Human health info

Brain Foods That Help You Concentrate -2

2011-05-15T19:47:00.000-07:00

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Add a Daily Dose of Nuts and Chocolate

Nuts and seeds are good sources of the antioxidant vitamin E, which is associated with less cognitive decline as you age. Dark chocolate also has other powerful antioxidant properties. And it contains natural stimulants like caffeine, which can enhance focus and concentration.

Enjoy up to an ounce a day of nuts and dark chocolate to provide all the benefits you need without excess calories, fat, or sugar.

Add Avocados and Whole Grains

Every organ in the body depends on blood flow, especially the heart and brain. Eating a diet high in whole grains and fruits like avocados can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and lower bad cholesterol. This reduces your risk of plaque buildup and enhances blood flow, offering a simple, tasty way to fire up brain cells.

Whole grains, like popcorn and whole wheat, also contribute dietary fiber and vitamin E. Though avocados have fat, it's the good-for-you, monounsaturated fat that contributes to healthy blood flow.

Blueberries Are Super Nutritious

Research in animals shows that blueberries help protect the brain from oxidative stress and may reduce the effects of age-related conditions such as Alzheimer's disease or dementia. Studies also show that diets rich in blueberries significantly improved both the learning capacity and motor skills of aging rats, making them mentally equivalent to much younger rats.

Benefits of a Healthy Diet

It may sound trite but it's true: If your diet lacks essential nutrients, it can decrease your ability to concentrate. Eating too much or too little can also interfere with your ability to focus. A heavy meal may make you feel lethargic, while too few calories can result in distracting hunger pangs.

Benefit your brain: Strive for a well-balanced diet full of a wide variety of healthy, wholesome foods.

Vitamins, Minerals, and Supplements?

Store shelves groan with supplements claiming to boost health. Although many of the reports on the brain-boosting power of supplements like vitamins B, C, E, beta-carotene, and magnesium are promising, a supplement is only useful to people whose diets are lacking in that specific nutrient.

Researchers are cautiously optimistic about ginseng, ginkgo, and vitamin, mineral, and herb combinations and their impact on the brain.

Check with your doctor.

Get Ready for a Big Day

Want to power up your ability to concentrate? Start with a meal of 100% fruit juice, a whole grain bagel with salmon, and a cup of coffee. In addition to eating a well-balanced meal, experts also advise:

Get a good night's sleep.
Stay hydrated.
Exercise to help sharpen thinking.
Meditate to clear thinking and relax.

Source: http://www.webmd.com

Brain Foods That Help You Concentrate

2011-05-15T19:41:00.000-07:00

Ginseng, Fish, Berries, or Caffeine?

Listen to the buzz about foods and dietary supplements and you'll believe they can do everything from sharpen focus and concentration, to enhance memory, attention span, and brain function.

But do they really work? There's no denying that as we age chronologically, our body ages right along with us. The good news is that you can increase your chances of maintaining a healthy brain -- if you add "smart" foods and beverages to your diet.

Caffeine Can Make You More Alert

There's no magic bullet to boost IQ or make you smarter -- but certain substances, like caffeine, can energize and help you focus and concentrate. Found in coffee, chocolate, energy drinks, and some medications, caffeine gives you that unmistakable wake-up buzz -- though the effects are short term. And more is often less: Overdo it on caffeine and it can make you jittery and uncomfortable.

Sugar Can Enhance Alertness

Sugar is your brain's preferred fuel source -- not table sugar, but glucose, which your body metabolizes from the sugars and carbohydrates you eat. That's why a glass of something sweet to drink can offer a short-term boost to memory, thinking processes, and mental ability.

Consume too much, however, and memory can be impaired -- along with the rest of you. Go easy on the sugar so it can enhance memory, without packing on the pounds.

Eat Breakfast to Fuel Your Brain

Tempted to skip breakfast? Studies have found that eating breakfast may improve short-term memory and attention. Students who eat breakfast tend to perform significantly better than those who don’t. Foods at the top of researchers' brain fuel list include high-fiber whole grains, dairy, and fruits. Just don't overeat; researchers also found high-calorie breakfasts appear to hinder concentration.

Fish Really is Brain Food

A protein source associated with a great brain boost is fish -- rich in omega 3 fatty acids, essential for brain function and development. These healthy fats have amazing brain power: higher dietary omega 3 fatty acids are linked to lower dementia and stroke risks; slower mental decline; and may play a vital role in enhancing memory, especially as we get older.

For brain and heart health, eat two servings of fish weekly.

Add a Daily Dose of Nuts and Chocolate

Nuts and seeds are good sources of the antioxidant vitamin E, which is associated with less cognitive decline as you age. Dark chocolate also has other powerful antioxidant properties. And it contains natural stimulants like caffeine, which can enhance focus and concentration.

Enjoy up to an ounce a day of nuts and dark chocolate to provide all the benefits you need without excess calories, fat, or sugar.

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Source: http://www.webmd.com

Does Coffee Cut Breast Cancer Risk?

2011-05-11T20:32:00.000-07:00

Study Suggests Heavy Coffee Drinking May Help Reduce Risk of Certain Cancers
By Kathleen Doheny
WebMD Health News

Women who drink more than five cups of coffee a day may be reducing their risk of one type of breast cancer, new research suggests.

Previous research has produced conflicting results about coffee and breast cancer risk, says researcher Jingmei Li, PhD, of the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm.

In her new research, she found coffee drinking reduces overall breast cancer risk modestly -- by 20% -- when she considered age. "The 20% decrease in risk associated with drinking five or more cups of coffee a day was statistically significant only when adjusted for age," she tells WebMD.

When she took into account other factors, such as education level, drinking of alcohol, and hormone therapy use, she found a 57% reduction in risk for cancers known as estrogen-receptor negative cancers. This type of breast cancer is less likely to respond to hormone therapy than estrogen-receptor positive breast cancer.

However, a U.S. expert warns that the new finding about reduction in risk for ER-negative breast cancer could be due to chance. The only solid message from this study and previous ones, says Shumin Zhang, MD, ScD, a researcher at Harvard Medical School, is this: "Drinking coffee doesn’t seem to increase the overall risk of breast cancer."

A Visual Guide to Breast Cancer
Coffee Drinking and Breast Cancer Risk

The researchers from Karolinska Institutet evaluated coffee drinking and breast cancer risk in 2,818 patients with breast cancer and 3,111 study participants who did not have breast cancer.

The breast cancer patients were classified by estrogen-receptor tumor subtypes.

Breast cancer cells are termed ER-negative if they don't have receptors for estrogen. They are ER-positive if they do. Receptors are proteins on the outside surfaces of cells that can attach to hormones found in the blood. When estrogen attaches, it can fuel the growth of breast cancer cells.

Participants were ages 50 to 74, all Swedish born and residents there between October 1993 and March 31, 1995.

The researchers collected information on coffee drinking habits. They also asked about education, family history of breast cancer, menstrual history, reproductive history, and habits such as smoking, drinking alcohol, and exercising.

Coffee drinkers were grouped into four categories:

* One cup or less a day
* More than one cup and up to three cups a day
* More than three cups and up to five cups a day
* Five or more cups a day

Those who had one cup or less a day served as the reference group.
Conflicting Research

''The results are biologically plausible," Li says. Coffee has compounds that may affect breast cancer of different ER subtypes in different ways, she tells WebMD.

For instance, she says, coffee has been shown to boost blood levels of the phytoestrogen enterolactone. It is linked in other studies with a decrease in ER-negative breast cancer risk, she says.

In her own research, Zhang has found that several cups of coffee daily, overall, do not seem to pose a risk for breast cancer.

However, in research published in 2008, she found coffee intake was linked with an increased risk of ER-negative cancers -- exactly the opposite of the new study.

Li's finding that heavy coffee drinking may reduce ER-negative breast cancer risk, she says, is interesting. However, she isn't convinced. "It is unclear if this observation was a chance finding."

Source: http://www.webmd.com

Fresh Fruit Juice: Refreshing And Healthy

2011-02-24T01:17:00.000-08:00

It provides an abundance of vitamins and minerals for a stronger and healthier mind and body. However, the extent of health benefits goes beyond a daily supply of essential nutrients. Fruits and vegetables supply antioxidants. A good supply of antioxidants in the diet each day has gained in importance and recognition. Five servings of fruits and vegetables generally provide the antioxidants recommended. A glass of fresh fruit juice is a delicious way to supply 2 of those 5 servings.

Fruits and vegetables provide one of the best sources for a variety of antioxidants. Their importance in the everyday diet is well documented. Normal metabolic activities produce a waste product called free radicals. These toxic waste products could buildup in the body and cause damage to cells and tissue. Antioxidants bind to free radicals and help remove them from the body. Fruits provide a variety of different antioxidants including flavanoids, vitamin C and polyphenols all with health related benefits.

A closer look at only one amazing fruit helps identify numerous health related benefits. There is a matter of truth that one apple each day improves health dramatically and helps keep the proverbial doctor away. Apples contain pectin, a mineral that helps reduce low-density lipopolysaccharide, LDL known as bad cholesterol. Flavanoids help strengthen bones in the prevention of osteoporosis. Apples can also reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease by eliminating free radical damage in brain cells. An 8-ounce glass of apple juice each day helps strengthen bones and reduces risk of cancer, Alzheimer’s and heart disease.

A combination of fresh fruit juice from different fruits has the advantage of supplying a broader variety of nutrients and antioxidants. Mango juice is high in vitamin A, beta-carotene, and vitamin E. With a number of other antioxidants, mango reduces risk of cancer similar to apple juice. Mangos are also high in iron, a mineral important for production of healthy blood cells. Combining fresh juice from mangos and apples provide and abundance of disease preventing qualities as well as improves health.

What are some of the advantages fresh fruit juice has over eating whole fruit? Whole fruit does contain higher amounts of fiber often eliminated in the juicing process. However, fresh fruit juice also concentrates the goodness found in fruits into a simple form of consumable nutrition. It is much easier to pour a glass of juice in the morning than wash and peel and an apple or orange. Fresh juice could be purchased in different sizes that can be carried anywhere and grabbed when racing out the door.

A glass of fresh fruit juice is a great way to start each day. Fruits contain natural sugar for a morning energy boost while supplying nutrients and antioxidants. Fruit juice helps supply recommended servings of fruits and vegetables and improves overall quality of life. Copellafruitjuices.co.uk

Fresh Fruit Juice

Author: George Lee

How to pull money for rehab treatment?

2011-02-24T01:13:00.001-08:00

Money has always been a great object to many. While many struggle to arrange a day's meal others donate a picture worth of thousand dollars to the driver just because they didn't like it post purchase. Such is the depiction of contrasts in the world. Amidst these two zones we have many middle class people who are taxing day in and day out to increase that bank balance which always look dwindling. There is nothing wrong in that. The trouble is when you see that money is gushed out of drain like dirty water and when there is a dire need of it nothing remains in the kitty. Faced with this situation many either take their lives or coil themselves more.

Alcoholics don't spare a thought when they drink money along with the liquors. It is all about satisfying the need and the maddening urge of the body. What follows later is not to be worried about. Ofcourse this doesn’t endure for eternity. Families face a difficult time to arrange cash for the treatment. But then they just don't sit quietly and leave everything just because cash hasn't been arranged. Instead they try to pull all their possible resources and strings in order to pay the fees at alcohol treatment center. It becomes imperative in this situation to select alcohol rehab that is easy on the pocket.

There are many alcohol treatment center offering programs and facilities for lower income patients. You need to check that or even ask them if they have any such current program on before you admit. Since a big chunk of your savings and investment is at stake be sure to ask for subsidized rates or any tax- exemption offer. There is no harm in enquiring these friendly and committed guys who will try to help you in best possible way keeping in mind your limitations. Now doesn’t that sound a great idea?

Stay away from debts and loan out here and there if you aren`t sure whether you would be able to pay off that. Alcohol rehab got credit and finance options on the roll now a days. This can be utilized. We always have to try to find out capital and aid rather than waiting to be killed by the addiction. Internet is a great source to do the necessary homework and research. One can download tones of information regarding this if he or she is really hell-bent on walking the tight ropes of recovery.

For more information please visit:http://www.soberlanding.com

Author: Dion Silva

Ways to quit painkillers

2011-02-23T01:08:00.000-08:00

Today's man has some specific love interests- love for fast car, fast life, fast food and painkillers. Without all these life comes to a standstill. It is same in all age- groups. We do not have time to sit and relax and think whether we are heading for hell or heaven. In other words we don't even realize whether we are good to our body or we are torturing it to beyond limits. About fast car, fast food and fast life much is talked about. It leaves us with painkillers. Like children have fascination and attachment towards chocolates and toys, in the same way we have it for painkillers.

Who would go to a doctor and sit for his turn to come for check-up? Instead the best and the fastest way to get rid of the pain is gulping painkiller. Painkiller addiction is the worst thing that can happen to anyone. Many adore and admire it because of its painkilling qualities especially those who are battling to cure some sort of pain for years. This comes as a relief and they are under the impression that the drug is harmless.

Unawareness of the gross impact a lot of people get addicted to oxycontin and the treatment for oxycontin is something that is seen as unnecessary. They believe that how come one need rehab for oxycontin when the drug comes with pain relief properties. A regular check on the intake of painkillers is a must. Family members can keep a watch on the number of pills anyone is popping in at the slightest instance. If this persists for long, better to get rehab intervention. Treatment for oxycontin includes detox program. This is not something that an amateur can do. This only works well in rehab for oxycontin. Moreover there are many principles and methodology that the rehab staff employs to make the addict quit this strange but lethal addiction.

The body will go through a painful time while trying to leave oxycontin addiction. I guess the equation works in a fair manner. You have put all your efforts to curb that pain by taking these painkillers as if it's a no big deal. Nausea, cramping and restlessness are some ways through which your body tries to kick the muck accumulated inside. It shouldn't generate any fear. Thanks to rehab support quitting has become less dreadful to many. They have realized that this is the only effective way to regain sanity and normalcy.

For more information please visit: http://www.soberliving.com

Author: Dion Silva

10 Easy Steps To Clearer Skin

2011-02-23T01:00:00.000-08:00

At some stage in all our lives we want clearer, fresher, younger looking skin. Well it can be achieved without spending a lot of money and it can happen naturally! What you must do is persevere and over the course of three weeks your skin will begin to look fresher and clearer. Here's how;

1. Keeping your skin clean is your first priority! You must cleanse your face morning and night with a gentle, natural cleanser that not only rids the skin of dirt and grime but then treats it with an antibacterial ingredient like tea tree oil.

2. After cleansing the skin pat dry and then spray a fine toning mist over the face to cool and help close the pores while they are clean. Let this mist dry on the face.

3. When the toner has dried apply a very small amount of moisturizer over the entire face and neck. Look for a moisturizer that is made for problem skin types and contains antibacterial ingredients like tea tree oil and lavender essential oil. These ingredients are gentle but very effective at clearing the skin from blemishes and pimples.

4. Getting the right amount of restful sleep your body needs nightly will reflect in the state of your skin. Seven hours is generally adequate. Not enough sleep over a period of time will result in problems that are hard to cure such as loose skin under the eyes and dark circles.

5. The food you eat is of the utmost importance for healthy, clear skin! Make sure you are getting a good amount of fresh fruits and vegetables and limit your red meat intake to three or four times a week. Foods that are easily digested will help your system keep your skin nourished and promote fresh, new cell growth. Drink lots and lots of water too!

6. Cleanse the skin on your body and face with a weekly scrub. When using a body scrub start at your feet and work towards the heart, this helps eliminate toxins. Doing it the opposite direction will push the toxins back into your system. Use a very gentle facial scrub on your face and neck as these areas can be easily damaged.

7. Try an Aspirin face mask! This mask is having fantastic results on those people with open pores, pimples and acne. Crush about 15 aspirin tablets to a powder mix to a paste with a little water, less than 1 teaspoon and then apply to a cleansed face. Leave for twenty minutes to work its way into the skin and then rinse off and apply a light moisturizer. Try this weekly, after a face scrub.

8. Once a month use a home steam treatment to thoroughly draw out impurities from the face. Add boiling water to a basin or bowl and add two drops of tea tree oil. Place your face over this with a towel covering and gently let the steam open and cleanse the pores. Be careful not to let the steam burn your face. Finish with a tepid face wash.

9. Get out into the fresh air and take a walk, swim in the sea, ride a bike and have fun! The exercise will boost your system and your skin will love it.

10. Take a fish oil supplement daily. Cultures that eat a lot of fish have clearer skin and the fish oil helps eliminate toxins from the body and by now you know that is fantastic for your skin!

Author: Sophia Meria
Author Web: http://www.bestchanelhandbags.com

Flu Is Widespread in 11 States

2011-01-18T19:07:00.000-08:00

CDC Says 4 States Have a High Level of Flu Activity
By Daniel J. DeNoon
WebMD Health News

Don't put off your flu shot any longer: The winter flu season has arrived.

While only four states have high levels of flu activity, the seasonal illness is widespread across 11 states. And there's evidence of outbreaks in several U.S. cities.

Sadly, four children died of flu in the first week of January, the latest week for which CDC data is available. So far, the 2010-2011 flu season has claimed the lives of eight children. There were 282 U.S. pediatric deaths during last year's flu pandemic, 133 in the 2008-2009 season, and 88 in the 2007-2008 season.

Hospitals in 122 U.S. cities report that deaths from "pneumonia and influenza" -- a statistic that reflects flu activity -- are at the epidemic level. They've been on the upswing since just before Christmas.

While the CDC data show that flu definitely has arrived, they do not predict where, when, or even whether the disease will flare up or die down. In states with high flu activity, flu may be limited to one or two large cities. And in states with widespread flu activity, there may be few if any hot spots.

Unlike Europe, where high flu activity is mainly due to the 2009 H1N1 flu bug, the U.S. flu epidemic is mixed. Most of the flu is type A, with the old H3N2 flu bug predominant but with a good bit of 2009 H1N1 activity. About one in four cases are type B flu.

Happily, nearly all the flu cases have been caused by flu viruses included in this year's three-in-one seasonal flu vaccine.

This year, the CDC is tracking a new flu statistic: the percentage of hospitalized flu patients who have certain underlying conditions. So far this year, among people hospitalized for flu:

* 30.1% of adults have a metabolic disorder such as diabetes or thyroid dysfunction.
* 22.5% of children and 21%of adults have asthma.
* 23.7% of adults and 7.5% of children have heart or artery disease.
* 16.9% of adults are obese.
* 16.9% of adults have kidney disease.

And the CDC is also linking to a new indicator of flu activity: Google searches for flu-related topics. According to the Google/CDC indicator:

* Overall, U.S. flu activity is on the high side of moderate, and is showing a plateau after an upward trend.
* Florida has high flu activity
* Cities with high flu activity include Miami; Tampa, Fla., and Jacksonville, Fla.

But according to the CDC's more traditional tracking of the number of people seeking medical care for flu-like illness, flu activity is high in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi.

And according to state epidemiologists, flu is geographically widespread in 11 states: Alabama, Arizona, Connecticut, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.

It's not uncommon for the flu season to have several peaks before the season ends in the spring. Only one thing is for sure: A lot more Americans will get the flu before the season ends -- unless they get the flu vaccine.

Source: webmd.com

Second Breast Cancer: 3 Lifestyle Risks

2011-01-17T19:32:00.000-08:00

Study: Obesity, Drinking, and Smoking May Make a Second Breast Cancer More Likely
By Miranda Hitti
WebMD Health News

Being obese, drinking seven or more alcoholic beverages per week, and smoking may make a second breast cancer more likely, a new study shows.

The study, published in the advance online edition of the Journal of Clinical Oncology, focused on women with estrogen receptor-positive (ER-positive) breast cancer. Most breast cancers are ER-positive, which means the tumors grow when exposed to the hormone estrogen.

Data came from more than 1,000 Seattle-area breast cancer patients, including 365 women who developed a second breast cancer in their opposite breast.

The women were interviewed about their smoking and drinking; their BMI (body mass index) was noted in their medical records.

The odds of developing a second breast cancer in the opposite breast were greater for obese women, for women who drank at least seven alcoholic beverages per week, and current smokers.

"We found that obese women had a 50% increased risk, women who consumed at least one alcoholic drink per day had a 90% increased risk, and women who were current smokers had a 120% increased risk of developing a second breast cancer," researcher Christopher Li, MD, PhD, says in a news release.

Li is an associate member of the public health sciences division of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. He and his colleagues recently published a separate report about tamoxifen and the odds of developing a second breast cancer.

Li's new paper doesn't show the absolute risk of developing a second breast cancer in the opposite breast, and it doesn't include women with ER-negative breast cancer. It also doesn't prove that losing weight, quitting smoking, or cutting back on alcohol would have made a difference.

However, extra weight and alcohol use have been linked to breast cancer risk in other studies. Smoking hasn't been firmly established as a breast cancer risk, but Li's team calls that biologically plausible.

Li and colleagues also found that among women who drank at least seven alcoholic beverages per week, the odds of developing a second breast cancer in the opposite breast were about seven times higher if those women were current smokers.

An editorial published with the study asks, "So does this mean that women should be advised to lose weight and avoid alcohol and smoking after breast cancer diagnosis in order to reduce the risk of a second primary breast cancer?"

The editorialist -- Jennifer Ligibel, MD, of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School -- points out that losing extra weight and quitting smoking are healthy changes to make. But Ligibel says that because moderate alcohol use may have heart health benefits, it's "premature" to advise breast cancer patients to quit drinking entirely.

Source: webmd.com

10 Home Remedies for the Flu

2011-01-16T19:13:00.000-08:00

By David Freeman
WebMD Feature

Flu symptoms can cause a world of misery, from fever and cough to sore throat, nasal congestion, aches, and chills. But there are ways to feel better.

Prescription antiviral medications may help ease symptoms of both seasonal and H1N1 flu when taken shortly after you get sick. In many cases, however, simple home remedies may be all you need for relief of mild to moderate flu symptoms.

WebMD asked experts to suggest 10 natural remedies for flu:

1. Drink up. The flu can leave you dehydrated, especially if fever is accompanied by vomiting or diarrhea. So be sure to get enough fluids. Water is fine. So are fruit juices, soda, and electrolyte beverages. You may want to stay away from caffeinated drinks, because caffeine is a diuretic. Herbal tea with honey can soothe a sore throat. If you feel nauseated, try taking small sips of liquids -- gulps might cause you to throw up. How can you be sure you’re getting enough fluid? Your urine should be pale yellow, almost colorless.

How about drinking alcohol? No way. “When you have the flu, the last thing you want to do is drink alcohol,” says William Schaffner, MD, chairman of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, Tenn. “It makes you sleepy, and flu does that already.”

2. Sip some soup. For generations, caring parents have been serving chicken soup to kids with colds and flu. But was mom right? Possibly. A 2000 study published in the journal Chest showed that chicken soup may help relieve symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections.

“I believe that chicken soup does help with symptoms,” says Reid B. Blackwelder, MD, professor of family medicine at the James H. Quillen College of Medicine at East Tennessee State University in Kingsport. But not all doctors agree that chemistry alone explains the soup’s apparent benefits. “When you lean over a bowl of hot chicken soup and the vapor gets up your nose, you feel better,” says Schaffner. “But some [of the benefit] is clearly emotional. It just makes you feel better having someone make soup for you.”

3. Be a couch potato. The advice may be clichéd, but it’s sound: Listen to your body. If it’s telling you not to exercise, don’t. If it’s urging you to spend all day in bed, do. Don't press on with daily responsibilities even in the face of severe cold or flu symptoms. Rest is “another way of supporting the body’s ability to fight infection,” says Blackwelder.

And don’t skimp on nighttime sleep. “Good sleep cycles help the immune system work well, so it’s important to get your full eight hours of sleep each night,” says Schaffner.

4. Humidify. Breathing moist air helps ease nasal congestion and sore throat pain. One effective strategy is to indulge in a steamy shower several times a day -- or just turn on the shower and sit in the bathroom for a few minutes, inhaling the steam. Another is to use a humidifier. Clean it regularly to make sure it’s free of mold and other impurities.

5. Pitch a tent. Need a quick way to open clogged airways? Bring a pot of water to a boil and remove it from the heat. Drape a towel over your head, close your eyes, and lean over the water under the “tent,” breathing deeply through your nose for 30 seconds. David Kiefer, MD, clinical instructor of family medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle, recommends adding a drop or two of peppermint or eucalyptus oil to the water for extra phlegm-busting power. Repeat this as often as necessary to ease congestion. People with asthma should not use this method of decongestion.

6. Try a warm compress. On the forehead and nose, a warm cloth is a great way to relieve headache or sinus pain.

7. Be a sucker. Cough drops, throat lozenges, and hard candy can be surprisingly effective at easing a cough or sore throat. Some doctors, including Kiefer, swear by lozenges containing slippery elm. Others recommend zinc lozenges to help shorten cold symptoms -- though Schaffner is not convinced of their effectiveness. “If there is an effect [against colds and flu], it’s a small one,” he says. “I wish their effect were as good as their taste is bad.”

8. Swish and spit. Gargling with salt water helps get rid of the thick mucus that can collect at the back of the throat, especially after you've been lying down. It can also help ease stuffy ears by opening clogged eustachian tubes, Kiefer tells WebMD in an email.

9. Try nasal irrigation. To ease stuffiness and post-nasal drip -- and perhaps cut the risk of developing a sinus infection -- some doctors recommend nasal irrigation. You can buy a neti pot in natural foods stores and some drugstores, or opt for a saline squeeze bottle. You pour salt water into one nostril and let it run out the other, clearing out your nasal passages. You can buy pre-made saline solution or make it by mixing salt and lukewarm water.

10. Line up a caregiver. A caregiver can’t lower your temperature or cure a sore throat, but “having someone to tuck you into bed and bring you fluids is very comforting,” says Blackwelder. If a friend or family member offers to help, even if it’s only to stop by and check in on you, count your blessings -- and take them up on it.

Source: http://www.webmd.com

Where You Live Is a Factor in Hypertension

2011-01-15T19:20:00.000-08:00

Study Shows High Blood Pressure Incidence Is Linked to Location, Gender, and Race
By Katrina Woznicki
WebMD Health News

Race, place, and gender appear to be strongly associated with high blood pressure, a major risk for heart disease and stroke, according to new data.

A 20-year study involving more than 3,400 young, initially healthy adults in four urban areas found that the risk of developing high blood pressure was higher in the South compared to the North; hypertension rates were highest in African-American women and lowest in white women.

Understanding which regions and populations are at greatest risk could help experts target better interventions for these groups.

Researchers led by Deborah A. Levine, MD, MPH, assistant professor of internal medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor, analyzed data from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study. This study included information on black and white men and women who were between the ages of 18 and 30 during 1985 and 1986, when the study began, and who lived in Birmingham, Ala.; Chicago; Minneapolis, Minn.; or Oakland, Calif.

The participants were followed for the next 20 years to see who developed high blood pressure. The groups were matched for race, gender, and initial health status.

Even after taking account many of the lifestyle factors that are known to contribute to high blood pressure -- such as obesity, smoking, family history, and physical activity -- geography, race, and gender were still independently associated with a higher incidence of high blood pressure.

Tracking Blood Pressure by Geography, Race, and Gender

Among the researchers’ findings:

* High blood pressure was more likely to affect African-Americans compared with whites, and the highest rates were seen in African-American women. By the end of the study, 37.6% of African-American women and 34.5% of African-American men had developed hypertension, whereas the rates were lower in white men at 21.4% and lowest among white women at 12.3%.
* Birmingham, Ala., had the highest incidence of hypertension at 33.6% and Minneapolis, Minn., had the lowest at 19%. High blood pressure incidence was 27.4% in Oakland, Calif., and 23.4% in Chicago.

The results are published in the January 2011 issue of Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association.

Cardiovascular disease-related deaths dropped by 65% between 1968 and 2006. Heart disease, however, remains the most common cause of death, and there are pockets of the U.S. as well as certain groups of people in which the risk for cardiovascular disease remains high. According to the American Heart Association, based on 2006 data, more than 81 million people in the U.S. have one or more forms of cardiovascular disease; more than 73 million have high blood pressure.

Researchers have questioned whether socioeconomic factors play a role in cardiovascular disease risk and why disparities in cardiovascular disease rates exist between geographical regions and groups of people. Levine and her colleagues note that high blood pressure may account for up to 44% of the cardiovascular disease disparity between whites and African-Americans.

“Where you live, your race, and your gender strongly influence your risk of developing high blood pressure as you move from young adulthood into middle age -- and hypertension is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke,” Levine says in a news release. “The gaps may be widening, particularly for blacks. The reasons for the variations are not clear.”

Until more is known, Levine says, “People at higher risk can benefit from close monitoring of their blood pressure and paying attention to risk factors such as obesity and [lack of] physical activity.”

Source: webmd.com

Artificial Sweeteners and Diabetes

2011-01-14T19:45:00.000-08:00

Is it possible for someone with diabetes to eat sweets? The answer is "yes." Artificial sweeteners for diabetes patients is one strategy you can use. But which artificial sweeteners are OK? How should you use them?
What Is an Artificial Sweetener?

You may hear many names for sweeteners: sugars, reduced-calorie sweeteners, low-calorie sweeteners. Only some of these sweeteners are "artificial." Use this list to compare sweeteners:

* Sugars are naturally occurring carbohydrates. They contain calories and raise your blood glucose levels -- the level of sugar in your blood. Examples are brown sugar, cane sugar, confectioner's sugar, fructose, honey, and molasses.
* Reduced-calorie sweeteners are sugar alcohols. These sweeteners have about half the calories of sugars and are considered a separate type of carbohydrates. They can raise your blood sugar levels, although not as much as other carbohydrates. Examples include isomalt, maltitol, mannitol, sorbitol, and xylitol. You'll often find these reduced-calorie sweeteners in sugar-free candy and gum.
* Low-calorie sweeteners are "artificial." This means they were created in a lab rather than found naturally. Low-calorie sweeteners are considered "free foods." They have no calories and do not raise your blood sugar levels.

Types of Artificial Sweeteners for Diabetes Patients

What are the best artificial sweeteners for diabetics? The FDA has approved these low-calorie sweeteners for diabetic nutrition. It considers them to be safe for use by the general public. The American Diabetes Association also recommends their use.

* Saccharin can be found as Sweet 'N Low and Sugar Twin. You can use it in both hot and cold foods. Avoid this sweetener if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
* Aspartame is found as NutraSweet and Equal. You can use it in both cold and warm foods. It may lose some sweetness at high temperatures. People who have a condition called phenylketonuria should avoid this sweetener.
* Acesulfame potassium or acesulfame-K is found as Sweet One, Swiss Sweet, and Sunett. You can use it in both cold and hot foods, including in baking and cooking.
* Sucralose is found as Splenda. You can use it in hot and cold foods, including in baking and cooking. Processed foods often contain it.

Finding Artificial Sweeteners for Diabetes Patients in Prepared Foods

No sugar, low-sugar, naturally sweetened, no added sugar -- the list of what you encounter on products while shopping can be overwhelming. Use this "cheat sheet" to identify which products are sweetened the way you want them.

* No sugar means the product does not contain sugar at all. It may contain sugar alcohols or artificial sweeteners.
* No added sugar means that during processing, no extra sugar was added. However, the original source might have contained sugar such as fructose in fruit juice. Additional sweeteners such as sugar alcohols or artificial sweeteners might have been added.
* Sugar free means that the product contains no sugars. It may contain sugar alcohols or artificial sweeteners, however.
* Dietetic can mean a lot of things. It's likely that the product has reduced calories.
* All natural simply means that the product does not contain artificial ingredients. It may contain natural sweeteners, such as sugars or sugar alcohol.

When in Doubt, Read the Nutrition Label

To know for sure what kind of sweetener a food product contains, check the Nutrition Facts label. Under the Carbohydrate section, you can see how many carbohydrates the product contains. You can also see how much of these carbohydrates are in the form of sugar or sugar alcohol.

For even more information on diabetic nutrition, read the Ingredients list. It should indicate any added sweeteners, whether they are sugars, sugar alcohols, or artificial.
Remember Your Goal for Using Artificial Sweeteners for Diabetes Patients

By understanding more about artificial sweeteners and diabetes, you will be able to make better food choices. Artificial sweeteners give you another strategy to help you balance pleasure from eating with good blood sugar control.

Source: webmd.com

Sitting for Too Long Is Bad for Your Health

2011-01-12T19:18:00.000-08:00

Taking Even Short Breaks From Sitting Is Good for Your Heart, Waist
By Siobhan Harris
WebMD Health News

We all know that regular exercise is good for our health and too much sitting isn’t ideal. Now a new study suggests it’s not just the length of time we spend sitting down but the number of times we get up during that time that can influence our health.

The study, published online in the European Heart Journal, examined the total length of time people spent sitting down and breaks taken in that time, together with various indicators of risk for heart disease, metabolic diseases such as diabetes, and inflammatory processes that can play a role in the blocking of arteries.

It suggests that plenty of breaks, even if they are as short as one minute, seem to be beneficial.
Take a Break to Slim Your Waist

The Australian research found that long periods of sitting down, even in people who did a lot of exercise otherwise, were associated with worse indicators of cardio-metabolic function and inflammation, such as larger waist circumferences, lower levels of HDL ("good") cholesterol, and higher levels of C-reactive protein (an important marker of inflammation) and triglycerides (blood fats).

However, the study also found that even in people who spent a long time sitting down, the more breaks they took during this time, the smaller their waists and the lower the levels of C-reactive protein.

Genevieve Healy, MD, from the University of Queensland led the study.

“The most significant differences were observed for waist circumference," she says. "The top 25% of people who took the most breaks had, on average, a 4.1 cm smaller waist circumference than those in the lowest 25%."

The dangers of being too big around the middle are well-documented.

According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, high-risk waist circumferences are:

* Over 40 inches for men.
* Over 35 inches for women.

Healy and her colleagues analyzed earlier U.S. data from nearly 5,000 people aged 20 and over.

The participants wore a small device called an accelerometer, which monitored the amount and intensity of walking or running.

It gave researchers information on sedentary time and breaks in sedentary time.
Small Changes Help

"The potential adverse health impact of prolonged sitting (which is something that we do on average for more than half of our day), is only just being realized," Healy says. "Our research highlights the importance of considering prolonged sedentary time as a distinct health risk behavior that warrants explicit advice in future public health guidelines.”

The study suggests even small changes could help, like standing up to take phone calls, walking to see a colleague rather than phoning or emailing, and centralizing trash cans and printers so you have to walk to them.

Amy Thompson, Senior Cardiac Nurse at the British Heart Foundation, says in a statement, “This study was a very interesting read and adds to well established evidence that long periods of inactivity are not good for the heart.

“If you’re sitting for long periods it’s really important you take regular breaks by getting up on your feet. Regular physical activity is essential to protect cardiovascular health.”

Source: http://www.webmd.com

Brain & Nervous System Health Center

2011-01-11T19:53:00.000-08:00

Gabrielle Giffords' Brain Injury: FAQ
Can Giffords Recover From Point-Blank Gunshot to Head?
By Daniel J. DeNoon
WebMD Health News

Although Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords remains in critical condition, it appears she may survive a point-blank gunshot wound to the head.

How is this possible? What can surgeons do? What are Giffords' chances of recovery -- and what will recovery mean?

To answer these and other questions, WebMD consulted prominent medical experts with experience in dealing with brain injuries, including gunshot wounds. None of these experts is treating Giffords, and none has access to her medical records.

These experts include:

* Eugene S. Flamm, MD, professor and chairman of the department of neurological surgery at Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center in New York.
* Keith L. Black, MD, professor and chairman of the department of neurosurgery and director of the Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
* Nina Zeldis, PhD, a specialist in rehabilitation medicine, formerly of Tel Aviv University in Israel, now in private practice.
* David Langer, director of cerebrovascular research at Cushing Neuroscience Institute in Great Neck, N.Y.
* Alan Manevitz, MD, a family psychiatrist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York. He has worked with many disaster victims, including those involved in Hurricane Katrina and the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

What part of Gabrielle Giffords' brain was injured?

The precise nature of Giffords' wound has not been made public. What is known is that a 9 mm bullet fired point-blank at the left rear of her head passed directly through the brain and exited the left front of her head.

That part of the brain controls vision, language, and the ability to move the right side of the body. All of these functions are at risk, notes Keith L. Black, MD.

"The physicians in Arizona indicated that the wound was away from these critical structures," Black says. "Based on those comments, that is a positive side for the congresswoman."

The bullet did not pass from the left side of the brain to the right side of the brain. That almost certainly would have done far more damage, Black notes.
How bad is Giffords' brain injury?

It's a very, very serious wound. About 90% of people shot in the head do not survive, David Langer says.

But there is much reason for hope in Giffords' case.

Giffords' neurosurgeon, Michael Lemole, MD, says his patient is able to understand simple commands -- such as "Show me two fingers," and "Wiggle your toes" -- and to perform these tasks.

This is heartening news, says Eugene S. Flamm, MD.

"The fact that she is being described as able to follow commands, when they lighten up on her medications, that is encouraging," Flamm says. "But I don't know whether this injury means she is paralyzed on the right side: That is a very important issue. If she is not moving her right side, that makes it hard to imagine good recovery."

Source: http://www.webmd.com/brain/news/20110109/gabrielle-giffords-brain-injury-faq

BMJ Declares Vaccine-Autism Study 'an Elaborate Fraud'

2011-01-09T18:41:00.000-08:00

1998 Lancet Study Not Bad Science but Deliberate Fraud, Claims Journal
By Nicky Broyd
WebMD Health News

The medical journal BMJ has declared the 1998 Lancet study that implied a link between the MMR vaccine and autism “an elaborate fraud.”

Fiona Godlee, MD, BMJ's editor in chief, says in a news release, “The MMR scare was based not on bad science but on a deliberate fraud” and that such “clear evidence of falsification of data should now close the door on this damaging vaccine scare.”
MMR-Autism Study

In 1998, the Lancet published a research paper by Andrew Wakefield, MD, and colleagues suggesting a connection between the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine and bowel disease and autism. It received worldwide media coverage and led many people, especially parents, to question the safety of the vaccine.

In 2004, 10 of the 13 authors of the research paper retracted their interpretation of their findings.

In January 2010, the UK's General Medical Council (GMC) ruled that Wakefield had acted “dishonestly and irresponsibly.”

The Lancet retracted the paper in February 2010, accepting that the claims made in it were false.

In May 2010, Wakefield was found guilty of serious professional misconduct by the GMC and was struck off the medical register.
Accusations of Fraud

In a series of three articles, the BMJ reveals what it says is the true extent of the scam behind the scare. The series is based on interviews, documents, and data collected during seven years of inquiries by award-winning investigative journalist Brian Deer.

Thanks to the recent publication of the General Medical Council’s hearings transcript, the BMJ was able to peer-review and check Deer’s findings and confirm extensive falsification in the Lancet paper.

Seven years after he first looked into the MMR scare, Deer shows how Wakefield was able to manufacture the appearance of a medical syndrome, while not only in receipt of large sums of money, but also scheming businesses that promised him more.

The first of the BMJ articles says Wakefield’s fraud “unleashed fear, parental guilt, costly government intervention, and outbreaks of infectious disease.”
Vaccination Levels

MMR vaccination rates in the United States were at 90% in 2009, according to the most current statistics from the CDC. These rates are still below the 95% level recommended by the World Health Organization.
Diverted Resources

In an editorial, Godlee, BMJ Deputy Editor Jane Smith, and leading pediatrician and Associate Editor Harvey Marcovitch conclude that there is “no doubt” that it was Wakefield who perpetrated this fraud. They say: “A great deal of thought and effort must have gone into drafting the paper to achieve the results he wanted: the discrepancies all led in one direction; misreporting was gross.”

Yet he has repeatedly denied doing anything wrong, they add. “Instead, although now disgraced and stripped of his clinical and academic credentials, he continues to push his views. Meanwhile the damage to public health continues.”

But they say perhaps as important as the scare’s effect on infectious disease is the energy, emotion, and money that have been diverted away from efforts to understand the real causes of autism and how to help children and families who live with it.
Wakefield Responds

Wakefield told CNN his work has been "grossly distorted" and claims he’s been the target of "a ruthless, pragmatic attempt to crush any attempt to investigate valid vaccine safety concerns."

Source: http://www.webmd.com

5 Exercises for Better Sex

2011-01-04T20:08:00.000-08:00

By Wendy C. Fries
Reviewed By Louise Chang, MD

Better sex: Infomercials promise it. Magazines, too. There are love universities for it, and more how-to videos than you can count. And, of course, it all comes at a price.

Wouldn't it be nice if it were easy to improve your sex life, for free? Actually, you can get more sizzle in sex, and all you have to do is get a little sweaty -- with exercise.

But wait, there's more!

You and your partner can actually double your sexual satisfaction. Though the following exercises for better sex are geared toward men, they work great for women wanting a sexy boost, too. So what are you waiting for?

All kidding aside, guys, some exercise really can give your sex life a lift. As a bonus, exercise also ramps up your muscle tone, strength, and sexual endurance. So which exercises can help put the vroom back in your bedroom?

5 Exercises for Better Sex

To "keep your sex life awesome," exercise physiologist Rich Weil, MEd, CDE suggests these top five "sexercises."

* Pushups. If you're going to pick just one exercise to do, this is the one to go for, Weil says, "for all the obvious reasons."

If you can’t do basic training-quality pushups at first, start with wall presses (essentially pushups done against the wall), aiming for 3 sets of 12-15 repetitions. When you're ready, progress to knee pushups on the floor, making sure to keep your back straight while you slowly touch your nose to the ground. Once you're ready to kick it up a notch, progress to traditional hand-and-toe pushups.

* Abdominals. After pushups, your abs are the next most critical sex-boosting body area, says Weil, director of the New York Obesity Research Center Weight Loss Program at St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital Center, and an exercise and fitness expert on WebMD’s message boards. "After all, you have to use your abdominal muscles during sex."

Weil suggests starting your ab workout with good old-fashioned crunches. Lie on your back, hands supporting your neck, knees bent and your feet on the floor, then bring your body up just enough to get your shoulders off the ground. Do 3-5 sets of 15-20 repetitions.

For additional ab oomph, Weil suggests men and women also do bridges (lying on your back, knees bent, lift your hips up and down; 3 sets of 15 reps). Men can also try pelvic tilts (standing up or lying down, straighten your lower back and pull your belly button in until your lower back touches the wall or floor), while women can try Kegels (contract your pelvic muscles (the ones you'd use to stop the flow of urine); squeeze the muscles tight for 3 seconds, then relax for 3 seconds. Do 10-15 repetitions, three times a day).

* Deadlifts. This exercise will keep your back as strong as it can be, says Weil, and give your legs and torso a workout, too. Deadlifts, where you raise a weighted barbell or dumbbells from the ground, starting in a neutral bent-over position, is easy to do -- and easy to do wrong, so technique is important, according to the American Council on Exercise. Get some pro tips online or at your gym to be sure you're getting the most out of doing deadlifts.
* Torso side bends and twists. And to get the most from this exercise, as well as the next one, head to the gym. The effort is worth it, because torso side bends and twists will keep your upper body strong, says Weil, and give you stamina. "Do them on the cable crossover machine for maximum effect."
* Pushing or pulling exercise in the gym. While you're at the gym, rows, flyes and lateral raises on that same cable crossover machine will do a great job for your performance in the bedroom, says Weil. Remember to get a few quick tips from a pro on how to do these exercises most effectively.

OK, so great muscle tone, more endurance, and better sex: What's not to love? But wait, there really is more. If you want even more sizzle, exercise for 20 minutes right before sex and Weil promises "you’ll never do better!"

Yep, Even More Tips for Better Sex

If pushups, crunches, and deadlifts aren't your idea of a sweaty good time, you've still got plenty of exercise options to keep things steamy.

Pick your pleasure: Rather walk, swim, or jog? How about Pilates or yoga? Maybe you prefer biking or skiing? Great, because, barring any health problems, cardiovascular exercise of any kind is a great way to stimulate your sex life, says Paul Frediani, ACSM, certified fitness coach, and co-author of Sex Flex: The Way to Enhanced Intimacy and Pleasure.

But you'll want to avoid the weekend warrior syndrome to get the most bang for your exercise buck, so aim for a workout five times a week for 30 minutes each time. Get your blood pumping regularly and the payoff is simple: endurance, more strength to hold positions, and the flexibility to hold them in comfort. Now that's sexy.
Bonus: Better Erections, Too?

Sure, we've already sold you on the benefits of exercise, but here's a bonus at no extra charge: Exercise may help beat erectile dysfunction, too. One study showed that in men over 50 years of age, physically active men had a 30% lower risk of erectile dysfunction than sedentary men. Studies also show a strong link between obesity and ED.

In fact, people who exercise often have a better body image than sedentary people, which can help them feel more sexually appealing. "One study found that 80% of men and 60% of females who exercised two to three times a week felt their sexual desirability was above average," Weil tells WebMD.

Want to have sex like you're 20 years younger? Weil cites a study that showed swimmers in their 60s have sex lives comparable to people in their 40s, while other research found that in men and women over 55, high levels of sexual activity were associated with higher degrees of fitness than in younger sedentary people.

"Although there can be many factors to exercise and sexual activity, what some studies suggest is that people who are fit and active have more sex than sedentary people." The bottom line? "Being strong and flexible with lots of endurance will put the spunk into sex for you and your partner," Weil says.

And don't forget to develop the most important muscle of all. "Sex begins with the muscle between the ears," says Frediani, "not the muscles in your abs, arms, or thighs. If you feel healthy and have a positive body imagine you will have a better sex life."

Source: http://men.webmd.com

HIV Cured in Berlin Patient

2010-12-18T23:21:00.000-08:00

By Daniel J. DeNoon
WebMD Feature

he first and only person ever to be cured of HIV/AIDS is a leukemia patient treated in Berlin with HIV-resistant stem cells.

Although the Berlin patient was treated in 2007, researchers are only now officially using the word "cure." That's because extensive tests -- including analyses of tissues from his brain, gut, and other organs -- detect no sign of lingering HIV.

Few people with HIV would want to go through the grueling and life-threatening cancer treatment that was part of this cure. And so far, the cure has not been duplicated in other HIV-positive leukemia patients who underwent similar treatment.

Yet the finding already has transformed AIDS research. What really happened? What does this mean for people who have HIV/AIDS? Here are WebMD's answers to these and other questions about the first HIV cure.

Sourch: www.webmd.com

Smoking Will Never Be This Convenient Without Smokebot Chicago Electronic Cigarettes

2010-12-18T23:15:00.000-08:00

Choices in life can either fail us or make us successful. In everything that we do, we should put convenience in mind. There is nothing more convenient in choosing the newest and most high state of the art electronic cigarettes and accessories in the market today: Smokebot Chicago electronic cigarettes.

Smokebot Chicago electronic cigarettes are the latest smoking alternative brought to us by technology. It is the most advanced electronic cigarette available these days. It has soft tip cartridge, the latest state of the art technology that really looks like the real tobacco cigarette. It is powered by a lithium ion battery called "bots", and has an indicator light for one to gauge if it needs recharging. The cartridge or the "smoke" has a customized chamber to house the liquid nicotine solution. When this cartridge is fastened to its battery, the solution is heated up and turns it into vapor. You simply have to sip in the vapor and puff it out the way you do a real cigarette.

Smokebot Chicago electronic cigarettes have a charger pack exclusively compatible to the Smokebot soft tip electronic cigarette. It has an indicator for you to know if it is charging and when you needed to recharge it. An additional feature is a flashlight at the bottom of it in case of darkness. It also includes other accessories such as wall charge with USB cord, USB charger, and car charger attachment.

Not only that, it also comes in five different flavors. The traditional tobacco flavor for those smokers wishing to taste the smooth blend of tobacco, the mountain menthol is for people who love to feel the cool mountain breeze, the jolt juice is for people who are always on the go to have a bit of a jolt, the very vanilla is for people who love the sweet vanilla bean flavor, and for the coffee enthusiasts, the mocha mist is just right for you to savor the aroma of a roasted robust coffee bean. If one wishes to taste all of the five flavors in one purchasing, Smokebot electronic cigarettes are offering a variety pack for you to enjoy.

What makes it more convenient is it has no pungent odor which makes it possible for you to smoke in places where smoking is prohibited. You can smoke anywhere and anytime you want.

Source: www.articlesbase.com

Ginger May Soothe Aching Muscles

2010-09-21T20:58:00.000-07:00

Daily Dose of Ginger May Act as Pain Reliever

By Jennifer Warner
WebMD Health News

Ginger's soothing properties may not be limited to the stomach. A new study shows that ginger may also be an effective pain reliever for sore muscles.

Ginger has been a favorite remedy of Chinese medicine for centuries and is often used to treat nausea and upset stomach. However, researchers say, it hasn't been widely studied as a pain reliever until now.
Daily Ginger Supplement for Muscle Pain

The study, published in The Journal of Pain, showed a daily dose of ginger eased muscle pain caused by exercise-induced muscle injury. In two separate experiments, researchers looked at the effects of two grams of raw or heat-treated ginger in supplement form on muscle pain caused by exercise in 74 healthy adults. The participants performed a variety of exercises designed to induce muscle pain over a period of 11 days while taking ginger supplements or a dummy pill.

"Daily consumption of raw or heat-treated ginger resulted in moderate-to-large reductions in muscle pain following exercise-induced muscle injury," write researcher Christopher D. Black, of the department of kinesiology at Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville, and colleagues.
Raw or Heat-Treated Ginger?

The results showed that raw and heat-treated ginger reduced muscle pain by 25% and 23%, respectively.

Researchers say previous studies in animals have shown that ginger has anti-inflammatory properties, which might help explain its beneficial effects on muscle pain.

Although some studies have suggested that heat treatment may enhance ginger's impact on pain, researchers say their findings show heat treatment had little effect on ginger's effectiveness as a pain reliever.

Source: http://www.webmd.com

Early Detection and Better Treatment Are Factors in Decline in Cancer Deaths

2010-07-11T22:46:00.000-07:00

By Bill Hendrick
WebMD Health News

Death rates for cancer are continuing a slow but steady decline in the U.S., due mainly to improved efforts at early detection, better treatments, and smoking cessation, the American Cancer Society (ACS) says in a new report.

Death rates for all cancers combined decreased 2% per year from 2001 to 2006 in males and 1.5% annually from 2002 to 2006 in females, the ACS says.

The report says lung, prostate, and colorectal cancers in men and lung, breast, and colorectal cancers in women continue to be the most common fatal cancers, accounting for about half of the total cancer deaths among men and women.

The ACS estimates that prostate, lung, and colorectal cancers will account for 52% of all newly diagnosed cases in 2010 in men. In women, breast, lung, and colorectal cancers will account for 52% of new diagnoses this year.

The ACS estimates that more than 1.5 million new cancer cases -- 789,620 in men and 739,940 in women -- will be diagnosed in 2010. It estimates that 569,490 people will die of cancer this year.

The annual rates of decline might seem small or modest, but they add up to significant drops, David Sampson, spokesman for the ACS, tells WebMD.

Other findings in the report:

* Prostate cancer will account for 28% of the new cases of cancers in men.
* Breast cancer is expected to account for 28% of all new cases in women.
* Cancer incidence rates decreased in men 1.3% per year from 2000 to 2006, and 0.5% in women annually from 1998 to 2006.
* Lung cancer incidence rates have been declining 1.8% annually in men since 1991 and appear to be leveling off in women after increasing for decades.
* Colorectal cancer incidence rates dropped markedly from 1998 through 2006, by 3% annually in men and 2.2% in women.
* Lung cancer will remain the leading cause of cancer death in men and women, followed by prostate cancer for men and breast cancer for women.

Assess Your Risk for the 5 Most Common Cancers

Building on Past Success

"This report is yet more proof that we are creating a world with more birthdays," says John R. Seffrin, PhD, chief executive of the ACS. "We will build on our progress in the fight against cancer through laws and policies that increase access to cancer prevention, early detection and treatment services, and with a sustained federal investment in research designed to find breakthroughs in the prevention and treatment of the most deadly forms of cancer."

The numbers come from Cancer Statistics 2010, published online in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.

The report also says that:

* Cancer is the second leading cause of death among children between ages 1 to 14, after accidents.
* The five-year relative survival rate among children for all cancers combined improved from 58% for patients diagnosed in 1975 to 1977 to 81% for those diagnosed in 1999-2005.

The ACS says a decline in cancer mortality rates over the past 16 years has averted more than 767,000 deaths.

"Not all of this was due to some remarkable breakthrough in medical treatment, although some of it certainly is due to better cancer care," writes Leonard Lichtenfeld, MD, MACP, deputy chief medical officer of the national office of the American Cancer Society, on his blog.

"Much of it has to do with stopping smoking, or not starting for that matter, especially among men," he writes. "Much of it has to do with better screening and early detection of breast and colorectal cancer, and perhaps prostate cancer. Some of it may have to do with lifestyle changes, such as increased awareness of the importance of exercise and diet in reducing cancer risk."

Source: WebMD Health News

Poverty Does Not Mean Unhappiness

2010-07-06T20:12:00.000-07:00

Money Boosts Life Satisfaction, but Not Necessarily Positive Feelings, Study Finds
By Bill Hendrick
WebMD Health News

All over the world, life satisfaction rises with income, but income is not necessarily highly correlated with positive feelings and enjoying yourself, new research indicates.

An analysis of findings from a study of 136,000 people in 132 countries also suggests that there is no single prescription for happiness, which depends on many factors, including local culture and expectations.

The findings from the data, gathered in the first Gallup World Poll, are published in the July issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

“The public always wonders: Does money make you happy?” Ed Diener, PhD, professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Illinois and a senior scientist with the Gallup Organization, says in a news release. “This study shows that it all depends on how you define happiness, because if you look at life satisfaction, how you evaluate your life as a whole, you see a pretty strong correlation around the world between income and happiness.”

However, he says in a news release, “it’s pretty shocking how small the correlation is with positive feelings and enjoying yourself.”
Money, Happiness, and Satisfaction

The pollsters asked people questions on a wide range of topics, including whether their basic needs were met, what kinds of conveniences they owned, and whether their psychological needs were met.

Participants were also asked about positive and negative emotions experienced the previous day, whether they felt respected, had family and friends they could count on in an emergency, and how free they felt to choose their daily activities.

Diener says positive feelings are much more associated with factors such as whether they feel respected, have autonomy, and if their jobs are fulfilling.

“Everybody has been looking at just life satisfaction and income,” he says. “And while it is true that getting richer will make you more satisfied with your life, it may not have the big impact we thought on enjoying life.”

Among findings:

* The United States had the highest income but ranked 16th in life satisfaction and 26th on positive feelings.
* Denmark ranks high across categories. The country ranked No. 1 on life satisfaction, seventh on positive feelings, and fifth in income.
* Extremely impoverished countries in Africa generally scored low on various categories, but no nation came in lowest in all types of happiness.
* Israel ranks high on life satisfaction (11th) but much lower in positive feelings.
* South Korea is a relatively wealthy country ranking 24th in income, but ranking 58th in positive feelings.
* Some nations such as Costa Rica and New Zealand are happier than their income levels would suggest. Costa Rica ranks 41st in income but fourth in positive feelings, while New Zealand ranks 22nd in incomes but first in positive feelings.
* Some mid-level countries such as Costa Rica do well and some like South Korea less well “in part because of the quality of social relationships,” Diener says in emailed responses to questions from WebMD.
* Self-esteem is more important to happiness in the U.S. than in “traditional” cultures.

Poverty Does Not Mean Unhappiness

Diener says Danes are happier mainly for two reasons -- social trust is very high, and corruption is considered low. Also, people in Denmark are more satisfied with “their economic safety net” than people in the U.S., Diener says.

Also, factors that influence feelings of well-being vary from country to country, he says.

Diener says the study “clearly shows” that there is no single prescription for happiness.

Money, he says, no more guarantees happiness than cigarette smoking guarantees cancer, but they increase the chances.

In studies of poor people, researchers find that some are happy, in part because their needs are met.

“We have interviewed happy people in the slums of Calcutta and they can be relatively happy, although dissatisfied with their poverty, because they are rich in family and friends,” he says.

Money makes a bigger difference to happiness among poor people, but it takes a lot more additional money to change the happiness of a person who is well-off, Diener says.

Source: http://www.webmd.com/balance/news/20100701/can-money-buy-happiness?page=2

Baby Einstein: Can baby DVDs promote infant development?

2010-06-16T00:02:00.000-07:00

Baby DVDs, such as Baby Einstein, may catch your baby's attention, but screen time isn't likely to promote his or her development. In fact, an infant can learn just as much — if not more — by interacting with you or other caregivers.

Research examining the specific effects of baby DVDs and other infant programming is limited. In a 2007 study, children ages 8 months to 16 months learned six to eight fewer new words for every hour of screen time a day than did babies who had no screen time. In a 2009 study of children ages 2 months to 4 years, turning on the television reduced verbal interaction between parents and children — which may delay language development. In contrast, research has shown that reading to young children once a day has the opposite effect, boosting language ability for both babies and toddlers.

Many pediatricians discourage screen time for children younger than age 2. Instead of relying on Baby Einstein DVDs, concentrate on proven ways to promote infant development — such as talking, playing, singing and reading to your baby. Even if your baby doesn't understand what you're saying or grasp the plot of a story, he or she will soak in your words and revel in your attention. These simple activities form the foundation for speech and thought.

Still, baby DVDs such as Baby Einstein aren't necessarily off-limits. If your family enjoys this kind of programming, turn it on only occasionally — and encourage interaction by watching the programming together.

Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/baby-einstein/AN01990

Walk Your Dog to Unleash Better Health

2010-06-08T20:18:00.000-07:00

Pet Owners Reap Big Health Benefits From Regular Walks With the Dog, Study Says
By Charlene Laino
WebMD Health News

Walking your dog not only can help keep you physically fit and at a healthy weight, but also may help ward off high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

"Dog owners who don't walk their dog are missing a great opportunity to get physical activity and stay healthy," says researcher Cindy Lentino, MS, an exercise scientist at George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services.

"If you walk your dog just 30 minutes a day, you can meet national recommendations for physical activity," she tells WebMD.

You don't have to look far to find a canine exercise buddy: About 72 million dogs have a place to call home in the U.S. and many more live in shelters, foster homes, and with rescue groups.

The study was presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) in Baltimore.

Fitness Buddies: Exercising With Your Dog
Dog Owners Less Stressed

Lentino says she got the idea for the study, which was part of her master's thesis, after hearing a presentation about the relationship between dog ownership and physical activity at a previous ACSM meeting.

"I wanted to go beyond that and look at health variables among people who walk their dogs, dog owners who don't walk their dogs, and people without dogs," Lentino says.

The study involved 916 healthy people, about three-fourths of whom were women, with an average age of 40.

A total of 380 didn't own dogs, 399 were dog owners who walked their dogs, and 137 were dog owners who did not walk their dogs.

All the study participants filled out detailed online surveys with more than 35 questions on physical activity and physical and mental health. Responses were matched against goals set by the government's Healthy People 2010 imitative.
Dog Walkers More Physically Fit

Compared with participants who regularly walked their four-legged pals, dog owners who didn't walk their pets:

* Were 58% more likely to be overweight or underweight.
* Were substantially less likely to meet the ACSM/American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines for physical activity, which call for moderately intense cardio exercise at least 30 minutes a day, five days a week. That means working hard enough to raise your heart rate and break a sweat, yet still being able to carry on a conversation.
* Spent about 30 more minutes sitting around every day, on average.
* Were more than twice as likely to have high blood pressure.

When matched against people who didn't own a dog, the dog walkers:

* Were 11% less likely to use tobacco products.
* Had about one-third the risk of diabetes.
* Were about 15% less likely to have high blood pressure and about 30% less likely to have high cholesterol.
* Were about 35% less likely to have symptoms of depression.

Just owning a dog was associated with better social support systems, Lentino says.

AHA spokesman Barry Franklin, PhD, director of preventive cardiology at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Mich., tells WebMD that several studies have shown that heart disease patients who have dogs have a better prognosis.

Source: http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/news/20100608/walk-your-dog-to-unleash-better-health

Boost From Coffee Is Just an illusion

2010-06-05T22:18:00.000-07:00

Study Suggests the 'Alert' Feeling From Drinking Coffee May Not Be Real

By Tim Locke
WebMD Health News

Can't start your day without a coffee? It's all in your mind, according to University of Bristol, U.K. researchers who've found the stimulating effects of caffeine may be just an illusion.

Their study involved 379 brave volunteers who went coffee "cold turkey" for 16 hours before being given a caffeine capsule or a placebo capsule containing corn flour.

They were then tested for a range of responses, but there was little variation between the real- caffeine group and the placebo group in levels of alertness.

Around half of the study participants were non-coffee drinkers or low consumers. The rest were medium to high consumers of coffee.

They were asked to rate their personal levels of anxiety, alertness, and headache before and after their drink -- which was either the caffeine or the placebo.

They were also given a series of computer tasks to test memory, attentiveness, and vigilance.

The medium/high caffeine consumers who had the placebo caffeine reported a decrease in alertness and an increase in headache, neither of which were reported by those who received caffeine.

However, their post-caffeine levels of alertness were no higher than the non/low consumers who received a placebo, suggesting caffeine only brings coffee drinkers back up to "normal."

The researchers also found people with a gene variant linked with anxiety tended to consume slightly larger amounts of coffee than those without the variant, suggesting that a mild increase in anxiety may be a part of the pleasant "buzz" caused by caffeine.

The study shows that frequent coffee drinkers develop a tolerance to both the anxiety-producing effects of caffeine that can put you on edge and the stimulating ones.

Heavy coffee drinkers may feel they are made alert by coffee, but the evidence suggests that this is just the reversal of the effects of acute caffeine withdrawal, which cause fatigue.

The researchers say that given the increased risk of anxiety and raised blood pressure brought on by caffeine, there is no net benefit to be gained.

Study researcher Peter Rogers, from the University of Bristol's department of experimental psychology, says in a news release: "Our study shows that we don't gain an advantage from consuming caffeine -- although we feel alerted by it, this is caffeine just bringing us back to normal. On the other hand, while caffeine can increase anxiety, tolerance means that for most caffeine consumers this effect is negligible."

What about decaf? Rogers tells WebMD by email: "Decaf wouldn't work -- without the caffeine one would get caffeine withdrawal (feelings of fatigue and headache) for a few days. In our study we gave pure caffeine in a capsule, with the placebo being corn flour in a capsule."

Source: http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/news/20100603/boost-from-coffee-is-just-an-illusion

Nighttime Urination Linked to Higher Death Risk

2010-06-02T20:43:00.000-07:00

Study Shows Frequent Urination at Night Associated With Increased Mortality Rate
By Charlene Laino
WebMD Health News

Men and women who have to get up two or more times a night to urinate appear to be at an increased risk of death, researchers say.

The increased risk of mortality was seen in all age groups -- 20- to 49 year-olds, 50- to 64-year-olds, and 65- to 90-year-olds -- says Varant Kupelian, PhD, a research scientist at the New England Research Institute in Watertown, Mass.

"Nocturia [defined in the study as having to urinate two or more times a night] is a predictor of mortality, and surprisingly more so in relatively younger men and women, rather than in the elderly," he tells WebMD.

The greater risk of deaths in younger adults "suggests that what we are catching [with frequent night urination] is a marker or warning sign for subclinical disease or for the impending development of chronic disease," he says.

In older adults, falls and fractures that occur when people get up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night may account for some of the increase in mortality, Kupelian says.
Relationship of Nocturia to Mortality

In the study, Kupelian and colleagues mined data gathered during a large national health survey to determine the relationship of nocturia to mortality. Analyses were conducted on a sample of 15,988 men and women age 20 and older.

Nocturia was assessed using the question: "How many times a night do you usually get up to urinate (pass water)?"

The researchers found that over a nine-year period:

* Men aged 20-40 who woke up two or more times a night to urinate had a 2.56-fold increased risk of dying.
* Women ages 20-29 with nocturia had a 10% increased risk of mortality, but that could have been due to chance.
* Men aged 50-64 with nocturia had a 60% increased risk of dying.
* Women ages 50-64 with nocturia had a 94% increased risk of dying.
* Men aged 65-90 with nocturia had a 49% increased risk of dying.
* Women aged 65-90 with nocturia had a 32% increased risk of dying.

The analysis took into account other factors that can affect mortality, including age, other medical conditions, marital status, body mass index, and smoking.
Frequent Nighttime Urination

"Getting up two or three times a night to urinate doesn't mean you're going to die. But you should advise clinicians of the problem and undergo a thorough workup to determine if there is an underlying cause to your nocturia," says Tomas Griebling, MD, associate professor of urology at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City.

Griebling tells WebMD that nocturia can be treated with medication to control overactive bladders and with behavioral modification.

"Even simple steps like avoiding fluids at night may help," says Griebling, who moderated a press briefing at the annual meeting of the American Urological Association to discuss the findings.

"We do not know if treatment can alter the risk of mortality," says Kepulian, but it might decrease the number of trips to the bathroom during the night and reduce sleep disturbances.

The research was funded by Ferring Pharmaceuticals.

Source: http://www.webmd.com/urinary-incontinence-oab/news/20100601/nighttime-urination-linked-to-higher-death-risk

Tanning Beds Triple Melanoma Risk

2010-05-29T20:10:00.000-07:00

Skin Cancer Risk Even Higher for Frequent Users of High-Pressure Tanning Beds

By Salynn Boyles
WebMD Health News

Regular use of tanning beds triples or even quadruples the risk of developing melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer, new research finds.

The study is the largest of its kind to examine whether indoor tanning causes skin cancer, and it comes as federal regulators are considering new rules designed to limit the use of commercial tanning by teens.

Compared to people who had never used a tanning bed, indoor tanners had a 74% increased risk for melanoma.

People who spent more than 50 hours tanning indoors had a threefold increase in risk, compared to people who never used a tanning bed, after adjusting for known risk factors for the deadly skin cancer.

The risk was four times higher among frequent users of high-pressure tanning beds, which emit mostly UVA radiation.

Researcher DeAnn Lazovich, PhD, of the University of Minnesota says the study was designed to address the limitations of past research, which have allowed the tanning industry to continue to deny that indoor tanning causes skin cancer.

“Our data would suggest that there is no safe tanning device,” she tells WebMD.

Slideshow: Precancerous Skin Lesions and Skin Cancer
Melanoma, Indoor Tanning Increasing

The American Cancer Society predicted that in 2009, nearly 70,000 Americans would be diagnosed with melanoma and more than 8,500 people would die of the disease.

Melanoma is one of the fastest-growing cancers among whites, increasing by about 2% a year between 1997 and 2006.

During this time, the popularity of indoor tanning exploded, especially among women under age 30. Only a few tanning salons existed in the United States in the early 1980s. Today, by one industry estimate, more than 30 million Americans use commercial tanning beds each year.

Allan Halpern, MD, who is chief of dermatology at New York’s Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, says the new study suggests a clear link between the increased popularity of indoor tanning and the rise in melanoma.

“One of the challenges in these studies has been that people who use tanning beds also tend to tan in the sun,” he tells WebMD. “That has allowed the industry to claim that indoor tanning isn’t to blame.”

Also, most previous studies did not distinguish between high-speed machines, which emit some UVB rays, and high-pressure machines, which emit almost exclusively UVA rays.

The latest study included nearly 1,200 melanoma patients and a similar number of age- and gender-matched people in a control group. Using questionnaires and telephone interviews, the researchers determined that 63% of the melanoma patients in the study had used a commercial tanning device at least once, compared to 51% of the people without cancer.

Among the other major findings:

* Melanoma risk increased with exposure, measured by total hours of indoor tanning, the number of individual sessions, or years of exposure.
* The increase in risk was seen for both high-speed and high-pressure machines, suggesting that no type of tanning device could be considered safe.
* Burns from indoor tanning were commonly reported.
* The strongest association was seen for melanomas originating on the trunk, which, in women at least, is an area of the body generally exposed to UV rays only during tanning.

The research showed no specific increase in melanoma risk associated with tanning bed use at a young age, but a clear association was seen for increased exposure over time.

The study appears in the June issue of the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

“Overall exposure was the important thing,” Lazovich says. “Melanoma is the second most common cancer among young women. Young women are particularly vulnerable because they are the most likely to use these devices.”

In response to the study, a tanning industry spokesman said the findings are misleading because the researchers did not distinguish between people with major risk factors for melanoma and the general population.

Those risk factors include having very fair skin, having many moles, and having freckles or red hair.

Melanoma patients in the study were five times as likely as non-patients to have very fair skin and nearly 14 times more likely to have many moles.

John Overstreet of the Indoor Tanning Association tells WebMD that the group’s own scientific analysis of the findings suggests that when high-risk groups are removed, indoor tanning may actually lower melanoma risk.

Overstreet also said indoor tanning may protect against cancer by increasing vitamin D, which is produced in the body in response to UV exposure.

Vitamin D researcher Michael Holick, MD, tells WebMD that although indoor tanning may boost vitamin D levels, he does not recommend it.

“I have never advocated tanning,” he says. “What I have said is that people who want to do it using tanning beds to increase their vitamin D in the winter should do it responsibly. That means protecting your face and staying in for 50% of the time recommended for tanning.”
Feds May Soon Restrict Indoor Tanning

Last year, the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) weighed in, concluding that indoor tanning does cause melanoma.

In March, an FDA panel met to consider regulatory changes that could restrict access to tanning salons.

Although an outright ban is unlikely, many believe the group will require minors to have their parents' permission if they want to use commercial tanning devices.

Source: http://www.webmd.com/melanoma-skin-cancer/news/20100527/tanning-beds-triple-melanoma-risk

Too Much Belly Fat Linked to Dementia

2010-05-23T00:19:00.000-07:00

Study Shows Deep Belly Fat May Be Linked to Shrinkage in Brain Volume

By Kathleen Doheny
WebMD Health News

Excess belly fat may make your brain shrink and boost your risk of dementia later, according to a new study.

The real culprit is deep belly fat, also known as visceral fat, says study researcher Sudha Seshadri, MD, an associate professor of neurology at the Boston University School of Medicine.

''The greater the amount of visceral fat, the smaller the brain," she tells WebMD. While she didn't follow the participants to see if they developed dementia, she says that ''smaller brain volume is associated with poor cognitive function on testing and a greater risk of dementia on follow-up.''

The study is published online in the Annals of Neurology.

About 5.3 million Americans have Alzheimer's disease, according to the Alzheimer's Association. It's the most common form of dementia -- the loss of cognitive ability affecting memory, language, thinking, and judgment.

Much previous research has looked at the dangers of belly fat, with experts warning it boosts the risk of heart attack and heart disease. More recently, researchers have found the link with brain health.

Before her study, Seshadri says, "It was known that midlife obesity, from age 55 on, was a risk factor for dementia. It's not just your BMI but the central obesity which seems to add increased risk over just the BMI [if it's in the obese range, 30 and higher.]"

While previous research has linked excess visceral belly fat with dementia, Seshadri says many studies have included fewer than 300 participants. One exception is a study published in 2008, involving more than 6,500 participants, finding the more belly fat, the greater the risk of being diagnosed with Alzheimer's or other dementias later in life. Those with the biggest bellies had nearly a three times greater risk of dementia compared to the people with the smallest bellies.
Measuring Belly Fat

Seshadri and her team performed CT scans of the abdomen and MRI scans of the brain of 733 men and women who were participants in the Framingham Heart Study Offspring Cohort. On average, they were age 60; about 70% of participants were women.

Seshadri's team looked at the potential associations of body mass index, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, and the CT measure of abdominal fat with the total brain volume.

The CT measured both visceral or deep belly fat and subcutaneous fat -- the fat that lies right below the skin.

While Seshadri can't quantify the risk of having a high amount of belly fat with a specific brain shrinkage, she says the results she found are linear: the more belly fat, the lower the brain volume.

The deep fat is the culprit, she says. "We found that subcutaneous was not [significantly] associated with any adverse effect on the brain volume, whereas visceral fat was clearly associated with smaller brain volume."

She also found a link between higher BMI and higher waist circumference, but the strongest association was between high visceral belly fat and lower brain volume.

The average BMI of study participants was 28 (30 and above is termed obese, 25 and above overweight.) The average waist circumference was 39 inches. Women should keep waist circumference below 35 and men below 40, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Exactly why the belly fat reduces brain volume isn't known, Seshadri says. Inflammation may play a role, as obesity is linked with inflammation in the body.

Some research has found that people on anti-inflammatory drugs show smaller age-related volume changes in their brain than do those not on the drugs.

Hormones produced by visceral fat tissue could pay a role in brain shrinkage, too, she says.
Second Opinion

The study results are another reminder that paying attention to heart disease risk factors is also a good way to preserve your brain health, says William Thies, PhD, chief medical and scientific officer at the Alzheimer's Association.

"The key message in this study is another reason for people to keep good control over the factors that influence their heart health -- such as body weight, blood sugar, and blood pressure -- as an important way to also keep their brain healthy as they age, and possibly reduce their risk for cognitive decline and dementia."

But he also cautions that ''we don't have all the answers yet. You can do everything 'right' and still not prevent Alzheimer's."

Without a CT scan to measure belly fat, people can look to their BMI and waist measurement for a rough estimate of how much belly fat they carry, Seshadri says.

"If your BMI is in the obese range, it's 99% [certain] that you have too much visceral fat," she says. If your waist circumference is above 35 inches for women, above 40 inches for men, that's another good predictor, she says.

"If your BMI is under 25, you are probably OK,'' she says.

To reduce the dangerous visceral belly fat, she says, pay attention to diet and exercise regularly.

Source: http://www.webmd.com/brain/news/20100520/too-much-belly-fat-linked-to-dementia

Breathe Easy: 5 Ways To Improve Indoor Air Quality

2010-05-01T19:46:00.000-07:00

By Jeanie Lerche Davis
WebMD Feature provided in collaboration with Healthy Child Healthy World

We tend to think of air pollution as something outside -- smog, ozone, or haze hanging in the air, especially in summer. But the truth is, the air inside homes, offices, and other buildings can be more polluted than the air outside. The air inside your home may be polluted by lead (in house dust), formaldehyde, fire-retardants, radon, even volatile chemicals from fragrances used in conventional cleaners. Some pollutants are tracked into the home. Some arrive via a new mattress or furniture, carpet cleaners, or a coat of paint on the walls.

In that mix, you'll also find microscopic dust mites -- a major allergen -- plus mold and heaps of pet dander, says David Lang, MD, head of Allergy/Immunology at the Cleveland Clinic. "Even if you don't have pets, you've probably got pet dander," he tells WebMD. "It's become what we call a community allergen. Pet owners carry it around on their clothes and shed it throughout the day. You can't get away from it."

Children, people with asthma, and the elderly may be especially sensitive to indoor pollutants, but other effects on health may appear years later, after repeated exposure.

Indoor allergens and irritants have become much more important in recent decades because we're spending more time indoors, Lang says. And because modern homes are airtight, these irritants can't easily escape. "We're all exposed to a greater degree than we were three or four decades ago," he says.

5 Simple Steps to Improve Indoor Air Quality

1. Keep your floors fresh.

Suck it up. Chemicals and allergens can accumulate in household dust for decades. By using a vacuum with a HEPA filter you can reduce concentrations of lead in your home. You can also get rid of other toxins, like brominated fire-retardant chemicals (PBDEs) as well as allergens like pollen, pet dander, and dust mites.

Using a vacuum cleaner that has strong suction, rotating brushes, and a HEPA filter ensures that dust and dirt won’t get blown back out in the exhaust. In high traffic areas, vacuum the same spot several times. Don't forget walls, carpet edges, and upholstered furniture, where dust accumulates. For best results, vacuum two or more times each week and wash out your filter regularly.

Mop it up. Mopping picks up the dust that vacuuming leaves behind. You can skip the soaps and cleaners and just use plain water to capture any lingering dust or allergens. New microfiber mops (and dust cloths) reportedly capture more dust and dirt than traditional fibers and don’t require any cleaning solutions whatsoever.
Keep it out. Put a large floor mat at every door.People track in all sorts of chemicals via the dirt on their shoes. A door mat reduces the amount of dirt, pesticides, and other pollutants from getting into your home. If the mat is big enough, even those who don't wipe their shoes will leave most pollutants on the mat -- not the floors in your home.

2. Keep a healthy level of humidity. Dust mites and mold love moisture. Keeping humidity around 30%-50% helps keep them and other allergens under control. A dehumidifier (and air conditioner during summer months) helps reduce moisture in indoor air and effectively controls allergens, Lang says. An air conditioner also reduces indoor pollen count -- another plus for allergy-sufferers.

More tips for dehumidifying your home:

Use an exhaust fan or crack open a window when cooking, running the dishwasher, or bathing.
Don't overwater houseplants.
Vent the clothes dryer to the outside.
Fix leaky plumbing to prevent moisture-loving mold.
Empty drip pans in your window air conditioner and dehumidifier.

3. Make your home a no-smoking zone. "Probably the single most important aspect of indoor air pollution is secondhand cigarette smoke," says Philip Landrigan, MD, a pediatrician and director of the Children's Environmental Health Center at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City.

Cigarette smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals. Research shows that secondhand smoke increases a child's risk of developing ear and respiratory infections, asthma, cancer, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). For the smoker, this addiction causes cancer, breathing problems, heart attacks, and stroke.

If you want to stop smoking, support groups, nicotine-replacement therapy, and other medications can help. Find a method that works for you, get some support (friends, family, fellow quitters, counseling), and think positive. Focus on your reasons for quitting -- not on your cravings.

More Americans than ever before have kicked the habit, according to the CDC. But if you relapse, make sure you don’t smoke inside the house. "If you just can't quit, at least smoke outside," Landrigan says.

4. Test for radon. Whether you have a new or old home, you could have a radon problem. This colorless, odorless gas significantly raises the risk of lung cancer. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. today. If you smoke and your home has high radon levels, your risk of lung cancer is especially high.

5. Smell good naturally. You may associate that lemony or piney scent with a clean kitchen or clean clothes.But synthetic fragrances in laundry products and air fresheners emit dozens of different chemicals into the air. You won’t find their names on the product labels. Conventional laundry detergents, fabric softeners, dryer sheets, and air fresheners in solid, spray, and oil form may all emit such gasses.

In one study, a plug-in air freshener was found to emit 20 different volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including seven regulated as toxic or hazardous under U.S. federal laws. But these chemicals were not included on the label -- only the word "fragrance" is required to be listed. But the actual composition of the fragrance is considered a "trade secret."

Most fragrances are derived from petroleum products, and generally haven’t been tested to see if they have any significant adverse health effects in humans when they are inhaled. (Tests usually focus on whether a fragrance causes skin irritation.) Some that have been tested raise concern. Phthalates are a group of chemicals often used in fragrances and also used to soften plastics. Studies show that phthalates disrupt hormones in animals.What can you do?

Look for fragrance-free or naturally-scented laundry products.
Switch to mild cleaners that don't include artificial fragrances.
Stop using aerosol sprays -- deodorants, hair sprays, carpet cleaners, furniture polish, and air fresheners.
Let in fresh air. Open windows so toxic chemicals don't build up in your home. What if you or your child has pollen allergies? Then keep rooms ventilated with a filtered air- conditioning system.
Use sliced lemons and baking soda to get a clean scent in the kitchen.
Bring nature indoors. Any room is prettier with a fern, spider plant, or aloe vera. It’s also healthier. NASA research shows that indoor plants like these act as living air purifiers -- the foliage and roots work in tandem to absorb chemical pollutants released by synthetic materials. If you have kids or pets, make sure the plants aren’t poisonous if ingested.

Source: http://www.webmd.com/health-ehome-9/indoor-air-quality

Does This Surgery Make My Butt Look Big?

2010-04-28T19:53:00.000-07:00

Plastic Surgeons Discuss What's Behind Uptick in Butt Enhancement Procedures

By Denise Mann
WebMD Health News

First there was J. Lo. Then Beyonce, Rihanna, and Kim Kardashian started strutting their stuff on stage and on screen. As a result, plastic surgeons’ phones began to ring off the hook with women looking to put a little more junk in their trunks.

In a year where cosmetic surgery procedures decreased, buttock augmentation and butt lifts were on the rise, according to the latest statistics from the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS). In fact, butt augmentation jumped by 37.3% from 2008 to 2009 and butt lifts increased by 24.6% that year.

The reasons for the uptick include more curvaceous role models as well as new options for buttock enhancements, say experts speaking at the ASAPS annual meeting. The new options include fat grafting, which involves taking fat from places where it is plentiful -- such as your thighs -- and injecting it into areas where it is not -- such as your buttocks.

“Part of the reason is that we are starting to get better at them,” says Felmont F. Eaves III, MD, ASAPS president and a plastic surgeon in Charlotte, N.C. “We now have several ways that we can enhance buttock shape and more tools to customize the procedure and get a good result.”

Buttock augmentation can be performed using fat injections, solid silicone implants, a lift, or some combination thereof. Another option involves creating a tissue flap from the buttock region to use as an implant. Basically, surgeons move tissue from a part of the buttocks where you don't need it, and secure it in an area where it will enhance your derriere.

“This field is advancing very rapidly and we are making a lot of progress figuring out which patients do best with what procedures,” Eaves tells WebMD.

Source: http://www.webmd.com/skin-beauty/news/20100428/does-this-plastic-surgery-make-my-butt-look-big

Coping With Bedwetting: Your Step-by-Step Guide

2010-04-27T19:51:00.000-07:00

Bedwetting Causes Stress

Know that bedwetting is often a normal part of growing up. Most children don't stay dry at night until about the age of 3. And it's usually not a concern for parents until around age 6. While working towards dry nights there are ways to work through it as a family.

A Bed Wetter Needs Your Support

Reassure your child by being supportive. He isn't wetting the bed on purpose. And bedwetting isn't typically a sign of an emotional or physical problem. Explain that it is normal, very common, and that he won't always wet the bed.

Talk and Share Your Experience

Bedwetting often runs in families. If you or your partner wet the bed as a child, talk with your child about it. It'll help him see that people do outgrow it. And it may help him feel less alone and embarrassed.

What Causes Bedwetting?

Many things can cause bedwetting. It could be slower development of bladder control or heavy sleep. There may be hormonal factors. Stress and anxiety can be a cause. A child who's been dry and suddenly starts wetting the bed may have an infection, or something such as a move may be stressing or bothering her.

Let Your Child Help Find Solutions

If she's 4 or older, ask for her help. What might help her stop wetting the bed? Brainstorm together. Drinking less in the evening and cutting back on caffeinated soda may be worth trying. You can also offer options like disposable underwear or waterproof sheets. By keeping it positive and involving her you'll help build her confidence and encourage good bedtime habits.

Praise and Reward for Staying Dry

When your child has a dry night, praise her for it. Some families mark wet days and dry days on a calendar. Stickers or stars can make it fun. If your child stays dry a number of nights in a row, offer a small reward like a fun breakfast or small book. If she wets, be supportive and remind her that by keeping up her efforts results will come.

Provide Simple Reminders

Make using the bathroom just before he gets in bed part of his bedtime routine. Also remind him that it's OK to get up during the night to use the bathroom. Nightlights can help him find his own way back and forth from the bathroom.

Does Waking During the Night Help?

Resist the urge to wake your child repeatedly during the night. If you use this approach, waking once a night should be enough. Keep in mind that if you deprive your child of rest and sleep, you may increase his level of stress. Stress can be a bedwetting trigger.

Involve Your Child in Cleaning Up

When he wets the bed, he can put his PJs in the hamper or help you change the sheets. Make sure he understands it's not a punishment, just part of what has to be done. The idea is to make him more aware of his bedwetting without scolding him or making him feel ashamed.

Clean Up: Removing the Smell of Urine

Accidents happen. And when they do, urine can leave a stubborn odor in clothes and in bed linens. Try adding a half cup to a cup of white vinegar to your wash to remove the smell.

Cleaning a Mattress: Step 1

If you need to clean urine from a mattress, first use towels to blot up as much as you can. Keep blotting, but don't rub, until no more moisture comes to the surface.

Cleaning a Mattress: Step 2

Once you've blotted up as much of the urine as you can, saturate the entire area of urine stain with hydrogen peroxide. Let it stand for 5 minutes, and then use towels again to blot the area dry.

Cleaning a Mattress: Step 3

Once the mattress is dry, sprinkle baking soda over the entire area and let it stand for 24 hours. The next day, vacuum the baking soda away. It should be clean and odor free.

Easing Sleepover Stress

If your child is nervous about sleepovers, remind her of the steps she uses to stay dry at home. Providing her with disposable underwear and extra clothes in case of an accident may help relieve anxiety. A sleeping bag with waterproof lining may also help.

Beforehand, notify the adult host that your child may have some worries about bedwetting. Discuss your child's plans for coping so everyone feels prepared.

Be Patient About Bedwetting

Scolding or losing your temper won't make your child stop wetting the bed. Don't bring up bedwetting in front of others in an attempt to shame her. Embarrassing her in hopes it'll make her stop will increase her stress and anxiety. Meanwhile, remember that bedwetting eventually does stop. Try practicing patience and providing support while you wait.

Dealing With Teasing in the Home

Bedwetting can make your child an easy target for teasing. To help him cope, make your home safe for him. Don't allow anyone in your family to tease about it. Explain to siblings that bedwetting is something their brother doesn't have control over and that he needs everybody's love and support.

Bullying at School About Bedwetting

Avoiding other children or coming home with unexplained injuries are signs your child may be being bullied. Listen to what your child says. Talk with her and let her know that you know it's not her fault. Then talk with people at the school and ask what they've seen. Be proactive and work with the school to find ways to make the teasing stop.

When to Call the Doctor

If your child is still bedwetting at age 7, consider setting up a doctor's visit. While there may be a medical problem, most of the time there isn't. Also, see the doctor if your child suddenly starts wetting the bed after being dry for 6 months or more.

Source: http://www.webmd.com/parenting/slideshow-bedwetting

Airborne Fungus Expected to Spread in U.S.

2010-04-26T20:42:00.000-07:00

About 10 People Have Reportedly Died in Northwestern U.S. After Infection With C. gatti

By Kathleen Doheny
WebMD Health News

A potentially deadly airborne fungus, widely dubbed the killer fungus, has infected more than 50 people in the U.S., according to the CDC, and is expected to spread from the Pacific Northwest where it first surfaced. Even so, public health officials say, there is cause only for concern and awareness, but not for alarm.The killer fungus, which first surfaced in Canada in 1999, appeared in the U.S. in Washington in early 2006. Since then, reports of cases have occurred in Oregon and Northern California."We wouldn't recommend that people change their habits in any way," Julie Harris, PhD, MPH, a staff epidemiologist with the CDC, tells WebMD. "We wouldn't recommend people stay indoors or don't go hiking or don't go outdoors."

The fungus species triggering the infection is Cryptococcus gattii, which can cause pneumonia or meningitis. But the infection ''simply is not common enough for people to warrant changing behavior," Harris says. "It's still very rare. People should be concerned but not alarmed."

At a news briefing Friday, Katrina Hedberg, MD, MPH, interim state epidemiologist for the Oregon Department of Health Services Public Health Division, told reporters that it's also rare that people exposed to the fungus end up getting sick.

While the CDC wouldn't specify the number of deaths, citing incomplete data, Hedberg says that ''of the 50-plus cases, around 10 of them have died."

Twelve of those 50 cases, including three deaths, have been in the state of Washington, according to Nicola Marsden-Haug, MPH, an epidemiologist with the Washington State Department of Health, Shoreline.

Marcia Goldoft, MD, a medical epidemiologist with the department, urges people to keep the threat in perspective. "The benefits of outdoor activity and exercise far outweigh the risks of a rare disease such as C. gattii."

Tracking the Fungus

Researchers in the U.S. have been studying the fungus, traditionally located in tropical locations, for several years, says Joseph Heitman, MD, PhD, chair of the department of molecular genetics and microbiology at the Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C.

The fungus, he tells WebMD, ''originates in soil and is associated with certain tree species, and becomes airborne."

While the fungus was typically seen in tropical areas of South America and other tropical and subtropical regions, it surfaced in Vancouver Island, Canada, in 1999, says Heitman, the senior author on a report on the fungus published online this week in the journal PLoS Pathogens.

"It is a microbial pathogen that can cause significant illness and even death, but it is very uncommon," he says.

Infections can be treated with antifungal agents, but no vaccine is available for C. gattii, Heitman says.

The first recorded U.S. case was in Orcas Island, Wash., Heitman says. That was followed by cases in Washington and Oregon.

Hedberg says the 50 reported cases have occurred in Washington, Oregon, and Northern California.

Heitman's team has discovered a new pathogenic strain of the fungus in the Oregon cases.

Unlike another fungus type, Cryptococcus neoformans, which typically infects those who are HIV-positive or other immunocompromised people, the C. gattii fungus can infect apparently healthy people.

The 50 cases reported to the CDC, Harris says, include people from age 15 to 95.

How the Fungus Spreads

''The fungus is present in the environment," Hedberg says. "It's present in soil or in trees." As trucks transport lumber down the I-5 corridor in the Pacific Northwest, she says, the fungus has likely spread.

The airborne fungus is inhaled. "People have to inhale it to get sick," Hedberg says. "It's not spread from person to person at all."

And, she adds, many are exposed but few actually get sick.

The time from exposure to the fungus to onset of symptoms varies, Heitman says. It could be two to eight months.

Fungus Symptoms

Four symptoms are typical of infection with C. gattii, says Harris of the CDC. They include:

Severe headache
Fever
Chills
Shortness of breath

Some people infected with the fungus have just one of the symptoms, she tells WebMD, but often they have all four.

See your doctor if you experience the symptoms and think you may have been exposed, she advises.

She encourages doctors to be alert to the symptoms in patients, especially if they live in or have visited the Pacific Northwest.

Source: http://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20100423/airborne-fungus-expected-to-spread-in-u-s

How Anger Hurts Your Heart

2010-02-05T19:44:00.000-08:00

Yellers, ragers, and door slammers beware -- frequent high levels of anger have now been linked to heart disease.
By Katherine Kam
WebMD the Magazine

If you knew that frequent anger might raise your risk of heart disease significantly, would you continue to blow off steam by yelling and smashing things during an argument or getting furious if the office email crashes during a rushed, stressful day?

It's time for hot heads to take heed: Increasingly, the negative, irritable, raging, and intimidating personality type worries heart researchers and doctors alike. "You're talking about people who seem to experience high levels of anger very frequently," says Laura Kubzansky, PhD, MPH, an associate professor at the Harvard School of Public Health in Cambridge, Mass., who has studied the role of stress and emotions on cardiovascular disease.

The key here is "high" levels. Moderate anger may not be the problem, according to Kubzansky. In fact, expressing anger in reasonable ways can be healthy. "Being able to tell people that you're angry can be extremely functional," she says. But explosive people who hurl objects or scream at others may be at greater risk for heart disease, as well as those who harbor suppressed rage, she says. "Either end of the continuum is problematic."
Anger's Physiological Effects on the Heart

So how exactly does anger contribute to heart disease? Scientists don't know for sure, but anger might produce direct physiological effects on the heart and arteries. Emotions such as anger and hostility quickly activate the "fight or flight response," in which stress hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol, speed up your heart rate and breathing and give you a burst of energy. Blood pressure also rises as your blood vessels constrict.

While this stress response mobilizes you for emergencies, it might cause harm if activated repeatedly. "You get high cortisol and high adrenaline levels and that is the cardiotoxic effect of anger expression," says Jerry Kiffer, MA, a heart-brain researcher at the Cleveland Clinic's Psychological Testing Center. "It causes wear and tear on the heart and cardiovascular system." Frequent anger may speed up the process of atherosclerosis, in which fatty plaques build up in arteries, Kiffer says. The heart pumps harder, blood vessels constrict, blood pressure surges, and there are higher levels of glucose in the blood and more fat globules in the blood vessels. All this, scientists believe, can cause damage to artery walls.

And anger might not be the only culprit. In Kubzansky's own research, she found that high levels of anxiety and depression may contribute to heart disease risk, too. "They tend to co-occur," she says. "People who are angry a lot tend to have other chronic negative emotions as well."
Emotions and the Heart

According to an analysis of findings from 44 studies published last year in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, evidence supports the link between emotions and heart disease. To be specific, anger and hostility are significantly associated with more heart problems in initially healthy people, as well as a worse outcome for patients already diagnosed with heart disease.

Emotions and the Heart continued...

The same study also showed that chronically angry or hostile adults with no history of heart trouble might be 19% more likely than their more placid peers to develop heart disease. The researchers found that anger and hostility seemed to do more harm to men's hearts than women's. Among patients already diagnosed with heart disease, those with angry or hostile temperaments were 24% more likely than other heart patients to have a poor prognosis.

In light of such findings, some doctors now consider anger a heart disease risk factor that can be modified, just as people can lower their cholesterol or blood pressure. "We're really good at treating heart attacks, but we're not that good at preventing them," says Holly S. Andersen, MD, cardiologist and director of education and outreach at the Ronald O. Perelman Heart Institute at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. "Stress is not as easy to measure as your cholesterol level or your blood pressure, which are clearly objective. But it's really important that physicians start taking care of the whole person -- including their moods and their lives -- because it matters." The bottom line: "A change of mind can lead to a change of heart," Kiffer says.
Coping With Anger

Got a hair-trigger temper? Counseling and anger management might help in the long term, but what can you do for a quick fix?

Recognizing signs that you're getting angry and shifting your frame of mind will help, says Wayne Sotile, PhD, author of Thriving With Heart Disease. The next time you feel your anger -- and heart rate -- rising, try these coping statements to get a grip fast:

* "I can't accomplish anything by blaming other people, even if they are responsible for the problem. I'll try another angle."
* "Will this matter five years from now? (Five hours? Five minutes?)"
* "If I'm still angry about this tomorrow, I'll deal with it then. But for now, I'm just going to cool off."
* "Acting angry is not the same as showing that I care."

Source: http://www.webmd.com

Toddlers with Autism Benefit from Early Intervention

2010-02-02T19:46:00.000-08:00

Autism is a lifelong neurodevelopmental disorder that can cause significant communication, social and behavioral challenges. For years autism was rare, occurring in just 5 children per 10,000 live births. But since the early 1990s, that rate has increased exponentially and today it is reported to affect an average of 1 in 100 children in the United States. There was also a time when autism was thought to be a fate that simply had to be accepted, but we now know that many of the debilitating symptoms of autism can be prevented or reduced with early diagnosis and intervention. A notable treatment approach for older preschool-aged children is applied behavior analysis (ABA), a structured method used in many schools and treatment clinics to teach new skills while encouraging positive behaviors and discouraging negative ones. And a new study has found that a novel intervention called the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) is effective for improving IQ, language ability, and social interaction for very young children with autism—some as young as 18 months.

ESDM was developed by Dr. Geraldine Dawson, a University of North Carolina psychologist and chief science officer of the patient-advocacy group Autism Speaks, and Sally Rogers, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and a researcher at the UC Davis MIND Institute in California. The intervention, tailored for toddlers as young as 12 months old, is delivered by trained therapists and parents, who receive instruction and training, in the child’s natural environment. “It’s a very pleasing kind of therapy, kids are happy,” Rogers explains. “It is play, and it can happen everywhere.” Dawson adds that this type of intervention builds on a fun, positive relationship with the therapist.

To access its effectiveness, ESDM was put to the test in a five-year randomized clinical trial at the University of Washington (UW) in Seattle. It involved therapy for 48 diverse, 18- to 30-month-old children with autism and no other health problems. The children were separated into two groups; one that received 20 hours of intervention per week (two 2-hour sessions, five days a week) from UW specialists as well as five hours a week of parent-delivered therapy; while children in the other group were referred to community-based programs for therapy. Both groups were monitored by UW researchers.

At the start of the study there was no substantial difference in functioning between the two groups. After a year, however, the IQs of children in the ESDM group rose an average of 15.4 points compared with an increase of 4.4 points for those in the comparison group. And by the second year, the ESDM group’s IQs rose by 17.6 points, compared to 7 points for the comparison group. There was also a nearly 18-point improvement in receptive language (listening and understanding) in the ESDM group, compared to about a 10 point improvement in the comparison group. And while no children were considered “cured,” seven of the children in the ESDM group had enough improvement that they were re-diagnosed with a less severe form of autism, compared with one child with an improved diagnosis in the comparison group. ““Many of the children (in the ESDM group) had virtually caught up to the typical kids their age,” said Dawson.

“Parents and therapists both carried out the intervention toward individualized goals for each child, and worked collaboratively to improve how the children were responding socially, playing with toys, and communicating,” said Milani Smith, who oversees the UW Autism Center’s clinical programs. “Parents are taught strategies for capturing their children’s attention and promoting communication. By using these strategies throughout the day, the children were offered many opportunities to learn to interact with others.”

Dawson says that with the American Academy of Pediatrics urging doctors to screen all 18- to 24-month-old children for autism, it is essential that an effective program is available for children in this age group to intervene immediately after diagnosis. “By starting as soon as the toddler is diagnosed, we hope to maximize the positive impact of the intervention,” she said. “The study strongly affirms the positive outcomes of early intervention and the need for the earliest possible start.”

Source: http://www.healthnews.com

First Hard Evidence of Brain Damage Caused by Childhood Lead Exposure

2010-02-02T19:36:00.000-08:00

Lead is a highly toxic metal that has been used in the manufacture of a wide variety of products, including paint, ceramics, pipes, and solders, gasoline, batteries, and cosmetics. Over the last thity years, federal regulatory standards have helped to minimize or eliminate the amount of lead in consumer products and occupational settings. In 1978, the addition of lead to paints was eliminated (with the exception of some artist’s paints) and tetraethyl lead, which was used in gasoline to increase the octane rating, was phased out and eventually banned by 1996. But even though paint sold today is safe, there are still pre-1977 buildings with old lead paint in our communities and the lead once released into the environment still resides in our air, water and soil.

Even small amounts of lead in the body, as measured by blood lead levels, can be harmful, impairing the function of the central nervous system, production of red blood cells, and the functioning of vital organs such as the liver and kidneys. Because of their size and developing nervous system, children are particularly sensitive to the chronic effects of lead. Research has shown that low-dose lead exposure has a profound impact on brain development, interfering with cellular growth and reducing the brain’s ability to transmit neural impulses. But researchers from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center say that “no region of the brain” is safe from the damage caused by lead exposure—permanent damage that persists into adulthood.

To access the long-term effects of childhood exposure to lead, the researchers studied 33 adults with a mean age of 21 who were part of the Cincinnati Lead Study as infants from 1979 to 1987. The participants had blood lead levels ranging from 5 micrograms to 37 micrograms per deciliter, with a mean of 14. They also had decreased IQ and criminal histories as juveniles. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans were used to monitor the participants’ brains while they performed two tasks that access attention, decision making and impulse control. The scans showed that in order to complete a task that required inhibition, participants with elevated blood lead levels required activation from additional regions within the brain’s frontal and parietal lobes.

“This tells us that the area of the brain responsible for inhibition is damaged by lead exposure and that other regions of the brain must compensate in order for an individual to perform,” explained study author Kim Cecil, an imaging scientist at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and a professor of radiology, pediatrics and neuroscience at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. “Your brain has some adaptability and it tries to recruit other areas to take over for parts that are damaged. But it doesn’t work as well.”

According to Cecil, the brain’s white matter, which organizes and matures at an early age, adapts to lead exposure. But the frontal lobe, which is the last part to develop, suffers permanent damage from lead exposure as it matures. “Many people think that once lead blood levels decrease, the effects should be reversible, but, in fact, lead exposure has harmful and lasting effects,” Cecil said. “Lead exposure has been associated with diminished IQ, poor academic performance, inability to focus and increased risk of criminal behavior.”

Kim Dietrich, co-author of the study and an environmental health researcher at the University of Cincinnati, says their findings give scientists the first hard evidence that lead exposure causes physical and long-lasting damage to the brain. “One of the arguments we’ve always heard is, ‘You see lower IQ. You see more behavioral problems. You see motor coordination problems in these lead-exposed kids. But you’ve never really proven there’s any brain damage in these kids,’” Dietrich said. “Well, now we have. This is the first direct, neurological evidence of brain damage to children exposed to low to moderate levels of lead.”

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 890,000 U.S. children aged 1-5 have elevated blood lead levels and about 250,000 children have blood levels greater than 10 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood, which is the level that the CDC and the World Health Organization (WHO) considers cause for concern. The CDC now recommends screening for children in high risk areas or populations for lead exposures.

The study was presented Tuesday at an annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America in Chicago.

Source & Picture: http://www.healthnews.com

Drinking Tea May Trim Men's Waistlines

2010-02-01T19:59:00.000-08:00

Men Who Drink Tea Have Smaller Waistlines Than Those Who Don't
By Jennifer Warner
WebMD Health News

Could tea be the secret to a trim waistline? For men, the answer may be yes, or at least it couldn't hurt.

A new study shows that men who drink more than two cups of tea a day have trimmer waistlines than men who drink coffee or nothing at all. But the same doesn't hold true for women.

Researchers say previous studies have looked at coffee and tea drinking habits and obesity in general, but little is known about how these habits affect abdominal obesity. Abdominal obesity, or excess fa around the midsection, has been linked to a number of health risks, including heart disease and diabetes.

The study, presented this week at the First International Congress on Abdominal Obesity, looked at the relationship between coffee and tea drinking and abdominal obesity in 3,823 adults who participated in the 2003-2004 U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

"The potential association between coffee/tea and abdominal obesity is not trivial considering that more than 60% of the adult population drinks coffee/tea,that these beverages can be consumed as frequently as 10 times per day, and that a high percentage of coffee and tea drinkers use additives in these beverages," write researcher D. R. Bouchard and colleagues at the school of kinesiology and health studies at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario.

Source & Picture: http://www.webmd.com

Study Shows Link Between Menopause and Increased Cholesterol

2010-02-01T19:48:00.000-08:00

Benjamin Franklin once remarked that the only things certain in this world are death and taxes, but as any woman can attest to, there is another certainty in life—menopause. Defined as the final menstrual period and usually confirmed when a woman has missed her periods for 12 consecutive months, menopause marks the permanent end of fertility. This “change of life” usually occurs around age 51 and affects every woman differently. While the only symptom for some women will be the end of menstruation, others will experience more profound physical and emotional challenges, including hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, aching joints, thinning hair, and memory lapses. Several chronic medical conditions can also develop after menopause. When estrogen levels decline the risk of cardiovascular disease increases, as does the risk of osteoporosis. But at this time of life, it isn’t always possible to tell if symptoms are related to menopause, aging, or both. So to better understand the “changes women experience during life,” researchers at the University of Pittsburgh embarked on a ten-year study, and this is what they discovered.

Each year the researchers tested 1,054 study participants for heart disease risk factors including cholesterol, blood pressure, blood glucose, and insulin. In nearly all of the women, cholesterol levels rose sharply around the time of menopause. In the two-year time period surrounding their final menstrual period, the women’s average LDL, or the “bad” cholesterol that blocks arteries, rose by about 10.5 points, or around 9 percent and average total cholesterol level increased by 6.5 percent. “As they approach menopause, many, many women show a very striking increase in cholesterol levels, which in turn increases risk for later heart disease,” said Dr. Karen A. Matthews, lead author of the study and professor of psychiatry and epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh.

During the study, other risk factors such as insulin and systolic blood pressure also increased, but at a steady rate, which suggests the changes were related to aging and not menopause. “Other risk factors we measured didn’t show a dramatic change,” Matthews said. “I expected to see some change in inflammatory factors because some data suggest that hormone users have higher cholesterol levels, but it did not occur.”

Dr. Vera Bittner, a professor of medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, who wrote an editorial accompanying the study, said that although the increases don’t seem significant, they could definitely have an impact on a woman’s health. “The changes don’t look large, but given that the typical woman lives several decades after menopause, any adverse change becomes cumulative over time,” said Bittner. “If somebody had cholesterol levels at the lower ranges of normal, the small change may not make a difference. But if somebody’s risk factors were already borderline in several categories, this increase may tip them over the edge and put them in a risk category where treatment may be beneficial.”

Bittner says women should be aware of the changes that occur around menopause and should talk to their doctors about risk factors and whether they should have their cholesterol checked more often or need to begin a cholesterol-lowering treatment, such as a statin. Not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight and getting plenty of physical activity are essential to help keep cholesterol levels in check, Bittner adds, but she points out that menopause can be an especially difficult time for women to get enough exercise. “It often falls by the wayside because women in this age range take care of kids, spouse, aging parents, and often work in addition.”

Dr. Wolf Ulian, founder and executive director of the North American Menopause Society, says the study findings emphasize that menopause is a good time for women to adopt healthier lifestyles. “Menopause is a milestone,” he says. “It’s a time to take stock and take control and try to enhance the quality of your second half of life.”

Source & Picture: http://www.healthnews.com

Male Immunization with Gardasil Not Deemed Cost Effective

2010-01-30T19:31:00.000-08:00

Although Gardasil has been proven to protect against two strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV) that cause cervical cancer, as well as two additional strains that cause genital warts, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has voted against its use as a routine immunization for boys and men. However, the committee did vote, almost unanimously, to allow doctors to recommend the vaccine be given to males to reduce their likelihood of acquiring genital warts.

HPV is a sexually transmitted pathogen that is believed to cause approximately 70 percent of all cervical cancers. In addition, HPV has been associated with more rare forms of cancer of the throat, genitals and anus, as well as genital warts. Studies have found Gardasil not only to be safe, but also to be nearly 100 percent effective in preventing pre-cancerous cervical lesions from the four HPV strains that it targets. In addition, findings have shown that Gardasil is far more effective in females when given before they become sexually active.

Since first being approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2006 for use in females, the issue of whether or not to use Gardasil for males has been strongly debated. Advocates for use of Gardasil as a routine immunization among males believe that widespread use of the vaccine may reduce cervical cancer rates, since males commonly transmit HPV to females.

Although in early October the FDA approved the Gardasil vaccine for use among males aged 9 through 26, results of a study conducted in the same month revealed that immunization among males was not cost effective, as costs would outweigh the health benefit of the vaccine. Now, the results of the final vote by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices reported to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has apparently put this issue to rest. The vaccine will not be approved for boys as part of the childhood immunization schedule.

The pivotal study published in the British Medical Journal made a comparison between a female-only vaccination program and a co-ed vaccination program. Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health performed the analysis. According to lead researcher Jane Kim, an assistant professor of health decision science, “This study found that while vaccine coverage and efficacy are high in girls, including boys in an HPV vaccination program generally exceeds what the U.S. typically considers good value for money.”

The basis of a good value was deemed as having cost-effectiveness ratios ranging from $50,000 to $100,000 per quality-adjusted life year, or the cost of the vaccine versus the number of added years someone would gain by getting the vaccine. By assuming lifelong protection among 75 percent coverage, the routine vaccination of girls who were 12 years of age was found to be a good value at less than $50,000 per quality adjusted life year. However, by adding boys of the same age, the cost-effectiveness ratio was increased to over $100,000 per quality adjusted life year.

Currently, the CDC recommends Gardasil for girls ages 11 and 12, and for women ages 13 to 26, who have not been vaccinated for the prevention cervical cancer. The disease claims 4,000 female lives annually in the United State alone.

Source & Picture: http://www.healthnews.com

Regular Coffee Consumption Can Reduce Risk of Prostate Cancer

2010-01-29T19:39:00.000-08:00

Leading up to the American Revolution in December 1773, the Boston Tea Party was the historical event that began to transform America into a coffee drinking nation. Today the U.S. is responsible for more than a third of worldwide coffee consumption at 400 million cups every day. Over the years, thousands of studies have been done examining coffee’s impact on health and, for the most part, their results are as pleasing as the aroma of that freshly brewed cup of java.

“Overall, the research shows that coffee is far more healthful than it is harmful,” says Dr. Tomas DePaulis, research scientist at Vanderbilt University’s Institute for Coffee Studies. “For most people, very little bad comes from drinking it, but a lot of good.” Coffee not only perks up energy and helps sharpen the mind, it has been shown to lessen the severity of a heart attack or stroke and protect against certain cancers, type 2 diabetes, liver disease and gallstones. There’s also evidence that coffee may help stop a headache, boost mood and even prevent cavities. And a study presented this week at the Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research conference in Houston, Texas shows that men who drink coffee on a regular basis have an added benefit—a significantly decreased risk of developing aggressive prostate cancer.

The study, by researchers from the Channing Laboratory at the Harvard Medical School and the Harvard School of Public Health, was based on an analysis of information from the Health Professionals’ Follow-Up Study, which included data on the coffee-drinking habits of about 50,000 men from 1986 to 2006. During that time frame, 4,975 of the men developed prostate cancer, 846 cases being life-threatening because they had spread beyond the prostate gland or were growing aggressively. The review showed a clear relationship between the amount of coffee consumed and prostate cancer risk. The men who drank the most coffee (six or more cups per day) were nearly 60 percent less likely to develop advanced prostate cancer and 19 percent less likely to develop any form of prostate cancer than men who drank no coffee.

Some of coffee’s reported benefits are a direct result of its high caffeine content. An eight ounce cup of drip-brewed coffee contains about 85 mg, which is about three and a half times more than the same serving of tea or cola or one ounce of chocolate. But the researchers say the fact that the same risk reduction was seen regardless of whether the man drank regular or decaffeinated coffee suggests it isn’t the caffeine but rather coffee’s influence on insulin and hormone levels that caused the positive effect on prostate cancer risk. “Coffee has effects on insulin and glucose metabolism, as well as sex hormone levels, all of which play a role in prostate cancer,” said lead author Dr. Kathryn M. Wilson, a research fellow in epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health.

Wilson said though more work is needed before any firm conclusion can be drawn about the relationship between coffee and prostate cancer, the results of this study are encouraging. “Very few lifestyle factors have been consistently associated with prostate cancer risk, especially with risk of aggressive disease, so it would be exciting if this association is confirmed in other studies,” Wilson said. “While it is too early to recommend increasing coffee intake based on this study alone, our results do suggest there is no reason to stop drinking coffee out of any concern about prostate cancer.”

Also presented at the conference was a study into the effects of physical activity on prostate cancer survival by another Harvard School of Public Health researcher, Stacey A. Kenfield. It showed that prostate cancer patients who participated in vigorous physical activity, such as jogging, biking, swimming or playing tennis, for an average of three or more hours per week had a 35 percent lower death rate than those who exercised less frequently or not at all. For those who walked regularly (four or more hours per week), overall mortality rates were 23 percent lower than men who walked for less than 20 minutes per week. Kenfield says that while it’s already known that physical activity reduces overall mortality, this is the first study to focus on the effect of exercise on prostate cancer survival.

Source & Picture: http://www.healthnews.com

Excess Body Fat Can Endanger People of Average Weight

2010-01-29T19:32:00.000-08:00

Weighing in at a normal average for your height and age may not mean that you will avoid increased health risks. Although many health issues are associated with obesity, having an unhealthy percentage of body fat puts you at risk even if your scales indicate that you are not overweight.

According to a new Mayo Clinic study, even though you may look thin, you can still be carrying too much body fat. The condition, known as normal weight obesity, can lead to the same health issues caused by obesity, and as many as 30 million Americans may unknowingly be at risk. The deadly internal fat, also called visceral fat, hides beneath muscles and envelops vital organs. The fat is metabolized by the liver, and converted into blood cholesterol, which leads to an increased risk of such medical conditions as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.

This new information makes it far understandable that heart disease is the number one cause of death among women in the United States, according to the American Heart Association. In fact, according to Dr. Francisco Lopez Jimenez, who led the study, “Women with normal weight obesity, meaning those who have high fat and a normal weight have a two times increased risk for death or dying from heart problems or a stroke.”

During the study, The Mayo Clinic researchers assessed a total of 6,171 Americans over a period of nine years. Results revealed that although considered to be of normal weight, between 20 and 30 percent of those evaluated had a dangerously high percentage of body fat. The fact that they were found to have normal weight obesity puts them at a greater risk of the very same diseases that causes medical afflictions for those who are overweight.

A healthy percentage of body fat for women is an amount totaling less than 30 percent while for men a percentage less than 20 to 25 percent is the healthy target. A good indication of whether or not you are carrying excess body fat is to check your waistline for so-called “love handles.” In addition, you can have your body fat tested by asking your healthcare provider to do so. Another good rule of thumb is the old adage, “You are what you eat.”

What can you do? The best way to reduce your health risks is to lose the extra fat and work to build lean muscle. This can be achieved by eating a healthy diet and getting the proper amount of exercise including resistance training and cardiovascular activities. With all the diets available to choose from, having a clear knowledge of what each has to offer can be very helpful in choosing the one that will work best for you. Check out the in depth reviews of the top diets of 2010 located on our diet pages.

Source & Picture: www.healthnews.com

Simple Urine Test Effective in Detecting Kids Sleep Disorder

2010-01-27T19:56:00.000-08:00

Sleep apnea is a breathing disorder characterized by pauses in breathing during sleep. These short stops in breathing usually lasts for 10 to 30 seconds and can happen up to 400 times every night. Men, people who are overweight or over the age of 40 are more likely to have sleep apnea, but it can affect anyone at any age, even children. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a common type of apnea in children, is caused by an obstruction of the airway, such as enlarged tonsils and adenoids. This is most likely to happen during sleep because that’s when the soft tissue at the back of throat is most relaxed. Children who have OSA nearly always snore, may have difficulty breathing during sleep, and may be restless during sleep and wake up often. Symptoms of OSA tend to appear in the first few years of life, but the disorder often remains undiagnosed until many years later.

Once a doctor completes an evaluation and makes a diagnosis, most cases of OSA can be treated or managed with surgery, medications and monitoring devices. Generally, a polysomnagram or overnight sleep study is used to confirm obstructive sleep apnea. It charts the child’s brain waves, heartbeat, and breathing during sleep. It also records arm and leg movements. The study requires the child and a parent or guardian to spend the night at the sleep center. In some cases other tests, including endoscopy and magnetic resonance imaging, may be used to evaluate the child’s upper airway. But a recent discovery may lead to a much simpler way to detect whether a children has OSA—a simple urine test.

Dr. David Gozal, a professor and chairman of pediatrics at the University of Chicago, and colleagues studied 90 children who had been referred to a sleep clinic for evaluation of breathing problems during sleep and 30 non-snoring children. All the children underwent standard overnight sleep tests and were categorized either as having OSA, habitual snoring or no sleep disordered breathing. The morning after the tests, urine samples were collected and screening using a sophisticated electrophoresis technique. The researchers found that the expression of a number of proteins in children with OSA was different than in those who didn’t snore or who snored habitually. “It was rather unexpected that the urine would provide us with the ability to identify OSA,” Gozal said. “However, the field of biomarkers is one that is under marked expansion, and this certainly opens the way for possible simple diagnostic screening methods in the future.”

“We wish to validate these findings in urine samples from many children from laboratories around the country and to develop a simple, color-based test that can be done in the physician office or by the parents” Gozal said, pointing out that such a test “would alleviate the need for costly and inconvenient sleep studies in children who snore, only about 20 to 30 percent of whom actually have OSA.”

OSA affects 1 to 10 percent of children. In early childhood, OSA can slow a child’s growth rate. Cognitive and behavioral problems such as aggressive behavior and poor school performance are common in children with OSA. Untreated, OSA can also lead to high blood pressure and cardiopulmonary disease.

The finding is reported in the December 15 issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

Source & Picture: http://www.healthnews.com

Many children 'hear voices'; most aren't bothered

2010-01-26T19:41:00.000-08:00

Nearly 1 in 10 seven- to eight-year-olds hears voices that aren't really there, according to a new study.

But most children who hear voices don't find them troubling or disruptive to their thinking, the study team found. "These voices in general have a limited impact in daily life," Agna A. Bartels-Velthuis of University Medical Center Groningen in The Netherlands wrote in an email to Reuters Health.

And parents whose children hear voices should not be overly concerned, she added. "In most cases the voices will just disappear. I would advise them to reassure their child and to watch him or her closely."

Up to 16 percent of mentally healthy children and teens may hear voices, the researchers note in the British Journal of Psychiatry. While hearing voices can signal a heightened risk of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders in later life, they add, the "great majority" of young people who have these experiences never become mentally ill.

To further investigate how common these "auditory vocal hallucinations" are and whether they are associated with developmental and behavioral factors, the researchers looked at 3,870 Groningen primary schoolers. All were asked whether they had heard "one or more voices that only you and no one else could hear" in the past year.

Nine percent of the children answered yes. Only 15 percent of these children said the voices caused them serious suffering, and 19 percent said the voices interfered with their thinking. Boys and girls were equally likely to report hearing voices, but girls were more likely to report suffering and anxiety due to the voices.

While past studies have linked complications in the womb or during early infancy with the likelihood of hearing voices, Bartels-Velthuis and her team found no such relationship. The researcher said that she and her colleagues had expected that hearing voices would be more common among urban children than among their rural peers, "but to our surprise, the contrary was the case in our sample. We have no explanation for this finding."

Although urban children were less likely to hear voices, they were more troubled by them, the researchers found. They were more likely to report hearing several voices at once, voices speaking for a longer time, and voices that interfered with their thinking.

This greater severity suggests that the urban children who heard voices might be at higher risk of going on to develop psychotic illness, the researchers say.

Bartels-Velthuis and her team are now conducting a five-year follow-up study of the children to see how the voice-hearing plays out and what effect, if any, it has on behavior.

Source: www.reutershealth.com

Childhood Skin Problems

2010-01-24T19:17:00.000-08:00

What's That?

Wondering what that rash, welt, or bump on your child's skin is? Infection, allergies, and temperature extremes are often behind the skin conditions seen in babies and children -- and many are minor and easily treated. You can learn to recognize some of the most common conditions -- but remember: always consult a doctor for proper diagnoses and treatment.

Ringworm

Worms don't cause ringworm. Instead, this skin infection is caused by a fungus living off dead skin, hair, and nail tissue. Starting as a red, scaly patch or bump, it develops into itchy red ring(s) with raised, blistery, or scaly borders. Ringworm is passed on by skin-to-skin contact with a person or animal, and by sharing items like towels or sports gear. Most ringworm infections can be treated with antifungal creams.

Fifth Disease ('slapped cheek')

A contagious and usually mild illness that passes in a couple weeks, fifth disease starts with flu-like symptoms, followed by a face and body rash. Spread by coughing and sneezing, it’s most contagious the week before the rash appears. Treatment includes rest, fluids, and pain relievers (do not use aspirin if your child has fever), but watch for signs of more serious illness. If your child has Fifths and you are pregnant, contact your doctor.

Chickenpox

Very contagious, chickenpox spreads easily, leaving an itchy rash and red spots or blisters all over the body. It isn't usually serious in healthy children and once you've had it, you're not likely to get it again. Most kids need only home treatment, including rest and medication, to reduce itching, fever and other flu-like symptoms. A chickenpox vaccine is recommended for children, teens, and adults who haven't had chickenpox.

Impetigo

A contagious infection, impetigo causes red sores or blisters that can break open, ooze, and develop a yellow-brown crust. Sores can occur anywhere on the body but usually appear around the mouth and nose. Impetigo can be spread to others through close contact or by sharing items like towels and toys. Scratching can also spread it to other parts of the body. Antibiotic ointment usually cures it. Antibiotic pills may be needed.

Warts

Skin growths caused by contact with the contagious human papillomavirus, warts can spread from person-to-person or via contact with an object used by a person with the virus. Prevent the spread of warts by not picking them, covering them with bandages, and keeping them dry. In most cases warts are harmless, painless, and go away on their own. If they persist, treatments include freezing, surgery, lasers, and chemicals.

Heat Rash ('Prickly Heat')

The result of blocked sweat ducts, heat rash looks like small red or pink pimples. Appearing over an infant's head, neck, and shoulders, the rash is often caused when well-meaning parents dress baby too warmly, but it can happen to any infant in very hot weather. A baby should be dressed as lightly as an adult who is resting; though their feet and hands may feel cool to the touch, this is usually not a problem.

Contact Dermatitis

Contact dermatitis is an allergic reaction caused by touching a substance, such as food, soap, or the oil of plants like poison ivy, sumac, or oak. The rash usually starts within 48 hours after exposure. Minor cases may cause mild skin redness or a rash of small red bumps, while severe reactions can cause swelling, redness, and larger blisters. Contact dermatitis is usually mild and goes away when contact with the substance ends.

Hand-Foot-Mouth Disease (Coxsackie)

This common, contagious childhood illness starts with a fever, then painful mouth sores and a non-itchy rash with blisters on hands, feet, and sometimes buttocks and legs follow. It spreads through coughing, sneezing, and used diapers, so wash hands often when dealing with coxsackie. Home treatment includes ibuprofen or acetaminophen (do not give aspirin) and lots of fluids. Not serious, coxsackie usually goes away on its own in about a week.

Atopic Dermatitis

A chronic problem causing dry skin, intense itching, and a raised rash, some children outgrow atopic dermatitis, or have milder cases as they age. In severe cases, this non-contagious rash forms clear, fluid-filled blisters. What causes atopic dermatitis isn't clear, but those affected may have a personal history of allergies and asthma and a sensitive immune system.

Hives (Urticaria)

Hives occur as a rash or welts and are often itchy, or may burn or sting. They can appear anywhere on the body and may last minutes or days. Hives can signal serious problems, especially if accompanied by difficult breathing. Medications like aspirin or penicillin; foods like eggs, nuts, and shellfish; food additives; temperature extremes, and infections like strep throat can cause hives. Removing the trigger often resolves the hives.

Scarlet Fever

Scarlet fever is simply strep throat with a rash. Symptoms include sore throat, fever, headache, abdominal pain, and swollen neck glands. After 1-2 days, a red rash with a sandpaper texture appears, after 7-14 days, the rash sloughs off. Scarlet fever is very contagious, but good hand washing can reduce its spread. Call your pediatrician immediately if you think your child has it, and treat with antibiotics to avoid serious complications.

Roseola Infantum (Sixth Disease)

A mild, contagious illness, roseola infantum is most common in children age 6 months to 2 years, and is rare after age 4. The symptoms are respiratory illness, followed by a high fever (which can trigger seizures) for up to eight days. Fevers abruptly end and are followed by a rash of small, pink, flat, or slightly raised bumps on the trunk, then the extremities. The fever can be managed with acetaminophen (do not use aspirin).

Source & Picture: www.children.webmd.com

Blueberry Juice May Boost Memory

2010-01-22T19:37:00.000-08:00

Drinking Wild Blueberry Juice Improves Memory and Learning in Older People With Age-Related Memory Decline
By Jennifer Warner
WebMD Health News

Swapping out the usual OJ for blueberry juice in the morning may give your brain a memory boost.

A new study shows that drinking a daily dose of wild blueberry juice improved the memory of older adults with age-related memory problems.

It's the first study to show a potential benefit of blueberries in improving memory in older adults at risk for dementia.

"The findings of this preliminary study suggest that moderate-term blueberry supplementation can confer neurocognitive benefit," write researcher Robert Krikorian, of the University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center, and colleagues in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Blueberry Benefits

Researchers say blueberries contain a wealth of phytochemicals that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. In addition, animal studies have shown that the polyphenols found in blueberries, anthocyanins, have been shown to increase signaling in brain centers associated with memory as well as improve how the brain gets rid of glucose, all of which may help slow memory decline.

In the study, researchers looked at the effects of drinking wild blueberry juice on memory decline in nine adults in their 70s who were experiencing age-related memory decline problems, such as memory lapses.

The participants drank about two and a half cups each day of blueberry juice made from commercially available frozen wild blueberries for 12 weeks. A comparison group of seven older adults drank a similar amount of placebo non-juice beverage for the same time period.

Researchers conducted memory tests, such as word association and list learning and recall tasks, at the beginning and end of the study.

The results showed that those who drank blueberry juice showed significant improvement on learning and memory tests compared to the placebo group.

Researchers say there were also trends suggesting reduced symptoms of depression and lower glucose levels among the wild blueberry juice drinkers, but further research will be needed to confirm these results.

Source & Picture: www.webmd.com

Haiti After the Earthquakes

2010-01-19T05:19:00.000-08:00

By Daniel J. DeNoon
WebMD Senior Medical Writer

My travel kit is packed with a big bottle of cipro, and I'll be starting anti-malaria prophylaxis soon. I'm scheduled to fly to Port au Prince on Feb. 3 with Dr. Michael Grady. We may go sooner, if we can be part of the relief effort.

Like everyone who knows anyone in Haiti, I keep checking my email inbox. Too many friends and loved ones are missing.

Unlike many, the news for me has been mostly good. As good as news can be when yet another horrible disaster has struck an undeserving people.

Nearly a year ago, I made my first eye-opening trip to Haiti after being invited to serve on the board of the service organization ServeHaiti.

The clinic we built in the mountainous region called Gran Bois is not far from Port au Prince -- but only as the crow flies. Human travel, up a tortuous "road," takes at least four hours, often much more.

The earthquakes are still shaking the ground, but so far the clinic stands unharmed. Our staff that was in Gran Bois, including Dr. Leo, are unharmed. But many of our Haitian friends and colleagues were in the city.

A few minutes ago I got one of those emails I've been looking for. The title: Boule is safe. I cried.

Earlier today, one of our volunteers sent a very different message. The title: Pray for me. Two of her loved ones are dead. I wept.

Watch this space for more news and stories. Please tell us about your Haiti connections, and what you know and don't yet know.

Source & Picture: blogs.webmd.com

Tylenol, Motrin, Benadryl, St. Joseph Aspirin, Rolaids Recall

2010-01-17T05:48:00.000-08:00

Containers' Moldy Odor to Blame for Recall of 60 Million Over-the-Counter Products
By Daniel J. DeNoon
WebMD Health News

Because of a sickening smell in some containers, 54 million packages of 27 different over-the-counter remedies now are being recalled.

Products include various types of child and/or adult Tylenol, Motrin, Benadryl, St. Joseph Aspirin, Rolaids, and Simply Sleep. This adds to the 6 million packages of Tylenol recalled late last year, bringing the total number of recalled products to 60 million.

A musty, moldy odor coming from the products has sickened at least 70 people with nausea, stomach pain, vomiting, and diarrhea. The symptoms go away by themselves and no one has been seriously injured.

The FDA says Johnson & Johnson's McNeil Consumer Health Care knew of the problem for more than a year. When the company did act in November and December 2008, it did too little too late, said Deborah M. Autor, director of the FDA's Office of Compliance.

"When something smells bad, literally or figuratively, companies must aggressively investigate and take all actions necessary to solve the problem," Autor said at a news conference. "McNeil should have acted faster."

The odor comes from a chemical, 2,4,6-tribromoanisole or TBA. TBA is produced when fungi break down a commonly used fungicide called 2,4,6-tribromophenol. The full health effects of TBA are not known.

Before being filled with product, product containers were stored on wooden pallets apparently treated with the fungicide. TBA seems to have infiltrated the product containers before they were filled.

The FDA inspected McNeil's main plant at Las Piedras, Puerto Rico, and was not happy with what it found. The FDA says McNeil began receiving complaints in May 2008, but failed to investigate fully or to warn consumers in a timely manner.

The FDA has given McNeil 15 days to respond to its seven-point warning letter. In addition to the contamination issue, the FDA says there are product-quality issues with some Motrin products.

Specific products included in the recall include:

* Children's Motrin
* Children's Tylenol
* Extra Strength Tylenol
* Regular Strength Tylenol
* Tylenol 8 Hour
* Tylenol Arthritis
* Tylenol PM
* Benadryl
* Motrin IB
* Rolaids
* Simply Sleep
* St. Joseph Aspirin

A complete list of the recalled products, including package sizes, product types, lot numbers, and UPC codes, can be seen at www.mcneilproductrecall.com.

Source & Picture: www.webmd.com

Are We as Fat as We Can Get?

2010-01-15T02:19:00.000-08:00

U.S. Child/Adult Obesity Rates Leveling Off but Not Going Down
By Daniel J. DeNoon
WebMD Health News
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Jan. 13, 2010 - U.S. obesity rates are leveling off for most kids and adults, new CDC figures suggest.

It does not mean we are getting thinner, although it may mean we're nearly as fat as we can get.

The sad numbers, according to CDC researchers Katherine M. Flegal, PhD, Cynthia L. Ogden, PhD, and colleagues:

* 12.6% of teens ages 12-19 are obese by adult standards.
* 17% of school-age kids are obese by child standards.
* 34% of adults -- 32% of women and 35.5% of men -- are obese.
* 68% of adults -- two-thirds of us -- are overweight or obese.

The good news is that the rise in obesity seems to be leveling off for children and for women. The same thing seems to be happening in men, although the leveling off has been too recent for the CDC to call it a plateau.

Bucking the trend are the very heaviest 6- to 19-year-old boys, who are getting even heavier.

That any of this seems like good news is, well, not good news.

"The results presented here indicate that the prevalence of high body-mass index in childhood has remained steady for 10 years and has not declined," the CDC researchers note. "The prevalence of obesity in the United States continues to be high, exceeding 30% in most sex and age groups."

The findings appear in two papers in the Journal of the American Medical Association. In an editorial accompanying the papers, J. Michael Gaziano, MD, MPH, a contributing editor of the journal, says we've entered a new and ominous age of public health.

Gaziano says there have been four previous eras:

* The age of pestilence and famine dominated most of human history.
* The age of receding pandemics happened in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
* The age of degenerative and man-made diseases emerged in the mid-20th century.
* The age of delayed degenerative diseases began in the 1960s as people began to quit smoking and as technological advances delayed heart deaths.

Now, he says, we're in the age of obesity and physical inactivity.

What can be done? Gaziano and the CDC say it's no longer just up to individuals. They recommend we look at our built environment -- and our food environment -- and make big changes in the things that make it easy for us to consume empty calories and hard for us to exercise.

Source & Picture: www.webmd.com

Food Recall Hits Big Chain Stores

2010-01-13T08:50:00.000-08:00

Listeria Contamination Suspects: Peanut Butter, Salsa, Cheese, More
By Daniel J. DeNoon
WebMD Health News

Listeria contamination has led Parkers Farm Inc. to recall peanut butter, cheese, salsa, and other foods from a long list of major food retailers.

Listeria is a bacteria that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections, especially in small children and older people. The contamination was detected in Parkers products tested by health departments in Wisconsin and Minnesota.

So far, Parkers Farm says there have been no reported illnesses.

Parkers, based in Coon Rapids, Minn., sold the products at the following major food retailers:

* Costco
* Cub
* Hy-Vee
* Jewel
* Kroger
* Lunds & Byerly's
* Marsh
* Nash Finch
* Price Chopper
* Rainbow
* Safeway
* Sam's Club
* Shop Rite
* Target
* Whole Foods

The foods included in the recall all carry specific "sell by" dates a half inch from the top of the container. The foods recalled by Parkers Farm are:

* 16-ounce peanut butter in square plastic containers (tub with snap-on lid); varieties are creamy, crunchy, honey creamy, and honey crunchy with sell by dates between 11/14/2010 and 12/31/2010.
* 34-ounce peanut butter in round plastic containers (tub with snap-on lid); varieties are creamy and crunchy with sell by dates between 8/11/2010 and 9/30/2010.
* 7-ounce bagel spreads in white plastic containers (tub with snap-on lid); varieties are garden veggie, wild berry, strawberry, apple cinnamon, and honey walnut) with sell by dates between 5/13/2010 and 6/30/2010.
* 14-ounce dips and spreads in square plastic containers (tub with snap-on lid); varieties are jalapeno nacho, pimento, and salsa con queso with sell by dates between 8/11/2010 and 9/30/2010.
* 8-ounce, 12-ounce, and 16-ounce cold pack cheese in round or square plastic containers (tub with snap-on lid); varieties are sharp cheddar, bacon, onion, smoked cheddar, Swiss almond, horseradish, garlic, port wine, and Swiss and cheddar with sell by dates between 11/14/2010 and 12/31/2010.
* 16-ounce salsa in square plastic containers (tub with snap-on lid), varieties are hot, mild, garlic, black bean, and fire-roasted with sell by dates between 3/14/2010 and 4/30/2010.

Other labels affected by this recall:

* 16-ounce Happy Farms cold pack cheese in round plastic containers (tub with snap-on lid), varieties are sharp cheddar, port wine, and Swiss almond with sell by dates between 11/24/2010 and 12/10/2010.
* 8-ounce Kroger cold pack cheese in round plastic containers (tub with snap-on lid), varieties are sharp cheddar, port wine, and Swiss almond with sell by dates between 11/18/2010 through 12/15/2010.
* 8-ounce Central Markets cold pack cheese in round plastic containers (tub with snap-on lid), varieties are sharp cheddar, port wine, Swiss almond, and horseradish with sell by dates of 12/9/2010.
* 14-ounce Central markets salsa con queso in round plastic containers (tub with snap-on lid) with sell by dates of 8/16/2010.
* 16-ounce Central Markets salsa in round plastic containers (tub with snap-on lid), varieties are sharp cheddar, port wine, Swiss almond, and horseradish with sell by dated of 3/17/2010 through 3/24/2010.
* 8-ounce Dutch Farms cold pack cheese in round plastic containers (tub with snap-on lid), varieties are sharp cheddar, port wine, Swiss almond, horseradish, and Swiss & cheddar with sell by dates of 11/16/2010 through 11/18/2010.

Parkers Farm says that products with different sell by dates are safe to eat.

Customers who purchased the recalled products may return them to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Source & Picture: www.webmd.com

Running Shoes: Hazardous to Your Joints?

2010-01-11T16:21:00.000-08:00

Study Shows Running Shoes Exert More Stress on Knees and Hips Than Running Barefoot
By Kathleen Doheny
WebMD Health News

Compared to running barefoot, running in conventional running shoes increases stress on the knee joints up to 38%, according to a new study.

''There is an increase in joint torque that may be detrimental," says D. Casey Kerrigan, MD, the lead author of the study, published in PM&R: The Journal of Injury, Function and Rehabilitation.

Joint torque is a measure of how much a force causes the joint to rotate.

But Kerrigan is not advocating that runners take up barefoot running -- just that her findings may be a reason to redesign running shoes. Kerrigan, formerly chairwoman and professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, now heads JKM Technologies and is designing a running shoe.

At least one podiatric specialist calls the study finding ''much ado about nothing."
Running Shoes Study: Details

Kerrigan's team evaluated 68 runners -- 37 women, average age 31, and 31 men, average age 36 -- who ran at least 15 miles a week. None had any history of musculoskeletal injury.

Participants ran barefoot on a treadmill and then in a running shoe: the Brooks Adrenaline.

Kerrigan's team observed how each condition, barefoot and shod, affected the joints of the hip, knee, and ankle.

Compared to running barefoot, the researchers found running in running shoes increased stress on the lower extremities. They found a 54% increase in the hip internal rotation torque and a 36% to 38% increase in knee torque. Is that increase mild, moderate, worrisome? "We don't know," Kerrigan tells WebMD. "We just know it's an increase."

She attributes the increased stress to the characteristic design of the majority of running shoes, including an elevated heel and increased material in the midsole arch.

Providing this cushioning in the heel, she suspects, counteracts the body's natural response to compensate for the torque associated with impact.

The increases found in her current study are higher than when she compared barefoot walking to walking in high heels. The high-heel shoes increased knee joint torque by 20% to 26%, she says.
Running Shoes Study: Analysis

Some torque on the knee is normal, of course. "What we are saying is, there is an increase over what would be experienced just walking around," Kerrigan says.

Her concern is that the excess stress may contribute to knee osteoarthritis, although the study did not look at a link between running shoes and injury or running shoes and the development of arthritis.

She isn't suggesting barefoot running -- a trend that's picked up steam in the past year or so -- is necessarily better than running in athletic shoes, she says.
Running Shoes Study: Other Opinions

''It's much ado about nothing," says Bruce Williams, DPM, past president of the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine and a spokesman for the American Podiatric Medical Association, of the study results.

Source & Picture: www.webmd.com

Frostbite Treatment and Prevention: FAQ

2010-01-08T19:26:00.000-08:00

An expert offers tips for preventing and treating frostbite.
By Salynn Boyles
WebMD Feature

When wintry weather settles in, how do you make sure that when Jack Frost nips at your nose you don’t end up with frostbite?

Plan ahead to make sure you're prepared for the winter weather, emergency medicine specialist Thomas Tallman, DO, tells WebMD.

Tallman has seen more than his share of cold-weather injuries as a staff physician at the Cleveland Clinic's Emergency Services Institute and as an on-call doctor at the football games of the Cleveland Browns.

"When you're wet or exposed to high winds, core body temperatures can drop quickly and you can get into trouble pretty fast," he says.

What is frostbite?

Frostbite is literally the freezing of body tissue (usually skin). Fingers, toes, ears, and the nose are the areas most vulnerable to frostbite.

There are three degrees of frostbite, including:

* Frostnip, which usually affects the face, ears, or fingertips. While the skin may feel numb, frostnip does not lead to permanent tissue damage.
* Superficial frostbite, in which the outer skin is affected.
* Deep frostbite, in which the skin and underlying tissue freezes. Permanent damage is possible, depending on how long and how deeply the tissue is frozen.

Frostbite is caused by either prolonged exposure to cold temperatures or shorter exposure to very cold temperatures.
What are the symptoms?

Many people with frostnip or frostbite experience numbness. A "pins and needles" sensation, severe pain, itching, and burning are all common when the affected area is warmed and blood starts flowing again.

Skin may look white, grayish-yellow, or even black with severe frostbite, and it may feel hard, waxy, and numb. Blistering is also common.
Who is at risk?

Anyone can end up with frostbite if exposed to frigid conditions for too long. Naturally, those who work outside in the cold or engage in cold-weather sports may be vulnerable if they aren't adequately prepared.

But some people are also more susceptible to extremely cold weather than others, including:

* The very young and the very old.
* Diabetes patients and people with other medical conditions associated with poor circulation.
* People with heart conditions who take beta-blockers, which decrease the flow of blood to the skin.
* Those who smoke and/or drink alcohol while exposed to cold weather.

Wearing wet clothes, not wearing enough clothes, and exposure to high winds increase vulnerability.

Even people who think they are prepared for the cold weather may not be, Tallman says. He recalls one Browns game last season which started in the rain and ended in an icy snowstorm.

"Many of the tailgaters got pretty soaked before the game and then when the temperatures dropped they got into trouble," he says.
What are the treatments for frostnip/frostbite?

Get out of the cold and get out of wet clothing as soon as possible and remove all constrictive jewelry and clothing. Then immerse the affected area in warm, but not hot, water.

Source & Picture: www.webmd.com

Radiologists: Get Mammograms Early, Often

2010-01-07T17:00:00.000-08:00

2 Groups Call for Annual Breast Cancer Screening at Age 40 for Average-Risk Women
By Daniel J. DeNoon
WebMD Health News

Blasting new breast cancer screening advice from a Health and Human Services Department panel, radiologists say women need annual mammograms starting no later than age 40.

Recent guidelines from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) -- an outside group of experts that makes health recommendations based on the best available evidence -- call for women to start every-other-year screening at age 50 unless they are more comfortable with starting earlier.

That change from annual screening beginning at age 40 is "ill advised and dangerous," say the American College of Radiology and the Society of Breast Imaging.

Claiming that the new guidelines will cause "countless unnecessary breast cancer deaths each year," the groups call for a return to annual screening at age 40 for average-risk women, and annual screening starting at age 30 (or even as early as age 25) for higher-risk women.

The USPSTF calculates that the greatest benefit of breast cancer screening is for women ages 60 to 69. Evidence on women 75 years or older does not exist. For younger women, the USPSTF calculates that to extend the life of a just one woman, 1,904 women ages 40 to 49 and 1,339 women ages 50 to 59 must be screened.

That's where the debate begins. A woman's risk of breast cancer starts rising sharply at age 40. The USPSTF calculates that breast cancer risk gets large enough by age 50 to justify the "potential harms" of screening. These harms include anxiety over false-positive results and painful, unnecessary biopsies. The radiology groups say the risk at age 40 already justifies any such harm -- and that catching cancer at an earlier stage prevents the harm of more difficult late-stage treatment.

Because women have been taught for years that breast cancer is most curable and most easily treated when caught early, the USPSTF guidelines were met with a public uproar. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius soon told women under 50 that the suggested guidelines would not become federal health policy.

Now radiologists have officially joined the uproar. Memorial Sloan-Kettering radiologist Carol H. Lee, MD, chairwoman of the American College of Radiology Breast Imaging Commission, condemned the USPSTF recommendations as "unfounded."

"The USPSTF recommendations are a step backward and represent a significant harm to women's health," Lee says in a news release. "At least 40 percent of the patient years of life saved by mammographic screening are of women ages 40 to 49."

Lee and colleagues put forth the radiologists' own guidelines in a strongly worded article in the January issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology. Those recommendations include:

* Regular annual screening beginning at age 40 for women at average risk of breast cancer.
* Regular annual screening beginning at age 30, but not before age 25, for women with increased risk of breast cancer due to BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutations, a mother or sister with premenopausal breast cancer, or both a maternal and paternal relative with premenopausal breast cancer.
* Regular annual screening should continue for all women with a life expectancy of less than five to seven years, based on age or health conditions.

While the USPSTF has already softened the wording of its original guidelines, the panel continues to recommend mammograms every other year.

As for women under age 50, the USPSTF now suggests that the decision to start breast cancer screening "should be an individual one and take patient context into account, including the patient's values regarding specific benefits and harms."

Source & Picture: www.webmd.com

Pomegranates May Fight Breast Cancer

2010-01-06T19:52:00.000-08:00

Phytochemicals in Pomegranates Stop Growth of Breast Cancer Tumors in Study
By Jennifer Warner
WebMD Health News

Eating pomegranates or drinking pomegranate juice may help prevent and slow the growth of some types of breast cancer.

A new study shows a group of phytochemicals called ellagitannins found in abundance in pomegranates inhibited the growth of estrogen-responsive breast cancer in laboratory tests.

“Phytochemicals suppress estrogen production that prevents the proliferation of breast cancer cells and the growth of estrogen-responsive tumors,” researcher Shiuan Chen, PhD, director of the Division of Tumor Cell Biology and co-leader of the Breast Cancer Research Program at City of Hope in Duarte, Calif., says in a news release.

Researchers say the ellagitannins in pomegranates work by inhibiting aromatase, which is a key enzyme used by the body to make estrogen and plays a key role in breast cancer growth.

“We were surprised by our findings,” Chen says. “We previously found other fruits, such as grapes, to be capable of the inhibition of aromatase. But phytochemicals in pomegranates and in grapes are different.”

Researchers say pomegranates have recently been hailed for their potential anti-cancer and heart healthy benefits thanks to their high antioxidant content. But they say this is the first study to look at their effects on aromatase and breast cancer growth.

In the study, published in Cancer Prevention Research, researchers examined the impact of 10 ellagitannin-derived compounds from pomegranates on aromatase activity and breast cancer cell growth in laboratory tests.

The results showed that of those 10 compounds, urolithin B most significantly inhibited breast cancer cell growth.

Experts say further studies will be needed to determine whether eating or drinking pomegranate-derived products will have the same effect in humans, but these results are promising.

“More research on the individual components and the combination of chemicals is needed to understand the potential risks and benefits of using pomegranate juice or isolated compounds for a health benefit or for cancer prevention,” Powel Brown, MD, PhD, chairman of the clinical cancer prevention department at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, says in a news release. Brown was not associated with the study.

Until then, researchers say people may consider eating more pomegranates to protect against cancer in the breast and perhaps other tissues and organs.

Source & Picture: www.webmd.com

How to Design Your Own Diet

2010-01-02T17:18:00.000-08:00

Had it with one-size-fits-all diet formulas? Learn how to design your own weight loss plan.
By Elizabeth M. Ward, MS, RD
WebMD Feature

Prescribed diets plans, such as Jenny Craig, The Zone, and The South Beach Diet are wildly popular, and often quite successful, at least in the short term. But they don't adequately address personal eating styles, family and work schedules, or exercise preferences.

Do you crave a diet that caters to your unique needs, instead of a cookie-cutter formula from a book or diet guru? Here's how to personalize an eating plan that helps you shed weight and keep it off for good.

The Best Diet: The One That Works for You

If you bristle at the thought of complying with someone else's idea of how you should shed pounds, the good news is that you don't need weeks' worth of expensive prepared frozen meals or a militant eating and exercise program to drop the weight. Even a slight decrease in calories, preferably on a plan that meets nutritional needs, is all it takes.

"One diet is not necessarily any more successful than the next," says Joy Bauer, MS, RD, author of Your Inner Skinny: Four Steps to Thin Forever. "We know from research studies that almost any plan that reduces calorie intake results in weight loss, regardless of whether it's high-carbohydrate, low-carbohydrate, high in protein, or low in fat."

But here's the rub: Weight loss won't last unless you change your eating and exercise habits for good in a way that meshes with your food preferences, schedule, and lifestyle.
Dieter, Let's Get Personal

Before you begin designing your own diet plan, some self-reflection is in order.

"Knowing who you are and what you need is the most important information you can have when it comes to losing weight, eating healthy, and changing your lifestyle," says Heather K. Jones, RD, co-author of What's Your Diet Type? Use the Power of Your Personality to Discover Your Best Way to Lose Weight. "Our personality explains why some approaches to weight control work, while others fail."

Jones says dieting takes more than willpower, and that people who successfully lose weight and keep it off have simply discovered which approaches work for them and their unique personalities.
6 Key Questions to Answer

In order to design your own diet, Bauer and Jones advise asking yourself the following six questions:

• Do you prefer to eat three, five, or eight meals a day? Once you determine your desired eating schedule, divide your calories accordingly.

• How much time will you devote to food preparation? If you hate to cook, or have limited time, you'll need to simplify the preparation of healthy, fresh, and lightly processed foods.

• What type of support, and how much, do you require? Everyone needs some cheering on to succeed, especially when the initial enthusiasm for changing bad habits begins to wane. Family and friends, online weight loss communities, and diet buddies can help you when you're tempted to ditch your healthier diet and exercise program.

Source & Picture: www.webmd.com

TENS Gets Thumbs Down as Back Pain Treatment

2009-12-31T14:58:00.000-08:00

Guidelines Say Portable Device That Applies Electric Current Doesn't Relieve Low Back Pain
By Salynn Boyles
WebMD Health News

A widely used, somewhat controversial treatment for chronic low back pain is not effective and cannot be recommended, the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) now says.

Transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation, or TENS, is a pocket-sized, battery-operated device that sends electric currents to the nerves via electrodes with the goal of treating pain.

TENS has been used for pain relief for four decades, but studies evaluating its effectiveness have been mixed.

A review of the available research assessing the use of TENS for pain led to the newly published recommendation against its use for chronic low back pain, says neurologist and guideline co-author Richard M. Dubinsky, MD, MPH, of Kansas University Medical Center.

"From the systematic review of the literature, based on the strength of the studies, we can say that TENS does not work for low back pain," he tells WebMD.
Source & Picture: www.webmd.com

Tylenol Recall Expands

2009-12-30T16:49:00.000-08:00

Nauseating 'Moldy' Odor From Tylenol Arthritis Pain Caplets
By Daniel J. DeNoon
WebMD Health News

A nauseating "moldy" odor has sickened some people using Tylenol Arthritis Pain Caplet 100-count bottles with red EZ-Open caps.

Tylenol maker McNeil PPC Inc. has recalled all of this product, which is easily recognized by its distinctive red cap. The new recall expands a five-lot recall of the product announced last November.

McNeill says consumers reported the product had "an unusual moldy, musty, or mildew-like odor" linked to symptoms of nausea, stomach pain, vomiting, and diarrhea."

So far, all of these health events "were temporary and non-serious," McNeill says in a news release.

The source of the odor appears to come from the breakdown product of a chemical used to treat the wooden pallets on which the product's packaging materials were transported and stored.

The chemical linked to the odor, 2,4,6-tribromoanisole, is produced when fungi break down a commonly used fungicide called 2,4,6-tribromophenol. The full health effects of 2,4,6-tribromoanisole are not known.

Consumers who purchased the products should immediately stop using them and contact McNeil for a refund or replacement. McNeil can be reached on its web site or by telephone at 888-222-6036 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern time and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

Any adverse reactions linked to the product should be reported to the FDA MedWatch program at 800-FDA-0178 or online at www.fda.gov/medwatch.

All of the recalled products carry the UPC #0045-0838-21 and the Code #8382100. The lot numbers of the recalled products are 07CMC011, 07DMC022, 07DMC024, 07FMC032, 07FMC033, 07GMC038, 07GMC039, 07HMC045, 07HMC051, 07HMC053, 07JMC064, 07JMC069, 07JMC070, 07JMC071, 07XMC055, 07XMC058, 07XMC062, 08AMC002, 08AMC005, 08CMC026, 08DMC029, 08EMC037, 08EMC039, 08FMC044, 08FMC045, 08GMC050, 08GMC053, 08GMC063, 08GMC065, 08JMC103, 08JMC109, 08JMC110, 08JMC111, 08KMC124, 08KMC127, 08KMC131, 08KMC132, 08XMC093, 08XMC094, 08XMC095, 09AMC010, 09CMC041, 09EMC075, 09EMC079, 09EMC076, 09GMC096, 09GMC097, 09GMC099, 09JMC118, 09JMC126, 09KMC133, 09KMC134, 09XMC114, and 09XMC116.

Source & Picture: www.webmd.com

Symptoms of Fibromyalgia

2009-12-29T16:40:00.000-08:00

What Are the Symptoms of Fibromyalgia?

Symptoms of fibromyalgia include:

* Chronic muscle pain, muscle spasms or tightness, weakness in the limbs, and leg cramps
* Moderate or severe fatigue and decreased energy
* Insomnia or waking up feeling just as tired as when you went to sleep
* Stiffness upon waking or after staying in one position for too long
* Difficulty remembering, concentrating, and performing simple mental tasks
* Abdominal pain, bloating, nausea, and constipation alternating with diarrhea (irritable bowel syndrome)
* Tension or migraine headaches
* Jaw and facial tenderness
* Sensitivity to one or more of the following: odors, noise, bright lights, medications, certain foods, and cold
* Feeling anxious or depressed
* Numbness or tingling in the face, arms, hands, legs, or feet
* Increase in urinary urgency or frequency (irritable bladder)
* Reduced tolerance for exercise and muscle pain after exercise
* A feeling of swelling (without actual swelling) in the hands and feet
* Painful menstrual periods
* Dizziness

Fibromyalgia symptoms may intensify depending on the time of day -- morning, late afternoon, and evening tend to be the worst times, while 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. tends to be the best time. They may also get worse with fatigue, tension, inactivity, changes in the weather, cold or drafty conditions, overexertion, hormonal fluctuations (such as just before your period or during menopause), stress, depression, or other emotional factors.

If the condition is not diagnosed and treated early, symptoms can go on indefinitely, or they may disappear for months and then recur.

Source & Picture: www.webmd.com

Missing Birth Control Pills

2009-12-20T16:22:00.000-08:00

I Forgot to Take My Birth Control Pills. What Should I Do?

If you forget to take a birth control pill, take it as soon as you remember. If you don't remember until the next day, go ahead and take 2 pills that day. If you forget to take your pills for 2 days, take 2 pills the day you remember and 2 pills the next day. You will then be back on schedule. If you miss more than 2 birth control pills, call your health care provider for instructions. Those instructions may be to take one pill daily until Sunday and then start a new pack or to discard the rest of the pill pack and start over with a new pack that same day.

Any time you forget to take a pill, you must use another form of birth control until you finish the pill pack. When you forget to take a birth control pill, you increase the chance of releasing an egg from your ovary. However, if you forget to take any of the last 7 out of the 28 day pills you will not raise your chance of pregnancy since these pills contain only inactive ingredients. If you miss your period and have forgotten to take one or more pills, get a pregnancy test. If you miss two periods while taking the cyclic birth control pills (those that have the "inactive" pills at the end of the pill pack) even though you have taken all your pills on schedule, you should get a pregnancy test.

Source & Picture: www.webmd.com

Spices May Prevent Breast Cancer

2009-12-16T16:22:00.000-08:00

Compounds Found in Black Pepper and Curry Powder Appear to Thwart Growth of Early Cells That Lead to Breast Cancer
By Kelli Miller Stacy
WebMD Health News

A new study suggests that compounds found in black pepper and curry powder help halt the growth of stem cells that give rise to breast cancer.

Researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center applied piperine, found in black pepper, and curcumin, the main ingredient in the curry spice turmeric, to breast cancer cells in a laboratory dish. The spices, when used in combination, reduced the number of stem cells but did not harm normal breast cells.

“If we can limit the number of stem cells, we can limit the number of cells with [the] potential to form tumors,” Madhuri Kakarala, MD, PhD, RD, clinical lecturer in internal medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School and a research investigator at the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, says in a news release.

Stem cells have the potential to develop into many different cell types. Cancerous stem cells are believed to fuel tumor growth. Some researchers believe that controlling or even curing cancer involves targeting stem cells.

The study team discovered that piperine enhanced curcumin's effects. Curcumin and piperine are dietary polyphenols. Polyphenols are known to have anti-inflammatory and other protective properties. Together, the two spices prevented the breast cancer-initiating stem cells from regenerating and producing new cancer cells, a process called self-renewal. Yet the compounds appeared to have no effect on the normal cell development process.

“This shows that these compounds are not toxic to normal breast tissue,” Kakarala says. “The concept that dietary compounds can help is attractive, and curcumin and piperine appear to have very low toxicity.”

The spice solution in this experiment was about 20 times more potent than the individual spices found in a typical diet. Because piperine and turmeric have not been tested in patients at risk for breast cancer, the study team does not encourage supplement use at this time. They plan to conduct a clinical trial to determine the safe dose of curcumin and piperine in people.

This year in the United States, doctors will diagnose 192,370 new cases of invasive breast cancer, according to the American Cancer Society.

Source & Picture: www.webmd.com

Drunk? Coffee Won't Get You Sober

2009-12-11T16:39:00.000-08:00

Caffeine May Boost Alertness, but It Won't Get You Sober, Study Finds
By Bill Hendrick
WebMD Health News

Gulping down coffee won’t sober you up if you’re drunk, but it may make you awake enough to be dangerous, new research suggests.

Researchers draw that conclusion from laboratory experiments on mice, in which caffeine made drunken rodents more alert but didn’t reverse learning problems caused by alcohol.

Their study is published in the journal Behavioral Neuroscience.

“The myth about coffee’s sobering powers is particularly important to debunk because the co-use of caffeine and alcohol could actually lead to poor decisions with disastrous outcomes,” Thomas Gould, PhD, of Temple University and one of the study authors, says in a news release. “People who have consumed only alcohol, who feel tired and intoxicated, may be more likely to acknowledge that they are drunk.”

Gould tells WebMD in an email that "coffee may reduce the sedative effects of alcohol, which could give the false impression that people are not as intoxicated as they really are."

But caffeine’s effect as a stimulant may create the illusion in intoxicated people that they are alert and competent enough “to handle potentially harmful situations, such as driving while intoxicated or placing themselves in dangerous social situations,” Gould says.

He and colleague Danielle Gulick, PhD, now of Dartmouth College, gave groups of young adult mice various doses of alcohol and caffeine by injection prior to learning a maze. A comparison group of mice was given only saline solution.

Alcohol increased movement and reduced anxiety and learning in the mice in proportion to doses given, the researchers say. The drunken mice became more relaxed and moved around more, but learned significantly less than animals given only saline.

The scientists tested three aspects of behavior -- the ability to learn which part of a maze to negotiate in order to avoid exposure to a bright light or sound; anxiety, which was reflected by time spent exploring the maze’s open areas, and general locomotion.

The drunken mice learned significantly less well than the sober ones in trying to avoid the frightening bright light or loud noise.

The doses of caffeine given to the mice were the equivalent of one to six or eight cups of coffee for humans.

When caffeine and alcohol were given together, the alcohol blocked caffeine’s ability to make the mice more anxious, but caffeine failed to reverse the negative effects that alcohol has on learning, according to Gould and Gulick.

The alcohol calmed caffeine-caused jitters in mice, leaving them less able to avoid threats, the authors say. The researchers write that although a combination of caffeine and alcohol consumed by people “may increase alertness during intoxication, and decrease the awareness of intoxication, there may be no equivalent rescue of learning. Thus, drinkers may consumer more alcohol when they are also consuming caffeine.”

“The bottom line is that, despite the appeal of being able to stay up all night and drink, all evidence points to serious risks associated with caffeine-alcohol combinations,” Gould says in the news release.

Source & Picture: www.webmd.com

Divorce Has Lasting Toll on Health

2009-12-06T20:32:00.000-08:00

Even With Remarriage, Disease Risk Elevated
By Salynn Boyles
WebMD Health News

Divorce and the death of a spouse frequently have long-term negative consequences for health, even in people who remarry, new research shows.

It is clear that a recent divorce or widowhood is associated with an increase in poor health and depression in the near term, but the new study is one of the first to examine its effects on health years and even decades later.

Compared to married people who had never been divorced or widowed, those who had were more likely to experience long-term health problems.

Specifically:

* Those who were divorced or widowed were 20% more likely to have heart disease, diabetes, cancer, or another chronic condition.
* They were also 23% more likely to have mobility problems, such as difficulty climbing stairs or walking short distances.
* Those who were divorced or widowed but then remarried still had 12% more chronic health conditions and 19% more mobility problems than married people who had never experienced divorce or the death of a spouse; but they were only slightly more likely to report depression.

Divorce Has Long-Term Impact

Sociologist and study co-author Linda J. Waite, PhD, of the University of Chicago tells WebMD that divorce and widowhood appear to have a more long-term influence on physical health than on mental health.

“Mental health seems to be much more responsive to your current state,” she says. “But if you ignore your physical health by not exercising, eating right, or seeing the doctor when you are sick, that can have a lasting impact. And that is what people tend to do when they lose a marriage to divorce or death.”

In the study, 8,652 people between the ages of 51 and 61 were surveyed about their health and past and current medical status.

Three out of four respondents were married at the time they were surveyed. Just over half (55%) had never been divorced or widowed and 21% were remarried following a divorce or death of a spouse.

Compared to married people who had never been divorced or widowed, people who had lost a spouse to death or divorce but were not remarried at the time they were surveyed were 22% more likely to have chronic health conditions and 27% more likely to have mobility issues.

They were also twice as likely as divorced or widowed people who were remarried to have chronic health problems.

The study appears in the September issue of the Journal of Health and Social Behavior. (www.webmd.com)

All Slim-Fast Cans Recalled

2009-12-04T16:03:00.001-08:00

Possible Bacterial Contamination Spurs Recall of All Ready-to-Drink Slim-Fast Canned Products
By Miranda Hitti
WebMD Health News

All Slim-Fast ready-to-drink canned products are being recalled because of possible contamination with Bacillus cereus, a bacterium that may cause diarrhea and possibly nausea and/or vomiting.

Unilever United States, Inc. issued the voluntary recall in cooperation with the FDA.

"The probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote," states a Unilever news release. Unilever says it issued the recall "out of an abundance of caution" based on its quality testing of Slim-Fast ready-to-drink (RTD) products in cans.

The recall involves all ready-to-drink Slim-Fast products sold in cans, regardless of flavor, "Best-By" date, lot code, or UPC number.

The recall doesn't include any other Slim-Fast products, such as powdered shakes, meal bars, or snack bars.

The recalled cans are sold individually or packaged in paperboard cartons containing four, six, or 12 steel cans that are marked "11 FL OZ (325 mL)" each.

Unilever urges people to immediately discard Slim-Fast ready-to-drink products in cans and call the company at 800-896-9479 for a full refund. Unilever's Consumer Services Center is open Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern time. A recorded message is available around the clock, every day.

Unilever states that it "is in the process of identifying and correcting the production issue, and will resume production and shipping of the product when the issue has been addressed and corrected."

Source & Picture: www.webmd.com

Aluminum Can Tabs Still Pose Health Risks

2009-12-01T18:33:00.000-08:00

Researchers Say Changes in Design Haven't Prevented Accidental Ingestion
By Charlene Laino
WebMD Health News

The aluminum can manufacturers' move to make the tabs on cans harder to ingest is apparently too easy to swallow.

The so-called stay-tabs were developed to prevent accidental ingestion of the pull-tabs that preceded them. But young people are still swallowing them, says Lane F. Donnelly, MD, director of biodiagnostics at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.

If you fiddle with the stay-tab, it can easily break off," he said, while demonstrating how the tabs are easily separated from the cans with a couple of twists.

"Then, you may place it in the can, forget, and end up swallowing it," he tells WebMD.

Swallowing foreign objects, be it a penny or a can tab, can injure the GI tract, causing bleeding or other problems. Surgery is sometimes required.

About three decades ago, manufacturers began refitting beverage cans with the stay-tabs, after research showed that children were swallowing pull-tabs. One study revealed two cases of accidental ingestion and one case of aspiration after children swallowed pull-tabs that had been dropped into the cans.

The new study, presented here at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), suggests that the new tabs "have not reduced the number of ingestions," Donnelly says.
Children Still Swallowing Stay-Tabs

Donnelly and colleagues identified 19 cases of inadvertent stay-tab ingestion at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center from 1993 to 2009.

"If we have 19 cases at one institution, it's probably a much bigger problem nationwide," he says.

The children's ages ranged from 1 to 18 years. "We were surprised that most of them were teenagers," Donnelly says.

Of the 19 cases in the study, only four of the stay-tabs could be spotted on X-rays.

Donnelly showed a series X-rays, demonstrating how a penny that had been accidently ingested was easily viewed, but how it was nearly impossible to see the aluminum tabs.

Connelly says that none of the 19 youths suffered breathing problems or vomiting or required further treatment. But there is always a risk of internal bleeding because of the sharp edges on the breakaway tabs, he says. There's also a risk of the tab causing obstructions, he says.

One of the children was sent home with instructions "not to suck on can tabs" when drinking beverages.

"A better education campaign is needed," Connelly says.

Joseph Tashjian, MD, president of St. Paul Radiology in Minnesota and moderator of a news briefing, says that the new tabs are "a substantial step forward" from the old pull-tabs.

"They are rounded -- not as sharp," he says. With the original pull-tabs, surgery was sometimes required to remove the devices after accidental ingestion, he notes.

Still, further research is needed to make them safer, