(HealthDay News) -- More than half of teens who use the social networking site MySpace have posted information about sexual behavior, substance abuse or violence, new research shows.
The good news, according to a second study from the same research group, is that a simple intervention -- in this case, an-e-mail from a physician -- made some of the teens change their risky behaviors.
"I was surprised, at least to some extent, at how clearly teens were discussing behaviors that we struggle to get out of them," said Dr. Megan Moreno, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
"Once we started getting the findings, we wondered, why are they doing this?" Moreno said. "Do they not get it? And, if they don't understand that this is public, can we send them a cautionary message to let them know just how public their information really is?" Moreno was working at the University of Washington and Seattle Children's Research Institute at the time the studies were done.
"We need to devise ways to teach teens and their parents to use the Internet responsibly," study senior author Dr. Dimitri Christakis, director of the Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development at Seattle Children's Research Institute, said in a statement.
Results from the two studies appear in the January issue of the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine.
More than 90 percent of teens in the United States have access to the Internet, according to background information from the studies. About half of all teens who use the Internet also use social networking sites, such as MySpace and Facebook. MySpace boasts more than 200 million profiles, according to the studies, and about one-quarter of those belong to teens under 18.
Moreno and her colleagues randomly selected 500 MySpace profiles from people who reported their age as 18. They collected the information during the summer of 2007.
They found that 54 percent of the profiles contained information on risky behaviors, with 24 percent referencing sexual behaviors, 41 percent referring to substance abuse and 14 percent posting violent information.
Factors associated with a decreased risk of posting risky behaviors included displaying religious involvement or involvement with sports or hobbies.
For the second study, the researchers randomly selected 190 profiles of people between 18 and 20 who displayed risky behaviors, such as sexual information. Half were sent an e-mail from a physician that pointed out that the physician had noticed risky behavior on their profile and suggested changing the displayed information. The e-mail message also provided information on where to be tested for sexually transmitted diseases.
Almost 14 percent of those who got the e-mail deleted references to sexual behavior, compared with 5 percent of the others.
"This was a creative and unique way to reach kids," said Kimberly Mitchell, the author of an accompanying editorial in the same issue of the journal and a research professor at the Crimes Against Children Research Center at the University of New Hampshire in Durham.
Mitchell advised parents not to try to forbid their children from using these sites altogether. "It's important for parents to understand how important these social networking sites are to kids," she said. "They're here to stay, and they're not all evil. There can be some really positive aspects to these sites. But adolescents aren't necessarily thinking 10 years ahead, when employers or college administrators may look at these sites. Teens live in the here and now, so parents need to talk to kids about the longer-term impacts and help them think through some of the repercussions."
Moreno suggested that parents ask teens to show them their MySpace or Facebook pages. "Teens will definitely balk, but they balk at lots of things, like curfews," she said. "Some parents feel it's a violation of privacy, like reading a diary, but it's out there, it's public."
Parents should use this information as a conversation starter, Moreno suggested.
More information
The government has more advice on staying safe on social networking sites.
Showing posts with label Safety. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Safety. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Cheerleading Causes Majority of Female Athlete Injuries
(HealthDay News) -- Over the past 25 years, cheerleading accounted for two-thirds of all catastrophic sports injuries experienced by high school and college females in the United States, a much higher proportion than previously thought, a new report says.
Cheerleading accounted for 65.1 percent of female high school athlete injuries and for 66.7 percent of female college athlete injuries.
It was previously believed that cheerleading accounted for 55 percent of injuries among high school females and 59.4 percent of injuries among college females. But the percentages increased when new data was used for this year's report from the National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research, based at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Center director Frederick O. Mueller, a professor of exercise and sports science who's authored the annual report since it began in 1982, said catastrophic injuries to female athletes have increased over the years.
"A major factor has been the change in cheerleading activity, which now involves gymnastic-type stunts. If these cheerleading activities are not taught by a competent coach and keep increasing in difficulty, catastrophic injuries will continue to be a part of cheerleading," Mueller said in a university news release.
Between 1982 and 2007, there were 103 fatal, disabling or serious injuries recorded among female high school athletes. The vast majority of those (67) occurred in cheerleading, followed by nine in gymnastics and seven in track. During that same period, there were 39 such injuries among female college athletes, including 26 in cheerleading, three in field hockey and two each in lacrosse and gymnastics.
Last year, there were two catastrophic injuries among female high school cheerleaders, compared to 10 the previous year. Among college cheerleaders, there were three catastrophic injuries in 2007 and only one in 2006.
More information
The Nemours Foundation has more about sports and exercise safety for teens.
Cheerleading accounted for 65.1 percent of female high school athlete injuries and for 66.7 percent of female college athlete injuries.
It was previously believed that cheerleading accounted for 55 percent of injuries among high school females and 59.4 percent of injuries among college females. But the percentages increased when new data was used for this year's report from the National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research, based at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Center director Frederick O. Mueller, a professor of exercise and sports science who's authored the annual report since it began in 1982, said catastrophic injuries to female athletes have increased over the years.
"A major factor has been the change in cheerleading activity, which now involves gymnastic-type stunts. If these cheerleading activities are not taught by a competent coach and keep increasing in difficulty, catastrophic injuries will continue to be a part of cheerleading," Mueller said in a university news release.
Between 1982 and 2007, there were 103 fatal, disabling or serious injuries recorded among female high school athletes. The vast majority of those (67) occurred in cheerleading, followed by nine in gymnastics and seven in track. During that same period, there were 39 such injuries among female college athletes, including 26 in cheerleading, three in field hockey and two each in lacrosse and gymnastics.
Last year, there were two catastrophic injuries among female high school cheerleaders, compared to 10 the previous year. Among college cheerleaders, there were three catastrophic injuries in 2007 and only one in 2006.
More information
The Nemours Foundation has more about sports and exercise safety for teens.
Friday, May 30, 2008
How to Stay Safe at the Salon
By Ross Weale
As the weather warms and beach season looms, many people are heading to the salon to get ready. But you may be surprised to learn about the health threats—from bacterial infections to ringworm—that hide in the most popular spa treatments. Health magazine’s Colleen Sullivan appeared on NBC’s Today show May 20 to share tips with hosts Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb on staying healthy while you’re getting pretty.
As the weather warms and beach season looms, many people are heading to the salon to get ready. But you may be surprised to learn about the health threats—from bacterial infections to ringworm—that hide in the most popular spa treatments. Health magazine’s Colleen Sullivan appeared on NBC’s Today show May 20 to share tips with hosts Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb on staying healthy while you’re getting pretty.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Sticking With My Morning Workout
To make running a daily habit, I’m setting concrete goalsby Amanda MacMillan
I never thought I’d say this, but my long weekend runs have become the easiest part of my training program. Sure, it took me 98 minutes to run 9.5 miles on Saturday, but 98 measly minutes out of a full weekend of leisure is an easy sacrifice.
Trying to run three to five miles three days a week, on the other hand, is a different story. With long work days, dinner dates, and meet-ups with friends, I’ve been having trouble squeezing it in.
During the winter, I had no choice but to use the treadmill; that meant I could run on my lunch break or right after work. Now that the weather’s nicer, I’ve been spoiled—and suddenly, it just seems wrong (and really, really difficult) to run in the sticky, sweaty gym.
Running in midtown Manhattan isn’t an option I want to consider either, thanks to the crowded sidewalks and vehicle exhaust. And for safety reasons, I don't particularly like running anywhere after dark. So that means I have to either cut my day short and hightail it home to Brooklyn at a decent hour, or do the unthinkable: Wake up early.
I am not a morning person. But for the last two weeks, I’ve been trying desperately to haul my butt out of bed for a sunrise workout. I've marked my calendar. I've programmed “Gonna Fly Now” as my new cell phone alarm. I've asked my boyfriend to call me at 6 a.m. and scold me for being lazy. A few ambitious mornings I’ve made it out, but nothing’s been able to consistently beat out the allure of the snooze button.
I posed my dilemma to Walter R. Thompson, PhD, professor of kinesiology and health at Georgia State University and an expert in exercise adherence. Give it some time, he advised: It will probably take about a month of regular morning workouts before I start to notice their benefits and actually look forward to them. A big part of this, he explained, is breaking old routines and establishing new ones.
“You’ve spent the last 25 years getting out of bed and not even thinking about exercise,” he told me. “That’s a hard habit to break.”But my Monday-Wednesday-Thursday schedule is a good start, he added. “Sleeping in once or twice a week gives you a breather to look forward to, but you’re still exercising enough to meet your goals.”
Speaking of goals, he suggested setting both short-term (to keep from losing focus) and long-term ones (to remember the progress I've made, even in the event of setbacks along the way).
