health body care

Patients raise fresh doubt over safety of cholesterol treatment

2008-01-18T11:20:00.000-08:00

Unexplained seizures, dizziness and insomnia among symptoms claimed by statin users

POWERFUL testimony from patients suffering side-effects of a superdrug has emerged since the New Journal reported how a Hampstead schoolmaster died while suffering “psychic disturbances” linked to his prescription medication.
A form of statins, cholesterol-lowering drugs prescribed to over 3 million UK patients deemed at risk of heart attacks, was linked in an inquest to the dramatic change in character of University College School master Dr Allan Woolley.
He was killed under a train last April holding a note reading “Just burn my wretched body without ceremony”.
The Hornsey coroner’s jury last week rejected a suicide verdict and concluded that Mr Woolley “was suffering from psychic disturances, a known side-effect of the drug simvastatin”.
Although the drug has consistently passed scientific assessments from regulatory bodies and academic reviews, friends of Dr Woolley pushed for the inquest to examine its role in his death after reading a growing body of scientific and anecdotal dissent on the internet.
Lawyers acting on behalf of his family raised the possibility that the side-effects, described by a drug company doctor as ‘rare’ and ‘low occurrence’, may be under-reported or even ignored by GPs.
This week, patients and medical academics contacted the New Journal outlining their experience of and theories on statins, which at $12bn a year have become the most profitable pharmaceutical product in the world.
West Hampstead telecoms engineer Steve Hutchinson, 52, returned to work this week following an enforced four-month absence after breaking both his arms during an unexplained seizure.
Mr Hutchinson was prescribed simvastatin for above-average cholesterol earlier last year and links the sequence of insomnia, dizziness and amnesia that preceded the fit to the drug.
Mr Hutchinson said yesterday: “I was taking simvastatin up to the time of the seizure, and though I was quite fit and swimming everyday I couldn’t sleep and was feeling generally unwell.
“I couldn’t put my finger on what was wrong and went to the doctor, even suggesting it might be the statins.
“After the seizure – which neither my doctor nor a neurologist could explain after MRI and CT brain scans – I raised it again but they refused to admit that statin could be involved.
“From the day I had the seizure I haven’t had the statins and I have felt like myself again despite the fact that I am in pain.”
Music teacher Hugh De Camillis taught at University College School for over 30 years before retiring two years ago at the age of 75 and worked with Dr Woolley, who taught at the school for 26 years.
He was prescribed simvastatin following a heart attack. He is all but confined to his home by muscular pain, another acknowledged side-effect of statins, and blames the drug for increasing forgetfulness.
He said: “My muscular pain has become more and more debilitating. When I realised that this could be a side-effect of statins I discussed it with my doctor and he has lowered my dose, which has brought some improvement.
“I understand that I am at risk of heart attack and that if I stop the statins my cholesterol will go up, so my options are to live longer but in pain or to possibly die sooner but without. It was shocking to read about Dr Woolley, who I knew.”
A spokesman for Zocor producers Merck Sharp and Dohme (MSD), the $6bn-per-year drug company that produces the simvastatin Dr Woolley was prescribed, said yesterday (Wednesday) that advice on side-effects was given by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency in the UK.
The spokesman said: “We’re continuing to collect all the data and submitting it to regulatory authorities around the world. We’re continuing to monitor the safety of all our products but the numbers here are so small... There is no valid scientific evidence proving causal association between suicide and simvastatin or any of the other statin treatments.”
The company was waiting for a response from Hornsey Coroner’s Office before he could comment on whether MSD had received a report on side-effects in Dr Woolley’s case, he added.

Source:www.thecnj.co.uk

The Truth About Statins

2008-01-18T11:09:00.000-08:00

A new class of prescription drugs burst on to the scene over the last 15 years called statins designed to lower cholesterol. They're now taken by more than 18 million americans. And statins are a $21 billion industry. But do all the people taking them really need to be? CBS News teamed up with BusinessWeek magazine to investigate

As an architect, David Mullican specializes in unique designs for beachfront homes. So when his doctor told him to take lipitor to treat his high cholesterol, he had a better idea.

"I didn't want to do a prescription medicine so I was going to try to figure out a way around it," Mullican said. "I took the prescription home with me but I never filled it."

Instead, he chose to lower cholesterol the hard way - through diet and exercise, CBS News medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook reports.

Our national obsession with cholesterol numbers has led to us to depend on statins as the easy way to fight heart disease - and why not?

It's hard to ignore ads. One advertisement is for Lipitor, the most popular statin on the market. But if you look into where this number - the 36 percent reduction in heart attacks comes from - you'll find out that benefit may not be as dramatic as you think.

The study in the ad split people into two groups. For over three years, one group took Lipitor, the other took a placebo. For every 100 people in the placebo group, there were three heart attacks; in the Lipitor group there were two. That means that 100 people had to take Lipitor for more than three years to spare just one person from a heart attack.

Statins do one thing extremely well. They lower cholesterol - especially bad cholesterol - and the science tells us there's one group of people who definitely should be taking it.

"In people with known heart disease, this has become a standard of care, that you really need to be on a statin," said Chris Cannon.

But what about the millions of people with elevated cholesterol who are taking statins but have no heart disease or other risk factors? Here's where the controversy heats up.

"We have no evidence that taking a cholesterol-lowering medication like a statin will present them from getting heart disease," said Elizabeth Nabel, director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Dr. Nabel oversaw government guidelines that say don't consider statins in patients with low risk factors unless their bad cholesterol is over 160. That hasn't stopped the statin craze.

Source:www.cbsnews.com

Altering Brain's Lipid Metabolism Reduces Alzheimer's Plaques In Mice

2008-01-18T11:03:00.000-08:00

ncreasing levels of a protein that helps the brain use cholesterol may slow the development of Alzheimer's disease changes in the brain, according to researchers studying a mouse model of the disease at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

Elevated levels of the protein ABCA1 sharply reduced buildup of brain plaques that are a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease, according to senior author David M. Holtzman, M.D., the Andrew and Gretchen Jones Professor and chair of the Department of Neurology at the School of Medicine and neurologist-in-chief at Barnes-Jewish Hospital.

The study highlights a new possibility for potential Alzheimer's treatment: altering the brain's use of lipids, a class of fat-soluble compounds that includes cholesterol.

"It's becoming clear that ABCA1 may be a good drug target for Alzheimer's therapies," Holtzman says. "There are known drugs that can increase ABCA1 levels, and with some further development of this or similar classes of drugs and additional insights into how ABCA1 slows down plaque deposition, there may be a way to create a new approach to Alzheimer's treatment."

Discovered in 2001, ABCA1 is a naturally occurring enzyme already under study for its potential to treat heart disease. Lipids like cholesterol aren't soluble, so to be transported through the bloodstream and into and out of cells and organs, they have to be associated with molecules known as apolipoproteins. ABCA1 facilitates this process, which is known as lipidation.

In the circulatory system, ABCA1 lipidates HDL with cholesterol to form fully functioning HDL, the "good" cholesterol thought to decrease risk of heart disease. Cardiovascular researchers are testing drugs that increase ABCA1 levels, hoping eventually to use them to prevent or alleviate atherosclerosis.

Holtzman was intrigued by the connection between ABCA1 and lipidation because a primary risk factor for Alzheimer's disease is an apolipoprotein known as apoE. Different genetic forms of apoE are linked to significant changes in an individual's risk of developing late-onset Alzheimer's disease.

In earlier research, Holtzman's lab revealed that ABCA1 also lipidates good cholesterol in the brain. When they utilized mice lacking the gene for ABCA1 and bred them to mouse model of Alzheimer's disease, the animals developed a much great number of the brain plaques that are characteristic of the disease.

For the new experiment, Holtzman laboratory members Suzanne Wahrle, an M.D./Ph.D. student, and Hong Jiang, a senior research technician, created a line of mice genetically altered to make unusually high levels of ABCA1 in the brain. When they crossbred that line with their Alzheimer's disease mouse model, they found mice with high ABCA1 levels built up plaques in their brains much more slowly and to a much lesser extent than those with normal ABCA1 levels.

The work showed that ABCA1 is facilitating the lipidation of HDL and apoE. Holtzman theorizes that this allows apoE to better scavenge amyloid beta, the main ingredient of plaques, from the brain in a way that decreases the chances that plaques will begin to form. An earlier experiment by other scientists showed that lipidated apoE binds more tightly to soluble amyloid beta than non-lipidated apoE. But further research is needed to prove this theory.

A class of drugs is already available that increases ABCA1 levels: LXR (liver X receptor) agonists. However, Holtzman notes, these drugs need to be fine-tuned to avoid an undesirable side effect that increases fat buildup in the liver.

Source:www.sciencedaily.com

Do Cholesterol Drugs Do Any Good?

2008-01-18T10:57:00.000-08:00

Martin Winn's cholesterol level was inching up. Cycling up hills, he felt chest pain that might have been angina. So he and his doctor decided he should be on a cholesterol-lowering medication called a statin. He was in good company. Such drugs are the best-selling medicines in history, used by more than 13 million Americans and an additional 12 million patients around the world, producing $27.8 billion in sales in 2006. Half of that went to Pfizer (PFE) for its leading statin, Lipitor. Statins certainly performed as they should for Winn, dropping his cholesterol level by 20%. "I assumed I'd get a longer life," says the retired machinist in Vancouver, B.C., now 71. But here the story takes a twist. Winn's doctor, James M. Wright, is no ordinary family physician. A professor at the University of British Columbia, he is also director of the government-funded Therapeutics Initiative, whose purpose is to pore over the data on particular drugs and figure out how well they work. Just as Winn started on his treatment, Wright's team was analyzing evidence from years of trials with statins and not liking what it found.

Yes, Wright saw, the drugs can be life-saving in patients who already have suffered heart attacks, somewhat reducing the chances of a recurrence that could lead to an early death. But Wright had a surprise when he looked at the data for the majority of patients, like Winn, who don't have heart disease. He found no benefit in people over the age of 65, no matter how much their cholesterol declines, and no benefit in women of any age. He did see a small reduction in the number of heart attacks for middle-aged men taking statins in clinical trials. But even for these men, there was no overall reduction in total deaths or illnesses requiring hospitalization—despite big reductions in "bad" cholesterol. "Most people are taking something with no chance of benefit and a risk of harm," says Wright. Based on the evidence, and the fact that Winn didn't actually have angina, Wright changed his mind about treating him with statins—and Winn, too, was persuaded. "Because there's no apparent benefit," he says, "I don't take them anymore."

Wait a minute. Americans are bombarded with the message from doctors, companies, and the media that high levels of bad cholesterol are the ticket to an early grave and must be brought down. Statins, the message continues, are the most potent weapons in that struggle. The drugs are thought to be so essential that, according to the official government guidelines from the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP), 40 million Americans should be taking them. Some researchers have even suggested—half-jokingly—that the medications should be put in the water supply, like fluoride for teeth. Statins are sold by Merck (MRK) (Mevacor and Zocor), AstraZeneca (AZN) (Crestor), and Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY) (Pravachol) in addition to Pfizer. And it's almost impossible to avoid reminders from the industry that the drugs are vital. A current TV and newspaper campaign by Pfizer, for instance, stars artificial heart inventor and Lipitor user Dr. Robert Jarvik. The printed ad proclaims that "Lipitor reduces the risk of heart attack by 36%...in patients with multiple risk factors for heart disease."

Source:www.businessweek.com

Keeping Cholesterol Down Without Meds

2008-01-18T10:54:00.000-08:00

(CBS) There's new scrutiny of statins, which are the most popular prescription drug ever that's been marketed as a cholesterol-lowering medication.

As Businessweek reports: "The drugs are thought to be so essential that, according to the official government guidelines from the National Cholesterol Education Program, 40 million Americans should be taking them. Some researchers have even suggested-half-jokingly-that the medications should be put in the water supply, like fluoride for teeth."

This week, CBS News partnered with Businessweek, which reported today that statins don't necessarily help patients in the way they are thought to. Read our partner story from Businessweek here.

While it is possible that it is in your best interest to use cholesterol-lowering medication, medical experts suggest ways to lower your cholesterol without drugs - making simple lifestyle changes.

The American Heart Association's Web gives simple recommendations in a checklist for lowering cholesterol. It suggests taking simple measures: exercising regularly, eating a heart-healthy diet and making certain lifestyle choices, such as avoiding tobacco smoking.

Eating healthy

The American Heart Association offers some information on cholesterol, your body and your diet.

Some of your cholesterol is made by your body. The food you eat is responsible for the rest. Food products from animals contain cholesterol - including meats, poultry, shellfish, eggs, butter, cheese and whole or 2 percent milk. And any type of food can also contain saturated fats and trans fats, which cause your body to make more cholesterol.

The American Heart Association recommends that you keep your intake of total fat to between 25 percent and 35 percent, your saturated fat consumption to less than 7 percent and your intake of trans fat to less than 1 percent of your total daily calories.

At the same time, limit your intake of cholesterol from food to less than 300 mg per day. People with high LDL (bad) blood cholesterol levels or who are taking cholesterol medication should consume less than 200 mg of cholesterol per day.

Eat at least 25 to 30 grams of dietary fiber each day - preferably from whole grains, fruits, vegetables and legumes. To combat high blood pressure and for overall cardiovascular health, also limit sodium to 2,300 mg or less per day.

But a heart-healthy diet isn't just about what you shouldn't eat. It also means eating a diet rich in vegetables and fruits, with whole grains, high-fiber foods, lean meats and poultry, fish at least twice a week, and fat-free or 1 percent fat dairy products. Also, the diet should be low in saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol.

But can a bowl of cereal help prevent a heart attack? The Mayo Clinic suggests the best foods to lower your cholesterol and protect your heart. A partial list from the Mayo Clinic is below.

Oatmeal
Oatmeal contains soluble fiber, which reduces your "bad" cholesterol. Soluble fiber is also found in such foods as kidney beans, brussels sprouts, apples, pears, psyllium, barley and prunes.

Walnuts and almonds
Studies have shown that walnuts can significantly reduce blood cholesterol. Rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, walnuts also help keep blood vessels healthy and elastic. Almonds appear to have a similar effect, resulting in a marked improvement within just four weeks.

Fish including omega-3 fatty acids
Studies in the 1970s showed that Greenland Eskimos had a lower rate of heart disease than did other individuals living in Greenland at the same time. Analysis of dietary differences between the groups showed that the Eskimos ate less saturated fat and more omega-3 fatty acids found in fish and whale and seal meat. Research since that time has supported the heart-healthy benefits of eating fish. If you can't dine with the Eskimos, other good sources of omega-3 fatty acids include flaxseed, walnuts, canola oil and soybean oil.

Soy
Long thought to have cholesterol-lowering effects, a recent meta-analysis by the American Heart Association's Nutrition Committee showed soy protein actually has very little impact on reducing cholesterol levels. In January 2006, the American Heart Association issued a statement saying the cardiovascular health benefits of soy protein are minimal at best. No benefit was seen on HDL, triglycerides, or blood pressure and even with a large intake of soy, only a small impact on LDL was seen.

Stay away from smoke

The American Heart Association advises the following:
Cigarette and tobacco smoke, high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, physical inactivity, obesity and diabetes are the six major independent risk factors for coronary heart disease that you can modify or control. Cigarette smoking is so widespread and significant as a risk factor that the Surgeon General has called it "the leading preventable cause of disease and deaths in the United States."

Cigarette smoking increases the risk of coronary heart disease by itself. When it acts with other factors, it greatly increases risk. Smoking increases blood pressure, decreases exercise tolerance and increases the tendency for blood to clot. Smoking also increases the risk of recurrent coronary heart disease after bypass surgery.

Keep up physical activity

Physical inactivity is a major risk factor for heart disease, according to The American Heart Association, which recommends getting at least 30 minutes of physical activity, preferably every day but at least more days than not.

You don't need to get your minutes all at once - it's fine to break up your activity into 10-minute sessions or 15-minute sessions. For some people, regular physical activity affects blood cholesterol level by increasing the level of HDL (good) cholesterol. A higher HDL level is linked with a lower risk of heart disease. Physical activity can also help control other risk factors for heart disease: weight, diabetes and high blood pressure. Aerobic exercise (exercise that uses oxygen to provide energy to large muscles) raises your heart and breathing rates, which help your heart to work more efficiently at rest as well as during physical activity. Vigorous, regular physical activity such as brisk walking, jogging and swimming also condition your lungs.

Even mild activities, if done daily, can help. You can benefit from simple things like walking, gardening, housework or dancing. Talk to your doctor about getting started, especially if you've been inactive.

Source:www.cbsnews.com

UPDATE 1-Schering-Plough CEO to buy $2 mln in stock

2008-01-18T10:48:00.000-08:00

Schering-Plough Corp's (SGP.N: Quote, Profile, Research) chief executive will buy $2 million worth of the drug maker's stock, the company said on Friday, following a 20 percent decline in company's shares this week spurred by a failed clinical trial of its big-selling cholesterol drug.

In a statement, Schering-Plough CEO Fred Hassan said the investment reflects his long-term confidence in the company, its cholesterol drugs Zetia and Vytorin, and its late-stage drug pipeline. He also criticized the media's coverage of the trial, known as Enhance.

"The media interpretations of the top-line Enhance trial results, and the resulting stock price reaction, have been deeply troubling," Hassan said in a statement.

Vytorin and Zetia, with combined annual sales of about $5 billion, account for an estimated 70 percent of Schering's annual profit and 25 percent of Merck's earnings.

The company said Hassan had wanted to buy the stock on Thrusday, when it closed at $21.62 on the New York Stock Exchange. Instead, because of federal securities laws and other reasons, Schering said he will delay doing so until full results of the Enhance trial are presented at a medical meeting in late March.

Vytorin failed its primary goal of reducing fatty plaque in the carotid artery more effectively than the widely used generic cholesterol fighter simvastatin, which is also the active ingredient of Merck & Co's (MRK.N: Quote, Profile, Research) Zocor.

In fact, more plaque buildup was seen in patients taking far-costlier Vytorin during the 2-year trial than among those receiving simvastatin.

Vytorin cut levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol far better than simvastatin, that was not the trial's main focus.

Source:www.reuters.com/

Cholesterol-lowering Drugs May Not Prevent Alzheimer's Disease, According To New Study

2008-01-18T10:39:00.000-08:00

Contrary to some reports, taking statins, which are cholesterol-lowering drugs, offers no protection against Alzheimer's disease, according to new research.

The study involved 929 Catholic clergy members who were an average of 75 years old, free of dementia at the beginning of the study and enrolled in the Religious Orders Study, an ongoing study of aging and Alzheimer's disease. All of the participants agreed to a brain autopsy at the time of their death and underwent annual cognitive tests for up to 12 years.

At the beginning of the study, 119 people were taking a statin. During the 12-year follow-up period, 191 people developed Alzheimer's disease, of whom 16 used statins at the start of the study.

"Some studies have suggested people taking cholesterol-lowering drugs are less likely to have Alzheimer's disease, but our longitudinal findings found no relation between statin use and Alzheimer's," said study author Zoe Arvanitakis, MD, MS, Associate Professor of the Department of Neurological Sciences at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago and member of the American Academy of Neurology. "The study also found no association between taking statins and a slower cognitive decline among older people."

In addition, researchers performed brain autopsies on more than 250 people who died during the study to examine the relation of statins to Alzheimer's disease pathology and stroke in the brain, the two common pathological causes of dementia. The study found statin use at any time during the course of the study had no effect on pathology of Alzheimer's disease or strokes.

Arvanitakis says the study is limited in that there were relatively few statin users among those who died. She says future studies will need to look at the possibility of associations of statins with other pathologic changes of Alzheimer's disease not examined in this study.

published in the January 16, 2008, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

The study was supported by grants from the National Institute on Aging.

Source:www.sciencedaily.com

Ga. Preacher Pleads Guilty in Sex Case

2008-01-17T10:56:00.000-08:00

The 80-year-old leader of a megachurch pleaded guilty Wednesday to lying under oath about his sexual affairs and was sentenced to 10 years' probation. Archbishop Earl Paulk, who has been in ill health, was also fined $1,000 on a single felony count.

The charges stem from a 2006 deposition Paulk gave in a lawsuit against him, his brother Don and the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit at Chapel Hill Harvester Church by former church employee Mona Brewer, who said she was coerced into an affair.

In the deposition, Earl Paulk said under oath that the only woman with whom he had ever had sex outside his marriage was Brewer. But the results of a court-ordered paternity test revealed in October that Paulk is the biological father of his brother's son, D.E. Paulk, who is now head pastor at the church.

As part of Brewer's lawsuit, eight women have given sworn depositions that they were coerced into sexual relationships with Earl Paulk.

"It was a fair and just resolution of the case for a man who has lived his whole life and done wonderful things but made a mistake," said Earl Paulk's attorney, Joel Pugh. "He's ready to move on."

Paulk turned himself in to authorities Tuesday night after a warrant was issued for his arrest the previous day. The warrant was the result of a months-long probe by Cobb County District Attorney Pat Head and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

Head called the sentence "certainly adequate" for Paulk, who had never been charged criminally before.

Paulk could have been sentenced to as many as 10 years in prison. Cox said the sentence was not unusual for someone like Paulk, who has no prior record and whose health is "frail."

Paulk has been in bad health for the past couple of years after a battle with cancer, limiting his activity with the independent charismatic church he and his brother founded in 1960.

At its peak in the early 1990s, the Cathedral at Chapel Hill claimed about 10,000 members and 24 pastors and was a media powerhouse. The church was able to build a Bible college, two schools, a worldwide TV ministry and a $12 million sanctuary outside Atlanta.

Today, membership is down to about 1,500; the church has 18 pastors, most of them volunteers; and the Bible college and TV ministry have closed — a downturn blamed largely on fallout from the sex scandals.

Source:ap.google.com

Gwyneth Paltrow recovering at home following health scare

2008-01-17T10:49:00.000-08:00

Hollywood superstar Gwyneth Paltrow was yesterday recovering at home following a health scare that saw her being rushed into a hospital in a wheelchair.

The actress was admitted into New York’s Mount Sinai Hospital late Monday - just hours after being seen out-and-about near her Manhattan home.

Yesterday her spokesman insisted the actress was “fine and now at home”.

But he refused to discuss why Gywneth, 35, had to be hospitalized in the first place. “No comment - it is personal,” he said.

Onlookers insisted the star looked in a bad way when husband Chris Martin rushed her to the hospital, ironically the same one she gave birth to son Moses.

“She was slumped over in a wheelchair pushed by husband Chris Martin,” an eyewitness told a U.S. magazine. “She looked not well.”

At 6:30 p.m., a bag - labeled “Gwyneth Martin” - from NYC organic home supply store Organics Avenue was delivered to the hospital. A source said the star and Coldplay husband Chris were expected to spend the night in hospital.

Source:www.showbizspy.com

Sterling rises as inflation worries mount

2008-01-17T10:43:00.000-08:00

Sterling strengthened versus the dollar and euro on Thursday as comments from a Bank of England deputy governor and data highlighted inflationary pressure, a factor that could limit the extent of monetary easing.

A raft of negative data on the UK economy and poor results from UK retailers had led investors to price in as much as four rate cuts by the end of the year leading sterling to fall to all-time lows versus the euro.

However comments from BoE Deputy Governor John Gieve that inflation is set to rise well above target in the coming months were taken as a sign that rate cut expectations may be overdone.

"Gieve's comments contained a number of hawkish aspects," said Philip Shaw, chief economist at Investec.

"Providing Gieve's thinking is typical of the rest of the committee, yes interest rates are likely to fall again but there is certainly no guarantee that there is going to be an aggressive series of reductions."

At 1457 GMT the pound was up 0.7 percent versus the dollar at $1.9760 GBP -- on track for its biggest daily rise in percentage terms in over a month.

The euro fell as low as 74.16 pence, its lowest in two weeks .

Data from the British Chamber of Commerce showing that more firms planned to up their prices at the end of last year than any time in the last decade, highlighted the need for the BoE to take a cautious approach, analysts said [ID:nL17164824].

Forecasters are also factoring higher inflation later in the year. Economists polled by Reuters have increased their inflation prediction to 2.3 percent in 2008 up from 2.1 percent predicted last month and above the 2.0 targeted by the BoE [ECILT/GB].

Investors will take further cues on the health on the UK economy and the potential for rate cuts from UK retail sales due out at 0930 GMT on Friday. (Reporting by Simon Falush; editing by Tony Austin)

Source:uk.reuters.com

FTSE slides below 6,000 as economy worries mount

2008-01-17T10:36:00.000-08:00

GROWING fears of recession in America and a sharp slowdown at home pushed leading UK shares down another 1.4 per cent yesterday, with the FTSE100 index tumbling below the 6,000 level to its lowest point since mid-August.

The FTSE 100 ended 82.7 down at 5,942.9, this on top of Tuesday's 3 per cent plunge, making the opening weeks of 2008 one of the worst year-starts in the stock market in memory.

David Buik of spread betting company Cantor Index said he thought the index was "not a million miles from the bottom".

He added: "We breached the 6,000 mark much quicker than I thought we would. I believe the pain is going to be excruciating, but it'll be short-lived."

And Commerzbank economist Peter Dixon, added: "The markets are changing their view on the macro environment and what it means for earnings... My guess is we'll be down 5 per cent by the end of Q1. I don't think anyone at this stage would want to stick their neck out on equities."

Losses were briefly cut after the release of stronger-than-expected US industrial production figures for December.

But, as with so many rallies in recent months, it was soon snuffed out by deepening fears that there is worse to come in the credit crunch and that the wider economy is now set for a significant slowdown.

It was the turn of mining shares to feel the claws of the bear as weaker commodity prices tore into copper group Antofagasta, down 6.8 per cent and Kazakhmys, 5.8 per cent weaker. Rio Tinto, fighting a takeover approach from rival BHP Billiton, shed 6.6 per cent despite saying it produced record tonnages of iron ore, copper and other industrial minerals in 2007.

Oil slid more than $2 a barrel to below $90 for the first time since mid-December, amid signs that slowing US economic growth will erode fuel demand.

Royal Dutch Shell gave up 2.6 per cent and rival BP shed 1.6 per cent. JPMorgan cut its price target on the latter to 650p from 690p and rated the shares at "neutral". Scottish-based oil explorer Cairn Energy tumbled 102p to 2,538p.

Banks suffered further losses, though Royal Bank of Scotland escaped relatively lightly, slipping just 0.75p to a new multi-year low of 391.25p. HBoS dropped 10p to 630p, Britain's largest bank, HSBC, closed down 2.5 per cent at 753.5p and Lloyds TSB sank 2.9 per cent .

The few bright spots amid the gloom included British Airways. The shares rose 4.3 per cent to 289.5p after Goldman Sachs upgraded its rating on the stock to "buy" from "neutral". Another was British Land, topping the FTSE 100 gainers with a gain of 4.4 per cent after JPMorgan said it was time for investors to think contrarian and buy certain property stocks.

AstraZeneca climbed 3.2 per cent after Goldman Sachs upgraded the stock from "neutral" and added the shares to its conviction buy list.

Source:business.scotsman.com

Media Advisory - Health, environment leaders' recommendations urge Premier to make pesticide ban a reality

2008-01-15T07:41:00.000-08:00

Health-care and environmental experts will join
together next Tuesday to call on the McGuinty government to ban the use and
sale of cosmetic pesticides across Ontario.
The links between pesticide use and illnesses such as cancer and
neurological problems mean quick action is needed from the government. Premier
McGuinty has pledged to introduce legislation this spring that will ban the
cosmetic use of pesticides, a move that is also supported by a majority of
voters in Ontario.
A coalition of 15 health and environmental groups has developed a set of
key principles essential to an effective ban, which will be presented at
Tuesday's press conference.

<<
WHO:
- Kathleen Cooper, Senior Researcher, Canadian Environmental Law
Association
- Doris Grinspun, Executive Director, Registered Nurses' Association
of Ontario
- Jan Kasperski, Chief Executive Officer, Ontario College of Family
Physicians
- Susan Koswan, Spokesperson, Pesticide Free Ontario

WHAT: Press conference to call on the McGuinty government to ban
cosmetic pesticides in Ontario.

WHERE: Queen's Park Media Studio, Ontario Legislature, West Wing,
Ground Floor

WHEN: Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2008, 10 a.m.
>>

Other coalition members include the David Suzuki Foundation, Canadian
Cancer Society, the Ontario Medical Association (Section on Pediatrics), and
the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment.

Source:www.newswire.ca

Protecting the Health of Canadians: Recognizing the Vital Role of Environmental Public Health Professionals

2008-01-15T07:40:00.000-08:00

The Canadian Institute of Public Health
inspectors would like to invite all Canadians to celebrate Environmental
Public Health Week (EPHW) from January 14th to 20th. EPHW includes several
events and opportunities to learn more about and recognize the work of
environmental public health professionals and the importance of environmental
public health in protecting the well-being of Canadians.
"In the battle to prevent disease, public health inspectors and
environmental health officers are the frontline troops. Through their
dedication to excellence these public service professionals protect and
enhance the lives of all Canadians and their environment," says Claudia
Kurzac, National President of the Canadian Institute of Public Health
Inspectors.

Source:www.newswire.ca

What You Don't Know Can Hurt You: Health and the Environment

2008-01-15T07:38:00.000-08:00

I've had chronic rhinitis--that is, nasal congestion--for as long as I can remember. Doctors have recommended a succession of drugs, including pills and inhalers, to treat the symptoms. A month or so ago I finally went to an allergist to find the source of the problem, and underwent 48 tiny pinpricks plus a follow-up to find possible sources?pollen, dust mites, fungi, cat hair, and so on.

The doctor came in to pronounce the verdict: I was allergic to none of these things. What, then, was the source of the problem? "Air," she said, and shrugged her shoulders.

Actually I had read quite a bit about allergies caused by indoor products, such as gasses from paint, carpets, cleaning fluids, and particle board, and had expected to be tested for these. Evidently they don't have such tests. I was tested for allergies to natural substances, but not to the great variety of chemicals that permeate the indoor environments in which most of us spend our lives. Because these have not been with us as long, and because new substances are often introduced, the effects do not seem to be as well known.

Indeed, indoor air quality is often considered to be worse for us than outdoor air quality. Of course pollutants, such as ozone and sulfur dioxide, have become part of the outdoor environment. The rate of asthma, particularly among children, has more than doubled since 1980, almost certainly due to environmental causes (Report).

Air, then, is one key source of environmental health problems. Another is the food we eat and the water we drink. Forty-five years ago, Rachel Carson launched the modern environmental movement with her book Silent Spring, which warned of the dangers of DDT and other pesticides: "In the less than two decades of their use, the synthetic pesticides have been so thoroughly distributed throughout the animate and inanimate world that they occur virtually everywhere. . . . They have been found in fish in remote mountain lakes, in earthworms burrowing in soil, in the eggs of birds?and in man himself. For these chemicals are now stored in the bodies of the vast majority of human beings" (16).

Carson has been accused of sensationalism, and of causing the banning of chemicals with great potential to help humanity. Yet there is little doubt that DDT was causing great harm to birds and other species, leading for instance to the near extinction of the bald eagle. Very likely it would have hit humans next. And there is little doubt that we continue to accumulation hitherto unknown chemicals in our bodies.

Part of this is due to our position at the top of the food chain. As we eat animals we accumulate the chemicals that they have eaten from other species lower on the food chain. Fish higher on the food chain, for instance, accumulate larger amounts of mercury; we, in turn, inherit this high concentration (Mercury). In large concentrations, mercury can attack the nervous system, causing blindness among other symptoms.

Mercury is one suspect in the rising incidence of autism among children, from 1 in 200 in the 1980s to 1 in 150 today (Study). Mercury in vaccines was thought to have been a key cause of autism, but a recent study disputes this (Exposure). What is causing the rising rate, then? Is it something in the water? Is it something in the air? Nobody knows.

My point in writing this article is not that we should live in fear of invisible substance over which we have no control. Nor is it that we, as a society, need to banish all chemicals and pollutants, to return to a life of pre-industrial bliss. Technological advances are here to stay, and in countless ways make our lives far better. My point is that caution in introducing new substances is more than warranted. We need to test and retest chemicals, to monitor our environment, to reduce our exposure to substances about which we know little. Such government agencies as the Environmental Protection Agency, and such environmental organizations as the Sierra Club, play an important part in protecting our health.

On a personal level, we can do things to minimize our exposure to substances that may be harming us. Eating too much fish or meat may increase our build-up of chemicals with unknown effects. Processed foods are also better avoided. Using environmentally friendly paint and cleaning products can limit exposure, while our homes and workplaces should have proper ventilation. We can all be more informed, and wiser, in our daily lives and enjoy the benefits of technology while minimizing the risks.

Source:www.gather.com

Consumer Specialty Products Association

2008-01-15T07:33:00.001-08:00

The Consumer Specialty Products (CSPA) and Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) called the Pesticide Registration Improvement Renewal Act (S 1983) that President Bush signed into law yesterday a win for the public health, the environment and responsible government regulation.

"We commend President Bush for his support of this important legislation that will provide long-term stable funding for EPA," said Phil Klein, CSPA's senior vice president of legislative and public affairs. "Among other things, the new law will reduce the time required to bring new innovative public health products to market while ensuring a comprehensive review of pesticides every 15 years."

Both the original legislation and its renewal had broad support from a unique coalition of environmental and labor organizations and pesticide registrants (including agricultural and non-agricultural uses, antimicrobial companies, large and small companies, and biotech and biopesticide companies).

"PRIA is about protecting public health and the environment and this is a landmark victory for both," said Heather Taylor, deputy legislative director, NRDC. "We've worked with industry both times to introduce and pass successful PRIA legislation. Clearly, when we work together on issues of health concerning both the public and environment, we can all win."

The original Pesticide Registration Improvement Act (passed in 2003, but scheduled to expire in 2008) provided approximately $200 million in fees to increase and stabilize funding for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP). The renewal legislation extends the assessment of those fees in industry through 2012, adding significant funding stability to EPA OPP.

The coalition supporting PRIA reauthorization included: American Chemistry Council Biocides Panel, Biotechnology Industry Organization, Biopesticide Industry Alliance, Chemical Producers & Distributors Association, Consumer Specialty Products Association, CropLife America, International Sanitary Supply Association, Natural Resources Defense Council, Protected Harvest, and the Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment.

CSPA represents the manufacturers of consumer household pest management and antimicrobial (disinfecting) products. NRDC is a leading national environmental organization.

Source:news.thomasnet.com

DuPont Provides Technology for Washington Hospital Center's Emergency Department

2008-01-12T05:50:00.000-08:00

To help address infection control during everyday hospital operations and minimize risks during times of health crisis, DuPont today announced that one of its healthcare products, DuPont(TM) Corian(R) solid surface, has been selected by the Washington Hospital Center for its emergency department. The product recently was incorporated into a children's ward at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, N.Y.

Washington Hospital Center is using the technology as part of its vision to build ER One, which will be an all-risks-ready emergency care facility, created to provide emergency medical care during acts of terrorism and emerging illness and built to function fully as a hospital emergency department during daily operations. The current phase of the project, entitled "Bridge to ER One," will test these new innovations and technologies.

"Our DuPont innovations are designed to provide solutions that protect lives," said Thomas F. Schuler, vice president and general manager -- DuPont Building Innovations. "Corian(R) is one of our products that uniquely meets both the stringent safety specifications of the healthcare industry as well as the aesthetic demands of healthcare designers."

The 2006 Guidelines for Design and Construction of Hospital and Healthcare Facilities has defined the 18 preferred characteristics of the ideal healthcare surface to help facilitate improved infection control. Corian(R) meets all 18 of these characteristics, including being nonporous, seamless, durable and not supporting microbial growth when cleaned properly.

"Corian(R) was selected for the Bridge to ER One because it is a seamless, easy-to-clean surface material ideally suited for healthcare environments," said Dr. Mark Smith, chairman of Emergency Medicine at Washington Hospital Center. "There is solid evidence that contaminated surfaces contribute to the spread of infections. Eliminating grout lines and crevices through the use of Corian(R) remove a potential source of microbial contamination from the patient care unit."

DuPont(TM) Corian(R) donated a total of 193 sheets and 17 sinks made of the solid surface material to this phase of the ER One project. Corian(R) was utilized for selected areas of the emergency department, including patient room wall-cladding, nurses' stations surfacing, lobby chair rails, bathroom shower stalls and integrated sinks/vanities.

In conjunction with the Centers for Health Design, Washington Hospital Center will conduct evidence-based research over a two-year period, allowing staffers to test and adjust key elements for the full ER One, which is expected to open in six to 10 years.

Washington Hospital Center is a not-for-profit 926-bed acute care teaching and research hospital based in Northwest Washington. It is the largest private medical center in the nation's capital and among the 25 largest hospitals in the Mid-Atlantic region. The Hospital Center consistently ranks among the nation's top hospitals in the research and treatment of cardiovascular and kidney disease and provides cutting-edge therapies to treat cancer, stroke and acute neurological injury and disease. Washington Hospital Center also is home to MedSTAR Trauma and Transport and is the region's adult burn facility.

DuPont(TM) Corian(R) is a nonporous, high-performing, easy-to-maintain solid surface material that, when properly used or cleaned, does not support the growth of mold or mildew. Non-toxic and non-allergenic to humans, Corian(R) has received NSF/ANSI 51 Certification for food contact and Class 1 (A) fire rating. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Guidelines for Design and Construction of Hospital and Healthcare Facilities recommends using solid surfacing to help facilitate improved infection control.

Additional DuPont products used in healthcare facilities include:

-- DuPont(TM) Zodiaq(R) quartz surface, to provide an extremely strong,
nonporous material for desks, tables and many other applications;

-- DuPont(TM) Tyvek(R) brand protective material, for sterile medical
packaging, devices and gowns;

-- DuPont(TM) RelyOn(TM) solutions, antiseptics to disinfect, clean and
deodorize a wide range of surfaces;

-- DuPont(TM) Sontara(R), Softesse(R) and Suprel(R) medical fabrics, to
protect and provide comfort for medical personnel and patient gowns,
drapes and wipes;

-- DuPont(TM) Softesse(R) for bandages and other wound care needs;

-- DuPont(TM) Tychem(R) protective garments for emergency room first
responders, and;

-- DuPont(TM) SentryGlas(R) Plus interlayers and SentryGlas(R)
Expressions(TM) decorative interlayers, to provide safety glass that
protects people and buildings and provides high-quality imagery and
designs.

DuPont is a science-based products and services company. Founded in 1802, DuPont puts science to work by creating sustainable solutions essential to a better, safer, healthier life for people everywhere. Operating in more than 70 countries, DuPont offers a wide range of innovative products and services for markets including agriculture and food; building and construction; communications; and transportation.

Source:money.cnn.com

Suharto health improves slightly

2008-01-12T05:47:00.000-08:00

The health of former Indonesian leader Suharto has shown signs of improvement a day after he suffered multiple organ failure, doctors treating him say.

The Pertamina hospital in Jakarta said the 86-year-old's consciousness was increasing, his blood pressure stable and fluids in his stomach reduced.

But he is still on a ventilator and shows signs of infection in his lungs.

Earlier, Indonesia's president cut short a visit to Malaysia because of the deterioration in Suharto's health.

The Indonesian embassy in Kuala Lumpur said Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had flown home to Jakarta several hours earlier than planned following a three-day official visit.

His deputy, Vice-President Jusuf Kalla, rushed to the hospital where Suharto was being treated on Friday evening after being informed of his condition.

'Last attempt'

Suharto had been in seriously ill for some time before he was admitted to Pertamina hospital a week ago with anaemia and low blood pressure.
After initially responding will to a blood transfusion and kidney dialysis, his condition deteriorated rapidly on Friday and by 1700 (1000 GMT) he had begun to lose consciousness and was having difficulty breathing, the hospital said.

Describing his health as "critical", doctors said the former president was placed on a ventilator after his brain and other organs failed when his blood pressure fell.

The hospital said on Saturday morning, however, that Suharto's condition was "better" and that his consciousness was increasing.
When I asked him whether it hurt, he shook his head," Dr Marjo Soebiandono told a news conference.

Dr Soebiandono added, however, that Suharto remained on a ventilator and showed signs of infection in his lungs. His haemoglobin levels are also falling.

"The team of doctors will continue to make intensive efforts to improve his general condition by giving blood transfusions, medication for his lung infection and balancing the liquids in his body," the doctor said.

Earlier, Indonesian Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari said she was pessimistic about Suharto's chances of survival and that the ventilator was a "last attempt" to keep him alive. "I don't think it will help," she said.

Relatives at his bedside have been praying and reciting verses from the Koran, family aides have told the Associated Press.

Corruption allegations

Suharto came to power in Indonesia in the aftermath of an abortive coup in 1965 and ruled the archipelago with an iron fist for the following three decades.

His supporters credit him with leading his country from poverty to relative prosperity, making Indonesia a force to be reckoned with in Asia.
But this economic growth came at a price - his regime was repressive and he repeatedly ignored demands for political reform. He was also accused of allowing human rights abuses, most notably in East Timor.

Since being overthrown in 1998 amid political upheaval triggered by the Asian financial crisis, Suharto has suffered many health problems, including several strokes.

A criminal case against him for corruption was blocked in 2006 after his lawyers argued that the 86-year-old was too ill to stand trial.

In August, judges began hearing a civil case brought by prosecutors seeking $440m (£224m) they claim disappeared from a state scholarship fund, and $1.1bn (£562m) in damages.

Following the deterioration of Suharto's condition on Friday, the Indonesian Attorney-General, Hendarman Supandji, said he had been instructed by President Yudhoyono to seek an out-of-court settlement.

Source:news.bbc.co.uk

Yoga is a foundation for getting healthy in the new year

2008-01-12T05:41:00.000-08:00

Not only could practicing yoga be a New Year's resolution, it should be, according to one certified instructor.
Jenn McCullough said seeking a new year of health and fitness is typical, but not often achieved.

It's hard to keep the motivation to ride the bike, go to the gym or take a run, she said. But with yoga you get a “decent workout,” strengthening muscles and stretching, she said, as well as working with your mind.

“That is the biggest distinction,” McCullough said. “It's quieting the mind and learning how to relax. Stress is the biggest thing that keeps us from keeping our resolution. Once you are quiet, you really start to see how to do things.”

For example, when yoga clears your mind, it will help you evaluate your decisions, such as coming home from work and eating junk food.

“I don't want to have a whole bag of chips; I need to relax,” McCullough said of what yoga can show you.

Toledo resident Fran Carr practices yoga and meets with McCullough once per week. The long-time yoga lover said it's a wonderful way to deal with stress. She tends to store stress in her body, in particular her neck.

“Yoga is a wonderful blend of mental discipline, a spiritual experience and fully living in my body,” Carr said. “You don't have to be flexible. Take the pose only as far as you can take it.

“You can get in shape by doing yoga,” Carr said. “The body becomes more toned.”

John Seibenick, who teaches at the Toledo School of Yoga, said yoga isn't just for women. He teaches classes where women outnumber the men, but then he has a class where there are more men than women.

McCullough said yoga's 5,000-year history started with people meditating, and when they got stiff, they stretched — hence yoga poses. After stretching, they could meditate longer, she said.

Source:www.toledofreepress.com

Diet and Health Myths

2008-01-12T05:39:00.000-08:00

Fact: While heredity plays a vital role in our body's metabolism, the environmental factors are equally, and in some cases, more important than our genetic make-up. So, it is not totally hopeless for those who are overweight. Done properly under a well-established and scientific regimen, dieting could do wonders.

Myth: I can eat all I want. My young body can take care of it.

Fact: Hardening of the artery, a major cause of hypertension (high blood pressure), heart attack and stroke, starts to develop in young children as early as 5 years of age, or even earlier. Eating a lot of foods high in fats and cholesterol (like eggs, dairy products, red meats (pork, beef, etc) and foods made of these will lead to hypercholesterolemia and/or hypertriglyceridemia that thicken blood and cause plaques (calcium deposits) on the inner walls of the arteries all over our body. This will reduce the caliber (inner diameter) of the artery and eventually clogs up and deprive tissues and organs (heart, brain, kidneys, etc) of the much needed blood, oxygen and nutrition.

Myth: Heart attack and stroke happen only to old people.

Fact: Statistics show that heart attack and stroke, and even sudden cardiac death could happen to men and women younger than 30. The youngest patient I did heart bypass on was a 28-year-old female, who had high blood pressure, diabetes and high blood cholesterol and triglycerides.

Myth: High cholesterol/triglycerides levels are due to hereditary traits.

Fact: Actually, only one and 500 people who have familial hypercholesterolemia-are familial or hereditary (inherited from their parents). While that particular individual has the "excuse" to have high levels of cholesterol, the 499 of us do not. And since many of us have hypercholesterolemia, it only means we are abusing our body and our health. This is from the high fat, high cholesterol food we shove down our foodpipe.

Myth: Heart attack and stroke are part of our fate, our destiny.

Fact: This is untrue and a misguided way of thinking. This hopeless acceptance is unhealthy in itself, and contrary to the mountains of scientific data and proofs we have today, to show that heart attack and stroke, and even high blood pressure and diabetes, are preventable illnesses.

Myth: Not eating carbohydrate is a healthy way to control weight.

Fact: While totally eliminating carbohydrates (rice, bread, pop beverages, cakes, candies, ice cream, desserts, etc) will lead to weight loss, it is not the healthy way of controlling weight. Our body needs some carbohydrates, about 100 grams a day. It is when we eat this in excess that is bad, not only for our weight but for our heart, etc. The right way is to minimize or avoid refined carbohydrates that are nothing but sugar (like the list of food items listed above). Instead, it is best to eat carbs like whole grains, nuts, fruits and vegetables. And brown (red) rice and wheat bread are healthier to eat than white rice and flour bread. These last six items can also minimize the risk of colon cancer, besides heart attack and stroke.

Myth: Diet foods on the market are safe for weight control.

Fact: Most diet foods being marketed are not really necessary for weight control. Some of them may even be downright dangerous, with side effects, etc. Not to mention the fact that they are as much as 200% more costly than regular food items. Many of them have trans fat and sugar that are not healthy. The best, safest, and cheapest a way to control your weight is by controlling the amount of food (calories) and quality of food you eat. Weigh daily, and adjust the amount of food intake until your desired weight is achieved. Daily exercises will help a lot, not only for weight control, but for maintaining a health body and mind.

Myth: All fats are the same

Fact: Like not all carbohydrates are the same as pointed out above, not all fats are the same. Healthy fats are monosaturated fats (found in olive oil, nuts, avocados) and polyunsaturated fats (in safflower-canola-oils, soybean, vegetables). They help ward off cardiovascular diseases, besides weight control, when used in conjunction with other healthy lifestyle practices (proper diet, no smoking, daily exercises, minimizing alcohol, managing stress and relaxation). Saturated fats (red meats, eggs, etc) and Trans fat (as shown on the labels of many food products), on the other hand, are bad for us, and have been linked to heart attack, stroke, and even cancer. Simply replacing as little as 30 calories of carbs a day with the same amount of trans fats practically doubled the risk of heart disease. On the other hand, replacing the same ratio of carbohydrates with polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fats reduced the risk of heart disease by as much as 30% to 40%.

The main objective of this column is to educate and inspire people live a healthier lifestyle to prevent illnesses and disabilities, and achieve a happier and more productive life. Any diagnosis, recommendation or treatment in our article are general medical information and not intended to be applicable or appropriate for anyone. This column is not a substitute for your physician, who knows your condition well and who is your best ally when it comes to your health.

Source:www.thenewstoday.info

Camera finds body weakness that leads to pain

2008-01-12T05:37:00.000-08:00

The same technology used in movie special effects can help people in pain feel better, the operators of a Scottsdale health and wellness center claim.

Their system uses motion-capture technology to find areas of weaknesses in clients' bodies so they can combine exercise, massage and other techniques to work toward feeling better.

"We're taking the guesswork out of training," said Jerry Sanstead, co-founder of Macrotherapy in north Scottsdale.

Everyone wants to be happy, healthy and successful, Sanstead said, but happiness and success are compromised without a bill of good health.

Joel Mascaro, a doctor of osteopathic medicine, said he has referred several patients to the center because the testing is so "specific."

Often the area where a patient feels pain is not where the weakness is, Mascaro said. This technology isolates the problem, which allows people to work on strengthening the weaknesses to create a balance.

Pam Soto, 51, a grandmother of three, suffered from lower-back pain and came to Macrotherapy after she had "exhausted all other avenues," she said. "I want to play with my grandchildren."

Source:www.azcentral.com

Calcium plays important role in bone health

2008-01-12T05:35:00.000-08:00

Calcium is in the news more than most other nutrients due to its important role in bone health. Because national dietary surveys indicate that many people consume too little calcium, many foods are being fortified with calcium to help people boost their intake.

Question: How much calcium do we need each day?

Answer: Currently, the Institute of Medicine recommends 1,000 milligrams (mg) of dietary calcium per day for adults from age 19 to 50. Recommended daily calcium intake for those age 9 to 18 is 1,300 mg per day, and for those over 50, 1,200 mg per day. To put this into perspective, a cup of milk (8 ounces) has about 300 mg of calcium.

Q: Why does the body need so much calcium?

A: Besides its role in bones, calcium also exists dissolved in body fluids. The body tightly regulates the concentration of calcium in the blood and cells. This tightly controlled calcium concentration is required for basic body functions like muscle contraction and nerve function.

Bones continuously release and take up calcium to maintain calcium levels in body fluids. Some of this dissolved calcium is lost from the body each day, and failure to replace lost calcium with calcium from foods results in bone loss.

Q: What foods provide enough calcium to meet recommended intakes?

A: Recommendations for calcium intake are based on the assumption that the body can extract and absorb about 30 percent of the calcium in the diet. Milk products and calcium-fortified juices are reliable rich sources of well-absorbed calcium.

Some types of tofu provide a significant amount of easily absorbed calcium, and some types do not. If the food label indicates "30 percent," then a serving provides 300 mg. Sardines and other canned fish that include bones also can provide well-absorbed calcium.

Certain green vegetables like choy sum, kai choy and turnip greens are good calcium sources. Spinach is high in calcium, but only about 5 percent can be absorbed.

Broccoli, kale and cabbage contain modest amounts of well-absorbed calcium, but they must be consumed in fairly large amounts to provide a significant amount of calcium.

Q: Can consuming too much calcium cause problems?

A: Yes, the Institute of Medicine set the upper limit for calcium at 2,500 mg per day. In some people, excessive calcium intake has caused kidney problems. In contrast, a low calcium intake can increase the risk of kidney stones.

Also, calcium interferes with the absorption of minerals such as iron and zinc. Consuming high-calcium foods or supplements with every meal can lead to iron deficiency.

Source:starbulletin.com

Pennsylvania Health Department 'Body Shop' to Offer Free Screenings and Kids Activities...

2008-01-12T05:33:00.000-08:00

Pennsylvania Health Department 'Body Shop' to Offer Free Screenings and Kids
Activities at Farm Show

HARRISBURG, Pa., Jan. 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Health Secretary Dr. Calvin
B. Johnson today invited all Pennsylvanians to visit the Department of
Health's "Body Shop" exhibit at the Farm Show for free health screenings, fun
games and activities, and important health information.

"Our Body Shop is a fun place for kids and adults alike to learn new ways to
keep their bodies running in peak condition," Dr. Johnson said. "Everyone
should stop by for helpful tips on staying fit, preventing injuries, and
detecting the early signs of disease."

Department staff will provide information on a variety of health topics
including the risks of tobacco use, eliminating lead hazards in homes,
preventing osteoporosis, cancer and injuries, and dialing 9-1-1 for health
emergencies. Influenza vaccinations will also be offered at various times
throughout the week.

Source:www.reuters.com

Eat Healthy and Stay Fit

2008-01-12T05:30:00.000-08:00

“He, who has health, has hope; and he who has hope has everything”, is an Arabic Proverb. For a healthy mind, there should be a healthy body. For healthy body, we should eat nutritious and disease fighting food. Most of the energy comes from food we take, therefore having proper food and food habits are very essential. There is food that gives energy as well as immunity to body.

Enjoy a cup of berries each day. As an antioxidant it helps to neutralize “free radicals” (cell damaging molecules). The free radicals are responsible for creating chronic diseases including cancer and heart disease. Antioxidant rich fruits are blue berries, black berries, cranberries, strawberries and raspberries. The color of these berries is due to a pigment called anthocyanin, which is an antioxidant. Cranberries help to ward off urinary tract infections.

Strong bones are necessary in every stage of life. Diary foods are good source of calcium as well as protein, vitamin D along with minerals. These help you to keep diseases like osteoporosis at bay. More than keeping bones strong, diary food helps in losing weight. Low fat diary foods are good source of carbohydrates and protein. These help in regulating blood sugar levels for diabetic person. Energize yourself with low fat milk or yoghurt with any food you like.

Fish for example salmon and tuna is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acid can lower blood fats and prevent blood clots associated with heart disease. At least two servings of fish are needed at least twice a week to stay fit and healthy. So enjoy a tasty and heart healthy meal of fish.

Spinach, leafy greens, kale, dark lettuces are full of vitamins, minerals, beta carotene , folic acid, iron , magnesium, phytochemicals, carotenoids and antioxidants. Magnesium-rich foods such as spinach can reduce the risk of developing type2 diabetes.

One can lower his blood cholesterol level by intake of soluble fiber oats. Whole grains like wheat, barley, rye, millet etc contains folic acid, selenium, and vitamins B series which are important for a healthy heart, weight control and for eliminating the risk of diabetes. You can start your day with a bowl of oatmeal and enjoy it at least three times a day.

Enjoy all types of nutritious vegetables, fruits, nuts, green tea etc which are powerhouses of fibers, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Having these in proper quantities, diseases like cancer, heart disease will stay away from your life.

Source:www.americanchronicle.com

Body Mass Confusion

2008-01-12T05:28:00.000-08:00

Everyone knows a majority of Americans are overweight.

Our drive-through "gimme a No. 2, and make it snappy, I got to get home to watch 'Gossip Girl'" lifestyles have caused our waistlines to balloon.

Nowhere is this epidemic of fatness more apparent than in professional sports, where more than 90 percent of the players in the NFL and 50 percent on NBA rosters are overweight.
Take Emeka Okafor. The former UConn super-genius and basketball star may play the most demanding aerobic sport this side of boxing, but at 6-foot-10 and 252 pounds, he is way, weigh overweight, under the guidelines the government uses to determine such things. Among the other overweight folks whom state sports fans might remember are Josh Boone, Ben Gordon and Caron Butler.

These unusual overweight examples spring from the stubborn math of the Body Mass Index. The BMI is a measure of body fat based on the ratio of your height and weight. A BMI of 18-25 is considered normal, between 25-30 overweight and over 30 obese.

The method, invented by a Belgian man named Adolph Quetelet in the 19th century, started to gain acceptance in the 1950s and has been used by the World Health Organization since 1980 to track health trends throughout the world.

When you read a newspaper story that says a majority of Americans are overweight, it is based on the BMI. When your doctor doesn't take out the calipers to measure your body fat but suggests you lose a few pounds, this is based on the BMI.

The question is whether a metric that can be wonky in individual cases, such as Okafor, is a reliable measure of whether we are overweight. The Department of Health and Human Services admits that the BMI has shortcomings because it "may overestimate body fat in athletes and others who have a muscular build" and "may underestimate body fat in older persons and others who have lost muscle mass."

Defenders of the BMI say the distortions that can take place in individual cases are not meaningful when sorting through large amounts of data because few of us have the muscle mass of professional athletes.

"The best measure on an individual basis would be to use the percentage of body fat," says Kelly Brownell, director of the Yale Center for Eating and Weight Disorders. "But the BMI is the best statistical measure easily obtained for a large population."

Brownell says that whatever metric is used, one will quickly discover that "obesity is a staggering problem in this country and, increasingly, in the rest of the world."

There is no doubt that Americans are adding weight.

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows the average American male in 1960 was 5 feet, 8 inches, 168 pounds. By 2002, he had grown up and out to 5 feet, 9 ½ inches and 191 pounds. Women added 1 inch and 24 pounds during the same period.

But guess what? While nearly every story written about obesity says that 1980 was the moment when America began getting fatter, the average American male in 1960 was overweight according to the BMI. He just didn't know it.

The same could be said for about 35 million Americans who suddenly found themselves classified as overweight when the BMI guidelines were adjusted, moving those with BMIs between 25 and 27.4 (for women) and 27.8 (for men) out of the "normal" category.

What is at stake?

For Brownell and others who agree with him, obesity is a staggering public health crisis that needs to be dealt with on an individual and societal level. They point to data that shows diabetes mortality has risen from 16.4 in 100,000 in 1980 to more than 20 in 100,000 in 2004. They point to other data that suggests an increase in the risk of heart disease and some cancers among the overweight.

Pushing back are people such as Sandy Szwarc, a registered nurse and food writer, whose blog Junkfood Science attacks the mainstream view that obesity is a looming health crisis. Critics of Szwarc, and others such as Paul Campos and Jon Robison, an adjunct professor at Michigan State, point to ties to the food industry and the restaurant lobby. But they also have data supporting some of their claims that BMI standards have no medical validity and are arbitrarily assigned.

They were quick to pounce on the methodology of a highly publicized CDC report in 2004 that blamed more than 400,000 deaths each year on obesity, which meant that weight rivaled smoking as a killer.

This number is still repeated in stories about the issue (including an Los Angeles Times story from last November) despite the fact that the CDC recanted the very next year, issuing a report that placed weight-related deaths at fewer than 30,000 each year.

More recently, the CDC issued a report suggesting those with BMIs between 25-30, that is to say overweight people, had lower mortality rates than people in the normal weight category. People who were classified as overweight had lower risk of a variety of diseases including Parkinson's and lung disease that counteracted their increased risk of heart disease, diabetes and some cancers.

While being healthy and not dying aren't the same thing, the report was still sweet soul music to those who have argued that the categories of the BMI are arbitrary and that, as J. Eric Oliver argued in "Fat Politics: The Real Story Behind America's Obesity Epidemic," fat and fit are not exclusive terms.

Despite the bitter battle lines between the two groups, they agree on one thing: If you are out there, feeling remorse for the egg nog binge you went on in December, do not go to the Internet, find a BMI calculator and begin a crash diet that will, both sides agree, lead to an inexorable binge and eventual weight gain.

Source:www.courant.com

Reader's tips from The Times Health Club

2008-01-12T05:25:00.000-08:00

I feel as if I’ve walked into a party for 20,000 people. That’s how many of you had joined The Times Health Club by Thursday night, when we went to press. From bonking to body mass, whisky to waistlines, the site’s tracking and measuring tools are helping you to keep tabs on your new year resolutions. And the activity in all the forums is clearly giving a welcome boost to the willpower needed to stick to them. We are delighted with your response, so here we’ve rounded up a selection of favourite tips and comments.

Of course there has been the odd hiccup: Tom Whitwell, our communities editor, has answered the main queries below. But if there’s anything you don’t understand or are having problems with, Tom will answer them in the forums, or you can e-mail us at body&soul@thetimes.co.uk. There will be more feedback from the Health Club next week, and we haven’t forgotten our regular feedback column about Body&Soul articles, so please keep sending your comments to the address above – it will be back soon.

Source:women.timesonline.co.uk

Civilian Deaths Massive by Any Measure

2008-01-12T05:22:00.000-08:00

Credible estimates for the period March 2003 until June 2006 have ranged from a high of 600,000 to about 47,000. The first figure was reported by researchers from Johns Hopkins in The Lancet, a venerable British medical journal, back in October 2006. The second one was projected by the independent organisation Iraq Body Count (IBC).

This week, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Iraqi Health Ministry released a joint survey suggesting that no less than 151,000 Iraqis died violently during that time frame.

The U.S. government does not tally violence-related Iraqi deaths, not does it intend to. However, a little over a year ago, President George W. Bush casually suggested that the numbers could be around 30,000.

So which figures are reliable? It is difficult to say for certain, although there is no doubt that the U.S. military invasion and occupation is largely responsible for the huge loss of human life in Iraq.

According to WHO and Iraqi researchers, since the invasion, violence has been the leading cause of death for Iraqi men between the ages of 15 and 59. About half of these deaths have taken place in the capital city of Baghdad, according to the survey, which was largely based on interviews with more than 9,000 households in nearly 1,000 villages and neighbourhoods across the country.

The study did not attempt to determine whether the deaths were caused by Coalition Forces, militia groups or others. It also omits the period of the most intense sectarian violence from mid-2006 to mid-2007.

The findings and methodology of the study, entitled "Violence-Related Mortality in Iraq from 2002 to 2006", were published in the Jan. 8 online edition of the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).

The survey indicates that a year after the U.S. invasion, about 128 Iraqis were dying every day. That average remained more or less the same until June 2006 when the study was completed.

Though successful in their efforts to complete the survey, researchers acknowledged that at times they faced great difficulties in obtaining information due to ongoing violence and displacement.

"Assessment of the death toll in conflict situations is extremely difficult and household survey results have to be interpreted with caution," said Mohamed Ali, a WHO statistician and the study's co-author.

As a result, the study's statistical estimates suggest that war-related deaths range anywhere from 104,000 to 223,000.

If there is no comprehensive death registration and hospital reporting available, said Ali, then "household surveys are the best we can do."

The new estimate is three times higher than the death toll compiled through careful screening of media reports and other data by Iraq Body Count and about four times lower than a smaller-scale household survey conducted by The Lancet.

The Lancet study was based on previously accepted methods for calculating deaths rates to estimate the numbers of "excess" Iraqi deaths after the 2003 invasion at 426,369 to 793,663. It said the most likely figure was in the middle range: 654,965.

Almost 92 percent of those dead, according to the study, were killed by bullets, bombs or U.S. air strikes, a stunning toll that was more than 10 times the number of deaths estimated by any organisation at the time.

The figures projected in the June 2006 report sent shockwaves across the United States and the world. It was widely covered by the mainstream press, amid calls for the Bush administration to reconsider its Iraq policy.

Some critics have expressed discomfort with The Lancet's methodology, arguing that the statistical analysis is deeply flawed and reeks of political bias against the United States.

Last week, in a lengthy article published in the National Journal, writers Neil Munro and Carl Cannon concluded that the study not only "lacks transparency in the data", but also disengagement from "ideological leanings".

Les Roberts, co-author of The Lancet study, said in a statement Friday that, "The NEJM article found a doubling of mortality after the invasion, we found a 2.4-fold increase. Thus, we roughly agree on the number of excess deaths. The big difference is that we found almost all the increase from violence, they found one-third of the increase from violence."

"This new estimate is almost four times the 'widely accepted' [Iraq Body Count] number from June of 2006, our estimate was 12 times higher. Both studies suggest things are far worse than our leaders have reported," he said.

Roberts also said the NEJM data could reflect an under-reporting of violent deaths. "It is likely that people would be unwilling to admit violent deaths to the study workers who were government employees," he noted.

"Finally, their data suggests one-sixth of deaths over the occupation through June 2006 were from violence. Our data suggests a majority of deaths were from violence. The morgue and graveyard data I have seen is more in keeping with our results."

For their part, the WHO-Iraq study's authors openly acknowledge that they were not able to reach out to all the families they had planned to conduct interviews with, in part because many people had fled their homes.

"[All] these factors were taken into account in the analysis as they may affect the accuracy of the survey work," said Salih Mahdi Motlab Al-Hasanawi, Iraq's minister of health. "Nonetheless, the survey results indicate a massive death toll since the beginning of the conflict."

WHO officials said the study was originally meant to help Iraqi government plan its health policies and services. In addition to deaths, the survey also focused on other health-related issues, such as pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, and domestic violence.

According to the study, 57 percent of the women surveyed in Iraq appeared to be fully aware of HIV/AIDS and its consequences. That compares with 84 percent of women in Turkey and Egypt, 91 percent in Morocco and 97 percent in Jordan.

Source:www.ipsnews.net

Losing fat 2008: You got to move it … move it!

2008-01-12T05:20:00.000-08:00

Non-essential fat exists primarily within fat cells located just below the skin and around the major organs. It is called adipose tissue or depot fat. This is the fat we want to burn to achieve an ideal body composition.

Losing the five pounds of fat the average person gains during the holiday season is like running backwards uphill. It's hard ... but you can do it!

The bad news about fat is that it looks awful when it accumulates around your abdomen, hips, arms and thighs. Fat is associated with a very high risk of medical illness and premature death when it comprises more than 40 percent of your total body weight.

Fat is a factor in the occurrence of diseases like diabetes, stroke, hypertension and atherosclerosis. High body fat is associated with breast cancer and infertility. Obesity increases the risk of death for people undergoing general anesthesia for all operations including gastric bypass surgery, breast reduction and liposuction.

The good news about fat is that it tastes good! It is responsible for the smooth texture of many foods we find pleasant to eat, from chocolate to ice cream. A pint of dulce de leche ice cream is divine but contains 1,200 calories - about half the calories the average person needs in a day!

Cheese is the most common form of fat in the American diet. Most ethnic groups, excluding Asians, consume large quantities of cheese. Infants and toddlers are introduced to cheese sticks sold in the baby food section at the corner store.
Beans and nuts are high in nutritional value because they contain fiber, protein and carbohydrate. Unfortunately, most of the calories in a handful of almonds or peanuts comes from fat.

Hawaiian macadamia nuts are delicious and one of my personal favorites but they contain 220 calories in a one-ounce serving! When I eat nuts, I count them as fat calories but with higher nutritional value than a tablespoon of butter or a slice of cheese.

Fatty foods stimulate an area at the base of the brain called the hypothalamus in a region called the satiety center. We feel gratified after a meal with a rich dessert because the satiety center tells us we are full.

Fast food restaurants and coffee houses take advantage of this physiological response by adding soluble fat to food items, milk shakes and specialty coffee drinks. We feel satisfied after eating a fatty meal with little nutritional value but an enormous energy value we convert to depot fat stored on our hips, butt and thighs when we are inactive.

Think of your body as a powerful "musculoskeletal machine." Fat is the most concentrated form of "fuel" your body can use.

Each gram of fat can be converted to nine calories of "fuel." Carbohydrates and protein deliver only four calories of fuel per gram. Alcoholic beverages are "high octane" fuel. They deliver seven calories of fuel per gram.

When the tank of your automobile is full, you store extra fuel in an auxiliary tank. That's what happens when you consume more fuel than your "musculoskeletal machine" needs.

It gets stored as fat in your body's auxiliary tanks located under your skin primarily in the abdomen, thigh, hip, butt, chest and arm regions. Fat is also stored in organs like the liver, kidney and intestines. When fat is stored in body organs, it gives men and women the appearance of being pregnant.

The human musculoskeletal machine

As a physician, personal trainer and nutrition consultant, I have evaluated hundreds of people who give lip service to the idea of exercising for health. But in reality, their immediate goal is to look good and get laid!

Many people don't succeed in their efforts to attain a fit and healthy body because they emphasize short term weight loss rather than the permanent changes in diet and lifestyle that lead to fat loss and a healthy body composition.

As an African-American woman who burned 30 pounds of body fat and successfully overcame obesity, hypertension and a metabolic syndrome through exercise, diet and lifestyle changes, I want to introduce some of you to the concept of body composition -the body fat percentage - and offer you the "skinny on fat burning" as proposed by Ralph La Forge, M.S., director of health promotion at the San Diego Cardiac Center Medical Group.

People whose body composition is optimal have been found to be healthier, to move more efficiently, to live longer, to have more sex and to feel better about themselves. The most important consideration in interpreting body composition is the percentage of the body's total weight that is non-essential storage fat.

Too much "depot" fat has a negative effect on health, self esteem and wellbeing. About one out of every four Americans has a body composition that can be classified as obese. Obesity is the excessive accumulation of body fat - more than 25 percent in males and more than 32 percent in females.

When over 40 percent of the body weight is non-essential fat, the risk of premature death is very high. About 50 percent of Americans are "overfat." This percentage is often higher in the African-American community, particularly among adult and adolescent females.

Body composition has replaced body weight in medical, research and fitness circles. In the past people relied on height-weight tables to determine how much body weight is too much for an athlete to be on a team, for a model to be signed by an agency or for a pediatrician to worry about the growth of a toddler. Based on insurance company actuarial tables that list a range of body weights associated with highest mortality, people whose weight falls above the average for their sex, age and height are considered overweight.

The problem with this method is that these estimates can be inaccurate for many people. An Olympic weightlifter weighing 210 pounds can be considered overweight by these standards, because his muscle tissue and bone are denser and heavier than a sedentary man of similar height with a "beer belly."

A physically fit person can weigh more than an unfit person. A mentally disturbed teenager with anorexia nervosa can weigh in at a low but ideal scale weight and within a year die of a metabolic disturbance and starvation.

African-Americans as an ethnic group have been shown by anthropometric science to have denser bone and greater muscle mass than other ethnic groups. Thus, people of sub-Saharan African genetic stock are "overweight" when compared with other ethnic groups when scale weights or BMI (body mass index) are used as the basis of comparison.

A negative stereotype of the overweight Black is perpetuated even by Black medical professionals who overlook the strength, muscle mass and athletic prowess of the Black athlete and the same physical endowments that brought millions of Africans to American shores as slaves. A recent study by an Oakland nonprofit found that 37 percent of Black youth in San Francisco are overweight. The study failed to incorporate in its analysis the fact that Black youth are genetically endowed with greater lean body mass.

In contrast, Asians, as an ethnic group, weigh less, are of shorter stature and are billed at lower rates for insurance premiums by virtue of this genetic trait.
The human body can be divided into lean body mass and body fat. Lean body mass is composed of all the body's nonfat tissues, including bone, water, muscle, connective tissue and teeth. Body fat includes both essential and nonessential fat.
Essential fat is necessary in the production of hormones by the liver and in the production of cell membranes. Fat soluble vitamins like vitamin A, D, E and K are mandatory for our health.

Essential fat includes lipids incorporated into nerves to speed the conduction of electrical impulses to the brain, heart, lungs, liver and mammary glands. These crucial fat deposits make up approximately 3 percent of total body weight in men and 12 percent in women.

Nonessential fat exists primarily within fat cells located beneath the skin and around body organs. Nonessential fat is also called adipose tissue or depot fat. This is the fat we want to burn to achieve an ideal body composition. We burn fat by converting it to fuel through moderate intensity aerobic exercise of long duration.

Source:www.sfbayview.com

Good Health for The Year 2008

2008-01-12T05:18:00.000-08:00

Dr. Emmanuel K. Coomson

The cost of ill health has been difficult to determine adequately in this country as a result the whole nation; from the individual to the government has failed to consciously and adequately ensure good health for all.

Infections and infestations continue to be the major cause of morbidity and mortality in this country. Diseases such as malaria, enteric fever also known as typhoid fever, respiratory tract infections still top the chart in the Out Patient Department (OPD) record books. This is not surprising because sanitation in the country as a whole is nothing to write home about.

Lifestyle related diseases such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, high blood cholesterol and concomitant strokes and heart diseases are also causing significant morbidity and mortalities in Ghana.

Poverty and ignorance are two bed fellows who have not been kind to the people of Africa. Out of ignorance people have acquired certain lifestyle which has led to their getting some diseases which they have poorly managed because of luck of fund to seek qualified medical attention.

Health is wealth. The sick person spends productive time in bed or in long queues at hospital. Money which could have been used for some productive venture is spent on transportation and hospital bills. If God does not intervene, one develops a permanent disability or dies. The vicious cycles of poverty and ill health ensure that the poor get poorer and die of even minor ailments as pursuit of good health comes at a cost.

There are fortunately a few things that can be done to derive wealth from ones health.

In this new year, everyone must endeavor to register with the national health insurance scheme in one's locality. It is important to find money to register yourself as well as all your dependants as well as renew these registrations on time so you can fully benefit from free health care when you need it.

It does not make sense to stay unregistered since every item you buy has a portion of the tax on it going into a fund for the insurance scheme. I have cared for a patient whose bills were over ¢3 million (GH¢300), who walked out of the hospital without paying a pesewa because she was covered by an insurance policy. I have also cared for a patient whose bills did not amount to ¢ 600, 000 (GH ¢60) and yet is still on detention in the hospital and accruing more debts because she is poor and has no insurance cover. The NHIS is real and is saving millions of Ghanaians nationwide.

Balanced diet is another crucial area of concern. If you do not eat well, you will spend that money you think you are saving on hospital bills. Simply put, ensure that all you eat has a component from these three baskets. The white basket has carbohydrates or energy-giving foods such as cereals, tubers and grains. The green basket has protective foods such as vegetables and fruits and the red basket has proteins or body-building foods such as meat, fish, eggs, beans, peas and nuts.

Most typical Ghanaian diets like kooko and koose, waakye, fufu and palm nut soup all with some fruits constitute balanced diets. Fruits are very important.

Try and keep away from pastries, soft drinks, fried rice, butter and oily food as much as possible. These foods have high calories but very little bulk and make you grow fat in no time.

Food hygiene is as important as having a balanced diet. Contamination comes from inadequate cooking as well as contamination after food has been cooked by people who handle the food or by vectors such as flies. If you buy food form outside the home, ensure the seller has a health certificate or a permit to sell food. Inspect the area where the food is cooked and sold if possible as well as the cooks and dispensers for good personal and food hygiene before buying any food. Remember, it is your money you are spending and it should not bring you diseases in the long run.

Excessive indulgence in alcohol has both social and medical consequences. It contributes to the carnage on our roads, domestic violence, self neglect, malnutrition, liver disease and mental illnesses. If you do not drink alcohol, do not start the habit. If you do drink, cut down your consumption until you finally quit altogether.

Smoking is also an expensive habit that must not be acquired in the first place. It damages all the organs of the body especially the heart and the blood vessels. It also causes a lot of cancers of almost all parts of the body. If you smoke you may need psychological as well as medical assistance to let go that habit. You must be mindful of secondary or passive smoking which is as dangerous if not more that active smoking itself.

Weight loss and adequate exercise helps keep the body fit and keeps disease away. It also keeps the mind fresh at all times. Check your weight in kilos and divide it by the square of your height in meters. The figure obtained is called the BMI or Body Mass Index. Normal BMI is 18-25. 25-30 is overweight, 30-35 is obesity and beyond 35 is severe or morbid obesity.

We gain weight when our energy or calorie input is more than or energy or calorie output. To lose weight reduce intake of high calorie foods and increase output by exercising.

Adequate exercise include any physical activity such as jogging, aerobics, skipping, cycling and swimming that makes you sweat for 30-40 minutes done at least 3 times each week. Adequate exercise depends on ones health status and body type and it ensures fitness, good heart function and helps reduce weight.

surce:allafrica.com

US offers help to set up an FDA-style body in India

2008-01-12T05:15:00.000-08:00

India and the US are moving closer to setting up joint mechanisms to ensure common food and drug safety regulations on the lines of the US Food & Drug Administration (USFDA). The step would make it easier for Indian companies to export to the US and elsewhere.

• Check out our Yearender Special

The US was willing to help out India in this process with technical assistance, the visiting US health and human services secretary Michael O Leavitt said here on Tuesday.

The offer comes close on the heels of an announcement by Union health minister Anbumani Ramadoss on Monday that India will have a drug regulatory body modeled on the USFDA. The high ranking US government official is on a four-city trip to India visiting drug and vaccine making plants and meeting policy-makers and senior government officials.

He is accompanied by USFDA commissioner Andrew Eschenbach. The USFDA commissioner, however, clarified there was no plan to open an office of the US regulatory body in India. He was interacting with mediapersons during a visit to the vaccine maker Bharat Biotech’s facilities here.

“The emphasis is on systems that will make it easier for companies to access markets by creating partnerships beyond borders for ensuring adherence to standards,” Leavitt said earlier in the day during a visit toDr Reddy’s Labs.

While the US has a very good system of monitoring standards it is not adequate for the future, Leavitt said, adding the system was being redesigned. “We intend in the US to make it easier to those who maintain quality and difficult who don’t,” he said.

While three of Leavitt’s predecessors and some former senior FDA officials have been pushing for a greater reform of the regulatory mechanism, studies commissioned by the FDA itself have pressed for greater funding and authority for the body recently.

The noise over standards in the US gains significance in the backdrop of the increasing concerns over quality of imports from China into the US of late.

Leavitt has been touring the world for the past seven months since President George Bush gave him the mandate to improve the system. “I have visited sea ports and border crossings, and facilities like this apart from ginger break making shops,” he said. After Chennai and Hyderabad, the US health secretary will travel to Cochin and wind up his first trip to India with high-level meetings with the Union health and commerce ministers in New Delhi.

Source:sify.com

Body formed to assess performance of district health system

2008-01-12T05:11:00.000-08:00

The Health Ministry has constituted a technical committee to suggest improvements in future studies to assess the performance of district health system.

The committee comprising of experts from the ministries of Health and Population Welfare will conduct a study on Health System Performance Assessment.

This was decided in a meeting chaired by Health Minister Ejaz Rahim held here on Friday to discuss the results of the survey conducted by the National Health Policy Unit on ‘Health System Performance Assessment’ for evidence-based district performance.

Rahim directed to share the findings of the study report with all provinces and districts and asked for their comments and suggestions.

He said the data sources for future studies should include more indicators to look at wider dimensions of the health system performance to cater to the health needs of the population in an improved way.

He directed that the statistical bureau and the National Health Information Resource centre should coordinate and collaborate to generate quality data for meaningful analysis of health system performance and ranking of the districts. The meeting was informed that the study was conducted with two key objectives included to assess the service delivery performance of devolved district health system in the country based on available quality data sources and to develop ranking of the districts based on health system’s performance.

It was informed that nine indicators were selected to look into different dimensions of the health system, which were scored and ultimately helped to rank district performance at both provincial and national levels. The districts are ranked based on their actual performance and provided an evidence for future policy decisions. The study also provided future directions for evidence-based resource allocation for Poverty Reduction Support Credit-III indicative trigger by the World Bank.

National Health Policy Unit Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist Dr Sohail Amjad presented the results of immunisation and reproductive health coverage including the performance of health facilities.

Excluding FATA, FANA and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), total 98 districts were included in the study from rest of the country. Out of the 98 districts examined, 15 districts were qualified for the highest performance level, 42 districts were included in high performing districts, while 33 districts had shown medium level performance and eight districts belong to the low performing category.

Gwadar was the top performing district, while Qilla Abdullah stands at the lowest 98th rank in the country. Out of the 10 top performing districts in terms of Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) performance in Punjab, four are among those that are very high performing. Other five districts are from high performing and only Pakpattan belongs to medium performing category on overall provincial performance ranking for Punjab.

On the other hand, regarding reproductive health (RH) performance, five districts from very high performing and high performing categories of provincial ranking respectively and none is from medium performing category.

Similarly, five districts (Rawalpindi, Sialkot, Jhelum, Kushab and Attock) are common among the 10 top performing categories of EPI and RH performance in Punjab but the rest are different districts.

In case of Sindh, the top 10 performing districts in each category of EPI and RH performance include seven common districts in both categories, while three districts in each category are different.

Mirpur Khas district in the RH category, which is a high performing district in overall provincial ranking falls at the bottom in EPI performance. The three districts performing well in EPI do not qualify among top 10 for RH category and vice versa. The comparison of top 10 EPI and RH performing districts in Balochistan do not differ much from other provincial performances. Chaghi district, which stands at the top in RH category, does not even qualify among top 10 in EPI category and the same situation is with Quetta as it is not represented in the RH category.

The comparison of top 10 EPI and RH performing districts in NWFP also follows the same trend as in other provinces. Both the categories have seven districts in common, while the remaining three districts in each category are different.

Chitral district, which tops the EPI category, does not even qualify for the top 10 RH categories. Similarly, Nowshera which is top performing in RH category, is not represented in the top 10 EPI categories, while Peshawar which is among the top 10 in RH category, does not get representation in the EPI category.

Source:www.dailytimes.com.pk

Daily drink 'worsens risk of bowel cancer'

2007-08-01T08:53:00.000-07:00

A DAILY pint of beer or a large glass of wine increases your risk of developing bowel cancer by about 10 per cent, research revealed yesterday.

This higher risk of the disease - the third most common cancer in the UK - was found in people who drank just two units of alcohol a day.

But in those who drank three to four units, the danger of bowel cancer went up by 25 per cent.

The findings, based on a study of almost half a million people, could explain high rates of bowel cancer in the UK, particularly in Scotland where about 3,500 people are diagnosed with the disease each year.

Last week, figures showed that bowel cancer rates north of the Border - both the total number of cases and deaths - are higher than anywhere else in the UK.

The latest study, published in the International Journal of Cancer, looked at the alcohol consumption of almost 480,000 people across Europe.

After six years, 1,833 had developed bowel cancer.

From this, the researchers, funded by Cancer Research UK and the Medical Research Council, found that the more alcohol consumed, the greater the risk of bowel cancer.

Experts have repeatedly warned that people in the UK regularly ignore warnings to limit alcohol consumption.

Cancer Research UK recommends that women drink less than two units a day and men less than three.

Professor Tim Key, director of the cancer epidemiology unit at Oxford University, said: "It is important that people understand that they can reduce their risk of a number of different cancers, including bowel cancer, by cutting down on alcohol," he said.

However, the research is at odds with other studies on the supposed health benefits of alcohol, which have included suggestions that drinking red wine can protect the heart.

Dr Lesley Walker, Cancer Research UK's director of cancer information, said there was much confusion over levels of safe drinking.

"This partly arises over the increasing strength of some wines and beers and the fact that many pubs offer a large glass of wine that is actually equivalent to one-third of a bottle," she said.

"While there is increasing evidence that overindulging in alcohol can increase the risk of some cancers, research also shows that by far the biggest risk for life-threatening diseases is a combination of smoking together with drinking alcohol.

Emma Mowat, of Bowel Cancer UK, welcomed the study. "As we begin to more fully understand the effects of known bowel cancer risk factors on our health, we can continue to make informed decisions on the related impact of diet, lifestyle and alcohol consumption on people developing the disease," she said.

A spokeswoman for the charity Beating Bowel Cancer added: "Not only should we cut down on alcohol, it is also worth keeping in mind the importance of a healthy, balanced diet, exercising regularly and not smoking."

Source:news.scotsman.com

Perk Up Your Skin With — Caffeine!

2007-08-01T08:51:00.000-07:00

Instead of reaching for another cup of coffee, how about reaching for the latest thing in skin care products — offerings containing coffee or caffeine.

On The Early Show Monday, Allure magazine (www.allure.com) Editor in Chief Linda Wells had the buzz on those products, and showcased several.

She says coffee and caffeine are popping up in beauty products due to their tightening and antioxidant effects on the skin.

Caffeine, coffee's most well-known ingredient, works on skin in the three primary ways: as a vasoconstrictor, an antioxidant, and a diuretic.

Caffeine has been used for years in cellulite creams: It dehydrates fat cells, making the skin smoother. It's also used in de-puffing eye gels as a vasoconstrictor, to temporarily tighten skin and reduce dark circles.

What's more, recent studies on animals have shown that, when applied to the skin, caffeine may protect against sun damage to skin cells.

Coffee can now be found in face creams, body scrubs, and fragrances. Some just smell like coffee, some have actual ground coffee beans as exfoliates, and some contain caffeine for its antioxidant, dehydrating, and vaso-constricting properties.

Coffee in beauty products apparently isn't addictive. Dermatologists say there's no evidence that enough gets absorbed to lead to addiction.

Editor's note: The product descriptions that follow were prepared with Wells' help and that of the manufacturers of the items.

FACE CREAMS / SERUMS

Caffeine is now found in some face creams and serums. The acid in it functions as an antioxidant. Because several studies have found that it may protect against sun-induced skin cancer, it's a great extra boost to your usual sunscreen and antioxidants. Because caffeine is also a vasoconstrictor, it has been shown anecdotally to help reduce skin redness.

TOPIX PEPLENIX CREAM, $54 available at skinstore.com and through dermatologists
Topix Replenix Cream is a great example. Dermatologists like this cream for its antioxidant and anti-aging effects for sensitive skin, because it contains caffeine, green tea, and hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acid is also an important ingredient for skin because it holds in moisture.

REVALE SKIN, about $110, available through Revaleskin.com
Revalé Skin serum has a promising new antioxidant source, coffee-berry. Coffee beans are seeds from the coffee cherry fruit. This fruit decays quickly. This company, however, found a way to process the fruit and extract high levels of antioxidants called polyphenols (caffeic acid, in caffeine, is a polyphenol), which are believed to prevent cellular damage when put on the skin. Coffee-berry is one of the most powerful antioxidants to date. It protects the skin from UVA damage.

EYE GELS

In eye gels, caffeine helps deflate puffy skin because it constricts blood vessels. It helps drain excess blood and lymph fluid to help temporarily deflate puffy eyes and reduce the appearance of dark circles.

ORIGINS NO PUFFERY, $20, available in department stores and origins.com
Origins No Puffery is a classic example. It's a cooling gel. You use it like a mask or put on a thin layer under makeup. It's a favorite around the Allure office.

Cellulite creams
Nothing cures cellulite or eliminates it entirely. The best we can do is make it look better for a few hours. Caffeine is the main ingredient in anti-cellulite lotions. It works by temporarily dehydrating fluid from fat cells, making them look smaller, according to dermatologists.

L'OREAL SUBLIME anti-cellulite gels, $13.89 each, drugstores
In an independent clinical study of L'Oréal products, 150 women lost an average of a half-inch off their thighs in four weeks.

BODY SCRUBS

A number of scrubs contain ground coffee beans or seeds as an exfoliate. There are also fragrances and lip balms with coffee or mocha, an invigorating scent. Smelling coffee can be a stimulant and make you alert, because you associate the smell with the invigorating effects of drinking coffee. It's a learned response.

NYAKIO BODY SCRUB, $48, nordstrom.com
Nyakio uses coffee scent and coffee seeds. Sugar-blended with coffee beans, vitamins A & E and essential oils soften skin and remove dead skin cells. The coffee and citrus scent is invigorating.

Source:www.cbsnews.com

Feds search Alaska senator's home

2007-08-01T08:50:00.000-07:00

Federal agents searched the home of U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens on Monday, focusing on records related to his relationship with an oil field services contractor jailed in a public corruption investigation, a law enforcement official said. Stevens, 83, has been under a federal investigation for a 2000 renovation project more than doubling the size of his home in Girdwood that was overseen by Bill Allen, a contractor who has pleaded guilty to bribing Alaska state legislators. Stevens said the interests of justice would be best served if he commented after the investigation.

Exercise, caffeine fight skin cancers

WASHINGTON -- Folks who exercise for their health but avoid caffeine may be missing out on some skin cancer protection. The combination of exercise and caffeine increased destruction of precancerous cells that had been damaged by the sun's ultraviolet-B radiation, according to a team of researchers at Rutgers University.

Charges in attempt to hasten death

LOS ANGELES -- A San Francisco transplant surgeon, Dr. Hootan Roozrokh, was charged Monday with attempting to hasten the death last year of a 26-year-old disabled man on life support in order to harvest his organs more quickly.

Goldman family to release O.J. book

MIAMI -- A federal bankruptcy judge Monday awarded the rights of O.J. Simpson's canceled "If I Did It" book to the family of the late Ronald Goldman to satisfy part of a $38 million wrongful death judgment against the former football star. Fred Goldman, Ronald Goldman's father, said he intends to release the book as a measure of justice to portray Simpson as "a wife-beater, as a murderer, written in his own words."

Source:www.detnews.com

Tea benefits are anything but clear

2007-08-01T08:48:00.000-07:00

Michael Seidman, director of the Center for Integrative Medicine in Detroit, hates the taste of green tea. That doesn't stop him from drinking a cup five days a week. When he's done sipping, he squeezes the liquid out of the tea leaves and then eats them.

"My wife just looks at me and rolls her eyes," he says. "But there's no doubt in my mind that green tea has many health benefits."

Other scientists aren't so sure. "There are hundreds, if not thousands, of papers on tea, but results are often split," says tea researcher Jack Bukowski, a Harvard Medical School professor.

So where one study finds that tea boosts immune function, another shows no effect. Most research has been limited to animals. Scientists have yet to examine all the properties of green, black, oolong or white tea. They don't know whether the variety of tea makes a difference. Or what effect there may be from drinking tea straight vs. mixing it with milk, sugar or lemon.

'Big possibilities'

"Tea has big possibilities, but we have a long way to go before we can confirm the health benefits," Mr. Bukowski says.

None of that has stopped interest in tea from coming to a full boil. In January, Coca-Cola introduced Enviga, a green-tea beverage touted for burning calories.

The extract of green tea – epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) – is an ingredient in a growing number of foods, beverages and dietary supplements.

Tea leaves are plucked from an evergreen called camellia sinensis. Indigenous to China and India, it thrives in mountainous regions worldwide. Oolong tea is exposed to the air for two to three hours after harvesting to oxidize and ferment it, while black tea is exposed for up to four hours. (As for herbal teas, they're made from the roots, leaves and flowers of other plants and are not technically "tea.")

Green tea and white tea are not oxidized after harvesting. Some scientists think that may give them a nutritional edge because they may contain higher amounts of antioxidants. These substances not only protect against cancer but appear to counteract the chronic inflammation that helps produce heart disease, arthritis and other diseases.

Potential benefits

Studies of tea point to potential benefits such as improved mental alertness; lower blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels; reduced blood pressure; lower risk of breast, colon, lung, ovarian and prostate cancer; as well as possible protection against Type 2 diabetes and maybe even assistance with weight loss.

Just be prepared to drink a lot of tea: Findings suggest benefits come from drinking five to 10 cups a day. Ounce for ounce, tea contains about half the caffeine found in coffee, but that could still be a lot of caffeine.

Does decaf tea work as well? Results aren't clear.

Drink tea shortly after brewing it for the biggest punch of antioxidants and other healthful ingredients.

If you eat the leaves, you may get an upset stomach, but no ill-health effects otherwise.

Source:www.dallasnews.com

CHILDRENS HEALTH AND FITNESS: Eliminate sodas, cut back on your child’s caffeine intake for a healthier diet

2007-08-01T08:47:00.002-07:00

t’s almost impossible for children to never ingest caffeine, but it is important for parents to keep caffeine intake for their children at a minimum. It doesn’t take a lot of caffeine for a child to feel the physical and mental effects of the stimulant.
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Higher levels of caffeine in the body can produce the effect of mental alertness and more energy. In young and small children, it doesn’t take a lot of caffeine to produce the feelings that come along with too much of the stimulant. Some of these effects could be headaches, increased heart rate and blood pressure, upset stomach, dehydration, nervousness and difficulty sleeping and concentrating.

Many of the foods and beverages children eat and drink contain caffeine. The most common are coffee, tea, sodas, chocolate and common over-the-counter medicines. Even 45 milligrams of caffeine can be borderline excessive for a child’s central nervous system to handle without negative effects. Considering a 12-ounce can of soda can have 34-70 milligrams of caffeine, this number can easily be exceeded with one drink for a child. Most sodas these days are served in 20-ounce bottles.

Caffeine is also a diuretic, which means it causes your child’s body to eliminate water. Therefore, the more soda your child drinks, the more dehydrated he or she will become. With all the playing and activity children do throughout their day, hydration can be a key factor in their mental and physical health.

Also, caffeine is addictive. Children enjoy the taste of sweet sodas that contain caffeine, which induces the feelings of alertness and high energy. The more soda and caffeine your child ingests, the more accustomed his or her body will become to the stimulant. This means they will crave higher amounts of caffeine to feel the effects.

Cutting back on caffeine, when a child is used to it, can make him or her feel tired, irritable, depressed and can cause headaches. The No. 1 way to help your child cut back on caffeine is to eliminate soda from the diet.

Serve flavored waters, milk and juice instead. Also, don’t forget that tea contains a huge amount of caffeine, so replacing sodas with tea can be just as bad.

Give your children a special water bottle to decorate with stickers and paint pens. This way, as they drink their recommended amount of water each day, it’s a little more exciting. Finally, lead by example.

The more soda your child sees you gulping down, the more likely he or she will be to do the same.

Source:www.citizen-times.com

BEGIN TRANSCRIPT

2007-08-01T08:47:00.001-07:00

General Motors has swung to a net profit of $891 million or $1.56 a share on strong automotive revenue in key markets. Now, what changed with General Motors? What did General Motors do differently that led to this profit? They've been reporting losses for all too long. They have become an official sponsor of the EIB Network, ladies and gentlemen.

We want to take a moment here to congratulate General Motors on this. This is great for America. This is great for the EIB Network, and it's great for Detroit, and it is great for General Motors. Along the same lines, consumer confidence hits a six-year high. The good news abounds here. "American consumers shrugging off a struggling housing market as jobs remained plentiful, became more confident in July and set a gauge of sentiment to a six-year high according to the conference board." They're in New York. "Consumer confidence index rebounded to 112.6, its highest level since August 2001 when it recorded a 114.0 reading."

There are a few stories oriented toward crisis and doom and gloom. "Nearly one-third of Baby Boomers ages 51 to 61 are at risk of not having enough money finance a comfortable retirement. That's according to a study by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. ... With its analysis, the center has joined the national debate over how much savings is enough..." and never is it enough, folks, "... and has done so on the side that says there is a shortfall. 'We just don't believe people are saving too much,' Alicia H. Munnell, a professor of management sciences at Boston College and director of the retirement research center." What does this matter? What does it matter that Boomers are not saving enough money? We're all going to die any second anyway. We've got global warming out there, skin cancer, bowel cancer, stroke, heart attack, seizures, guilt. We got tainted meat pouring in from China. We got the bird flu. We got Bush leading the country. We got chief justices who pass out and foam at the mouth. We've got weak bones. We've got posttraumatic stress disorder; we've SUVs; we've got the GOP; we've got hurricanes, floods, heat waves; we got obesity. Who the hell needs a retirement plan? We can't survive any of this. We're all doomed.

Well, I forgot, yes, Baby Boomers, fear not because if you survive all of these plagues that I just listed, you can rely on your Social Security. However, how many of you out there consume the adult beverage known popularly as red wine? And how many of you in the process of consuming red wine have been told, "Hey, good for your heart. Look at the French. The French don't die of heart attacks and they're very thin people." The reason why they are is because they eat cheese with their wine, and the protein in the cheese cuts the release of insulin in half. Insulin is the biggest danger to people who don't want to gain weight. But now those of you who have been consuming your red wine as much for health reasons perhaps as because you enjoy it, I have bad news. "A large glass of wine a day increases your risk of bowel cancer by 10%." (Laughing) Is this not amazing? "A study published yesterday suggests that a daily pint of beer or large glass of wine increases the risk of bowel cancer by 10%. Two pints or two large glasses of wine increases the risk by 25%." You don't have to grab your ankles anymore, folks. Just drink the red wine or beer or whatever, and while you think you're saving your heart and lowering your cholesterol, you're getting bowel cancer out there.

I get so sick of all of this. Cancer, cancer, cancer, cholesterol, bone density, all the time, every day we are bombarded with all of this. We all want to be healthy, but, frankly, folks, I don't know about you, I'm getting sick of being hounded and nagged and guilted by every little thing. When I die, I die. When I die because of a cause, the cause is going to be the cause. (interruption) Well, that's right. That's the next one. That's exactly right. See, you might go out there and get bowel cancer. However, exercise and caffeine now combined can fight skin cancer, researchers say. "Mice that mix the stimulant, caffeine, with daily running, fight the cell damage caused by UV light better than animals that merely run or drink caffeine-laced water." Where do animals go to get caffeine-laced water? Is it in the jungle someplace? Is it in the wild? Are there animal bars that we don't know about where they go on in to stoke up on caffeine? Starbucks. Anyway, if it's not one thing, it is another.

Source:www.rushlimbaugh.com

Exercise, caffeine may stop skin cancer

2007-08-01T08:46:00.001-07:00

A study on mice at Rutgers University in New Jersey showed that a combination of exercise and some caffeine -- equivalent to one or two cups of coffee a day -- protected against the effects of the sun's ultraviolet-B radiation, which can lead to cancer.

The caffeine and exercise seemingly conspire to kill off precancerous cells whose DNA has been damaged by UVB-rays, the authors say.

The study was published yesterday in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Groups of hairless mice, whose exposed skin is vulnerable to the sun, were the test subjects in experiments in which one set drank caffeinated water -- the equivalent of up to two cups of coffee for humans; another set exercised on a running wheel; and a third group both drank caffeine and ran.

A fourth group, which served as a control, neither ran nor drank caffeine.

All of the mice were then exposed to lamps that generated UVB radiation that damaged the DNA in their skin cells. The Rutgers team looked for evidence of programmed cell death, also known as apoptosis, among the four groups of UVB-treated mice.

Apoptosis is the process by which cells with badly damaged DNA destroy themselves as a natural defence against illness and infection.

Drugs that induce apoptosis are currently being investigated as a means of preventing different types of cancer, but Allan Conney, one of the authors, said that the combination of caffeine and exercise appeared to have a similar protective effect.

Compared with the UVB-exposed control animals, the caffeine drinkers showed an increase of about 95 per cent in UVB-induced apoptosis, the exercisers showed a 120 per cent increase, and the mice that were both drinking and exercising showed an increase of nearly 400 per cent.

Dr Conney said the cumulative difference seen in the caffeine-drinking runners "can likely be attributed to some kind of synergy between the two factors".

Source:www.theaustralian.news.com.au

Popsicle Slow Melt Pops

2007-08-01T08:44:00.000-07:00

I recently noticed that the door to my freezer was ajar and that half the contents were partially defrosted. Interestingly, one of the products in the freezer that had not completely melted was the Slow Melt Pops.

Unilever (Popsicle's parent company) has added gelatin to these new ice pops to retard melting and ice-structuring protein (ISP) to retain the texture. The company's publicist mentioned that without the ISP, the pops would "taste more like a pudding pop because of the gelatin." Breyers and other companies also use ISP to make their creamy, dense low-fat ice creams without the use of additives.

In addition, these contain no artificial colors or flavors, have 10 percent juice, only 40 calories and no fat per pop. Give 'em a try.

Carolyn: Popsicle has spent the past 20 years constantly giving consumers a reason to buy its products instead of cheaper store brands that taste quite similar.

Recently, this has included adding vitamin C and real fruit juice to its treats. This summer, Popsicle has added natural colors and flavors and a new no-drip formulation.

Popsicle Slow Melt Pops really do melt slowly. I placed three on a plate in 90-degree heat - it took 20 minutes before they even got soft. After an hour they looked like warm Jell-O (which makes sense, given what Bonnie just said about these containing gelatin).

These are great for parents of little kids. However, adults who can control a dripping ice-cream novelty - knowing that frozen treats are more flavorful when slightly melted - will want to buy the less expensive, more drippy kind.

Melissa's Salsa and Guacamole Kits

• $3.49 per 12-ounce clamshell package containing tomatoes, shallot, garlic cloves, lime, jalapeño pepper and (in the guacamole kit) avocados

Bonnie: Melissa's now has make-your-own salsa and guacamole kits in your produce department. Each kit contains the ingredients that Melissa's thinks you'll need to make these Mexican-style dishes. That's 3 Roma tomatoes, 1 shallot, 2 garlic cloves, 1 lime and 1 jalapeño pepper for the salsa; and 2 Haas avocados, 1 Roma tomato, 1 shallot, 2 garlic cloves, 1 lime and 1 jalapeño pepper for the guacamole.

I say "Melissa's thinks" because I don't traditionally use garlic or shallots in my guacamole. I do add finely diced fresh cilantro to both dishes. The folks at Melissa's said cilantro wouldn't stay fresh in the kits.

For those of you who don't know what to buy to make these dishes or don't normally have these ingredients on hand, this is a simple way to buy them. And the recipe is included on the box.

Carolyn: Gourmet produce companies sell information as much as they sell produce. However, these new kits from Melissa's are sorely lacking in information. They don't just contain the ingredients you need to make salsa and guacamole from scratch - they assume you'll want to make salsa and guacamole with only Melissa's ingredients and only one way.

The instructions merely say to "peel, mince and combine" all the ingredients. I could have used more direction, especially about how to handle the hot peppers so as not to ruin a perfectly good set of contact lenses (not to mention eyes). And I'm sure the other neophyte guacamole and salsa makers who make up the main market for these kits could, too.

This information could easily fit on the package side, as could instructions for making these with the help of a food processor. Not only would this save time, but it would also give the finished products the smoother consistency that characterizes the guacamole and salsa dips most of us are used to. Salsa is the Spanish word for sauce, after all, not chopped salad - which is what my handmade Melissa's salsa more closely resembled.

Diet Pepsi Max Cola

• $1.59 per 2-liter bottle. Also available in 20-ounce bottles and multipacks of 12 12-ounce cans

Bonnie: Diet Pepsi Max ain't for me. The folks at Pepsi won't mind, as they didn't intend it for me or, for that matter, any baby boomer but for busy Gen Xers. They're promoting it as "ideal for anyone who needs a mental and physical boost during the day." An 8-ounce glassful contains about twice the caffeine of a regular Pepsi or Diet Pepsi, along with ginseng, which can increase the stimulant effects of caffeine. When you consume the 20-ounce bottle, you'll get as much caffeine as in a cup of coffee.

As one who hates artificial sweeteners, I can't judge the taste. What do you think, Carolyn?

Carolyn: I think this tastes just about the same as any other diet cola. But with a name like Max and a publicly stated aim to "bring invigoration to the masses," I expected Pepsi Max to contain a lot more caffeine. It has only 46 mg per 8-ounce serving, or one-half to one- third the kick in a cup of coffee of the same size (depending on the kind of coffee). Max also contains ginseng, but Pepsi makes no claims about it - perhaps because most of the claims that have been made by others (that it stimulates your immune system, your energy level, your libido) are unsubstantiated.

Source:www.rockymountainnews.com

good and bad news today

2007-08-01T08:43:00.000-07:00

An astonishing barrage of IT-industry health related stories broke overnight, engendering an emotional rollercoaster of alternating terror and hope here at Vulture Central.

First up was the news from Down Under that Australian medical-fear researchers have discovered that laser printers will kill you. According to The Age, your office printer "could be posing as much danger to the lungs as a drag on a cigarette".

The Age reports on research by Professor Lidia Morawska of the Queensland University of Technology (suggested acronym: QUoTe). It seems that laser printers are constantly vomiting out "dangerous levels of tiny toner-like material".

Toner-like? Or actually toner, maybe? If it isn't actually toner coming out of there, what the hell is it?

"These [printer] particles are tiny like cigarette smoke particles," Professor Morawska told The Age. "When deep inside the lung, they do the same amount of damage ... the results can range from respiratory irritation to more severe illness such as cardiovascular problems or cancer."

We say: holy crap. When, oh when will the government and/or the UN finally act? Instead of fooling about driving the smokers out onto the street, why in the name of all that's holy haven't they implemented a crackdown on the poison-spewing printers of death?

Obviously, any deviant so addicted to paper that they just can't do without is welcome to stand in the street and print stuff out, or do it in the privacy of their own home or car. But it's wholly unacceptable for these marginal narco-terrorists to drag the rest of us down with them in an invisible, silent snowstorm of lung-dissolving particulate filth.

Fortunately, the revelation of the chemical-warfare threat lurking under the desk was counterbalanced by some more positive news for those following an IT-friendly lifestyle.

According to Reuters, "exercise and moderate caffeine consumption together could help ward off sun-induced skin cancer". Helpfully, this was accompanied by a pic of delicious, life-giving, caffeine-laden espresso gurgling from the machine.

The message was clear. Drink coffee and you won't get cancer. Disappointingly, however, it turned out that the coffee'n'cardio cancer-busting regime is so far shown to work only in "hairless mice".

Apparently, boffins from Rutgers University in New Jersey found themselves with a lot of totally bald mice on their hands. It's perhaps best not to ask why, though it might have something to do with the fact that other eggheads have after huge efforts managed to meddle with mice's DNA in such a way that they are born congenitally insane.

Naturally enough, the Rutgers scientists seized the heaven-sent opportunity to toast their bald mice under ultraviolet lamps while making some of them run on exercise wheels and drink coffee. Others had to work but got no coffee, still others went on a student style coffee-but-no-work regime, and a final contingent just sat about and soaked up the rays. This last group died in droves: this was assumed to be due to the ultraviolet, but it's always possible that the Rutgers people had left a laser printer in the room.

Apparently, heavy caffeine intake while toiling endlessly to get nowhere on a pointless treadmill was far and away the healthiest lifestyle, boding well for many of us. Bald laboratory rodents following this regimen showed a "400 per cent" increase in "ability to kill off precancerous cells that could lead to skin cancer". But, in fact, the mice showed a very worthwhile 100 percent boost just by drinking the coffee (or just by doing exercise, but who cares).

The Reuters hacks had clearly missed the main scoop: just drinking coffee can ward off skin cancer. Well, for sure if you're a completely bald mouse, anyway. By extension it ought to work for IT people (and tech hacks), as long as they aren't covered in downy fur - the more so as these people seldom go outside during daylight hours.

Based on this, it logically has to be at least possible that a steady diet of cheap whiskey is good for you in some way.

What does all this mean? We're not sure. But it seems enough to justify a comprehensive programme of tests on partially-bald humans to see whether drinking rotgut enables them to survive in the presence of laser printers.

Source:www.theregister.co.uk

How iced coffees stack up

2007-08-01T08:40:00.000-07:00

When I was in Europe in the 1980s, iced coffee was a popular drink, but it was hard to find in mainstream Canada. Since then, it has become a very trendy cold beverage, of course with a Canadian twist, which includes much more sugar.

Alternative: As you can see from the comparison chart, the zero fat in the Slurpuccino makes it a lower calorie choice than some of the other sweetened iced coffees and saves you from artery-clogging saturated and trans fats.

According to Brad Beaton, product manager for 7-Eleven Canada, "we wanted to create a fat- and cholesterol-free, icy cappuccino drink that would be a fun and tasty alternative for people who love coffee and Slurpees."

However, if you order the 40-ounce (1.18 litre) size, you would be drinking 500 calories and 140 grams of sugar – that's 33 teaspoons! Would you like some coffee with that sugar? Even though it's a great deal (only 4 cents per ounce), remember there is a cost to consuming too many calories.

Take It Or Leave It: For the true iced coffee drinkers, try a Starbucks Iced Caffe Americano or Iced Caffe Latte. For those of you who have developed a taste for the sweeter iced cappuccino, the 7-Eleven Slurp- uccino is your lower calorie and caffeine option. Remember though, even less bad doesn't equal good for you. What it percolates down to is that the 12-ounce Slurpuccino is pretty much comparable to a 12-ounce can of Coke but with one-tenth the caffeine.

Source:www.thestar.com

Caffeine labels for drinks on the way

2007-08-01T08:39:00.000-07:00

How much caffeine is too much? It’s a question that’s tough to answer but it is getting easier for you to total the amount of caffeine you take in each day.

The companies that make Coke and Pepsi products have agreed to start listing the amount of caffeine in their products by the end of the year. It’s a voluntary move but an important one for consumers who are increasingly more health conscious.

So while consumers will soon know that a can of Coke has 34 milligrams of caffeine and Pepsi has 37 milligrams, there are still a number of products that have more caffeine than you realize.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest says most of us don’t know that our 16 ounce cup of Starbucks coffee has about 260 milligrams, or that one cup of Ben and Jerry’s No Fat Coffee Fudge frozen yogurt has 85 milligrams of caffeine.

Dr. Russ Greenfield is an expert in conventional and alternative medicine. He enjoys his caffeine too but says people do need to be aware of how much they are getting.

“What most experts say in this regard is that for adults anywhere from two to three cups of typical coffee a day is probably okay and that’s upwards of 200 to 300 milligrams of caffeine,” Greenfield said.

The verdict is still out on the effect of caffeine on your body. Recent studies show that while it has been shown to possibly help prevent heart disease for those who do not have the condition, it’s also been show to worsen heart disease for those who already have it.

The same can be said for diabetes. Caffeine can have a preventative effect by boosting metabolism but can make diabetes worse for those who already suffer. The research is still inconclusive on its impact on Parkinson’s disease.

Dr. Greenfield says as with many things, moderation is the key. He worries about the popularity of high caffeine drinks like Enviga, Red Bull and Full Throttle. He says the trend points to a larger problem that many of us don’t get enough sleep.

“I think that’s the real reason that we are going for these types of beverages and foods and all is that we are using them to keep us going and indeed they do they keep us awake they keep us alert; they don’t necessarily make us more accurate in our work,” Greenfield said.

Source:www.wcnc.com

Caffeine, Exercise May Cut Skin Cancer

2007-08-01T08:33:00.000-07:00

A cup of coffee after your morning jog may help your skin fight the damaging effects of the sun and prevent skin cancer.

A new study with mice shows the combination of caffeine and regular exercise appears to help kill some of the precancerous cells damaged by the sun's ultraviolet-B (UVB) radiation.

The sun-protective effect of this caffeine-exercise combination is still no excuse to skimp on the sunscreen. But researchers say the two may work together to prevent skin cancer better than either element alone.

"We need to dig deeper into how the combination of caffeine and exercise is exerting its influence at the cellular and molecular levels, identifying the
underlying mechanisms," says researcher Allan Conney, director of Rutgers University's Cullman Laboratory, in a news release. "With an understanding of these mechanisms we can then take this to the next level, going beyond mice in the lab to human trials.

"With the stronger levels of UVB radiation evident today and an upward
trend in the incidence of skin cancer among Americans, there is a premium on
finding novel ways to protect our bodies from sun damage."

Caffeine, Exercise, and Skin Cancer

The study compared the effects of caffeine, exercise, and the combination of
both in groups of hairless mice whose exposed skin is prone to skin cancer.

One group of mice drank the human equivalent of one or two cups of coffee a day in the form of caffeinated water. Another group voluntarily ran on an
exercise wheel, and a third drank and ran.

All of the mice were exposed to UV radiation from lamps that damaged their
skin cells.

Some of the damaged (precancerous) skin cells died naturally through
apoptosis -- the process that occurs when the body orders damaged cells to die. But the rate of cell death among the precancerous cells was highest in the group that drank caffeine and exercised.

"If apoptosis takes place in a sun-damaged cell, its progress toward
cancer will be aborted," says Conney. "The most dramatic and obvious
difference between the groups came from the caffeine-drinking runners, a
difference that can likely be attributed to some kind of synergy."

Researchers say previous studies have linked increased exercise or caffeine
consumption with a lower risk of certain types of cancer, but the mechanisms
behind this protective effect of the two working together are still somewhat of a mystery.

The results of the study appear in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Source:www.cbsnews.com

New Study Says Caffeine, Exercise May Cut Skin Cancer

2007-08-01T08:29:00.000-07:00

For many of us, exercise would be nearly impossible without caffeine. Now a new study shows that exercise and moderate caffeine consumption together could help ward off sun-induced skin cancer.

Before you rush off to the Coffee Bean, a local cancer screener warns, don't ditch the sunscreen for a cup of Joe just yet.

Steven Hawkes has a sharp eye for skin cancer -- as a screener for a local group of dermatologists. He inspects at least 75 people every week for signs of malignancy.

Among them, Henderson resident, Micole Church, whose had a run-in with skin cancer more than once. "At a very young age, in my early 20's, I have several spots frozen underneath my cheeks and around my eyes. But when I was pregnant with my third child, I had Basel cell carcinoma removed from the side of my nose."

If there was a proven way to prevent skin cancer, Micole would be willing to try it. For now, she wears sun block and hats every day.

New research out of Rutgers University suggests that exercise and caffeine together increased the ability of mice to kill off a form of pre cancerous cells that would have developed into skin cancer.

Hawkes says that may be great for the mice, but among humans he regularly finds skin cancer among patients who both exercise and consume caffeine.

"The incidence of skin cancer is more evident in the younger population. And we're seeing more and more of that. We do see a lot of people who are very healthy individuals and have skin cancer," said Hawkes.

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States, with more than 1 million people diagnosed annually. For the more aggressive forms, early detection can save your life, and annual skin checks are recommended.

Nevada has a much higher incidence of skin cancer than other states, with 24 cases per 100,000 people, versus 18 cases in the nation as a whole

Source:www.klas-tv.com

A cup of joe does more good than harm

2007-08-01T08:25:00.000-07:00

If you enjoy reading your morning paper while sipping a cup (or two) of coffee, it seems there's no reason to stop. Mounting evidence suggests that, for most people, drinking coffee does more good than harm.

It wasn't long ago when coffee was linked to heart disease, osteoporosis, infertility and pancreatic cancer. Now research suggests that if you drink enough of it, you'll lower the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, asthma, gallstones, Parkinson's disease, liver cancer and possibly colon cancer. And you'll feel more alert and work out harder at the gym.

That's positive news for coffee-loving Canadians who prefer the beverage over tea, milk, juice, soft drinks and beer. According to the Coffee Association of Canada, nearly two-thirds of Canadians drink an average of 2.33 cups of coffee every day.

The most promising evidence for coffee's health benefits come from studies on diabetes. In a report that combined data from nine large studies, people who drank four to six cups of coffee a day were 28 per cent less likely to develop Type 2 diabetes compared with those who drank two cups or fewer. Drinking more than six cups each day reduced the risk by 35 per cent.

Source:www.theglobeandmail.com

50% of patients fail to take medications properly, report says

2007-07-31T13:26:00.000-07:00

Consider it the other drug problem: Millions of people do not take their medicine correctly - or stop taking it altogether - and the consequences can be deadly.

On average, half of patients with chronic illnesses such as heart disease or asthma skip doses or otherwise mess up their medication, says a report being issued later this week. It calls the problem a national crisis that is costing billions of dollars.

The government is preparing new steps to try to persuade patients and their doctors to do better.

But with contributor factors that range from too-hurried doctor visits to confusing pill bottles, there is no easy solution. “We go into this with some humility,” said Dr. Carolyn Clancy, the director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, which is planning what she calls an “in your face” campaign to improve medication adherence. “It’s really pretty appalling how badly we do.”

This goes far beyond the issue of affording prescriptions. Often people buy their drugs but misunderstand what they’re supposed to take, or how. Or forget doses. Or start feeling better and toss the rest of the bottle. Or skip doses for fear of side effects.

It’s not just a problem of poverty or poor education. Even the rich and highly educated skip their medicine. Perhaps the most high-profile example is former President Bill Clinton, who stopped taking his cholesterol-lowering statin drug at some point and later needed open-heart surgery to avoid a major heart attack. Statins offer heart protection, but about half of patients on statins quit using them within a year.

Remember the globe-trotting tuberculosis patient who was briefly quarantined in May after ignoring doctors’ orders not to travel by airplane? He’s out of the hospital now but, like all patients with hard-to-treat TB, must take his remaining antibiotics while health workers watch. So many TB patients skip their pills when they feel better - but before all the bacteria are wiped out - that health departments now enforce what’s called “directly observed therapy.”

For most diseases, however, patients must choose to take their medicines. The new report combs 10 years of research to conclude that people generally do a lousy job.

Among findings from the nonprofit National Council on Patient Information and Education:

❑ Particularly at risk are people whose diseases are initially symptom-free. Although high blood pressure more than triples the risk of heart disease, for example, just 51 percent of patients stick with their prescribed medication.

❑ Also at high risk are the elderly, but adherence is a problem for all ages. As few as 30 percent of teenagers correctly take drugs to prevent asthma attacks, for example.

❑ Dire consequences aren’t always a deterrent. Among patients already blind in one eye from glaucoma, only 58 percent were protecting the other eye. Another study found that 18 percent of kidney-transplant recipients weren’t following instructions to prevent organ rejection.

❑ Even doctors mess up, acknowledging in one study that they adhere to their own prescriptions just 79 percent of the time.

❑ Poor medication adherence can cost an extra $2,000 a year for each patient in extra doctor visits alone, and it’s associated with as many as 40 percent of nursing-home admissions, even more costly.

❑ Add preventable hospitalizations and premature death, and the report estimates that poor medication adherence could be costing the country $177 billion in medical bills and lost productivity.

Source:www.journalnow.com

Article; Millions fail to use medicine correctly

2007-07-31T13:24:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON -- Consider it the other drug problem: Millions of people do not take their medicine correctly -- or quit taking it altogether -- and the consequences can be deadly.

On average, half of patients with chronic illnesses such as heart disease or asthma skip doses or do not use their medication correctly, says a report to be issued later this week that calls the problem a national crisis costing billions of dollars.

The government is preparing new steps to try to persuade patients and their doctors to do better.

But with contributors that range from hurried doctor visits to confusing pill bottles, there is no easy solution.

"We go into this with some humility," says Dr. Carolyn Clancy, director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, which is planning what she calls an "in your face" campaign to improve medication adherence. "It's really pretty appalling how badly we do."

This goes far beyond the issue of affording prescriptions. People often buy their drugs but misunderstand what they are supposed to take, or how. Or they forget doses. Or start feeling better and toss the rest of their medicine, or skip doses for fear of side effects.

It is not just a problem of poverty or poor education. Even the rich and highly educated skip their medicine. Perhaps the most high-profile example is President Clinton, who stopped taking his cholesterol-lowering statin drug at some point and later needed open-heart surgery to avoid a major heart attack. Statins offer significant heart protection, but about half of patients on statins quit using them within a year.

The globe-trotting tuberculosis patient who was briefly quarantined in May after ignoring doctors' orders not to travel by airplane is out of the hospital now but, like all patients with hard-to-treat TB, must take his remaining antibiotics while health workers watch. So many TB patients skip their pills when they feel better -- but before all the bacteria are wiped out -- that health departments now enforce what is called "directly observed therapy."

For most diseases, however, patients must choose to take their medicines. The new report combs a decade of research to conclude people generally do a lousy job.

Source:www.boston.com

Article; Suits filed against drug giant over Avandia

2007-07-31T13:22:00.000-07:00

The controversy over the drug Avandia continues to build.
Class action law suits were filed in Canada yesterday against Mississauga pharmaceutical giant SmithKlineGlaxo while an American panel of experts declared that the company should have given tougher warnings to diabetes patients outlining the risks the drug posed to the user's heart health.
U.S. government health advisers voted not to ask the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to withdraw the drug, but concluded that there is evidence that its use leads to increased risk of a heart attack. It recommended the drug’s warning label be updated and there should be additional study into the matter.
Meanwhile, class action law suits were filed in Ontario and Saskatchewan on behalf of numerous patients who have experienced health complications after taking the diabetes drug.
Lawyer Tony Merchant told Canadian Press that the filings are on behalf of patients who have died after taking the drug or have suffered heart attacks and loss of vision.
“Every drug does some good or bad,” Merchant said. “The question is whether people were sufficiently warned.”
In an email to The News, former Avandia patient Joyce Cormier of London, Ont. said she took the drug when it first hit the market.
“This drug caused my ankles to swell to the point where little blood vessels burst causing permanent damage to my lower legs,” she said. “I am an incomplete paraplegic, and while I can stand and sometimes use a walker, the swelling persisted during the time I was on this medication. I, for one, hope the FDA takes it off the market. I was fortunate that I didn’t have more serious problems.”
Regulatory health agencies “should not fool around with people’s lives,” Cormier added.
Earlier, FDA scientist Dr. David Graham told the joint panel of experts that the drug’s heart risks, combined with its lack of unique short-term benefits in helping diabetics control blood sugar, meant continued sales were not justified.
GlaxoSmithKline has argued that there is no increased risk, citing its own analyses of studies of Avandia, also called rosiglitazone.
“The number of myocardial infarctions is small, the data are inconsistent and there is no overall evidence rosiglitazone is different from any other oral antidiabetes agents,” said Dr. Ronald Krall, the company’s senior vice president and chief medical officer.
The FDA convened the experts to consider whether Avandia should be restricted to use in select patients and branded with prominent warnings or removed altogether from sale. Previously, the FDA had said information from dozens of studies pointed to an increased risk of heart attack.
The FDA isn’t required to follow the advice of its advisory committees but usually does.
North of the border, Health Canada is doing its own analysis of study findings and has been following the FDA advisory panel presentations live through a weblink.
“New information will be made public to Canadians and Canadian health care professionals as soon as it is available,” said media relations official Alastair Sinclair.

Source:www.mississauganews.com

Article; 6 Ways You Can Reverse the Aging Process

2007-07-31T13:20:00.000-07:00

You know that as you get older, you’re going to physically change for the worse. I’m convinced that if you effectively address these physical “age markers,” your health span will soar and you’ll look and feel younger.

I’ve measured how physical capacities change with age. Then, I’ve tracked each change against efforts to reverse them. I’d like you to focus on six important physical age changes that you can reverse.

1. Loss of lean tissue mass. Your muscles and internal organs are lean tissues. As we age, most of us lose both muscle and internal organ weight and replace the lean tissue with fat. People who age well, who seem to be far younger than their years, retain their lean tissue mass. Indeed, the Evergreen Project found that the more lean tissue you have the longer your life, the fewer your illnesses and the better your mental functioning.

Lean tissues protect you from many age-related ailments:

- Reduces risk of bone fractures by supporting bones.

- Improves sexual health by stimulating sex hormone production.

- Reverses hormonal age by boosting human growth hormone.

- Helps you keep trim by boosting your metabolic rate.

- Gives you more energy by increasing glycogen stores.

- Decreases risk of infection by strengthening your immune system.

Lean tissue loss begins at age 30, with an average of three pounds lost per decade. Yet the loss is preventable and completely reversible. I’ve seen patients of all ages regain 100 percent of their youthful lean mass.

To build muscle mass, you must engage your big muscles. The quadriceps on the front of your thigh, the hamstrings on the back of your leg and the gluteus of the buttocks are your three biggest. Provide stiff resistance through a broad range of motion for these three muscles. This can include weight training with squats or leg presses, bodyweight exercises, bicycling, stair-steppers or elliptical machines.

2. Shrinking lungs. As years pass, your lung volume shrinks. By the time you’re 60, you’ve lost up to 40 percent of your lung volume. Here’s how you can measure yours: Ask your doctor to give you a pulmonary function test to check your lung capacity. I find it very valuable to monitor the benefits of exercise at reversing the loss of lung volume that afflicts so many elders.

3. Diminishing heart capacity. Most people don’t realize that they’re losing heart capacity until it’s too late – when they’re in the emergency room after a heart attack. Yet you can get a gauge of your heart capacity by measuring your recovery heart rate.

Begin by walking comfortably for two minutes. Then measure your heart rate by locating your pulse on your wrist and counting the number of beats for 15 seconds, then multiply by four to get the beats per minute. This is your normal-activity heart rate. Now do a round of jumping jacks. Then, after two minutes measure your heart rate again.

Next, check your heart rate until it returns to your normal-activity rate. The amount of time from peak activity back to your normal-activity heart rate is your recovery time. The fitter you are, the faster your heart rate will recover back to normal.

If you don’t practice short-burst cardio, your heart and lungs have probably lost capacity. Here’s what to do. Use short bursts of cardio to get your heart rate to a target range for your age. Start at 60 percent of your maximum heart rate. (Your maximum heart is 220 minus your age.) In a few weeks work up to 80 percent of your maximal heart rate.

4. Increasing body fat. If you don’t act to prevent it, fat slowly but relentlessly replaces lean tissue as you age. But again, this shift is not inevitable.

Start by measuring your body fat. Get it measured at the gym or use a set of calipers. My youthful body fat goal is 8 to 16 percent for men and 12 to 24 percent for women.

Fat loss starts with adequate protein. This signals your body that, “the hunting is good.” What do you need to store extra body fat for if you will eat well again tomorrow? To put your body in fat-burning mode, over-consume protein, and minimize everything else. This is one piece of advice where I get a lot of resistance. If you can have some faith and try it, you’ll see too how much easier it makes losing fat and achieving a more youthful body.

Finally, short bursts of exercise burn fat best. Short bursts use energy from carbohydrates stored in muscle rather than from fat. Carbs burn energy at a much higher rate. You then burn off your fat during the recovery period as you replenish the carbs.

5. Thinning bones

6. Loss of functional strength. You can use the same routine to build bone density and functional strength. As it turns out, your bones respond to stressors put on them by increasing their density. And, if you are effectively stressing your bones, you will also be building functional strength.

Source:www.americanchronicle.com

Avandia should stay on shelves, U.S. panel says

2007-07-31T13:17:00.000-07:00

The widely used diabetes drug Avandia should stay on the market in the United States with a warning about increased risks of heart diseases, a panel of medical experts recommended to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration yesterday, in a decision that went against the urging of one federal scientist that the medicine be withdrawn.

The FDA is expected to follow the recommendation, although officials said it will need some time to make a final decision.

It was the latest development in the continuing saga of Avandia, a controversial drug manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline PLC that was the third most commonly prescribed oral pharmaceutical last year for the roughly 1.8 million Canadians with Type 2 diabetes.

The FDA was expected to follow the panel's recommendation, even though one of its own scientists testified earlier that the medicine should be pulled from the market because of increased heart risks.

Health Canada, which has confirmed that 19 Canadians have suffered fatal heart problems while using Avandia since its approval here in March, 2000, is conducting its own analysis of the drug.

The medicine's benefits are still deemed to outweigh its risks, an agency spokesman said.

Alastair Sinclair said a preliminary review of the 19 deaths suggests a possible link between the drug and six of the fatalities. In all, the agency has received 243 reports of adverse cardiovascular reactions to the drug, including 31 heart attacks, but said that they had not established a link between the cardiovascular problems and the drug.

"Medical and scientific information is continuously evolving, and the results of the advisory panel will be considered in Health Canada's assessment of Avandia, as will the findings of a number of scientific studies," Mr. Sinclair said.

The panel was convened by the FDA two months after a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine linked the drug to a 43 per cent higher chance of having a heart attack among sufferers of Type 2 diabetes.

Glaxo executives argued before the panel that there is no increased risk, citing its own studies of the drug.

"The number of heart attacks across all sources of data is small, the data are inconsistent, and the totality of evidence does not show a difference between Avandia and the most commonly prescribed anti-diabetic agents," read a summary of the company's defence to the committee.

According to IMS Health Canada, a private firm that collects information on the prescription drug market, nearly 1.2 million prescriptions for the drug were filled in Canada last year at a retail value of about $156 million.

Warnings of heart risks associated with Avandia have been around since it was authorized for mass distribution in Canada and the United States. Just four months after the drug was approved here, a group of physicians in British Columbia sounded the alarm about Avandia, citing side effects that included weight gain and a spike in so-called bad cholesterol.

"It was doing things that were known to be associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes," said Jim Wright, a professor of pharmacology at the University of British Columbia and managing director of Therapeutics Initiative, the independent organization of physicians that raised the concern in a newsletter to doctors.

"There really is no evidence that the benefits outweigh the harm," Dr. Wright said in a telephone interview. "There was lots of time for [Health Canada] at that point to have done a trial and they didn't do it."

A year later, in July, 2001, Glaxo was reprimanded by the FDA about its promotion of Avandia and for playing down safety concerns. The company subsequently fired off letters to doctors warning them of risks of heart failure.

In a letter to Canadian doctors dated Nov. 13, 2001, Glaxo warned that Avandia could cause fluid retention, which, the company wrote, "can exacerbate or lead to congestive heart failure."

Canadian diabetes experts yesterday cautioned against reacting too hastily to the developments south of the border.

Lawrence Leiter, head of the division of endocrinology at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto, said the drug is effective at lowering blood sugar and pointed to studies showing that half of all diabetics in Canada do not have their blood sugar under control.

"We don't want to unnecessarily lose a drug that can be very useful," Dr. Leiter said. "Right now, we have conflicting data."

Whitney Binns, spokeswoman for the Canadian Diabetes Association, recommended that diabetics on Avandia consult their doctors about the appropriate course of action and said the organization trusted that Health Canada would advise the diabetic community of its findings shortly.

Source:www.theglobeandmail.com

10 super foods to boost your health

2007-07-31T13:15:00.000-07:00

It's also swimsuit season, so some of us begin exercising and dieting more often.

Many diet plans and weight-loss schemes pay more attention to our physique and less attention to our health. Tracey Shaffer is a registered dietitian, and the following is a list of "super foods" she recommends for maintaining a nutritional lifestyle.

1. Colorful fruits and vegetables - These are important because of the antioxidants in the pigments. "The more colorful the fruit, the more anti-oxidants they have," Shaffer said. Those foods help prevent cancer, heart disease and slow signs of aging. Examples are watermelon, berries, broccoli and carrots. Try romaine lettuce and spinach instead of iceberg lettuce. Have five to nine servings a day.

2. Low-fat dairy - Dairy provides calcium, potassium, protein and vitamin D. It helps with weight loss, lowering blood pressure and preventing osteoporosis. It also helps in the prevention of colorectal cancer. Examples are milk or cheese. Three servings a day

3. Salmon - Fatty fish like salmon have omega-3 fats, which help lower triglycerides and the risk of heart attacks. "It can help with arthritis pain and some types of cancer," says Shaffer. She says to eat one to two servings of fatty fish every week.

4. Oatmeal - Oatmeal has soluble fiber, which helps lower cholesterol and keep blood pressure low. "It's good for diabetics but helps normal people from having high blood sugar during the day," Shaffer said. Other examples of soluble fibers include oats, barley, beans, and most fruits and vegetables.

5. Flaxseed - An insoluble fiber. "It acts like a broom to clean out the body," Shaffer said. "It has lignans that help protect from certain cancers." It also acts like a natural laxative. She recommends a tablespoon of ground flaxseed per day to get the benefits. Try sprinkling it on oatmeal, cereal, salads or yogurt. It can also be included in baked items like muffins or bread.

6. Whole grains - Whole grains are good because of the fiber, vitamins and minerals available from them. When grocery shopping, try to find whole grains containing three to five grams of fiber per serving. Three servings per day.

7. Beans - Beans and other legumes have soluble fiber, B vitamins and folates. "They help lower the risk of heart attacks and stroke." They also have potassium, which helps to lower blood pressure.

8. Nuts - Food items such as peanut butter and almonds have monounsaturated fat, which is good for heart health. It also has an antioxidant called a flavonoid and is high in fiber.

9. Tea - Also has flavonoids, which helps to lower cholesterol and cancer risk while boosting the immune system. According to Shaffer, the best are black, white, green or oolong teas.

10. Soy foods - A good source of high quality protein, soy helps lower cholesterol, protect against cancer and heart disease, and prevents osteoporosis and menopausal symptoms in women. "It contains a vital chemical unique to soy protein called genistein," Shaffer said. "Twenty-five grams of soy protein may lower cholesterol from 10 to 15 percent and 40-70 mg of soy isoflavonoids eases menopausal symptoms."

Source:www.savannahnow.com

10 Unanswered Questions Leave Millions of Lives Hanging by a Heartbeat

2007-07-31T13:09:00.000-07:00

Because heart disease affects so many people, one may think that we as a nation have put the time and resources into figuring out how to reduce its devastating impact. There is, however, an element of flying blind when it comes to women and heart disease.Women's heart disease is often misdiagnosed and mistreated due to a lack of adequate and relevant research studies. I am one of the millions of women who got caught in the gray area. My experience with heart disease could have been completely different -- and in fact better -- had these questions been answered previously I might not have been misdiagnosed nor would the treatments and procedures have failed or caused complications which lead to my bypass. In fact, it took three cardiologists to finally get me on the right medication regimen before I could get my life back.

Eight million American women live with heart disease and the prediction is that in 10 years there will be 12 million or more women living with heart disease. It kills more women -- nearly 367,000 total -- than men every year and remains the leading cause of death for American women of all ages. Too many American women are being treated inappropriately because of inadequate or absent cardiac research data.

Public and private healthcare dollars are being wasted on these ill-informed diagnostic and treatment decisions. Ignorance is expensive and often fatal. We can do better for American women. We can save lives and save dollars at the same time.

I'm not saying that strides haven't been made. A recent National Institutes of Health (NIH) study found that the type of heart disease that affects many women is more often small vessel disease -- fundamentally different than the type that affects men and commonly missed by angiograms, the "gold standard" cardiac diagnostic test. That's great news and hopefully will save lives. But there remain critical unanswered questions when it comes to women and heart disease.

Recently, I supported two leading health groups as they released a groundbreaking report on heart disease research in women. WomenHeart: the National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease and the Society for Women's Health Research (SWHR) published "The 10 Q Report: Advancing Women's Heart Health Through Improved Research, Diagnosis and Treatment," which identifies the top 10 unanswered questions related to the development, diagnosis and treatment of heart disease in women. These questions are shockingly basic. For example:

* Why are women age 50 and younger more likely to die following a heart attack than men of the same age?

* Why do women receive significantly fewer referrals for advanced diagnostic testing and treatments for heart disease than men, and how can the referral rate for women be increased?

The questions cover effectiveness of risk assessment and diagnostic tools, the differences in risk and in effectiveness of therapies for men and women, and the need for improved understanding of cardiovascular disease in women. Answering these questions through targeted research could cut the number of women who die prematurely of heart disease by 50 percent over the next decade.

The report lays out a blueprint for a research agenda that can also help save American taxpayers millions of dollars in inappropriate and misdirected healthcare costs and give doctors the knowledge they need to properly treat the disease. To put it simply, answering the top 10 unanswered research questions of The 10 Q Report can lead to better decision-making, decreased cardiac deaths for women and real cost savings.

Why should you care? Because there are things you can do to help. Write to you Senators and Members of Congress and ask them to place heart disease among women at the top of the nation's healthcare agenda. Lawmakers can ask NIH to re-direct current research dollars to focus on these 10 critical research questions.

If you are a woman offered the chance to take part in research relating to heart disease, take advantage of that opportunity. Currently, women make up only 25 percent of participants in heart-related research studies.

By playing a role in helping to generate answers, you never know what could happen. Ten years down the road, unanswered questions could become powerful life-saving solutions and yours may be one of the lives saved.

Source:www.huffingtonpost.com

Heart Patient Looks To Take Part In 5-K Run/Walk

2007-07-31T13:04:00.000-07:00

As John March worked in the yard of his Valencia home on Saturday, August 7, 2004, he felt what seemed like a bad bout of indigestion.

March went inside his house, took an aspirin and then a bath to try to relieve his discomfort. As he rose from the tub, he noticed his energy progressively depleting.

“I didn’t even have the energy to dry myself,” March recalled. “My wife (Barbara) came in and I said, ‘I have horrible heartburn and no energy at all. Something’s wrong.’”

Barbara March immediately drove her husband to Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital’s Emergency Department, where March learned from cardiologist Robert Horth, M.D., that he was suffering a heart attack.

A helicopter was quickly summoned to transport March to a hospital with a cardiac catheterization lab, where March underwent balloon angioplasty—a surgical procedure for re-opening a clogged artery. A stent (a wire mesh tube) was then used to prop open the artery cleared by the angioplasty. After the procedure, March felt a world of difference and two days after his heart attack, March returned home.

March subsequently became a patient of Horth’s and began following Horth’s advice for maintaining his heart health.

“I thank God that Dr. Horth drove home the point that the only way to keep my bad cholesterol ratio in check was with proper nutrition, supplements, medicine and exercise,” March said.

Since becoming Horth’s patient, March, 65, adheres to a healthy exercise regimen including weight lifting, sit-ups, push-ups, biking and walking at least a few miles each week.

In concert with his healthy lifestyle, March plans to participate in Henry Mayo’s 23rd annual “Run for the Health of It” 5-K run and walk Saturday, September 29. The event will take place at the Henry Mayo campus and is open to community members.

March’s cardiologist, Robert Horth, M.D., an avid supporter of the family-friendly and health-oriented 5-K run and walk benefiting patient care services at Henry Mayo, said cardiovascular exercise can help decrease one’s risk of heart attack and stroke while raising good cholesterol and decreasing bad cholesterol.

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Community members who plan to participate in the “walk” portion of the event can start preparing by walking a few weeks ahead of time and increasing the distance they walk gradually. Community members planning to run at the event may start their cardiovascular exercise two times a week for 20 to 30 minutes, gradually increasing their sessions, Horth said.

The day of the event, registration will open at the Henry Mayo parking lot at 7 a.m. The 5-K run will begin at 8:30 a.m., followed by the non-competitive walk. The event will also include a 1-K “Kiddie K” run for children under 10 years of age beginning at 8:15 a.m.

Community members who pre-register by September 21st, may enter the race at a discounted rate of $20. The fee for pre-registered groups of five or more is $18 per person. After the pre-registration date has passed, the entry fee will be $25 per person. T-shirts will be distributed to participants the morning of the event. Sponsorships for the event are available and range from $100 to $5,000.

Source:www.hometownstation.com

New Web Site Provides Educational Resource for Cardiovascular Health

2007-07-31T13:02:00.000-07:00

Cardiac Wellness Supplements recently launched an interactive Web site, created with the patient in mind. It offers a number of features to provide personalized supplement recommendations and tips to maintain a healthy heart. The Web site coincides with the company’s launch of WELLCOR, a full line of nutritional supplements formulated to improve cardiovascular health.

The Web site, www.cardiacwellness.com, provides a wealth of information about the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease. It was created by Lee A. Surkin, M.D., founder of Cardiac Wellness Supplements and reflects his unique method of merging traditional medicine and modern scientific studies with a broad range of proven integrative therapies.

The Web site features the Cardiac Wellness Advisor that evaluates your personal health history and offers suggestions about which WELLCOR Supplement may offer the most benefit to your heart. All WELLCOR products are based on scientific data, pharmaceutical grade, unsurpassed in quality, chemical-free, and made in the United States.

“The best approach to optimizing your heart health is through an integrative approach that includes traditional medical treatment, diet, exercise and high-quality nutritional supplements,” explained Dr. Surkin. “The Cardiac Wellness Advisor is a way to offer personalized advice for people who are not able to visit me as a patient.”

The Healthy Heart Guide is another dynamic feature of the Web site, offering research and tips about exercise, nutrition and more ways to maintain a healthy lifestyle. The Heart Library lists a comprehensive collection of cardiac terms in an easy-to-use glossary format.

“The typical western diet does not include an adequate amount of several essential vitamins and minerals,” said Dr. Surkin. “Since it can be very difficult to obtain therapeutic levels of nutrients from meals alone, high-quality dietary nutritional supplements offer the best way to ingest helpful amounts of such compounds.”

Dr. Surkin is a Yale-trained cardiologist with a Master’s Degree in Nutrition from Columbia University School of Medicine. His expertise has enabled him to develop nutritional supplements that complete a truly integrative treatment for cardiovascular disease.

WELLCOR Cardiac Supplements are formulated by Dr. Surkin and contain his unique proprietary blends that are all based on medical and scientific studies. Each supplement supports a different essential element of cardiovascular health.

Source:home.businesswire.com

Association of Black Cardiologists

2007-07-31T12:59:00.000-07:00

The Association of Black Cardiologists, Inc. (ABC) today announced that its community health education campaign will be assisted by a donation of 200 laptop computers from

Source:www.genengnews.com

Coenzyme study backs heart health claims

2007-07-31T12:51:00.000-07:00

Supplementation with the coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) may boost naturally occurring antioxidant enzymes and endothelial function in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), researchers have found.

The randomised, double-blind, placebo controlled trial, published in the European Heart Journal, is yet another positive result for CoQ10 and its heart health benefits.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a blockage of the vessels which supply the heart with blood.

The study, led by Luca Tiano from Italy's Polytechnic University of the Marche, divided 38 CAD patients into two groups, with one receiving 100 mg/d of CoQ10 and the other a placebo for one month.

CAD reduces extracellular superoxide dismutase (ecSOD), a major antioxidant enzyme system of blood vessel walls. However, the CoQ10-supplemented group had more ecSOD at the end of the trial than the placebo group.

Tiano stated the coenzyme also boosted endothelial function. She said: "The data from our group highlighted that CoQ10 greatly attenuates the endothelial dysfunction in patients affected by ischaemic heart disease."

The improvements were particularly significant in patients with low initial endothelium-bound ecSOD, who were more prone to oxidative stress, the study found.

The results found that ecSOD activity raised from 17.3+1.7 to 22.4+1.3 U/mL/min in the treated group, whereas there was only a slight change in the placebo group, from 16.6+1.6 to 17.3+1.6 U/mL/min.

"The results of the present investigation indicate that the oral CoQ10 supplementation in CAD patients has beneficial effects, which can be ascribed either to the bioenergetic role of the quinone or to its antioxidant properties," the study said.

"Moreover, recent data from our group demonstrated that the CoQ10 administration improves cardiac contractility in ischaemic heart disease patients, measured by low dobutamine stress echocardiography."

"Although the effect of CoQ10 on the ED relaxation has already been shown in patients with type II diabetes10 and ischaemic heart disease, the effect of CoQ10 on raising ecSOD levels represents a novel observation."

Source:www.nutraingredients-usa.com

The medics who’ve done it all!

2007-07-30T22:47:00.000-07:00

1962 was a significant year in the history of medical education in Sri Lanka. The second Medical Faculty (after the Colombo Medical Faculty set up 137 years ago) of the University of Ceylon was established in Peradeniya. Since then, Medical Faculties have sprung up in Ruhuna, Jaffna, Kelaniya and Sri Jayewardenepura. I am told there is one in Rajarata as well! Just like the debate on which school is the best of them all, it still rages on with regard to which medical school is the best of them all.

My more serious intention here in this article is to give a pen-sketch of a batch of students who gained admission to the prestigious Colombo medical school in June, 1962. Having graduated in 1967, this batch will be completing 40 years this year as western qualified (allopathic) medical doctors. Perhaps, a better title for this article would have been - "Colombo Medical Students of the 1962-67 era – where are they now?"
eing a large batch of over 150 students, it is well nigh impossible to mention the names of all my batch mates in this article. Therefore, let me at the outset, extend my humble apologies to those whose names I have failed to mention here. Yet, I must emphatically state that at least in my mind, each and every member of that great batch of 1962, wherever he or she might be, is held in the highest esteem.

Our teachers

Before talking about the "Golayas", it is nothing but right that I pen a few lines about our "Gurus" first. We learned the finer art of healing the sick under the healing hands of such eminent teachers as Professors O.E.R. Abhayaratne (fondly called “Pachaya"), A.C.E. Koch, M.J. Waas, A.A. Hoover, S.R. Kottegoda, G.H. Cooray, H.V.J. Fernando, A.D. Chapman, A. S. Dissanaike, K. Rajasuriya, D. A. Ranasinghe, Milroy Paul, R. A. Navaratne, C. C de Silva, Priyani Soysa ably assisted by N. D. W. Lionel, Valentine Basnayake, Carlo Fonseka, Lester Jayawardene, Sobitha Pandithratne, Daphne Attygalle, Mrs. Yoganathan, , W. J. Gomes, Nandadasa Kodagoda, Earle de Fonseka, A. Sinnethamby, T. Visvanathan, M.C. Karunairatnam and Oliver Peiris.

We “clerked” under the giant clinicians of the day like P. R. Anthonis, L. D. C. Austin, D. F de S. Gunawardene, Misso, Niles, K.G. Jayasekara, Noel Bartholomeuz, E. C. J. Rustomjee, D. J. Attygalle, R. P. Jayewardene, W.Wijenaike, Oliver Medonza, R. S. Thanabalasunderam, Ernie Peiris, Stella de Silva, Stanley de Silva, Hamza, Hunt, E. H. Mirando, P. R. Walpita, G. N. Perera, the two Rasanayagams (ENT “Rasa” and Orthopaedic “Rasa”), Arulpragasam, Francis Silva, Rienzie Peiris, Deva Adithya, Sri Skandarajah, Thamber, Pararajasegaram, Sivasubramaniam, Lucas, Ponnambalam, Shelton Cabraal, Darrel Weinman, J. R. Wilson, and so on. Only a handful of them are living today. But their dedication to teaching and memories of all the long hours they spent with medical students and patients in the wards will always be remembered.

Departed colleagues

In naming the batch mates, I wish to start with those nine colleagues who departed this world at a relatively early age. Sunil (SR) de Silva, my dear friend and billiards partner in the men’s common room, was the son of former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ceylon Walwin A. de Silva, and brother of well known journalist Manik de Silva. “Sunna” who worked for the US Air Force as a surgeon was tragically killed in Florida when his car was hit by a drunk driver.

The doctor couple Russel Paul and Dawne de Silva, together with their two children died under very tragic circumstances in Pennsylvania. Karalapillai Sundarampillai who had his medical practice in Kotahena also met with his death in bizarre fashion when a flying galvanized roofing sheet hit him during a heavy thunderstorm. Former Royal College cricketer Kiththa Wimalaratne drowned in his own backyard swimming pool.

Bernard Randeniya was the Director of the Cancer Institute at Maharagama at the time of his death. One of the most distinguished of the lot was Professor Niriellage Chandrasiri who was Vice Chancellor of the Ruhuna University and Professor in Forensic Medicine at the Ruhuna Medical Faculty. More recently, Tudor Wickramarachchi and “Bobby” Somasundaram died in the United Kingdom where they were practising.

Mass exodus

With the problem of unemployment looming at the time we graduated, the sixties and seventies saw a massive exodus of doctors from Sri Lanka to other countries. My batch was one of the worst affected. The majority of those who emigrated settled down in th US while others went to the UK, Australia and New Zealand. The few who opted to remain in their homeland however, shone in their chosen specialties.

In Lanka

Sanath Lamabadusuriya who topped the batch in the final examination of March 1967 is today a well-known Paediatrician having held office as Dean of the Colombo Medical Faculty and Professor in Paediatrics. He was awarded the MBE by Queen Elizabeth II in 1991, in recognition of his contribution to the Sri Lankan cleft lip and palate project of which he was a co-director together with Dr. Michael Mars – a rare honour for a Sri Lankan based in Sri Lanka.

R. S. Jayatilake was the first fully qualified Oncologist in Sri Lanka. R. S. (Revo) Drahaman is a much sought after Otolaryngologist (ENT Surgeon), M. H. S. Cassim (“Cassa”), Chirasri Mallawarachchi (Jayaweera Bandara), Zita Perera (Subasinghe) and J. G. Wijetunga are Ophthalmologists. P. L. (Lucian ) Perera is a General Surgeon. Nithya Jayawickrama specialised in Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Lalantha Amarasinghe specialised in cosmetic surgery and was in charge of the Burns Unit in the General Hospital. Suriyakanthi Karunaratne (Amerasekara) is Senior Consultant Anaesthesiologist at the Sri Jayewardenepura Hospital, and a Past President of the Sri Lanka Medical Association. Victor Rajapaksa and W. Rajasooriar are also in the same speciality. Puwan Ramalingam (Sivananthan) is a Rheumatologist. Chanaka Wijesekara is an Orthopaedic Surgeon.

Among the academics are Manel Ratnavibhushana (Wijesundara) who is Professor in Parasitology at the Peradeniya Medical Faculty and Lalani Seebert (Rajapaksa) who is Associate Professor in Community Medicine at the Colombo Medical Faculty. One time champion public schools athlete J. C. Fernando who excelled in the 440 yards event, is a General Practitioner who has maintained his youthful looks and athletic figure to this day. He is married to Surangani Abeysuriya (Fernando) who was also in our batch.

H. N. Wickramasinghe, Ranjit Bulathsinghala, Tilak Dayaratne, V. Ganeshan, Ananda Hettiarachchi, Roshnara de Zoysa (Gunaratne) are General Practitioners in different parts of Sri Lanka. Chitra Morawaka Wijewardene (Weeratunga) retired as the Chief Medical Officer of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority.

Among the General Physicians, Harsha Samarajeewa is one of the few in the batch (like Nithya Jayawickrama) who decided to return home after specialisation and a long stint abroad. Other General Physicians produced by the batch and presently in Sri Lanka include Chandra Silva and Kusuma Jayasuriya (Ruberu). The latter being the sister of the famous Olympic boxers HP and CP, the boys never tried their usual pranks on her!

Community physicians

Of the few in the 1962 batch who opted to remain and serve our motherland for a long period, as many as four chose the less glamorous and less lucrative field of Public Health for specialisation. These Community Physicians went into different sub specialities. Punsiri Fernando is a Malariologist who rose to be Director of the Anti Malaria Campaign. Wimal Soysa (Jayakuru) created history as Sri Lanka’s first woman Chief Epidemiologist. S. A. P. Gnanissara was a Medical Administrator who retired a few years ago as Deputy Director General of Health Services (Training and Research) in the Ministry of Health.

The author of this article was among the first (and also the last) five Sri Lankan medical doctors to be sent to the United States in 1974 on WHO Fellowships to specialise in Health Education. Although the writer himself is presently employed by the state government in South Carolina, USA, he has worked for 33 years in Sri Lanka and other developing countries, first with Sri Lanka’s Health Ministry and later in UN organizations (WHO and UNICEF).

Ranjith Kuruppu started out as a Community Physician (MOH) but went into private practice as a Family Physician later on. Though based in London for most part of her career, Pramilla Kannangara (Senanayake) fits in here as a distinguished Public Health Physician who continues to raise funds and runs a project to educate poor children in the fishing villages of southern Sri Lanka. As the Assistant Director General of the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) she had responsibility not only for medical programmes but also for IPPF’s AIDS, Safe Motherhood and Youth and Adolescent Programmes. She was awarded an honorary FACOG in 2006 for her work in Family Planning. Sriyani Dissanayake (Basnayake) who has made a name for herself as Sri Lanka’s leading sex educator, was the Medical Director of the Family Planning Association of Sri Lanka. Engaged in the same field of family planning is Priya Gunaratne (De Silva).

Well-known names

It is also interesting to note that two females in the batch acquired surnames that are more familiar to Sri Lankans than their own maiden names. I refer here to Vasantha Owitigala (Jayasuriya) whose husband is none other than the Minister of Public Administration and Home Affairs in the present government. Swyrie Jayasekara (Balendra) married one of Sri Lanka’s most successful businessmen and former Chairman of John Keells, Ken Balendra.

US bound

When Sri Lankan doctors migrated to the United States in droves in the late sixties and early seventies, one particular hospital in Coney Island, New York had so many Sri Lankans working there that it was almost like walking along the corridors of the General Hospital in Colombo. Most of them have since then moved out into other states.

We had many outstanding sportsmen in our batch. Lareef Idroos was Sri Lanka’s ace spin bowler who played for S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia (as captain), SSC and University of Ceylon and also represented the country with distinction before we gained test status. Lareef who is a Nephrologist is now domiciled in California along with former Benedictine cricketer Cyril Ernest (Cardiologist) who also played for the University and represented All-Ceylon. Lareef and Cyril had the unique distinction of representing two countries in cricket at the highest level when both of them were selected to represent USA. Additionally, Cyril played in the USA team that participated in the World Cup in 1982.

With such a large community of Sri Lankans in California, one would expect many of the batch to be settled there. Apart from those mentioned earlier, Nalin Nanayakkara (Obstetrician and Gynaecologist), Piyaseeli Dolawatte (De Silva), R. Wickramasekaran (Cardiologist), R. Nadarajah (Surgeon), M.Z. Lameer (Orthopaedist), P. (Pupa) Sivananda, Chittamparanathan Thiagarajah (Anaesthesiologist) are some of the others in California. Desmond Gunatilaka is a Pulmanologist and critical care specialist in San Jose.

N. Visveshwara who is a Neonatologist in Fresno, California, is credited with the invention of an innovative catheter that relates to cardiac output and matching of ventilation/perfusion in newborns. He has also designed a pediatric ventilator and donated one through his Rotary Club to the Neonatal Unit of Sri Lanka's Castle Street Hospital for Women. Anton Ambrose who is a resident in Los Angeles, lost his beloved wife Beulah and daughter Orlantha in the 2004 tsunami while on holiday in Sri Lanka. Orlantha was a trained classical violinist and was actively engaged in teaching music to poor rural children in Sri Lanka at the time of her tragic death.

Sidath Jayanetti who played Rugby for Royal and the University, is now an Obstetrician and Gynaecologist in Virginia.Of all my batch mates based in the US, my closest “neighbours” are Lucky Weerasuriya and A. Satchithananda, both of whom now lead a quiet life in retirement in Florida. Bandula Jayasekara is still in active practice as a Psychiatrist in Kentucky. Malkanthi Wijesuriya is in the same state working in infectious diseases. So is K.L.M.T. (Mahasen) de Silva (Psychiatrist). S. Sarvanandan (Psychiatrist) in Michigan, Ananda de Silva in Missouri, Sisira Ranasinghe (Pathologist) in Ohio, Eugene Anandappa (Paediatric Radiologist) and Bertram Nanayakkara (Paediatrician) in Illinois, Sriyani (“Bunter”) Fernando and Navam Chinniah in Connecticut, T. Yoganathan and Mahesan Richards (both Anaesthesiologists) and S. Sri Kantha (Pain Specialist) in New Jersey, Indra Anandasabapathy (Associate Director of Anaesthesiology at Staten Island University Hospital) and S. Sathanandan in New York, C. Maheswaran (Obstetrician and Gynaecologist) also in Florida, are the others in the northern and eastern parts of the US. L.W. Perera, S. Balachandran (“Yankee Bala”) and Ranjan Hulugalle (Oncologist) are also in the US. Sujatha Maligaspe (Lena) is in Canada.

In UK

Relatively few have chosen England as their adopted country. Among names that come to my mind are Suren Iyer, Sunil Abeysuriya, Nihal Amerasekara (Radiologist), K. Balachandra (“Con Bala”), S. Sri Kantha, Nihal Goonetilake, B.L. Perera, A.H.T. Sumathipala, D.S.C. Attale (Psychiatrist), Douglas Mulgirigama, Ranjith Kariyawasam, Razaque Ahamath, Harischandra Boralessa, Mahendra Gonsalkorala, Ranjith Dambawinne, P. V. D. Saparamadu, Anandan Jayaratnam, N. Balakumar, M. Viswanathan, A. F. Doss, S. Vedavanam, L. P. J. M. Wickramasinghe, Jimmy Wickramasinghe, Manel Hettiarachchi (Katugampola), Asoka (“Lubber”) Wijekoon and S. R. Batuwitage. V. Kunasingham who was an outstanding soccer player took to Hockey during his University days and went on to represent All-Ceylon as the goal keeper. Rohini Abhayaratne who is also in UK, is the daughter of the Medical Faculty Dean of that era. Another “Batch Couple”, Upali Wijeratne and wife Padmini Karunanayake are also there. One of Sri Lanka’s leading tennis players of a bygone era Ranjan Wattegedera is also settled in UK.

Australia and New Zealand

Australia has had her fair share from the batch. Kumar Gunawardene (Cardiologist) was recently honoured by the American College of Cardiologists. Lakshman Jayasinghe who started out as a Neuroradiologist now practises in neuroradiology, interventional radiology and nuclear medicine. Sanath de Tissera (Psychiatrist), Easwaran Kanapathipillai, Irwin Herath, Cecil Saverimuttu, Kamini Goonewardene (Ferdinando) and General Physician Kamala Nimalasuria (De Silva) are among the others “Down Under”. Virginia Swan (De Vos) who was an outstanding swimmer as a teenager is also in Australia. Malik Jaimon, Mahendra Collure, M. Rasanathan and Nisha Mallawarachchi (Jayasinghe) are in New Zealand.

Perhaps as the father of a more famous son, Rajan (“Patas”) Ratnesar deserves special mention. Son Romesh Ratnesar is today an internationally known journalist who is a regular contributor to “Time” magazine. “Patas” is Medical Director of a major California Hospital.

Source:www.sundaytimes.lk

Surgeons' reputations skewed

2007-07-30T22:46:00.000-07:00

Your article misses part of the story on quality indicators from the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development. While outcome data is one indicator of a surgeon's performance, it can unfairly skew reputations.

Dr. Ismael N. Nuno, chief of cardiac surgery at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center, is listed as one of the worst physicians, yet the report's executive summary clearly references the importance of considering that some physicians treat sicker patients than average. What's needed is a better measure of disease severity so Californians can understand how sick some of these patients are. In the absence of such adjustments, the result will discourage surgeons from treating very ill patients for fear of damaged reputations.

The danger is that if no one operates on the sick, they will die without ever having a chance.

Source:www.latimes.com

Two lymphoma drugs under used

2007-07-30T22:44:00.000-07:00

Two drugs proven successful against lymphoma rarely are prescribed because market-driven forces distort medical decisions, it was reported Saturday.

Bexxar and Zevalin are federally approved for lymphoma, but fewer than 10 percent of suitable candidates for the drugs received them last year, The New York Times reported.

"It is astounding and disappointing" Bexxar and Zevalin are used so little, said Dr. Oliver W. Press, chairman of the scientific advisory board of the Lymphoma Research Foundation.

Oncologists often repeatedly prescribe other drugs, even after they have lost their effectiveness, when Bexxar and Zevalin might work better, Press said.

Oncologists often have financial incentives to use drugs other than Bexxar and Zevalin, which they are not paid to administer, Press said. In addition, using either drug usually requires doctors to coordinate treatment with academic hospitals, which the doctors may view as competition, the Times reported.

Source:www.sciencedaily.com

This Week in JAMA

2007-07-30T22:43:00.000-07:00

ICDs and Sudden Death in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Some data suggest that implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) reduce the risk of sudden cardiac death among patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. In an analysis of data from 506 patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and an ICD, Maron and colleagues (SEE ARTICLE) assessed the incidence and efficacy of ICD intervention to terminate ventricular tachycardia/fibrillation and the relationship between an ICD intervention and risk markers for sudden cardiac death. During a mean 3.7-year follow-up, the authors found that ICD interventions appropriately terminated ventricular tachycardia/fibrillation in 103 patients, 88% of whom had no or only mild symptoms of their cardiomyopathy. Among patients who received an ICD for primary prevention, there was no relationship between appropriate ICD discharge and the presence of 1 or more risk markers for sudden cardiac death. In an editorial, Nishimura and Ommen (SEE ARTICLE) discuss identification of patients who are likely to benefit from ICD implantation.

Efficacy of Hip Protectors to Prevent Hip Fractures

Results of previous clinical trials assessing the efficacy of external hip protectors to prevent hip fractures among the frail elderly have been inconclusive, possibly because of limitations in study design. In a clinical trial designed to address these limitations, Kiel and colleagues (SEE ARTICLE) investigated the efficacy of an energy-absorbing/energy-dispersing hip protector to prevent hip fractures in nursing home residents who consistently wore the hip protector on either the left or right hip. The authors report that adherence to the study protocol was 73.8%, but after 20 months of follow-up, hip fracture rates did not differ for protected vs unprotected hips. In an editorial, Kannus and Parkkari (SEE ARTICLE) discuss issues related to research involving external hip protectors to prevent fractures.

Trends in the Use of Pulmonary Artery Catheters

Evidence that use of the pulmonary artery catheter is associated with increased mortality has accumulated in the past decade, but whether rates of utilization have declined is not clear. In a time trend analysis using national data for adult inpatients, Wiener and Welch (SEE ARTICLE) found that use of the pulmonary artery catheter decreased by two-thirds between 1993 and 2004. In an editorial, Rubenfeld and colleagues (SEE ARTICLE) discuss the implications for physician training and clinical care associated with limited use of pulmonary artery catheters.

Data Transformation and Reliability of Meta-analyses

When performing a meta-analysis of data from clinical trials that used different scales to record outcomes of a similar nature—for example, pain intensity ratings recorded on 2 different scales—the data must be transformed to a uniform scale, such as the standardized mean difference (SMD). To assess the reliability of these data transformations, Gøtzsche and colleagues identified 27 meta-analyses that reported a result as an SMD, randomly selected 2 trials from each meta-analysis, abstracted the trial data, and independently recalculated SMDs. The authors found erroneous SMD estimates in 10 of the meta-analyses (37%) and other serious errors in an additional 7 meta-analyses.

Source:jama.ama-assn.org

EKG screening helpful in detecting unsuspected heart problem in children

2007-07-30T22:41:00.000-07:00

I read with great sadness the comments made by Dr. Natacha Sochat, medical director for the Nashua Public Health Department, and Dr. Carl Levick, an adult cardiologist, in The Telegraph’s article on July 5 titled, “Doctors question value of EKG tests,” by Hattie Bernstein.

The article was in regards to the value of the heart screenings for young people that are being provided by HeartScreen America.

Statements such as theirs readily perpetuate more apathy in the public and medical communities, potentially leading to the sudden cardiac death of thousands more young people each year from unidentified heart problems.

Most likely, many of these heart problems could be detected with a simple electrocardiogram read by a cardiologist. Nothing is 100 percent – neither mammograms, X-rays, blood pressure screenings, nor most tests that are used to screen any health problems. They are all just that – screening – a chance for early detection!

Approximately 85 percent of the heart problems that can cause sudden cardiac death in young people are identifiable on an electrocardiogram, according to experts. The issue is not that sudden cardiac death in young people is so rare, the issue is that it is under reported; we do need to worry, and we do need to do something!

Innocent children are dying from undetected heart problems that, by and large, can be detected and treated! With treatment, these young people can live long, healthy and productive lives!

I know personally because my beloved Janna, my 15-year-old, seemingly healthy daughter, died in her sleep of a cardiac arrest from undetected Long QT Syndrome, an electrical heart problem.

We had no family history of such. Her death could have been prevented had an electrocardiogram been done and read by a pediatric cardiologist, and her heart problem then treated.

We have since discovered two teenage cousins in the family who also have LQTS and they are now being treated with medication.

The loss of a child is an insurmountable pain that scars a parent forever! If you have children, you can perhaps imagine the pain, intensified more so by knowing that your child’s death could have been prevented!

By not screening children’s hearts for electrical and structural problems, we are declaring that their young lives are not worth saving and, in essence, we are handing thousands of children every year a death sentence. Why neglect a population of innocent young people with heart problems?

We parents are being told by our pediatricians that our children are healthy, but no one can tell if a heart is healthy just by listening with a stethoscope! Electrical problems cannot be heard with a stethoscope, and cardiomyopathies, the number one cause of sudden cardiac death in young people in the United States, cannot be heard with just a stethoscope!

In 2003, I founded Take It To Heart (www.TakeItToHeart.org,) a program designed to help prevent sudden cardiac death in young people.

We provide educational programs and heart screenings, which include an electrocardiogram read by a cardiologist. We have been very successful in identifying previously undetected heart problems in young people that could have otherwise, if left undetected, potentially led to tragic circumstances.

I am also a member of Parent Heart Watch, www.parentheartwatch.org, a national organization of parents across the country who have lost a child to sudden cardiac arrest or who have an at-risk child. We are all working very hard to help prevent sudden cardiac death in all young people.

There is no national data bank collecting data on the number of young people who die each year from cardiac arrest and, unfortunately, it is not recognized for the national crisis that it is!

Thousands of seemingly healthy young people are dying every year in the United States from unidentified heart problems. The Heart Rhythm Society estimates that 14,000 young people die every year from sudden cardiac arrest!

Please review this issue carefully before publishing statements that will help perpetuate this travesty in our medical system. Children need their hearts screened with an electrocardiogram that is read by a cardiologist.

Parents deserve the right to be educated on this issue and to realize that they have an option to take preventive measures. Not to do so is playing Russian roulette with children’s lives!

Do you really know if your child’s heart is healthy? Isn’t your child’s life worth a price of less than $50?

I know that all of us parents who have lost a child to sudden cardiac arrest would have gladly paid anything to know what we now know. An inexpensive, simple, painless, non-invasive ECG read by a cardiologist is a very small price to pay for the enormous amount of knowledge gained!

Please relay to Dr. Sochat and Dr. Levick that, as the saying goes, “If you’re not part of the solution, then you’re part of the problem.”

I am personally very grateful that HeartScreen America exists! It is performing an extremely valuable service for our children and its potential to save young lives was grossly underestimated!

Source:www.nashuatelegraph.com

CDC Downplays Birth Defects of SSRIs to Boost Sales

2007-07-30T22:40:00.000-07:00

On July 27, 2007 the CDC issued a press release clearly aimed at increasing the sale of SSRIs to pregnant women. "Use of certain antidepressants, selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors most commonly known as SSRIs, during pregnancy does not significantly increase the risk for most birth defects," the CDC wrote.

The press release cited a new CDC study released in the New England Journal of Medicine and further stated, "a second study on SSRI and birth defects, also published in the June 28 issue of NEJM, did not find such an association with birth defects overall, but did find significant associations between specific SSRIs and several birth defects."

Since the CDC put out the press release, hundreds of headlines have flooded the internet citing the new studies as proof that there is a low risk of birth defects with SSRI use during pregnancy, and the results of the studies have been reported as breaking health care news by every major media outlet in the US.

The pharmaceutical industry as a whole has spent a fortune buying influence in the media since 1997, when the government lifted restrictions on direct-to-consumer advertising.

In an article titled, Physicians and Bribery, published by News Target on July 7, 2005, Dani Veracty says the real story about prescription drugs is not being told because the drug makers are controlling the budgets of the major media companies by pumping hundreds of millions of dollars into TV, magazine, newspaper and online advertising.

"Because of this," he states, "the media companies out there don't want to say anything bad about these prescription drugs."

In the July-August Columbia Journalism Review, contributing editor Judy Lieberman, reported that at the end of 2004, drug-company ad revenue for Time Magazine totaled $67 million; for Newsweek $43 million; and for The New York Times took in $13 million.
By 2004, she reported, advertising revenues for the five networks including CNN and Fox news was $1.5 billion.

The drugs in the NEJM studies included Prozac by Eli Lilly, Zoloft from Pfizer; Paxil by GlaxoSmithKline, Celexa and Lexapro from Forest Labs; Luvox by Solvay, Effexor by Wyeth, and generic SSRI makers include Barr Pharmaceuticals, Ranbaxy Labs and Genpharm.

Prior to the arrival SSRIs on the market, depression was estimated to affect only 100 people per million and patients with depression sought help from a medical professional trained in psychiatry and the treatment of disorder.

However, the rate of depression is now estimated to be in the range of 50,000 to 100,000 cases per million, or between a 500 to 1,000-fold increase, according to Jane Currie in the Marketization of Depression, in the May 2005 journal Women and Health Protection.
In April 2004, the CDC reported that antidepressants topped the list of drugs prescribed to women at visits to doctor's offices and outpatient departments, followed by estrogens and progestins, antiarthritics, and medicines for acid/peptic disorders, in the Journal of Women's Health.

By 2005, the CDC recently reported, antidepressants were the most prescribed drugs in the US during visits to doctors and hospitals and were prescribed far more often than even medications used to treat high blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, and headaches.

Yet, a recent analysis of studies on the efficacy of 12 second-generation antidepressants including SSRIs and serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), released on January 25, 2007, by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's (AHRQ), a division of the US Department of Health and Human Services, offers little support for the wide-spread use of these medications.

The AHRQ reviewed efficacy in treating major depressive disorder, dysthymia and subsyndromal depression (including minor depression), and also evaluated comparative efficacy for maintaining remission and for treating accompanying symptoms such as anxiety or insomnia or neurovegetative symptoms.

The review included 187 studies deemed to be of good or fair quality, including 89 head-to-head randomized controlled trials, 57 placebo-controlled randomized studies, with 126 of the studies sponsored by drug companies and 17 funded by government agencies or independent sources, and analyzed the effectiveness of Cymbalta, Wellbutrin, Effexor, Celexa, Lexapro, Prozac, Luvox, Remeron, Serzone, Paxil, Zoloft, and Desyrel, many of which are now also sold in generic form.

Overall the analysis found that in controlled studies, during 6 to 12 weeks of treatment, well over a third of the patients, or 38%, saw no improvement in their condition and 54% had only partial improvement and did not achieve remission.

In light of this clear lack of efficacy, it should be noted that as early as August 2004, the FDA label for SSRIs warned that “anxiety, agitation, panic attacks, insomnia, irritability, hostility, aggressiveness, impulsivity, akathisia (psychomotor restlessness), hypomania, and mania have been reported in adult and pediatric patients being treated with antidepressants for major depressive disorder as well as for other indications, both psychiatric and nonpsychiatric”

According to one of the world's leading experts on SSRIs, Dr Peter Breggin, author of The Antidepressant Fact Book, “few physicians realize that meta-analyses have shown that antidepressants work no better than placebo at lifting depression.”

So in the case of pregnant women he says, “The risk/benefit ration weighs a placebo effect against increased parental suicide and violence, and babies with congenital defects, babies undergoing withdrawal reactions, and babies whose brains have been forever changed by being soaked in SSRIs during their development.”

Dr Breggin also notes that the NEMJ researchers failed to consider the serious withdrawal reaction in newborns and the potentially disastrous consequences of SSRI use by pregnant women. "Withdrawal reactions confirm that the brain of the fetus has been bathed in SSRIs and that it has suffered significant functional changes," he warns.

"It should be no surprise that it is not good to bath the growing brain in toxic drugs like SSRIs," he says, "because serotonin is intimately involved in the development of the brain in utero and SSRIs inhibit normal brain cell development."

Experts say, SSRI use creates an unnecessary risk for fetus. Dr David Healy, another leading authority on SSRIs, and the author of "The Creation of Psychopharmacology," and "The Antidepressant Era," says, "the overwhelming majority of women who are prescribed SSRIs are at little or no risk for suicide or other adverse outcomes from their nervous state."

He points out that every pregnant woman may have symptoms of depression such as anxiety, disturbed sleep, fatigue, or a loss of interest in sex. "But having depressive symptoms and being depressed are two different things," he states.

Dr Healy also notes the lack of efficacy shown with SSRIs, and says the risks of the neonatal withdrawal syndrome and serious birth defects to the infant far outweigh any benefits of their use by expectant mothers.

Houston Attorney, Robert S Kwok is outraged by the new campaign to promote the use of SSRI with pregnant women. “It's ludicrous to think a woman is at greater risk of depression during her pregnancy and should take antidepressants despite the proven risk to her developing fetus," he states, "yet physician "opinion leaders" with industry ties are actively trying to convince doctors and patients of just that.”

Mr Kwok represents the family of Gavin Shore, a baby born with a severe cardiac defect known as Shone's Anomaly after his mother was prescribed the SSRI Celexa during pregnancy and says Gavin's mother was not warned that taking an SSRI could double the risk of her baby being born with a severe heart defect.

Although some of the reports citing the NEMJ studies in media mentioned that Glaxo money was involved in funding the CDC study, most neglected to mention the financial contributions of the other drug companies for the study, or the steady stream of drug money that flows to the medical facilities and researchers involved in the studies.

When combined, the named universities, hospitals and researchers involved have received money from Lilly, Pfizer, Wyeth, Glaxo, Aventis, Sanofi Pasteur, and the 3 companies that make generic versions of SSRIs.

The CDC study lists Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital as participating and the Harvard Medical School receives nearly 25% of its funding from non-government sources, including nearly $3.5 million from Aventis Pharmaceuticals, $2.5 million from Bristol-Myers Squibb, and $2.1 million from Merck, according to an April 12, 2006 report in The Phoenix.

In addition, The Phoenix noted, SEC filings showed Harvard stock holdings of $16 million with Merck, $8 million of Bristol Myers Squibb, $34 million of Johnson & Johnson, and $33 million of Pfizer.

In one NEJM study, Dr Jan Friedman reported receiving honoraria for consulting from I3 Research, which is actually a huge conglomerate of "research" firms with names that begin with i3. The April 12, 2006 Phoenix reported that a firm called i3 Innovus, which co-authored 16 medical-journal articles in 2005, “provides integrated scientific strategies and solutions throughout the pharmaceutical product lifecycle.”

The Phoenix also noted that this i3 firm had a Boston office for its vice-president of US operations, Milton Weinstein, who also happened to be a professor at Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Public Health.

The same group of industry backed research institutions credited in the NEJM CDC study, began the disinformation campaign to boost the sale of SSRIs to pregnant women more than a year ago when "experts" at Harvard and Mass General published a study to intentionally dilute the finding of a mounting number of studies that found serious birth defects to be associated with the use of the drugs by pregnant women.

In response to a study in the February 2006, New England Journal of Medicine that showed infants exposed to SSRIs in the womb were 6 times more likely to be born with the life-threatening lung disorder, persistent pulmonary hypertension, a study appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association the same month warning that stopping SSRIs could greatly increase the risk of pregnant women relapsing into depression.

On February 1, 2006, the Associated Press described the methods used by the Massachusetts gang when conducting the JAMA study and said researchers "followed 201 pregnant women with histories of major depression who were taking drugs such as Prozac, Zoloft, Effexor and Paxil."

"Because of ethical concerns," the article said, "the researchers did not randomly assign the women to either stop or continue medication."

Instead, the AP reported, the women decided what to do and then the "researchers watched what happened."

But the actual report on the study shows that of the 201 participants, 13 miscarried, 5 terminated their pregnancy, 12 were lost to follow-up prior to the end of pregnancy, and 8 chose to withdraw from the study.

So when reporting on the few pregnant women that remained, the study said mothers were 5 times more likely to suffer a relapse than those who continued taking the drugs.

However, a highly relevant finding rarely mentioned, in what turned out to be this wee little study, is that 26% of the women who remained on the drugs became depressed anyways.

The study authors noted that of the 82 women who continued antidepressant treatment throughout pregnancy, 21 or 26% relapsed. But there were only 65 women in the group that discontinued the drugs, so the results logically showed a higher rate of relapse when 45 became depressed.

Moreover, nearly 2 years before the study was published in JAMA, on January 13, 2004, the lead author, Dr Lee Cohen was quoted in the New York Times as saying about 75 to 80% of pregnant women who go off antidepressants will relapse during the pregnancy.

Six months after JAMA ran the study, the July 11, 2006 Wall Street Journal explained why the 13 "experts" might encourage pregnant women to keep taking SSRIs, in stating the lead author, Dr Cohen, who was a Harvard Medical School professor and director of the research program at Massachusetts General, was a longtime consultant to the 3 antidepressant makers, a paid speaker for 7, and his research work was funded by 4 drug companies.

In fact, the Journal reported, “the study and resulting television and newspaper reports of the research failed to note that most of the 13 authors are paid as consultants or lecturers by the makers of antidepressants," and "the authors failed to disclose more than 60 different financial relationships with drug companies."

And just like clock-work, the Cohen's study was widely cited in other journals promoting the sale of SSRIs to pregnant women. "In summary, it seems clear that the risks of not receiving adequate antidepressant treatment thus far outweigh the risks of adverse events, not only in infants but in mothers as well," wrote Dr Pierre Blier of the University of Ottawa in editorial in the Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, 2006;31(4):226-8.

"The population," he warned, "should therefore learn to fear the illness more than the antidepressant."

But as it turns out, Dr Blier conflicting interests included among others, being a consultant with Lilly, Forest Labs, Janssen, Wyeth and Sanofi-Aventis, and a contract employee with Forest Labs. He was also in the speaker's bureau for Lilly, Forest Labs, and Wyeth, and received grant funding from Lilly, Forest Labs and Wyeth.

The JAMA study, along with a brief note from Dr Cohen himself, was also featured in the Spring 2006 issue of Massachusetts General Hospital's Center for Women's Health Newsletter, in a publication that downplayed the risk of just about all the birth defects discovered in recent years including heart birth defects and the infant withdrawal syndrome.

Since 1990, JAMA has required authors of studies to list all financial interests and has published the disclosures. In an online editorial in July 2006, JAMA editor, Dr Catherine DeAngelis announced her intention to enforce the policy in part by publicizing any author's failure to follow the rules and specifically noted that 3 consecutive nondisclosures involved authors from Harvard Medical School and included Dr Cohen's study.

On July 11, 2006, citing material promoting the events, the Wall Street Journal reported that the Massachusetts General psychiatry academy planned to conduct Continuing Medical Education seminars in a dozen cities across the US, with Dr Cohen overseeing a segment on the treatment of pregnant women with psychiatric disorders.

One of the funding sources for the seminars was revealed less than a year later on May 1, 2007, when the Journal reported the major recipients of the $11.8 million that Eli Lilly gave out during the first three months of 2007, and said the largest single grant "was $825,000 to Massachusetts General Hospital's psychiatry department for a year-long educational program with more than 150,000 registrants."

It should be noted that Lilly introduced the first SSRI, Prozac, in the late 1980s and its current best-selling antidepressant Cymbalta earned the company $1.3 billion in 2006.

The financial ties between the researchers and SSRI makers was brought to the attention of the JAMA editor by Dr Adam Urato and a letter from Dr Urato was also published in JAMA, stating that being the study dealt in part with the question of stopping antidepressants during pregnancy, the readers should be aware of the potential for pro-drug bias.

However, all that being said, the Cohen study is still being cited to promote the use of SSRIs with pregnant women, and as recently as April 26, 2007, in a paper by Dr Claudio Soares, director of Women's Health Concerns Clinic, McMaster University, Ontario in Journal Watch Women's Health, a publication put out by the NEJM.

"Results of a recent prospective study of pregnant women," he wrote, "who were taking antidepressants at or near the time of conception demonstrated that women who opted to discontinue treatment during pregnancy were five times more likely to relapse than were those who stayed on treatment."

"Despite the cautionary remarks commonly made by most regulatory agencies and medical societies about the use of psychotropic medications during pregnancy," Dr Soares states, "considerable data supporting the efficacy and reproductive safety of antidepressants have accrued."

"Conversely," he warns, "evidence suggests that untreated depression has negative consequences for both mother and child."

"In summary," Dr Soares states, "clinicians should bear in mind the mounting evidence about the adverse effects of uncontrolled depression during pregnancy."

But here too, Dr Urato, wrote a response to this obvious sales pitch objecting to the total lack of citations to studies that support the assertion that the risks of birth defects associated with SSRI are rare and that the benefits of SSRIs use to avoid relapse into depression outweigh the risks.

But most concerning, Dr Urato wrote, "is the complete lack of financial disclosure information to go along with the article."

"As I was reading this piece," he wrote, "I kept thinking to myself "'Boy, this sounds like it was written by someone working for the antidepressant makers.'"

And sure enough, Dr Urato found that Dr Soares is on the Speaker's Bureau for Forest Labs, Wyeth, Glaxo, and Pfizer and has received honoraria as a research consultant for Sepracor, Glaxo, Wyeth, and Neurocrine.

Mr Kwok is also highly critical of the increasingly common practice of using "opinion leaders" like Dr Soares to sell SSRIs to pregnant women, but states, “there will come a time when the drug manufacturers will have to face the music on SSRIs causing PPHN, and that time is coming soon."

He says his firm has an abundance of new cases that prove it's no coincidence that pregnant mothers on SSRIs have an increased likelihood of giving birth to babies with PPHN in families where there is no history of respiratory illness.

“Just yesterday,” Mr Kwok states, “I spoke to a mother who birthed a baby with a serious breathing disorder that requires regular use of a nebulizer, a device used to administer medication via liquid mist to the airways, commonly used in treating asthma and other respiratory diseases."

"This young mother is now at risk of losing her job," Mr Kwok reports, "since her infant requires full time care."

He says doctors should be instructed to screen patients who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant and inform them of the risks of SSRIs to a developing fetus. "At least educate this “class” of women," he says, "so they may make informed personal decisions."

"Sure, the loss of this “class” may cost the drug manufacturers some profit," he notes, "but it's the right thing to do and it will save many families a lifetime of torture caring for a sick child like we see over and over again.”

The need to recapture pregnant women as customers is crucial for some SSRI makers. For instance, Forest Labs reported that Lexapro and Celexa accounted for 68% of the firm's total sales for the year ending March 31, 2006, in its Annual Report filed with the SEC.

Back in May 2005, researchers from the University of Pittsburgh estimated that in any given year at least 80,000 pregnant women in US are prescribed SSRIs, in JAMA.

Source:www.bestsyndication.com

Cyanide Poisoning can Mimic Other Firefighter Health Issues

2007-07-30T22:38:00.000-07:00

The U.S. Fire Academy and the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) have, for years, utilized the same National Institute for Occupational Safety and Heatlh (NIOSH) Firefighter fatality statistics to assist in driving the firefighter wellness initiatives.

These initiatives are based on the statistics that show approximately 50 percent of fireground fatalities are caused by cardiac arrest secondary to poor fitness levels. These statistics have caused a strong push throughout the entire fire service to strongly encourage all firefighters to work out harder and more frequently to ensure they are able to handle the rigors demanded by the job. But what if a portion of the fireground induced cardiac arrests where not caused by poor health but by a silent killer we have not assessed for during emergency treatment or the existing line of duty death investigations required for a firefighter to receive the Public Safety Officers Benefit?

One of the most recent theories currently being evaluated by the International Association of Fire Chiefs is the possibility of cyanide poisoning causing some portion of the cardiac arrests. This question is currently being discussed by Chief Bobby Halton, Chief Editor of Fire Engineering and has been delivered to various audiences around the country. The primary concern regarding cyanide is its ability to cause fatal health issues with firefighters and the inability or unavailability of assessing for the problem. The symptoms of cyanide poisoning mimic the signs and symptoms of a myocardial infarction.

Source:cms.firehouse.com

Heroes honoured for life-saving efforts, BC

2007-07-30T22:36:00.000-07:00

The quick action of the following honourees was instrumental in achieving positive patient outcomes in three separate instances:

Cynthia Cox performed CPR on her seven-year-old granddaughter Emily Cox, who suffered a cardiac arrest after she accidentally placed a metal object into an electrical outlet at their home in Surrey on July 11, 2006. Mrs. Cox was assisted by a BCAS emergency medical dispatcher who provided CPR instructions over the telephone.

Vernon Pahl performed CPR on fellow Vancouver Sun Run participant Robert Curtis, of North Vancouver, near BC Place Stadium after he suffered a cardiac arrest on April 15, 2007. Mr. Pahl, of West Vancouver, used the ski lls he had recently learned in a CPR course to administer care.

Nadine Thompson performed CPR on her husband Steven Thompson after he suffered a cardiac arrest in the early morning hours of March 12, 2007 at their home in Langley. She was assisted by a BCAS emergency medical dispatcher who provided direction over the telephone.

“Congratulations to the award recipients for their quick thinking that undoubtedly helped save lives,” said Health Minister George Abbott. “Learning CPR can truly provide the gift of life as we have seen with these award recipients, and I would encourage all British Columbians to learn this important ski ll.”

Even with the best technology, medical expertise and timely deployment of first responders, the best chance for someone in cardiac arrest is still to have a bystander perform CPR until paramedics can provide professional CPR, defibrillation and quick transport to hospital. It is estimated that only approximately 15 per cent of British Columbians know how to perform CPR.

Cardiovascular disease is the second leading cause of de ath and accounts for more than one-fifth of all de aths in B.C. A cardiac arrest victim is four times more likely to survive if CPR is administered while waiting for further medical care.

Source:www.spiritindia.com

Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillators Appear Effective In Helping To Prevent Sudden Cardiac Death

2007-07-30T22:35:00.000-07:00

High-risk patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy appear to have reduced risk of sudden cardiac death with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator that terminates dangerous heart rhythm disorders, according to a study in the July 25 issue of JAMA.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common cause of sudden cardiac death in young people, including trained athletes. HCM is a genetic disease in which the heart muscle thickens abnormally, which can interfere with the heart's electrical system, increasing the risk for life-threatening abnormal heartbeats (arrhythmias). Only in the last few years has the implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) been systematically used as a potentially life-saving treatment in high-risk patients with HCM, according to background information in the article. An ICD is a device designed to quickly detect a life-threatening, abnormal heart rhythm, and attempt to convert the rhythm back to normal by delivering an electrical shock to the heart. The effectiveness and appropriate selection of HCM patients for this therapy is not certain.

Barry J. Maron, M.D., of the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation, Minneapolis, and colleagues examined the clinical risk profile and incidence and effectiveness of ICD intervention in patients with HCM. The researchers analyzed data from a multicenter registry of ICDs implanted between 1986 and 2003 in 506 patients with HCM, average age 42 years. Patients were judged to be at high risk for sudden death. Average follow-up was 3.7 years.

Risk factors analyzed included history of premature HCM-related sudden death in 1 or more first-degree or other relatives younger than 50 years; massive left ventricular hypertrophy (enlargement); a certain type of nonsustained ventricular tachycardia (abnormally rapid heart rhythm); and prior unexplained syncope (temporary loss of consciousness).

Of the 506 patients, 20 percent experienced 1 or more appropriate device interventions, in which the ICD terminated ventricular fibrillation (severely abnormal heart rhythm that results in cardiac arrest) or ventricular tachycardia. Intervention rates were 10.6 percent per year for secondary prevention after cardiac arrest (5-year cumulative probability, 39 percent), and 3.6 percent per year for primary prevention (5-year probability, 17 percent).

Time to first appropriate discharge was up to 10 years, with a 27 percent probability 5 years or more after implantation. For primary prevention, 35 percent of the patients with appropriate ICD interventions had undergone implantation for only a single risk factor; likelihood of appropriate discharge was similar in patients with 1, 2, or 3 or more risk markers.

"The results of this international, multicenter study show the effectiveness and reliability of the ICD in prevention of sudden cardiac death in high-risk patients with HCM," the authors write. "An important proportion of these device interventions occurred in patients who had undergone prophylactic ICD implantation for a single risk factor. Therefore, a single marker of high-risk status may justify consideration for a primary prevention defibrillator in selected patients with HCM."

In an accompanying editorial, Rick A. Nishimura, M.D., and Steve R. Ommen, M.D., of the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minn., comment on the findings of the study by Maron and colleagues.

"Patients who have experienced cardiac arrest or documented sustained ventricular tachycardia definitely should be considered for implantation of an ICD. Patients with 2 or more risk factors likely present a high enough risk to warrant implantation of an ICD. However, the decision to implant an ICD in any patient, especially one with a single risk factor, must include a thorough and earnest discussion of the accuracy of the current risk assessment tools, the risks and benefits of ICD therapy, and the individual patient's viewpoints on procedures, devices, and death. Such an approach will allow the patient-physician team to arrive at an individualized decision regarding ICD implantation."

Source:www.medicalnewstoday.com

3,000 Tasers ordered by state police; debate continues over devices

2007-07-30T22:34:00.000-07:00

A terminally ill man threatening to kill himself with a shotgun in his New Philadelphia home. ZAP!

Police in Schuylkill County used pistol-like Tasers to apprehend these individuals on July 7, demonstrating in the process how these electronic-control devices, which have stirred up controversy across the country, have been making an impact locally.

“They’re a very effective tool,” Shenandoah Police Chief Matthew R. Nestor said.

Stephen A. Mackeravage, 36, of 317 E. Lloyd St., Shenandoah, knows just how effective a Taser can be.

On July 7, Shenandoah police used one to apprehend the man, who, according to police, was creating a disturbance in the borough.

“Your whole body locks up and you hit the ground. It felt like I’d been shot,” Mackeravage said Thursday from Berks County Prison, where he was incarcerated on July 13 for violating parole on charges of giving false identification to Hamburg borough police.

Mackeravage, who admitted he was inebriated at the time of the July 7 incident, said the stun gun’s darts hit him in the back. He fell. He said he hit the pavement and suffered inch-long cuts above and below his left eye and “road rash” on both arms and left shoulder.

He said, “I blacked out until I got to the hospital. When I came to, it hurt. I told the cop ‘Don’t ever do that again!’ That will knock the breath out of you and everything. If you’re hit with one, you’ll know it.”

Also on July 7, Schuylkill Haven police, responding to a call for backup, apprehended a 69-year-old terminally ill man threatening to kill himself with a shotgun in a home on Valley Road, New Philadelphia, said Schuylkill Haven police Sgt. Robert W. Phillips.

Police did not release the name of the man.

Minersville Mayor David J. Dutcavich said he was impressed by Schuylkill Haven’s response in this case.

“The alternative is to wait for an emergency response team from the state police, which can take several hours and the passage of time in a situation like that can be critical,” Dutcavich said.

Popular with police

Today, more than 11,000 law enforcement agencies deploy Tasers in 44 countries, including 480 law enforcement agencies in Pennsylvania, said Steve Tuttle, vice president of communications for Taser International Inc., Scottsdale, Ariz.

Of the 43 police departments in Schuylkill County, 10 use the devices.

“I didn’t think it was that many to be honest with you,” said Schuylkill Haven police Chief Jeff J. Walcott.

The departments include Butler Township, Cass/Foster Regional, Coaldale, Gilberton Regional, Mahanoy City, Rush Township, Saint Clair, Schuylkill Haven, Shenandoah and Tamaqua, according to local police and municipal officials contacted this week.

“It seems to be catching on through the region. And I believe the overall officer safety issue is the reason. It keeps the officers safe and keeps the people we’re arresting safe,” said Cass/Foster police Chief Jeff R. Bowers.

Police Capt. Ronald J. Moser said the City of Pottsville has ordered them.

In the past year, Saint Clair police provided Taser assistance to Pottsville twice, Saint Clair police Sgt. William M. Dempsey said. The device was used to subdue a suicidal person at the Trailways bus terminal at Route 61 and East Norwegian streets, and also used to help city police control a barking Rottweiler on Second Street, Dempsey said.

“An officer, or an average person, can only fire a Taser at an animal if they feel their life is in danger. That’s where the fine line is drawn,” said Barbara A. Umlauf, manager of Hillside SPCA, Pottsville.

Meanwhile, both state police barracks in Schuylkill County will eventually be using stun guns, said Sgt. Christopher Blugis, commander of state police at Frackville.

“That’s the department’s plan, but as to the timetable, I’m not sure. The training has to come first,” Blugis said Tuesday.

In April, Pennsylvania State Police, Harrisburg, ordered 3,000 X26 models from Taser International, according to their Web site.

“We had 35 successful deployments in the field since February 2006. By and large, the agency is confident in the effectiveness of the Taser X26 and the rank and file is very enthusiastic and anxious to deploy another use of force option,” Sgt. David E. Pallone, spokesman for the state police Bureau of Research and Development, said in an article on the Taser Web site.

Blugis is looking forward to getting these tools, which he said are more powerful than words and physical force, but not as harmful as bullets.

“It provides good separation from a subject who’s physically combative and not cooperative, yet not acting in a way that has caused the situation to elevate to a deadly force response,” Blugis said.

These tools can benefit police in a variety of situations, said Mahanoy City police Chief Mark Wiekrykas.

“In the case of suicidal persons, like the case in New Philly, if you threaten them with a gun, they might put you in a situation where you’re going to have to shoot them and they’re going to accomplish what we call ‘suicide by cop,’ a national phenomenon right now. And the Taser allows you, in some of those situations, to subdue that suicidal person and take them for treatment without having to take their life,” Wiekrykas said.

Phillips said a Taser can keep police from getting hurt in physical altercations.

“If you physically fight to take someone into custody, nine times out of 10, myself, the officer I’m with, the bad guy, we’ll all wind up going to the hospital with bruising, swelling, broken bones, being bit ... and possibly with some long-term injury. With this, everybody bounces right back up,” Phillips said.

Incidents like that encouraged Mahanoy Township, now part of the Gilberton Regional Police, to purchase one.

“We felt there were times when the officer could use a Taser instead of any other kind of force, like a gun,” said Sharon R. Chiao, chairwoman of the Mahanoy Township supervisors.

McAdoo borough is looking into them, concerned about their officers’ safety during traffic stops.

“It’s such a busy highway coming through here, Route 309, and you never know who you’re going to pull over and what they may have on them,” said McAdoo Mayor Stephan R. Holly.

But not all departments are enthusiastic about Tasers.

“We’re not taking them for liability reasons. If you have a very combative suspect and you taze them and they have a pacemaker or a health problem and they go into cardiac arrest, who’s liable? Then you’re looking at a lawsuit. A lot of times pepper spray is just as efficient. I don’t care who you are, it’s going to put you down,” said Ashland Borough Council President Michael A. Groody.

“They are a little expensive and we are a small borough and the incidence of use would be few and far between, if they did need them,” said Tremont Mayor Charles A. Huntinger.

Tom Swift’s legacy

This electro-shock weapon was invented by Jack Cover, a NASA scientist, in 1969. The word Taser is inspired by the title of Victor Appleton’s 1911 adventure story, “Tom Swift and His Electric Rifle,” according to Policeone.com. Taser is an acronym, created by the addition of an A and subtraction of the H in the book’s title.

In the story, available at Gutenberg.org, Swift’s gun looked like an ordinary rifle, except the barrel was long and the stock was accented with a number of wheels, levers, gears and gauges.

Swift said his weapon was powered by an electric current stored in a cylinder and fired a concentrated charge.

“Then how does it kill?” asked Swift’s friend Ned Newton.

“By means of a concentrated charge of electricity which is shot from the barrel with great force. You can’t see it, yet it is there. It’s just as if you concentrated a charge of electricity of five thousand volts into a small globule the size of a bullet,” Swift said.

The model commonly used today by police is the Taser International X26, Walcott said.

It looks like a child’s toy, a lightweight, imitation “Star Wars” blaster. However, these battery-powered zappers fire aluminum darts connected to insulated, steel, thread-like wires to administer 50,000-volt shocks.

The cartridges in Walcott’s had a 25-foot reach. But Taser International sells them with ranges between 15 and 35 feet, according to their Web site.

Walcott videotaped a December 2004 Taser training session with his officers. Participating was one of the chief’s martial arts students who’s not a police officer, James D. Bova, 26, of West Penn Township. And Bova volunteered to be shot by the Taser.

“Jim’s the kind of guy who will try anything once, I guess,” Walcott said.

When the darts stuck Bova’s chest, he tensed up. “Ow-ow-ow!” Bova said as officers lowered him to the canvas. He banged his left arm off the floor, as if trying to tell those around him to stop the pain.

“It was only five seconds, but it felt more like 30,” Bova said.

What he expected?

“Worse,” Bova said.

There’s another way an officer can use the Taser X26 to shock a perpetrator, Walcott said. The officer can remove the dart cartridge from the barrel, press the weapon against someone’s body and zap them directly with the Taser’s tiny, yet powerful, electric arc.

“That’s called a drive stun. That would give you pain, but not give you the inability to move,” Wolcott said.

Just pulling out the Taser and pointing it can have a “calming effect” on a suspect, Dempsey said.

“We’re required to make an announcement we have the weapon. The Taser has a guide rod laser, a red dot, which is initiated on the target. And when they hear the word ‘Taser,’ it has a calming effect,” Dempsey said.

Coaldale police Officer Robert W. Melloy said that’s already happened on his beat.

“The local people know what they are now and a lot of times when we have them, all they do is see it and they comply without us having to deploy anything,” Melloy said.

Police can keep track of how many times a Taser pistol is used. The units record the times, dates the units are used and the duration of every zap.

“We have that for court and liability purposes,” Wiekrykas said.

Police Tasers come equipped with a Central Information Display, a two-digit digital counter which indicates battery power level and shock duration. The average Taser jolt is five seconds, Walcott said.

Tasers can range in price from $799 to $1,499, according to the Web site for one retailer, GT Distributors Inc., Rossville, Ga.

Concerns

The Taser has created controversy across the nation in the past few years. According to online news reports, it’s a tool that can be abused.

On April 28 in Waxahachie, Texas, Waxahachie police, responding to a 9-1-1 hang-up call, burst into the home of Allen Nelms, 52, and shocked him before asking questions, according to the Fort Worth Weekly Web site.

Nelms had suffered a diabetic seizure that morning and his fiancée, who had health problems of her own that made her words hard to understand, called 9-1-1, Fort Worth Weekly stated.

The American Civil Liberties Union claimed this week Tasers were partially responsible for the death of 160 people in the United States and Canada, including Lee Marvin Kimmel, 38, of Reading, in May 2005, and Kris Lieberman, 32, Bushkill Township, in June 2004.

Valerie A. Burch, staff attorney for the ACLU Central Region Office, Harrisburg, said information about those deaths can be found at www.raidh.org.

Police shocked Kimmel while he was breaking into a municipal building. He was wearing only socks and a T-shirt at the time. His heart stopped and he was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead, according to the information Burch provided.

Police found Lieberman naked in a cornfield, crawling around and talking to himself. Officers said Lieberman lunged at them. They shocked him with a stun gun three times until he lost consciousness. Officers tried to revive him but he was pronounced dead a short time later. A medical examiner reported that Lieberman had high levels of cocaine in his system, according to raidh.org.

In response to the ACLU’s claims, Tuttle said, “Until all the facts surrounding these tragic incidents are known, it is inappropriate to jump to any conclusions on the cause of death. We are prepared to help the investigation of these unfortunate incidents.”

And Wolcott said, “To my knowledge there haven’t been any courts who have ruled about Tasers being the primary cause of any death. We’re going to continue to use them and we’ve used them with success.”

Taser International has had 52 consecutive wrongful death or injury lawsuits dismissed and has not lost any product liability lawsuit, Tuttle said.

“We’re very concerned about the use of Tasers because they’re being used in situations where lethal or other serious force would not otherwise have been used,” Burch said.

Yet average people are buying them for self-defense and approximately 136,000 citizens in the United States own Taser electronic control devices, Tuttle said.

Regulations

Burch was surprised to find the lack of federal and state regulations regarding stun guns on the books, while researching the matter Friday.

The only state law she found concerning use of a Taser in Pennsylvania is Title 18, Section 908.1. It states a person may own and use an electric incapacitation device for self defense purposes.

“I don’t think Tasers should be in the hands of everyone. Like guns, I think they should have permits,” Gilberton Mayor Mary Lou Hannon said Friday.

Burch said there are currently no state or federal laws regulating municipal police and their use of stun guns.

“Municipal police should have policies which clearly state when officers are authorized to use Tasers and when they are not,” Burch said.

A stun-gun incident which occurred in Aspen, Colo., in June 2006 led police there to adopt a Taser policy this past June, according to the Post Independent Web site.

In June 2006, an officer suspected a 63-year-old homeless woman of stealing a sweater from a thrift store’s drop box and hit the woman with the stun gun, the article stated.

“Aspen police never had a policy regarding when it’s appropriate to use a stun gun. Police Chief Loren Ryerson said at the time that the department’s use-of-force policy covered Taser use, though it did not mention it directly,” the Post Independent’s article stated.

Municipal police structure their use-of-force policies by taking tips from agencies like the Police Executive Research Forum, Washington, D.C., according to Burch and Wolcott.

Incorporated in 1977, PERF is a national membership organization of progressive police executives from the largest city, county and state law enforcement agencies, according to the PERF Web site.

PERF addressed Tasers in its Conducted Energy Device Policy and Training Guidelines for Consideration, which states, “CEDs (Conducted Energy Devices) should not generally be used against pregnant women, elderly persons, young children and visibly frail persons unless exigent circumstances exist.”

Walcott said Schuylkill Haven police base their use-of-force policy on recommendations from the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, Glynco, Ga.

The policy outlines five types of response, each increasing in intensity. Use of a Taser would fit into Level III, Wolcott said.

“When the subject becomes actively resistant, the officer/agent uses physical control tactics of sufficient force to overcome active resistance and remains vigilant for more aggressive behavior from the subject,” the borough’s use-of-force training manual states.

Other Level III control tactics include come-along holds, pressure points application, joint locks, relative positioning strategies, take downs and pepper spray, according to the manual.

Prison inmate Mackeravage said pepper spray is not in league with the Taser.

“Pepper spray burns, but you can wash it out. With a Taser, you get electrocuted half to death and you’re busted up for a couple of weeks afterwards. How can that compare to pepper spray?” Mackeravage said.

Walcott said he’s been sprayed with pepper spray and has been shot with Taser and agreed “the effects of the Taser are more severe.”

However, Walcott said the Taser is still a Level III response, saying, “It’s an effective means of gaining control, but it’s not lethal. It’s warranted if a suspect is actively resisting me.”

Mackeravage believes Tasers should be banned.

“I can see them using them if somebody attacks them,” Mackeravage said, “but what do they need them for if they have their guns? I think it’s cruel and unusual punishment and another form of police brutality.”

Source:www.republicanherald.com

By MARY JO LAYTON and BOB GROVES

2007-07-30T22:32:00.000-07:00

Reports of patients dying after elective angioplasty have heated up debate over the safety of the procedure without a cardiac surgery team to handle complications.

At least four patients have died, said the chiefs of cardiology from two hospitals that contend surgical backup teams are essential. A report published this week puts the number of deaths at seven.

"Pure and simple, it's a safety issue," said Dr. Jay R. Weber, chief of cardiology at Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center in Camden. Weber said he recently learned from state health officials that four of 1,000 patients have died.
Our Lady of Lourdes is one of three hospitals with cardiac surgery teams that had sued to stop the state from allowing hospitals without surgical backup to offer the procedure to clear blocked arteries.

The disclosure of the deaths comes as state Health Commissioner Fred M. Jacobs prepares to appear before a state board to discuss rule changes that will allow as many as 12 hospitals without surgical backup teams to perform the procedure. Nine hospitals, including Holy Name Hospital in Teaneck, are currently performing the procedure without such backup. Holy Name spokeswoman Jane Ellis could not be reached for comment.

Jacobs would not comment on any fatalities, said Tom Slater, a Health Department spokesman.

But Dr. Augustine Agocha, chief of cardiology at Deborah Heart and Lung Center in Browns Mills, said he "heard of at least four deaths." His hospital had joined Our Lady of Lourdes and Cooper University Hospital in Camden in the suit against the state.

It not known where the patients were having their angioplasties -- and whether they would have had the same complications at hospitals with surgical backup. The patients were transferred to hospitals with cardiac surgery teams, though Agocha said he did not know whether some died en route or at the hospital where they were transferred.

Adding to the debate over safety, NJBIZ, a business publication, reported seven deaths without citing the source of the information.

New Jersey is allowing the nine hospitals to offer elective angioplasty as part of a nine-state study sponsored by Johns Hopkins University that will compare the results of angioplasty performed in hospitals with and without the ability to perform surgery on-site.

Dr. Thomas Aversano, who is directing the three-year study of 16,000 patients, also declined to comment on any deaths. "It is unethical for me to discuss any interim results," he said.

A national "data and safety monitoring board" meets semiannually -- most recently on May 17 -- to review the data from the study. If the study were unsafe for patients, he said, the board would end it.

He added that he couldn't believe the level of acrimony on the issue in New Jersey. "It's reached a level of insanity that I haven't seen elsewhere," he said.

The battle has pitted New Jersey's hospitals against each other because the procedure brings in $300 million to $400 million annually. The debate over money and safety resulted in a flood of editorials in several newspapers this week, an ad campaign warning patients of potential dangers and a flurry of e-mails and phone calls in anticipation of Jacobs' proposal.

The three hospitals that sued the state after it allowed hospitals to offer elective angioplasty won a Supreme Court ruling in May. The court ruled that without the new rules that Jacobs is presenting today to the Health Care Administration Board, the nine hospitals now performing angioplasty would have to stop.

Advocates for limiting the procedure to hospitals with on-site backup surgery say patients are at greater risk without such backup. In about 1 out of 500 cases, something goes wrong that requires intervention by a cardiac surgical team, said Gary S. Young, executive vice president of Cooper University Hospital.

The American Heart Association, American College of Cardiology and the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Intervention all say elective angioplasty should only be done at a hospital with on-site cardiac surgery.

Proponents of allowing more hospitals to offer elective angioplasty say it will increase availability for a much-needed procedure. Advances in angioplasty -- improvements in catheter design, the advent of stents, metal meshes to prop open arteries, and better monitoring -- have made it safer. Emergency bypass surgery is performed in 2 percent to less than 0.4 percent of cases, state health officials said.

But Young said that patients are at 38 percent greater risk of death if the elective angioplasty is done at a hospital without cardiac surgery. And nowhere in the patient consent form are patients told of the greater risk of death in the event of complications, he said.

Before the rules can be enacted, they must be published in the state register. The public comment period lasts for 60 days.

The hearings will no doubt generate substantial debate.

"There is always controversy that attends this kind of thing, but it hasn't reached the vitriol of New Jersey," Aversano said.

Source:www.northjersey.com

It's Not Too Late To Change: Lowering Cardiac Risk Later In Life

2007-07-30T22:31:00.000-07:00

Can adopting a healthier lifestyle later in life help -- or is it too late? In a study published in the July 2007 issue of The American Journal of Medicine, researchers from the Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston found that people 45 to 64 years of age who added healthy lifestyle behaviors could substantially reduce their risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and reduce their death rate. Once these people achieved 4 healthy behaviors, eating at least 5 fruits and vegetables daily, exercising at least 2.5 hours per week, maintaining their Body Mass Index (BMI) between 18.5 and 30 kg/m, and not smoking, investigators saw a 35% reduction in CVD incidence and a 40% reduction in mortality compared to people with less healthy lifestyles.
Writing in the study, Dana E. King, MD, MS, states, "The potential public health benefit from adopting a healthier lifestyle in middle age is substantial. The current study demonstrated that adopting four modest healthy habits considerably lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality in relatively short-term 4-year follow up period. The findings emphasize that making the necessary changes to adhere to a healthy lifestyle is extremely worthwhile, and that middle-age is not too late to act."

Starting in 1987 to 1989, 15,792 men and women ages 45 to 64 years participated in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study (ARIC) in four communities across the United States. This was designed to investigate the origin and progression of various atherosclerotic diseases. Follow up visits every three years through the end of 1998 included an interval medical history, weight, height, diet questionnaire, updated smoking history and current participation in sports and leisure exercise.

There were three key findings from the study -- first, the benefit of switching to a healthy lifestyle past age 45 became evident even in the 4-year, short-term follow up; second, the beneficial impact of the changes occurred despite the relatively modest changes in health habits; and third, the healthy lifestyle was beneficial when compared to all persons with three or fewer healthy habits, not just in comparison to people with none or one habit. People adopting only three healthy habits experienced lower mortality but not fewer CVD events over the same period.

The authors found that only 8.5% of middle-aged adults practice these four behaviors and only 8.4% newly adopt such a lifestyle past age 45. Further, men, African-Americans, and individuals with less than college education, lower income, or a history of hypertension or diabetes are less likely to adopt a healthy lifestyle past age 45, and are therefore at greater risk of mortality and cardiovascular disease.

The study is "Turning Back the Clock: Adopting a Healthy Lifestyle in Middle Age" by Dana E. King, MD, MS, Arch G. Mainous III, PhD, and Mark E. Geesey, MS. It appears in The American Journal of Medicine, Volume 120, Issue 7 (July 2007), published by Elsevier.

The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study (ARIC) is conducted and supported by the NHLBI in collaboration with the ARIC Study Investigators. This article was prepared using a limited access dataset obtained by the NHLBI and does not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of the ARIC Study or the NHLBI.

Source:www.sciencedaily.com

Excerpts from the Globe's blog on the Boston-area medical community.

2007-07-30T22:30:00.001-07:00

Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital held onto their honor roll positions in the annual rankings by U.S. News & World Report, called "America's Best Hospitals."

Mass. General finished fifth in the standings, down one rung from last year, and the Brigham took tenth place, up one from last year. Once again, Johns Hopkins Hospital and the Mayo Clinic finished first and second. UCLA Medical Center moved up to third from fifth, and the Cleveland Clinic slipped to fourth from third.

The magazine evaluated 5,462 hospitals in 16 specialties, excluding pediatrics, and came up with 173 hospitals that met standards in one or more specialties, based on reputation, care-related factors such as nursing and patient services, and mortality rate. Eighteen hospitals scored at or near the top in at least six specialties to make the honor roll.

Cancer death rates fall slightly

The number of people dying of cancer has fallen slightly in Massachusetts, while the number of newly diagnosed cases has stayed about the same. But racial and ethnic disparities remain, in both the risk of developing cancer and of dying from it, a new report says.

The change in mortality rates was small but significant, according to the state Department of Public Health's latest study, which covers 2000 through 2004. In 2000, the mortality rate from 24 types of cancer was 205.8 deaths per 100,000 people. In 2004 it declined to 187.9 deaths per 100,000 people.

27,000 are newly insured

More than 155,000 Massachusetts residents have obtained health insurance prior to the July 1 deadline to obtain coverage, the state agency implementing the healthcare law said last week.

About 2,500 people bought private insurance through the state's Commonwealth Choice program since it went on sale in May, a figure that is 50 percent higher than anticipated, according to the Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector Authority , which implements the law. The others purchased plans through work or from insurance companies. Another 200,000 to 270,000 uninsured people still face the requirement to buy private insurance.

By the end of the year, adults who are uninsured and who do not qualify for an exemption, will lose their $219 state personal income tax exemption, a penalty that will rise in subsequent years.

Pre-65 coverage cuts costs

Providing health care to uninsured adults before they qualify for Medicare coverage may not only improve their health but also reduce costs after they turn 65, a Harvard Medical School study says.

People who haven't had insurance coverage are significantly more likely to report poor health before the age of 65, the authors report in tomorrow's New England Journal of Medicine.

They looked at data from the national Health and Retirement Study to compare health care expenditures between insured and uninsured adults at age 59 and 60 and then again after 65. They concluded that expanding health insurance coverage for uninsured people before 65 might be offset by savings in healthcare costs later, particularly for people who have cardiovascular disease or diabetes.

"It may be less costly than people thought," Dr. J. Michael McWilliams, a research associate at Harvard Medical, said in an interview.

Down side of surgeon rankings

Dr. Thomas H. Lee, network president of Partners Health Care and associate editor of the New England Journal of Medicine, is concerned that public reporting of mortality rates for individual cardiac surgeons carries unintended, perverse consequences. Writing with two colleagues in last week's New England Journal, he said he fears that surgeons might hesitate to operate on high-risk patients if they are seeking a perfect performance record.

"When so few patients can swing things for you being ranked, we're worried about that effect on the decision-making process," Lee said.

Instead, it makes more sense to report by institution, said Lee and his coauthors, Dr. David F. Torchiana of Massachusetts General Hospital and Dr. James E. Lock of Children's Hospital Boston. Massachusetts recently joined New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania in publicly reporting death rates for individual cardiac surgeons.

Empathy may guide testing

Men who are too young or too old for prostate cancer screening tests are still getting them from clinicians whose "prostatempathy" may be guiding their decisions, Harvard researchers suggest in a study of seven New England veterans' hospitals.

Health specialists agree that men without symptoms who are under 40, older than 75, or expected to have less than 10 years to live do not benefit from the prostate- specific antigen test and can suffer unnecessary psychological and financial costs, according to the article in last week's Archives of Internal Medicine.

"It it possible that, as they age, male healthcare providers increasingly empathize with their older male patients over prostate cancer concerns. Their 'prostatempathy' may then lead to more aggressive screening in these older male patients," wrote Dr. B. Price Kerfoot and his colleagues at Harvard Medical and the Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System.

Source:www.boston.com

ICICI Prudential launches health insurance policy, India

2007-07-30T22:28:00.000-07:00

Our research revealed that people carry the impression that all existing health insurance policies don't cover all expenses related to hospitalisation or surgical procedure, leaving them with a considerable financial burden.

"ICICI's new health insurance product would certainly meet the people's aspiration," company's Vice-President Vineet Arora said here.

"Hospital care is structured to ensure that customers receive a pre-determined insurance amount for each procedure or hospitalisation, even if they spend less," he said.

The benefits for the customer included daily hospitalisation cash benefit, daily ICU cash benefit, surgery benefit and recuperating benefit which would take care of post-hospitalisation expenses, he said.

The policy also offers a cashless claim benefit at 3,000 network hospitals across the country.

He claimed that the health insurance package would benefit the people suffering from cancer, cardiac problems and other serious diseases.

Source:www.spiritindia.com

Women more depressed after heart attack

2007-07-30T22:27:00.000-07:00

Women are more likely than men to have lingering depression after suffering heart attacks, Canadian researchers said.

A study by the University of Alberta and McGill University found that 14.3 percent of women had worsening depression one year after their initial myocardial infarctions. Eleven percent of men studied had a similar experience.

Results of the study were published in the European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing.

"The findings are of concern because depression impedes recovery and ultimately, the quality of life in patients following a heart event," said lead author Colleen Norris, an associate professor in the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, said Friday in a release.

Norris said women are less likely to be referred to or to attend cardiac rehabilitation, and therefore don't have access to the support and assistance to make necessary lifestyle changes

Source:www.sciencedaily.com

Do Knowledge and Experience Have Specific Roles in Triage Decision-making?

2007-07-30T22:25:00.000-07:00

Accuracy of triage decisions is a major influence on patient outcomes. Triage nurses' knowledge and experience have been cited as influential factors in triage decision-making. The aim of this article is to examine the independent roles of factual knowledge and experience in triage decisions. All of the articles cited in this review were research papers that examined the relationship between triage decisions and knowledge and/or experience of triage nurses. Numerous studies have shown that factual knowledge is an important factor in improving triage decisions. Although a number of studies have examined the role of experience as an independent influence on triage decisions, none have found a significant relationship between experience and triage decision-making. Factual knowledge appears to be more important than years of emergency nursing or triage experience in triage decision accuracy. Many triage education programs are underpinned by the assumption that knowledge acquisition will result in improved triage decisions. A better understanding of the relationships between clinical decisions, knowledge, and experience is pivotal for the rigorous evaluation of education programs.

Source:www.aemj.org

Use of pulmonary artery catheter decreases substantially in US

2007-07-30T22:24:00.000-07:00

Use of the pulmonary artery catheter decreased by 65 percent in the US between 1993 and 2004, possibly due to growing evidence that this invasive procedure does not reduce the risk of death for hospitalized patients, according to a study in the July 25 issue of JAMA.Use of the pulmonary artery catheter decreased by 65 percent in the U.S. between 1993 and 2004, possibly due to growing evidence that this invasive procedure does not reduce the risk of de ath for hospitalized patients, according to a study in the July 25 issue of JAMA.

The pulmonary artery (PA) catheter (a thin, flexible tube that is inserted into a pulmonary artery) first became available as a practical diagnostic tool in 1970 and was rapidly embraced by critical care physicians, according to background information in the article. The PA catheter made measurements such as cardiac output and pressure within the small vessels in the lungs accessible to physicians at the bedside. “Many physicians assumed that these numbers could guide treatment and ultimately reduce mortality in critically ill patients. Within several years, PA catheterization was widely used throughout the United States. In the 1980s, 20 percent to 43 percent of seriously ill patients who were hospitalized were reported to undergo the procedure,” the authors write.

In the mid and late 1980s, there were challenges to the benefits of this procedure. A turning point occurred in September 1996 when a multicenter observational study suggested an increased risk of de ath with PA catheterization, with an editorial calling for a moratorium on PA catheter use until a randomized controlled trial could be conducted. In the past 5 years multiple randomized trials and a meta-analysis have shown that this technology has no impact on the risk of de ath in diverse populations of critically ill patients. But it is not known how this information has changed the use of this procedure.

Renda Soylemez Wiener, M.D., and H. Gilbert Welch, M.D., M.P.H., of the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, White River Junction, Vt., examined the trends in the utilization of PA catheterization from 1993-2004 using data from all U.S. states contributing to the Nationwide Inpatient Sample.

The researchers found that utilization of PA catheterization in the United States from 1993 to 2004 for all medical admissions decreased by 65 percent, from 5.66 to 1.99 per 1,000 medical admissions. Among patients who died during hospitalization, a group whose disease severity may be consistent across time, the relative decline was similar (67 percent). A significant change in trend occurred following the 1996 study that suggested an increased risk of de ath with PA catheterization. Among common diagnoses associated with PA catheterization, the decline was most prominent for heart attack, which decreased by 81 percent, and least prominent for septicemia (a disease caused by toxic microorganisms in the bloodstream), which decreased by 54 percent.

“We found that PA catheterization use in both medical and surgical admissions has declined substantially across the United States over the study period,” the authors write. “… the national decrease in PA catheter utilization suggests that many physicians have responded appropriately to the evidence that PA catheterization does not reduce mortality.”

Source:www.spiritindia.com

Study Estimates Cancer Risk From Radiation Exposure During Cardiac CT Scans

2007-07-30T22:23:00.000-07:00

An analysis based on computerized simulation models suggests that the lifetime risk of cancer associated with radiation exposure from a computed tomography (CT scan) coronary angiography varies widely, with the risk greater for women and younger patients, according to a study in the July 18 issue of JAMA.
Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of death in men and women in the United States, accounting for 1 in 5 deaths, and a major cause of health care expenditures, with annual costs estimated at $142 billion, according to background information in the article. Attempts to improve the diagnosis of this disease has led to the development of noninvasive methods for CAD diagnosis, including the 64-slice computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA; combines multiple X-ray images with the aid of a computer to produce cross-sectional views of the heart and coronary arteries). It has been predicted that CTCA may emerge as the diagnostic test of choice for patients with intermediate pretest probability of disease, yet there are little data on its associated cancer risk from exposure to radiation.

Andrew J. Einstein, M.D., Ph.D., of the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, and colleagues conducted a study to estimate the lifetime attributable risk (LAR) of cancer incidence associated with radiation exposure from a 64-slice CTCA, and to determine how this risk is influenced by patient age, sex, and scan protocol. The recent Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation (BEIR) VII Phase 2 report provides a framework for estimating LAR of cancer incidence associated with radiation exposure from a CTCA by using a computational model and integrating the most current data available on health effects of radiation.

Lifetime cancer risk estimates for standard cardiac scans varied from 1 in 143 for a 20-year-old woman to 1 in 3,261 for an 80-year-old man. Use of simulated electrocardiographically controlled tube current modulation (ECTCM; a dose reduction strategy that reduces radiation during part of the cardiac cycle) decreased these risk estimates to 1 in 219 and 1 in 5,017, respectively. Estimated cancer risks using ECTCM for a 60-year-old woman and a 60-year-old man were 1 in 715 and 1 in 1,911, respectively. A combined scan of the heart and aorta had higher LARs, up to 1 in 114 for a 20-year-old woman. The highest organ LARs were for lung cancer and, in younger women, breast cancer.

"In this study, we observed a marked variation by age, sex, and scan protocol for cancer risk associated with radiation exposure from CTCA," the authors write. "The results of this study suggest that CTCA should be used particularly cautiously in the evaluation of young individuals, especially women, for whom alternative diagnostic modalities that do not involve the use of ionizing radiation should be considered, such as stress electrocardiography, echocardiography, or magnetic resonance imaging. If CTCA is considered as an alternative to invasive coronary angiography, the risks and benefits of each test require consideration."

Source:www.sciencedaily.com

Reading is a vital skill for sick people

2007-07-30T22:22:00.000-07:00

Illiteracy and illness don't mix, according to a U.S. study that says patients who can't read have a higher mortality rate than patients who can.

The study released by the school of medicine at Northwestern University Monday found that illiterate patients have daunting problems when it comes to following medication instructions, hospital forms and even appointment slips.

"When patients can't read, they are not able to do the things necessary to stay healthy," said Dr. David Baker, a lead author of the study published this week in "Archives of Internal Medicine. "They don't know how to take their medications correctly, they don't understand when to seek medical care, and they don't know how to care for their diseases."

The 10-year study followed 3,260 Medicare patients in Ohio, Florida and Texas who took part in a literacy test using pill bottles and other health-related materials.

Source:www.sciencedaily.com

Medicine's future may involve brain chips

2007-07-30T22:20:00.000-07:00

U.S. scientists are developing chips that, implanted in one's brain, could allow an amputee to control an artificial arm by thinking about it.

The science fiction-like technology being developed at the University of Florida might also control epileptic seizures by interpreting signals in the brain and stimulating neurons to perform correctly.

Using a $2.5 million National Institutes of Health grant, University of Florida researchers are creating a "neuroprosthetic" chip designed to be implanted in the brain. The researchers are studying the concept in rats but expect to develop a prototype within four years that could be tested in people.

University of Florida Assistant Professor Justin Sanchez, director of the university's Neuroprosthetics Research Group, said the initial goal is to create a device that can correct conditions such as paralysis or epilepsy.

The day may not be too far off when patients can control a prosthetic hand or leg just by thinking about it, Sanchez said. "It's becoming a reality."

Source:www.sciencedaily.com

Your Health Matters

2007-07-30T22:19:00.000-07:00

This is a continuation of last weeks article- the subject being about "ticks"--and as I promised the subject will be about diseases ticks spread. If you would like to read last weeks article (July 19) go on line to unionsentinel.com and click on News Archives and choose the date and when the front page comes up choose Arts & Leisure and page down to Your Health Matters.

The number one disease that comes to mind when we think of ticks is Lyme disease. Named after a town in Connecticut where, in 1975, it was first recognized. It is transmitted by a group of closely related species of ticks- which are very small-- the group consists of deer ticks, western black-legged ticks, and the black legged ticks. These ticks are much smaller than the common dog or cattle ticks- you may need a magnifying glass to see them well enough to tell "that dark spot on you is a tick!" They attach to any part of the body, often to moist or hairy areas such as the groin, armpits, and scalp.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 23,305 cases of Lyme disease in the US in 2005. Most occurred in the costal northeast, Mid-Atlantic States, Wisconsin and Minnesota, and northern California. The CDC reports only 434 cases of Lyme disease in Georgia since 1990. The overwhelming majority of cases are reported in the summer months when ticks are most active and people spend more time outdoors. The CDC depends on health care professionals to report cases of the disease.

If a tick has bitten you, watch the site for symptoms of Lyme disease. The first sign is a bull's-eye rash that forms on the skin at the bite site. (This first manifestation occurs in about 90% of patients- this is when you should immediately seek medical attention). The circles of alternate red and white rings, giving the appearance of a bull's eye- for target practice! I've actually seen one that was more blue, red and white- bruised from rubbing or scratching. This rash may form within a few days or even weeks. This may come and then go and you didn't feel bad and so did nothing. Or malaise, fatigue, fever, headache, arthralgia and a stiff neck may accompany the lesion. Then the second stage begins which has been known to start in a few months or even years later.

In this stage, bacteria (Borrelia burgdorferi) may infect joint tissue, causing arthritis, or infect cardiac muscles, weakening tissue around the heart. In some reported cases the bacteria has attacked the central nervous system, causing brain damage, memory loss, depression or dementia. However, it is rarely, if ever, fatal.

Most human cases of Lyme disease occur after bites from the nymphal stage of the infected tick, and usually require more than 24 hours of attachment for transmission. You may develop the symptoms and yet have no known history of a tick bite. You should seek medical attention. There are diagnostic blood test that can be done, but the doctor will more than likely start you on antibiotics immediately while waiting for the results. There is no evidence of natural transmission of Lyme disease from person to person.

"To avoid getting Lyme disease, you have to avoid being fed on by ticks," said Nancy Hinkle, an extension entomologist with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. "Hunters and hikers are the most commonly affected, due to their exposure to the outdoors."

The best line of defense, Hinkle recommends, is buying and using insect repellents, which contain DEET as the active ingredient that is effective on skin. It is very important to read and follow the directions. Some repellents aren't safe for use on skin.

"For clothing, use a repellent with Permethrin as the active ingredient, do not use on the skin", according to Hinkle. Lay your clothing out on a newspaper. First spray one side, and then flip the clothing over and spray the other side. Let the clothes dry overnight.

Remember, if you have been outside in woody and grassy areas check your body for ticks. Check your hairline and around your ears. Also check your socks, waistband, underarms, in natural body folds and other tight underwear.

Next week my subject will be about another tick-borne disease- Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF). There were 86 cases of confirmed and probable RMSF in Georgia in 2005. One case, a 9-year-old from northwest Georgia, was fatal. In Union County and immediate surrounding counties there were no reported cases of (RMSF).

Claudia Parks, RN, is a former doctor's office and emergency room nurse and retired as an educator from Fulton County Schools. She writes Your Health Matters as a public service; the information here is designed to help you make informed choices about your health. It is not intended as a substitute for the advice of your physician. Claudia and her husband make their home in the beautiful north Georgia Mountains, near Blairsville.

Source:www.unionsentinel.com

cardiac surgeons violated research standards

2007-07-30T22:18:00.000-07:00

The heads of the cardiac surgery departments at Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv and Assuta Hospital in Petah Tikva made grossly improper use of hundreds of medical files of heart patients for studies that were published in two leading American medical journals. An internal review conducted in recent months by Ichilov's management, at the request of the journals' editors, found violations of ethical, professional and legal standards in the research methodology and the manner of publication.

An examination by Haaretz has also found that the research was carried out without obtaining prior permission from the committee for human medical studies nor from the patients themselves.
The two articles in question carry the signatures of Professor Gideon Uretsky, head of cardiothoracic surgery at Ichilov, and Professor Rephael Mor, who says he is the one who authored both articles and decided to publish them.

The studies, conducted between 2002 and 2005, looked at the treatment of diabetics who underwent cardiac surgery or catheterization and examined the preferred treatment method: cardiac surgery versus implanting a drug-coated stent through catheterization. According to the doctors, surgery did a better job of reducing the chances of exacerbated heart disease.

The studies involved a retrospective comparison of 500 patients, through reviews of their medical files and telephone interviews.

Ichilov's internal review discovered serious problems with the studies. Some of the doctors' statements and the data they published in the articles do not match the data in the patients' files. Patients were included in the studies selectively and in a manner that substantially contradicts the doctors' statments. Some of patients' data is not confirmed by and has no basis in the files. A portion of the quotations appearing in the articles "were not correct," and the articles published as supposedly separate studies included "entire paragraphs of text that were identical word for word."

Regarding permission from each hospital's Helsinki Committee, Haaretz found that authorization for these studies was granted only in February 2006, long after the fact. Moreover, authorization was granted only at Ichilov, not Assuta.

Ichilov director Professor Gabi Barabash announced last May that the Ichilov doctors involved in the case would be severely punished; the lead author will not be able to conduct any research at Ichilov for five years and the rest for two years. Thereafter, they will be monitored for four years by a committee that will vet their research prior to publication.

The affair came to light in January 2007 after the editors of two Philadelphia-based periodicals, "Journal of Thoracic Cardiovascular Surgery" and "Annals of Thoracic Surgery," raised the suspicion that the heart surgeons had published articles that were similar to the point of constituting the forbidden practices known as "superfluous publication" and "duplicate publication." They also had doubts about the reliability of some of the data. Mohr apologized to the journals for any overlap, but that was not sufficient for the editors, who asked Barabash to investigate the matter.

In a response for this article, Mohr said he was not given an opportunity to present his reservations in full and that the review committee "rushed to take punitive action without doing the doctors justice." He claims that some of the review findings are "completely erroneous" and based on "sloppy documentation" by nurses at Assuta. He further said that he has yet to receive the committee's complete report.

Assuta, which is owned by Maccabi Health Services, said it relied on Ichilov as the lead institute conducting the research, and that "to the best of our knowledge, there are no essential flaws in the article that might undermine the validity of the conclusions."

Regarding the lack of Helsinki approval, Ichilov's management said that it was not initially clear that permission was needed for a retrospective study that did not involve human experimentation, but that once it became clear that permission was needed, the committee approved the study in retrospect, and also retroactively exempted the doctors from obtaining patients' permission to participate.

Source:www.haaretz.com

Biochemistry of How Healthiest Foods Prevent Cancer

2007-07-30T22:16:00.000-07:00

There are many nutraceuticals that have both cancer preventive and cancer suppressive properties. You will not hear about them if you do not go out of your way to review the scientific literature, or have access to those that do so. Pharmaceutical companies are sitting on many natural substances that they know can treat any number of diseases, but you will not hear about them unless they can tweak the molecules enough to get a patent and still retain some of the healing properties. Their job is not to let you in on what they know. Their job is to make money. Mr. Fox reviews some of these readily available natural compounds and extracts. The list is actually quiet long, but his review will give you a place to start.

KP Stoller, MD President, International Hyperbaric Medical Assoc Medical Director, Hyperbaric Medical Center of New Mexico www.hbotnm.com

Currently, the terms "phytonutrient" and "phytochemical" are being used interchangeably to describe those plant compounds which are thought to have health-protecting qualities. The antioxidant, immune boosting and other health promoting properties of active compounds in plants are being investigated.

However, in common usage, they have a more limited definition. They are usually used to refer to compounds found in plants that are not required for normal functioning of the body but that nonetheless have a beneficial effect on health or an active role in the amelioration of disease. Thus, they differ from what are traditionally termed nutrients in that they are not a necessity for normal metabolism, and their absence will not result in a deficiency disease. What is beyond dispute is that phytonutrients have many and various beneficial health effects. For example, they may promote the function of the immune system, act directly against bacteria and viruses, reduce inflammation, and may also be associated with the treatment and/or prevention of cancer (the focus of this article), cardiovascular disease and any other malady affecting the health or well-being of an individual.

Allyl Sulfides are found in garlic, onions, and shallots. They suppress growth of tumor cells and bring about apoptosis, or natural cell death (cancer cells find ways to stop this process); allyl sulfides also promote excretion of cancer causing chemicals. They lessen stomach and colon cancer, and help to treat colds, blood circulation, inflammations, arteriosclerosis and diabetes.

Quercetin is a flavonoid found in medicinal plants which works to prevent inflammations and inhibits the release of histamines. In a recent study in the British Journal of Cancer, quercetin and ultrasound were used to treat skin and prostate cancers, with a 90% death of the cancer cells within 48 hours, and no visible deaths of the normal cells! This phytonutrient is used to treat cancer, prostatitis, heart disease, cataracts, and respiratory diseases like bronchitis and asthma. It is found in capers, apples, tea, onions, grapes, citrus, broccoli, leafy green vegetables, cherries, turmeric, and cranberries.

Limonene is a hydrocarbon, taking its name from lemons, and is found in lemons and in noni. It helps the liver clear carcinogens from the body and promotes cell differentiation.

Lutein (from Latin "Lutea" meaning yellow) is one of 600 known carotenoids. Found in leafies like spinach and kale, it is used as an antioxidant. It is also found in mango and winter squash. Early studies have shown high intakes reduced risk of breast, colon, endometrial (uterine) and prostate cancers. It is found in concentrated areas of the macula, the small area of the retina responsible for central vision.

Catechin is found primarily in green tea and is an anti-oxidant that helps keep tumors from taking hold and growing. According to Norman Hollenberg, Professor at Harvard Medical School, epicatechin, a metabolic form of catechin, can reduce the risk of all four of these major human health problems: stroke, heart failure, cancer, and diabetes. His studies were based on the Kuna people in Panama who drink up to 40 cups of cocoa a week, with only 10% being struck by the big four diseases!

Chlorophyll is the prime biochemical for all respiration and life in the plant world. It is strikingly similar in form to hemoglobin, differing primarily in that chlorophyll has magnesium in the center and hemoglobin has iron. This would explain partly why wheat grass juice is so instantly beneficial for those with "tired blood" and anemia. It is found in spirulina, chlorella, barley grass, and in leafy greens. It is a potent detoxification agent and protects genes against the biochemical damage that leads to cancer cell development.

Sulphoraphane is the phytonutrient that activates enzymes that detoxify carcinogens; it interferes with cancer cell growth and promotes cancer cell death. It is found in broccoli, and especially in broccoli sprouts.

Lycopene is best known for providing protection against prostate cancer, and may also help defend the physiochemistry of humans against lunch and stomach cancer malignancies. It is found in tomatoes, watermelon, pink grapefruit, guava, papaya, and in rosehips. It is the most powerful quencher of singlet oxygen, 100 times more so than Vitamin E. It is helpful for cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, and male infertility. Recently the United States Food and Drug Administration concluded that tomatoes reduce no risk for lung, colorectal, breast, or cervical cancer, and only limited evidence for reduced risk of prostate, ovarian, and pancreatic cancers, all derived from 145 studies after a coalition of tomato growers and tomato product producers asked to list anti cancer benefits in nutritional labels on their products. We rarely agree with the FDA, so keep eating lots of tomatoes for their carcinogenic properties, which the FDA may or may not ever get around to formally endorsing….

Ellagic acid appears to defend cells lining the digestive tract against carcinogenic substances, and has prevented colon and esophageal cancer in animals. It is found in pomegranates, grapes, raspberries, and strawberries. Apparently, it also may help the liver to break down and remove cancer causing substances from the blood. One study in Clinical Nutrition in 2004 showed clearing of plaque in the carotid artery after three years of pomegranate juice as a supplement. Italian researchers have also found ellagic acid reducing the side effects of chemotherapy in advanced prostate cancer treatment in men, and the Hollings Cancer Institute at the University of South Carolina conducted a double blind study on 500 cervical cancer patients that showed ellagic acid caused G-arrest within 48 hours and apoptosis within 72 hours, for breast, pancreas, esophageal, skin, colon, and prostate cancers. Researchers speculate that this results when ellagic acid forms adduct (from Latin, "drawn toward") with DNA, thus masking binding sites to be occupied by the carcinogens.

Resveratrol causes apoptosis or cancer cell death. Resveratrol is a phytoalexin and is sold as a nutritional supplement. A number of beneficial health effects, such as anti-cancer, antiviral, neuroprotective, anti-aging, anti-inflammatory and life-prolonging effects have been reported, although these studies used animal subjects. Resveratrol is found in the skin of red grapes and as a constituent of red wine. David Sinclair of the Harvard

Medical School and cofounder of Sirtris Pharmaceuticals has found that resveratrol increases the activity of a protein called SIRT1. Resveratrol significantly increases the lifespan of yeast and mice. Resveratrol is produced by several plants, apparently due to its antifungal properties. It is found in widely varying amounts in grapes (primarily the skins), raspberries, mulberries, in peanuts, berries of Vaccinium species, including

blueberries, bilberries, and cranberries. In grapes, resveratrol is found primarily in the skin and seeds. This is particularly true for Muscatine grapes, whose skin and seeds have about 100 times the concentration as the pulp. Resveratrol interferes with all three stages of carcinogenesis - initiation, promotion and progression.

Experiments in cell cultures of varied types and isolated subcellular systems in vitro imply many mechanisms in the pharmacological activity of resveratrol, and it was reported effective against neuronal cell dysfunction and cell death and in theory could help against diseases such as Huntington's disease and Alzheimer's disease. Again, has not yet been tested in humans for any disease. Research at the Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine and Ohio State University indicates that resveratrol has direct inhibitory action on cardiac fibroblasts and may inhibit the progression of cardiac fibrosis. In some lineages of cancer cell culture, resveratrol has been shown to induce apoptosis, which means it kills cells and may kill cancer cells. Resveratrol is under extensive investigation as a cancer chemopreventive agent. The Chemoprevention Database reports six studies showing that small doses of dietary resveratrol can reduce colon carcinogenesis in rats and mice. This biochemical has also shown great promise in longevity studies and in improving athletic performance of all kinds.

Anthocyanins are antioxidants that protect DNA against cancer causing damage and promote apoptosis, as well as the ability to keep cancer cells from spreading. It is found in berries, grapes, black currants, acai, mangosteen, and goji. They also act as "sunscreens" protecting cells by absorbing blue green light, thereby protecting tissues from photoinhibition or high light stress. Some researchers maintain that the red coloration of leaves may camouflage leaves from herbivores. These properties continue even after consumption by other organisms. In December 2004 a study at Michigan State

University noted that anthocyanin could boost insulin production by up to 50%, and a 2007 study at the University of Pittsburgh showed that it killed human cancer cells while not affecting healthy cells, even with leukemia and lymphoma, within 18 hours. The biochemical mechanism is that the anthocyanins caused the normal cells to release peroxides which killed the cancer cells. Dr. Xiao Ming Yin, Associate professor of pathology at University of Pittsburg School of Medicine stated that "the hope is that black raspberries and other botanicals might provide doctors with less toxic alternatives to drug and radiation therapies."

Source:theseoultimes.com

SSRI Makers Use Media To Reel In Pregnant Women as Customers

2007-07-30T22:13:00.000-07:00

Big Pharma's regular use of the media as paid shills, masquerading as caring doctors while feeding the public misinformation about the risks of prescription drugs, is disturbing, to say the least. However, when the goal is to increase profits through the sale of drugs to pregnant women that are known to be harmful to the fetus, the media's participation is downright despicable.

Since June 27, 2007, nearly every major news outlet in the US has broadcast the story that two new studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine found a low risk of birth defects in babies born to women who took selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants (SSRI's) during pregnancy.

SSRI's include Paxil by GlaxoSmithKline; Zoloft marketed by Pfizer; Prozac by Eli Lilly; Celexa and Lexapro from Forest Laboratories; Luvox by Solvay, and generic SSRI makers Barr Pharmaceuticals, Ranbaxy Labs and Genpharm.

On June 27, 2007, the headline that appeared in countless news outlets that run articles from the Associated Press stated: "Antidepressants Not Risky for Defects."

ABC News reported on June 29, 2007, "Antidepressants Safer Than Believed During Pregnancy,"

"Antidepressants not linked to birth defects," stated the internet headline for News-Medical.net, on July 5, 2007.

These headlines outraged experts knowledgeable about the true risks of birth defects, but none drew more outrage than the headline in a press release put out by the US Centers for Disease Control the day before the story broke which stated: “New Study Finds Few Risks of Birth Defects from Antidepressant Use During Pregnancy.”

"The reassuring attitude promoted in the CDC's press release flew in the face of evidence linking SSRI exposure during pregnancy to increased birth defects, and the additional evidence of SSRI toxicity in the developing brain," says Dr Peter Breggin, author of The Antidepressant Fact Book and an expert on SSRIs.

"Women and their doctors who only catch the headlines created by these studies are being grossly misled," he advises. "SSRI's should never be used during pregnancy."

Dr Breggin notes that the CDC instructs pregnant women to speak to their doctors about the risks and benefits of taking SSRI's, but says, "doctors will have read the headlines inspired by the CDC and imagine there is little risk."

The paper, "Exposure to SSRI Antidepressants In Utero Causes Birth Defects, Neonatal Withdrawal Symptoms and Brain Damage," by Dr Breggin and Ginger Breggin, will be published in the upcoming issue of the Ethical Human Psychology and Psychiatry journal to refute the findings of the NEJM studies.

CDC Report and Media Coverage Misleading

The CDC claims the use of SSRI's during pregnancy is justified on the basis that depression has its own hazards. "But these hazards," Dr Breggin states, "pale in comparison to the upheaval that will befall new mothers, fathers and the extended families of the children who are born with profound birth defects."

In addition to disputing the claim that birth defects are rare, experts say the headlines are deceptive because: (1) the studies referred to were limited to women taking SSRI's in the first 3 months of pregnancy; (2) some birth defects develop later in pregnancy; (3) stopping the drugs at the end of 3 months, or at any time, can result in a serious withdrawal syndrome; (4) infants experience a withdrawal syndrome after birth, and (5) the headlines do not mention all the other adverse effects associated with SSRI's.

The headlines dilute the findings of the many studies that have shown serious withdrawal symptoms in newborns exposed to SSRI's, including high-pitched or weak crying, tremors, irritability, convulsions, poor muscle tone, abnormal sleep patterns, feeding difficulties, rapid breathing and respiratory distress, and increased admissions to intensive care units.

In discussing a 2004 study published in the Pediatrics journal, lead author Dr Philip Zeskind was quoted in the February 22, 2004, Sunday Telegraph as stating: "What we've found is that SSRI's disrupt the neurological systems of children, and that this is more than just a possibility, and we're talking about hundreds of thousands of babies being exposed to these drugs during pregnancy."

"These babies are bathed in serotonin," he said, "during a key period of their development and we really don't know what it's doing to them or what the long-term effects might be."

Experts say the headlines are also misleading because they infer that no birth defects were found in the studies when, in fact, the CDC study further confirmed associations between SSRI use and the occurrence of craniosynostosis and omphalocele, as well as certain types of heart defects.

The study also found anencephaly, babies born without a forebrain, to be 2.4 times greater in women taking an SSRI in the first trimester. "This is a catastrophic fatal birth defect that is not correctable," Dr Breggin points out. In babies born with anencephaly, much of the brain does not develop, and the babies are either stillborn or die shortly after birth, according to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

Babies born with omphalocele, an abnormality in which the infant's intestine or other abdominal organs protrude from the navel, were 2.8 times higher in women taking SSRI's.

The severity of this condition varies, but can be life-threatening and usually requires surgery as well as weeks to years of adapting.

Craniosynostosis, a condition in which connections among skull bones close prematurely, was 2.5 times more prevalent. "A 2.8 times greater occurrence of this condition," Dr Breggin explains, "will cause 2,305 more US babies to be born each year with this birth defect as a result of their mothers taking SSRI's in the first trimester of pregnancy."

In September 2005, Glaxo sent out a "Dear Doctor" regarding a label change based on a recent study wherein women who took an SSRI were more likely to have an infant with omphalocele, in addition to craniosynostosis.

The CDC study also found that babies exposed to Zoloft had twice the risk of having a heart defect and 3 times the risk with Paxil. In October 2006, the journal, Epidemiology, reported that babies born to women who took SSRI's during the second or third month of pregnancy had nearly 2 times the risk of having congenital malformations, with the most common being cardiovascular in 29%, muscle and bone malformations in 31% and 14% had digestive malformations.

According to SSRI expert, Dr Grace Jackson, "It was already known in the 1980's and 1990's that the administration of SSRI's to embryonic cultures of rats and mice leads to craniofacial and cardiac defects."

The NEJM studies also showed an increased risk of neural tube defects, which are birth defects of the brain and spinal cord, with the two most common being spina bifida and anencephaly.

With spina bifida, the fetal spinal column does not close completely during the first month of pregnancy, and there is usually nerve damage that causes at least some paralysis of the legs.

A recent study conducted by the Institute of Reproductive Toxicology at the University of Ulm, Germany, and the new NEJM article noted that some women who took SSRI's throughout pregnancy had infants born with a club foot, where the foot is turned in, stiff and cannot be brought to a normal position. According to the NEJM, women who took Paxil during pregnancy were at a 5.8% increase of having a child born with this defect.

The NEJM articles also suggest that there is an association between SSRI's and anal atresia, a malformation in which the normal perforation or opening for the anus is absent where the end of the intestinal tract has not perforated the skin in the perineal area.

Industry Influenced Media

The industry's control over the mainstream media, evidenced by the broadcast of the NEJM studies, did not happen overnight. It began in the late 1990's when drug companies were granted permission to advertise their products to the public.

Over the last decade, the drug companies have intentionally poured so much money into advertising that the overall operating budgets of the major media outlets and television networks are now highly dependent on the pharmaceutical industry.

In addition to advertising dollars, Big Pharma has mastered the art of using the media to promote the sale of drugs and downplay their risks. Stories featured as health care news, based on rigged studies carefully planted in medical journals are promoted through reports written by PR firms and sent out to all the major media outlets in press releases.

A 2005 report by the UK Parliament found that 75% of clinical trials published in the major journals, including The Lancet, New England Journal of Medicine and the Journal of the American Medical Association, were funded by the drug industry.

Experts say medical professionals can no longer rely on what they read. "The sources of knowledge that doctors have been trained to trust have been taken over by the medical marketing community," says Dr John Abramson, author of the book Overdosed America.

Each year, the Prescription Access Litigation Project announces the "Bitter Pill Awards" to expose Big Pharma's efforts to manipulate consumers through the media. For the year 2004, the group granted, "The Cure for the Human Condition Award," to Paxil maker Glaxo, "For Hawking Pills to Treat the Trials of Everyday Life."

In support of the award, PAL cited an FDA warning letter sent to Glaxo about false advertising in a Paxil TV ad, saying it wrongfully “suggests that anyone experiencing anxiety, fear, or self-consciousness in social or work situations is an appropriate candidate for Paxil CR,” when these are simply not approved uses of the drug, PAL noted.

For 2007, the Bitter Pill Award could to go to CNN for granting the most airtime to industry-paid front men to downplay the risk of birth defects, with special thanks to Dr Sanjay Gupta.

After hearing Dr Gupta say the use of SSRI's was ok for nursing mothers on CNN on June 12, 2007, without discussing any of the risks of drugs, Larry Bone, an avid advocate for protecting the unborn child from the birth defects linked to SSRI's, wrote this author to state that the use of the TV news segments in recent weeks to promote the sale of these drugs to pregnant women and nursing mothers was "horrifying" and must be stopped.

"The public has a right to be honestly informed about the dangers of SSRI's," he wrote, "and the media has an ethical responsibility to see that pregnant women and nursing mothers are adequately informed about the dangers of these drugs."

"At the very least," he says, "media companies should carry disclaimers at the end of such news segment stating that SSRI's all carry warnings on their labels that the public should read."

The Reported Risks

Experts say it's a crapshoot prescribing these drugs to nursing mothers. "No one yet knows what effects SSRI's may have on nursing infants," Dr Jackson warns, "because no one has studied the long term consequences of administering SSRI's to infants via breast milk."

Furthermore, she adds, no one understands how the in utero exposure to SSRI's changes the wiring of the newborn's brain and, "it has never been proven that there is no effect of giving infants these drugs during the first months or years of post-uterine existence."

Researchers from Columbia University published a study in the October 2004 journal Science, suggesting that exposure to Prozac in the womb and in early childhood may permanently alter the brain's circuitry and disrupt neural development, leading to serious emotional disorders later in life.

The warnings that Mr Bone says viewers should be instructed to read are many. On December 8, 2005, the FDA issued a Public Health Advisory and a press release to announce that the agency was asking Glaxo to change the pregnancy category from C to D, a stronger warning which means, "studies in pregnant women (controlled or observational) have demonstrated a risk to the fetus."

The Advisory said that the FDA "has determined that exposure to paroxetine in the first trimester of pregnancy may increase the risk for congenital malformations, particularly cardiac malformations."

The FDA also said that physicians who are caring for women receiving Paxil should alert them to the potential risk to the fetus if they plan to become pregnant or are currently in their first trimester of pregnancy.

On July 19, 2006, the FDA issued another Advisory after a study lead by Dr Christina Chambers in the February 9, 2006, New England Journal of Medicine, reported a 6-fold increased risk of the life-threatening lung disorder, persistent pulmonary hypertension, in babies born to mothers taking SSRI's and said, "the FDA has asked the sponsors of all SSRI's to change prescribing information to describe the potential risk for PPHN."

According to the FDA Advisory: "Babies born with PPHN have abnormal blood flow through the heart and lungs and do not get enough oxygen to their bodies. Babies with PPHN can be very sick and may die."

The risk of PPHN was first found by Dr Chambers in a 1996 study where the researchers found 2 cases of PPHN, an unexpected finding since there were relatively few women in the study and both women had taken Prozac late in their pregnancies.

Warnings about the adverse effects of SSRI's in the patient information sheet on the FDA's web site as of July 13, 2007, states: "babies delivered to mothers taking Paxil late in pregnancy have developed problems, such as difficulty breathing and feeding."

"Babies delivered to mothers taking Paxil early in pregnancy are sometimes born with heart problems," it states.

The Web Site Also Warns:

"Persons taking Paxil may be more likely to think about killing themselves or actually try to do so, especially when Paxil is first started or the dose is changed."

"Paxil may cause bleeding problems," the FDA warns, "especially if taken with aspirin, NSAID's (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen or naproxen) or other drugs that affect bleeding."

The information sheet also advises that Paxil patients, "may become hyperactive, excitable or elated," and, "have problems with impotence (erectile dysfunction), abnormal ejaculation, difficulty reaching orgasm, or decreased libido (sexual desire)."

Other side effects currently listed include weakness, dry mouth, constipation, yawning, infection, diarrhea, sweating, dizziness, tremor, nervousness, nausea, difficulty sleeping, decreased appetite and sleepiness.

According to Mr Bone, CNN is not the only guilty provider of misleading information about SSRI's. "Major broadcasting companies like CBS, FOX, ABC and NBC," he says, "are no longer worthy of trust when they shamelessly promote a class psychotropic drugs that threaten the public safety."

"Such promotion," he states, "constitutes a flagrant breach of basic television broadcasting ethics and fairness standards each and every time."

Mr Bone also says that the media should acknowledge whether the doctors featured in these segments have received grants or gratuity payments from SSRI's makers.

Risks Versus Benefits

Finally, experts point out that the headlines fail to disclose that SSRI's are ineffective. Clinical psychologist Dr Bruce Levine, author of a new book due out this fall entitled, "Surviving America's Depression Epidemic: How to Find Morale, Energy, and Community in a World Gone Crazy," says, "legitimate science shows that these antidepressants are no more helpful for depression than a placebo or no treatment at all."

"Even the dice-loaded drug company studies show that antidepressants are, in a scientific sense, a failure," he notes.

"For example," Dr Levine points out, "in 2002 the journal Prevention & Treatment analyzed 47 studies that had been sponsored by drug companies on Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, Effexor, Celexa, and Serzone, and it reported that in the majority of the trials, the antidepressant failed to outperform a sugar pill placebo."

Another of the world's leading authorities on SSRI's, Dr David Healy, also says that the effectiveness of SSRI's has been exaggerated, and the actual data reveals that only one in 10 patients on SSRI's can be shown to respond specifically to the drug rather than a nonspecific factor or a placebo.

Dr Healy is the author of numerous books on psychiatric drugs including, "The Antidepressant Era" and "The Creation of Psychopharmacology."

He says that, in prescribing SSRI's to pregnant women, he is concerned about "the benefit-harm trade-off," because "without any benefits, the child runs all the risks including the neonatal withdrawal syndrome and birth defects."

Dr Healy points out that the CDC study focuses on linking particular specific defects to particular drugs, and once you do this, "you end up with very small numbers in each group and not a lot of significant findings," he says.

Source:www.yubanet.com

Cause of cardiac fibrosis is studied

2007-07-30T22:11:00.000-07:00

U.S. scientists studying cardiac fibrosis -- a stiffing of the heart muscle that can lead to heart failure -- have identified a possible treatment.

The animal study, led by the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, demonstrates a bone morphogenic molecule known as rhBMP7 can reverse the cardiac fibrosis process, offering the possibility of a therapeutic target for the debilitating condition.

"Heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death in the Western world," the study's lead author Dr. Elisabeth Zeisberg said. "And most people who suffer from heart disease have developed scarring of the heart tissue, known as fibrosis."

Fibrosis develops when excessive production of matrix proteins, such as collagen, results in pathological scarring. In the heart, the buildup of matrix leaves the organ stiff and inflexible, unable to properly relax and function.

"Fibrosis can develop in any organ in the body," Zeisberg said. "While it's known that fibroblast cells are responsible for cardiac fibrosis, the source of these fibroblasts has remained unknown until now."

The study, funded in part by the National Institutes of Health and the Novartis Corp., appears in the advance online edition of the journal Nature Medicine.

Source:www.sciencedaily.com

A unique new book takes a holistic approach to skincare. Read on for your chance to win one of five copies.

2007-07-30T08:49:00.000-07:00

Angela Egan has had a fascination for skincare since childhood, using fresh produce from the garden to create face and hair packs to pamper herself and her sisters. Now, she’s put her expertise to good use with the hot new book Holistic Skincare: An Essential Guide for Therapists, out now.

Although the book is aimed mainly at therapists, it will have a wider appeal to those want to find out more about nutrition, exercise, stress and how these factors affect the condition of the skin.

With chapters on subjects like exercise, nutrition, stress, acupressure and Ayurveda, there is also helpful advice on how to successfully retail homecare products. Lastly, it contains a chapter on the principles of visual merchandising, or effective retail presentation – a specialist subject that delivers spectacular results in the salon or spa.

This instant classic incorporates some amazing photography, complemented by powerful & inspirational quotes.

Nicky Bancroft, a director of Positive Pressure, described the book as "Completely inspiring, and simple to dip in and out of. It is wonderful to see our industry being celebrated for the positive contribution we make to the lives of our clients and I love the inspirational quotes. Just beautiful."

Source:www.keepthedoctoraway.co.uk

Sanofi obesity pill Acomplia not be used in patients on antidepressants or with depression

2007-07-30T08:48:00.000-07:00

The European Medicines Agency (EMEA) recommended contraindicating Acomplia (rimonabant) from sanofi-aventis, in patients with ongoing major depression or who are being treated with antidepressants, because of the risk of psychiatric side effects.

Doctors in the EU have already been warned about this since June 2006 but the Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has now recommended upgrading this warning.

Acomplia has been authorised in the EU since June 2006 as an adjunct to diet and exercise for the treatment of obese or overweight adult patients. Psychiatric side effects, in particular depression, were identified as the main safety issue at the time of approval. They were reflected in the medicine’s product information as a warning that doctors should not prescribe Acomplia in patients with uncontrolled serious psychiatric conditions such as major depression.

As part of its continuous monitoring of the safety of medicines, the CHMP requested sanofi-aventis in June 2007 to submit all available information on the psychiatric side effects of Acomplia. Finalising the assessment of the available data at its 16-19 July 2007 meeting, the CHMP concluded that the benefits of Acomplia continue to outweigh its risks, except in patients with ongoing major depression or taking antidepressants.

The CHMP also recommended adding a warning that treatment with Acomplia should be stopped if a patient develops depression, as well as the inclusion of additional information on the psychiatric safety of Acomplia.

Doctors will be sent a letter to inform them about the updated prescribing information. Patients and their carers should be aware of the risk of depression in patients taking Acomplia.

Source:www.spiritindia.com

Obese girls less likely to attend college

2007-07-30T08:45:00.000-07:00

Obese girls are half as likely to attend college as non-obese girls, according to a new study from The University of Texas at Austin.

The study also shows obese girls are even less likely to enter college if they attend a high school where obesity is relatively uncommon. The findings appear in the July issue of the journal Sociology of Education.

The study tracked nearly 11,000 American adolescents, using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health.

"Obesity has been identified as a serious public health issue, but these results indicate the harmful effects extend far beyond physical health," said Robert Crosnoe, author of the study and a sociologist at the university.

Crosnoe suggests a number of mental health and behavioral issues seem to play a significant role in keeping obese girls from enrolling in college. The study found obese girls were more likely to consider committing suicide, use alcohol and marijuana and have negative self-images.

The disconnect between obesity and college enrollment was more pronounced among non-whites and among girls whose parents did not graduate from college. Obese boys did not differ from their non-obese peers in college enrollment.

"That girls are far more vulnerable to the non-health risks of obesity reinforces the notion that body image is more important to girls' self-concept and that social norms have greater effects on the education of girls than boys," Crosnoe noted.

Source:www.spiritindia.com

Family, friends influence developing obesity

2007-07-30T08:43:00.002-07:00

People wondering about excessive weight gain might look to their relationships with family and friends for one clue, suggests new research reported July 26, 2007, in The New England Journal of Medicine.

The study showed that obesity spreads within social networks and that the closer the social connection--even if people live in different households many miles apart--the greater the influence on developing obesity.

The study, funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is the first to provide a detailed picture of the social networks involved in obesity and could prove useful in developing both clinical and public health interventions for obesity.

The analysis was conducted by Nicholas Christakis, M.D., Ph.D., of Harvard Medical School, and James Fowler, Ph.D., of the University of California, San Diego, using data from the Framingham Heart Study. The Framingham Heart Study is supported by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, another NIH component.

“Nearly one in three American adults--66 million men and women--are obese, which puts them at risk for a number of serious health problems, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke. With the sharply rising rates of obesity in this country, we need to learn as much as we can about contributing factors. This study describes social network influences that might be an important part of that equation,” says NIA Director Richard J. Hodes, M.D.

A sedentary lifestyle and increased consumption of high-calorie foods are critical factors in the steep rise in the prevalence of obesity, the researchers note. But they suggest that a hierarchy of influence exists among family and friends on developing obesity, in which the attitudes, behaviors, and acceptance of obesity also might play an important role.

To explore whether obesity spreads from person to person within social networks, the research team gleaned weight, height and other data from the records of 5,124 Framingham Heart Study participants at up to seven time points between 1971 and 2003. In addition, they analyzed similar information from the Framingham records of these key participants’ parents, spouses, siblings, children and close friends. Together, these individuals formed a large, intertwined social web totaling 12,067 people. The average age of key participants at the inception of the study was 38 years, with a range of 21 to 70 years.

“We were able to reconstruct a large network of individuals who had been repeatedly weighed over time as part of the Framingham Heart Study, and we could see that as one person gained weight, those around him or her gained weight,” says Christakis. “We didn’t find that people who were overweight simply flocked together. Rather, we found what seemed to be a spread of obesity and that the likelihood of a person becoming obese depended on the nature of the relationship.”

“The rising rate of obesity thr eatens to reverse the decline in disability in the older population, with major implications for the health care system,” says Richard Suzman, Ph.D., director of the NIA’s Behavioral and Social Research Program. “This seminal study breaks important new ground in showing how social networks may amplify other factors and help account for the dramatic increase in obesity across the population.”

Findings include:

A key participant’s chances of becoming obese increased by 57 percent if he or she had a close friend who became obese. In same-sex friendships, a close friend becoming obese increased a key participant’s chance of becoming obese by 71 percent. However, no such association was found in opposite-sex friendships.

The perception of friendship also was an important factor. When two people identified each other as close friends, the key participant’s risk of becoming obese increased by 171 percent if his or her friend became obese. In contrast, a key participant was not likely to become obese if someone claimed a close friendship with him or her but the key participant did not report the friendship.

Among pairs of siblings, one’s becoming obese increased the other’s chance of becoming obese by 40 percent. This finding was more marked among same-sex siblings than opposite-sex siblings.

In married couples, one spouse’s becoming obese increased the likelihood of the other spouse becoming obese by 37 percent. Husbands and wives appeared to affect each other equally.

Obesity spread across social ties, despite geographic distance from one person to another. Further, social distance--the degree of social separation between two people in the network--appeared to make more of a difference than geographic distance in the spread of behaviors and norms associated with obesity. An immediate neighbor’s becoming obese did not affect a person’s risk of becoming obese.

Smoking behavior was not associated with the spread of obesity from person to person.

“We identified distinct clusters of obese people within social networks, and the clusters spread about three people deep,” Christakis says. “People who were only one degree removed from each other socially, such as siblings or close friends, influenced one another twice as much as people who were two degrees removed from each other.”

Source:www.spiritindia.com

Bariatric surgery patients have fewer complications at high-volume hospitals

2007-07-30T08:43:00.001-07:00

Bariatric surgery patients had 64 percent fewer complications and a 26 percent shorter hospital stay if they went to a five-star rated hospital compared with a one-star rated hospital, according to a new study released today by HealthGrades, the healthcare ratings company.

The study of bariatric surgery outcomes at hospitals in 19 states over the years 2003 to 2005 also found that five-star rated hospitals – those with better-than-average patient outcomes -- performed about twice the number of procedures compared with hospitals that rated poorly.

A clear trend away from traditional, more invasive gastric bypass to a less invasive laparoscopic procedure was also found in the study, according to the second annual HealthGrades Bariatric Surgery Trends in American Hospitals. Over 70 percent of the surgeries done in 2005 were laparoscopic, which are associated with fewer inhospital complications than traditional gastric bypass.

“Bariatric surgery has been demonstrated to be highly effective for those with morbid obesity, but the relatively new procedures are not yet regulated or a credentialed surgical subspecialty,” said Samantha Collier, MD., HealthGrades’ chief medical officer. “So it is important that patients considering surgery know how hospitals rate.”

The HealthGrades study analyzed 166,410 bariatric surgery procedures in the years 2003, 2004 and 2005 in the 19 states that collect and release all-payer outcomes data. Those states are: Arizona, California, Florida, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.

HealthGrades’ quality ratings for bariatric surgery at individual hospitals in these 19 states were posted today to www.HealthGrades.com as a free resource for consumers. Each hospital receives a star rating based on their patient outcomes for bariatric surgery. Hospitals with above-average outcomes receive a five-star rating. Hospitals with average outcomes receive a three-star rating, and hospitals with outcomes that are below average receive a one-star rating.

The second annual HealthGrades Bariatric Surgery Trends in American Hospitals Study found that:

* Hospitals rated with five stars by HealthGrades performed, on average, almost twice the number of procedures during the three years studied compared with those rated with one star – 533 procedures compared with 293 for one-star hospitals.

* Patients at one-star rated hospitals had, on average, a 16.07% chance of experiencing an in-hospital complication; patients at a five-star rated hospital had, on average, a 5.60% percent chance.

* A typical patient at a five-star rated hospital had, a 64 percent lower chance of developing one or more major inhospital complications compare to a one-star hospital, and a 41 percent lower chance compared to all hospitals studied.

* The most common major complications include respiratory, bleeding, gastrointestinal and laceration complications.

* The average length of stay was 26 percent shorter in five-star hospitals as compared to one-star rated hospitals.

* Among the 19 states studies, almost half of all the procedures were performed in just four states – New York, Pennsylvania, Texas and Florida

Last year, a study published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality found that four of every ten patients undergoing bariatric surgery develop complications within six months.

Methodology

For this study, HealthGrades analyzed 166,410 bariatric procedures performed in the years 2003, 2004 and 2005. To make accurate and valid comparisons of clinical outcomes at different hospitals with different patient characteristics, HealthGrades risk adjusted the data using multivariate logistic regression-based ratings to account for age, gender and underlying medical conditions that could increase the patient’s risk of mortality or complication.

Source:www.spiritindia.com

BioMed Central Now Publishes Journal Of The International Society Of Sports Nutrition

2007-07-30T08:40:00.000-07:00

BioMed Central, the world's largest publisher of open access journals, is pleased to announce that the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (JISSN) is moving to BioMed Central's open access publishing platform. The move allows the society to provide timely information on the rapidly expanding category of sports nutrition and ergogenic aids to its members more quickly, and publish peer-reviewed articles as soon as they are available, free from the constraints of print publication cycles.

"We chose BioMed Central because online, open access publishing makes our research available to the widest possible audience, as soon as research is available, and because research is automatically saved in open access repositories the minute it is posted on our journal site," said Richard Kreider, Editor-in-Chief of JISSN. "It is very important that sports nutritionists and other fitness professionals provide evidence-based information on nutrition and supplements. Clearly, the JISSN will help accomplish this."

The International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) is the only nonprofit academic society dedicated to sports nutrition and growing the science of applied nutrition. JISSN, the society's official journal, publishes a range of article types related to the role of exercise and nutrition on health, disease, rehabilitation, training and performance. The society journal provides a platform for peer reviewed research, editorial commentary and time-sensitive nutrition information and allows readers to determine nutritional strategies that may enhance exercise and training adaptations leading to improved health and performance.

"We are very pleased that JISSN has selected BioMed Central to publish its open access journal," said Matthew Cockerill, publisher of BioMed Central. "ISSN society members and others publishing in the journal will benefit from rapid publication thanks to BioMed Central's streamlined manuscript submission tools and online peer review system. Indexing and archiving of articles in major databases and repositories will ensure maximum visibility. The open access research and commentaries published in JISSN will be highly relevant to all researchers and practitioners working in the field of sports nutrition."

JISSN is part of a growing stable of society journals now published by BioMed Central. Most recently, Asia Pacific Family Medicine moved its publishing activities to BioMed Central. Others include Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica, the official journal of the Veterinary Associations of the Nordic Countries, and Geochemical Transactions, the official journal of the Geochemistry Division of the American Chemical Society.

Source:www.medicalnewstoday.com

University unveils centre for institute of obesity, nutrition, exercise and public health

2007-07-30T08:38:00.000-07:00

The University of Sydney today announced the formation of a new high level research centre which will tackle the obesity epidemic with an unprecedented expert collaborative group based in Sydney.

The Institute of Obesity, Nutrition & Exercise will draw together some of Australia's leading researchers, scientists and academics in four key divisions; Obesity, Nutrition, Exercise, and Public Health, Epidemiology and Policy.

The Institute will take a leading role in the battle to control the global obesity epidemic and lifestyle-related chronic diseases by providing a focus for advancing basic and clinical research, public health and policy development.

Director of the Institute of Obesity, Nutrition & Exercise, Professor Ian Caterson said, "I am proud to announce the establishment by the University of Sydney of what we expect will become an internationally recognised centre of excellence dealing with some of the most pressing health issues of our time.

"We know that the prevalence of obesity is increasing at an alarming rate particularly in children and adolescents. With this increased prevalence comes increased metabolic disease and an enormous burden on our health systems. Almost one in five Australian adults is estimated to be obese and almost two-thirds of men and half of the adult female population are classified as overweight.

"Despite these alarming statistics, obesity is poorly understood and more coordinated research is needed to understand its genetic basis and the role of environment, diet and physical inactivity. This knowledge will be the basis for developing effective prevention and management strategies. By combining experts in each of the key interlocking areas identified, the Institute will be uniquely placed to meet these challenges," Prof Caterson said.

The Institute will be based within the existing Medical Foundation Building of the University of Sydney campus at 92-94 Parramatta Road, Camperdown. In addition the Institute will occupy an adjacent building which will be extensively renovated delivering state of the art facilities within three to five years. The University hopes to attract financial partners to contribute to the development of the infrastructure.

Federal Minister for Health and Ageing, Tony Abbott, welcomed the University's initiative at a launch ceremony in Sydney. "There is no doubt that we need to expand our research knowledge and understanding in these critical health areas. I am confident the Institute will play a valuable role in prevention and management of obesity and other lifestyle-related chronic disease," Mr Abbott said.

Prof Caterson said the Institute of Obesity, Nutrition & Exercise is a result of the foresight, contribution and generosity of Dr Alexander Boden, AO - a graduate of the University of Sydney, scientist and philanthropist.

"Dr Boden's endowment in 1976, established the Boden Chair of Human Nutrition at the University of Sydney, the first of its kind. Dr Boden's vision was to apply a scientific methodology to research in human nutrition, and especially confront the problem of over nutrition in developed countries," Prof Caterson said.

Source:

Article; Opinion of the Scientific Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies

2007-07-30T08:37:00.001-07:00

The European Commission has requested the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to issue an opinion on scientific and technical guidance for the applications for authorisations of health claims under Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 on nutrition and health claims made on foods.
The Scientific Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies has prepared a draft Opinion which was published for public consultation. After considering all comments received, the Panel has adopted this Opinion.

This guidance applies to health claims related to the consumption of a food category, a food, or its constituents (including a nutrient or other substance, or a combination of nutrients/other substances); hereafter referred to as food/constituent.
The purpose of this guidance is to assist applicants in preparing and presenting their applications for authorisation of health claims which fall under Article 14 of the Regulation, i.e. reduction of disease risk claims and claims referring to children’s development and health. This guidance will be updated at a later stage to cover applications for authorisation of the health claims which fall under Article 18 of the Regulation, i.e. applications for inclusion of health claims in the Community list of permitted claims provided for in Article 13(3) which are based on newly developed scientific evidence and/or which include a request for the protection of proprietary data. It is intended that the guidance will be kept under review and will be amended and updated as appropriate in the light of experience gained from evaluation of health claim applications.

The guidance presents a common format to assist the applicant in the preparation of a well-structured application. This will also help EFSA to deliver its scientific advice in an effective and consistent way.

In accordance with the requirements of the Regulation, the application must contain:

(a) information on the characteristics of the food/constituent for which a health claim is made. Where applicable, this information should contain aspects considered pertinent to the claim, such as the composition, physical and chemical characteristics, manufacturing process, stability, and bioavailability.

(b) a proposal for the wording of the health claim, including, as appropriate, the specific conditions of use. The following should be specified, with a rationale: the target population for the intended health claim; where appropriate, a statement addressed to persons who should avoid using the food/constituent for which the health claim is made; the quantity of the food/constituent and pattern of consumption required to obtain the claimed effect, and whether this quantity could reasonably be consumed as part of a balanced diet; a warning for a food/constituent that is likely to present a health risk if consumed to excess; any other restrictions of use; directions for preparation and/or use.

The application must also contain all pertinent scientific data (published and unpublished, data in favour and not in favour) identified that form the basis for substantiation of the health claim. Data from studies in humans addressing the relationship between the consumption of the food/constituent and the claimed effect will be required for substantiation of a health claim; because of the scientific uncertainties in extrapolating non-human data to humans, data from studies in animals or model systems may be included only as supporting evidence, e.g. to explain the mechanism underlying the claimed effect of the food/constituent.

A comprehensive review of the data from human studies addressing the specific relationship between the food/constituent and the claimed effect is required. This review, and the identification of data considered pertinent to the claim, should be performed in a systematic and transparent manner in order to demonstrate that the application reflects adequately the balance of all the evidence available.

In cases where any of the required data does not apply for a particular application, reasons/justification must be given for the absence of such data in the application.
Guidance is provided for the presentation of summaries of the data from intervention studies and non-interventional studies in humans according to a hierarchy of study designs, reflecting the relative strength of evidence that may be obtained from different types of studies. Instructions are provided for presenting summaries of data from individual studies in humans so as to highlight the relevant aspects related to the design, results and quality of the studies.

As specified in the Regulation, health claims should be substantiated by taking into account the totality of the available scientific data and by weighing the evidence, subject to the specific conditions of use. In particular, the evidence should demonstrate the extent to which:

(a) the claimed effect of the food/constituent is relevant for human health,

(b) a cause and effect relationship is established between the consumption of the food/constituent and the claimed effect in humans (such as: the strength, consistency, specificity, dose-response, and biological plausibility of the relationship),

(c) the quantity of the food/constituent and pattern of consumption required to obtain the claimed effect could reasonably be achieved as part of a balanced diet,

(d) the specific study group(s) in which the evidence was obtained is representative of the target population for which the claim is intended.

Source:www.newsfood.com

House Passes Farm Bill, Expanding Food Stamps

2007-07-30T08:34:00.001-07:00

House Democrats voted on Friday to approve a farm bill that would continue generous farmers’ subsidies at a time of record crop prices, ignoring a veto threat and yowls of protest by Republicans over a tax provision that they said spoiled bipartisan support for the bill.

The bill passed, 231 to 191, with 19 Republicans joining 212 Democrats in favor, after a morning of rancorous debate and some hooting and howling that focused not on agriculture policy but on the tax provision inserted to pay for a $4 billion increase in food stamps.

The relatively swift passage of the bill, which is projected to cost about $286 billion over five years, was a victory for Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who untangled a thicket of competing interests. Ms. Pelosi faced accusations from fellow Democrats that she abandoned her demands to reform the subsidies in favor of protecting potentially vulnerable freshman Democrats from rural districts.

Ms. Pelosi hailed the bill as historic for ending subsidy payments to farmers earning more than $1 million a year, creating support for fruit and vegetable growers and increasing money for nutrition, land conservation and other programs like researching alternative fuels like cellulose-based ethanol.

“Future farm bills will never look the same as those of the past,” she said on the House floor.

Democratic leaders scrambled down to the wire to shore up support as they braced for opposition to the tax provision. In last-minute amendments, the Democrats added more money for nutrition, including $840 million for an international food aid program sought by Representative Jim McGovern, Democrat of Massachusetts.

The Democrats added $100 million to settle claims of racial discrimination by black farmers against the Agriculture Department, a move applauded by Representative Maxine Waters, Democrat of California, and other members of the Congressional Black Caucus.

The House vote sets the stage for complicated negotiations when the Senate takes up its version of the farm bill in the fall.

In addition to the veto threat by the White House, which is demanding that Congress lower the farmer’s income-eligibility ceiling, the World Trade Organization is expected to rule on complaints by countries like Brazil and Canada that the subsidies violate free trade agreements.

In an interim report this week, the W.T.O. ruled that the United States had failed to change cotton subsidies, allowed under the previous farm bill, enough to conform to global trade rules.

Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns repeated on Friday the administration’s displeasure with the current farm bill, especially the tax provision.

“There’s no need to raise taxes to deliver a good farm bill,” Mr. Johanns said, adding that the administration had also proposed far more extensive reforms for subsidies.

“The House bill falls well short of those proposals,” he said. “I urge the Senate to chart a different course.”

Senator Tom Harkin, Democrat of Iowa and chairman of the Agriculture Committee, hinted of the challenges ahead in a statement giving lukewarm praise to the House bill and some criticism.

“There are a lot of good features in the House bill, and, of course, there are others I believe the Senate will improve upon,” Mr. Harkin said. “Most notably, the House bill did serious damage to conservation.”

In the House, much of the oratory focused not on farm policy but on the tax provision, which many Republicans said infuriated them and caused them to drop their support for the bill. It would impose taxes on some foreign corporations operating in the United States that do not now pay taxes on some earnings as a result of international treaties.

Democrats said the provision merely closed a loophole exploited by foreign companies to evade taxes.

Representative Charles B. Rangel, Democrat of New York and chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, ridiculed Republicans in comments on the floor. Mr. Rangel said they knew full well that tax policy would be changed to pay for the farm bill when the Agriculture Committee went to him for help.

“You didn’t go to the chairman of the Transportation Committee,” Mr. Rangel said. “You didn’t go to the chairman of the Appropriations Committee. You went to the chairman of the tax-writing committee.”

“I can understand how philosophically you don’t like to talk about taxes,” Mr. Rangel told the Republicans, but he said it was up to them to reconcile their positions opposing the tax measure but supporting the farm bill.

“You explain it,” he said as his fellow Democrats hooted approval. “We don’t have to.”

Moments later, it was Republicans who laughed derisively when the chairman of the Agriculture Committee, Representative Collin C. Peterson, Democrat of Minnesota, said: “This is not a tax increase. This is doing what’s right in this country.”

More substantive debate occurred on Thursday, when the House defeated, 309 to 117, an amendment proposed by Representative Ron Kind, Democrat of Wisconsin, the leading critic of the subsidies.

Mr. Kind’s proposal would have overhauled the farm bill by ending payments to farmers earning more than $250,000 a year, limiting payments farmers can receive under guaranteed loan programs, expanding conservation programs and replacing many subsidies with crop insurance and other protection that pays only if farmers lose money.

In an interview, Mr. Kind said he was disappointed but not surprised that his measure was defeated. He noted the difficulty of changing the status quo in Congress, particularly against a skillful and entrenched lobby like agriculture. “These entrenched special interests, they are good,” he said “They know how to peel people off with this or that.”

Those interests extend far beyond agriculture, however, reflecting the scope of the bill, which includes more money for food stamps, more than $30 billion a year, than for farmers.

The new initiatives, including more money for research on alternative fuels, were not the only nod to technology. Acknowledging that most people who receive food stamps no longer use paper coupons but electronic transfers, the bill renames the food stamp program as the Secure Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Among the handful of Republicans voting for the bill was Representative Adrian Smith of Nebraska, whose district led the nation by receiving more than $1.7 billion in subsidies from 2003 to 2005.

“I was pleased at the willingness of all members on the House Agriculture Committee to work together to accomplish multiple goals while still preserving a workable farm safety net,” Mr. Smith said in a statement. “I look forward to this bill’s progress through the Senate and conference committee and to seeing the overly partisan aspects of this bill removed.”

Source:www.heraldtribune.com