bigger harvest. It’s that simple. By the way, not only does that produce more jobs, but it also produces more tax revenue. Does anyone want to bet whether this White House will give it a try,” said Chip Wood.
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- Give Liar-In-Chief Obama "Four Pinocchios" for Telling "Whoppers": Barack Obama Can Stretch The Truth Beyond All Recognition
“Of course, the fact that Barack Obama can stretch the truth beyond all recognition will come as no surprise to regular readers of this column. We’ve come to expect nothing less from our Obfuscator in Chief. But the distortions, exaggerations and outright falsehoods of the past three years are nothing compared to what we’re going to see between now and next November. I can confidently predict that there is almost no limit to the lies Obama will tell about us — or the amount of your tax dollars that he will promise to give others — if only they will grant him four more years in the White House. So guard your wallets, folks. And get ready to see Barack Obama’s nose grows a lot longer,” said Chip Wood.
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Health Highlights
**Obese Now Outnumber Hungry Worldwide.
**Dangerous Polio Strain Spreads to China.
**Shark Compound May Help Combat Viral Diseases in Humans.
**New Tick-Borne Disease Identified.
**Listeria Outbreak Linked to Colorado Cantaloupes.
**Bone Drug OK'd for Cancer Patients on Hormone Therapy.
**Whooping Cough Shots Protect for Only a Few Years.
**New Technology Improves Early Stage Cancer Surgery.
**Magnetic Field May Cause MRI-Induced Vertigo.
**Many With Irregular Heartbeat Unaware of Raised Stroke Risk.
**Study Suggests Link Between Stress and Aggressive Breast Cancer.
**Bed Bug Insecticides Causing Sickness, Officials Warn.
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- Planet Of The Taxpayers: It is True That A Form of Slavery Exists and Thrives Today, All Over The World
We do live in cages. We are prodded by electrical shocks. We are fed gruel of sorts. And they do experiment on us. I’m speaking of the relationship of individuals all over the world to governments all over the world. They live off us entirely, because governments produce nothing of their own. They extract 40 percent of our wealth in one way or another and use that money to build their castles and their power. In fact, that is our main value to them. Otherwise, we would have no value at all. In the name of providing us welfare throughout life, they loot us throughout life. In the name of providing us security, they humiliate us and treat us all like animals — and then have the gall to say that this system is all about public service. They manufacture billions of laws that no one can possibly keep and yet put us in jail when they decide to catch us breaking them. They order us to kill..
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Health Highlights
**Two Deaths Linked to Tainted Cantaloupes.
**Birth Control Pills Recalled Due to Packaging Problem.
**FDA Disputes TV Claim About Apple Juice.
**Ear Implants Recalled.
**Water Contamination Threatens Flood-Ravaged Northeast.
**Accidental Medication Poisonings in Kids on the Rise.
**Fall-Prone Seniors May Have Trouble Adjusting to Poorer Vision.
**Cholesterol Deposits Around Eyes Linked to Heart Risk.
**Problem Drinking Linked to Brain Damage.
**Officials Tackle Multidrug-Resistant TB in Europe.
**Research Reveals Why Hungry People Get Cranky.
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- Who Are the Real Religious Bigots?
The reality is that throughout our history, the halls of American government have teemed with Bible-believing Christians, & they've never pushed for theocracy. Ironically, it is leftists who are far likelier to use the power of government to selectively suppress political & religious liberties. They are the ones behind the Fairness Doctrine, network neutrality rules, campus speech codes, & preventing certain ideas from being presented, alongside all others, in public classrooms. The leftists are the ones showing their religious bigotry & proselytizing us to adopt their secularist worldview. Also, did President Obama, for example, subscribe to the noxious political & religious beliefs of his pastor Jeremiah Wright? If not, why did he attend church there for 20 years & have his children baptized in that church? If so, shouldn't the media have followed up on why Obama agrees with Wright? But the media’s concern isn't with the religious beliefs of all.....
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Health Highlights
**More U.S. Adults Using Illegal Drugs: Increase has largely been driven by more marijuana use.
**FDA Advisers Call for Revised Labels for Osteoporosis Drugs.
**A Little Dirt May Be a Good Thing.
**Over Half of Adverse Drug Reactions in Hospitals Are Preventable.
**College Football Players Get Bigger, Stronger With Age, But Show Smaller Improvements In Speed and Agility.
**Narcissists Make Horrible Bosses.
**New Approach to Treating Asthma in Pregnancy.
**Children More Likely to Drink & Drive if Parents Drink.
**Risk for COPD Higher Than Thought.
**Bad Body Odor May Be Caused by Metabolic Disorder.
**Losing Child in First Year Might Raise Early Death Risk for Parent.
**Black Children May Be More Prone to Peanut Allergy, Study Finds.
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- Obama Following In Hitler's Footsteps
As Obama continues to toy with Republicans over raising the debt ceiling, he is well aware that the continuation of his policies will destroy the U.S. economy beyond repair. I believe his strategy from the outset has been to follow the Saul Alinsky model: Win the Presidency through a semi-legitimate election, then tighten your grip over everything and everybody, move swiftly to create economic chaos, and use the chaos you've created to establish a dictatorship. Of all the dictators over the past hundred years, I believe Obama's rise to power mirrors that of Adolf Hitler's more than anyone else. As I have repeatedly said, the debt ceiling debate is nothing more than a distraction from the real, underlying problem we all face: We are losing our freedom. Our focus should be on stopping Barack Obama and his Marxist allies in Washington from establishing a communist dictatorship -- politely referred to by conservative media as an "imperial presidency".
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Health Highlights
**Gel Fuel for Firepots Recalled.
**FDA Updates Kidney Failure Warning on Bone-Building Drug.
**New Laws Forcing Florida Pill Mills to Close.
**Avastin Linked to Eye Infections.
**Researchers Call for More Studies of Acne Treatments.
**Papaya-Linked Salmonella Outbreak Over: CDC.
**New Details About U.S. Medical Experiments in Guatemala.
**Blood Shortages Along U.S. East Coast.
**U.N. Warns of Possible Bird Flu Resurgence.
**Massage Device Could be Deadly: FDA.
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- Obamacare Must Be Repealed To Boost Weak Economy; It Is A "Job-Killing", "Liberty-Killing", "Budget-Killing" $2.6 Trillion Healthcare Law
Senator Orrin Hatch said it was critical to the nation's economy that President Barack Obama shift his focus from preparing a new job stimulus plan to ending the overhaul of the nation's health care system. The partisan health law is an assault on Americans individual liberty. It's also an assault on our economy and on our job creators, as this survey of employers demonstrates," Hatch said, referring to the survey released Friday by the National Business Group on Health. "The President announced that he's preparing a so-called jobs plan that will include more stimulus spending," Hatch said. "I would suggest he stop the spending and turn to his job-killing, budget-busting health law instead. This $2.6 trillion law must be on the table in any discussion about reviving our weak economy."
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Health Highlights
**Massage Device ShoulderFlex Massager Could be Deadly: FDA.
**U.S. Bans Mexican Papaya Imports.
**Carcinogens Released by Scented Laundry Products.
**Petition To Ban Mesh Used in Pelvic Surgery.
**Experts Warn About Antibiotic Overuse: Destruction of Protective Bacteria May Be Causing A Dramatic Increase In Many Health Problems.
**Large Decline in Heart Failure Patient Death Rate.
**Brain Harmed by High Salt, Low Activity.
**Recalled Step Stools Pose Fall Hazard.
**Spider Silk Used to Create Bulletproof Skin: Also to cover large wounds, treat people with severe burns and create artificial tendons & ligaments.
**Bacteria From Dog Feces Common in Air of Some Cities.
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Health Highlights
**Ground Beef Recalled.
**Early Elective Deliveries Banned at Some Oregon Hospitals.
**Pesticides Linked to Tourist Deaths: Thailand Officials.
**Big Tobacco Challenges New Cigarette Warning Labels.
**Pesticides Linked to Increased Diabetes Risk.
**Three Deaths From 'Brain-Eating' Amoeba.
**Ground Turkey Salmonella Cases Rise to 111.
**Excessive Heat Can Harm Medications, Expert Says.
**Cases of Legionnaire's Disease Tripled in 10 Years.
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- Obama Acting Like A "King Above The Law" In Deciding To Pick and Choose Which Illegal Aliens To Deport
“The Obama administration cannot get its amnesty schemes through Congress, so now it has resorted to implementing its plans via executive fiat,” said Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer. “We need to remind President Obama that we elected a president that serves beneath the law and did not anoint a king that is above the law.” “It’s just the latest attempt by this president to bypass the intended legislative process when he does not get his way,” Michael McCaul said. Lamar Smith said, “The Obama administration should enforce immigration laws, not look for ways to ignore them." Jessica Vaughan said, “The message is that as long as you keep your nose clean and do not commit a serious crime, then you don’t have to worry about immigration law enforcement. “It really is attempting to achieve by executive fiat what the Congress won’t do and the American people don’t want, and that really requires a lot..
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- Raising Taxes That Punish Success Does Not Increase Tax Revenue And Does Not Help Cut The Deficit: It’s Another Big Lie From The Obama Government To Increase Its Power and Control Over You
The Obama Government would rather keep taking more of your money through taxes than cut their spending of your tax money; this increases their money supply while decreasing yours. The Obama Government isn’t happy with the increased tax revenue that “tax cuts” give them because they give both the government & you more money. The Obama Government wants to have more money while you have less money which increases the government’s power & control over you. Meanwhile, 50% of the people pay no federal taxes so the government can better have more power and control over them. Get it? Sure you do. The Obama Government wants more power & control. So, the Obama Government keeps spending more, the tax payers keep paying more, and soon both will be poor as the American Dream & the USA collapse through the floor.
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Health Highlights
**Vampire Bat-Related Death First in U.S.
**Parents Have Dead Daughter's Eggs Frozen.
**Mother Influences Child's Food Tastes Before Birth.
**Officials Investigating Minnesota Anthrax Case.
**Moms of Twins Have Heavier Single Babies.
**Sharp Rise in Medicare Payments for Hospice Care.
**Being Male Makes Breast Cancer Patient Ineligible for Coverage.
**Strawberries Linked to Oregon E. Coli Outbreak.
**New Antibody May Help Lead to Universal Flu Vaccine.
**Human Growth Hormone Tests for NFL Players.
**Coming Soon: A 'Date Rape' Drug Detector?
**Brainy Dog Star of Psychologists' Meeting.
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- Court Ruling 'Slams the Brakes' on Obamacare: Rules The Individual Mandate At The Heart Of Obamacare’s Legislation Is Unconstitutional
Obamacare just doesn’t operate without the mandate. You can’t really carve that out and make it work,” said healthcare expert Betsey McCaughey. She predicted states won’t spend scare resources preparing to implement a law that appears very vulnerable to being thrown out as unconstitutional. Asked if the decision slams the brakes on implementation efforts at the state level, McCaughey replied: “Oh yes. They will be obligated to make that decision, because that’s the prudent decision in the best interest of their own local taxpayers.” “The court also ruled that although the president and Congress want to now call the penalty a tax to make it pass constitutional muster, the penalty cannot be sustained under the federal government's taxing authority because the penalty is clearly not a tax,” Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli said.
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Health Highlights
**Brownies With Melatonin Unsafe: FDA.
**Ground Turkey Source of Salmonella Outbreak.
**Purina Cat Food Recalled Because of Possible Salmonella Contamination.
**FDA Warns About Fake Emergency Birth Control Drug.
**New HIV Test Proves Accurate in Field Test.
**Deadly Radiation Levels Found at Fukushima Plant.
**'Gluten-Free' Food Standard Being Finalized by FDA.
**Hackers May be Able to Attack Insulin Pumps.
**Laughter not Best Medicine for COPD Patients.
**Pfizer May Attempt OTC Version of Lipitor.
**Hepatitis C Vaccine Effective in Animals.
**Quick Test Detects Congenital Heart Defects.
**U.S. Hospital Pneumonia Death Rates Fall.
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- Don't Be Fooled — Debt Deal Means: More Taxes, No Significant Spending Cuts, and A Deliberate Design To Continue Economic Decline
“Any way you slice it you are going to get tax increases. That’s how screwed we are,” Rush Limbaugh said. If Obama extends the Bush tax cuts, the CBO will consider that a $5 trillion reduction in government income which will have to be made up elsewhere. If they expire, that’s a direct tax hike on Americans, Limbaugh said. “There hasn’t been a significant cut in spending, he said, and the current deal will give Obama the perfect argument to use [to increase taxes] during his reelection campaign because it’s a deal designed to continue economic decline. He’ll say ‘we tried slashing government spending, I went along with it and it didn’t help’. Obama will then push “redistribution of income” [the theft of others‘ hard-earned income through increased, excessive taxes]. In addition, the major media is playing along with Obama by creating the false perception.....
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Health Highlights
**FDA Cites Death Risk With Heart Drug Multaq.
**Prices of Popular Drugs Set to Fall.
**USDA Proposes Changes for Meat Additive Labeling.
**McDonald's Announces Nutrition Effort.
**Only Humans Experience Age-Related Brain Shrinkage.
**Mexican Papayas Linked to Food Poisoning Outbreak.
**Chicken Recall Expanded.
**Tylenol's Maker Reducing Daily Dose to Help Lower Risk of Accidental Overdose.
**New Brain Scan Technique Reveals Back Pain Severity.
**World Population to Reach 7 Billion This Year.
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- Obama's 'Un-Presidential' Behavior Destroying Economy, Country
Obama’s purpose, Ken Langone says is to divide the nation by accusing others of not doing their fair share to contribute to the country's finances. "Divide us & we all lose. And this has got to stop.. he is not acting presidential, he is behaving in a way designed in my opinion to divide us and make us look at each other with skepticism, with suspicion. That's the end of America as we know it when that happens." "The deficit, we're going to get through, the debt limit, it will all come through. The destruction he is inflicting by his behavior will carry on long after we have settled the debt limit," Langone said. "It's increasingly difficult to avoid that conclusion that while Washington burns, President Obama is fiddling away by insisting that the only solution to the nation's problems — whether unemployment, the debt ceiling or deficit reductions — lies in redistribution of wealth [the theft of others’ hard-earned income..
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Health Highlights
**FDA Cites Death Risk With Heart Drug Multaq.
**USDA Proposes Changes for Meat Additive Labeling.
**FDA Evaluating Some Osteoporosis Drugs for Possible Cancer Link.
**Sales Resume of Frogs Linked to Salmonella.
**Alzheimer's Blood Test Moving Closer to Reality.
**12 States Have Obesity Rates of at Least 30%; Obesity Now A Problem In All 50 States.
**Users of Popular Antipsychotic Drug Seroquel Warned of Possible Drug Interactions.
**Thinner Wife, Heavier Hubby Makes for Better Marriage: Study.
**Innovative Heart Valve for Elderly Shows Promise.
**Scientists Identify Gene for Stubborn Breast Cancers.
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- GOP Should Call Obama's Bluff and Lies on Debt Default and Social Security Payments
Whether or not he accepts this reality, Obama owns this economy & the alarming explosion of the debt in recent years. He is the one whose reckless policies have greatly exacerbated our dire financial condition. He is the one whose unconscionably wasteful & irresponsible economic policies have tanked the economy & suppressed employment. He is the one who, along with his party, has not presented a budget in 800 days. He is the one who formed a bipartisan deficit commission & then ignored its findings. He is the one who hasn't presented a concrete budgetary plan. He is the one who refuses to reform entitlements despite objective evidence that if we don't, the nation will go belly up. Yet he is the one who is pointing all the fingers of blame against the Republicans as if they were the culprits. And there are plenty of expenditures less urgent than benefits to seniors;but Obama chooses to scare seniors.
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Health Highlights
**Scientists Identify Gene for Stubborn Breast Cancers.
**FDA Has Concerns About New Diabetes Drug.
**Could Smelly Feet Be a Weapon Against Malaria?
**Restaurant Chains Making Kids' Meals Healthier.
**Dogs Adept at Reading People's Minds.
**Drinking Alcohol May Prolong, Not Relieve, Stress.
**Binge Drinking May Impair Teen Brain Development.
**Researchers Closer to Developing Universal Meningitis B Vaccine.
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- Obama Just Keeps Delivering The Lies On Debt Default
Now, what about our Spender in Chief’s insistence that if we don’t raise the debt ceiling, we won’t be able to pay our bills? Turns out this one is just false. Keep in mind that even without new borrowing, money continues to pour into the U.S. Treasury every day. If the debt ceiling isn’t raised, do you expect that no more money will be withheld from your paycheck? Of course not.Not a single business will stop paying its taxes, either. Tariffs will still be collected. And billions of dollars will continue to arrive in Washington every week. Will it be enough to pay the interest on our national debt? Ladies and gentlemen, it will be far more than enough.
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Health Highlights
**Medtronic Drug Pumps Can Fail Due to Battery Problem.
**Seeds Linked to E. Coli Outbreak Still Being Sold.
**Smokers Who Quit Can Have Normal-Weight Babies.
**EPA Demands Tighter Emission Standards for Coal-Burning Power Plants: Benefits Are A Guesstimate & Electric Bills Will Skyrocket As Obama Wants To Eliminate Use of Plentiful U.S. Coal Supplies.
**U.S. Obesity Epidemic Continues to Spread.
**Windows Pose Safety Risk for Young Children, Experts Warn.
**Anxiety, Depression in Pregnancy May Raise Kids' Asthma Risk.
**Behavioral Techniques a Better Value for Chronic Migraine Than Meds.
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- Obama’s "Redistribution of Income Policy" [The Theft of Others’ Hard-Earned Income Through Excessive Taxes]: Obama Gives White House Staffers and His Favorites Big Raises While Tax Payers Suffer In the Dismal Economy Obama Deliberately Created
Over the last year nearly half of the Obama White House’s staffers have received raises during a time when employment is stagnating & the vast majority of people in the private sector are doing without a raise. The average salary increase was 8%; if you look at only staffers who got raises, the average increase was 16%. The average staffer salary is 65% above the median household income. Some eye-opening raises: special assistant to the president for economic policy Matthew Vogel's $59,000, 82% raise to an annual salary of $130,500, or director of African American media Kevin Lewis' $36,000, 86% pay hike. "Let's face it, when you're a dictator, you need to be paid more," Rep. Louis Gohmert said.
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- Blood In The Streets
Nowadays, real blood is being spilled in Western democratic cities like Vancouver, Canada, and Athens, Greece. With America’s economy stuck in recession and with the dismal and arrogant leadership provided by President Barack Obama and Congress, it is not hard to imagine similar violence in American cities. “The question is: Could this kind of thing happen in America? And the answer is yes. About half the population here now believes “income redistribution” [the theft of others’ hard-earned income through excessive taxes] is the right thing to do. We’re setting the table for violence in this country. Once people start depending on the government for their livelihood, for essentials, and then those essentials are taken away, you’re going to have violence. Also, the more loons there are, the more potential for violence there is. Those anarchists want to burn down everything,” said Bill O’Reilly.
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Health Highlights
**Pain Tablets Recalled Due to Label Error.
**Sprouts Linked to Salmonella Cases.
**Six States Ban Abortion After 20th Week of Pregnancy.
**Slim Gene Linked to Dangerous Fat.
**Secret Big Brother Snoopers May Assess Primary Care.
**California Teens May be Banned From Tanning Beds.
**Diet Sodas Help Cause Weight Gain.
**Medtronic Bone Growth Product Research Misleading.
**More Tylenol Recalled Due to Odor.
**Canada to Fund Trials of Controversial MS Treatment.
**Number of U.S. Kids Living With Grandparents Rises.
**Seeds From Egypt Suspected Cause of Europe's E. Coli Outbreak.
**Babies' Brains Respond to Others' Emotions at Early Age.
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- Obama, Other Liberals Are 'Burglars' and 'Thieves'
The president is intentionally bankrupting the country for future generations, Rush Limbaugh said. We Americans are not perfect, but one thing we did that we will pay for for decades to come and our children and grandchildren will pay for is the election of a man to the presidency who is historic in the sense of his ignorance, his stubbornness, his incompetence, and his contempt for the American system. That's what's historic about Barack Obama," Limbaugh said. Limbaugh chided the president for his proposed budget cuts, which included killing off the National Weather Service and slashing national defense funds, and offered a list of his own instead: "There's plenty of bloat we could get rid of. Let's starve left wing activists [like ACORN, PBS, and Planned Parenthood] that have no business receiving federal tax dollars in the first place."
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- Tossing Grandma Off The Cliff And Other Obama Led Lies
Obama's first big lie: Dire consequences will result if Uncle Sam isn't allowed to continue borrowing money. Obama's second big lie: "If you like your health insurance, you can keep it?" The latest estimates are that under Obamacare, some 80 to 120 million Americans will lose the independent health insurance they and their employers have been paying for. Obama's third big lie: It's not a war so the rules of war -- and the laws of Congress -- don't apply. And yet another Obama vicious lie: The Republican Medicare plan will destroy Medicare and hurt seniors; actually the Obama plan destroys Medicare and kills seniors with rationing of healthcare benefits. That's what happens when liars and lawbreakers are put in charge.
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Health Highlights
**Gel Fuel for Patio Firepots Recalled.
**Low-Calorie Diet Reverses Diabetes.
**Whooping Cough Vaccine Recommended for Pregnant Women.
**High Court Rules on Generics' Labeling.
**Models' Altered Photos in Ads Harm Kids.
**Just Doesn't Make Sense That Under Obamacare, Some in Middle Class May Qualify for Medicaid.
**Infuse Bone Graft Studies Focus of Senate Investigation.
**Hospitalizations Linked to Blood Poisonings Rising: Rate Increased With Age.
**Concussion Increases Young Athletes' Risk of Death.
**Chemical Suicides Increasing in U.S.
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- America No Longer The Land Of The Free:
We now have a quasi-military roaming the streets terrorizing citizens, a Congress neglecting its authority, a Supreme Court disregarding the Bill of Rights and a President, who may not even be eligible for the office, taking on the powers of a dictator through his regulatory agencies and so-called Justice Department. And Obama finally released a long-form birth certificate, but more and more document experts have come forth to show the document a forgery. It is apparently a compilation of birth certificates from others born in Hawaii at the time of Obama's reported birth. There is increasing evidence Obama committed some kind of fraud to obtain his Social Security number, which came from Connecticut, a State in which Obama never lived or worked.
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Health Highlights
**Listeria at Kellogg Plant Spurs FDA Warning.
**Syphilis Screening Could Save Many Babies.
**House Takes Action Against Genetically Modified Salmon.
**FDA Warns About Drugs With Similar Names.
**Flavored Milks Banned From L.A. Schools.
**U.S. Drivers, Who Like To Keep Their Window Down, at Heightened Risk for Skin Cancer on Left Side.
**Lead Poisoning Epidemic in China Being Hushed Up.
**Study Questions Routine Autism Screening.
**Apples Top Pesticides 'Dirty Dozen' List.
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- New Obama Medicare Efficiency Measure "Deadly to Seniors": The new Obama initiatives are drastic; they destroy Medicare as we’ve known it.
Obama said he could cut 30 percent from what Medicare spends on a patient without doing harm, but research shows the low-spending hospitals had higher mortality rates. Withholding payments from doctors and hospitals who fail to meet targets for lowering cost per patient sets up a conflict of interest between medical professionals and their patients. Rationing is invisible; only the consequences are felt. Some hospitals may stop taking Medicare; and a Payment Advisory Board, not your doctor, determines what treatments are "unnecessary." It’s better to honestly extend Medicare’s financial solvency with positive changes rather than impose hidden rationing while “dishonestly claiming to save Medicare as we have known it".
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- Obama’s Medicare Plan Leads to Rationing, Bankruptcy: Democrats Took $500 Billion out of the Medicare system in order to pay for Obamacare.
“What Barack Obama is proposing is a 15-member panel of faceless, nameless bureaucrats, who will unilaterally cut reimbursement rates to doctors, hospitals, and nursing homes,” Ralph Reed says. It is projected that that 41 percent of healthcare providers will simply withdraw from providing Medicare services, once the Payment Advisory Board makes the necessary reductions. Participation in Medicare will simply no longer be affordable for many doctors and clinics. “That leads to rationing, that leads to deep cuts, draconian cuts, and the fact that you can’t find a doctor who will take Medicare. So Obama’s plan, whether he admits it or not, leads first to rationing and ultimately to bankruptcy,” said Reed.
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Health Highlights
**Germany, France Pull Diabetes Drug Actos Due to Bladder Cancer Link.
**Mail Order Hatchery Source of Salmonella Outbreak.
**Vegetable Sprouts Caused E. Coli Outbreak.
**Smoking Ups Women's Risk of Clogged Leg Arteries.
**In Mice, Drug Helps Heart Repair Itself.
**All-Electronic, Home-Based Drug Study a First.
**U.S. Flu Vaccination Rates Remain High.
**Drugs for Enlarged Prostate May Raise Risk of Aggressive Cancer.
**Women May Be Getting Unneeded Heart Imaging Tests.
**Heavy Cell Phone Use Might Raise Risk of Brain Tumors.
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- A Serious Warning: The Facts Behind America's Coming Collapse
A record number of people (almost 70 million) now depend on the U.S. government for their daily housing, food, and – most of all – health care. Today, 45% of American households receive some form of direct government payments. And 132.5 million people pay no federal taxes whatsoever. A tiny number of Americans pay for the well-being of nearly a majority. While half of the population may pay something in taxes, only the top 10% – people earning more than $113,000 – pay a substantive amount. These few citizens pay 70% of all the income taxes collected. The federal government is taking [stealing] an excessive amount of money from its few high earners – a wealthy minority – and redistributing inefficiently to pay for services the country can't realistically afford…
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Health Highlights
**Clot Risk Spurs FDA Review of Bayer Birth Control Pills.
**Adults Who Suffer With Mental Illness Are Four Times More Prone To Alcohol Dependence.
**New Strain of E. Coli May Have Triggered Outbreak.
**Hospitals Facing More Drug Shortages.
**Europe's E. Coli Outbreak Claims 2 More Lives.
**E. Coli in German Outbreak is Rare, Lethal Strain.
**Experts Question Necessity of Flu Shot for Some This Season.
**Bone Drug Reduces Odds for Breast Cancer's Return.
**More Stroke Patients Get Clot-Busting Drug But Barriers Remain.
**Concussions Tied to Verbal Memory Loss in Young Athletes.
**Meditation May Help Women Cope With Hot Flashes.
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- Obama Taking Country 'Right Off' Financial Cliff: Medicare Is Going Bankrupt Under Obama
Grover Norquist tells Newsmax that Congress should not raise the ceiling on federal debt without serious reductions in President Obama’s overspending, which will take the country "right off the cliff." "Obama has created a lot of unemployment and slow economic growth. This is a lousy recovery, if it is a recovery at all." "And it [Paul Ryan’s budget] saves Medicare, which is going bankrupt under Obama’s mad rush off a cliff, and allows individuals to have more control and decide what kind of insurance they want when they get older." "What we need to do is maintain the lower tax rates that the Bush tax cuts put in, and we need to go further than that." "As to which GOP candidate might gain an endorsement from Norquist and his organization, he says: "The most important question we ask is, will you sign the pledge never to raise taxes?"
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Health Highlights
**Infant Deaths Spur FDA Warning Against Food Thickening Gel.
**Lack of Prenatal Vitamins Tied to Higher Risk of Autism in Offspring.
**Groups Sue FDA to Ban Certain Antibiotics in Animal Feed.
**Study Links Spinal Fusion Product to Male Sterility.
**Most ER Visits for Sports-Related Concussions Involve Kids.
**Experts Question Necessity of Flu Shot for Some This Season.
**Destruction of Last Smallpox Stocks Delayed for 3 Years.
**Crossing Your Arms Might Ease Hand Pain.
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Health Highlights
**Painkiller-linked Suicide Tries Among Older Women on Rise.
**Stop Sales of Highest Dose of Aricept: Public Citizen.
**Deadly Virus Causing Worry for Horse Owners, Organizations.
**Obesity Linked to Worsening of Prostate Cancer.
**'Fat Control' Gene Inherited From Mothers.
**Study Outlines Shorter Tuberculosis Treatment.
**Security Problems Persist for Online Patient Records.
**Experts Question Usefulness of Test to Gauge Life Span.
**Most U.S. Women Have Complications During Pregnancy.
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Health Highlights
**Chives Recalled Due to Listeria Concerns.
**Drug Helps Children With Sickle Cell Anemia.
**CPSC Warn Consumers About "metoo" Tabletop Feeding Chairs.
**Shortage of Generic ADHD Drug Continues.
**Popular Football Helmets May Not Protect Against Concussion.
**Odor Triggers Another J&J Drug Recall.
**Potentially Harmful Anti-Psychotic Drugs Given to Nursing Home Patients With Dementia.
**FDA Orders Follow-Up Studies of Metal-on-Metal Artificial Hips That Are Linked To Serious Health Effects In Some Patients.
**Selenium Supplements Don't Protect Against Cancer Say Reseachers.
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- Government Lies And The Failure Of The Corporate Media To Ferret Out The Truth: Now, the corporate media blindly accepts its nuggets of food from its government master — never questioning and often cheerleading rather than reporting, especially if that master is a socialist like the one [Obama] we have in Washington, D.C., today.
All of this [bin Laden corporate media death stories] is political theater designed to bolster Obama’s sagging approval rating and distract attention from his three wars, the failing economy, the ongoing unemployment crisis, rising gas prices, and Obamacare. And there may be one other reason… as a pretense to open up a fourth front in the "War on Terror" in Pakistan. Our government has used the "War on Terror" as an excuse to steal our liberty under the guise of keeping us safer. Our rights guaranteed under the 1st, 2nd, 4th and 10th Amendments are being chipped away each day. The government has lied about the events that occurred at the Pakistani compound.....
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Health Highlights
**Salmonella Triggers Recall of Grape Tomatoes.
**Blood Thinner Drug Recalled.
**Recalled Bunk Beds Could Collapse.
**EU Approves Drug to Treat Children With Deadly Lung Condition.
**New Drug for Pancreatic Tumors Approved by FDA.
**High Number of Measles Cases in U.S.
**Juggling Numerous Tasks Affects Concentration, Self-Control.
**Researchers Claim Advance on Blood Test for Alzheimer's.
**Two-Thirds of Dieters Pack the Pounds Back On.
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Health Highlights
**Cucumbers Recalled Due to Salmonella Fears.
**Carob Products Recalled: Can cause serious or life-threatening illness in people allergic to milk.
**ADHD Said to Increase Risk of Substance Use.
**Testosterone Therapy Doesn't Fuel Prostate Cancer.
**Ban Latex Medical Gloves Says Public Citizen Group.
**Doctors' Prescription Data Case Being Heard by U.S. Supreme Court.
**New Drug Appears Effective Against Hepatitis C: FDA.
**Some Adults Fake or Exaggerate ADHD Symptoms.
**Cheaper Drug as Good as Costly One for Wet Macular Degeneration Eye Disease.
**Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Labs: CDC.
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- Stansberry to Obama: 'We simply can't afford this nonsense anymore…' In honor of Monday's national Tax Day, I wrote the following letter to Mr. Barack Hussein Obama
Despite what Mr. Obama and his vast team of lawyer buddies, career academics, and professional bureaucrats believe, most "rich" people in America got that way by working hard for a long time. They got that way by taking risks, educating themselves, starting small businesses, and selling valuable services or products to their fellow citizens. They didn't inherit their wealth. They didn't rip anyone off. They didn't buy political favors from people like Barack Obama. They got that way by working hard to achieve the original American Dream… not Obama's new "progressive" American Dream, where everyone can live at the expense of his neighbor. Folks who have spent their lives in the real world recognize the people Obama calls "rich," "greedy," and "mean spirited" as "successful," "accomplished," and "hard working."
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Health Highlights
**FDA Warns Companies About Hand Cleaner Health Claims.
**Cussing Eases Pain: Study.
**Feeding Crucial After Traumatic Brain Injury.
**Hospital Outpatient Care Much Pricier Than Doctor's Office Visits.
**Botox Reduces Ability to Read Emotions.
**Mysterious Health Problems in Some Gulf Residents.
**FDA Approves Cervical Cancer Test.
**Rituxan Approved to Treat Blood Vessel Inflammation Disorders.
**Breath Test for Cancer a Step Closer.
**Diet During Pregnancy Affects Child's DNA and Obesity Risk.
**Ovarian Cancer Begins in Fallopian Tubes.
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- Obama Weak Recovery Trails Reagan's Strong Recovery by 15.7 Million Jobs
"A compelling case can be made that Reagan's tax cuts, Social Security reforms, regulatory reforms, and limits on the growth and power of the federal government not only helped the economy shake off the malaise of the 1970s but generated an economic growth premium that bore dividends for Americans until 2007."
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Health Highlights
**FDA Should Ban Weight Loss Drugs Alli, Xenical Due To Serious Side Effects.
**FDA Approves Electricity Treatment for Brain Cancer.
**Generic Heartburn Drug Recalled.
**Breast Radiation Shield Recall Most Serious Type.
**Leukemia Drug Shortage Threatens Patients' Lives.
**Anti- Seizure Topamax Recalled After Odor Complaints.
**Clogged Neck Veins Don't Cause MS.
**Losing Weight Improves Memory.
**OHSA Warns of Formaldehyde in Hair Straightening Products.
**More Americans Suffering Medicine-Related Illness, Injury.
**Vitamin D Cuts Risk of Age-Related Macular Degeneration.
**Missouri Democrat Joins Fight Against Obamacare Health Care Law.
**Support for Obamacare Health Care Law Falls To Its Lowest Level Since Law Was Passed.
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Health Highlights
**Jennie-O Turkey Burgers Recalled Over Salmonella.
**Federal Appeals Court Denies The Request of 26 States That A Full Panel of Judges Review A Federal Judge's Ruling That Obmacare Is "Unconstitutional"; Instead, Only Three 'Randomly' Selected Judges Will Hear The Case.
**Restless Legs May Indicate Heart Problem.
**No New Heart Warnings for ADHD Drugs: Currently, labeling for the drugs warns that misuse "may cause sudden death and serious cardiovascular adverse events.
**FDA Will Not OK Gardasil for Women Over Age 26.
**Triad Antiseptic Products Seized Over Concerns About Possible Contamination.
**Genetic Change Increases Risk of Lung Cancer Spread.
**Updated Guidelines to Prevent Bloodstream Infections.
**Medical Emergencies From 'Synthetic' Illicit Drugs Increasing.
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- The U.S. Government Wants To Take You Down With It: The government has no way to finance their needs. We have reached that point. Today, more than half of all voters pay zero Federal income taxes
Most critically… our government is for sale. As the price of influence in Washington continues to escalate, it will become impossible to deny the patently obvious truth: Government policy is awarded to the highest bidder and our "free" elections are essentially rigged by the massive sums spent on advertising for candidates. The destruction of our currency and our country’s standing in the world’s economy is certain. We are already at the point where our government’s debt cannot be financed at any legitimate rate of interest… and yet our leaders show zero interest in doing anything to prevent this unmitigated financial disaster. Over the last 50 years, the government became a socialist tool. It steals assets from responsible, hard-working citizens and distributes them to others, mainly on.......
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Health Highlights
**Water Walking Balls Dangerous.
**Another Batch of Tylenol Recalled.
**Mislabeled Citalopram and Finasteride Recalled.
**FDA Proposes Calorie Labels for Fast Foods, Vending Machines.
**No Health Risk From Radiation in U.S. Foods: Officials.
**U.S. Road Deaths Lowest in Six Decades: 32,788 People Killed in 2010.
**Company Stops Production of Contaminated IV Bags.
**High Lead Levels Found in Philly Chinatown Ceramics.
**FDA Panel Examines Food Dyes and Hyperactivity in Children.
**Hands-Free Automatic Faucets May Have More Germs Than Manual Ones: Automatic faucets are designed to conserve water, but decreased water flow may give bacteria more opportunity to grow.
**Pharmacies OK'd to Make Cheaper Version of Pre-Term Birth Drug.
**Medicare Should Cover Costly Prostate Cancer Drug Say Officials.
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- Obamacare Designed to Fail and Force Socialized Medicine: President Barack Obama and other Democrats intentionally designed Obamacare to fail so they could achieve their ultimate goal to impose a federal system of socialized medicine
Rep. Michael Burgess maintains that the law is simply unworkable, citing the more than 1,000 waivers granted to businesses, unions, and even entire states to avoid compliance with some provisions. "What's going to happen in October, November, and December of this year when those waivers start to expire? Pretty clearly they will have to be extended and then what is the long term strategy if you're having to provide long term waivers for people so they won't be affected by this thing, what in the world is the long term strategy, what is the Plan B when this thing doesn't work and it clearly is not going to work?" Ironically for a federal agency, Burgess said, the Department of Health and Human Services is moving rapidly to implement the law.
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Health Highlights
**New Drug for Advanced Melanoma Approved by FDA.
**CPSC Reissues Drop-Side Crib Recall After Suffocation Death of A 7 Month Old Girl.
**U.S. Bans Imports of Some Japanese Food Products.
**New Blood Test Improves Diagnosis of Heart Attack.
**New South Dakota Law Puts 3-Day Wait on Women Seeking Abortion To Ensure Women Are Not Being Coerced Into Abortions.
**Overweight Passengers Force Bus Safety Rule Changes.
**Blood Test Reveals Long-Term Diabetes Risk.
**Link Between Food Insecurity and Obesity.
**Send Obamacare Directly to the Supreme Court Because A Delay In Resolving The Challenge Leads To "Crippling Uncertainty" Faced By The Country.
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- Current Washington and Federal Reserve Policy Is Keeping The Banks From Lending Money, Stunting Growth, and Keeping Unemployment High
"There's more money available in the banking industry than ever in the history of the United States," says Stanley Tate. "The difficulty is that they're not lending it to where it should be. None of it is being lent to new businesses, none of it is being lent to housing, none of it is being lent to anything that would constitute job opportunities. That's one of the reasons unemployment is at a high level." The Fed has been paying banks to leave the money in their accounts at the Fed, providing the banks with liquidity but not necessarily the economy. The result, so far, has been a low interest rate but also extremely limited private lending. Tate says that the answer is to let the market take back over. That likely would lead to higher rates sooner. "I believe if interest rates rise, you're going to get an increase in the recovery. And that's because.....
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Health Highlights
**New Brain Cancer Treatment Supported by FDA Panel.
**Recalled Pogo Sticks Pose Fall Hazard.
**The Only OTC Asthma Inhaler Will be Gone by Year's End: FDA.
**Radiation Fears Lead to Shortage of Potassium Iodide in U.S. Even Though There Is No Cause For Alarm.
**Medicare Paid Millions for Erectile Dysfunction Drugs Even Though They Are Not Covered By The Health Program.
**Plastic Pieces Found in Lean Cuisine Spaghetti With Meatballs.
**Surgery May Help Male Cancer Survivors Become Fathers.
**Guatemalan Victims of U.S. Syphilis Experiments File Lawsuit.
**Psychiatric Drug Seroquel Settlement Costs AstraZeneca $68.5 Million.
**Extracurricular Activities Reduce Teen Pot Use.
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- Obama Must Obey the Court on Obamacare: Obama's 2 1/2 week delay may have been calculated, Judge Vinson said. "It could be argued that the executive branch [Obama Administration] seeks to continue the implementation, in part, for the very reason that the implemented provisions will be hard to undo once they are fully in place."
President Obama’s conduct is reminiscent of President Richard Nixon’s defiance of a district court order on the grounds that he interpreted the Constitution differently. Obamacare’s provisions — tax credits to businesses, grants to states, rule changes for insurers — will be hard to undo. For that reason, some state lawmakers have tried to block implementation of the law while it is in legal limbo. "If we wait," explained Idaho state representative Vito Barbieri, "the tentacles of federal money, federal rules, federal agencies will be impossible to eradicate." When a president’s administration is hauled into court [by 26 states] and loses, it must obey the court.
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Health Highlights
**Skippy Peanut Butter Recalled.
**Recalled Hazelnuts May be Linked to E. Coli Cases.
**Distracted Driving Common Among Young Adults.
**Use of Pregnancy Hormone in Diet Program Causes Concern.
**More Discharged Hospital Patients Require Home Care.
**Adverse Drug Reactions Common Among Older Adults.
**WHO Criticized for Handling of Swine Flu Pandemic.
**FDA Panel Discusses Possible Risks of Anesthesia in Young Children.
**Huge Price Increase for Preterm Labor Prevention Drug After The FDA Grants KV Pharmaceutical The Exclusive Right To Sell The Drug.
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- The Obamacare 'Frankenstein' Should Never Have Left the Laboratory and Needs To Be Killed
As for Obamacare and whether it should be killed, Gov. Mike Huckabee declares: "It needs to be. It never should have come alive. This is a Frankenstein. This should never have come out of the laboratory. We had some test models that had been done in the states, and they failed miserably. In this case, we actually had a couple of state models, Tennessee and Massachusetts, that have tried. [They said], let's get everybody covered, let's see what happens. "Well, costs went up, waiting times for doctors went up, quality went down, satisfaction went down. It did almost the polar opposite of what it was supposed to do. Yet we went headstrong with Obama and the Democrats pushing for this. So it should never have lived. I do think it will die. If the courts don't kill it, I sure hope the Congress will."
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Health Highlights
**Fla. Judge Will Suspend His Ruling Against Obamacare Only If An Expedited Appeal Is Filed Within Seven Days; The conditional suspension is an attempt to overcome the Obama Administration's deliberate stalling of a ruling by the Supreme Court as to if Obamacare is unconstitutional.
**FDA Warns of Birth Defects Tied to Epilepsy Drug.
**High Blood Pressure Affects 1 in 4 U.S. Adults.
**Most U.S. Nursing Homes Employ People With Criminal Records.
**Loss of Unborn Baby Affects Women for Years.
**Long-term Use of Popular Heartburn Drugs May Lower Magnesium Levels Resulting In Muscle Spasms, Irregular Heartbeat and Seizures.
**E. Coli on Many Shopping Cart Handles.
**Painkillers Like Aspirin May Hike Impotence Risk.
**DEA Imposes Restrictions on Fake Pot.
**Gene Therapy Leads to HIV-Resistant Blood Cells.
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- Barack Obama's Budget-Busting Whoppers: Obama's proposed budget is a fraud. It's a deceit. It's a sham.
Despite all the baloney you've heard in the media about how the White House has slashed Federal spending, don't believe a word of it. That is-how can I be polite about it?-a bunch of balderdash. Here are the facts. If Obama gets his way-or anything even close to it-it will mean that our 44th President will have saddled this country with more debt than all 43 presidents who preceded him. Let me state the facts another way: The President of the United States is asking his country to let him spend more than $300 billion a month. And to borrow $120 billion of that amount so he can dole it out to his favorite causes and constituencies. Programs to help the low-income people heat their homes in the winter? Gone. Funds to help local communities fix their failing water and sewage systems? Decimated. Deductions for the interest you pay on your mortgage? Wiped out. Deductions for.......
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- Obamacare Packs Crushing New Taxes: Obamacare Is One of the Largest Tax Increases in American History
While there are many reasons to oppose this flawed government health insurance law, it is important to remember that Obamacare is also one of the largest tax increases in American history. Next week, the U.S. House of Representatives will be voting on a historic repeal of the Obamacare law. This article includes a comprehensive list of the two dozen new or higher taxes that pay for Obamcare's expansion of government spending and interference between doctors and patients.
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Health Highlights
**Toyota Announces Expanded Recall of Floor Mats That Can Cause Unintended Acceleration.
**Drug Shortages Hitting Hospitals Across the U.S. Due To Federally Mandated Holdups In Manufacturing.
**Obama Administration Rescinds Rule That Gave Protections To Health Care Workers Whose Beliefs Were In Conflict With Abortion and Other Medical Procedures.
**Scientists ID Gene Helping to Drive Breast Cancer.
**Spending on Drugs for Diabetes, Cholesterol Exceeds $52 Billion.
**U.S. Whooping Cough Cases Topped 21,000 in 2010.
**Law Officials Target Florida Pill Mills.
**Blocking Enzyme Prevents Breast Cancer Spread.
**Feds Want Cigarette Companies to Make Public Confessions.
**Kidney Transplant Age Discrimination Changes Could Favor Younger Patients Instead of Giving Priority To Those On The Waiting List Longest.
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Health Highlights
**FDA Warns Pregnant Women About Asthma Drug Terbutaline.
**Caramel Coloring in Colas Poses Cancer Risk: Consumer Group.
**Plastic Surgeons Downplaying Breast Implant Cancer Risk, Group Says.
**Narcolepsy/Swine Flu Vaccine Link May Be Due to Genetics.
**Cracked Syringes Prompt Recall of Antipsychotic Drug.
**Nearly 800,000 Child Safety Seats Recalled.
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- Federal Judge in Florida Rules The Entire Health Care Law [Obamacare] Unconstitutional and Void: Judge sides with 26 states that sued to block Obamacare agreeing that the new law is unconstitutional and violates people's rights by forcing them to buy health insurance
Attorneys for the 26 states said the Obama administration was essentially coercing the states into participating in the overhaul by holding billions of Medicaid dollars hostage. The states also said the federal government is violating the Constitution by forcing a mandate on the states without providing money to pay for it. States that joined the lawsuit are: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Two other states have also filed lawsuits to block Obamacare bringing the total to 28 states.
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- Obama Embraces 'Death Panel' Concept in Medicare Rule: The Obama plan cuts nearly $500 million in Medicare benefits to seniors
The new provision goes into effect Jan. 1, 2011 and allows Medicare to pay for voluntary counseling to help beneficiaries deal with the complex and decisions families face when a loved one is approaching death. Critics say it is another attempt to limit healthcare options for the elderly as they face serious illness. Specifically, the measure was known as Section 1233 of the bill passed by the House in November 2009. "The infamous Section 1233 is still alive and kicking," Elizabeth D. Wickham said. "Patients will lose the ability to control treatments at the end of life." The rule was issued by Dr. Donald M. Berwick, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. He is a longtime advocate for rationing medical procedures for the elderly. Berwick had long applauded use of an algorithm to determine if the aged are worthy of additional expenditure
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- Obamacare ‘Biggest Budget Buster’ Ever: Krauthammer Dismembers Obamacare's Promised Deficit 'Reduction'
One of the frequent Democratic defenses against the GOP-led effort at repealing the massive healthcare law is that it actually would increase the deficit, not reduce it. But how could such a costly program actually reduce the deficit over the next 10 years, as the CBO maintains? The answer is that by collecting premiums now, and paying out no benefits for the first 10 years, you end up with a savings. A surplus. "That a health-care reform law of such enormous size and consequence, revolutionizing one-sixth of the U.S. economy, could be sold on such flimflammery is astonishing, even by Washington standards". "Amending an insanely complicated, contradictory, incoherent and arbitrary 2,000-page bill that will generate tens of thousands of pages of regulations is a complete non-starter. Everything begins with repeal."
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- Issa Warns That Obama’s Expensive Stimulus Spending Ideas Have Clearly Failed and Should Not Be Revived
"President Barack Obama’s $814 billion economic expansion has woefully failed to reach each of its self-imposed targets," Issa writes in the Financial Times. "The president’s stimulus package promised (after adjusting for inflation) that gross domestic product in the fourth quarter of 2010 would be roughly $15,200 billion," Issa writes. "Yet the latest figures, released this month, fell short by some $400 billion. Instead of being an important milestone for the global recovery, the data are just one further example of the failure of Obama’s Keynesian misadventure." He pointed out that Obama and Vice President Joe Biden once predicted that, thanks to the stimulus, unemployment would never top 8 percent and would by this date be back near 7 percent. The current unemployment rate is 9 percent, where it has been stuck for 20 months, Issa writes. "The truth is that real GDP is just 3%.....
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Health Highlights
**Almost 2 Million Summer Infant Baby Monitors Recalled: Devices were linked to the strangulation deaths of two babies.
**28 State Governors Seek An Immediate Supreme Court Review of Obamacare Based Upon the Health Care Law Being Ruled Unconstitutional and Void by A Federal Judge.
**Safety Restrictions Added to Avandia Labeling.
**Universal Flu Vaccine Effective in Humans.
**FDA Investigates Early Failure of Jaw Implants.
**Cholera Confirmed in NYC Residents.
**Winter a Downer for Many.
**New Clue About Cause of Age-Related Macular Degeneration.
**Health Agencies Probe Possible H1N1 Flu Vaccine/Narcolepsy Link.
**Shingles Vaccine Shortage May Continue Until Spring.
**Syphilis Test Wrong in One-Fifth of Cases.
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- Nothing 'Free' About Mandatory, Socialistic Obamacare: Your premium is going to be higher than if the healthcare law hadn’t passed every year through 2019
Essentially the new law takes away your decision about how much insurance you’re willing to buy. You’re forced to buy the sky’s-the-limit policy and pay the higher premium, whether you want to or not. Supporters of Obamacare are telling us that the new law offers "free" preventive care. But read the fine print. What the law actually says is you have to pay 100 percent upfront, in your premium, for any preventive care services. Until now, most health plans put a lifetime limit on what the insurer will pay. Obamacare outlaws that limit. In fact, it is the single biggest reason your premium is going up. Don’t let your Congress member act surprised by this bad news. Members of Congress were warned by the Congressional Budget Office last March, before they voted for the Obama health law, that it would raise premiums. Election day revenge!
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- Obamacare’s Medicine Cabinet Tax to Hit Jan. 1: The provision is just one of Obamacare’s two dozen new or higher taxes totaling nearly $600 billion over this decade
Under current rules, health consumers may use FSA & HSA pre-tax accounts to purchase non-prescription, over-the-counter medicines. But on New Years Day 2011, the 40 million Americans who use FSAs and HSAs will no longer be able to use their accounts to buy simple, everyday medicines like the following: Aspirin, Antacids, Laxatives, Menstrual pain relievers, Antihistamines, Stimulants, Anti-ulcer medicines, Athlete’s foot cream, Cough medicine, Motion sickness medicine, Anti-diarrheal medicine, Decongestants, Hemorrhoid cream, and Anti-flatulence medicine. It is clear violation of President Obama’s oft-repeated promise not to raise "any form of taxes" on any family making less than $250,000 per year.
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Health Highlights
**Some SafetyCraft Cribs Unsafe: Strangulation and Suffocation Risk.
**U.S. Supreme Court Asked to Rule on Obamacare As A Federal Judge Agrees With 28 States and Rules The Entire Health Care Law Unconstitutional and Void.
**Vitamin Waters Ads Misleading.
**Obama Administration Wants To Force Health Insurers To Provide Free Birth Control and Family Planning Services to Women.
**Back Problems Spur Millions of ER Visits a Year.
**FDA Inspections Find Salmonella at Egg Producer.
**Government Warns About 'Bath Salts'.
**FDA Rejects New Diet Pill.
**Swine Flu Vaccine Linked to Narcolepsy.
**Researchers Track How Flu Spreads Among Children.
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Health Highlights
**Heart Doctor Group Assists Federal Investigation Into Defibrillator Use.
**FDA Considering Reclassifying Electroshock Devices.
**Gene Promotes Spread of Cancer.
**U.S. Government Recovers $2.5 Billion in Health Fraud Cases.
**Blood Thinner Plavix to Retain Patent for Extra 6 Months.
**Breast Implants May Be Linked to Rare Cancer.
**Winter Storms Lead to Depleted Blood Supply.
**Weed Sap Appears Effective Against Skin Cancer.
**Salty Foods Affect Blood Vessels.
**Trans Fats May Boost Depression Risk.
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- Obamacare's Paper Tiger: Obamacare may soon be joining "Carter for President 1980" and "Keith Olbermann on Sunday Night Football" on the ash-heap of monumentally bad ideas
In Judge Henry Hudson's landmark ruling of earlier this week, he called the fundamental tenet of the misleadingly-monikered Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA)---specifically, the fine for non-compliance---exactly what it is: A grotesque grab for power by the same Democrats who have been lying about Obamacare's effects all along. Put simply: the Federal government does has not have the prerogative to force people to buy health insurance; and "policy raids by The Doctor Police" is just plain Big Brother-creepy. Most importantly, without Section 1501's penalty for failure to buy insurance at Big Barry's, the PPACA is a legislative paper tiger. The bulk of the Obamacare power grab rested on the threat of enforcement. The Democrats wanted control of the nation's healthcare apparatus and violated the .......
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Health Highlights
**Multaq Heart Drug Linked to Liver Damage: FDA.
**Hypertension Drug Avalide Recalled.
**Chew Bars Recalled Due to High Lead Levels.
**Combo High Blood Pressure Pill Beats Single Drug.
**DNA Blood Test Offers Safer Screen for Down Syndrome.
**Make High School Students Learn CPR.
**Sudden Chromosome Destruction Leads to Cancer.
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- Cuccinelli: Defeating Obamacare Critical to 'Constitution and Liberty'
Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli says the key from the ruling in Virginia Monday "is the constitutional findings. There were two: the individual mandate, and the federal government’s fallback argument that the penalty for not buying their health insurance was a tax. The federal government has lost every single court case on the tax argument. So that’s going nowhere. "This whole case is going to come down to the individual mandate and whether or not Congress has the power to order us to all buy a product. Realize this isn’t just about health insurance and healthcare, it’s about liberty. Because if they can order us to buy health insurance, they can order us to buy anything. "By the end of January, because of who got elected governor and attorney general around the country in November, over half of the states will be suing as plaintiffs their own federal government because of the federal government’s violation of.......
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- The Coming Life-Threatening Rulings of Obama Mandatory Socialistic Healthcare in the U.S.: Money More Important Than Human Lives As U.K. National Health Agency Cuts Off Cancer Drug Tyverb for 2,000 Patients That Have No Approved Alternatives To Fight the Disease
The new mandatory healthcare law pushed by Mr. Obama against the will of the majority of US. citizens will not only ration your healthcare, significantly increase your taxes, dictate if or when you can receive treatment, and force you to use a designated doctor; it will also dictate if you live or die because of treatment cost or older age. In other words you no longer will determine your own healthcare, treatment and options; this mandatory, socialistic law will force you to do it the government's way by taking your healthcare freedom away from you. What personal freedoms will the Obama socialistic government take away from you next? Freedom of choice for housing, property, cars, food, education, occupation or information?
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Health Highlights
**Drug Extends Lives of Patients With Advanced Melanoma.
**FDA Proposes Tougher Safety Measures for External Defibrillators.
**FDA Reports Post-Flu Vaccine Seizures in Young Children.
**World Leaders to Discuss Junk Food Ads.
**Remove Barriers to Breast-Feeding.
**Colorado Considers Default Organ Donation.
**Statins May Not Benefit Healthy People.
**Antioxidants May Help Male Fertility.
**Fatty Acids Ease PMS Symptoms.
**Large Recall of Tylenol, Sudafed.
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- Turning Back Mandatory, Socialistic Obamacare: If the federal government has the power to make you buy health insurance, what couldn't it require of you?
20 states have joined a Florida lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the president's healthcare plan. A second state-level lawsuit against Obamacare is also moving forward in Virginia. Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum claims that there is no constitutional basis for Obamacare’s "individual mandate" that forces the purchase of private healthcare coverage.
Think about it: If the federal government has the power to make you buy health insurance, what couldn't it require? Solar panels for your home, perhaps? A plug-in automobile? Unionized lawn-care services, maybe? Most citizens fear an unrestrained federal government. Wasn’t that the purpose of the Constitution after all, to protect our freedoms? McCollum says if one part of Obamacare is unconstitutional, the entire Affordable Care Act will be voided.
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- House GOP Preparing Major Investigations of Obama Administration
Rep. Darrell Issa plans to lead six major investigations in the first three months of the year. On Issa’s list:
• WikiLeaks' release of classified diplomatic cables
• Recalls at the Food and Drug Administration
• The role of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in the foreclosure crisis
• The Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission's failure to identify the origins of the meltdown
• Alleged corruption in Afghanistan. Other incoming Republican committee chairmen are planning investigations into the Justice Department's civil rights division, the radicalization of Muslims in the United States, homeland security grant money, and air cargo and port and chemical plant security. Rep. Lamar Smith is planning investigations of the Justice Department, including allegations that the civil rights division is not enforcing voter rights laws fairly.
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Health Highlights
**Ground Beef, Chicken Wings Recalled.
**Flu Now Widespread in 5 States, CDC Says.
**Salmonella Outbreak Tied to Alfalfa Sprouts Spreads to 16 States.
**Judge Rules Against NYC's Gruesome Anti-Smoking Ads.
**Low Vitamin D Could Hamper Babies' Breathing.
**Staph Food Poisoning Spurs Desserts Recall.
**Nutrition Labels Coming to Meats in 2012.
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Health Highlights
**Pregnancy Linked to Upped Risk of Mental Health Woes in Female Vets.
**EPA Taking Action on Carcinogen in Tap Water.
**Study Warns About Alternative Therapies and Children.
**Drugmaker Recalls Millions of Diabetes Testing Strips.
**Combined Tests Reveal Early Signs of Alzheimer's Disease.
**Healthy Eating Helps Older People Live Longer.
**Obamacare Will Cause Health Insurance Premiums To Be Much Higher Through 2019; Now Proposed Obama Administration Regulations Say The Health Insurance Companies [Not Obamacare] Will Have To Justify Those Premium Hikes.
**Pfizer Recalls More Bottles of Lipitor.
**Kroger Recalls Pet Food.
**Living Close to Freeway May Increase Autism Risk.
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Health Highlights
**FDA Warns Company About Its Electric Beds: Problems Include Fires That Caused Injury and Death.
**New Blood Test Could Improve Cancer Patients' Care.
**Exercise Tied to Lower Risk of Colon Cancer Death.
**Americans' Diets Aren't as Healthy as They Believe.
**Estrogen May be Linked to Head and Neck Cancer.
**Gene Variant Linked to Depression Risk.
**Music Triggers Release of Pleasure Chemical.
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- Whole-Fat Dairy Products May Lower Type 2 Diabetes Risk: Rare fatty acid found more in whole milk, yogurt and cheeses
The fatty acid is called trans-palmitoleic acid and people with the highest blood levels of this fatty acid reduce their odds of diabetes by 62 percent compared to those with the lowest blood levels of it. In addition, "people who had higher levels of this fatty acid had better cholesterol and triglyceride levels, lower insulin resistance and lower levels of inflammatory markers," said study author Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian. Whole milk has more trans-palmitoleic acid than 2 percent milk, and 2 percent milk has more of this fatty acid than does skim milk. Dr. Sue Kirkman agreed that it's too soon to change dietary guidelines, but said the findings do suggest "that things may be more complicated than we might simplistically think. It looks like we can't say all trans-fats are bad, as this one was associated with decreases in diabetes, insulin resistance and C-reactive.......
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Health Highlights
**Walmart Recalls 2.2 Million Heaters: They can overheat and cause smoking, burning, melting and fire.
**More Problems Found At J&J Medicines Plant: FDA.
**Study Offers New Details About Deadly Staph Bacteria.
**FDA Reexamines Safety of Amalgam Dental Fillings.
**No Toys With Fast Food Meals: Lawsuit.
**Diabetes Affects 1 in 16 U.S. Women Who Give Birth in Hospital.
**Ban Donor Blood From People With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: FDA Panel.
**FDA Warns About Cough Capsule Medication Tessalon (benzonatate): Has candy-like appearance and can result in serious side effects and even death if swallowed by children younger than 10 years old.
**New Strategy for Patients With Multiple Chronic Conditions: HHS.
**FDA Warning on Male Sexual Enhancement Pills.
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- U.S. Government Bans Drop-Side Cribs: Ban comes after millions of recalls and the deaths of more than 30 infants and toddlers in the past decade
The unanimous vote forbids the manufacture, sale and resale of the cribs, which feature a side rail that moves up and down. The requirement that all cribs have fixed sides takes effect next June. The use of drop-side cribs by hotels and childcare centers will be prohibited but those businesses will be given a year to buy new cribs. Drop-side cribs have been popular for decades but have become a serious safety issue in recent years due to assembly problems and malfunctioning hardware that can cause the drop-side rail to partially detach from the crib. This can create a "V"-like gap between the side rail and mattress where an infant can get trapped and suffocate or strangle.
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- Not Just the Newest Toys Hold Risks for Kids: Danger lurks among tricycles as well as battery- and magnet-loaded gadgets, experts warn
Consider how a child plays with and interacts with toys. For example, if the youngster still places objects in his or her mouth, be keenly aware of potential choking hazards on any toys. Make sure that battery-powered toys keep the batteries in compartments that cannot be easily opened by children. Don't buy any magnetic toys for children who are still placing objects in their mouth. Examine all toys for loose parts and sharp points or edges. When buying a riding toy, also provide all the proper protective equipment and make sure it is worn. Supervise the child's play on riding toys at all times. Don't buy costume jewelry for a child. "Metal children's jewelry has been such an ongoing problem in terms of high levels of lead and cadmium that we recommend that people not purchase it and children not play with it," Rachel Weintraub said.
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Health Highlights
**Blood Pressure Drug Pulled Due to Fatal Liver Problems.
**Early Intervention Helps Autistic Toddlers.
**Clearance of Damaging Proteins Slower in Alzheimer's Patients.
**Using Nutmeg to Get High Leads To Nasty, Awful Side Effects.
**FDA Can't Regulate E-Cigarettes as Devices or Drugs: They Containin Highly Addictive Nicotine.
**Obesity Serious Problem in European Union Countries: Has More Than Doubled Over Last 20 Years.
**Obese Children Lag in Physical Activity.
**Flu Vaccination Critical for People with Chronic Health Conditions.
**Bumble Bee Canned Chicken Salad Products Recalled.
**FDA Warning Letter Sent to Maker [Invisalign] of Tooth Straightening System.
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- 40 Million in U.S. Driving Drunk or Drugged: Younger drivers much more likely to drive while impaired; most are aged 16 to 25
Levels of drunk and drugged driving varied among age groups, with younger drivers much more likely to drive while impaired. Drivers aged 16 to 25 had a much higher rate of drunk driving, compared with those aged 26 and older (19.5 percent vs. 11.8 percent). Those aged 16 to 25 also had a higher rate of drugged driving than those aged 26 and older (11.4 percent vs. 2.8 percent). Some states with the highest levels of drunk driving include Wisconsin (23.7 percent) and North Dakota (22.4 percent). The highest rates for drugged driving are in Rhode Island (7.8 percent) and Vermont (6.6 percent).
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- Serotonin May Be the Key to SIDS: Lack of biochemical causes baby's alarm system to fail if breathing problems develop, experts say
Doctors have found that babies who die of SIDS tend to have significantly lower amounts of serotonin than babies who die of other causes. Serotonin is a hormonal neurotransmitter closely linked to many of the body's vital functions, including the sleeping cycle. A lack of serotonin is suspected to hamper a sleeping baby's ability to wake up when its safety is threatened by a lack of oxygen or some other health hazard, said Dr. Rachel Y. Moon. "We think a lot of it has to do with arousal, and how babies can wake up when they are asleep," Moon said. "If you have a baby who gets into a compromised situation and they are becoming hypoxic, there are some babies who are sleeping so deeply or have an arousal defect that they can't wake up."
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- Radiation After Surgery Lowers Chances of Breast Cancer's Return: Study also found tamoxifen reduced risk of localized disease recurring
The researchers found that radiation after surgery reduced the risk of invasive cancer in the same breast by nearly 70 percent and decreased recurrent DCIS in the same breast by more than 60 percent. Radiation therapy had no effect on the other breast. "This study is very important in confirming the benefits of radiotherapy in the treatment of ductal carcinoma in situ and, most importantly, decreasing the incidence of invasive carcinoma developing in the same breast," said Dr. Lauren Cassell. "This trial emphasizes the importance of radiotherapy in high-grade [more quickly growing and more likely to spread] DCIS and also suggests a role for tamoxifen, primarily for new contralateral disease," they concluded.
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- Watching R-rated Movies Ups Odds of Teens Smoking: Yet, only one in three is restricted by parents from viewing such movies, study finds
In fact, the study authors estimated that if 10- to 14-year-olds were completely restricted from viewing R-rated movies, their risk of starting to smoke could drop two to threefold. "When watching popular movies, youth are exposed to many risk behaviors, including smoking, which is rarely displayed with negative health consequences and most often portrayed in a positive manner or glamorized to some extent said Rebecca de Leeuw. "Our findings indicate that parental R-rated movie restrictions were directly related to a lower risk of smoking initiation, but also indirectly through changes in children's sensation seeking," de Leeuw added. Parents should not be afraid to say no. Restricting exposure to R-rated movies reduces smoking, and smoking is a gateway behavior. Movie theaters and video stores should help parents by enforcing policies restricting....
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- Daily Aspirin Linked to Steep Drop in Cancer Risk: Long-term, low-dose regimen study shows dramatic findings for many common cancers
Specifically, a British research team unearthed evidence that a low-dose aspirin (75 milligrams) taken daily for at least five years brings about a 10 percent to 60 percent drop in fatalities depending on the type of cancer. But the study's lead author, Prof. Peter Rothwell, stressed that "these results do not mean that all adults should immediately start taking aspirin." "The take-home message for patients is that if someone is taking low-dose or regular aspirin, it may put them at a reduced risk of death from cancer," Dr. Alan Arslan added. "However, if someone is not already taking aspirin they should talk with their physician before starting. Aspirin has risks of side effects, including bleeding and stroke."
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Health Highlights
**Mylanta and Alternagel Antacids Recalled.
**Lowe's Recalls Roman Shades and Roll-Up Blinds.
**Index Finger Length Linked to Prostate Cancer Risk.
**U.S. Senate Passes Food Safety Bill to Increase Government Powers.
**Egg Producer Given OK to Resume Sales: FDA.
**Drug Use Implicated in a Third of Fatal Car Crashes.
**Alcohol-Spiked Whipped Cream Concerns Health Officials.
**The Drugs Avodart and Proscar Reduce Prostate Cancer Risk But The Tumors They Prevent Are Usually Not Life-Threatening.
**Probiotics May Ease Some Children's Illnesses.
**Brain Chemical Boost May Benefit Alzheimer's Patients.
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- Recurrent Miscarriages May Greatly Increase Heart Attack Risk: Another factor to consider when evaluating cardiovascular profile, researchers say
Each miscarriage increased heart attack risk by 40 percent, and having more than two miscarriages increased the risk by more than fourfold. Women who had more than three miscarriages had a ninefold increased risk. The study, published online Dec. 1 in the journal Heart, also found that having at least one stillbirth increased the risk of heart attack 3.5 times. The degree of risk associated with recurrent miscarriage decreased when the researchers factored in major heart attack factors such as smoking, weight and alcohol consumption, but the risk was still five times higher than normal. "These results suggest that women who experienced spontaneous pregnancy loss are at a substantially higher risk of [heart attack] later in life," the researchers wrote.
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- Working With Pesticides May Affect Memory and More: Study of agricultural workers reveals loss of thinking skills
On seven of the nine tests, workers who had been exposed to pesticides were most likely to do worse the second time they were tested, the researchers found. The study also reported that pesticide-exposed workers were up to five times more likely than the others to have lower test scores on both occasions and were twice as likely to show a drop of two points in the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), which tests cognitive functioning and is frequently used to determine if a person has dementia. The decline in MMSE score "is particularly striking in view of the short duration of follow-up and the relatively young age of the participants," said Isabelle Baldi. "The mild [cognitive] impairment we observed raises the question of the potentially higher risks of injury in this population and also of possible evolution towards neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's........
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Health Highlights
**DEA Targets 'Fake Pot' [Synthetic Marijuana].
**Spouses' Happiness Linked.
**Childen's Benadryl, Motrin Recalled by Company.
**HIV Infections, AIDS Deaths Declining.
**Staging of Localized Prostate Cancer Often Incorrect.
**Eye Disease Patients Receiving Embryonic Stem Cell Treatment.
**Cholesterol Drug May Benefit Kidney Disease Patients.
**Restrict or Ban Flavored Cigarettes: Public Health Officials.
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- Bleeding Risk With Plavix-Aspirin Regimen May Be Serious: While warfarin is still riskier, doctors should weigh dangers before prescribing
Risk of bleeding for patients on antiplatelet therapy with either warfarin or a combination of Plavix (clopidogrel) and aspirin is substantial. But the Plavix-aspirin combination was thought to cause less bleeding than it actually does, the researchers say. Dr. Gregg Fonarow said that "the use of dual antiplatelet therapy with aspirin and clopidogrel significantly reduces the risk of cardiovascular events in patients after acute coronary syndromes and patients undergoing coronary stenting." There is a well-defined increased risk of major and minor bleeding with dual antiplatelet therapy, but in most patients the benefits of therapy outweigh these risks, he said. "These findings reinforce the need for patients receiving dual antiplatelet therapy to be well-educated on the benefits of treatment and the importance of adherence, but also the increased...
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Health Highlights
**New Drug Fights Bone Tumors in Prostate Cancer Patients.
**Food Safety Bill Passed by Senate.
**Women, Low-Income, Older, and Rural Adults Most Likely To Use U.S. Hospital Emergency Departments.
**Cholera Confirmed in Florida Woman.
**Diabetes and Weight Loss Drug Mediator Linked to 500 Deaths.
**U.S. Cancer Patients' End-of-Life Care Varies Widely.
**FDA May Take Action Against Caffeinated Alcohol Drinks.
**Yearly MRI Scans Benefit Women at High Breast Cancer Risk.
**First Stroke Patient Injected With Stem Cells.
**Secondhand Smoke Linked to Hearing Loss.
**FDA Announces External Defibrillator Safety Program.
**Big Tobacco Tries to Intimidate Developing Nations To Fight Tighter Restrictions On Cigarette Marketing.
**Smoked Turkey Breast Products Recalled.
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- Hospital Care Deadly for Some: Hospital care-related problems contribute to the deaths of about 15,000 Medicare patients each month
One in seven patients suffers harm from hospital care, including infections, bed sores and excessive bleeding from blood-thinning drugs, said researchers who analyzed data on 780 Medicare patients discharged from hospitals in October 2008. The study findings "tell us exactly what some of us have been afraid of, that we have not made much progress," said Arthur Levin. "What more do we have to do to make sure that sick people can rest assured that they're not going to be harmed by the care they're getting?" Medical mistakes are "an enormous public health problem," agreed Peter Pronovost. "We spend two pennies trying to deliver safe health care for every dollar we spent trying to develop new genes and new drugs," said Pronovost. "We have to invest in the science of health care delivery."
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- FDA Advisers Endorse New Lupus Drug: If approved by agency, Benlysta would be first new drug to treat the disease in 50 years
The drug, belimumab (Benlysta), is a so-called monoclonal antibody drug developed to treat patients who suffer from systemic lupus erythematosus. "The risks associated with belimumab include infection, malignancy, suicidality and overall number of deaths with a numerical imbalance that favored placebo treatment over belimumab treatment," according to the FDA paper filed before the vote. Safety is important, Sandra C. Raymond said, but the drugs used to treat lupus now carry some significant side effects, too. "The safety of some of our medications is not good," she said. "So what are we comparing it to?" Dr. Joan Merrill added that "the safety data on Benlysta looks better than we usually see with biologics."
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- New Blood Thinner a Promising Alternative to Warfarin: Rivaroxaban did as well or better, with easier dose monitoring, in international study
A new blood thinner might be a viable alternative to warfarin (Coumadin), the standard for decades to treat patients with the dangerous heart rhythm disorder known as atrial fibrillation. Researchers reported that rivaroxaban (Xarelto) proved to be just as good as warfarin, and possibly superior. Rivaroxaban also reduced the risk of serious bleeding events, which is the most troubling side effect of warfarin. Dabigatran (Pradaxa), another newer-generation blood thinner, was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat atrial fibrillation last month. Dr. Elaine Hylek added that she was not "embracing the superiority of rivaroxaban, but it's important that the new kid on the block is saying, 'I'm not inferior to you,' given that so many people can't take warfarin because of monitoring problems."
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- Multifocal Contact Lens Not Ideal for Night Driving: Progressive lenses [glasses] work better
People who wear multifocal contact lenses have more difficulty driving at night than those who wear glasses. Multifocal lenses correct near vision problems (presbyopia), a condition that becomes more common with age. Wearing multifocal contact lenses resulted in significantly slower driving speeds at night, compared with wearing progressive addition glasses. Even at slower speeds, contact lens wearers were less able to recognize road hazards. They also had to be closer to road signs to read them, potentially decreasing the time they have to react to information on the signs. "For those patients who drive long distances and hours at night, practitioners should consider the best form of correction of presbyopia. One alternative is to prescribe the multifocal contact lenses for daytime use and a different correction for driving at night," wrote Byoung Sun Chu.
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Health Highlights
**Caffeinated Alcoholic Drinks Banned in Washington State: "Blackout in a can" beverages "are real trouble for our youth".
**Mutant Mosquitoes Used to Fight Dengue Fever.
**Questions Raised About New Prostate Cancer Drug Provenge.
**Parents Can't Hide Stress From Children.
**New AMA Policy Covers Physicians' Use of Social Media.
**Fast Food Chains Doing Nothing to Fight Childhood Obesity.
**FDA Recommends Ways to Reduce CT Radiation Overdose.
**Drowsy Driving a Major Problem.
**Costco Cheese Implicated in E. Coli Outbreak: FDA.
**Britax Recalls 23,000 Infant Car Seats.
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- 'Synthetic Marijuana' Users Showing Up in Emergency Rooms with Some of the Symptoms Being Described as "Life-Threatening": Called 'K2' or 'Spice,' the drug is legal in many states
K2 is often marketed as incense and sold in packets of herbs laced with synthetic marijuana at "head shops," gas stations, convenience stores and online for about $30 to $40 per three-gram bag. The drug also goes by other names, including Spice, Spice Gold, Spice Diamond, Yucatan Fire, Solar Flare, K2 Summit, Genie, PEP Spice, Fire n Ice, Happy Shaman Herbs, Smoke, Skunk and Zohai. "The classic symptoms are agitation, anxiety, racing heart beat, elevated blood pressure," Dr. Anthony Scalzo said. "And some kids are having very negative psychotropic experiences. One said, 'I felt like I went down to hell'." In some cases, the drug also causes vomiting, tremors and seizures, according to federal drug abuse agencies. "This chemical was not meant to be used in any kind of pharmaceutical manner," Scalzo said.
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Health Highlights
**Costco Cheese Implicated in E. Coli Outbreak: FDA.
**Britax Recalls 23,000 Infant Car Seats: The clip on the chest of car seats can break loose and pose a laceration or choking hazard.
**FDA Gives Digital Mammography Lower Risk Rating.
**Happy Meals Banned in San Francisco.
**Retinal Chip for Blind Shows Promise.
**Alcohol Bigger Threat Than Cocaine or Heroin.
**Discovery May Lead To New Antiviral Drugs.
**Sandoz Recalls Methotrexate: Possible contamination with glass flakes.
**Pfizer Recalls More Bottles of Lipitor: Odor is consistent with the presence of a chemical called TBA.
**McDonald's Fined for Manager's Weight Gain.
**Experts Debate Increased HPV Vaccination for Males.
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- Cost of Employer-Provided Health Insurance Up 54% Since 2000: Government mandates largely responsible
Health insurance originally was intended to help pay major medical expenses; however, government mandates have forced insurance companies to cover more and more over the decades thus driving up premiums. The Obama administration is driving up premiums even more with its socialistic healthcare bill that it passed against the will of the majority of U.S. citizens. The Obama administration will then blame the insurance companies for these increased premiums and use them as an excuse for the government to socialize and completely takeover the healthcare industry. Socialism advocates complete government control of the means of production, distribution and exchange and can eventually transition to communism.
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Health Highlights
**Peanut Risk Prompts Nestle Raisinets Recall.
**Teething Tablets Recalled Because of Serious Adverse Effects In Children.
**Screen New Moms for Depression Which Can Harm Their Babies.
**Woman's Blood Type May Affect Fertility.
**FDA Withholds Approval of New Weight Loss Drug.
**Taller Men May Be Likelier to Get Testicular Cancer.
**Caffeinated Alcohol Beverages Alarm College and Health Officials: "It's a recipe for disaster because your body's natural defense is to get sleep and not want to drink, but in this case you're tricking the body with the caffeine.".
**Chances Of IVF Success Level Off After Third Try.
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Health Highlights
**4 Deaths Prompt Graco Strollers Recall.
**Don't Combine HIV Antiviral Drugs: FDA says can trigger deadly irregular heartbeats.
**Nutritious Potatoes Banned From Child Nutrition Programs Just Because The Government Says Children Are Already Consuming Enough Potatoes.
**Thyroid Cancer Patients May Pose Radiation Risk to Others.
**Phthalates, Hormone-Like Chemicals, Found In Wallpapers And Floor Coverings.
**Tylenol Maker Announces Another Recall.
**Nature's Scenes, Sounds Reduce Pain of Bone Marrow Procedure.
**Engine Noise Affects Taste of Airline Food.
**Frozen Vegetables Recalled for Glass Fragments.
**Obesity Costs Are Double Previous Estimates.
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- More U.S. Kids Getting Hurt Using All-Terrain Vehicles: 30% of those hospitalized suffered traumatic brain injury, researchers found
Among U.S. children younger than 18, hospitalizations for all-terrain vehicle (ATV) injuries increased 150 percent between 1997 and 2006. "All-terrain vehicles are inherently dangerous to children," said Stephen M. Bowman. "While manufacturers are required to label vehicles with engine sizes greater than 90cc as inappropriate for children younger than 16, our data indicate that a growing number of children are receiving serious injuries due to ATV use, suggesting that parents are unaware of these recommendations or are choosing to ignore them," he said. Increasing helmet use through a combination of policy and education is critical to curbing the increasing trend.
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- Halloween Candy Has Limited Shelf Life: Chocolates past expiration date may cause illness, expert says
Shelf life can vary anywhere from two weeks to a year, depending on the type of candy, packaging and storage conditions, says Karen Blakeslee. Hard candies may last indefinitely, but people have suffered salmonella poisoning from eating expired chocolate. Signs that chocolate candy may be past its expiration date include a texture that is extremely sticky or grainy, a flavor that seems "off," a change in color, or (in fruit-and-nut chocolates) mold, said Blakeslee. In general, the softer the candy, the shorter its shelf life, she said, adding that the best way to store candy is in a cool, dry and dark place.
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Health Highlights
**Judge Says A Lawsuit By 20 States Against The Mandatory, Socialistic Obama Health Care Law Can Go To Trial.
**Menaflex Knee Implant Approval A Mistake: FDA.
**New Blood Test Detects Concussion: U.S. Army.
**Chelation Therapies Dangerous: FDA.
**Several Popular Brands of Child Strollers Have Hinges That Can Lead To Finger Injuries.
**Combine Aerobics and Strength Training for Best Fitness.
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- Weight-Loss Drug Meridia Pulled From U.S. Market: FDA cites product's increased risk for heart attack and stroke
Besides finding an increased risk of heart attack and stroke, the review trial found only a small difference in weight loss among those taking the drug and those receiving a placebo, agency officials said. "Physicians are advised to stop prescribing Meridia to their patients, pharmacists are advised to stop dispensing Meridia, and patients are advised to stop taking this drug and dispose of any remaining product," Dr. John Jenkins said. The FDA also warned consumers about another weight-loss drug, Slimming Beauty Bitter Orange Slimming Capsules, which contains the same active ingredient as Meridia -- sibutramine. The capsules can cause the same cardiovascular problems as Meridia, the FDA said. Slimming Beauty is sold over the Internet by Beautiful Health Inc.
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- Bone Drugs Linked to Rare Fractures, FDA Warns: Agency to change warning label, issue medication guide for all bisphosphonates, such as Fosamax and Boniva, used to treat osteoporosis
One of the unusual features of these atypical thigh fractures, also called atypical femur fractures, is that they are often associated with little or no trauma, Rear Admiral Sandra Kweder, M.D. said. "Patients taking bisphosphonates who have experienced an atypical fracture are younger than patients experiencing typical osteoporotic fractures," she said. "In some cases people have fractures of both femurs." Such fractures occur in the bone just below the hip joint or in the long part of the thigh bone. Over half of the patients who have had these fractures said they had dull aching thigh or groin pain that started weeks or months before there was a complete fracture, Kweder said. For patients currently taking bisphosphonates for osteoporosis, the FDA recommends not discontinuing them without talking to.....
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Health Highlights
**Pfizer Recalled Lipitor Because of 'Uncharacteristic Odor'.
**California Whooping Cough Cases Most Since 1955.
**Teen Girls' Obesity Surgery May Increase Birth Defects Risk.
**Dieters Need Sufficient Sleep.
**U.S. Government STD Experiments in Guatemala 'Clearly Unethical: Deliberately infected hundreds.
**J&J, FDA Take Blame for Secret Motrin Recall.
**Drug Take-Back Program Huge Success: A crucial step toward reducing the epidemic of prescription drug abuse that is plaguing the U.S.
**Obama White House Failed To Inform Americans About Worst-Case Estimates of Oil Spill: This slowed response efforts and meant that the public went weeks without being fully informed about the extent of the disaster.
**Alfalfa Sprouts Recalled: Possible salmonella contamination.
**Insights into Molecule May Lead To New Cancer,HIV Treatment
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- Off-Road Motorcycles Safer Than All-Terrain Vehicles in Off-Road Crashes: Victims in ATVs more likely to die of their injuries, study finds
In findings that may surprise racing enthusiasts and even safety experts, Johns Hopkins researchers found that victims of ATV crashes were 50 percent more likely to die of their off-road injuries than similarly injured motorcyclists. In addition, ATV riders were 55 percent more likely to be admitted to an intensive care unit and 42 percent more likely to be placed on a ventilator. "There's a belief that four wheels must be safer than two," said Cassandra Villegas. "But we found the opposite. People involved in ATV crashes are more likely to die or suffer serious trauma." The number of injuries in the United States involving ATVs or off-road motorcycles increased from 92,200 in 2000 to 150,900 in 2007, according to Villegas.
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Health Highlights
**More Than 10 Million Fisher-Price Toys Recalled
**J&J, FDA Take Blame for Secret Motrin Recall.
**U.S. Takes Second Look at Medical Scanner Approvals.
**FTC Puts Squeeze on Pomegranate Juice Maker.
**Are Bans on Texting While Driving Backfiring?
**'Light' Cigarettes' Days Numbered.
**High Costs Spark Debate Over New Cancer Treatments.
**Glass Flakes Trigger Recall of Amgen Anemia Drugs.
**Recalled Baby Formula Poses Little Risk, Manufacturer Says.
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- Celiac Disease Seems to Be on the Rise, Mainly in Elderly: Blood markers for the disease rose from 1 in every 501 individuals in 1974 to 1 in 219 by 1989
Researchers from the United States and Italy uncovered evidence that overall incidence rates of the disease -- marked by an intolerance to the protein gluten that is found in wheat, barley and rye -- have been doubling every 15 years since 1974. The study authors said it's not clear what causes a person to develop the disease. Genetics seem to play a role, and some people are born with it. Environmental factors are also believed to figure into the equation, although it's not known why. Based on their findings, the researchers suggest that doctors be on the lookout for signs of the disease among elderly patients. Symptoms can include diarrhea, intestinal bloating and stomach cramps, and in some cases joint pain, chronic fatigue and depression. If left untreated, the condition can prompt the onset of nutrient absorption issues and.......
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- New Tool Helps Predict Stroke Patient's Risk of Death in Hospital: Computer calculation also helps doctors develop better care plan, researchers say
The tool -- called the Get With The Guidelines-Stroke (GWTG) prediction tool -- is based on a large nationwide sample of stroke patients. Doctors upload patient information upon hospital admission, and a computer calculation predicts the risk of death, based on such factors as age, sex, and the presence of other illnesses. "Hospitals can use our mortality risk score to calculate the mortality rate that they would expect to see, based on the characteristics of their own patients, and compare that to their actual observed mortality," Dr. Eric Smith said. "This could help improve quality of care." The study only included patients with ischemic stroke, the more common and less serious type.
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- Breast-Feeding for 6 Months May Prevent Infant Infections: The longer a baby is exclusively breast-fed, the lower the risk, research shows
Children who derive all their nutrition from breast-milk during their first six months of life are less prone to a host of common infections, new Greek research says. And when infection strikes, the ensuing illness is typically less severe among children who are exclusively breast-fed (having ingested no substitute formula) in their first half year, the study authors stated. The finding, which has been seen in previous studies, held up even after accounting for other factors that can influence the frequency of infections, including exposure to cigarette smoke, ethnicity, the number of siblings in a household, and parental age and education.
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Health Highlights
**Similac Infant Formula Recalled for Bug Contamination.
**Three-Quarters of Americans Could Be Overweight by 2020.
**Nearly One-Third Of U.S. Teens Involved in Violence.
**Distracted Driving A Major Problem.
**Being Obese Is Expensive.
**Many Teens Discount Dangers of Texting While Driving.
**California Facing Record Number of Whooping Cough Cases.
**FDA Reviewing Cancer Risk With Diabetes Drug Actos.
**HIV-Related Monkey Virus at Least 32,000 Years Old.
**Clean Out Medicine Cabinet This Weekend: DEA.
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- Novel Rheumatoid Arthritis Drug Shows Early Promise: Trial patients given oral medication showed improvement in six months; experts caution more testing needed
A new targeted medication for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) may benefit patients with this chronic autoimmune disease who aren't adequately helped by standard RA drug therapy. The oral medication, known as fostamatinib or R788, is part of a new class of drugs known as spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk) inhibitors, which work on the cellular level to block specific pathways that are responsible for joint inflammation. In this phase 2 multi-center clinical trial, patients with RA who took fostamatinib along with methotrexate were twice as likely as those taking methotrexate and a placebo to have a clinically significant improvement in their disease after six months of treatment, the researchers found. What's more, roughly one third of the patients taking methotrexate and fostamatinib showed measurable benefits after just one week of therapy.
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- New Drug Promising for Advanced Thyroid Cancer: But results of early trial will need to be confirmed, expert says
A targeted drug called pazopanib could prove effective against difficult-to-treat cases of thyroid cancer cases, researchers say. Most thyroid cancers can be treated with surgery or radioiodine, but about 5 percent of patients will develop an aggressive, life-threatening form of the disease. Pazopanib (Votrient), already approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for treating advanced kidney cancer, works by inhibiting growth of blood vessels essential for tumor growth and survival. Not only does the drug block production of new blood vessels, it also interferes with the tumor cells' ability to continue growing, Dr. Julian Molina said. Pazopanib, a pill that's taken daily, doesn't have the severe side effects of standard chemotherapy, Molina said. But it is expensive.
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- New Procedure for Aortic Valve Replacement Looks Promising: Less-invasive option may help patients who can't withstand open-heart surgery
As many as 300,000 Americans suffer from aortic stenosis, a condition that prevents the heart's aortic valve from fully opening and sending blood back into the heart. Because of age or poor health, about 30 percent of those with aortic stenosis can't undergo surgery. "This is truly a lifesaving procedure for those patients who cannot have surgery and who have this terrible disease," Dr. Martin B. Leon said. Without a valve replacement, which requires surgery to open up the chest, about 50 percent of patients with aortic stenosis die within two or three years of diagnosis. "This will totally change practice," Dr. William O'Neill added. "If the valves are durable, they will eliminate the need for patients to have open-heart surgery to replace the valves."
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- FDA Approves 1st Oral Drug to Reduce MS Relapses: Using pill instead of injections could boost treatment, experts say
Gilenya (fingolimod) is designed to reduce relapses and delay the progression of debilitating symptoms in patients with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). The drug, which works by altering the immune system response, will be available in capsule form. "Oral drugs are what people with MS have been wishing for a long time. This is wonderful news for people with MS," Dr. John Richert said. "The drug appears to be "quite effective," and at the moment, appears to have a reasonable risk-benefit ratio. "However," he added, "it will be very important for people with MS and their physicians to remain vigilant and be on the lookout for side effects." Both studies found that the lower dose of the drug was better tolerated. A small number of serious infections occurred, including two deaths from herpes infections in these studies. And, there appeared to be a higher.........
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- Disc [Or Button] Battery Ingestion May Cause Severe Injuries in Babies: Review of pediatric cases finds swallowed 'button' battery can burn esophagus
The analysis, which included 10 boys and girls as young as 10 months old, reinforces growing concern over the dangers posed by the increasing ubiquity of such disc (or "button") batteries, generally smaller than a nickel, in a wide array of household products. When swallowed, the battery gets stuck in a child's esophagus, and its interaction with bodily fluids prompts an electrical discharge that can cause tissue burning and severe damage. The study team concluded that such disc battery accidents can have serious consequences for young patients, and physicians need to have a clear understanding of related symptoms and act as fast as possible to minimize the risk of long-term health complications. "Not just toys, but any product should require a tool to open, so children cannot get into where the battery is stored," Dr. Toby Litovitz said.
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- Staying on Gleevec Seems to Help Gastro Cancer Patients: Study patients whose therapy was interrupted had more disease progression
After nearly three years of follow-up, the researchers noted that two-year survival without disease progression was 80 percent among those who continued treatment but only 16 percent among those whose treatment had been interrupted. The findings show that three years of treatment with Gleevec does not totally eliminate cancer-causing cells, which means the disease can recur when treatment is stopped, Dr. Axel Le Cesne said. The authors concluded that because three years of treatment with Gleevec does not eliminate the remaining dormant cancer cells and cure patients with GIST that has spread, it is not recommended that Gleevec is discontinued unless the patient experiences significant toxic effects.
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- Gastric Band Surgery Rising Among Obese Teens: More research needed on long-term safety, effectiveness, researchers say
More overweight teenagers are undergoing laparoscopic gastric band surgery, a weight-loss procedure that isn't approved for anyone under 18 years old, a new study finds. Reseachers found that gastric band operations, which constrict the stomach, increased seven-fold from 2005 to 2007. The authors also noted that although "manufacturers have touted the banding procedure as less invasive, many [medical] centers have abandoned gastric banding because of poor long-term results," concerns about chronic esophageal blockage, the need for frequent readjustments, and complications from the surgery. As with any operation, weight-loss surgery can cause serious complications, including infection, leaks, respiratory arrest, blood clots and death, according to the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery.
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Health Highlights
**Chuck E. Cheese Toys Recalled: Chinese-made toys can break and expose the small batteries inside, which might be swallowed by small children.
**Panel Recommends Cough Syrups Stay Over-the-Counter Even Though Abuse of The Medications By Teenagers Has Been On The Increase.
**Judge Holds Hearing On A Lawsuit Against The U.S. Government's Mandatory Socialistic Health Care Law: 20 States Say The Law Is Unconstitutional.
**Chlorinated Swimming Pools May Increase Cancer Risk.
**Alzheimer's-Linked Protein May Help Trigger Diabetes>
**PSA Test Benefits Men at Genetic Risk for Prostate Cancer.
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- Operating Soon After Hip Fractures May Save Lives: Risk of death rises with delay, study finds
Elderly patients who have surgery soon after suffering a hip fracture reduce their risk of dying by 19 percent, a new analysis shows. Hip fractures are associated with a death rate of 14 percent to 36 percent in the year following the fracture. Current guidelines recommend surgery within 24 hours of a hip fracture. However, some doctors believe delaying surgery helps decrease the risk of complications. In this study, Canadian researchers reviewed 16 previous studies that included a total of 13,478 patients aged 60 and older. They found that surgery performed within 24 to 72 hours after a hip fracture reduces the risk of death and may lower the risk of postoperative pneumonia and pressure sores.
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- Depression, Heart Disease Combo May Up Odds of Death: Together, they quadruple risk of dying from heart attack, stroke, study finds
Researchers analyzed data from nearly 6,000 middle-aged adults in Britain whose mental and physical health were monitored for an average of five-and-a-half years as part of a study looking at how social and economic factors affect long-term health. People with both heart disease and depression were nearly five times more likely to die than those in good physical and mental health. After accounting for a number of factors, the researchers concluded that the combination of depression and heart disease triples the risk of death from all causes and quadruples the risk of death from heart attack or stroke.
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- Expert Panel Links Popular Bone Drugs to Rare Fracture: FDA should add warning label to meds such as Boniva, Fosamax, panelists say
Dr. Elizabeth Shane said the panel was concerned about the lack of patient awareness of atypical femur fractures and their warning signs. These signs include groin or thigh pain for a period of weeks or months before fractures. More than half the patients experienced these signs before their fracture, the report notes. People who are taking bisphosphonates should continue to take them, Shane said, but ask their doctor about the risk of an atypical thigh fracture. The panel added that bisphosphonates should only be given to people with certain cancers, Paget's disease (a rare bone ailment) and patients with osteoporosis who are at high risk of having a fracture. Bisphosphonates include: Aclasta, Actonel, Aredia, Bondronat, Boniva, Didronel, Fosamax, Fosavance, Reclast, Skelid, and Zometa.
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- Common Asthma Drug Could Speed MS Treatment: Adding albuterol to standard medicine seems to help patients faster, study finds
The authors of this small and preliminary study showed that albuterol, prescribed for a variety of respiratory illnesses, enhances the effects of glatiramer acetate, a drug already prescribed for MS patients. "Albuterol causes the [immune system] cells to change the type of interleukin they produce to one that is beneficial in MS," said Dr. Samia J. Khoury Khoury. "The idea was that albuterol may enhance the effect of Copaxone [glatiramer acetate], and this was confirmed in the study." Noting the small size of the study, Dr. Tracey M. DeAngelis said "what is needed now is a large, multi-center study in order to draw any conclusion" about whether albuterol should be used in the normal course of treating multiple sclerosis.
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- More Kids Who Play Basketball Suffering Head Injuries: While other types of injuries have declined, concussions have gone up 70 percent, study finds
Lara McKenzie thinks the increased size of players is one factor in the increase in concussions. Another is that the game has become more competitive, she said. Boys were more likely to suffer cuts, fractures and dislocations, while girls were more likely to suffer concussions and knee injuries. Children 15 to 19 years of age were three times more likely to injure their knees and ankles, while younger children, aged 5 to 10, were more likely to suffer concussions, fractures and dislocations, the study found. Dr. Lyle Micheli agreed that children's sports are being played more aggressively, which is one factor in the rise in the number of injuries, particularly concussions. "If you did the same study for soccer I think you would see even more of a trend," he said. "Parents have to be thoughtful about their objectives for their kids in sports
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- Prostate Cancer Screening No Benefit to Older Men With Low PSA Levels: Further testing, early cancer detection strategies more likely to do harm than good, researchers say
Although many men are concerned about prostate cancer, a new study finds that in men aged 55 to 74 with low levels of baseline prostate-specific antigen (PSA), further screening and early detection of prostate cancer offer virtually no benefit. Most men with the disease won't die from it. In the United States, a man has about a 15.8 percent chance of being diagnosed with prostate cancer, but the risk of dying from it is only about 2.8 percent, the researchers said. The American Cancer Society still recommends that men at high-risk for prostate cancer and those 50 and over talk with their doctors about the risks & benefits of screening. However, the ACS stresses that in some cases such tests should not be offered because they will likely cause more harm than good, with treatments that can cause unpleasant side effects
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Health Highlights
**Certain Imaging Drugs Pose Risk to Kidney Patients: FDA.
**More U.S. Children Being Raised by Grandparents.
**Vitamin B May Slow Alzheimer's Onset.
**Brass Instruments May Be Linked to Lung Condition.
**FDA Issues Warning Letters Over Green Tea Beverages.
**Cockroaches, Locusts Eyed as New Source of Antibiotics.
**Salmonella Fears Prompt Hartz Dog Treat Recall.
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- Kids Playing With Laser Pointers May Be Aiming for Eye Trouble: Teen boy damages retina with Internet-purchased 'toy,' doctors say
A 15-year-old Swiss boy attempted to create his own laser show using a laser pointer he bought on the Internet and a mirror. Instead, he inadvertently beamed the laser into his eyes, creating permanent damage to his vision. "These high-power laser products are very dangerous," said Dr. Martin Schmid. One sure way to know if you have a potentially dangerous laser pointer is if the laser can burn through paper, explained Schmid. "Every laser pointer which is capable of burning holes into paper or of lighting matches or of popping balloons is highly dangerous for the eye and must not be used by non-professionals," he cautioned. The laser used by the boy produced an output of 150 milliwatts (mW), far above the maximal output of 5 mW that's expected from a laser pointer sold to the public.
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- FDA Sends Warning to E-Cigarette Distributors: Agency cites false claims, poor manufacturing processes
The agency said that e-cigarette distributors falsely claim that e-cigarettes -- battery-operated devices that contain cartridges filled with nicotine, flavorings and other chemicals -- will help people quit smoking. "The device turns nicotine, which is highly addictive, into a vapor that is inhaled," according to the FDA. The FDA said in July that its tests had shown that some e-cigarettes contain cancer-causing chemicals and other toxins, including a compound used in antifreeze. The companies receiving warning letters are E-CigaretteDirect LLC, Ruyan America Inc., Gamucci America (Smokey Bayou Inc.), E-Cig Technology Inc. and Johnson's Creek Enterprises LLC.
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- Smoking Could Harm Sperm, Two New Studies Find: Both in smoking men who may become fathers, and in sons born to women who smoked during pregnancy
Research showed that men who smoke heavily may experience fertility problems stemming from a drop in levels of a protein crucial to sperm development, as well as damage to sperm's DNA. Another study suggests that women who smoke early in their pregnancy may ultimately compromise their sons' reproductive health. "Our results provide health care professionals who talk to women who are considering conceiving, or have conceived just recently, with a 'here and now' argument to convince them to stop smoking,"Dr. Claus Yding Anderson said. "Because the negative effect of smoking appears to take place right from conception and during the early days [of gestation], when the human embryo becomes differentiated into either a girl or a boy."
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- New Study Suggests That Obesity, Independent of Drinking and Smoking, Is Also Associated With Brain Injury: In other words, weight also is related to brain health among those with alcoholism
"It is commonly believed that it is the large amount of consumed alcohol by itself that leads to brain injury in alcoholics," said Dieter J. Meyerhoff. "This is only partly correct. In previous studies, we have shown that alcoholics who smoke cigarettes have greater brain injury than nonsmoking alcoholics. This new study suggests that a high BMI, independent of drinking and smoking, is also associated with brain injury," Meyerhoff said. "BMI may be a very important factor to consider when examining other potential consequences of alcohol use. Since individuals who consume substantial amounts of alcohol are at risk for obesity, it is important to understand the influence of body fat deposition on the measures we are examining. It could be that metabolic changes resulting from or causing obesity......
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Health Highlights
**New Malaria Drug Shows Promise.
**Study Questions Cleanliness Of Home Kitchens.
**Cough Medicine Ingredient May Get New Restrictions: FDA said that inappropriate use of the drug for its euphoric effects was associated with nearly 8,000 emergency room visits in 2008.
**Botox Maker Pays $600 Million To Settle Marketing Investigation: The government said the marketing led doctors to use Botox for unapproved uses, such as treatment of headache, pain, spasticity, and cerebral palsy in children.
**Diabetes Top Reason for Vietnam Vets' Health Claims.
**Restaurant Portions Too Large.
**Ground Beef Recalled Due to E. coli.
**New Test Helps Determines Need For Cesarean.
**Narcolepsy, Swine Flu Vaccine Link Under Investigation.
**Typhoid Fears Spur Recall of Frozen Mamey Fruit Bars.
**2 Superbug Gene Cases In Austria.
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- Diet Pill Meridia Increases Risk of Heart Attacks and Stroke: While researchers saw no rise in deaths, some experts wonder if this drug has a future
The drug did not seem to make people healthier, Dr. Greg Curfman said. "Some people were actually made worse," he said. "All this taken together results in an unfavorable risk-benefit profile and, based on that, we don't see a rationale for keeping this on the market." Also, he said, "the efficacy of producing weight loss with the drug is very unimpressive. In this trial, patients lost on average less than 4 kilograms [about 9 pounds] and we know that that's not going to translate into a real health benefit over time. It's not enough weight loss. "I have never really found that people taking Meridia had obtained a real substantive weight loss," said Dr. J. Chad Teeters. "It seems that a lot of these 'quick fix' weight loss drugs don't really live up to the hype and they come with risks. I think there's probably going to be a significant....
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- Long-Term Use of Bone Drugs May Be Linked to Esophageal Cancer: 5 years of meds such as Boniva, Fosamax or Actonel almost doubles chances, but actual risk still low, researchers say
The team found people who had had 10 or more prescriptions for bisphosphonates written for them, or had received prescriptions for these drugs over about five years, had almost double the risk of esophageal cancer, compared with people who didn't take these drugs. If the results from this study are confirmed and oral bisphosphonates double the rate of esophageal cancer, esophageal cancer rates would still remain relatively low from a population standpoint, Diane Wysowski said. "However, because oral bisphosphonates are widely used on a chronic basis, the results, if confirmed, could have implications for a large number of patients," Wysowski said. "Be sure to follow the directions for use and report to your doctor any difficulty swallowing or throat, chest, or digestive discomfort so that your doctor......"
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- Lower Blood Pressure May Help Sicker Kidney Patients: Standard goal may not be low enough for those with protein in their urine, study finds
Aggressive treatment to lower high blood pressure may help preserve kidney function and prevent the need for dialysis in some black patients with chronic kidney disease. "This is not a panacea. We have a lot more to figure out. But our evidence suggests that we have a way to at least delay or possibly even prevent end-stage kidney disease in some patients," said Dr. Lawrence J. Appel. The study of 1,094 black patients with chronic kidney disease and high blood pressure found that aggressive treatment to lower high blood pressure to about 130/80 provided the most benefit to sicker kidney disease patients -- those with protein in their urine. In this group of patients, there was about a 25 percent reduction in end-stage kidney disease compared to those who achieved a blood pressure goal of 140/90, which is the standard of doctors when treating.......
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- Double-Dose Plavix Benefits Certain Patients, Study Finds: And higher-dose aspirin is no more effective than low dose, researchers say
Two reports on the data find that high doses of Plavix are good for some patients, but not all, while high-dose aspirin is no better than a low dose for preventing new heart attacks, other cardiac problems, stroke and death. Patients who are at high risk for heart attack and stroke and low risk for bleeding are going to do well on a higher dose of Plavix, said Dr. Gregg Stone. "Patients who are at lower risk for atherosclerotic complications, but high risk for bleeding should be treated with a more conservative lower dose," added Stone. "Taken together, the message is very simple: We recommend that patients undergoing PCI [percutaneous coronary intervention] receive the full double-dose regimen of clopidogrel, and those who do not have PCI should be treated with the standard-dose regimen of clopidogrel," said Dr. Shamir Mehta.
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- Almost 1 in 3 First-Time Deliveries Now Via C-Section: More must be done to curb the use of the procedure, which comes with risks, experts say
In addition, more women than ever before are having repeat C-section deliveries and the rate of medically induced deliveries is high. Many cesarean deliveries were done at an early stage of labor, before the women even had a chance to spontaneously deliver. "First, cesarean section is not just having a baby; it is having a baby through major surgery. So there is a chance of bleeding, infections and longer healing and recovery," said Dr. Salih Yasin. There are also the long-term effects of repeated cesareans on the uterus. "You end up having many more cases of cesarean-related hysterectomies and transfusion and maternal death," he said. "We are noticing an almost 10-times increase of those significant complications," Yasin said.
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- Concussion Rates Soar Among Younger Kids: From 1997 to 2007, emergency department visits for concussion in kids aged 8 to 13 playing organized sports doubled, and the number of visits increased by more than 200 percent in older teens
The American Academy of Pediatrics has issued new guidelines on what to do about sports-related concussions, with advice for both parents and physicians. Parents should know that "no athlete should go back to play on the same day they have their concussion. There is no medication or treatment proven for concussion, other than rest, he added. That means resting the body and the brain, he noted. "Worrisome signs for us are a progressively increasing headache, if a child is unable to move an arm or leg, worsening symptoms, repeated throwing up," said Halstead. "Those are things that should be evaluated sooner." Other symptoms include feeling lightheaded or confused or losing consciousness.
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Health Highlights
**380,000 Pounds of Deli Meats Recalled.
**Company Recalls Two Hip Replacement Systems.
**Epidurals During Labor Protect Muscles.
**FDA Warns About TimeOut Capsules.
**Mr. Magic Capsules Pose Health Risk: FDA.
**FDA Not Backing Vaccine That Protects Hens in UK from Salmonella.
**'Tootsie Tanner' Radiation Can Harm Skin, Eyes: FDA.
**Doctors Puzzled Over Muscle Damage to Oregon Football Players.
**Judge Calls Halt to Obama Policy to Expand Stem Cell Research.
**Drugs Protect Monkeys Against Ebola, Marburg Viruses.
**Parkinson's Drug May Increase Risk of Cardiovascular Events: FDA.
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- Are The Eggs in Your Fridge Safe to Eat?: Experts tell you what you need to know in the wake of a massive recall
The first thing to do is to check the carton for the "Sell By" date and the two numbers below it, federal health officials say, to see if your eggs are involved in the recall. One number is the plant number, and the other is the packaged date, or Julian date, shows what day of the year the eggs were packaged, For example, Jan. 1 is 001 and Dec. 31 is 365. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has a list of what numbered designations are included in the recall. Wright County Farms and Hillandale Farms, the companies involved in the recall, have identified more than 16 brand names under which the eggs were sold, but that information is incomplete. Some eggs were sold individually rather than in cartons, so they could be repackaged under other brands. If you are unsure about the source of your eggs, throw them away, the FDA advised. Egg safety & salmonella advice is offered....
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- 2nd Egg Recall Linked to Salmonella Under Way: Producer says there have been laboratory-confirmed cases of Salmonella enteritidis
Hillandale Farms of New Hampton, Iowa, said it was voluntarily recalling 170 million shell eggs produced since April that were sent to 14 states in the Midwest and West. Hillandale said the eggs covered by its recall were distributed to grocery distribution centers, retail grocery stores and food-service companies that service or are located in Arkansas, California, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas, and Wisconsin. The eggs were distributed under the following brand names: Hillandale Farms, Sunny Farms, and Sunny Meadow in 6-egg cartons, dozen-egg cartons, 18-egg cartons, 30-egg packages, and 5-dozen cases. Loose eggs were packaged under the following brand names: Wholesome Farms and West Creek in 15 and 30-dozen tray packs, Hillandale said in a news release.
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- Study Suggests Link Between Diet Sodas and An Increase In The Risk of Preterm Delivery
The researchers looked at the soft drink habits of nearly 60,000 Danish women enrolled in a national study there from 1996 to 2002. The investigators found a link between the intake of diet carbonated drinks and, to a lesser extent, diet noncarbonated drinks and delivering a baby early. The team found no association between the premature delivery and the intake of carbonated drinks sweetened with sugar. However, compared with those who never drank the beverages, women who downed four or more diet (artificially sweetened) carbonated drinks a day were 78 percent more likely to deliver early than women who never drank the beverages. And those who had four or more diet, noncarbonated drinks daily were 29 percent more likely to deliver early.
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- Alcohol May Raise Risk for Certain Breast Cancers: Study found drinking associated with increase in hormone receptor-positive cancers
Researchers found that women who drank one alcoholic beverage a day were at higher risk for developing estrogen receptor- and progesterone receptor-positive breast cancers. Alcohol consumption was also connected with an increased risk for noninvasive breast cancers, but not for invasive tumors. "We know that alcohol is a well established risk factor associated with breast cancer. What was unique about this study is that they tried to differentiate the type of cancer," said Dr. Sandhya Pruthi. "This shows that alcohol is a risk [factor] for developing breast cancer, and I think that women should be counseled that [drinking alcohol] does increase risk of breast cancer," added Dr. Jay Brooks. "Women should be advised [of the risk] but she has to make a decision how important having alcohol in her life is."
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- Link Between Diabetes, Alzheimer's Disease Strengthened: Latest study correlates insulin troubles with dementia-linked brain plaques
Two of the most common and dreaded illnesses in America may share a connection, with new research suggesting that having insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes raises your risk of developing the brain plaques associated with Alzheimer's disease. After adjusting for other risk factors, the Japanese study found that people with the highest levels of fasting insulin had nearly six times the odds of having plaque deposits between nerves in the brain, compared to people with the lowest levels of fasting insulin. Those with the highest scores on a measure of insulin resistance (where cells become less able to use insulin effectively) had about five times the odds of having brain plaques vs. those with the lowest scores on the insulin-resistance test.
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- Could Drinking Water Before Meals Help You Lose Weight?: People who drank two glasses prior to eating dropped more pounds, study found
A new study found that middle-aged and older adults who drank two cups of water before each meal consumed fewer calories and lost more weight than those who skipped drinking water. What they weren't sure about, however, was if water drinkers would compensate by eating more throughout the rest of the day, said Brenda Davy. But after 12 weeks of dieting, that didn't happen. After one year, preliminary data shows that those who continued to drink water before meals not only kept those pounds off, but have even continued to lose a bit more. Yet pre-meal water chugging comes with one caveat: it may only work if you're middle-aged or older, Davy said. In older people, it takes longer for the stomach to empty, which may be why the water helps them feel fuller and less hungry, while in younger people, water begins leaving the stomach almost immediately, Davy....
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Health Highlights
**Movie Smoking Ups Teens' Risk Of Starting the Habit: Youth exposed to a lot of on-screen smoking are about three times more likely to begin smoking.
**Possible Link Between Athletes' Head Injuries and Lou Gehrig's Disease.
**Cancer a Major Economic Issue: The amount of life and productivity lost due to cancer is greater than AIDS, malaria, the flu and other infectious diseases.
**Being Youngest in Class May Lead to ADHD Misdiagnosis.
**FDA Wants to Revoke Approval Of Low Blood Pressure Drug.
**Take Statins With Junk Food, U.K. Experts Suggest.
**Diabetes Involved in About 20 Percent of Hospitalizations.
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- Nationwide Recall of Eggs Linked to Salmonella Expanded: More than 250 people sickened by germ in at least four states as Iowa company recalls 380 million eggs
The outbreak, which apparently began in May, appears to be ongoing, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. The outbreak has been tracked to in-shell eggs from Wright County Egg in Galt, Iowa, which launched the recall. Its eggs were distributed to wholesalers and food-service companies nationwide under multiple brand names: Lucerne, Albertson, Mountain Dairy, Ralph's, Boomsma's, Sunshine, Hillandale, Trafficanda, Farm Fresh, Shoreland, Lund, Dutch Farms and Kemps. The recall covers eggs in their shells packed between May 16 and Aug. 13. They come in cartons ranging from six to 18 eggs and are marked with plant numbers P-1026, P-1413 and P-1946. The eggs should be returned for a refund. "This certainly has the potential to be a very large outbreak, both given the apparent number of reported cases so far and.....
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- High School Football Players Prone to Heat-Linked Illness: They're much more vulnerable than kids playing other sports, study finds
About two-thirds of heat-related illnesses occur during August and most happen during practices, not games. Overweight athletes are most likely to be affected. The highest rate of time-loss heat illness was among football players -- 4.5 per 100,000 athlete exposures. That rate is 10 times higher than the average rate (0.4 per 100,000) for the eight other sports included in the study. Heat stroke has claimed the lives of 31 U.S. high school football players since 1995. To help student-athletes' bodies get used to hot weather, coaches should gradually increase practice duration and intensity over 14 days. Athletes need to drink plenty of water and sports beverages to replace the water and salt they lose through sweating. They also need to take breaks when needed, the CDC said.
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- Deaths From A Severe Type of Heart Attack [STEMI] Rise With Delays in Care: Study finds 10% increase in mortality with every additional hour between call, treatment
In patients with such heart attacks, the longer the artery is blocked, the more heart muscle that is damaged and the greater the chances of death, explained Dr. Christian Juhl Terkelsen. Research shows that primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), also known as balloon angioplasty, is more effective than older treatments, such as clot-dissolving medications, Terkelsen said. But in the United States, not every hospital is equipped to do PCI, said Dr. Christopher Granger. That makes it critical to get to the right sort of hospital -- one that has a "catheterization lab" in which staff can be activated quickly when a STEMI patient is on route, Granger said. A key step in activating the "cath lab" is making sure that paramedics can diagnosis the heart attack en route, Granger said. To do this, ambulances need to be....
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- Human Meds Are Pets' Biggest Poisoning Danger: Pill-popping pups prompt many calls to ASPCA's poison control center
"Dogs' and cats' metabolisms are different from ours, so they can't always process the same drugs we can," explains Silene Young. Just one extra-strength Tylenol, for example, can kill a cat. And the anti-cancer topical treatment, Fluorouracil, can be fatal in dogs, even in the tiniest doses ingested -- say, from chewing on the discarded cotton swabs used to apply the cream, according to veterinary toxicologists. Medication mix-ups cause unintentional poisonings too. By grabbing the wrong bottle, some owners inadvertently give their pet medication that's really meant for them or other humans.
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- Study Finds Even a Little Cigarette Smoke Harms Airway: Just a few puffs trigger genetic changes in cells that could spur disease
A new study that finds even low levels of smoke exposure can cause irreparable damage to cells essential to breathing. The damage occurred among "casual" smokers and even after exposure to secondhand smoke. The initial damage, while not usually severe, can be cumulative and prolonged exposure to tobacco smoke could lead to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and even lung cancer. The bottom line: "There is no level of cigarette smoking or exposure to cigarette smoke that does not make the cells in your lungs sick,"Dr. Ronald Crystal said. "If you are an occasional smoker you are still at risk. Don't think that smoking one or two cigarettes a week means you are home free." As for secondhand smoke, "if you are working in a place where people smoke, either get them to stop or go get another job," Crystal advised. "If you have somebody at home who.......
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- 1 in 5 U.S. Teens Has Developed Hearing Loss: Overuse of MP3 players is the likely cause, a leading expert suggests
The hearing loss among teens, Paul R. Kileny said, is not due to increased exposure to loud noises or the prolonged use of some medications "because they [teens] are way too young to manifest the effects of this exposure or of age-related hearing loss." Instead, he said, the loss can probably be "traced back to lifestyle and habits, and for the most part, it's very likely associated with the increased use of portable MP3 devices." The compression of music for MP3 files has removed the dynamic highs and lows in the music. "This means that music, which typically has peaks and valleys, now is mostly just peaks," Kileny said. "As a result, everything is loud." "Because once you have created an environment in the inner ear of this nature, it tends to be progressive," he said. "Over time you can expect the hearing loss will be significant."
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- Students Warned to Beware of 'Laptop-itis': Computer design can lead to injuries in heavy users, but simple steps can minimize risk, expert advises
The very design of laptop computers encourages bad posture among college students and other heavy users, which can lead to headaches, muscle strain and debilitating neck, shoulder and hand injuries. The issue stems from the unified body construction that defines laptops. With an inseparable keyboard and monitor, users are not free to configure their equipment in a way that minimizes risk. Signs of trouble typically come in the form of headaches, wrist pain, tingling in the fingers or thumb, and neck and shoulder pain, he added. Concern about such laptop health issues is driven by their rising popularity, as worldwide sales now exceed those of standard desktop computers. Students are particularly vulnerable, since laptops are a common feature of campus life.
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Health Highlights
**Frozen Fruit Pulp Linked To Typhoid Fever Outbreak: FDA.
**California Lawsuit Targets Children's Inflatable Bounce Houses With High Lead Levels.
**Seizure Drug Can Cause Aseptic Meningitis: FDA.
**Fresh Express Recalls Mixed Salad Product.
**Computer Test May Detect Autism in Adults.
**Brain May Be Wired Like Internet.
**1 Million Pounds of Ground Beef Recalled.
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- Tylenol Use Linked to Asthma, Other Allergies in Teens: Study looked at 13- and 14-year-olds from 50 countries
Teens from around the world who regularly take acetaminophen, best known as Tylenol, were more than twice as likely to have asthma as teens who never take the over-the-counter pain and fever reducer. Taking acetaminophen was also linked to an increased chance of eczema and rhinoconjunctivitis, or allergic nasal congestion, in adolescents. The study is one of several in recent years that has linked acetaminophen usage during pregnancy or childhood to an increased risk of developing asthma. The risk of having asthma was nearly 2.5 times higher among frequent users, and 43 percent higher among medium users than those who never took acetaminophen. Frequent users of acetaminophen were 2.75 times as likely to say their wheezing was so bad it disturbed their sleep and limited their ability to speak.
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- Wider Waist May Raise Death Risk Later in Life: Study suggests it increases chances of heart trouble, cancer, respiratory disease, independent of weight
Among middle-aged and older adults, having a large waist can significantly raise the risk for dying prematurely, new research indicates. The association appears to apply to both men and women, the study authors noted. What's more, having a normal weight does not, in fact, protect against such risk if you carry any excess weight in your abdominal region. Men who had a waist size of 47 inches or more bore about a twofold higher risk for death compared to men with the lowest waist size, they noted. The same increased risk was observed among women with a waist size of 42 inches or more. "It is about the body fat you carry, not necessarily the number on the scale. It's one more reminder that we've sort of accepted this is a part of aging, people get big around their middle. But just because it's the norm doesn't mean it's OK," Connie Diekman
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- Relieving Eye Pressure May Slow Glaucoma: Treatment most likely to help young patients with advanced damage, researchers say
Patients with glaucoma who have more rapid visual field change than other patients may benefit from a reduction of pressure within the eyeball. Being older and having abnormal levels of anticardiolipin antibody (which is an antibody directed against a certain protein in the body) were associated with a more rapid rate of visual change. But reducing intraocular pressure appeared to slow the rate at which some of these patients experienced declines in visual field. While the degree of this slowed rate of decline may not have been clinically significant for some patients, the difference could be significant over 20 years, according to Balwantray C. Chauhan. "In younger patients with more advanced damage, this difference is likely to be important," Chauhan and colleagues wrote.
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- Many Stroke Patients Stop Taking Meds, Study Shows: Second report finds many heart failure patients not even prescribed recommended medications
In one report, researchers found that 25 percent of stroke patients stopped taking one or more of their stroke prevention medications within three months after their stroke. "Most importantly, these results show that some patients require more teaching regarding their medications, including why a medication is prescribed and how to refill it,"Dr. Cheryl D. Bushnell said. In the second report researchers found that doctors are not prescribing two medications [ACE inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers and beta blockers] known to be effective in managing heart failure as much as they once did. This suggests doctors may be getting tired of prescribing the same old drugs, which are available as generics, in favor of newer, more expensive ones, Dr. Dipanjan Banerjee said.
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- Just a Little Belly Fat Can Damage Blood Vessels: Raises risk for high blood pressure, other heart problems, study finds
People who put on even a little weight around their middle hinder the function of cells that line their blood vessels, increasing the risk for high blood pressure and other problems. These cells, called endothelial cells, are vital for proper functioning of blood vessels. They control the ability of the vessel to contract and dilate, which in turn controls blood flow. Damage to the endothelium can lead to the vessel not functioning properly and eventually high blood pressure and blood vessel disease. And "when people put on a modest amount of weight, if the fat is in the belly, those people tended to have a greater impairment of endothelial function," said Dr. Virend K. Somers. "Further, this endothelial dysfunction is entirely reversible after the excess weight and abdominal fat is lost through diet. This is yet another reason to maintain a healthy weight & avoid....
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- Generics As Good As Costly Blood Pressure Meds, Study Finds: Plus, fewer deaths seen in group taking no-brand-name diuretics after 8 to 13 years
Data released in 2002 showed that after four to eight years of follow-up, the diuretic was better than the calcium blocker in preventing heart failure and better than the ACE inhibitor in preventing stroke, heart failure and overall cardiovascular disease. Differences between the drugs narrowed after eight to 13 years of follow-up, the findings show. However, the diuretic was still better in two areas. Compared with patients taking the diuretic, those in the ACE inhibitor group had a 20 percent higher death rate from stroke, and those in the calcium channel blocker group had a 12 percent higher rate of hospitalization and death because of heart failure.
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Health Highlights
**U.S. Panel Warns Against Australian-Made Flu Shot for Young Children: Unexplained higher rates of fevers and seizures occurred in children.
**Groups Defend Guidelines for Early Diagnosis of Alzheimer's.
**Loving Siblings Help Shield Against Depression.
**Large Drop In Heart Bypass Surgery Deaths: U.S. Report.
**Iams and Eukanuba Dry Dog Foods Recalled: They may be contaminated with salmonella. Humans are at risk because they can get salmonella from infected dogs.
**7 Hours Of Sleep Optimal For Heart Health.
**Breast Milk Sugars Support Beneficial Gut Bacteria In Infants.
**Altered Herpes Virus May Fight Head and Neck Cancer.
**Study Pinpoints Cells Linked to Prostate Cancer.
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- Spread of Whooping Cough Raises Concern: Five states involved, with California seeing largest epidemic in 50 years, officials say
In adults, whooping cough can cause a barking cough that lasts for weeks, but it's treatable with antibiotics and rarely life-threatening, said Jeff Dimond. But in infants too young to be immunized, whooping cough can be deadly. Last week, the seventh California baby died. About two-thirds of infants who get pertussis will be hospitalized, according to the CDC. About one in 10 children who are infected develop pneumonia, while in one in 250 get the disease that affects the brain, called encephalopathy. The disease usually begins with symptoms similar to those of a common cold, such as runny nose, congestion and a mild fever, and then progresses to a dry, hacking cough and prolonged, violent coughing spells that can cause vomiting.
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- Number of Obese Adults Keeps Rising, CDC Says: Overall obesity level now close to 27%
The report, from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), also found that between 2007-2009, the number of U.S. states where at least 30 percent of the adult population is obese had tripled to nine from three. Ten years ago, no state had an obesity prevalence of 30 percent or more, according to the new report. "Obesity has doubled in adults and tripled in children. We need intensive and ongoing efforts to address obesity, or more people will get sick and die from the complications of obesity, such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer," said Dr. Thomas R. Frieden. According to the report, 2.4 million more American adults have reported becoming obese since the last such survey in 2007. Initiatives needed to fight the obesity epidemic, according to Frieden, include: Increase in physical activity, Increased breast-feeding of infants, Eating more fruits & vegetables, Cutting.....
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- Addictive Internet Use Tied to Depression in Teens: Even healthy ones can run into trouble with too much use, researchers say
One factor to the link between overuse of the Internet and psychological problems like depression may be that the Internet is actually isolating and alienating, Michael Gilbert said. "Parents are indicating to us that a lot of their children's friendship circles are contracting by reason of the fact they are spending too much time on the Internet," he said. "This ties in generally with the notion that Internet behavior is becoming disruptive in the family." Spending too much time on the Internet is a so-called "process addiction," like gambling and pornography, Gilbert said. "The technology changes, the medium changes, but the issue always comes down to parents ascertaining control over their children's behavior and monitoring it," he said.
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Health Highlights
**Nap Nanny Recliners Recalled After Infant Death.
**Iams Cat Food Recalled Due To Possible Salmonella Contamination.
**AAP Issues Updated Head Lice Guidelines.
**Major Food Safety Violations At Many U.S. Stadiums.
**BPA Chemical Found On Cash Register Receipts: BPA is a plastic hardener that's been linked to diabetes, heart disease, breast cancer and other health problems.
**Disciplinary Lapses Tied To High Rate Of Army Suicides.
**Cubicin Antibiotic Linked To Pneumonia: FDA.
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- Chest Compressions Alone Best With CPR: Studies support bystanders not using mouth-to-mouth breathing
If you haven't been well-trained in CPR and you see someone having what appears to be a heart attack, just doing chest compressions to help keep the blood flowing can be as effective as CPR that includes mouth-to-mouth breathing, new research claims. Dr. Dana Peres Edelson said that if you see a seemingly healthy adult suddenly drop, call 911 and then begin chest compressions. Emergency dispatchers can provide instructions on where to place your hands. If someone else is available to help, she said to have them call 911 and to go look for an automatic defibrillator, which are now present in many public places, such as malls, schools and stadiums. "Push hard, push fast and don't stop unless you have to give a breath or use a defibrillator," said Edelson. "If you do stop, keep the pause as brief as possible."
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- Delivering Babies Even a Few Weeks Early Ups Respiratory Risks: Study finds greatly raised odds, but rates of planned, preterm C-sections remain high, experts note
Late preterm births -- defined as between the 34th and 37th weeks of pregnancy -- account for about 9 percent of all infants born in the United States, the researchers said. And too often, they are the result of a planned Cesarean deliveries, one expert noted. "Our study verifies that late preterm birth neonates delivered from 34 to 37 weeks have much higher risks for respiratory complications than infants delivered from 38 to 40 weeks gestation," said Dr. Judith U. Hibbard. "The risk for respiratory [illness] decreases with each advancing week of gestation." The increase in the number of planned Cesarean deliveries is worrisome, Dr. Eduardo Bancalari said. "In some hospitals, it is 50 or 60 percent. That is completely out of control," he said. "Because these are planned C-sections, some of them are done prematurely. It......
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- Not All Epilepsy Drugs Raise Suicide Risk:Only newer meds tied to depression appear linked to self-harm, researchers say
The study of more than 44,000 epilepsy patients in the United Kingdom revealed that those who took relatively new antiepileptic drugs with a higher risk of causing depression, such as levetiracetam (Keppra), topiramate (Topamax) and vigabatrin (Sabril), were three times more likely to harm themselves or attempt suicide than those who weren't taking any epilepsy medications. The researchers found that patients who took conventional epilepsy medications, such as divalproex (Depakote, Depakote ER, Depakene) or phenytoin (Dilantin), or newer drugs with a low risk of depression, such as gabapentin (Neurontin) or lamotrigine (Lamictal), faced no increased risk of self-harm of suicidal behavior. An accompanying editorial notes several weaknesses of the study. For one thing, the results were based on a very small number of cases. Also, those taking the newer drugs with.......
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- New Data Supports Link Between Diabetes Drugs, Fractures: Avandia, Actos increase chances of broken bones in older men and women, study shows
New research finds that two widely prescribed diabetes drugs may raise the risk of broken bones in postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes. There was also a fracture risk seen among men who had been prescribed either Avandia or Actos plus a loop diuretic. "This raises the question of whether this class of drugs is best for patients. There are a lot of other great drugs you can use in diabetes, the best of which is to give patients insulin, which has no real side effects and has been used for 80 years," observed Steve Hammes. "It's more and more clear that, as a first-line agent, TZDs are probably not a good idea." Women over 50 who had broken bones were 71 percent more likely to have been prescribed a TZD. In men, the increased risk (more than triple) was seen among those taking both TZDs and loop diuretics, but not in just one or the other.
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- Anesthesia's Role in Hip, Knee Replacement Infections Studied: Greater risk noted in patients who had general versus spinal/epidural method, researchers say
"However, these infections are extremely serious and difficult to treat because of the implanted hardware. Sometimes the entire joint needs to be removed," said Dr. Daniel Sessler. After adjusting their statistics so they wouldn't be thrown off by factors such as the age and sex of the patients, the researchers found that those who had general anesthesia instead of epidural or spinal anesthesia were more than twice as likely to have developed a surgical site infection. Sessler said the major message of the study is that "spinal or epidural anesthesia reduces the risk of a very serious complication. It would thus be a mistake for patients to insist on general anesthesia if their anesthesiologist suggests a regional approach." Patients who receive regional anesthesia are often sedated so they're not awake during the procedure, he.....
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- Rush Victims of Deadliest Heart Attacks to Specialty Centers: Researchers estimate this will save twice as many lives and be far less expensive as expanding specialized treatment
Earlier research has found that PCI [percutaneous coronary interventions] is the best way to handle the deadliest kind of heart attack -- known as ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, or STEMI -- which is caused by near-complete blockage of a coronary artery. For that reason, the researchers used computer-simulation to evaluate strategies to make PCI interventions available to more patients -- since only one in four U.S. hospitals is currently equipped with the special labs needed to perform the procedure. The investigators found that standard ambulance delivery of patients to the nearest existing PCI care center was twice as effective and 20 times less expensive than expanding PCI availability to facilities not currently able to offer the intervention. "Expanding patient access to PCI is critical to....
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Health Highlights
**Chicken Nuggets Sold at Wal-Mart May Contain Plastic Pieces.
**California Whooping Cough Outbreak May Be Worst in 50 Years.
**Avastin's Breast Cancer Promise Seems to Fade.
**Army Suicides Hit Record Level in June.
**More People Receiving AIDS Drugs.
**Caribbean Hard Hit By Dengue Fever.
**Many States Cutting Programs For Elderly And Disabled.
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- Dangerous Fungus, Cryptococcus gattii, Now Endemic in Pacific Northwest: The emerging fungal infection can be deadly, but many mild cases may go unnoticed
While C. gattii infections are rare -- only 60 cases have been reported since 2004 -- they can be severe and even fatal. "C. gattii is still rare so we don't want people to panic or to misunderstand the risk of infection, but it is serious," said co-author Julie Harris. Harris explained that people get the infection by breathing in the spores of the fungus, which live in the environment and are usually found in the bark of certain trees and the surrounding ground. C. gattii infection causes a prolonged cough, shortness of breath, headache, fever, weight loss, and, in some patients, a stiff neck, according to Harris. The fungal infection is not contagious among people, she added. Symptoms can take months to develop after exposure, with the median time being six to seven months, and incubation periods as short as eight weeks and as.....
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- Patient's 'Lost' Blood Can Be Reused in Trauma Surgery: Process safer, cheaper than using donated blood, study authors say
During planned surgeries in which the patient is expected to experience significant bleeding into the chest cavity or abdomen, it's common practice. However, reusing the patient's blood is much less common during emergency surgeries that can occur after shootings, car accidents and other traumas, explained Dr. Carlos Brown. If more trauma centers would do so, it would both lower costs and potentially avoid blood-transfusion related risks to trauma patients, including reactions to the donated blood and the transmission of infectious disease, Brown said. In addition, the patients' own blood is "fresher," he said. Over time, blood stored in blood banks deteriorates and may not flow as well through the body. "We just want to get the message out that if you can do this at your trauma center, you should," said Brown.
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- New Guidelines Urge Earlier Therapy for HIV Patients: Treatment advances may help prevent progression to AIDS, expert panel says
Starting antiretroviral treatment (ART) when an HIV patient has no symptoms can prevent the progressive immune system destruction that leads to AIDS, according to new treatment guidelines released by the International AIDS Society-USA Panel. "Advances in ART have shown that AIDS, as traditionally defined, can be prevented. One of the greatest challenges is that full implementation of these guidelines will require addressing social and structural barriers to diagnosis and care, as well as the pervasive stigma and discrimination associated with an HIV diagnosis," they concluded. The new guidelines are included in this article.
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- Aggressive Drug Therapy May Help Slow Spread of AIDS: Infections in British Columbia cut in half since regimen introduced in 1996, study finds
"Our results show a strong and significant association between increased HAART coverage, reduced community viral load, and decreased number of new HIV diagnoses per year in the population of a Canadian province," said Professor Julio Montaner. "While waiting for an effective vaccine, experiences such as those reported today should be strongly considered by clinicians, national and international agencies, policy makers, and all parties involved in the development of treatment guidelines, because the population-based dimension of HAART might play an important part in the future control of the HIV epidemic," wrote Dr. Franco Maggiolo and Dr. Sebastiano Leone.
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- FDA Advisers Say Avastin Shouldn't Be Used for Breast Cancer: Panel says the drug wasn't benefiting patients
The 12 to 1 vote represented a setback for Avastin, which is the world's best-selling cancer drug. The drug is also approved for lung, colon, kidney and brain cancer. The 13 experts convened by the FDA voted unanimously that the drug's side effects and risks outweighed benefits when used with conventional chemotherapy. "The study shows there's very little benefit to patients with significant toxicity risks and no clear survival benefit," said Natalie Compagni Portis.
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- The Longer You Sit, the Shorter Your Life Span: Effect was seen even when researchers factored out obesity, exercise
After adjusting for a number of risk factors, including body mass index (BMI) and smoking, women who spent six hours a day sitting had a 37 percent increased risk of dying versus those who spent less than three hours a day on their bottoms. For men the increased risk was 17 percent. Exercise, even a little per day, did tend to lower the mortality risk tied to sitting, the team noted. However, sitting's influence on death risk remained significant even when activity was factored in. On the other hand, people who sat a lot and did not exercise or stay active had an even higher mortality risk: 94 percent for women and 48 percent for men. When muscles, especially those in the legs, are "sitting," they stimulate or suppress various hormones which then affect triglycerides, cholesterol and other markers for heart and other diseases, Dr. Alpa Patel explained.
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- People Who Are Depressed 'See' a Gray World: Their retinas respond less to black-and-white contrasts, scans found
German researchers used retina scans to monitor the response of the retina to varying black-and-white contrasts, and found that depressed people had dramatically lower retinal response to contrast than those without depression. This lower response was evident in depressed patients regardless of whether or not they were taking antidepressants. The researchers also found that people with the most severe depression had the lowest levels of retinal response to contrast. The research "highlights the ways that depression alters one's experience of the world," journal editor Dr. John Krystal said in a journal news release. "The poet William Cowper said that 'variety's the very spice of life,' yet when people are depressed, they are less able to perceive contrasts in the visual world. This loss would seem to make the world a less pleasurable place."
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Health Highlights
**Fresh Express Romaine Lettuce Salad Products Recalled.
**FDA Panel Turns Thumbs Down on Weight-Loss Drug.
**Packaging Chemicals Caused Cereal Recall: Kellogg.
**Pottery Barn Kids Recalls 82,000 Cribs: They Pose A Suffocation or Entrapment Hazard.
**Nestle Settles With FTC Over Children's Drink Health Claims.
**Common Waterborne Diseases Have High Health Costs.
**Suicide Attempts Common Cause of Drug-Related ER Visits.
**Obesity At Age 20 Takes 8 years Off Men's Lives.
**Do More to Cut Blood Infections In Hospital Patients: Survey.
**Drug Maker Recalls Some Lots of Blood Thinner Coumadin.
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- Rare Blood Vessel Disease Could Have New Treatment Option: Rituximab could be first new therapy in 40 years against specific forms of vasculitis, researchers say
"This trial has demonstrated for the first time there is an effective alternative to cyclophosphamide for remission induction, and there are a variety of results that make us think that rituximab should be the treatment of choice for remission induction," said Dr. John H. Stone. "I think these are two very important pivotal studies that bring hope to patients with ANCA vasculitis. And despite the fact that they are relatively small studies, they are proof of principle that this medicine has the ability to get rid of the group of cells that produce the [antibody]," added Dr. Ronald J. Falk. "These antibodies are actually causing the disease, so by getting rid of them, one is really now attacking the disease cause rather than just disease symptoms."
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- Experts Issue New Guidelines on Breast Cancer Drugs: Older women with the leading tumor type can use aromatase inhibitors before or after tamoxifen
After a systematic review of medical research on the subject, experts reported that adding an aromatase inhibitor -- a drug that reduces the amount of estrogen produced in the body -- has clearly been shown to reduce the number of tumor recurrences in postmenopausal women compared with the standard drug tamoxifen, which works by blocking the action of estrogen on cancer tumors that are estrogen-receptor positive. The committee preparing the guidelines recommended, therefore, that all postmenopausal women with this type of breast cancer use aromatase inhibitors either before or after tamoxifen. They also concluded that women could use them as long as five years after tamoxifen therapy to lower their risk that the cancer will reoccur.
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- New Guidelines Urge Use of MRI Over CT Scan in Stroke Patients: American Academy of Neurology now says diffusion MRI best for detecting blockage
Diffusion MRI, which measures molecular water motion in tissue, can show where water diffusion is restricted, thus this type of scan reveals where brain damage has occurred in stroke patients. In contrast, CT scans are more like a specialized type of X-ray. For diagnosis of an acute ischemic stroke within 12 hours of symptom onset, diffusion MRI should be considered more useful than CT, according to the new guideline. One of the studies reviewed by the guideline's authors found that MRI accurately detected stroke 83 percent of the time, compared with 26 percent of the time for CT scans. "However, one situation in which CT may still be used first is when a person needs an emergency injection of drug therapy (also known as intravenous thrombolytic therapy) to break up blood clots, if MRI is not immediately available, to avoid delays in.....
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- Excess Weight in Older Women Linked to Diminished Memory: Impact of extra pounds worse for those who carry fat around their hips, researchers find
Middle-aged women who are overweight may have yet another motivation to take off those excess pounds: The more a postmenopausal woman weighs, the worse her memory, researchers have found. What's more, the negative impact on memory was more pronounced in "pear-shaped" women who carry excess weight around their hips, and less of a factor in "apple-shaped" women who carry it around their waists, the study authors noted. Dr. Diana Kerwin said more studies are needed to confirm and explain the apparent disparity between pear- and apple-shaped women. But one possibility is that the type of fat that's deposited on the hips is more likely to release hormones that are detrimental to brain function, she said. "What this study is really telling us is that there's something about obesity that puts you at risk for dementia, and it's independent of.....
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- Exercise, Vitamin D Seem to Cut Alzheimer's Risk: Researchers: Both appear to reduce cognitive decline, two long-term studies contend
The first study found that those who did moderate to heavy amounts of exercise had about a 40 percent reduced risk of developing any type of dementia. People with the lowest levels of physical activity were 45 percent more likely to develop any type of dementia than those who did the most exercise. These trends were strongest in men. The second study found that the risk of cognitive impairment was 42 percent higher in people who were deficient in vitamin D, and 394 percent higher in those with severe vitamin D deficiency. "Vitamin D supplements have proven to be a safe, inexpensive and effective way to treat deficiency," David Llewellyn said. "However, few foods contain vitamin D and levels of supplementation in the U.S. are currently inadequate. More research is urgently needed to establish whether vitamin D supplementation has.....
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- Vitamins D, E Might Help Maintain Brain Health: 3 studies show links between levels of the nutrients and odds for dementia, Parkinson's
In one trial, British researchers tied low levels of vitamin D to higher odds of developing dementia, while a Dutch study found that people with diets rich in vitamin E had a lower risk of developing dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. Finally, a study released by Finnish researchers linked high blood levels of vitamin D to a lower risk of Parkinson's disease. Dr. Michael Holick said that "these finding are consistent with what we have been believing for a long time, that the brain has receptors for vitamin D, so to maximize brain function you probably need adequate vitamin D." Holick also believes that vitamin E is probably important for brain health. "It may be that vitamin E improves the health of the brain cell," he said.
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Health Highlights
**Don't Use Malaria Drug, Qualaquin, to Treat Leg Cramps Says FDA: There's a risk of serious blood disorders and other adverse events.
**Obesity Leads to Inactivity in Kids.
**New Rules May Ease Veterans' Claims for PTSD Compensation.
**FDA Okays Mini Eye Telescope for Macular Degeneration.
**Neck Measurement Reveals Overweight, Obese Children.
**Task Force Issues New Osteoporosis Screening Guidelines.
**Doctors Perform 1st Face Transplant Including Eyelids, Tear Ducts.
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- Tight Blood Pressure Control Doesn't Help All Diabetics: In those with coronary disease, it would be better to focus on other heart risk factors, researcher advises
Lower may not be better when it concerns blood pressure levels in type 2 diabetics who also have heart disease. New research finds that patients with diabetes and coronary artery disease did not have fewer strokes or heart attacks, and actually were more likely to die when their blood pressure was maintained under 130 mm Hg, compared to patients with "usual blood pressure control," putting them in the 130 to 140 range. "The damage was already done [in the patients in this study] and when you push the blood pressure down too much you may actually be inducing unreasonable effects that make the patient vulnerable to cardiac events,"Dr. Fouad Kandeel said. But that doesn't mean that tight control of blood pressure isn't a good thing in early-stage patients. "The early phase patient might deserve tight control so they don't.....
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- Fish Oil Supplements Linked to Lower Risk of Breast Cancer: 32 percent reduced odds seen in postmenopausal women, but more study is needed, researchers say
When the researchers looked at the women who took the fish oil supplements, they found they had a 32 percent reduced risk of breast cancer, which appeared to be restricted to invasive ductal breast cancer, the most common type. Emily White said it's not clear how fish oil may protect against breast cancer, but it could have something to do with the anti-inflammatory properties of fish oil supplements. White cautioned that she's not recommending that fish oil supplements be taken for reducing breast cancer risk, and has issued a statement that "without confirming studies...we should not draw any conclusions about a causal relationship." Such research is about to start, she said, with Harvard researchers enrolling participants to look at the impact of omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D on the risk of cancer, heart disease and stroke.
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- Relentless Heat Threatens Your Health: Kids, elderly are most vulnerable, but experts say simple steps can help
Heat cramps are milder symptoms of enduring too much heat but if they are ignored they can lead to more serious problems. "Typically you get nausea and vomiting, abdominal cramps," Dr. Benson Yeh said. Dizziness, dry mouth, dry skin and fatigue are also warning signs, added Dr. Russell Flood. Preexisting respiratory conditions such as asthma can also be ignited by higher-than-average temperatures. "The best way to avoid becoming severely ill is to get into a cooler environment, even if that just means half an hour," said Yeh. Use cool, damp towels or take a cool bath to lower your body temperature, Yeh advised.
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Health Highlights
**New Technology May Enable Blind People to Drive.
**West Nile Cases Lower in 2009.
**40 Million Expired Swine Flu Vaccine Doses to Be Destroyed.
**Scientists Developing Blood Test for Down Syndrome.
**VA Hospital Warns of Patients' Possible Exposure To Infectious Diseases.
**Cancer Survivors Should Exercise: Guidelines.
**Alcohol During Pregnancy May Harm Son's Sperm.
**Airline Food Companies Cited for Health and Safety Violations.
**New Prostate Cancer Drug in Short Supply.
**Excess Weight Increases Risk of Miscarriage After In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF).
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- Testosterone Gel Used To Boost Mobility Could Raise Risk of High Blood Pressure or Heart Attack in Frail, Older Men
However, the trial was a small one and volunteers were older men with diabetes, cardiovascular disease and other problems, so whether or not these adverse events would affect the larger population of men taking testosterone therapy is still an open question. Testosterone supplementation remains a controversial therapy. "Testosterone is currently not approved for the treatment of older men with mobility problems or frailty, even though there is considerable off-label use of testosterone by older men with low testosterone levels," noted senior study author Dr. Shalender Bhasin. "Given the findings of this research study, older patients and their physicians should carefully weigh the risks of testosterone therapy in their treatment decisions." The trial was discontinued at the end of 2009 when researchers found that 23 men in the testosterone group had had cardiovascular.....
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- Insulin Pump With Blood Sugar Sensor May Improve on Injections: Study finds it leads to better diabetes management for type 1 patients
After one year, the group using the pump and sensor had significantly better blood sugar readings than those using injections, the study found. At the start of the study, A1C levels (a measure of long-term blood sugar control) were 8.3 percent for both groups. For those on the pump, A1C levels dropped to 7.5 percent compared to 8.1 percent for those using injections. The A1C target for adults with diabetes is under 7 percent, while for teens the target is 7.5 percent and for children aged 6 to 12, it's 8 percent, explained study author Dr. Richard Bergenstal. Importantly, there was no difference in the incidence of hypoglycemia, or dangerously low blood sugar episodes, between the two groups, the authors found. "It's important for people to realize there is a real change in the long-term outlook for the health of people with type 1 diabetes, and.....
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- Combo Vaccine Raises Risk of Fever-Related Seizures in Kids: MMR, varicella vaccines given separately seem safer, though real risk still rare, study finds
Toddlers who receive the combination MMRV (measles, mumps, rubella and varicella) vaccine are at higher risk of having a febrile seizure a week to 10 days after receiving the shot than children who get the MMR and varicella (chicken pox) vaccines separately at the same visit, a new study confirms. Although the combination shot doubles the risk of febrile seizure, the odds are still quite small, experts noted. Febrile seizures are brief convulsions brought on by fever that occur in about 5 percent of children between 6 months and 5 years of age, said Dr. Nicola Klein. Although the seizures are distressing, especially to parents, they don't lead to epilepsy or seizure disorders.
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Health Highlights
**Hot Cars Can Be Deadly for Children, Experts Warn.
**More American Women Childless.
**CT Scans Pose Growing Health Threat: Experts.
**Safety Concerns Prompt Recall of Millions of Cribs From Seven Companies.
**California Declares Whooping Cough Epidemic.
**Pfizer Pulls Leukemia Drug Off Market.
**Coffee 'Aphrodisiac' Product Poses Danger: FDA.
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- Stem Cell Technique Restores Sight to Burn-Injured Eyes: Lab-grown graft provides 'biological contact lens' for cornea, experts say
Existing treatments for severe burns involve taking stem cells from the patient's healthy eye, if he or she has one, or from the eyes of a relative or another person. A doctor transfers the stem cells to the burned eye, where they may begin creating new cells that allow the cornea to work properly again. The treatment described in the study takes a slightly different approach. Researchers coaxed the eye's limbal stem cells to reproduce in a lab culture before implanting them in the damaged corneas of 112 patients. "By the time [researchers] put them on the damaged cornea, the stem cells can cover the eye,"Dr. Stephen Pflugfelder said. The study reports that the treatment was successful in 76.6 percent of the patients and partially successful in 13.1 percent.
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- Inducing Labor More Than Doubles The Risk Of Having A Cesarean Delivery: One in five cesareans due to 'failed inductions,' researchers find
Many decisions to induce labor are medically necessary, including situations in which it's deemed safer to deliver the baby than to continue the pregnancy. But many inductions are "elective," requested typically by a woman or her doctor, Dr. Deborah Ehrenthal also found in her study. "There are concerns that deliveries are being scheduled [and labor-induced] for non-medical reasons." "We need to understand it's not without risk to be doing this," Ehrenthal said of some elective inductions and the higher risk of C-sections. "There are significant risk to moms for C-sections." Having one C-section also increases the chances of having to have a C-section in later deliveries. "Emerging evidence shows increasing risk with increasing cesarean deliveries. Preventing the primary C-section can stop that cascade," and reducing elective labor inductions is....
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- Diabetes Appears To Double The Risk of Dying From A Heart Attack, Stroke or Other Heart Condition: People with the condition account for 10% of deaths from cardiovascular disease, study suggests
These findings, Nadeem Sarwar added, highlight the need to prevent & control diabetes, a disease in which blood sugar levels are too high. The researchers found that having diabetes nearly doubled the risk of suffering from various diseases involving the heart and blood vessels. But this risk was only partially due to the usual culprits -- cholesterol, blood pressure and obesity, Sarwar said. This suggests that diabetes may cause cardiovascular disease by a different mechanism, the study authors noted. In addition, the researchers found that higher-than-normal blood sugar in people without diabetes was not strongly related to having a heart attack or stroke. In light of this finding, blood sugar levels are probably not a good indicator for identifying people at risk for heart attack or stroke..
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- Breast Milk Significantly Reduces Infections in Babies: Study finds at least 4 months and preferably 6 months of exclusive breast-feeding best
Breast-feeding seems to provide an immune system boost to infants, helping to prevent respiratory and gastrointestinal illnesses in babies, according to new research. The researchers found that when infants were breast-fed exclusively for four months and then at least partially thereafter, the risk of respiratory and gastrointestinal illnesses was significantly reduced. Compared to babies who were never breast-fed, the risk of lower respiratory infections dropped by 50 percent, the risk of upper respiratory infections were reduced 35 percent and the risk of gastrointestinal illnesses dropped by 59 percent, according to the study. Dr. Henriette Moll said that breast-feeding exclusively until 6 months appeared to provide even more benefit, but.....
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- PCBs May Weaken Kids' Vaccination Response: Early exposure may undermine reaction to diphtheria and tetanus shots, study finds
The findings suggest that exposure to the environmental pollutants in the first years of life (a critical time in immune system development) could undermine the effectiveness of childhood vaccinations and possibly weaken immune system responses to infection. The researchers found that higher PCB concentrations, particularly in children at 18 months, were associated with lower concentrations of diphtheria and tetanus antibodies at ages 5 and 7. Some children had antibody levels lower than what's needed to protect against the two diseases.
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- Vitamin D Deficiency Linked to Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome in Studies:
Screening, supplementation could be beneficial, researchers suggest
A pair of new studies has uncovered evidence that low levels of vitamin D could lead to poor blood sugar control among diabetics and increase the risk of developing metabolic syndrome among seniors. In one study researchers reviewed the medical charts of 124 type 2 diabetes patients who sought specialty care at an endocrine outpatient facility between 2003 and 2008. More than 90 percent of the patients, who ranged in age from 36 to 89, had either vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency, the authors found, despite the fact that they all had had routine primary care visits before their specialty visit. A second study involving nearly 1,300 white Dutch men and women over the age of 65 found almost half were vitamin D-deficient, while 37 percent had metabolic syndrome.
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- MP3 Players Might Harm Hearing: Prolonged listening at loud volume may lead to temporary and later permanent, irreversible loss, experts say
"If one becomes more susceptible to loud-noise damage with aging or age-related hearing loss, MP3 players could be even more of a hazard to middle-aged and older adults," added Robert Frisina. Paul R. Kileny said in addition to volume levels, which can cause hearing damage, MP3s use a compression system to make music files smaller -- a technique that may also lead to hearing loss. "The natural peaks and valleys of the music, which is the saving grace for our ears in terms of exposure, have disappeared," he said. "There are less valleys and more peaks. In any piece of music you have less soft breaks than you used to with CDs or vinyl." In addition, the effect of putting earphones in your ear canal varies with the size of the canal, Kileny said. The younger you are or the smaller you are, the smaller the ear canal. A small ear canal makes music.....
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Health Highlights
**FDA Warns Consumers About Fake 'Generic Tamiflu' Sold Over the Internet: It can be dangerous to people who are allergic to penicillin.
**Marie Callender's Brand Frozen Meals Recalled Because of Salmonella Outbreak.
**FDA Warns Against Too Much Vitamin D For Infants.
**McNeil Expands Odor-Related Recall of Medicines.
**Kroger Ice Cream Recalled because the product may contain tree nuts that aren't listed on the label.
**Obesity in the United States Is "the single greatest threat to public health in this century".
**Brain Distorts Body Image.
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- Drug That Stops Bleeding Could Save Lives: Giving TXA to trauma victims could prevent 100,000 deaths worldwide each year, study suggests
The drug, tranexamic acid (TXA) is cheap, widely available around the world and easily administered, experts said. It works by significantly reducing the rate at which blood clots break down, the researchers explained. "When people have serious injuries, whether from accidents or violence, and when they have severe hemorrhage they can bleed to death. This treatment reduces the chances of bleeding to death by about a sixth, " said researcher Dr. Ian Roberts. Using this drug to treat trauma patients is a completely new idea, Dr. Jerrold H. Levy said. "I think people should consider it [TXA] following trauma on the basis of this study," he said. Currently, TXA is not generally used in emergency rooms to treat trauma patients, but Roberts believes that this study could change that. The researchers believe that TXA could have even wider uses, such as.......
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- Key Blood Sugar Test Seems to Differ By Race: Even when glucose values are similar, blacks have higher A1C results, study finds
The hemoglobin A1C test is supposed to give doctors a sense of diabetics' long-term blood sugar levels, but new research suggests the test may have different results depending on race, even if daily blood sugar levels are the same. What's more, those differences became greater as blood sugar levels and A1C increased. In both studies, the researchers found that blacks had higher A1C levels than whites, even in the presence of normal blood sugar readings. In the first study, blacks without diabetes had an average A1C that was increased by 0.13 percent. In the NHANES group, the difference between blacks and whites was 0.21 percent. Even that seemingly small difference, however, could change the diagnosis of prediabetes or diabetes, experts noted.
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- Longer Antiviral Therapy Reduces Lung Transplant Complications:
Study finds 12-month course of valganciclover wards off dangerous CMV infections
Extended antiviral treatment after a lung transplant may help prevent dangerous complications and organ rejection, a new study from Duke University Medical Center shows. "We found that 12 months of oral valganciclovir was extremely effective and led to a dramatic reduction in the rate of CMV infection and disease," said Dr. Scott Palmer. Potential side effects of valganciclovir include nausea, diarrhea, anemia and other blood disorders, retinal detachment, headache, fever, vomiting, mental changes and other problems. However, the study "showed that there was no increased or added toxicity with the extended course of treatment," Palmer said. "In addition, the study examined viral resistance mutations and demonstrated that extended therapy did not lead to increased drug resistance, a potential concern with longer courses of treatment," Palmer...
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- Ninety Percent of Stroke Risk Due to 10 Risk Factors: Eighty percent of stroke risk due to five lifestyle factors, international study finds
Of that list, five risk factors usually related to lifestyle -- high blood pressure, smoking, abdominal obesity, diet and physical activity -- are responsible for a full 80 percent of all stroke risk, according to the researchers. The study reports that the 10 factors significantly associated with stroke risk are high blood pressure, smoking, physical activity, waist-to-hip ratio (abdominal obesity), diet, blood lipid (fat) levels, diabetes, alcohol intake, stress and depression, and heart disorders. Across the board, high blood pressure was the most important factor, accounting for one-third of all stroke risk. "It's important that most of the risk factors associated with stroke are modifiable," said Dr. Martin J. O'Donnell.
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- Brown Rice Bests White for Diabetes Prevention: Five servings of white rice weekly can up risk of type 2 diabetes, researchers report
"This is an important message for public health. White rice is potentially harmful for the risk of type 2 diabetes," said the study's lead author, Dr. Qi Sun. "Over the last decade, rice consumption in the U.S. has really increased a lot, but more than 70 percent of the rice consumed is white rice," said Sun, who added, "People should replace white rice with brown rice or whole grains." The reason that brown rice may offer some protection, according to Sun, is that it still contains many of the nutrients and fiber that are stripped away in the production of white rice. "When you have just the white rice, it's mostly protein and starch, and you're making freer carbohydrates that are easy to digest," said Dr. Jacob Warman. "With white rice, the digestive enzymes can more easily penetrate the rice grains and release the starch for digestion. After......
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Health Highlights
**Ikea Recalls Millions Of Window Blinds That Pose A Possible Child Strangulation Hazard.
**High Meat Diet Linked To Early Periods for Girls.
**Company Drops Chocolate Toddler Drink After Criticism That The Product Contributes To Childhood Obesity.
**Slightly Early or Late Birth Can Cause Learning Problems.
**Low-Allergy Peanut May Save Lives.
**Brain Influences Cholesterol Levels.
**McDonald's Recalls Shrek Glasses Because The Painted Designs Contain The Carcinogen Cadmium.
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- Epilepsy Drug Linked to Serious Birth Defects: Taking Valproic Acid [Brand names include Depakene and Depakote] ups risk of brain, heart, limb defects in babies, a new study finds
Babies whose mothers took valproic acid during the first trimester were 12.7 times more likely to have spina bifida, in which the spinal cord and backbone fail to develop or close properly, compared to babies whose mothers did not take the drug. Babies whose mothers took valproic acid were also 2.5 times more likely to have an atrial septal defect (a heart defect); about five times as likely to have a cleft palate (a defect of the upper lip and roof of the mouth) or hypospadias (a penis abnormality); more than twice as likely to be born with an extra digit on the hand (polydactyly); and nearly seven times more likely to have craniosynostosis (premature fusion of the skull during fetal development that restricts skull and brain growth). "This drug should not be used as a first-line drug for epilepsy in.........
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- Novel Drug Combats Advanced Melanoma: First in its class, ipilimumab showed 68% increase in survival, researchers report
Scientists say that a new drug to treat melanoma, the first in its class, improved survival by 68 percent in patients whose disease had spread from the skin to other parts of the body. This is big news in the field of melanoma research, where survival rates have refused to budge, despite numerous efforts to come up with an effective treatment for the increasingly common and fatal skin cancer over the past three decades. "This is important because this is a disease where the average survival is six to nine months, so an increase on average by an additional four months is a very large difference in this population," Dr. steven O'Day said. "Even more importantly than the median survival are the one- and two- year landmark survivals, which were nearly doubled in the two ipilimumab arms, going from 25 to 46 percent at one year and 14 to 24 percent at two years."
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- Newer Drugs Beat Gleevec in Head-to-Head Trials
More chronic myeloid leukemia patients responded to Sprycel and Tasigna than Gleevec
Two new drugs, dasatinib (Sprycel) and nilotinib (Tasigna), appear better than imatinib (Gleevec) in treating patients with newly diagnosed chronic myeloid leukemia and should be considered as first-line treatments, two new studies show. "Both next-generation inhibitors of BCR-ABL [dasatinib and nilotinib] are superior to Gleevec in treating chronic myeloid leukemia when compared head-to-head after one year of follow-up," said Dr. Charles L. Sawyers. Newly diagnosed chronic myeloid leukemia patients should probably now be treated with one of the new drugs instead of imatinib, he noted.
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- Drug Made From Sea Sponge Fights Advanced Breast Cancer: Eribulin extended survival after other chemotherapies had failed, study finds
"Eribulin targets the . . . mechanisms by which the cells divide, which is different from previous agents," explained Christopher Twelve. In another study Italian researchers reported that liver biopsies can reveal whether a breast cancer that has spread through the body has changed its cellular characteristics, such as estrogen-receptor status, progesterone-receptor status or HER2 status. A third trial showed that removing more than just the sentinel lymph node, the first lymph node that breast cancer spreads to, may be unnecessary. A final study found that looking for breast cancer micrometastases in the sentinel node did not predict which women with breast cancer would live longer, although finding metastases in bone marrow does seem to predict which women are going to die sooner.
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- Targeted Radiation for Early Breast Cancer a Good Option: 1 session of localized treatment is as effective as whole-breast radiation, researchers found
Radiation therapy that targets a specific area of the breast is as effective as whole-breast radiation in reducing breast cancer recurrence in some women and is far more convenient, a new study suggests. The researchers caution that the patients in the study fit into a limited category: They were 45 years or older, had early invasive breast cancer and were considered appropriate candidates for breast-conserving surgery. For selected patients with early breast cancer, a single dose of radiotherapy delivered at the time of surgery by use of targeted intraoperative radiotherapy should be considered as an alternative to external beam radiotherapy delivered over several weeks, they said in a news release.
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- Common Pain Relievers Raise Heart Risk for Healthy Folks: Safety of drugs like Advil and Aleve differ, study finds
"This study is the first to confirm that the cardiovascular risk is indeed increased when healthy individuals use some of the drugs," said Dr. Emil L. Fosbol.Use of diclofenac (Voltaren and Cataflam) was associated with a 91 percent higher risk of death from all cardiovascular diseases, while rofecoxib (Vioxx) use was associated with a 66 percent increased risk. But the study found no increased risk of cardiovascular problems -- indeed, a slightly lower risk of death -- associated with naproxen, sold over the counter with brand names including Aleve. For people taking the largest doses, diclofenac was associated with a doubled risk of heart attack, and rofecoxib (Vioxx) was associated with a threefold increased risk of heart attack. That warning applies especially to people who exercise regularly and are thus more likely to take an NSAID for muscle and joint pain, ........
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- Researchers Report Treatment Headway Against Lung Cancer: Studies show combo chemotherapy, new drug prolonged lives of some with advanced disease
One study discovered that an experimental drug called crizotinib shrank tumors in the majority of lung cancer patients with a specific gene variant. An estimated 4 percent of lung cancer patients, or roughly 40,000 people worldwide, have this gene variant. A second study found that a double-chemotherapy regimen benefited elderly patients, who represent the majority of those with lung cancer worldwide. Roughly 100,000 patients with lung cancer in the United States are over the age of 70. A phase 3 study found patients receiving the targeted drug vandetanib combined with chemotherapy had a 21 percent decline in disease progression compared to those receiving chemotherapy alone. Median progression-free survival in the combination arm was 17.3 weeks vs. 14 weeks in the control group.
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Health Highlights
**Congress Misses Deadline to Delay Medicare Payment Cut: Senate Turns Back on Seniors Making It More Difficult For Them To Find A Doctor.
**PediaCare-Brand Children's Cold Products Recalled.
**U.S. East Coast Faces Mosquito Woes.
**FDA Approves New Bone Drug: Offers treatment of postmenopausal women at risk for fractures.
**Midnight Snacks Harm Teeth: The flow of saliva -- which is needed to remove food debris from the mouth -- tends to dry up at night.
**More States Require Physical Education for Students: But only five states require physical education consistently from kindergarten to Grade 12.
**Injuries From Groin-Punching 'Game' Increase Among Pre-Teen and Teen Boys: In some cases victims suffer serious damage requiring surgery.
**Companies Pledge to Limit Lead in Handbags.
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- Prostate Cancer Vaccine, Provenge, Shows Few Side Effects: And it extends life for men with advanced disease, researchers say
In April, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the vaccine for use in men with advanced prostate cancer who had failed hormone therapy. The advantage of the vaccine for patients with metastatic hormone-resistant prostate cancer is that it has fewer side effects than chemotherapy, which is the only other treatment option for these patients, Dr. Simon J. Hall explained. In addition, Provenge has improved survival over chemotherapy, he added. The average survival time for men given Provenge is 4.5 months, although some patients saw their lives extended by two to three years. "This is a newly available treatment, with very limited side effects, compared to anything else that a man would be considering in this state," Hall said. According to the FDA, Provenge is given intravenously in a three-dose schedule delivered in two-week intervals.
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- Drug Combo Staves Off Type 2 Diabetes: Low doses of metformin, Avandia cut risk by two-thirds in study
"We were pleasantly surprised to find that using half of the maximum dose was extremely effective for preventing type 2 diabetes," Dr. Bernard Zinman said. In addition, Zinman said that the drug combination appeared to counteract the weight gain that's common with Avandia therapy alone. He said that the researchers saw very few side effects in this study. One major concern about this drug combination, however, is in the use of Avandia. This medication has come under intense FDA scrutiny because it has been associated with an increased risk of heart failure and heart attack. Zinman said that although this study wasn't designed to assess the safety of Avandia, they didn't see an increase in the risk of cardiovascular disease. He also pointed out that this study used only half of the FDA-approved starting dose of the drug.
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- Dangers Lurk in Impotence Drugs Sold on Web: Study finds many contain toxins, or too much/too little of the active ingredient
The drugs could especially be dangerous for men with hypertension or heart disease, the study found. Only one of the counterfeit drugs contained "proper active ingredients," the researchers stated. Some contained potential toxins, including mercury and lead. Even genuine Viagra has risks, experts note, especially for men who take nitrates for chest pain. And there could be drug interactions with both real and fake ED drugs. "All these drugs have side effects and that's probably the big reason why patients should be getting them through a physician," Dr. John Morley said. "While these things may be cheaper, they potentially have much greater side effects."
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- Radiation for Prostate Cancer May Boost Fracture Risk: Study found treatment hiked hip fractures by 58 percent
A new study suggests that prostate cancer patients who undergo three-dimensional external-beam radiation therapy may be at increased risk of breaking their hips, but they can take action to strengthen their bones after treatment. After adjusting their statistics so factors such as race and age wouldn't skew the results, the researchers found the radiation treatment boosted the risk of hip fracture by 58 percent but didn't increase the risk of wrist fracture.
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- Breathing Exercises May Boost Athletes' Performance: Inspiratory muscle training pays off in endurance sports, study finds
Doing daily breathing exercises to strengthen inhalation muscles and reduce their need for oxygen helps boost performance during endurance sports such as cycling and swimming. Indiana University researchers found that inspiratory muscle training (IMT) significantly reduced the amount of oxygen required by breathing muscles during exercise, making more oxygen available for other muscles. IMT involves the use of a hand-held device that creates resistance while inhaling, requiring a person to make greater use of inspiratory muscles. Besides improving the performance of endurance athletes, IMT has been used to treat patients with lung diseases, such as asthma, cystic fibrosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
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Health Highlights
**FDA Approves 1st Permanent Swine Flu Test.
**Drop-Side Crib Ban Goes Before Congress.
**New Obama Mandatory Socialistic Law That Rations and Ups the Cost of Your Health Care: Government Controlled Health Care Could Penalize One-Third of U.S. Employers.
**Dangerous Hospital Bacterium Spreads in Air.
**States Banning Synthetic 'K2' Marijuana: Poison centers in 35 states have documented 352 cases of people sickened by K2 Pot.
**Experimental Drug Boosts Cure Rate for Hepatitis C.
**FDA Approves 1st Permanent Swine Flu Test.
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- 'Button' Lithium Batteries Killing, Disabling Children: To prevent serious injury or death, a swallowed battery has to be removed from the child's esophagus within two hours of swallowing
Typically pediatric ingestion results in the battery getting lodged in the esophagus, the authors noted, rather than in air passages. So the risk is primarily not a question of choking, but rather one of a potentially fatal alkaline burn. The burns from lithium button batteries result not from battery leakage, but to exposure of body tissues to the battery's external current, resulting in hydroxide that can burn through the throat or esophagus. The difficulty, said Dr. Toby Litovitz, is that absent a choking incident a child who swallows a battery will probably not register any alarm, since "the child is not thinking it's not a food item, and most are swallowing them like they're swallowing a candy." In addition, symptoms resemble those of the flu, including vomiting, fever, cough and lack of appetite.
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Health Highlights
**Alfalfa Sprouts Recalled After 22 Sickened in 10 States.
**350,000 Trunks Sold at Target Recalled.
**Concussion Damage Called Worse for Young Athletes.
**WalMart's Miley Cyrus Jewelry Contains High Levels of Toxic Metal Cadmium.
**Therapy as Effective as Drugs for Tourette Syndrome.
**Pink Baby Blankets Sold at Target Stores Recalled Due to Choking Threat.
**Hot Dogs, Bacon Tied to Heart Disease, Diabetes.
**Urinary Tract Infections Becoming 'Resistant'.
**Deaths Prompt Recall of Toy Dart Gun Set.
**MRSA Infections in Children Up 10-Fold.
**2.5 Million Step2 Toy Buggies Recalled.
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- Viagra Linked to Long-Term Hearing Loss: Study found men on medication were twice as likely to develop hearing loss
The erectile dysfunction drug Viagra, and possibly other similar medications, may prompt long-term hearing loss among users, a new study suggests. "It appears from these findings that the current government warning regarding hearing loss and the use of PDE-5i medications is warranted," said Gerald McGwin. "PDE-5i medications work in erectile dysfunction patients by their ability to increase blood flow to certain tissues in the body," said McGwin. "It has been hypothesized that they may have a similar effect on similar tissues in the ear, where an increase of blood flow could potentially cause damage leading to hearing loss."
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- Children Born by Cesarean Section May Be More Likely to Develop Celiac Disease, A Chronic Digestive Disorder, Than Children Born Vaginally
Compared to children born vaginally, children delivered by C-section were 80 percent more likely to develop celiac disease. Researchers aren't sure why there could be a link between the mode of delivery and celiac disease, but one possible explanation is that children born via C-section don't pick up the same microbes from their mothers as babies that pass through the vaginal canal, Dr. Mathias Hornef said. This alters the infant's colonization with gut microflora, or "good" microbes, that aid in digestion and fending off pathogens. Previous research suggests there are differences in the intestinal bacterial flora between children born vaginally or by C-section.
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- Common Diabetes Drug Linked to Vitamin B-12 Deficiency
Type 2 patients taking Metformin should get levels tested regularly, study suggests
Metformin, also known by several brand names including Glucophage, is a common treatment for people with type 2 diabetes, but it can cause vitamin B-12 deficiency. Failing to check patients' vitamin levels may lead doctors to improperly diagnose the symptoms of B-12 deficiency, which include fatigue, mental changes, anemia and neuropathy. Doctors may mistakenly think these symptoms are caused by diabetes or aging, the study authors noted. Patients who took the drug had a 19 percent reduction in their vitamin B-12 levels compared to the other participants, who had little change. The reduction in B-12 levels continued and became more apparent over time in those taking metformin, the investigators found. "Our study shows that it is reasonable to assume harm will eventually occur in some patients with metformin-induced low vitamin B-12 levels,".......
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- High-Fat Meal May Trigger Asthma: Study finds fatty foods lead to inflammation, reduced lung function
Australian researchers tested people with asthma before and after a high-fat meal or after a low-fat meal, and found that the high-fat meal increased inflammation and reduced lung function. "This is the first study to look at the effects of a high-fat challenge on airway inflammation. Our preliminary results demonstrate that at four hours after the consumption of the food challenges, subjects who consumed the high-fat meal had an increase in airway inflammation. They also had an impaired response to [asthma medication]," said Lisa Wood. The prevalence of asthma has increased significantly over the past few decades, and one factor that's been implicated in that rise is the typically high-fat Western diet.
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- Alcohol Companies Use Latest New Media to Lure Young Drinkers: Including cell phones, social networking sites, YouTube and other features of the expanding digital universe
"Close to 5,000 people under the age of 21 die of alcohol overuse each year," noted David Jernigan. "Virtual worlds show all of the appeal and none of the consequences of alcohol use and undercut efforts to reduce the incidence of underage drinking. At this point, alcohol companies appear limited only by their imaginations and pocketbooks." And the new approach involves a "360-degree strategy," Kathryn Montgomery said, meaning "a multiplicity of platforms throughout the day and night that includes online, offline, mobile, digital, music, video -- a whole range of different ways that consumers interact with new digital marketing." "On a single site, through a variety of applications, whether offering users free e-mail, access to music downloads, online videos or other applications, a wide array of techniques are......
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Health Highlights
**2.5 Million Step2 Toy Buggies Recalled: Pose Serious Risk of Injury To Young Children.
**E. Coli Outbreak Expands to Tennessee.
**Swallowing Topical Benadryl Gel Can Be Hazardous: FDA.
**FDA Alerting Professionals to Misleading Drug Ads.
**Toxins in Children's Jewelry Targeted.
**New Rules Developed for Chicken, Turkey Safety.
**More Night-time Driving Deaths Among Young Blamed on Cell Phones.
**CPSC Investigating Concerns About New Pampers Diapers.
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- Stomach Acid Drugs Come With Dangers, Studies Show: Potential serious side effects of popular proton pump inhibitors should not be ignored
Side effects associated with proton pump inhibitors include bone fractures among older women and Clostridium difficile infections that can cause life-threatening diarrhea and gastrointestinal upset in older people. Overall, proton pump inhibitors are safe, experts stressed. Even so, evidence suggests the drugs are being prescribed unnecessarily and that potential side effects are not being taken seriously enough. Evidence suggests that between 53 percent and 69 percent of prescriptions are for "inappropriate indications," such as indigestion or heartburn without ulcers. While the risk is relatively small, there are so many people taking proton pump inhibitors that it translates into thousands of additional deaths, Howell said. Previous research has shown C. difficile kills about one in every 14 adults over 65 who gets it, Howell said.
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- Herbal Supplements, Warfarin Can Be Hazardous Mix: Garlic, ginkgo, St John's Wort could all upset bleeding/clotting balance, study found
More than half of the herbal and non-herbal supplements were found to have either an indirect or direct impact on warfarin. Nearly two-thirds of all the supplements were found to raise the risk for bleeding among patients taking the blood thinner, while more than one-third hampered the effectiveness of the medication. An increase in bleeding risk was specifically linked to the use of cranberry, garlic, ginkgo and saw palmetto supplements, the team said. Glucosamine/chondroitin, essential fatty acids, multi-herb products, evening primrose oil, co-enzyme Q10, soy, melatonin, ginseng and St. John's wort all affected warfarin's effectiveness so much so that they prompted a need for adjustments in the drug's prescribed dosage.
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- Tainted Lettuce Recall Expands: Distributors in Oklahoma, Massachusetts asked to pull back products
According to Ohio-based Freshway Foods, the lettuce was sold to wholesalers, food service outlets, in-store salad bars and delis in Alabama, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin. The recall covers lettuce with a "best if used by" date of May 12 or earlier, as well as "grab and go" salads sold at Kroger, Giant Eagle, Ingles Markets and Marsh grocery stores, the AP reported. The lettuce does not include any bulk or prepackaged romaine or bagged salad mixes in retail supermarkets, the company stressed.
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- Early Treatment With Clot-Busting Drug Best After Stroke: After 4.5 hours, odds for good recovery decline sharply and risk of dying increases, study finds
It has been known that treating a stroke earlier is better than later, but this study shows for the first time that there is significant harm done with starting tPA after 4.5 hours, the researchers noted. "The benefit of giving this treatment for stroke continues if we start it as late as 4.5 hours," said lead researcher Dr. Kennedy R. Lees. "There is no net benefit to patients if you start the treatment after 4.5 hours. But if you start treatment after 4.5 hours, you will have more patients who die," he added. These findings mean that patients have more time to get to the hospital, Lees said. "The message for the doctors is we can't waste a moment once the patient has arrived in starting treatment, so there is more time for the patients and less time for the doctors."
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- Seventy Percent of Pregnant Women in the United States Don't Get Enough Vitamin D: Simple blood test could spot those who need more supplementation, study suggests
"Prenatal vitamins do help raise vitamin D levels, but many women start taking them after becoming pregnant," UCDSM's Dr. Adit Ginde said. "Although research is ongoing, I think it's best for women to start a few months before becoming pregnant to maximize the likely health benefits." In general, vitamin D levels seem to have been dropping in recent years, the researchers noted -- perhaps due to a dip in outdoor activity. Vitamin D deficiency in the first years of life is associated with a higher risk for respiratory infection and childhood wheezing, while adults who lack an adequate supply bear a greater risk for heart disease and certain cancers.
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- With Long-Term Exercise, Being 80 Is Just a Number: Seniors find that strength, flexibility can remain, and heart risks fall
"My definition of aging is when you can't do the things physically that you used to do when you were years younger," said Lawrence Golding. "People who exercise regularly continue doing the things they used to do when they were in their 20s." Along with a healthy diet, staying mentally active and socially engaged, exercise is emerging as one of the key ways of staving off chronic diseases and, in general, staying healthier in old age, experts say. In fact, next to maintaining a healthy weight, exercise in men was found to be the most important factor in warding off heart failure. "The most important organ in an older person's body is their legs," said Dr. Walter Bortz. "If your legs stay good, everything else takes care of itself. You don't fall down and break your hip. Your heart stays good. You don't get frail. Your sex stays good, your brain stays good and.....
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Health Highlights
**FDA Orders Baxter to Recall and Destroy Infusion Pumps: Serious Problems Have Not Been Fixed.
**New Obama Mandatory Socialistic Law That Rations Your Health Care: Insurance Pool Program Refused by 18 States.
**Gulf Oil Slick No Threat to Human Health.
**Risky Eyelash Treatment Easy to Get Without Prescription.
**FDA Plans to Improve Food Safety During Transport.
**Faulty Genes Cause Paget's Disease.
**Children More Likely to Eat 'Fun' Fruit.
**Record Number of Births to Unmarried Women in the United States in 2008: Accounted for 41 Percent of Births.
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- Drug Maker Recalls More Than 40 Allergy, Cold Meds for Kids: Medicines involved in the voluntary action include Tylenol, Tylenol Plus, Motrin, Zyrtec and Benadryl
McNeil Consumer Healthcare on Friday recalled more than 40 of its liquid cold and allergy products for children because some of the medications may not meet federal quality standards. "This recall is not being undertaken on the basis of adverse medical events," McNeil said in a statement on its Web site. "However, as a precautionary measure, parents and caregivers should not administer these products to their children." "Some products in the recall may have a higher concentration of active ingredient than specified while others may have inactive ingredients that don't meet testing requirements," the company explained. Others may contain particles, while still others may contain inactive ingredients that do not meet internal testing requirements.
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- Radiation Risks Nearly Double for Younger CT Scan Patients: Doctors should consider age when evaluating risks, study suggests
Radiation risks associated with abdominal and pelvic CT scans are twice as high for younger patients as older patients, a new study finds. "We found that the estimated radiation risk for a 31-year-old (0.91 per 1,000) was about double that for a 74-year-old (0.47 per 1,000)", said Dr. James Koonce. "Knowing the risk involved with radiation exposure to a patient during an abdominal/pelvic CT allows for more accurate risk benefit evaluation when a physician is deciding whether or not to order an exam," Koonce added.
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- Anemia Drugs Hold Dangers for Kidney Patients: Study finds increased risks for potential deadly complications
The powerful drugs used to fight anemia caused by kidney failure increase the risk for cardiovascular problems such as heart attack, a major study has found. A meta-analysis of 27 trials, which included more than 10,000 people who were given the drugs, known as erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs), found that those who took the drugs at the highest dosages had a 51 percent increased risk for stroke and a 33 percent increased risk for thrombosis, or blockage of an artery. "This meta-analysis shows increased risk with no benefit,"Dr. Ajay K. Singh said. "The supposed benefit is that ESAs improve quality of life and make people feel better. This study suggests that these drugs, used at considerable cost, don't show any benefit in terms of those endpoints." Yet ESAs do have a role in treating some people with chronic kidney disease, despite their dangers, Singh said.
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- Smoking While Pregnant May Raise Psychiatric Risks in Kids: Study found the more cigarettes a woman smoked, the greater the chances
A woman who smokes while pregnant increases her baby's risk of developing psychiatric problems in childhood and young adulthood, a new Finnish study suggests. This research is among the first to find a connection between prenatal smoking and an increased risk for mental illnesses, such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and depression, in the mother's offspring. Study author Mikael Ekblad said animal studies have shown that prenatal nicotine exposure interferes with the development of fetal brain cells. "In our previous study, we found that prematurely born infants exposed to prenatal smoking had smaller frontal and cerebellar brain volumes than the unexposed infants. These brain regions are important for normal cognitive development," said Ekblad.
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- Smoking Ups Risk of Second Breast Cancer: 15 years after treatment, smokers more likely to have a new tumor, study finds
Researchers followed women who were diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer and underwent breast-conserving therapy, which consists of a lumpectomy followed by radiation therapy. Fifteen years after treatment, the overall risk of developing a new, second cancer was 25 percent in the 796 smokers and 19 percent in nonsmokers. The risk of developing cancer in the breast that hadn't been treated for cancer was 13 percent for smokers and 8 percent in nonsmokers. "These new data are significant in that they show women can exercise some control over a known risk factor for developing a new second cancer," said Dr. Bruce G. Haffty.
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- Risks Rise for Other Surgeries After Stent Implants: Danger is greatest in first six weeks, study finds
People who've had a stent implanted to keep a coronary artery open face an increased risk for heart complications and death if they have non-cardiac surgery in subsequent weeks, a new Scottish study has found. "Most of the risk was in the first six weeks. Between six weeks and one year, the risk was somewhat reduced, but still higher than expected," said Nicholas L.M. Cruden. The risk of heart problems after non-cardiac surgery was even greater for the 65 percent of people whose stents were inserted because of a recent heart attack, compared with those had stable but chronic heart disease when they were given stents, the study found.
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- A New Study Finds That Nearly Half of Kids Nationwide Are Now Overweight: Childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years
A new study finds that nearly half of kids nationwide are now overweight (32 percent) or obese (16 percent), with rates of childhood obesity much higher in Southern states than in other regions. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years and remains high among both boys and girls of all ages and racial and ethnic groups. Exercise, or lack thereof, seems to be a prime culprit. Children in the South tend to have "more sedentary behaviors, such as TV watching,"Gopal K. Singh said. "The tend to also score lower on having access to places for physical activity," he said.
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Health Highlights
**Warning Says Medicare Cuts in New Obama-Pushed Socialistic Health Care Law Could Jeopardize Seniors' Access to Care: Also Could Push About 15 Percent of Hospitals and Other Institutional Health Providers Into Debt.
**Blood Test Could Reduce Heart Transplant Biopsies.
**New Method for Treating Opioid Addiction Unveiled.
**Giving Bones to Dogs May Kill Them.
**Covidien Recalls Tracheostomy Tubes.
**Cardiac Science External Defibrillators May Malfunction: FDA.
**Food Companies Will Reduce Salt In Products.
**Drug Giant AstraZeneca to Pay $520 Million Over Claims of Illegal Marketing of Antipsychotic.
**Huge Recall of Simplicity, Graco Cribs: Cribs pose a suffocation or strangulation hazard to infants.
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- Breakthrough in Predicting Invasive Breast Cancer: New way to predict spread could avoid overly aggressive treatment, researchers say
A new way to predict whether women with the most common form of breast cancer are at risk of developing more invasive tumors later in life will help those women be more selective about their treatment, U.S. researchers report. As a result of the research, doctors can better predict whether women treated with a lumpectomy only are at a very low or a high risk of developing invasive cancer later. The findings mean that women with DCIS "will have much more information, so they can better know their risk of developing invasive cancer. It will lead to a more personalized approach to treatment. As many as 44 percent of patients with DCIS may not require any further treatment, and can rely instead on surveillance," said Dr. Karla Kerlikowske.
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- High-Dose Vitamin B Is Dangerous for Diabetics With Kidney Disease: And patients on this regimen should stop immediately, says a new study
When the researchers began the study, they believed it would show that high-dose vitamin B therapy (folic acid, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12) would improve patients' kidney function and reduce their risk of heart attack and stroke. But it turned out that patients on high-dose vitamin B therapy had significant worsening of kidney function, and twice as many heart and stroke incidents as patients taking a placebo. "Because B vitamins are water soluble, we suspect that while healthy people would excrete excess vitamins in urine, those with renal failure would not be able to do so, perhaps causing the adverse effects we have seen in this study," said Dr. David Spence.
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- Steroids Could Harm Heart's Pumping Ability: Long-term use of anabolic steroids weakens the heart more than had been thought
The study provides what might be the first clear evidence that these muscle-building drugs, used widely by bodybuilders and athletes, can damage heart function, said Dr. Aaron L. Baggish. "The common myth is that steroids make the heart grow massively large," Baggish said. "We didn't see that." What they did see was that the hearts of the steroid users did not contract as vigorously and relax as efficiently as those of the nonusers. However, it's not clear from the study how long steroids must be used to cause such heart damage, Baggish said. "Several small studies of shorter duration find damage only with heart relaxation, not contraction," he said. "As use continues, toxicity develops." And he noted that there have been, "numerous case reports of horrific vascular events from short-term use."
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- Prostate Cancer Vaccine May Get FDA Approval: Breakthrough approach lengthens survival, to varying degrees, for men with advanced disease, studies found
The anticipated approval this week of a therapeutic prostate cancer vaccine by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration could be a milestone against the disease and cancer in general, experts say. The vaccine, called Provenge, appears to extend survival in men with advanced prostate cancer, and it does so without the serious side effects associated with chemotherapy, radiation and hormone therapy. The vaccine is not aimed at preventing prostate cancer in men who have not developed the disease, and it is far from a cure for those who have it, Lichtenfeld cautioned. "Provenge represents a modest advance in survival for patients with advanced prostate cancer, but the drug doesn't delay the progression of the disease,"Dr. J. Len Lichtenfeld said. Still, it might prove possible to use Provenge in the earlier stages of prostate cancer, where...
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- Drug a New Treatment Option for Diabetic Eye Disease: Lucentis is first new therapy against diabetic macular edema in a quarter-century, experts say
Lucentis (ranibizumab) was originally developed to treat age-related macular degeneration. But researchers say it can also improve vision in people with DME, a common form of diabetic retinopathy. The study of 691 patients with DME found that 50 percent of those who received Lucentis eye injections, plus laser treatment if necessary, had substantial improvement in vision one year after treatment, compared with 28 percent of patients who received laser treatment alone. Results were similar after two years. For 25 years, laser treatment has been the standard of care for DME, the main cause of vision loss in people with diabetes.
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- Experimental Drug Offers Hope for Cystic Fibrosis Patients: Ataluren being tested in humans with several diseases caused by genetic mutations
An experimental oral drug called ataluren may treat cystic fibrosis and other diseases caused by genetic "nonsense mutations," U.S. researchers report. In cystic fibrosis, the lack of a certain protein results in an imbalance of salt and water in the linings of the lungs and other membranes. In this new study, researchers found that ataluren allowed the protein to be made in mouse cells where it was previously absent, which helped restore normal salt and water balance. David Bedwell found that ataluren can restore up to 29 percent of normal protein function in mice with cystic fibrosis. The research, funded by PTC Therapeutics Inc., was presented April 26 at the Experimental Biology 2010 conference in Anaheim, Calif. Ataluren is now being tested in humans with cystic fibrosis, hemophilia A, hemophilia B, Duchenne/Becker muscular dystrophy and.....
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- Chronic Mouth Breathers, Most Often Children With Allergies, Have Problems Getting Enough Oxygen Into Their Blood: "They are suffocating and literally dying a slow death that robs them of their appearance, health, longevity and quality of life."
Chronic mouth breathing affects childrens' size, weight, sleep and even school performance. Mouth breathing is caused by nasal obstructions, often the result of chronic infections and allergies. Consequences of untreated mouth breathing include unattractive facial and dental development, such as long face syndrome, narrow mouths and receding or protruding jaws. Mouth breathing is very treatable, but to do this it must be diagnosed and treated as early as possible," Dr. Yosh Jefferson said. Shallow breathing causes insufficient oxygen in the bloodstream, resulting in fitful sleep. The children are tired during the day and perform poorly in school, often exhibiting anger and frustration typical of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
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Health Highlights
**WinCo Recalls Ground Beef.
**FDA Targets Florida Lab Linked to Polo Pony Deaths.
**FDA Reconsiders Fate of Diabetes Drug Avandia.
**Obesity Gene Variant Linked to Brain Shrinkage.
**Scientists Claim Cancer Gene Therapy 'Breakthrough'.
**Vitamin K May Protect Against Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma.
**Patient's Genes May Help Predict Adverse Drug Reactions.
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- Fatal Choking a Real Risk Among Toddlers: Study finds 3 percent of those who get something lodged in their throat die
"Starting at infancy, we recommend that no objects should be left in the crib," Dr. Lee Sanders noted. "And then once a child gets to be a little older -- usually around 6 months -- they're able to grasp things in their hand. That's how young children explore the world, by putting things in their mouth. So, we recommend something we call the 'Toilet Paper Tube Test': If there's any object that can fit through an empty toilet paper roll, then it's too small to be left within reach of the child." "And finally, the other thing for parents to realize is that these choking incidents can happen in an instant," Sanders added. "You can be there with a child, and within seconds a child can put something in their mouth and choke in front of you. So, it's important to keep these objects out of their reach, not only when they're unattended but when they're attended as well."
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- Robot-Aided Therapy Can Help Patients Years After Stroke: Adding 'power-steering' to exercises improved movement, quality of life, researchers say
The study offers the strongest evidence yet that stroke sufferers can regain limb movement long after an injury, through "intensive therapy with specially trained personnel and newly created robotic aids," the researchers said. While some research has suggested that long-term physical therapy doesn't help patients if it's given more than six months after a stroke, recent research has contradicted those findings. "There are about 6.4 million stroke patients in the U.S. with chronic deficits. We've shown that with the right therapy, they can see improvements in movement, everyday function and quality of life," Albert Lo added. "This is giving stroke survivors new hope."
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- Cholesterol Drugs May Slow MS: Fewer brain lesions developed in patients taking Lipitor than placebo, researchers say
Cholesterol-lowering statin drugs may slow the progression of multiple sclerosis, according to a new study. It included 81 patients with early-stage MS randomly selected to take either 80 milligrams a day of Lipitor (atorvastatin) or a placebo. After 12 months of treatment, 55.3 percent of patients taking the drug had developed no new brain lesions, compared with 27.6 percent of those who took the placebo. "Our data is preliminary, and we need a larger study to confirm the effects of the drug and their magnitude," said Dr. Emmanuelle Waubant.
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- Abnormal Heart Rhythm Linked to Alzheimer's: Cardiovascular disease appears to be a major risk factor for dementia, expert says
People with atrial fibrillation, a form of abnormal heart rhythm, are more likely than others to develop dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, a new study finds. The presence of atrial fibrillation also predicted higher death rates in dementia patients, especially among younger patients in the group studied, meaning under the age of 70. Individuals who developed atrial fibrillation had a higher risk of all types of dementia, even when other risk factors were taken into account. Alzheimer's disease is by far the most common form of dementia. More surprising was that those in the younger group -- under age 70 -- who had atrial fibrillation had the highest risk of developing dementia, even though dementia is normally associated with aging. People in this group were also at a 38 percent higher risk of dying.
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- Heavy Alcohol Use Linked to Cancer: Excessive drinking promotes cellular changes, study finds
The key appears to lie in telomeres, structures at the end of chromosomes that shorten as people get older. Telomeres are also thought to shorten because of excessive drinking. In particular, heavy alcohol drinking has been associated with cancer at multiple sites," said Dr. Andrea Baccarelli. In the study, researchers analyzed DNA in 59 people who drank heavily (nearly one in four consumed at least four alcoholic drinks a day) and 197 people who drank at various levels. Researchers found that telomere lengths were much shorter in those who drank a lot of alcohol.
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- New Test May Predict Prostate Cancer's Aggressiveness: Researchers say it can rule out men who don't need treatment
The basic test measures blood levels of prostate-specific androgen (PSA), a protein produced by prostate gland cells. But the standard PSA test cannot distinguish between cancers that grow so slowly they can safely be left alone and aggressive life-threatening tumors that call for surgery or radiation therapy. The new test measures blood levels of three different types of PSA. Combined with annual biopsies, or tissue samples, it was about 70 percent accurate in singling out the aggressive tumors in a small study, John Hopkins University researchers were to report. The test is awaiting approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and already is approved for use in Europe, Catalona said. In a study of 2,000 men in the Chicago area, "we found it to be more accurate than the tests now available, and it also seems to identify the more aggressive prostate cancers,"......
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Health Highlights
**Opposition Increases to the New Government Law that "Rations" Health Care: The New Law "Does Not Require" the President, Vice-President and Congress to Participate.
**Discovery May Lead to Better Ovarian Cancer Treatments.
**Pre-Abortion Screenings Required Under New Nebraska Law: Another Nebraska bill would ban abortions for women more than 20 weeks pregnant.
**States Consider Increased Role for Nurse Practitioners.
**Twitter May Offer Early Warning of Epidemics.
**Pediatricians Call for Reductions in Underage Drinking.
**'Breakthrough' Kidney Gene Discovery.
**Xenon Gas May Protect Brain.
**St. John's Wort Not Effective for Anxiety.
**EPA Introduces New Lead Safety Regulation.
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- Obesity in Pregnancy Ups Risk of Having a Baby with a Congenital Heart Defect: The heavier a woman is, the greater the danger, researchers say
On average, obesity is associated with a 15 percent increased risk of having a baby with a heart defect. But the risk rises with the level of obesity. Compared to normal-weight women, the risk is 11 percent higher in moderately obese women and 33 percent higher in morbidly obese women. "The trend is unmistakable: the more obese a woman is, the more likely she is to have had a child with a heart defect," said Dr. James L. Mills. "The current findings strongly suggest that by losing weight before they become pregnant, obese women may reduce the chances that their infants will be born with heart defects," said Dr. Alan E. Guttmacher.
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- Better Treatment Found for Crohn's Disease: Two drugs aimed at taming overactive immune system worked best, study found
Combination therapy with two drugs that control an unruly immune system provided the best relief yet seen for Crohn's disease, a condition in which the body mistakenly attacks its own intestinal tissue. The new finding promises to change current treatment of Crohn's disease, said study leader Dr. William J. Sandborn. The trial showed that the azathioprine-alone-step should be skipped. "This study suggests that the therapy that follows steroids should include a biologic," Sandborn added. Therapy with both azathioprine and infliximab appears to be the treatment of choice if steroids are not effective, Sandborn said. And because the combination therapy is more effective, it helps prevent infections that result from ulceration of the intestinal wall caused by Crohn's disease, Dr. Jeffrey A. Katz added.
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- Hepatitis C Tied to Much Higher Risk of Developing Kidney Cancer: The virus' influence may extend beyond the liver, researchers say
A study of more than 67,000 patients enrolled in the Henry Ford Health System from 1997-2008 found that 0.6 percent of patients with hepatitis C developed kidney cancer. That's double the rate of other patients, and the increased risk remained after researchers adjusted statistics so they wouldn't be thrown off by factors like age, gender and race. "These results add to growing literature that shows that the hepatitis C virus causes disease that extends beyond the liver," said Dr. Stuart C. Gordon. A heightened awareness of an increased kidney cancer risk should dictate more careful follow-up of incidental renal [kidney] defects when detected on imaging procedures in patients with chronic hepatitis C," Gordon said.
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- Prostate Cancer Patients at Higher Risk of Blood Clots: Dangers were greatest for those on hormone therapy, study found
"Our findings indicate that it is important to consider thromboembolic [blood-clotting] side effects when treating patients with prostate cancer, especially those who require endocrine treatment," said Mieke van Hemelrijck. Still, the findings shouldn't change the way men with this type of tumor are treated, just perhaps the way they are monitored, van Hemelrijck added. Men taking hormone therapy had a 2.48 increased risk of developing a blood clot and almost double the chance of a pulmonary embolism (when the clot travels to the lung), compared to men without prostate cancer. Those in the prostatectomy group had a 73 percent increased risk of blood clots and double the risk of a pulmonary embolism. Those in the "watch-and-wait group had a 27 percent increased risk of blood clots and a 57 percent increased risk of that clot moving to the lung.
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- A Diet Rich in Carbohydrates That are Quickly Transformed into Sugar in the Blood Raises the Risk of Heart Disease for Women: Danger doesn't affect men
"An emphasis needs to be placed on a diet that is not simply low in carbohydrates but rather low in simple sugars, as measured by the glycemic index,"Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum said. There's a simple way to determine the glycemic index of a food, she said. "Look at the label," Steinbaum said. "It says 'carbohydrates.' Under that, it says 'sugars.' When you have a high number for sugars, that's a way to know what the glycemic index is." That index can differ widely in foods that don't appear to be different, she said. One breakfast cereal may have a sugar content of 16 grams, but another may have just 3 grams to 6 grams. "If you see a high level of sugar, that's the one to stay away from," Steinbaum said.
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- Child Obesity Soaring in Rural America: In one Louisiana community, one in two kids is now overweight or obese, study finds
In the past 35 years, the percentage of overweight or obese children in one Louisiana town has more than tripled, new research shows. In the early 70s, fewer than one in six children (14.2 percent) in the town of Bogalusa was overweight or obese. By 2008-2009, almost half of the town's children and teens (48.4 percent) fell into those categories, according to a study in the April issue of Pediatrics. "There are a lot of things that families can do to reverse this problem. You're definitely more vulnerable because of your environment, but even in Bogalusa, not everyone is becoming overweight," he said.Dr. Goutham Rao and Stephanie Broyles recommended strategies such as limiting TV and computer time, encouraging physical activity and eating together as a family. They also recommended making healthier food choices whenever possible.
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Health Highlights
**Teens With Lung Problems Use Risky Inhalants.
**Con Artists Using New Health Law to Sell Bogus Policies.
**U.S. Federal Government Pushes Coverage of Those With Pre-Existing Conditions: $5 Billion Allocation for Programs May Not Be Sufficient.
**Anti-Psychotics Boost Pneumonia Risk in Elderly.
**Multaq Heart Drug Not as Effective as Generic.
**Gene May Offer Target to Boost Radiation Therapy.
**U.S. Military Assesses New Brain Injury Treatment.
**FAA Says Pilots Taking Antidepressants Can Fly.
**U.S. Drug Sales Rose 5.1 Percent in 2009.
**Unsanitary Conditions at Chung's Products, LP of Houston, Texas: Egg rolls are sold in grocery stores and large retail stores across the United States.
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- Simple Test May Spot Early Lung Cancer: And over-the-counter drug might reverse genetic process that leads to disease, study finds
The minimally invasive procedure involves using a small brush to collect a smattering of cells from the windpipe (a bronchoscopy), explained Andrea Bild. Currently, there is no good way to detect lung cancer -- the number one cancer killer -- in its early stages when it's most treatable. Only 15 percent of patients are still alive at five years, said Dr. Patrick Nana-Sinkam. "We have identified a marker for an early risk of developing lung cancer," Dr. Avrum Spira said. And when treated with the compound myo-inositol, the gene pathway activity declined along with improvement in the troublesome lesions, the researcher noted. "This drug inhibits the pathway that's activated in smokers. The drug is a natural compound. You can get it in health-food stores," Spira said.
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- New Drug Shows Promise for Curing Hepatitis C: Antiviral telaprevir works when previous treatments failed, trial results show
Adding the antiviral drug telaprevir to a second-round treatment for hepatitis cures about half the people who were not helped in the first round, new research shows. The study is one of the last steps in a series of trials designed to get approval for the use of the drug in clinical practice. Approval of the drug will bring encouragement to people whose hepatitis C infection had not been cured by the existing treatments, Dr. John McHutchison said. "There has been no alternative for people who have been treated and have not responded," he added. "So it holds great promise for them, that potentially something will be available in the future that can cure half of them." About 4 million Americans are infected with hepatitis C, a virus that is the leading cause of cirrhosis and liver cancer and the most common reason for liver transplantation......
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- Cancer Drug Safe for Late-Stage Pelvic Disease: Vorinostat can be used with radiotherapy in palliative care, study finds
It's safe to use a new oral anti-cancer drug called vorinostat with short-term palliative radiation therapy in patients with advanced pelvic cancer, according to a phase 1 study. Palliative therapy is used to help control symptoms in patients who can't be cured. Radiation therapy is an effective palliative treatment to control pain and bleeding in patients with advanced pelvic cancer who aren't eligible for curative radiation therapy or surgery. Vorinostat -- a type of histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor -- is believed to stop tumor growth by altering the expression of several genes necessary for cancer growth.
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- Online Brazilian Diet Pills Can Be Addictive: Dangerous mix of amphetamines, tranquilizers and antidepressants found in some pills, researchers say
Although marketed on the Internet as "natural," the popular weight loss supplements known as Brazilian diet pills contain potentially addictive ingredients, researchers say. "When you are purchasing these products, you have no idea what you are getting,"Dr. Pieter Cohen noted. "There is a very lax regulatory framework that surrounds dietary supplements. Basically, all dietary supplements are assumed to be harmless until the FDA demonstrates that they are dangerous." Earlier research found some of these diet pills cause chest pain, racing heart and insomnia, but the resulting psychiatric problems are not well-understood, Cohen said.
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- FDA Issues Warning on 'Fat-Melting' Spa Injections: There's no proof the procedures work and serious side effects can occur, agency says
FDA officials have received reports of negative side effects from people who have tried the procedure, including permanent scarring, skin deformation, and deep painful knots under the skin in areas where lipodissolve drugs were injected. Warning letters were sent to: Monarch Medspa, King of Prussia, Penn.; Spa 35, Boise, Idaho; Medical Cosmetic Enhancements, Chevy Chase, Md.; Innovative Directions in Health, Edina, Minn.; PURE Med Spa, Boca Raton, Fla.; and All About You Med Spa, Madison, Ind. The Brazilian company receiving the warning letter sells lipodissolve products on two Web Sites: zipmed.net and mesoone.com, the FDA said. The FDA also has issued an import alert against these Internet sites to prevent the drugs from being imported and distributed in the United States.
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- Exercise Helps Teens Overcome 'Obesity Gene': DNA does not make overweight inevitable, new study shows
Does carrying a gene tied to obesity doom a teenager to becoming obese? Not if that teen stays physically active, a new study shows. Among genes related to obesity, mutations in the so-called fat mass-and-obesity-associated gene (FTO) appear to be particularly important. However, an hour of physical activity a day largely negated the gene's effect, the new study found. "Whether it is a formal team sport or playing tag, playing catch or riding bicycles, the human body is designed to move," Samantha Heller said. When this natural instinct is muted by spending hours playing computer games, watching TV or sitting around, so too is the body's innate ability to stay healthy, Heller said. "The cycle of weight gain, sedentary lifestyle and poor diet can be tough to break free from, but it is absolutely doable if the whole family is committed to and takes part in the process of reinventing.....
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Health Highlights
**Swine Flu Poses a Serious Threat to Pregnant Women and Those Who've Recently Given Birth.
**Exercise, Healthier Diet Could Prevent Breast Cancers.
**Don't Drink Raw Milk: FDA.
**FDA Scientists Go Public With CT Scan Concerns.
**New Test for Human Growth Hormone in Athletes.
**Health-Care Reform To Cause Rate Hikes for Young Adutlts: New Mandatory Government Regulations May Also Soon Put Insurance Companies Out of Business Leading to Total Government-Control of Health Care.
**New Health Care Law Requires Insurers to Cover Children's Pre-Existing Conditions: Federal Government's Prevention of Properly Evaluating Risks May Soon Lead to Financial Problems for Insurance Companies.
**FDA Issues New Medical Device Rule.
**Paying for Kidneys Would Increase Donations: Study.
**Pfizer Discloses Payments for Clinical Trials.
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- Children in Hospital Intensive Care Units Should Be Screened for MRSA: Virulent bacteria strain becoming more prevalent in that setting, study finds
Researchers found that 6 percent of the 1,674 children admitted to the pediatric ICU unit at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center between 2007 and 2008 were colonized with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). This means the children carried MRSA even though they didn't have an active infection -- and they could have unknowingly infected other patients. Sixty percent of the children with MRSA would have gone unrecognized if the hospital had not conducted the screenings, researchers say. "MRSA has become so widespread in the community that it's become nearly impossible to predict which patients harbor MRSA on their body," said Dr. Aaron Milstone. "Point-of-admission screening in combination with other preventive steps, like isolating the patient and using contact precaution, can help curb the spread of dangerous bacterial......
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- Diabetics Face Higher Death Risk After Cancer Surgery: Study found they were 50% more likely to die in month following operation
Type 2 diabetics newly diagnosed with cancer have an increased risk of dying in the month following their cancer surgery, compared to people who are battling cancer alone. This was particularly true for diabetics with colorectal or esophageal cancers, Johns Hopkins researchers found. Dr. Martin S. Karpeh Jr. pointed out that elevated blood sugar levels -- the prime characteristic of diabetes -- is dangerous for people undergoing any type of surgery. We've known that an elevated blood sugar and diabetes increase the risk of mortality and complications from surgery," he said. "They focused their analysis on cancer, but the same was found in non-cancer so I think the link is more with diabetes and surgery, regardless of what the reason for the surgery is." "If you are a diabetic, maintaining a good blood sugar will help lower your risks of a bad outcome......
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- More Women Urged to Get Radiation After Mastectomy: Potentially lifesaving treatment is underused, study finds
"A substantial number of breast cancer patients are being undertreated," said Dr. Reshma Jagsi. "One in five women with strong indications for radiation after mastectomy failed to receive it. Radiation can be a lifesaving treatment." The researchers found that women were more likely to receive follow-up radiation therapy if their doctors were involved in the decision. "Even patients who wanted to avoid radiation therapy were very likely to receive it if their surgeons were highly involved in the decision process," Jagsi added. "We need to do a better job of educating both patients and physicians regarding the benefits of radiation after mastectomy in certain circumstances, and we need to encourage physicians to help their patients as they make these important decisions."
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- Preventive Mastectomy May Not Lower Risks: Breast cancer recurrence and survival rates don't improve, study finds
Removing a breast after the other breast has been treated for breast cancer does not improve the odds that women with two genetic mutations will be free of disease or live longer, new research has found. "We hope that our findings will provide additional information to improve the counseling of breast cancer patients considering risk-reducing mastectomy by emphasizing that the gain that may be obtained by this radical surgery is mainly in respect of reducing the risk of contralateral breast cancer," referring to cancer in the opposite breast," Annette Heemskerk-Gerritsen said. "As yet, we have found no benefits with respect to disease-free and overall survival."
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- Many With Breast Cancer Decide Too Soon to Remove Other Breast: Small study suggests that women often overestimate the odds that the tumor will spread
The number of women undergoing this surgical procedure, known as prophylactic mastectomy, has "almost doubled in recent times without any evidence of survival benefit and the reasons for this need to be addressed and alternative strategies considered," said Dr. Ajay Sahu. A 12-month "cooling-off" period seemed to help patients, Sahu said. "Patients were happy with the alternative strategy to prophylactic surgery: in other words, they had an understanding of actual risk of bilateral breast cancer, an understanding that the risk can be reduced by treatment and surveillance by annual mammography, and that no survival benefit is conferred by the operation."
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- Pregnancy May Protect Breast Cancer Survivors: Finding important because more women are delaying motherhood, researchers say
New research suggests that women who become pregnant after having had breast cancer may actually improve their survival odds, a notion contrary to what some medical experts had thought. A second study of almost 3,000 Australian breast cancer patients found that women who were diagnosed with a tumor within a year of giving birth were almost 50 percent more likely to die compared with other women of the same age. "I don't think anybody knows what the timeframe is from having been treated and when it's a good idea to have a child," said Leena Hilakivi-Clarke. "But if the tumor has been satisfactorily treated and there is nothing growing in the breast, then the pregnancy should be protective." A final study found that chemotherapy given during a woman's pregnancy does not harm the developing fetus, meaning that women who are diagnosed with breast cancer while they....
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- Bone-Strengthening Drug Guards Against Spread of Breast Cancer: Zoledronic acid protected against chemotherapy-related bone loss, metastasis, study finds
The bone-strengthening drug zoledronic acid (Zometa) reduces the spread of breast cancer by preventing chemotherapy-related bone loss, a new study suggests. Tumor cells released from the primary breast cancer site often travel to the bone marrow and spread from there to other areas of the body. Chemotherapy speeds up bone turnover, which releases bone-derived growth factors that can promote tumor growth in breast cancer patients. It's been suggested that zoledronic acid -- which reduces bone loss by slowing the activity of cells that destroy bone -- can make bone marrow a less inviting place for cancer cells.
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- MRI Beats X-Ray for Spotting Fractures in ER: Accurate diagnosis of hip, pelvic breaks cuts costs, speeds treatment, expert says
X-rays often fail to detect hip and pelvic fractures, a new U.S. study says. "Thirteen patients with normal X-ray findings were found to collectively have 23 fractures at MRI," the study's lead author, said Dr. Charles Spritzer. In addition, the study found that, "in 11 patients, MRI showed no fracture after X-rays had suggested the presence of a fracture," Spritzer said. "In another 15 patients who had abnormal X-ray findings, MRI depicted 12 additional pelvic fractures not identified on X-rays." An accurate diagnosis in an emergency department can "speed patients to surgical management, if needed, and reduce the rate of hospital admissions among patients who do not have fractures," he added. "This distinction is important in terms of health-care utilization, overall patient cost and patient inconvenience."
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Health Highlights
**Infantino Baby Slings Recalled Due to Deaths.
**Sickle Cell Disease Tied to Other Health Problems.
**Republican State AG's Sue Feds Over Health Reform.
**EPA to Tighten Drinking Water Rules.
**FDA to Review Menaflex Knee Repair Implant.
**Radioactive Thyroid Cancer Patients a Threat.
**Loneliness Boosts Blood Pressure.
**Significant Decline in Reported TB Cases.
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- Chemo May Boost Survival After Lung Cancer Surgery: Therapy improves outcome for some patients with operable disease, review finds
Chemotherapy improves survival for patients with operable non-small cell lung cancer, say researchers who reviewed nearly 50 studies. According to a team led by Sarah Burdett adding in chemotherapy boosted outcomes whether or not patients got the treatment alongside surgery alone, or surgery plus radiotherapy. They contend that, in patients deemed suitable, "platinum-based chemotherapy should be considered for patients at high risk of recurrence -- i.e., those with stage 1B, 2 or 3 disease." "Although the survival benefit seems small, worldwide adoption of adjuvant chemotherapy could save up to 10,000 lives every year,"Dr. Gregory P. Kalemkerian said.
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- Breast Cancer's Return in Original Tumor Site a Bad Sign: Such cases are few after time, but death risk is then much higher, researchers say
The study found that cancer recurrence in the same area as the original cancer (locoregional recurrence) was the most important prognostic factor after a disease-free period of five years, and the sole independent prognostic factor after a disease-free period of 10 years. "The increased risk of metastases [cancer spread] after a recurrence was approximately four times higher than if there had been no recurrence, and the risk of dying after a recurrence was around eight times higher. However, these levels of increased risk need to be treated with caution because, with the longer time interval between the primary cancer and the recurrence, the number of events goes down, making these calculations less certain, although they remain important for clinicians when deciding on the best treatments," Dr. Sven Mieog said.
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- Plavix Can Help Cut Death Risk in Certain Heart Patients: In study, people with heart attack, heart failure who didn't undergo angioplasty fared better with the blood thinner
The anti-clotting drug Plavix is of modest benefit in cutting the odds of death in patients with heart failure and heart attack who don't undergo angioplasty, a new study finds. The value of giving clopidogrel (Plavix) to heart failure patients has been "long debated," a researcher from the HeartDrug Research Laboratories at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore wrote. He said the benefit of the drug found in this study is "of unquestionable practical importance," and added that the positive outcomes seen in a relatively short follow-up suggests potentially even better long-term survival. A randomized study comparing conventional heart failure therapy with and without Plavix "is needed urgently," the editorial writer concluded.
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- Infertility Raises Risk of More Aggressive Prostate Cancer: Study found infertile men were 2.6 times more likely to get more dangerous disease
"To my knowledge, this is the first study to identify a link between male factor infertility and prostate cancer," said Dr. Thomas J. Walsh. The apparent link between infertility and increased prostate cancer risk can be put to medical use, Walsh said. When inability to father children is suspected, "we may want to screen these men more aggressively for prostate cancer," he said. But since this is a first study, "it needs to be confirmed in other populations of men," Walsh said. "It is up to scientists to confirm the findings and do basic research to enable us to understand the link." And men who might have fertility problems need not panic about cancer, he said. "The absolute risk of cancer is still very low," Walsh said. "No man need be alarmed unduly."
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- Brain Function May Drop Quickly Before Alzheimer's: More attention should be paid to early memory loss, expert says
Memory and thinking skills can deteriorate quickly in people with mild cognitive impairment, the stage before Alzheimer's disease, says a new study. "These results show that we need to pay attention to this time before Alzheimer's disease is diagnosed, when people are just starting to have problems forgetting things," said Robert S. Wilson. Each participant completed a memory and thinking skill test at the start of the study and again every three years. Participants took part in the study for an average of 5.5 years, and up to 11 years. The scores of people with mild cognitive impairment declined twice as fast each year as did scores of those with no memory problems. The scores for people with Alzheimer's declined four times as fast as those of participants with no cognitive problems, the study found.
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- FDA Asks Docs to Suspend Using Glaxo Rotavirus Vaccine: Rotarix is contaminated with pig virus but poses no known health risk, officials say
U.S. health officials recommended Monday that doctors temporarily stop using the Rotarix vaccine -- one of two brands available to prevent the diarrhea bug rotavirus -- for children until the source and any potential harm from a contamination of the vaccine has been identified. The other vaccine available to protect against rotavirus is RotaTeq, also delivered by mouth and made by Merck. RotaTeq was licensed by the FDA in 2006 so most children vaccinated in the United States received RotaTeq, Hamburg said. RotaTeq requires three doses while Rotarix requires two. That means that children who have already gotten one shot of Rotarix should now get two shots of RotaTeq to be fully vaccinated, Dr. Margaret Hamburg said. She stressed that the the FDA recommendation applies only to the United States. Other countries where rotavirus is more common.....
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Health Highlights
**Graco Harmony High Chairs Recalled: Pose A Fall Hazard.
**Traumatic Brain Injury Major Cause of Death in U.S.
**EPA to Tighten Flea, Tick Product Regulations: Complaints of Harm or Death to Dogs and Cats.
**Many Cleansers Ineffective Against Flu-Causing Noroviruses.
**FDA Cites Companies for Unapproved Nitroglycerin Tablets.
**Reports of Pine Nut Syndrome Increasing.
**Drug Combo Reduces Heart Patients' Risk of Bleeding Ulcers.
**Boston Scientific Recalls Heart Defibrillators.
**Mitral Valve Clip Nearly as Effective as Open Heart Surgery for Repairing Leaky Heart Valves.
**High Lead Levels in Some Indian Food Spices.
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- Plavix Puts Some Patients At Risk for Heart Attack and Stroke: FDA calls for 'black box' warning to alert those who don't metabolize drug well
The anti-clotting drug Plavix must now carry a "black box" warning on its label, alerting patients and doctors that some people don't metabolize the medication properly. Patients with a certain genetic variation can't convert the blood thinner into its active form, which puts them at risk for heart attack and stroke, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned. About 2 percent to 14 percent of people fall into this category, with the percentages varying by race. About 2 percent of whites have the variation, while 4 percent of blacks and 14 percent of Chinese people do, Mary Ross Southworth said. But patients should not stop taking Plavix without consulting their doctor, the FDA said, noting a test to assess the CYP2C19 genotype can determine if a patient is a poor metabolizer.
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- Newer Blood Thinner Beats Plavix for Bypass Patients: More people taking Plavix before surgery died soon after than those using Brilinta, study finds
In a trial comparing two anti-clotting drugs, patients given Brilinta before cardiac bypass surgery were less likely to die than those given Plavix, researchers found. Both drugs prevent platelets from clumping and forming clots, but Plavix, the more popular drug, has been linked to potentially dangerous side effects in cancer patients. In addition, some people don't metabolize it well, making it less effective. "We did see about a 50 percent reduction in mortality in these patients [who took Brilinta], but without any increase in bleeding complications," said Dr. Claes Held. The two drugs work in different ways. Brilinta, which is in a different class of drugs, does not rely on metabolic conversion, so it acts faster and clears the body faster than Plavix. This enables quicker recovery of normal platelet function, the researchers say.
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- Stenting May Save Legs: Many with severe peripheral arterial disease can avoid amputation, researchers find
When angioplasty fails, patients with severe peripheral arterial disease may now have another option. A drug-releasing stent placed in the blocked artery below the knee might re-establish blood flow, new research shows. Critical limb ischemia, the most severe form of peripheral arterial disease (PAD), causes more than 100,000 leg amputations in the United States each year. Now, researchers from Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City say insertion of a stent can prevent many of these amputations. A year after the procedure, 81.8 percent of the stented arteries were still open, allowing blood to flow freely, the researchers found. And, over an average of 17 months' follow-up, fewer than 10 percent of the patients required a major amputation, Dr. Robert A. Lookstein noted.
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- Radiation May Help Those With Inoperable Lung Tumors: 3-year survival doubled after the treatment, study found
A carefully targeted and powerful regimen of radiation therapy kept early-stage lung tumors stable in patients who had inoperable cancers. Almost 56 percent of patients who underwent the therapy, called stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), were still alive three years after their treatment. By contrast, only about 25 percent to 30 percent of patients who receive conventional fractionated radiotherapy survive that long. "It's provocative but it's not for all patients with lung cancer. This is for people who can't undergo surgery, so I think surgery is still the best way to treat early lung cancer," Dr. Jay Brooks said. "The radiation was effective at controlling the cancer in the spot but the cancer still has a high risk of spreading to other parts of the body," he added.
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- Implant Shows Promise for Hard-to-Treat Epilepsy: Pacemaker-like device cut frequency of seizures in study participants
Deep-brain electrical stimulation reduced the frequency of epileptic seizures in people who had not responded to other treatments, a new study has found. With the deep-brain stimulation, seizure frequency decreased by 40 percent in the first three months after the device was implanted, the study found. After about two years, seizures had decreased 56 percent, on average. Adverse effects reported by the participants included infection at the site of implantation, misplaced electrical leads that had to be repositioned and tingling sensations. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is considering whether to approve the device for treatment of epilepsy in people who don't respond to other therapies.
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- A New Way to Zap Away Uterine Fibroids: High-energy ultrasound waves avoid surgery by destroying the benign tumors
Dr. John Lipman called the technique promising, but noted that it's not for every woman and does not replace the techniques currently in use. "It's very exciting and innovative, but there are some limitations," said Lipman. "It's important to keep in mind this treatment can only address a small fraction of the symptomatic fibroid population." Because it takes two to three hours to zap each fibroid, it's not practical to offer the technique to women who have a uterus full of larger fibroids. Concerns about altering or damaging the uterus in some way also led many doctors to steer women who wanted to become pregnant away from UFE [Uterine Artery Embolization] Dr. Gina Hesley added. But a second study to be presented at the same meeting found that women who had UFE done were just as likely to conceive as those who underwent myomectomy.
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Health Highlights
**More Food Products Added to Recall List.
**FDA Reviews Safety of Bone-Building Drugs.
**Cholesterol, Diabetes Drugs at Top of Medicare List.
**High Failure Rate for ASR Hip Implant.
**Baby-Sling Warning Expected: They Pose A Suufocation Hazard.
**FDA Panel Gives Blessing to Drug for Rare Lung Disease.
**Pet Food Recall Expanded: Possible Salmonella Contamination.
**Two Flavors of Pringles Chips Recalled: Concerns About Possible Salmonella Contamination.
**New Technique Reduces Brain Damage Risk in Premies.
**Heartburn Drug's Name Changed to Prevent Errors: FDA.
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- Two New Studies Report a High Rate of Severe Injuries Among Children Who Ride All-Terrain Vehicles -- including amputations, spinal injuries and even death
"A spine injury is such a devastating injury for a young person," said Dr. Jeffrey R. Sawyer. The same goes for amputations, which, as a result of these types of injuries, have typically been of legs, toes and fingers. Three-wheeled ATVs have been banned (although some do still exist), but four-wheeled, multi-rider ATVs are gaining in popularity and it appears they are not necessarily any safer, the researchers said. "It's night and day. If you get injured on one of these it's going to be bad," said Dr. Gregg Wendell Schellack. And children just shouldn't be riding these vehicles, added Dr. Mike Gittelman. "They don't possess the maturity or ability to operate these vehicles," he said. "If you're not going to let a kid drive [a car], why would you let them drive a vehicle that's just as powerful?"
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- Sudden Protein Intake Harmful for Some Hospitalized Patients: Syndrome affects those given dietary supplements after not eating for a while, study finds
The syndrome -- called supplement-associated hyperammonemia after cachectic episode (SHAKE) -- appears to cause difficulty walking and alters mental status, leading to symptoms such as diminished attention, impaired thinking, altered consciousness and reduced awareness. But the syndrome can be prevented, researchers report, by making sure at-risk patients don't consume high-protein supplements if they've failed to eat properly for more than a week before admittance. The sudden reintroduction of protein to the diet appears to be the problem. "With advances in nutritional education and supplements, this syndrome likely occurs thousands of times per year in hospitals across the United States. We believe it may account for more than 10,000 hospital days, countless morbidity and even some mortality," said Dr. Michael Perloff.
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- High Natural Estrogen Might Raise Women's Stroke Risk: The link seemed especially strong for overweight females, study found
Higher levels of naturally occurring estrogen are tied to a rising risk of stroke in postmenopausal women who aren't on hormone therapy, a new study finds. The researchers found that women with the highest levels of estradiol (the most potent naturally occurring estrogen) were 2.3 times more likely to suffer a stroke than those with the lowest levels. "These results raise the possibility that estradiol levels might be a decision-making tool for health care providers and their female patients when discussing stroke and weighing the option of estrogen therapy," said study leader Jennifer Lee. The researchers also found that women with waist sizes larger than 34 inches had higher estradiol levels and greater stroke risk than those with smaller waist sizes. "In women with waist girths greater than 34", high estradiol levels conferred a 6 fold greater stroke risk.....
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- Processed Meat May Harm the Heart: Salt and preservatives may be the culprits, researchers suggest
The researchers found that people who ate unprocessed red meat did not significantly increase their chances of developing heart disease or diabetes. However, eating processed meat was linked to an increased risk for the two conditions. In fact, for every 50-gram (1.8-ounce) serving, the risk for heart disease jumped 42 percent and the risk for diabetes increased 19 percent. "In contrast to unprocessed meats, processed meats contained, on average, four times higher amounts of sodium and two times higher amounts of nitrate preservatives," said Renata Micha. "A study of over 500,000 people found that people who ate the most both red and processed meats had a higher risk of mortality, cancer and cardiovascular disease than those who ate lesser amounts of these foods," said Samantha Heller. "Processed meat" is any meat preserved by smoking, curing or salting or with the addition of chemical....
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- Electromagnetic Pulses May Stem Arthritic Knee Pain: New device could improve life quality without side effects, expert says
Researchers gave a battery-operated device to 34 people, who used it to emit a low-intensity, pulsating, electromagnetic frequency to their knees. The participants experienced pain relief of more than 40 percent on the first day of treatment, according to the study. The approach has no side effects, is "relatively low-cost in the long-run and the onset of pain relief is immediate," said Dr. Fred Nelson. The electromagnetic pulses are thought to reduce the level of calcium in cartilage cells and set off a process that reduces inflammation. For the study, people wore the device around their knees for 15 minutes, twice a day for six weeks. The study was funded by Ivivi Health Sciences, which developed the device.
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- Diet, Exercise Can Improve Thinking: Study finds benefits for the mind, not just the body
"It looks like exercise and diet improve the range of cognitive function," said Patrick Smith. "It helps executive function, learning and psychomotor speed." The group that ate well and exercised regularly had an overall 30 percent improvement in mental function by the end of the four-month period, the researchers noted. Physical activity does seem to have a direct effect on brain cells, Smith said. "There are neurochemical changes that happen with exercise, he said. There is increased production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, which stimulates connection with other brain cells, he said, but also there is some evidence that it helps grow new brain cells."
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Health Highlights
**Recalled Pepper Linked to Salmonella Cases.
**Medical Scan Makers Propose System to Cut Radiation Risks.
**Scientists Spot Breast Cancer Genes That Influence Drug's Effectiveness.
**Study May Lead To New Prostate Cancer Treatment.
**Violent Video Games Linked To Aggressive Behavior.
**More U.S. Teens Using Alcohol and Marijuana.
**FDA Warns Food Makers of Label Violations.
**FDA to Discuss Insulin Pump Recalls.
**Popular Fish Oil Products Contain PCBs.
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- Radiation Most Effective Soon After Breast Cancer Surgery: Analysis finds greater risk of recurrence in those who delay it
For women who have had breast cancer surgery, the question of whether or not to wait before receiving radiation therapy has been answered by new research that suggests that the longer women wait, the greater the chance of cancer recurrence. Among the 30 percent of the women in the study who began radiation therapy more than six weeks after surgery, the researchers found that 4 percent went on to develop local recurrences within five years. The researchers also discovered that the risk of recurrence appeared to decline the sooner radiation treatment began. This suggests that it's a bad idea to wait to begin radiation therapy, and the treatment should start as soon as possible after surgery, the authors of the report noted.
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- Reading Remediation Seems to Rewire the Brain: Study findings could have implications for autism, stroke and other conditions
Remedial training for poor readers results in a growth of white matter tracts in the brain, and the increase correlates with the level of improvement in sounding out words. "This is the first evidence for an increase in white matter in response to a remedial behavioral intervention," said lead author Marcel Just. "It provides evidence that repeated cognitive exercises can alter the cortical connectivity of the human brain." The finding could have potential beyond enhancing reading ability. If a behavioral intervention can cause brain growth, benefits might be reflected in any number of brain conditions, including autism, stroke, multiple sclerosis and traumatic brain injury, experts say.
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- Secondhand Smoke Starts Damaging Arteries in Childhood: Passive exposure tied to blood vessel damage in 13-year-olds, research shows
The authors of the new study examined 494 children and found that those exposed to secondhand smoke between the ages of 8 and 13 were more likely to show thickening of blood vessel walls, a precursor to hardening -- clogging -- of arteries. The researchers also found that the kids who were exposed to the most tobacco smoke had higher levels of apolipoprotein B, which contributes to "bad" cholesterol, another heart disease risk factor. "These findings suggest that children should not face exposure to tobacco smoke at all,"Dr. Katariina Kallio said. "Even a little exposure to tobacco smoke may be harmful for blood vessels. We need to provide children a smoke-free environment."
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- Marijuana Use Can Increase Risk of Psychosis, Hallucinations and Delusions: Association found between length of use and mental health
"Compared with those who had never used cannabis, young adults who had six or more years since first use of cannabis [i.e., who commenced use when around 15 years or younger] were twice as likely to develop a non-affective psychosis and were four times as likely to have high scores on the Peters et al Delusions Inventory [a measure of delusion]," wrote Dr. John McGrath. "There was a 'dose-response' relationship between the variables of interest: the longer the duration since the first cannabis use, the higher the risk of psychosis-related outcomes."
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- Future Heart Disease May Be in Store for Obese Kids: Warning signs start to show up as early as age 3, researchers say
Obese children as young as 3 could harbor a warning sign that they're at risk of heart disease in the future, new research suggests. "Most adults understand that being overweight or obese isn't good for them. But not as many people realize that it may be unhealthy for young children to be overweight," said Asheley Cockrell Skinner. "A lot more work needs to be done before we figure out the full implication of these findings," said Dr. Eliana Perrin. "But this study tells us that very young, obese children already have more inflammation than children who are not obese, and that's very concerning. It may help motivate us as physicians and parents to take obesity at younger ages more seriously."
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Health Highlights
**Avastin Effective Against Advanced Ovarian Cancer.
**Fatty Foods Increase Women's Stroke Risk.
**Pet Turtles Caused Salmonella Outbreak.
**FDA Approves Updated Prevnar Vaccine For Pneumococcal Disease.
**HIV Drug Combination, Norvir and Invirase, Poses Heart Risk: FDA.
**Drug Companies Help Fund Doctors' Schooling.
**Singing Helps Stroke Patients Recover Speech.
**Large Health Insurance Hikes Justified.
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- Remove Diabetes Drug Avandia From Market: FDA Documents
Controversial medicine raises users' heart risk, leaked files suggest
The New York Times on Saturday reported on documents from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that find that if people now taking Avandia (rosiglitazone) switched to a similar medication, Actos, about 500 heart attacks and 300 cases of heart failure would be eliminated each month. And in a report from the Institute for Safe Medication Practice, Avandia was linked to 304 deaths in the third quarter of 2009 alone, the highest for any prescribed drug in that time period. In one of the FDA documents, dated October 2008, Drs. David Graham and Kate Gelperin -- drug safety officials at the agency -- agreed that "rosiglitazone should be removed from the market." Still, "hundreds of thousands" of people still take Avandia, the Times noted.
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- Wii-Gaming Could Aid Stroke Rehab: Physical therapy centered around the high-tech games surpassed standard exercises, study finds
"We ran a pilot study to see whether this is doable, safe, and more effective than routine therapy," he said. "And we found it was," said Dr. Gustavo Saposnik. The Wii-based therapy involved movements that mimic the arm strokes required in a tennis match or those needed for cutting potatoes, peeling onions, slicing meat and shredding cheese. "Basically, we found that Wii therapy produced a 30 percent better improvement than recreational therapy in the time it took for the Wii patients to execute a task, and in how well they were able to execute a task," said Saposnik. Saposnik said that if the apparent benefits of Wii therapy hold up to further scrutiny, the high-tech physical therapy approach could help address two paramount challenges patients face when embarking on a recovery program: time and access.
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- Statins May Benefit Prostate Cancer Patients: Cholesterol-lowering meds linked to significantly reduced tumor inflammation, research shows
Cholesterol-lowering statins significantly reduce prostate tumor inflammation, which may help lower the risk of disease progression, new study findings suggest. Duke University Medical Center researchers found that the use of statins before prostate cancer surgery was associated with a 69 percent reduced likelihood of inflammation inside prostate tumors. But that doesn't mean that all prostate cancer patients should take statins, said Dr. Stephen Freedland. "More studies have to be done before such a recommendation can be made. However, men taking statins for heart health may already be enjoying a beneficial side effect against prostate cancer," Freedland said.
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- Fitness Boosts Brain Power in Multiple Sclerosis Patients: MRI scans show less structural damage in those who exercise
"We found that aerobic fitness has a protective effect on parts of the brain that are most affected by multiple sclerosis," said Ruchika Shaurya Prakash. "As a result, these fitter patients actually show better performance on tasks that measure processing speed." The researchers also found that fitter MS patients showed less deterioration of brain white matter. "Our hypothesis is that aerobic exercise enhances these nerve growth factors in MS patients, which increases the volume of the gray matter and increases the integrity of the white matter. As a result, there is an improvement in cognitive function," Prakash said. "For a long time, MS patients were told not to exercise because there was a fear it could exacerbate their symptoms. But we're finding that if MS patients exercise in a controlled setting, it can actually help them with their cognitive function," she.....
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- Hospital-Acquired Sepsis and Pneumonia a 'Growing Menace': With nearly 50,000 killed a year, better infection control is needed
Sepsis is a life-threatening immune response to infection. Nearly 20 percent of patients who developed sepsis after surgery died, said the study. "That's the tragedy of such cases," said Anup Malani. "In some cases, relatively healthy people check into the hospital for routine surgery. They develop sepsis because of a lapse in infection control -- and they can die." "In many cases, these conditions could have been avoided with better infection control in hospitals," said Ramanan Laxminarayan. "Infections that are acquired during the course of a hospital stay cost the United States a staggering amount in terms of lives lost and health care costs. Hospitals and other health care providers must act now to protect patients from this growing menace."
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- Two Treatment Methods for Severe Sepsis Achieve Similar Short-Term Survival Rates: Study attempts to settle ongoing debate about which method is better
Reeseachers compared lactate clearance (using lactate levels measured in blood samples) with a treatment involving central venous oxygen saturation (ScvO2) measured using a catheter connected to a computerized system. The Carolinas Medical Center team found that 34 patients (23 percent) in the ScvO2 group died while in hospital, compared with 25 (17 percent) of patients in the lactate clearance group. There were no differences in treatment-related adverse events. "These data support the substitution of lactate measurements in peripheral venous blood as a safe and efficacious alternative to a computerized spectrophotometric catheter in the resuscitation of sepsis," the researchers concluded. Each year in the United States, at least 750,000 people are hospitalized with severe sepsis.....
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- Antidepressants in Pregnancy May Delay Developmental Milestones: Children exposed in womb slower to sit without support, walk, study finds
Using data on more than 81,000 babies born in Denmark, researchers found that children whose mothers took antidepressants during the second or third trimester sat without support later and walked later than children of depressed mothers who did not take medication. This was especially true for boys. Children whose mothers took antidepressants sat about 16 days later and walked nearly a month later than the children of mothers who didn't take the drugs. By 19 months, they found no differences in motor skills between kids exposed and not exposed to antidepressants. But the 19-month-old children whose mothers had taken antidepressants were less able to occupy themselves for more than 15 minutes than toddlers whose mothers hadn't taken antidepressants. Women should not make hasty decisions about discontinuing the drugs & consult with their doctors first.
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Health Highlights
**Nature Variety Pet Food Recalled.
**California Meat Recall Expanded: USDA.
**At-Home Stool Tests Boost Colon Cancer Screening.
**Traffic Pollution Accelerates Hardening of Arteries.
**Kellogg Told To Fix Sanitary Issues at Eggo Plant.
**More Salami Products Recalled.
**More Than Half of U.S. Hospital Procedures Now Outpatient.
**Denture Creams Pulled Because of Nerve Damage Claims.
**Maalox Product Confusion Could Cause Harm: FDA.
**Exjade to Carry Warning.
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- Aspirin May Boost Breast Cancer Survival: Risk of death, recurrence halved for those who took it, study finds
A new study of more than 4,000 women who were diagnosed with breast cancer shows that taking aspirin appears to significantly increase survival and reduce the risk of recurrence. Exactly how aspirin confers a risk reduction is not known, Dr. Michelle Holmes said. But the new research is in line with some previous studies. "We're appreciating more and more that cancer is an inflammatory disease, and aspirin is an anti-inflammatory," she said. Aspirin might lower estrogens in the blood or might prevent early spread of cancer, the researchers speculated. Aspirin would never be a substitute for recommended cancer treatments, Holmes said. And aspirin does have negative effects in some. "It can cause bleeding of the GI tract," she noted. Women should talk to their doctor about what's best for them.
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- FDA Issues Warning on Key Asthma Drugs: Advair, Foradil, Serevent and Symbicort should not be used alone due to safety concerns
A new label warning will caution users of four widely used asthma drugs to avoid using these medicines as a sole or long-term means of symptom control, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Thursday. LABAs [long-acting beta agonists] should no longer be used alone in treating adults and children, the FDA said. In making its decision, the agency cited studies that found that using the drugs alone can actually increase the severity of asthma, leading to hospitalizations and even death. The drugs should only be used for the shortest time possible, until asthma symptoms are under control, and be "discontinued, if possible, once asthma control is achieved," the agency said in a statement. People should then switch to another medication to maintain symptom control, the FDA said.
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- FDA Tightens Controls on Anemia Drugs: Procrit, similar medicines have been tied to stroke, heart failure, tumor promotion and death in cancer patients
"The plan requires the drug manufacturer to implement a program to ensure that health-care professionals understand the appropriate use of these drugs and adequately inform patients of the drugs' risks," said Dr. Richard Pazdur. Procrit is one of three so-called erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) manufactured by Amgen (the other two are Epogen and Aranesp), all of which are covered under the new plan. The new rules do not apply to indications other than use by cancer patients. The FDA has also recommended that the medications be prescribed at the lowest doses possible because trials generally indicated an increased risk when blood levels were raised above 12 grams per deciliter.
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- Ibuprofen May Help Stave Off Parkinson's: Finding suggests need to look closer at the disease as inflammatory, expert says
People who took three or more tablets a week showed a 40 percent lower risk than those who didn't take the common pain reliever. Dr. Xiang Gao said the findings are important for anyone at increased risk for Parkinson's because most people with the disease eventually become severely disabled. No other pain reliever was found to lower the risk for Parkinson's. Dr. Michele Tagliati called the study "eye-opening." Parkinson's is not considered an inflammatory disease, he said, adding: "We might be missing something. There is more work to be done." But in the meantime, Tagliati said, he would "definitely discuss ibuprofen use" with his patients because, if it works to protect against the disease, it could very well benefit those who already have it.
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- Early On, Hormone Therapy May Raise Women's Heart Risks: Study reports little coronary benefit, regardless of when treatment begins
Hormone replacement therapy does not lower the odds of heart trouble in women who take the regimen to ease hot flashes and other symptoms of menopause, a new study reports. In fact, the researchers say, it will probably elevate the risk for heart attacks for the first two years of use. "If women are thinking about using hormone therapy for menopausal symptoms, they should use the lowest dose and for the shortest duration possible," said Sengwee Darren Toh. Analysis found that, overall, women who took combined hormone therapy for the first two years of the study had more than double the risk for heart attack and other coronary problems.
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- Device Helps Kids With Single-Sided Deafness: In study, bone-anchored hearing aids boosted hearing in such children
Bone-anchored hearing aids provide noticeable hearing improvement for children and teens with single-sided deafness, a new study finds. Traditional external hearing aids are effective, but compliance is low among children, particularly outside the classroom, according to background information in the study. "Thus, treatment options for [single-sided deafness] in children are limited, thereby creating a source of frustration and a need for alternative treatments," wrote Lisa Christensen. "These findings are helpful in counseling children 5 years and older and their families regarding treatment options for single-sided deafness," the researchers concluded.
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Health Highlights
**Applegate Farms Sausage Recalled.
**FDA Announces Recall of Cardiac Science Defibrillators.
**Cribs Linked to Three Deaths Recalled.
**Target Pulls Valentines Day Bears From Shelves.
**Boredom May Be Deadly.
**New Guidelines Coming on Use of Newborn Blood Samples.
**Poor-Quality Malaria Pills Worry Experts.
**FDA Wants Realistic Serving Sizes on Food Packaging.
**Exercise Protects Against Painful Gallstones.
**Dissolvable, Flavored Tobacco Products Concern Health Regulators.
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- Paxil Blocks Tamoxifen, Lowers Survival Odds Against Breast Cancer: Patients should avoid taking the two drugs together, researchers say
Women with breast cancer who take both tamoxifen and the antidepressant Paxil may increase their risk of dying because Paxil reduces tamoxifen's effectiveness. "Paxil can deprive women of the benefit of tamoxifen, especially when it is used in combination with tamoxifen for a long time," said Dr. David Juurlink. "Patients who are on tamoxifen and who require an antidepressant should probably be given something different," he added. But he advised against abruptly discontinuing Paxil. "There is a very real danger to stopping Paxil suddenly. There is a well-described withdrawal syndrome and the risk of depression becoming more severe," he said. In addition, any transition to another antidepressant should be done gradually over several weeks, he said.
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- Soft Drinks Could Boost Pancreatic Cancer Risk: People who down two or more soft drinks a week may have double the risk of developing deadly pancreatic cancer
The analysis involved more than 60,000 middle-aged or older Chinese Singaporeans. Researchers calculated how much juice and soda the participants drank on average and followed them for 14 years to see how many developed cancer of the pancreas. The researchers speculate that elevated blood sugar levels associated with soda-drinking and the associated increase in insulin levels prompt pancreatic cells to divide abnormally. "Drinking sugar-sweetened soft drinks has been linked to weight gain, obesity and diabetes. Both obesity and diabetes are associated with higher risk of pancreatic cancer, one of the leading causes of cancer death in the United States," Eric Jacobs said.
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- Migraine Linked to Increased Heart Attack Risk: The incidence of heart attacks in people with migraine is almost double that of people who don't suffer the headaches
Cardiologists, especially those who treat women, should pay attention to those results and the current study, even though they appear in a neurology journal, said Dr. Holly Andersen. "Clearly, the majority of people who have migraines are women, often young women," Andersen said. "This is a marker that might help prevent cardiac disease. There have been several large population studies that show women with migraines have an increased risk of cardiovascular events. These are the women we should be intervening with. If they use oral contraceptives there should be a concern, because they can form blood clots, particularly if they smoke." And since the risk of stroke in women who have migraine is clear, "it's not too much of a stretch to think they have a threat with heart disease," said Dr. Dara Jamieson.
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- Vaccine May Prevent TB in People With HIV: Clinical trial results mark 'significant milestone,' expert says
Phase III trials of 2,000 HIV-infected people in Tanzania found that the mycobacterium vaccae (MV) vaccine reduced the rate of definite tuberculosis (TB) by 39 percent. TB is the most common cause of death among people in developing countries who have HIV/AIDS, and the results of the clinical trials are a "significant milestone," according to principal investigator Dr. Ford von Reyn. The next step, he said, involves improving manufacturing methods so that sufficient quantities of the MV vaccine can be produced for further studies and possible use in patients. Because people newly infected with HIV risk contracting TB almost immediately, the researchers said, it's important that they get the MV vaccine before they begin taking antiretroviral drugs to fight the HIV infection.
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- Inflammatory Bowel Ups Risk for Blood Clots: Doctors should consider preventive measures, study suggests
The researchers said the findings suggest that active IBD might be a far greater risk factor for blood clots than previously believed. "We believe that the medical profession needs to recognize the increased risk in people with inflammatory bowel disease when assessing the likelihood of venous thromboembolism and to address the difficulty of reducing this risk in patients with a flare who are not admitted to hospital," wrote Dr. Matthew J. Grainge. They suggested that "strategies to achieve a reduction in risk might include those used for inpatients, such as brief courses of low-molecular weight heparin or, perhaps, newly available oral anticoagulants."
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- Drinking Milk While Pregnant May Lower Kids' MS Risk: Finding suggests that the effect of vitamin D begins in the womb, expert says
Children born to mothers who drink lots of milk and have a high dietary intake of vitamin D during pregnancy have a much lower risk of developing multiple sclerosis later in life. "The risk of MS among daughters whose mothers consumed four glasses of milk per day [during pregnancy] was 56 percent lower than daughters whose mothers consumed less than three glasses of milk per month," said Dr. Fariba Mirzaei. "We also found the risk of MS among daughters whose mothers were in the top 20 percent of vitamin D intake during pregnancy was 45 percent lower than daughters whose mothers were in the bottom 20 percent for vitamin D intake during pregnancy," Mirzaei added. The three most important sources of vitamin D are fortified milk, fatty fish such as salmon and exposure to sunlight.
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Health Highlights
**High Levels of Cadmium Found in Adult Jewelry.
**Fashion Industry Pressures Teen Girls to Be Skinny: Survey.
**New Drugs May Help Treat Intellectual Disabilities.
**Scientists Identify Farsightedness Gene.
**Anesthesia Brain Patterns Resemble Deep Sleep.
**Anti-HIV Drugs Carry Risk of Liver Problems: FDA.
**Vitamin D Protects Against Crohn's Disease.
**Healthy Older Adults Require Less Sleep.
**Cell Phone Bans May Not Reduce Crashes.
**Children's Pendants Recalled Because of Cadmium.
**Ground Pepper Could Be Culprit in Salmonella Outbreak.
**Program Offers Free Health Text Messages To New Moms.
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- Serotonin May Be Key to Sudden Infant Deaths: Deficiency hampers babies' ability to respond to low oxygen, study suggests
Researchers have long suspected that a lack of serotonin, an important neurotransmitter in the brain, may be a factor in SIDS deaths. Neurotransmitters are chemicals that transmit messages from one brain cell to another. Experts have theorized that a lack of serotonin affects the way a baby responds to a loss of oxygen and a buildup of carbon dioxide while sleeping. In babies with a normally functioning system, the lack of oxygen would cause them to awaken and turn their head to get fresh oxygen. In babies who die of SIDS, this important protective mechanism is either underdeveloped or lacking, and they don't awaken. That may be one reason why the Back-to-Sleep campaign was so successful in reducing SIDS. By putting babies to sleep on their backs & taking soft, fluffy bedding out of the crib, parents are taking away environmental stressors that may contribute to SIDS
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- Herceptin Again Proves Mettle Against Breast Cancer: High-risk breast cancer patients with HER2-positive tumors benefit from receiving the targeted therapy Herceptin while undergoing chemotherapy
"The reason why Herceptin is so valuable to patients who have locally advanced breast cancer is they have a very bad prognosis," Dr. Jay Brooks continued. "The cancers are usually bigger. They may have spread to the lymph nodes in the armpits and they're usually not small enough to be cut out to preserve the breast." When Brooks sees a patient with locally advanced breast cancer, he treats them first with chemotherapy, to shrink the tumor, along with trastuzumab (Herceptin). Once chemo is completed -- after about six months -- it's easier to operate and remove the tumor. Then the patient is continued on Herceptin for a year, followed by radiation. 71% of women who received Herceptin were alive without a recurrence at the end of three years, versus 56% of women in the control group.
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- Too Little Vitamin D May Worsen Asthma: Low levels may also hinder response to steroid treatment
Dr. Michael F. Holick called this "a very nice study that confirms previous observations that vitamin D enhances lung function." "It is also known that glucocorticoids [steroids] increase the destruction of vitamin D, thus making patients with asthma at higher risk for vitamin D deficiency, which in turn decreases lung function and makes their disease worse," he said. Holick thinks most people, asthmatic or not, get too little D and should take supplements. "It's pretty clear that you need a minimum of 1,400 and up to 2,000 IU a day, and if you are obese, you probably need at least one and a half to two times as much, because the fat sequesters the vitamin D," Holick said. "We now recognize that you can take up to 10,000 IUs a day and not worry about any untoward toxicity."
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- Fish Oil Helped Stave Off Psychosis in Study Patients: Supplements may benefit those at high risk of schizophrenia
The beneficial effects of fish oil capsules with omega-3 fatty acids may result from changes in cell membranes and interactions with neurotransmitter systems in the brain, the researchers explained. Dr. G. Paul Amminger and colleagues noted that many young adults are reluctant to take antipsychotic drugs due to perceived stigma and side effects such as sexual dysfunction, metabolic changes and weight gain. Omega-3 fatty acids may offer an natural alternative. "Long-chain omega-3 fatty polyunsaturated fatty acids reduce the risk of progression to psychotic disorder and may offer a safe and efficacious strategy for indicated prevention in young people with subthreshold psychotic states," the authors concluded.
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- Poor Mental Functioning May Predict Stroke: Men who scored lowest on test also had worst outcomes, study reports
Problems with memory or thinking abilities could signal an increased likelihood for a stroke in the future. Swedish researchers found that older men who were not diagnosed as having dementia but who did poorly on a test of mental function had a greatly increased risk for stroke. "Our results support the idea that cognitive decline, regardless of whether a person has dementia, may predict risk of stroke," Dr. Bernice Wiberg said. "If you have a bad test result at 70 years and if you do get a stroke, you have a lessened chance to survive for a long time," she said. Another recent study found the most obese individuals were more than three times as likely to have a stroke as the leanest.
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- CT Scans Deemed Best for Checking Heart Arteries: But if it's heart muscle tissue that needs examining, use MRI, expert says
CT is the preferred noninvasive technology for assessing the condition of heart arteries, whether there is narrowing that might end with the total blockage that causes a heart attack, Dr. Uwe Joseph Schoepf said. "MRI is not in current use to look at coronary artery disease," he said. "We use MRI angiography if we are interested in heart muscle, as when there are congenital heart abnormalities in children. The strength of MRI is that it shows tissue configuration." Though that difference is well established among radiologists, the new study may be of assistance in the general medical community, including general cardiologists, because "it summarizes the advantages of CT at this point in time," Dr. Ricardo Cury said. Indeed, CT appears to be better for assessment of coronary artery disease, matched against not only MRI but other methods, such as echocardiography,..
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Health Highlights
**States Weigh Tougher Rules on Head Injuries of Young Athletes.
**Vital Social Skill Seems to Develop at Young Age.
**Antibiotics Combo More Effective Than Single Drug.
**New Disinfectant Kills Wide Range of Pathogens.
**Defect Prompts Recall of 2 Million Hypodermic Needles.
**Victoza Approved for Type 2 Diabetes.
**Blood Glucose Level Affects Decision Making After Drinking Just One Soda.
**Herpes Drug Doesn't Reduce HIV Infection Risk.
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- Flame-Retardant Chemical Linked to Conception Problems: High levels of PBDEs can reduce chance of pregnancy by up to 50%, researchers say
The chemicals, called PBDEs (polybrominated diphenyl ethers), are found in a variety of products including foam furniture, electronics, fabrics, carpets, plastics and other common household items and have been linked to a variety of health problems, researchers say. PBDEs became common after the 1970s with new fire-safety standards in the United States. Studies have found that 97 percent of Americans have detectable levels of PBDEs in their blood. These levels are 20 times higher than found in Europeans. According to Harley, Californians have some of the highest exposures to these chemicals due to strict fire laws in that state. Kim Harley said the best way to reduce your exposure to PBDEs is to reduce your exposure to house dust, by using a wet mop and vacuuming with a filtered vacuum cleaner and washing your hands often.
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- New Drug Slows Advanced Kidney Cancer: Pazopanib may double time to disease progression, study finds
Treating advanced kidney cancer patients with the drug pazopanib (Votrient) slowed their disease progression by 54 percent, a new study has found. In the pazopanib group, it took an average 9.2 months for the cancer to progress, vs. an average 4.2 months in the placebo group. The difference was greatest in previously untreated patients (11.1 months for the pazopanib group and 2.8 months for the placebo group), but also was found among patients previously treated with cytokines (7.4 months in the pazopanib group vs. 4.2 months in placebo group). Pazopanib inhibits the development of blood vessels that tumors need to grow and spread.
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- Intensive Rectal Cancer Treatment Shows Promise: Tumors were down-staged in most patients following chemo-surgery regimen, researchers say
The phase 2 study included 105 patients with poor-risk rectal cancer, meaning they have a high likelihood of disease recurrence and poor survival odds despite receiving standard chemotherapy and optimum surgery. For this study, the patients underwent 12 weeks of chemotherapy treatment with capecitabine and oxaliplatin, followed by chemoradiotherapy with capecitabine and surgery, followed by another 12 weeks of capecitabine treatment. After three years, 68 percent of the patients had no cancer progression, and the overall survival rate was 83 percent. After five years, the overall survival rate was 75 percent.
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- Very Tight Blood Sugar Control May Raise the Risk of Premature Death in People with Type 2 Diabetes: With the risk even higher among patients taking insulin, a new study reveals
The study authors suggest revising diabetes guidelines to include a low threshold for blood sugar levels in addition to the well-known upper thresholds. But other experts familiar with the study said the issue is still up for debate and that diabetics should by no means abandon their efforts to lower blood sugar whether it be through medication, insulin or lifestyle changes, but should avoid efforts to go too low if possible. "The first thing you want to avoid almost no matter what is low blood sugar. If you're driving and you have hypoglycemia, you can get in a car wreck," said Dr. Daniel Bessesen. "[But] this doesn't completely change the ballgame." And few people actually achieve the really low levels that seemed to cause problems in this study, he added.
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- Early EKG Seems to Improve Odds After Heart Attack: Administration by paramedics shortens time to specialized treatment, study finds
Researchers report that people with chest pain who are given an electrocardiogram by paramedics before reaching the hospital don't wait as long to receive treatment to open their arteries. They often were able to bypass the emergency room and go directly to the cardiac catheterization laboratory for treatment with what's commonly known as an angioplasty, the study found. They were treated 60 minutes, on average, after reaching the hospital, compared with 91 minutes for people who did not have an EKG before arriving at the hospital. Research has shown that rapid angioplasty treatment reduces the chances of dying within the next year. Of those who did not have an EKG done before arrival, 2 percent (seven of 241 patients) died in the hospital. None of the 108 patients who were given pre-arrival EKGs died in the hospital, the study reported.
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- For Lower Blood Pressure, Low-Carb Diet May Be Best: But for weight loss alone, other plans also work well, studies find
A low-carbohydrate diet helps people shed as many pounds as a low-fat diet plus the weight-loss drug orlistat does, and the low-carb plan may be better at helping lower blood pressure, researchers report. "Weight loss was similar but substantial in both groups we studied, but blood pressure improved more in the low-carb dieters," said study author Dr. William Yancy Jr. "There are options out there. Pick a diet you think you could stick to better, and work with your physician to help you target the right intervention for you," he advised. Obesity is a significant contributor to many illnesses, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes and many cancers according to Dr. Robert Kushner.
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- More Proof Exercise Leads to Healthier Aging: Good for the mind and body, series of studies finds
Just in case the world needed more evidence on the matter, along come four new studies verifying that exercise is indeed good for you, even critical if you plan to survive to a vigorous, hardy and tough-boned old age. "I like to see this laid out, but every bit of information [already] suggests that being active is the healthier way and being inactive is the abnormal, unhealthy way," said James O. Hill. "Exercise is better than any drug or anything else we have for aging. There's no downside. If this were a drug, it would be the safest, most effective drug in the universe." An accompanying commentary pointed out that pretty much all physical ailments in later life result at least partly from lack of physical activity. Meanwhile, exercise has been shown to improve arthritis, osteoporosis, heart disease, lung disease, cancer and many more woes.
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Health Highlights
**Recalled Dorel Asia Cribs Linked to Infant's Death.
**Too Much Sitting May Harm Health.
**Exercise Increases Memory-Related Brain Cells.
**Dietary Supplements Recalled by MuscleMaster.com.
**Ground Beef Recalled by California Company.
**FDA Wants to Tighten Tanning Bed Regulations.
**New Bone Marrow Transplant Technique Promising: May Eventually Eliminate Need to FInd Matching Donors.
**FDA Warns of Counterfeit and Potentially Harmful Alli Weight-Loss Drug.
**Recalled Dog Treats May Contain Salmonella: FDA.
**Doctor Accused of Faking Painkiller Studies.
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- Health Agencies Express Concern Over BPA: The chemical is ubiquitous in plastic products, including baby bottles and sippy cups, as well as metal linings of some cans, including those containing infant formula
William Corr detailed four steps that consumers can take to reduce their BPA exposure: [1] As recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics, babies should be breast-fed for 12 months if possible. The safest and most nutritious alternative is iron-fortified infant formula, even if there are trace amounts of BPA. [2] Discard scratched baby bottles and cups as they may harbor germs and may release small amounts of BPA. [3] Very hot infant formula should not be put into BPA-containing bottles as BPA could leach from the container to the food. [4] Check labels of all bottles and cups to make sure they are microwave and dishwasher safe. BPA has been linked to heart disease, sexual dysfunction, cancer, diabetes and hyperactivity, aggression in girls,& may effect the developing fetus.
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- Tylenol Recall Expands to Include Other OTC Meds: FDA criticizes manufacturer for slow reaction to consumer complaints
To date, there have been some 70 reports from consumers about the problem, and in some cases using these products has resulted in nausea, stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhea, Deborah M. Autor said. The company believes the contamination was caused by a chemical used to treat the wooden pallets on which packaging material is transported and stored. Recalled products include specific lots of: Regular Strength Tylenol; Extra Strength Tylenol; Children's Tylenol; Tylenol 8-Hour; Tylenol Arthritis; Tylenol PM; Tylenol Simply Sleep; Children's Motrin; Motrin IB; Benadryl; Rolaids; St. Joseph aspirin.
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- Overdoses From Prescription Painkillers on the Rise: Use of opioids such as oxycodone, hydrocodone soaring, researchers say
The risk of overdosing increased with the amount of drug prescribed, according to the study. Those given higher doses had nearly nine times the chance of overdosing as those given lower doses of opioids. The greater availability of the drugs has led to an increase in abuse, A. Thomas McLellan noted. Opioids are frequently "diverted," meaning one person gets the prescription and then gives it or sells it to another. A recent study found that less than half of those who died due to accidental overdose had actually received the drugs from a physician. Symptoms of people who overdosed were delirium, loss of consciousness, confusion, respiratory problems and falling. Because of the risks, physicians should closely monitor patients who are on long-term opioid therapy, prescribe as low a dose as possible to control pain and frequently re-evaluate whether the benefit of...
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- Adding Fish Oil to IV May Speed Sepsis Recovery: Omega-3 fatty acids in the solution reduce inflammation, researchers note
Adding fish oil to intravenous solutions proved beneficial for intensive care patients with the potentially lethal blood infection known as sepsis, a new study finds. The patients who received the fish oil had lower levels of inflammatory chemicals in their blood, achieved better lung function, and had a shorter hospital stay. "Traditional solutions use soybean oil, which does not contain the omega-3 fatty acids contained in a fish oil that act to reduce inflammatory responses. In fact, soybean oil is rich in omega-6 acids that may actually promote inflammation in an excessive or unbalanced supply," Philip Cader explained.
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- The Pill May Decrease Bone Density: Long-term use of low-dose versions affect women most, study finds
Oral contraception may decrease bone density in young women. Those taking birth control pills for more than two years, and those on the low-dose estrogen pills appear to have the greatest risk of decreased bone density in the spine and whole body, according to the researchers. Almost 12 million American women are currently using oral contraception. And, the use of oral contraception is highest in women under 30, reports the study. That's important because the 20s are generally a time of peak bone mass production. Delia Scholes said the researchers suspect that the hormones in birth control pills are likely affecting normal hormone levels -- perhaps lowering normally circulating estrogen levels -- which then affects bone production.
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- Dual Treatment Cuts Dangerous Hospital Infection: A new treatment for a widespread and virulent bacterial infection, Clostridium difficile, appears to dramatically cut recurrence
C. difficile infections have doubled in recent years, and one epidemic strain has caused severe outbreaks in hospitals and long-term care facilities, where the infection is most common. About 300,000 to 500,000 Americans contract C. difficile infections each year, and recurrences are common. "Treatment of patients with C. difficile with two novel antibodies resulted in a 72 percent reduction in the number of patients that would recur with that disease," said lead researcher Dr. Donna Ambrosino. C. difficile, which settles in the gastrointestinal tract, often strikes people receiving prolonged antibiotic treatment for other infections. It can cause severe diarrhea and damage the lining of the large intestine.
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- New Disinfectant Could Help Hospitals Fight Germs:Solution is touted as less corrosive, cheaper and more effective than existing products
Researchers report that they've developed a new formula for a disinfectant that's effective against bacteria, viruses, fungi and even prions, the proteins that cause mad cow disease. The fast-acting disinfectant, they say, could be especially helpful to hospitals, where it could, for instance, be used to rid surgical instruments of germs. The disinfectant kills a variety of pathogens. Examples include those that are resistant to ordinary disinfectants, such as the germs that cause a tuberculosis-like illness in people with weakened immune systems and viruses that apparently could cause polio, the report says. Even prions, which can malfunction and cause diseases that poke holes in the brain, fell victim to the disinfectant.
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- U.S. Kids Using Media Almost 8 Hours a Day, 7 Days a Week: Survey finds few parents set rules as use of 'smart' phones, computers soars
Media use goes up dramatically when kids hit 11. Problems with media include obesity from inactivity, and potential harm for viewing sexual or violent content. There also appear to be impacts from media use on sleep, attention and school performance. One problem is not what the children are doing with all this time, but what they are not doing, Douglas A. Gentile said. "The more time we spend not being active, just being passive, we are losing skills that need practice...Using media to connect with others -- rather than in the "real world" -- may also be affecting the kind of social interaction children learn, he said. "The research is getting clearer that multitasking really damages productivity," Gentile said. "We are raising a generation of kids who may have a problem maintaining sustained and focused attention, because....
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Health Highlights
**HappyTot, HappyBaby Meals Recalled.
**Parenthood Linked With Lower Blood Pressure.
**FDA Warns Drug Companies About Promotional Materials.
**Criticism Labels The Swine Flu Outbreak A "False Pandemic" and Claims Pressure from Drug Makers Influenced How It Was Managed.
**Chinese-Made Children's Jewelry Pulled From Wal-Mart Stores.
**Pavement Sealant Chemicals Tracked Indoors.
**Asian Firms Warned Against Using Toxins in Toys.
**Mental Health Issues Up for High School, College Students.
**Huge Increases in Drug Prices.
**Soda Fountains Dispense Fecal Bacteria.
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- Transplanted Trachea [Windpipe] Grows Own Blood Supply in Patient's Arm: 'Breakthrough' procedure also avoided tissue rejection issues, surgeons say
Belgian transplant surgeons are reporting a medical first: They coaxed a donor trachea to grow its own network of blood vessels before transplantation by first embedding it for months in the recipient's arm. The innovative approach not only brought the patient a healthy, functional trachea (windpipe), but it did so without the need for taking lifelong immunosuppressive drugs, as is common with most transplant operations. According to Dr. Pierre Delaere, it's tough to say just how many patients could benefit from this type of procedure in the future. However, because of its high level of safety and the lack of need for immunosuppressive therapy, "this procedure may become the standard of care," he said. "It's a way of repairing large tracheal defects that couldn't be repaired before," said Dr. Megan Sykes.
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- New Anti-Clotting Drug Outperforms Plavix: Trial shows Brilinta boosts patient outcomes with no added bleeding risk
A new clot-busting drug, Brilinta, may soon take the place of Plavix in treating patients with acute coronary syndrome, which includes angina and heart attack. In a new trial, the upstart drug, ticagrelor (Brilinta) reduced the risk of second heart attacks and death without raising the risk of bleeding, as clopidogrel (Plavix) can do. Because it is processed as soon as it's swallowed (meaning it doesn't have to go through the liver), Brilinta kicks in faster than Plavix, Dr. Christopher Cannon explained. "At the dose we've chosen, it has about twice the level of anti-clotting effect, hence its benefit in preventing heart attacks and stent thrombosis [closure]." And unlike Plavix, Brilinta is quickly reversible. This means patients could have surgery with a lower risk of bleeding.
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- Newer Drug More Effective in Psoriasis Treatment: Stelara tops Enbrel in head-to-head comparison and requires fewer injections, researchers say
"Ustekinumab [Stelara] is a more effective and faster acting therapy for psoriasis than the current biologic market leader for this condition," said Dr. Christopher E.M. Griffiths. After 12 weeks of treatment, 67.5 percent of the patients receiving 45 milligrams of Stelara had a 75 percent improvement in their condition, as did 73.8 percent of those receiving 90 milligrams of Stelara. Only 56.8 percent of those receiving Enbrel showed a similar improvement, the researchers found. Dr. Paolo Romanelli advises patients receiving Enbrel to stay on the drug if they are doing well. For those who do not respond to Enbrel, there is "incredible hope to have a new medication that may help them," he added. Patients who don't respond to Enbrel may respond to Stelara, the study found. The safety of the two biologics appeared similar, Griffiths said.
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- Rheumatoid Arthritis Drug Rituxan Lowers Flu Shot Effectiveness: But patients should still get vaccinated, researchers say
New research offers a caution to rheumatoid arthritis patients who take the drug rituximab (Rituxan): The flu vaccine is safe, but it's ineffective during the first six months following treatment with Rituxan. The researchers also found that previous flu vaccination does help provide some protection against the flu, and the vaccine won't make the arthritis symptoms worse. "Individuals who have compromised immune systems, such as with rheumatoid arthritis, are at risk for complications from contracting the flu virus," Dr. Sander van Assen said. "We recommend yearly influenza vaccination for all rheumatoid arthritis patients and pre-emptive vaccination for flu should be considered by those patients who start rituximab treatment."
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- Loss of Smell Could Be Early Sign of Alzheimer's: In mice, even small amount of amyloid plaques affected olfactory sense
People with Alzheimer's are already known to suffer from loss of smell. But the new research pinpoints a direct link between development of amyloid plaques -- the bits of gunk in the brain that cause Alzheimer's disease -- and a worsening sense of smell. Researchers found that the plaques first develop in the part of the mouse brain that's devoted to the sense of smell. "What was striking in our study was that performance of the mouse in the olfactory behavior test was sensitive to even the smallest amount of amyloid presence in the brain as early as 3 months of age (equivalent to a young adult)," said Daniel W. Wesson. "This is a revealing finding because, unlike a brain scan, a laboratory-designed olfactory test may be an inexpensive alternative to early diagnosis of Alzheimer's," Wesson said.
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- Faster Heart Rate May Raise Risk of Heart Attack Death: But for women, exercise cuts that risk significantly, study finds
For women under age 70, every 10-beat-per-minute increase in resting heart rate boosts the risk of dying from a heart attack by 18 percent, a new study has found. The higher a person's resting pulse, the greater their risk of death from cardiovascular disease, particularly from ischemic heart disease (heart attack and angina). Men with a pulse of 101 beats per minute or more were 73 percent more likely to die of ischemic heart disease than those with a rate of 61 to 72 beats per minute -- the normal healthy range. Women with a resting heart rate of 101 beats per minute were 42 percent more likely to die of ischemic heart disease than those with a normal pulse. This was particularly true among
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