So for the remainder of my training, I’m doing just that: My long-term goal is to run the entire Brooklyn Half Marathon on May 3. And next week, maybe I’ll aim to shave another minute off my five-mile time.
This week? I’m just focusing on getting up and out the door when I say I will.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
More Seniors Falling Victim to Escalator Injuries
(HealthDay News) -- Older Americans are being injured during slips and falls on escalators at increasing rates, a new study finds.
The rate of injuries to older adults riding escalators more than doubled from 1991 to 2005, said study lead author Dr. Joseph O'Neil, an associate professor of pediatrics at the Indiana University School of Medicine, and an expert on injury prevention.
"Escalators are a safe means of getting from one floor to another for older Americans, but you do need to be careful, especially if you have mobility, balance or vision problems," he said.
O'Neil and his colleagues published their findings in the March issue of the journal Accident Analysis and Prevention.
Reviewing records from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the research team found that nearly 40,000 adults age 65 and older were injured on escalators between 1991 and 2005. In fact, the rate rose more than two-fold during that period: from 4.9 injuries per every 100,000 older Americans in 1991 to 11 injuries per 100,000 people by 2005.
The trend of increasing escalator accidents is likely related to shifts in lifestyle, O'Neil speculated. "Older adults are now more active at an older age than probably ever before," he noted, adding that the mean age of the accident victims in the study was 80 years old.
But while escalator accidents are an important matter of public safety for the elderly, they should not be blown out of proportion, O'Neil said. "This is a small portion of the total number of injuries that occur in older adults," he said.
Most of the injuries were not serious. Only 8 percent of the injured were admitted to a hospital after evaluation in an emergency department. The most common injuries were to the lower extremities (about 26 percent) and the head (25 percent). The leading type of injury was soft-tissue injuries (54 percent), such as sprains, followed by cuts (about 22 percent) and fractures (almost 16 percent). Women accounted for more than 73 percent of escalator injuries.
The new study does provide insight into the ways in which injuries take place on escalators among older adults, however.
The most frequent cause of escalator injury was a slip, trip or fall, which accounted for 85 percent of all injuries in the study, the researchers said.
"Most of the slip-trip-or-fall injuries happened while a person was standing on the escalator, not trying to step on or off or pass by another person," O'Neil said.
Stepping on or off the escalator only accounted for a small portion (14 percent) of slips, trips and falls. Injuries caused by walking up or down while riding an escalator were rare. Also, only 3 percent of the total injuries resulted from a garment, shoe, bag or purse becoming caught in the escalator, the study found.
The reasons that older adults slip, trip and fall on escalators are likely very similar to the causes of injuries in other situations, O'Neil said. "Factors that could contribute to a fall include poor equilibrium, decreased visual acuity, coordination problems, changes in muscle strength and balance, and lack of agility," he said.
According to Jessie VanSwearingen, associate professor of physical therapy at the University of Pittsburgh, vision problems are probably the most important cause of escalator falls.
"Older people are more reliant on vision for their balance than younger people are," she said.
Escalators are very disruptive to vision because both the escalator and the surrounding environment are moving, she added.
One way to prevent these accidents is to "stabilize your vision," VanSwearingen said, offering the following tips:
- Do not look down at the moving steps, which is disorienting.
- Find an object ahead of you and focus on it.
- Don't look side to side at distractions or displays.
"If you need a cane or walker to get around, then you should definitely use an elevator," O'Neil added.
More information : For more on preventing falls among older adults, visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Gain a Foothold on Winter Walking Safety
(HealthDay News) -- Staying on your feet in the snow, slush and ice of winter requires special walking tactics, health and safety experts say.
"You can never be too careful, particularly since we haven't had this type of weather in quite awhile," Dr. Ronald Grelsamer, a hip and knee specialist at Mount Sinai's Department of Orthopaedics in New York City, said in a prepared statement. "People should also pay special attention when exiting trains, buses and cars, because you never know what the surface will be like until your feet hit the ground, especially at night."
Grelsamer offered three key techniques to safe winter walking:
"You can never be too careful, particularly since we haven't had this type of weather in quite awhile," Dr. Ronald Grelsamer, a hip and knee specialist at Mount Sinai's Department of Orthopaedics in New York City, said in a prepared statement. "People should also pay special attention when exiting trains, buses and cars, because you never know what the surface will be like until your feet hit the ground, especially at night."
Grelsamer offered three key techniques to safe winter walking:
- Move feet slightly apart while walking. This provides better balance. A very slippery street can also be better managed with slightly bent knees.
- Walk sideways down an incline. While many people may be tempted to cross one foot over another going downhill, Grelsamer warned this actually makes balancing more difficult. As with slippery surfaces, slightly bent knees can help maintain balance on a steep slope.
- Plan to protect the dominant arm -- that's the right one for right-handed people, the left for lefties. Falls are unpredictable, but holding a coat over that dominant arm or a package in that hand may force the use of the other, weaker arm in the event of a fall.
More information
For more winter weather safety and planning tips, visit Ready.America.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Gene Tweak Reverses Aging in Mouse Skin Cells
(HealthDay News) -- Scientists say they've been able to temporarily return old skin cells to their youthful state by blocking the activity of a single gene.
"This gene gets more and more active with age," said lead researcher Dr. Howard Chang, an assistant professor of dermatology at Stanford University. "It doesn't exist to make us old. It is active in a number of processes, including the immune system and inflammation."
Chang said tweaking the gene, which produces a protein called NF-kappa-B, will not serve as a "fountain of youth" for the foreseeable future. The protein has a number of functions, some involved with cancer, and as-yet-unknown side effects must be explored before its safety is known. But one possible use is to help heal wounds more quickly in older people, he noted.
What's exciting about the discovery is that a single gene can have an immediate effect on older cells, Chang said. "People have known that you can affect the aging process with drastic interventions, like calorie restriction. Now we are talking about a single gene that, if blocked in an individual who is already old, can return cells to a youthful status, at least temporarily."
The researchers came across NF-kappa-B by searching existing data on genes that become more or less active as people get older. They found that the activity of a number of those genes is regulated by the protein.
They then used a genetically engineered mouse model to test the effect of inhibiting NF-kappa-B activity in a patch of skin cells.
After two weeks, a patch of treated skin from a 2-year-old mouse not only had the same genetic activity as that of a newborn animal but also looked more youthful, with more dividing cells.
It's fascinating "to engineer a mouse so that the rest of the mouse is old, but that one patch is young, to see that even locally, in a targeted way, you can affect the aging process," Chang said.
The finding also adds support to the theory that aging is not simply a process of wear-and-tear but the result of specific genetic changes, he said. And it shows that at least locally and temporarily, those changes can be stopped, Chang added.
The gene treatment has to be used cautiously, because NF-kappa-B is involved in so many different processes in the body, he noted.
A question to be asked now is, "What is the long-term effect of blocking the aging process for a while?," Chang said. "Would the tissue age rapidly again after the treatment stopped, or would they take much longer to age? It's important to sort these things out."
Long-term blockage of the gene would raise serious issues in terms of side effects, Chang said, since the gene is involved in so many body processes. Short-term use -- for wound healing, for example -- might sidestep those problems.
More information
There's more on skin aging at the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
more discussion: Forum
· Addiction Forum · Ask the Doctors Forum · Ayurveda Forum · Ayurvedic & Thai Herbs Forum · Colon Cleansing Forum · Dental Forum · Diabetes Forum · Diet Forum · General Cleansing Forum · Hepatitis A, B. C Forum · Integrated Medicine Forum · Live Blood Analysis Forum · Ozone-Oxygen-Forum · pH - Alkaline - Acidity Forum · Weight Loss Forum
"This gene gets more and more active with age," said lead researcher Dr. Howard Chang, an assistant professor of dermatology at Stanford University. "It doesn't exist to make us old. It is active in a number of processes, including the immune system and inflammation."
Chang said tweaking the gene, which produces a protein called NF-kappa-B, will not serve as a "fountain of youth" for the foreseeable future. The protein has a number of functions, some involved with cancer, and as-yet-unknown side effects must be explored before its safety is known. But one possible use is to help heal wounds more quickly in older people, he noted.
What's exciting about the discovery is that a single gene can have an immediate effect on older cells, Chang said. "People have known that you can affect the aging process with drastic interventions, like calorie restriction. Now we are talking about a single gene that, if blocked in an individual who is already old, can return cells to a youthful status, at least temporarily."
The researchers came across NF-kappa-B by searching existing data on genes that become more or less active as people get older. They found that the activity of a number of those genes is regulated by the protein.
They then used a genetically engineered mouse model to test the effect of inhibiting NF-kappa-B activity in a patch of skin cells.
After two weeks, a patch of treated skin from a 2-year-old mouse not only had the same genetic activity as that of a newborn animal but also looked more youthful, with more dividing cells.
It's fascinating "to engineer a mouse so that the rest of the mouse is old, but that one patch is young, to see that even locally, in a targeted way, you can affect the aging process," Chang said.
The finding also adds support to the theory that aging is not simply a process of wear-and-tear but the result of specific genetic changes, he said. And it shows that at least locally and temporarily, those changes can be stopped, Chang added.
The gene treatment has to be used cautiously, because NF-kappa-B is involved in so many different processes in the body, he noted.
A question to be asked now is, "What is the long-term effect of blocking the aging process for a while?," Chang said. "Would the tissue age rapidly again after the treatment stopped, or would they take much longer to age? It's important to sort these things out."
Long-term blockage of the gene would raise serious issues in terms of side effects, Chang said, since the gene is involved in so many body processes. Short-term use -- for wound healing, for example -- might sidestep those problems.
More information
There's more on skin aging at the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
more discussion: Forum
· Addiction Forum · Ask the Doctors Forum · Ayurveda Forum · Ayurvedic & Thai Herbs Forum · Colon Cleansing Forum · Dental Forum · Diabetes Forum · Diet Forum · General Cleansing Forum · Hepatitis A, B. C Forum · Integrated Medicine Forum · Live Blood Analysis Forum · Ozone-Oxygen-Forum · pH - Alkaline - Acidity Forum · Weight Loss Forum
Friday, June 08, 2007
New Drug Fails to Improve Odds for Heart Failure Patients
(HealthDay News) -- A new drug is no more effective at improving the survival rates of people with decompensated heart failure than a widely used medication is, a new international study has found.
Decompensated heart failure is one form of the general condition in which the heart progressively loses the ability to pump blood. It is characterized by a set of symptoms including shortness of breath and intolerance to exercise.
There were hopes that the new drug, levosimendan, would improve survival, because it uses a unique mechanism that makes heart muscle cells more sensitive to the calcium that causes them to contract. However, the study of 1,347 persons with acute decompensated heart failure, done at 75 centers in nine countries between March 2003 and December 2004, found essentially the same death rate for participants who got levosimendan as those who received an established medication, dobutamine, said a report in the May 2 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
The trial leaves cardiologists without a totally satisfactory treatment for decompensated heart failure, said Dr. Robert Hobbs, a Cleveland cardiologist specializing in treatment of the condition. Some 5 million Americans have one form or another of heart failure, and about 1 million of them are hospitalized for it each year.
"The original therapy, which is still basic, is diuretics," Hobbs explained. "They make the body lose water, so people feel better. In the 1980s, ACE inhibitors came along to make people feel better and live longer, and they were added for long-term benefit. The third group of drugs to be used were beta blockers."
Dobutamine is a positive inotropic agent that has been found to improve symptoms, but it has also been associated with an increased risk of death and cardiovascular problems. In the latest trial, participants with decompensated heart failure received levosimendan or dobutamine intravenously.
"The common practice has been to give dobutamine in the belief that the heart is like a battery that has lost its charge," Hobbs said. "By giving dobutamine, you would recharge it. That didn't actually happen [in previous studies]. It appeared to be associated with complications, longer hospital stays and more mortality."
In another previous study, careful analysis indicated that levosimendan was associated with a lower risk of death than dobutamine. "It did have the different mechanism of action, and it was felt that might translate into improved safety," Hobbs said. But it proved to be no better in the new trial.
In the 180 days after drug infusion, the death rate was 26 percent among patients who got levosimendan and 28 percent in those getting dobutamine. There was no statistical difference between other endpoints, such as incidence of breathing difficulties and days spent out of the hospital.
Participants who got levosimendan were less likely to experience cardiac failure but more likely to experience the abnormal heartbeat called atrial fibrillation, low blood levels of potassium, and headache.
"The bottom line on all of this is that it is hard to show benefit for what we do for acute decompensated heart failure," Hobbs said.
More information
All aspects of heart failure are explored by the American Heart Association .
Decompensated heart failure is one form of the general condition in which the heart progressively loses the ability to pump blood. It is characterized by a set of symptoms including shortness of breath and intolerance to exercise.
There were hopes that the new drug, levosimendan, would improve survival, because it uses a unique mechanism that makes heart muscle cells more sensitive to the calcium that causes them to contract. However, the study of 1,347 persons with acute decompensated heart failure, done at 75 centers in nine countries between March 2003 and December 2004, found essentially the same death rate for participants who got levosimendan as those who received an established medication, dobutamine, said a report in the May 2 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
The trial leaves cardiologists without a totally satisfactory treatment for decompensated heart failure, said Dr. Robert Hobbs, a Cleveland cardiologist specializing in treatment of the condition. Some 5 million Americans have one form or another of heart failure, and about 1 million of them are hospitalized for it each year.
"The original therapy, which is still basic, is diuretics," Hobbs explained. "They make the body lose water, so people feel better. In the 1980s, ACE inhibitors came along to make people feel better and live longer, and they were added for long-term benefit. The third group of drugs to be used were beta blockers."
Dobutamine is a positive inotropic agent that has been found to improve symptoms, but it has also been associated with an increased risk of death and cardiovascular problems. In the latest trial, participants with decompensated heart failure received levosimendan or dobutamine intravenously.
"The common practice has been to give dobutamine in the belief that the heart is like a battery that has lost its charge," Hobbs said. "By giving dobutamine, you would recharge it. That didn't actually happen [in previous studies]. It appeared to be associated with complications, longer hospital stays and more mortality."
In another previous study, careful analysis indicated that levosimendan was associated with a lower risk of death than dobutamine. "It did have the different mechanism of action, and it was felt that might translate into improved safety," Hobbs said. But it proved to be no better in the new trial.
In the 180 days after drug infusion, the death rate was 26 percent among patients who got levosimendan and 28 percent in those getting dobutamine. There was no statistical difference between other endpoints, such as incidence of breathing difficulties and days spent out of the hospital.
Participants who got levosimendan were less likely to experience cardiac failure but more likely to experience the abnormal heartbeat called atrial fibrillation, low blood levels of potassium, and headache.
"The bottom line on all of this is that it is hard to show benefit for what we do for acute decompensated heart failure," Hobbs said.
More information
All aspects of heart failure are explored by the American Heart Association .
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Multiple Sclerosis Drug Combats Vision Loss
(HealthDay News) -- A controversial multiple sclerosis drug called Tysabri also reduces vision loss associated with the disease by 47 percent, a new study found.
"Vision loss is probably one of the most disabling things that happens to people with MS," said lead researcher Dr. Laura J. Balcer, an associate professor of neurology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. "The exciting thing is, first, that we now have an eye-chart test that can pick that up and can show if treatments help vision. Second, this particular drug appears to help prevent vision loss."
In the study, Balcer's group looked at the results of two trials -- called AFFIRM and SENTINEL -- that included 2,138 people with relapsing MS. More than half the patients received Tysabri (generic name natalizumab) every four weeks for two years.
To evaluate eyesight, the researchers used a specially developed eye chart of low contrast letters. They found vision loss was reduced by as much as 47 percent among the people taking Tysabri, compared with those taking a placebo.
"Vision is one more dimension of MS that the drug helps," Balcer said. "It has already been shown that the drug reduces the rates of relapses and disability."
Balcer thinks that other MS drugs may have similar effects on vision, and there is now a test that can be included in trials to evaluate this. "Now, we can get to see how these other medications may help vision," she said.
The findings are published in the April 17 issue of the journal Neurology.
Tysabri's history has been marked by some controversy.
It received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval in November 2004, only to be pulled from the market three months later after several patients in clinical trials developed a rare but deadly viral infection of the brain called progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy. In June 2006, the FDA allowed the drug to return to the mart, but with strict conditions. According to the new guidelines, Tysabri can only be administered by approved doctors, infusion sites and pharmacies that register and comply with a patient-safety program designed by Biogen-IDEC, the maker of Tysabri, and approved by the FDA.
One expert thinks that despite the vision benefit, Tysabri should be reserved for patients with aggressive MS or those who failed other medications.
"This study confirms the benefits of this particular MS drug in relapsing MS patients," said Dr. Anne H. Cross, a professor of neurology at Washington University School of Medicine, in St. Louis. "In addition, it validates the use of a new vision test which is relevant to MS."
But the benefit to vision doesn't negate the risks associated with the drug, Cross said. "I don't think I will change my prescribing habits based upon this paper," she said. "I will probably continue to use it in the same type of patients I have been using it in in the past."
However, Nicholas LaRocca, the director of health care delivery and policy research at the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, said the new study provides additional insight into the benefits of the drug and may influence the decision whether to start using it or not.
"For patients who are on natalizumab or considering natalizumab, this gives them another piece of information to consider as they are trying to make their decision," he said.
According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health, multiple sclerosis is an unpredictable disease of the central nervous system that can range from relatively benign to somewhat disabling to devastating, as communication between the brain and other parts of the body is disrupted. Many researchers believe MS to be an autoimmune disease -- one in which the body, through its immune system, launches a defensive attack against its own tissues. In the case of MS, it is the nerve-insulating myelin that comes under assault.
More information
http://www.dreddyclinic.com/findinformation/mm/multiplesclerosis.htm
"Vision loss is probably one of the most disabling things that happens to people with MS," said lead researcher Dr. Laura J. Balcer, an associate professor of neurology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. "The exciting thing is, first, that we now have an eye-chart test that can pick that up and can show if treatments help vision. Second, this particular drug appears to help prevent vision loss."
In the study, Balcer's group looked at the results of two trials -- called AFFIRM and SENTINEL -- that included 2,138 people with relapsing MS. More than half the patients received Tysabri (generic name natalizumab) every four weeks for two years.
To evaluate eyesight, the researchers used a specially developed eye chart of low contrast letters. They found vision loss was reduced by as much as 47 percent among the people taking Tysabri, compared with those taking a placebo.
"Vision is one more dimension of MS that the drug helps," Balcer said. "It has already been shown that the drug reduces the rates of relapses and disability."
Balcer thinks that other MS drugs may have similar effects on vision, and there is now a test that can be included in trials to evaluate this. "Now, we can get to see how these other medications may help vision," she said.
The findings are published in the April 17 issue of the journal Neurology.
Tysabri's history has been marked by some controversy.
It received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval in November 2004, only to be pulled from the market three months later after several patients in clinical trials developed a rare but deadly viral infection of the brain called progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy. In June 2006, the FDA allowed the drug to return to the mart, but with strict conditions. According to the new guidelines, Tysabri can only be administered by approved doctors, infusion sites and pharmacies that register and comply with a patient-safety program designed by Biogen-IDEC, the maker of Tysabri, and approved by the FDA.
One expert thinks that despite the vision benefit, Tysabri should be reserved for patients with aggressive MS or those who failed other medications.
"This study confirms the benefits of this particular MS drug in relapsing MS patients," said Dr. Anne H. Cross, a professor of neurology at Washington University School of Medicine, in St. Louis. "In addition, it validates the use of a new vision test which is relevant to MS."
But the benefit to vision doesn't negate the risks associated with the drug, Cross said. "I don't think I will change my prescribing habits based upon this paper," she said. "I will probably continue to use it in the same type of patients I have been using it in in the past."
However, Nicholas LaRocca, the director of health care delivery and policy research at the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, said the new study provides additional insight into the benefits of the drug and may influence the decision whether to start using it or not.
"For patients who are on natalizumab or considering natalizumab, this gives them another piece of information to consider as they are trying to make their decision," he said.
According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health, multiple sclerosis is an unpredictable disease of the central nervous system that can range from relatively benign to somewhat disabling to devastating, as communication between the brain and other parts of the body is disrupted. Many researchers believe MS to be an autoimmune disease -- one in which the body, through its immune system, launches a defensive attack against its own tissues. In the case of MS, it is the nerve-insulating myelin that comes under assault.
More information
http://www.dreddyclinic.com/findinformation/mm/multiplesclerosis.htm
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Health Tip: Trim Your Tree With Care
(HealthDay News) -- While decorating for the holiday season, keep in mind that a live tree, electric lights, and some ornaments can pose safety hazards.Here are suggestions from the National Safety Council on how to enjoy a safe holiday:
- Reduce the risk of fire by checking all light strands for broken bulbs or exposed wires.
- Never plug more than three sets of lights into one extension cord, and never leave Christmas lights turned on when you're asleep or away from the home.
- Don't place lighted candles near trees or other holiday decorations.
- Keep breakable ornaments high up on the tree, out of reach of curious children and pets.
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Safety Tips for Cooks Preparing the Holiday Table
(HealthDay News) -- When you're entertaining guests this holiday season, remember the two-hour rule to help prevent food-borne illnesses."Two hours is really about as long as any kind of food needs to be setting out. After that, it should be refrigerated," Laura Palmer, a registered dietitian and cooperative extension service specialist in food and nutrition at Purdue University, said in a prepared statement.
"I think people make the food and then get so involved with their families that they forget to clean up and put things away," she said.
Palmer offered the following holiday food safety tips:
- Be careful at buffets. Certain foods, such as deli meats, seafood, and cheeses and dips made with dairy products, need to be chilled. If you believe a food item isn't being served or stored properly, don't eat it.
- When preparing food, avoid cross contamination. Wipe down countertops and other surfaces with hot water and detergent or bleach after preparing any type of raw meat. Don't chop no-cook items, such as raw vegetables or cheeses, near preparation areas for meats.
- Be aware that many cutting boards have porous surfaces that can harbor germs.
Use food thermometers to cook food to proper internal temperature. - When reheating leftovers, be sure food is heated to 165 degrees F.
- Wash your hands often during food preparation and when eating. Something as seemingly harmless as answering the phone can spread germs that can make people ill.
More information
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has more holiday food safety tips.
Monday, November 27, 2006
Exercise Key to Seniors' Independence: Study
(HealthDay News) -- Structured exercise programs can help keep sedentary seniors from losing their independence, new research shows.
"Compared with those who received health education [only], participants in the physical activity group had a lower risk of becoming unable to walk 400 meters," or about a quarter-mile, said lead researcher Dr. Marco Pahor of the University of Florida, Gainesville.
The study, conducted at four centers across the United States, also found it's largely safe for many older adults to start a moderate exercise program.
The study was funded by the U.S. National Institute on Aging (NIA) and included 424 people, ages 70 to 89, who exercised less than 20 minutes a week and had low scores on three physical performance assessments -- walking speed, balance and the ability to get out of chair. They also had to walk 400 meters (about a quarter of a mile) within 15 minutes without sitting or using a cane or any other kind of assistive device.
Half the participants were assigned to a control group that took part in a "successful aging" health-education program that offered information about nutrition, foot care, medications, preventive services, and other health topics. It also included arm-and-shoulder flexibility exercises led by an instructor.
The other participants were enrolled in an exercise program that included individualized counseling and supervised and home-based exercises that focused on areas such as endurance, strengthening, flexibility and balance.
After 6 months and 12 months, seniors in the exercise group had significantly higher physical performance scores than those in the control group and were more likely to maintain their walking speed through the 400-meter walking test.
The findings, published in the November issue of the Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences, were to be presented Friday at a meeting of the Gerontological Society of America.
The researchers said their findings from this pilot study confirm the feasibility and safety of testing this kind of exercise program in a larger study.
"As U.S. life expectancy rises, functional decline and disability among older people are growing public health and clinical concerns," Dr. Richard J. Hodes, NIA director, said in a prepared statement.
"This pilot study helps us to understand better the relationship between exercise training and mobility, which is a key to maintaining older adults' independence and quality of life, and provides a basis for designing more definitive large-scale clinical trials," Hodes said.
More information
The American Medical Association has more about fitness for older adults.
"Compared with those who received health education [only], participants in the physical activity group had a lower risk of becoming unable to walk 400 meters," or about a quarter-mile, said lead researcher Dr. Marco Pahor of the University of Florida, Gainesville.
The study, conducted at four centers across the United States, also found it's largely safe for many older adults to start a moderate exercise program.
The study was funded by the U.S. National Institute on Aging (NIA) and included 424 people, ages 70 to 89, who exercised less than 20 minutes a week and had low scores on three physical performance assessments -- walking speed, balance and the ability to get out of chair. They also had to walk 400 meters (about a quarter of a mile) within 15 minutes without sitting or using a cane or any other kind of assistive device.
Half the participants were assigned to a control group that took part in a "successful aging" health-education program that offered information about nutrition, foot care, medications, preventive services, and other health topics. It also included arm-and-shoulder flexibility exercises led by an instructor.
The other participants were enrolled in an exercise program that included individualized counseling and supervised and home-based exercises that focused on areas such as endurance, strengthening, flexibility and balance.
After 6 months and 12 months, seniors in the exercise group had significantly higher physical performance scores than those in the control group and were more likely to maintain their walking speed through the 400-meter walking test.
The findings, published in the November issue of the Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences, were to be presented Friday at a meeting of the Gerontological Society of America.
The researchers said their findings from this pilot study confirm the feasibility and safety of testing this kind of exercise program in a larger study.
"As U.S. life expectancy rises, functional decline and disability among older people are growing public health and clinical concerns," Dr. Richard J. Hodes, NIA director, said in a prepared statement.
"This pilot study helps us to understand better the relationship between exercise training and mobility, which is a key to maintaining older adults' independence and quality of life, and provides a basis for designing more definitive large-scale clinical trials," Hodes said.
More information
The American Medical Association has more about fitness for older adults.
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Car Safety Improvements May Not Be Working
(HealthDay News) -- Airbags and antilock brakes may not reduce rates of traffic accidents or injuries because they encourage more aggressive driving, a U.S. study suggests.
"Our findings suggest that the 'offset hypothesis' is occurring and that it is sufficient to counter the modest technological benefits of airbags and antilock brakes," researcher Fred Mannering, a professor of civil engineering at Purdue University, in West Lafayette, Ind., said in a prepared statement.
The offset hypothesis predicts that consumers "adapt" to innovations meant to improve safety by becoming more relaxed and less vigilant about safety, Mannering explained.
He and his colleagues analyzed five years (1992 to 1996) of data on more than 1,300 drivers in Washington state.
"We used that time period because that's when airbags started getting introduced very rapidly, and we wanted to track the same drivers over that time frame to see whether the new safety features reduced their accident and injury rate," Mannering said.
The drivers had a total of 614 accidents during the study period. Of those accidents, 16 resulted in injury. Of the 1,307 drivers, 271 had switched from a vehicle without an airbag to a vehicle with an airbag during the study period, and 270 also made the switch to antilock brakes.
Using mathematical models, the researchers calculated that airbags and antilock brakes did not affect the drivers' probability of having an accident or injury.
The findings were published earlier this year in the Journal of Risk and Uncertainty.
More information
The U.S. Department of Transportation has more about car safety features.
"Our findings suggest that the 'offset hypothesis' is occurring and that it is sufficient to counter the modest technological benefits of airbags and antilock brakes," researcher Fred Mannering, a professor of civil engineering at Purdue University, in West Lafayette, Ind., said in a prepared statement.
The offset hypothesis predicts that consumers "adapt" to innovations meant to improve safety by becoming more relaxed and less vigilant about safety, Mannering explained.
He and his colleagues analyzed five years (1992 to 1996) of data on more than 1,300 drivers in Washington state.
"We used that time period because that's when airbags started getting introduced very rapidly, and we wanted to track the same drivers over that time frame to see whether the new safety features reduced their accident and injury rate," Mannering said.
The drivers had a total of 614 accidents during the study period. Of those accidents, 16 resulted in injury. Of the 1,307 drivers, 271 had switched from a vehicle without an airbag to a vehicle with an airbag during the study period, and 270 also made the switch to antilock brakes.
Using mathematical models, the researchers calculated that airbags and antilock brakes did not affect the drivers' probability of having an accident or injury.
The findings were published earlier this year in the Journal of Risk and Uncertainty.
More information
The U.S. Department of Transportation has more about car safety features.
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Poor Sleep Contributes to Health Problems
(HealthDay News) -- New studies are discovering just how vital sleep is to overall health.So, sleep habits should become a standard part of a complete check-up, researchers say.
"There is increasing evidence that there is a very strong relationship between sleep quality and physical and mental health," said Dr. Phyllis C. Zee, a professor of neurology at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine.
"If you have poor health, that is associated with poor sleep. Also, if you have poor sleep, there is an association between that and poor health," Zee said. "What we don't have yet is the research to categorically say that if you improve sleep, you will improve conditions, such as diabetes or hypertension, or other medical conditions."
Still, physicians should be asking their patients about the quality and quantity of their sleep, Zee said. "Sleep should be another vital sign," she said.
Zee wrote an editorial in the Sept. 18 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, a special, themed issue on sleep and its relationship to overall health.
In one study, led by Richard L. Nahin, a senior advisor for scientific coordination and outreach at the U.S. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, looked at why people had trouble sleeping and how many were using alternative drugs to help them sleep.
Insomnia and trouble sleeping are most often associated with high blood pressure, heart failure, anxiety and depression, according to a national survey of 31,044 adults. "That's unusual. It had been most often thought that insomnia was quite prevalent on its own, but only 4 percent of the people who said they had insomnia said they had it without any of those conditions," Nahin said.
The researchers also found that 1.6 million Americans are using alternative therapies, such as melatonin to treat their insomnia. "That's quite high when you consider that there is very little reliable data on the efficacy and safety of using the products people are using," Nahin said.
These findings have implications for treating sleep problems, Nahin said.
"Instead of treating the insomnia itself, a health-care provider might be better off treating one of these comorbidities," he said. "In addition, a physician seeing a patient for insomnia should ask if the patient is using any alternative and complementary treatments, because they might upset the treatments the health-care provider wants to apply."
Another study found that people who have sleep-related breathing disorder -- marked by frequent pauses in breathing, labored breathing, or reduced breathing during the night -- were two to 2.6 times more likely to develop depression. Moreover, the odds of depression increased as breathing disorders became more severe, according to researcher Paul E. Peppard and colleagues from the University of Wisconsin.
And a study by French researchers found that people with allergic rhinitis, caused by hay fever and other allergies, have more difficulty sleeping and more sleep disorders than people without allergies. "The results show a significant impact of allergic rhinitis on all dimensions of sleep quality and, consequently, a lower quality of life as reflected by more somnolence [sleepiness]; daytime fatigue and sleepiness; and impaired memory, mood and sexuality, with a significantly increased consumption of alcohol and sedatives in cases compared with the control group," the study authors wrote.
One expert agrees that sleep problems shouldn't be ignored.
"If you think insomnia is an annoyance and merely something you should tough out, that may be a mistake," said Michael L. Perlis, director of the Sleep Research Laboratory at the University of Rochester, in New York. "It may lead you down the path to other morbidities. It would also be a mistake because it's treatable."
Other studies in the same journal issue found that:
· Fewer hours of sleep may contribute to poor health in young adults.
· Those in rural areas who sleep fewer hours appear to weigh more.
· The immune system may play a role in narcolepsy, a disorder characterized by an uncontrollable urge to sleep.
· The immune system may be affected by a lack of sleep that contributes to inflammation and a variety of diseases.
More information
The National Sleep Foundation can tell you more about getting a good night's sleep.
more discussion: Forum
· Addiction Forum · Ask the Doctors Forum · Ayurveda Forum · Ayurvedic & Thai Herbs Forum · Colon Cleansing Forum · Dental Forum · Diabetes Forum · Diet Forum · General Cleansing Forum · Hepatitis A, B. C Forum · Integrated Medicine Forum · Live Blood Analysis Forum · Ozone-Oxygen-Forum · pH - Alkaline - Acidity Forum · Weight Loss Forum
Weight Loss Ebook - Secrets Revealed - Revised Edition$19.95  This is not only a weight loss program, it is also a plan for "TOTAL HEALTH". If you want a quick fix (taking metabolism boosters, etc.), only to gain more weight when you stop, do not even consider this program. Our program is designed to change the way you think and live your life. Change is only a decision away. You can do this! If you are motivated, and truly care about taking care of your body, and you are willing to make changes in your life, then this program is for you! - E-Book Version.(WL) |
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Possible Source of E. coli Outbreak Identified
(HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has identified a California produce company as one possible source of the tainted spinach that has caused one death and illness throughout the nation.
As the outbreak of E. coli bacterium cases widened to 20 states, Natural Selection Foods of San Juan Bautista began recalling all of its prepackaged spinach and its salad mix products that contain spinach in all brands packed with Best If Used by Dates of Aug.17, 2006 through Oct. 1, 2006.
The investigation is continuing, the FDA said in a consumer alert on its Web site, and Natural Selection Foods may not be the only source of the E. coli O157:H7 that has so far has sickened 94 people. Fourteen of the victims have developed a form of kidney failure called Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome, the agency reported.
"We're clearly evolving and it is very important to keep an open mind whether there are other products potentially implicated," Dr. David Acheson, the chief medical officer with the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, told the Associated Press.
According to the FDA, Natural Selection Foods supplies its spinach to the following brands that package it:
Dole, Earthbound Farm, Natural Selection Foods, Pride of San Juan, Bellissima, Rave Spinach, Emeril, Sysco, O Organic, Fresh Point, River Ranch, Superior, Nature's Basket, Pro-Mark, Compliments, Trader Joe's, Ready Pac, Jansal Valley, Cheney Brothers, Coastline, D'Arrigo Brothers, Green Harvest, Mann, Mills Family Farm, Pro*Act, Premium Fresh, Snoboy, The Farmer's Market, Tanimura & Antle, President's Choice, Cross Valley and Riverside Farms.
Because the tainted spinach could have been included in packaged green salads that have spinach, the FDA is now warning that those products also might be contaminated.
Consumers should throw away any fresh packaged spinach they may have bought in the past few weeks and not buy more until the warning is lifted, the agency said. It also said that washing the spinach won't help because the bacteria is too tightly attached.
The states reporting cases of illness now include: California, Connecticut, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
The affected products were also distributed to Canada and Mexico, the FDA said.
The one death occurred in Wisconsin, which has 29 cases statewide. Friday night, the AP reported, the victim was identified as Marion Graff, 77, of Manitowoc. Her son said she died of kidney failure Sept. 7.
"We are very, very upset about this," Natural Selection Foods spokeswoman Samantha Cabaluna told the AP Friday. "What we do is produce food that we want to be healthy and safe for consumers, so this is a tragedy for us."
The company has supplied a phone number -- l-800-690-3200 -- for a refund or replacement coupons.
The FDA said the first cases of infection apparently surfaced on Aug. 23, and the most recent one was reported Sept. 3. But it wasn't until Wednesday that the agency was able to identify bagged spinach as the possible cause, Acheson told a press conference Thursday night.
"It [the outbreak] is increasing by the day. We may be at the peak, we may not. And that's why we're watching it and we're giving preliminary, early data," Acheson said Thursday.
Dr. Robert Brackett, director of the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, cautioned that anyone who believes he or she has the symptoms of E. coli poisoning should contact a doctor.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, E. coli lives in the intestines of cattle and other animals and is linked to contamination by fecal material. It can be found in undercooked meats and other foods, such as spinach, sprouts, lettuce, unpasteurized milk and juice.
The primary symptom of E. coli contamination in humans is diarrhea, often with bloody stools. While most adults recover completely, the bacteria is particularly harmful to the very young, the very old, and those with compromised immune systems. In more serious cases, potentially fatal kidney failure can develop.
Dr. Pascal James Imperato, chairman of the department of preventive medicine at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in New York City and former New York City Health Commissioner, said that normally, people between 20 and 60 years of age don't have much of a reaction to E. coli.
But, he added in a prepared statement, this outbreak seems to have affected people in that age group, indicating it might be a particularly virulent strain of bacteria.
E. coli causes an estimated 73,000 cases of infection, including 61 deaths, each year in the United States, according to CDC statistics.
The last publicly reported outbreaks of E. coli were in 2005. In October, laboratory tests found the bacteria in two bags of lettuce, suspected as the cause of an outbreak in Minnesota that sickened 17 people, eight of whom had to be hospitalized. In December, an E. coli outbreak in the state of Washington sickened at least eight children. That was traced to unpasteurized milk from a dairy.
More information
You can read the FDA's latest updates on the E. coli outbreak at its Web site.
As the outbreak of E. coli bacterium cases widened to 20 states, Natural Selection Foods of San Juan Bautista began recalling all of its prepackaged spinach and its salad mix products that contain spinach in all brands packed with Best If Used by Dates of Aug.17, 2006 through Oct. 1, 2006.
The investigation is continuing, the FDA said in a consumer alert on its Web site, and Natural Selection Foods may not be the only source of the E. coli O157:H7 that has so far has sickened 94 people. Fourteen of the victims have developed a form of kidney failure called Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome, the agency reported.
"We're clearly evolving and it is very important to keep an open mind whether there are other products potentially implicated," Dr. David Acheson, the chief medical officer with the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, told the Associated Press.
According to the FDA, Natural Selection Foods supplies its spinach to the following brands that package it:
Dole, Earthbound Farm, Natural Selection Foods, Pride of San Juan, Bellissima, Rave Spinach, Emeril, Sysco, O Organic, Fresh Point, River Ranch, Superior, Nature's Basket, Pro-Mark, Compliments, Trader Joe's, Ready Pac, Jansal Valley, Cheney Brothers, Coastline, D'Arrigo Brothers, Green Harvest, Mann, Mills Family Farm, Pro*Act, Premium Fresh, Snoboy, The Farmer's Market, Tanimura & Antle, President's Choice, Cross Valley and Riverside Farms.
Because the tainted spinach could have been included in packaged green salads that have spinach, the FDA is now warning that those products also might be contaminated.
Consumers should throw away any fresh packaged spinach they may have bought in the past few weeks and not buy more until the warning is lifted, the agency said. It also said that washing the spinach won't help because the bacteria is too tightly attached.
The states reporting cases of illness now include: California, Connecticut, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
The affected products were also distributed to Canada and Mexico, the FDA said.
The one death occurred in Wisconsin, which has 29 cases statewide. Friday night, the AP reported, the victim was identified as Marion Graff, 77, of Manitowoc. Her son said she died of kidney failure Sept. 7.
"We are very, very upset about this," Natural Selection Foods spokeswoman Samantha Cabaluna told the AP Friday. "What we do is produce food that we want to be healthy and safe for consumers, so this is a tragedy for us."
The company has supplied a phone number -- l-800-690-3200 -- for a refund or replacement coupons.
The FDA said the first cases of infection apparently surfaced on Aug. 23, and the most recent one was reported Sept. 3. But it wasn't until Wednesday that the agency was able to identify bagged spinach as the possible cause, Acheson told a press conference Thursday night.
"It [the outbreak] is increasing by the day. We may be at the peak, we may not. And that's why we're watching it and we're giving preliminary, early data," Acheson said Thursday.
Dr. Robert Brackett, director of the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, cautioned that anyone who believes he or she has the symptoms of E. coli poisoning should contact a doctor.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, E. coli lives in the intestines of cattle and other animals and is linked to contamination by fecal material. It can be found in undercooked meats and other foods, such as spinach, sprouts, lettuce, unpasteurized milk and juice.
The primary symptom of E. coli contamination in humans is diarrhea, often with bloody stools. While most adults recover completely, the bacteria is particularly harmful to the very young, the very old, and those with compromised immune systems. In more serious cases, potentially fatal kidney failure can develop.
Dr. Pascal James Imperato, chairman of the department of preventive medicine at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in New York City and former New York City Health Commissioner, said that normally, people between 20 and 60 years of age don't have much of a reaction to E. coli.
But, he added in a prepared statement, this outbreak seems to have affected people in that age group, indicating it might be a particularly virulent strain of bacteria.
E. coli causes an estimated 73,000 cases of infection, including 61 deaths, each year in the United States, according to CDC statistics.
The last publicly reported outbreaks of E. coli were in 2005. In October, laboratory tests found the bacteria in two bags of lettuce, suspected as the cause of an outbreak in Minnesota that sickened 17 people, eight of whom had to be hospitalized. In December, an E. coli outbreak in the state of Washington sickened at least eight children. That was traced to unpasteurized milk from a dairy.
More information
You can read the FDA's latest updates on the E. coli outbreak at its Web site.
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Bugged by Bugs?
Bugged by Bugs?
Provided by: DrWeil.com
Q: I am going camping soon in a variety of damp, wooded areas. Do you have any suggestions for warding off critters? -- Jeff A: Whenever you're outdoors in bug infested areas, it is best to protect yourself with insect repellents and with clothing that covers your arms and legs. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently expanded its list of mosquito repellents, adding to its long-standing recommendation of products containing DEET. While they are effective, I find these repellents nasty and toxic. The CDC now lists oil of lemon eucalyptus, a plant-based product registered with the U.S. Environment Protection Agency (EPA). Registration indicates that the active ingredients in the repellent have been reviewed and approved for efficacy and human safety when used as recommended on the label. When oil of lemon eucalyptus was tested against mosquitoes found in the United States, it provided protection similar to repellents with low concentrations of DEET.
The other new repellent ingredient recommended by the CDC is picaridin, which is reputed to be as effective as DEET but is light, odorless and, reportedly, more pleasant to use. Picaridin has been widely used elsewhere in the world since 1998 and is recommended by the World Health Organization as the best protection against malaria. According to the EPA, picardin presents about the same toxicity risks as DEET.
As an alternative to the repellents described above, I recommend the following natural products:
Repellents containing geraniol: some research suggests that this natural plant-derived substance is effective.
Neem oil, from an Indian tree, Azadirachta indica, that can provide significant protection.
I suggest that you also follow the precautions below recommended by the EPA whenever you use insect repellents:
Never apply them over cuts, wounds or irritated skin.
Don't apply them to eyes or mouth and apply sparing around ears; never spray repellents directly on your face. Spray your hands and then apply to the face.
Don't let children handle repellents; apply the products to your hands and then put it on children; don't apply them to children's hands.
Use just enough to cover exposed skin or clothing; add more only if insects are not discouraged by the first application.
Apply repellents only to exposed skin or to clothing (not under clothing).
Wash repellents off with soap and water when you come indoors.
Stop using any repellent that gives you a rash or other reaction. Wash it off with soap and water and then call a poison control center for further advice. If you go to the doctor because of a repellent-caused rash, take the product with you.
Andrew Weil, MDLast Reviewed: October 2005
Provided by: DrWeil.com
Q: I am going camping soon in a variety of damp, wooded areas. Do you have any suggestions for warding off critters? -- Jeff A: Whenever you're outdoors in bug infested areas, it is best to protect yourself with insect repellents and with clothing that covers your arms and legs. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently expanded its list of mosquito repellents, adding to its long-standing recommendation of products containing DEET. While they are effective, I find these repellents nasty and toxic. The CDC now lists oil of lemon eucalyptus, a plant-based product registered with the U.S. Environment Protection Agency (EPA). Registration indicates that the active ingredients in the repellent have been reviewed and approved for efficacy and human safety when used as recommended on the label. When oil of lemon eucalyptus was tested against mosquitoes found in the United States, it provided protection similar to repellents with low concentrations of DEET.
The other new repellent ingredient recommended by the CDC is picaridin, which is reputed to be as effective as DEET but is light, odorless and, reportedly, more pleasant to use. Picaridin has been widely used elsewhere in the world since 1998 and is recommended by the World Health Organization as the best protection against malaria. According to the EPA, picardin presents about the same toxicity risks as DEET.
As an alternative to the repellents described above, I recommend the following natural products:
Repellents containing geraniol: some research suggests that this natural plant-derived substance is effective.
Neem oil, from an Indian tree, Azadirachta indica, that can provide significant protection.
I suggest that you also follow the precautions below recommended by the EPA whenever you use insect repellents:
Never apply them over cuts, wounds or irritated skin.
Don't apply them to eyes or mouth and apply sparing around ears; never spray repellents directly on your face. Spray your hands and then apply to the face.
Don't let children handle repellents; apply the products to your hands and then put it on children; don't apply them to children's hands.
Use just enough to cover exposed skin or clothing; add more only if insects are not discouraged by the first application.
Apply repellents only to exposed skin or to clothing (not under clothing).
Wash repellents off with soap and water when you come indoors.
Stop using any repellent that gives you a rash or other reaction. Wash it off with soap and water and then call a poison control center for further advice. If you go to the doctor because of a repellent-caused rash, take the product with you.
Andrew Weil, MDLast Reviewed: October 2005
Is Meat from Cloned Animals Safe?
Is Meat from Cloned Animals Safe? Provided by: DrWeil.com
Q: What's the story on cloned meat? I heard that it was safe and that we don't have to worry about it. -- Jon A: First of all, no meat or dairy products from cloned animals are on the market in the United States, so you don't have to worry about it for the time being. You may have heard about a recent study that compared meat and milk from cloned cows to meat and milk from animals that were the products of normal reproduction. The study, published in the April 12, 2005 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found essentially no differences.
Cloning utilizes the DNA of a single parent and is meant to produce an animal that is identical to the parent. For this study, researchers from Japan and the University of Connecticut cloned a prized Japanese black breeding bull of a type known for superior meat. The comparison cattle were produced by inseminating cows with semen from the son of the Japanese bull. The dairy cow clones were from a Connecticut Holstein cow that produced a lot of milk.
The researchers looked at more than 100 components of beef and found that the only significant difference was that the meat from the clones had a slightly higher fat marbling content than the meat from the comparison cattle. After analyzing the protein, fat, lactose, and solids in the milk, they found no significant differences between the milk from the cloned cows vs. the controls.
The FDA will look at these findings when it reviews research on food from cloned animals; it is supposed to release its own evaluation of the safety of cloned food soon.
Proponents of cloning claim that it will result in better quality meat - more cattle will be produced from prize steers - and better milk production. But last year a report from the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) concluded that current methods for testing the safety of cloned meat and milk aren't good enough to determine the potential health risks. The NAS report also said the testing methods couldn't determine what factors, such as DNA or the presence of certain amino acids, are relevant for predicting the impact on human health.
I think we are a long way from seeing cloned animal products in our supermarkets.
Andrew Weil, MD
Last Reviewed: August 2005
Q: What's the story on cloned meat? I heard that it was safe and that we don't have to worry about it. -- Jon A: First of all, no meat or dairy products from cloned animals are on the market in the United States, so you don't have to worry about it for the time being. You may have heard about a recent study that compared meat and milk from cloned cows to meat and milk from animals that were the products of normal reproduction. The study, published in the April 12, 2005 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found essentially no differences.
Cloning utilizes the DNA of a single parent and is meant to produce an animal that is identical to the parent. For this study, researchers from Japan and the University of Connecticut cloned a prized Japanese black breeding bull of a type known for superior meat. The comparison cattle were produced by inseminating cows with semen from the son of the Japanese bull. The dairy cow clones were from a Connecticut Holstein cow that produced a lot of milk.
The researchers looked at more than 100 components of beef and found that the only significant difference was that the meat from the clones had a slightly higher fat marbling content than the meat from the comparison cattle. After analyzing the protein, fat, lactose, and solids in the milk, they found no significant differences between the milk from the cloned cows vs. the controls.
The FDA will look at these findings when it reviews research on food from cloned animals; it is supposed to release its own evaluation of the safety of cloned food soon.
Proponents of cloning claim that it will result in better quality meat - more cattle will be produced from prize steers - and better milk production. But last year a report from the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) concluded that current methods for testing the safety of cloned meat and milk aren't good enough to determine the potential health risks. The NAS report also said the testing methods couldn't determine what factors, such as DNA or the presence of certain amino acids, are relevant for predicting the impact on human health.
I think we are a long way from seeing cloned animal products in our supermarkets.
Andrew Weil, MD
Last Reviewed: August 2005
Monday, May 01, 2006
Forearm Support May Cut Computer Injuries
FRIDAY, April 28 (HealthDay News) -- An "ergonomic board" that provides forearm support may relieve upper body pain and disorders that can develop from spending extended hours on a computer, a new study suggests.
The device, a board that attaches to a desk and supports the forearm, lowered the risk of developing shoulder and neck problems by nearly half and significantly reduced neck, shoulder and right arm pain associated with computer work.
"Computer-related injuries mainly occur in the neck and shoulder region. The elbow and wrist are the second most common area," explained study lead author Dr. David Rempel, professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. "This study, done in people who spend 30 to 40 hours a week in front of a computer, found that a forearm support can prevent some of these injuries and decrease pain."
The findings appear in the current issue of the British journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
For the study, researchers evaluated the impact of two ergonomic devices on the severity and incidence of these computer-related injuries. They monitored 182 employees from two customer-service center sites for one year. The employees were randomly put into one of four groups, each receiving a different "ergonomic intervention." One group received ergonomic training; a second got the training plus a trackball mouse; a third group received the training plus forearm support; and the fourth received the training plus a trackball mouse and forearm support.
Each week the participants filled out a questionnaire, which included assessing pain in the neck, shoulders and left and right arms on a scale of 0 to 10; physicians also diagnosed any new upper body musculoskeletal disorders that developed.
The result: The forearm support boards plus ergonomic training provided the most protection against computer-related injuries. Specifically, the boards reduced the risk of neck and shoulder disorders by nearly half, compared to the group that only received ergonomic training, and resulted in an average 0.5 point drop (on the 10-point scale) in neck and shoulder pain. This may be a small drop, Rempel said, but it could be significant in a large population, said Rempel. The number of arm disorders didn't change with forearm support use, but pain in the right arm dropped by nearly three-quarters of a point, he said.
"The forearm support probably reduced the shoulder load so that the neck and shoulder weren't doing as much work. Also, it probably kept the wrist in a more straight and neutral position," he said.
Use of the trackball had mixed results. It significantly reduced left upper extremity pain and disorders, but had no effect on right upper extremity disorders. These findings were unexpected, the researchers said, since 98 percent of the participants used the mouse with their right hand.
The researchers also did a return-on-investment analysis to see if the forearm support would make financial sense to employers. The average cost per board is around $100, said Rempel. The study found that employers would recover these costs within about 10 months of purchasing the boards.
Dr. Mark Melhorn, a clinical assistant professor at the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita, said, "It is reasonable to make a small investment in an arm or wrist rest if it makes the user feel comfortable. The cost associated with muscle pain can be high and the intervention cost is low."
The study also recommended other ergonomic measures to help relieve computer-related injuries. These include maintaining an erect sitting posture; a chair height that allows the thighs to be parallel to the floor; adjusting the arm support and work surface height so the forearms are parallel to the floor; a mouse and keyboard location that minimizes reach; adjusting the monitor height so its center is about 15 degrees below the visual horizon; and taking scheduled breaks.
Melhorn added that such steps are only half the solution, though, since people develop musculoskeletal disorders and muscle pain due to a combination of individual risk factors, such as age, gender and genetics, and their physical activity at home and in the workplace.
"If you take 100 people and put them in front of a computer, only 14 percent will develop muscle pain," he said. "If just the job caused these injuries, then 100 percent would have the muscle-pain condition. So you need to improve the person and the workplace. This study only addresses a small spectrum of these causes, but it's a good start in the right direction."
More information
For more on how to make your computer workstation safe and comfortable, visit the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
The device, a board that attaches to a desk and supports the forearm, lowered the risk of developing shoulder and neck problems by nearly half and significantly reduced neck, shoulder and right arm pain associated with computer work.
"Computer-related injuries mainly occur in the neck and shoulder region. The elbow and wrist are the second most common area," explained study lead author Dr. David Rempel, professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. "This study, done in people who spend 30 to 40 hours a week in front of a computer, found that a forearm support can prevent some of these injuries and decrease pain."
The findings appear in the current issue of the British journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
For the study, researchers evaluated the impact of two ergonomic devices on the severity and incidence of these computer-related injuries. They monitored 182 employees from two customer-service center sites for one year. The employees were randomly put into one of four groups, each receiving a different "ergonomic intervention." One group received ergonomic training; a second got the training plus a trackball mouse; a third group received the training plus forearm support; and the fourth received the training plus a trackball mouse and forearm support.
Each week the participants filled out a questionnaire, which included assessing pain in the neck, shoulders and left and right arms on a scale of 0 to 10; physicians also diagnosed any new upper body musculoskeletal disorders that developed.
The result: The forearm support boards plus ergonomic training provided the most protection against computer-related injuries. Specifically, the boards reduced the risk of neck and shoulder disorders by nearly half, compared to the group that only received ergonomic training, and resulted in an average 0.5 point drop (on the 10-point scale) in neck and shoulder pain. This may be a small drop, Rempel said, but it could be significant in a large population, said Rempel. The number of arm disorders didn't change with forearm support use, but pain in the right arm dropped by nearly three-quarters of a point, he said.
"The forearm support probably reduced the shoulder load so that the neck and shoulder weren't doing as much work. Also, it probably kept the wrist in a more straight and neutral position," he said.
Use of the trackball had mixed results. It significantly reduced left upper extremity pain and disorders, but had no effect on right upper extremity disorders. These findings were unexpected, the researchers said, since 98 percent of the participants used the mouse with their right hand.
The researchers also did a return-on-investment analysis to see if the forearm support would make financial sense to employers. The average cost per board is around $100, said Rempel. The study found that employers would recover these costs within about 10 months of purchasing the boards.
Dr. Mark Melhorn, a clinical assistant professor at the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita, said, "It is reasonable to make a small investment in an arm or wrist rest if it makes the user feel comfortable. The cost associated with muscle pain can be high and the intervention cost is low."
The study also recommended other ergonomic measures to help relieve computer-related injuries. These include maintaining an erect sitting posture; a chair height that allows the thighs to be parallel to the floor; adjusting the arm support and work surface height so the forearms are parallel to the floor; a mouse and keyboard location that minimizes reach; adjusting the monitor height so its center is about 15 degrees below the visual horizon; and taking scheduled breaks.
Melhorn added that such steps are only half the solution, though, since people develop musculoskeletal disorders and muscle pain due to a combination of individual risk factors, such as age, gender and genetics, and their physical activity at home and in the workplace.
"If you take 100 people and put them in front of a computer, only 14 percent will develop muscle pain," he said. "If just the job caused these injuries, then 100 percent would have the muscle-pain condition. So you need to improve the person and the workplace. This study only addresses a small spectrum of these causes, but it's a good start in the right direction."
More information
For more on how to make your computer workstation safe and comfortable, visit the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Friday, March 31, 2006
C-Section Rates Growing in America
The number of Caesarian births climbed to a record high 29 percent in America in 2004, fueled in part by mothers who prefer to deliver their babies that way, even when they don't need to. In fact, limited information suggests the number of women requesting C-sections versus natural childbirth is growing, due to fear of complications or the desire for control, according to an independent panel overseen by the National Institutes of Health.
Even though the panel did recommend that women who wanted to bear several children not to have C-sections, they refused to discourage their routine practice altogether. That lukewarm reaction has spurred great concern among experts, me included, who believe mothers will opt for C-sections regardless of need or safety.
Dig deeper into the report (free PDF below), however, and you'll learn Caesarians aren't for every woman, says the chief of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and a panel co-sponsor.
C-section babies miss out on a great many things, including the natural stimulation that comes from moving down the birth canal and the hormones released during a vaginal birth.
Although there are situations that call for a C-section, there's many things an expecting mother can do to minimize her need for one:
Eat a healthy diet based on your body's unique metabolic type, chock full of raw, unprocessed foods.
Take a high quality fish or cod liver oil daily.
Consider hiring a midwife or doula.
USA Today March 30, 2006
NIH Consensus Development Program March 29, 2006 Free PDF Report
MSNBC March 27, 2006
more info at: http://www.dreddyclinic.com/
Even though the panel did recommend that women who wanted to bear several children not to have C-sections, they refused to discourage their routine practice altogether. That lukewarm reaction has spurred great concern among experts, me included, who believe mothers will opt for C-sections regardless of need or safety.
Dig deeper into the report (free PDF below), however, and you'll learn Caesarians aren't for every woman, says the chief of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and a panel co-sponsor.
C-section babies miss out on a great many things, including the natural stimulation that comes from moving down the birth canal and the hormones released during a vaginal birth.
Although there are situations that call for a C-section, there's many things an expecting mother can do to minimize her need for one:
Eat a healthy diet based on your body's unique metabolic type, chock full of raw, unprocessed foods.
Take a high quality fish or cod liver oil daily.
Consider hiring a midwife or doula.
USA Today March 30, 2006
NIH Consensus Development Program March 29, 2006 Free PDF Report
MSNBC March 27, 2006
more info at: http://www.dreddyclinic.com/
Balancing Your Hormones Without Drugs... You Can Feel Good Again$19.95 Hormone imbalance can be reversed! Look and feel better than ever, just take the time to learn about yourself and read the information contained in this just released e-book about reversing hormone imbalance. Are you ready to finally look and feel great? If so... read on... - E-Book Version.(BH) |
Saturday, December 03, 2005
Watch Out For Lead in Your Child's Jewelry
Earlier this year, I told you about lawsuits filed in California by an environmental group who discovered lunch boxes contaminated with lead more than 90 times the legal limit. Some 6 million necklaces and zipper pulls containing high and potentially toxic lead levels have been voluntarily recalled by a California company this week.
The jewelry was made in China and has been sold in grocery and drug stores around the country by Stravina Operating Co. for more than three years.
For the record, this isn't the biggest lead-based toy recall this country has seen by a long shot. Four importers supplying the lion's share of this nation's toy vending machines participating in a recall of 150 million pieces of tainted jewelry last year.
The huge concern: Children are more vulnerable to lead than adults, whose exposure to lead is primarily related to their occupation. And, even low-level exposure has been associated with hypertension,, chronic kidney disease and brain dysfunction in children.
I urge you, for the sake of your family, to learn more about how to avoid lead and other toxins by reviewing my recent and extensive list of tips.
Consumer Products Safety Commission November 30, 2005
MSNBC November 30, 2005
The jewelry was made in China and has been sold in grocery and drug stores around the country by Stravina Operating Co. for more than three years.
For the record, this isn't the biggest lead-based toy recall this country has seen by a long shot. Four importers supplying the lion's share of this nation's toy vending machines participating in a recall of 150 million pieces of tainted jewelry last year.
The huge concern: Children are more vulnerable to lead than adults, whose exposure to lead is primarily related to their occupation. And, even low-level exposure has been associated with hypertension,, chronic kidney disease and brain dysfunction in children.
I urge you, for the sake of your family, to learn more about how to avoid lead and other toxins by reviewing my recent and extensive list of tips.
Consumer Products Safety Commission November 30, 2005
MSNBC November 30, 2005
Weight Loss Ebook - Secrets Revealed - Revised Edition$19.95 This is not only a weight loss program, it is also a plan for "TOTAL HEALTH". If you want a quick fix (taking metabolism boosters, etc.), only to gain more weight when you stop, do not even consider this program. Our program is designed to change the way you think and live your life. Change is only a decision away. You can do this! If you are motivated, and truly care about taking care of your body, and you are willing to make changes in your life, then this program is for you! - E-Book Version.(WL) |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Balancing Your Hormones Without Drugs... You Can Feel Good Again$19.95 Hormone imbalance can be reversed! Look and feel better than ever, just take the time to learn about yourself and read the information contained in this just released e-book about reversing hormone imbalance. Are you ready to finally look and feel great? If so... read on... - E-Book Version.(BH) |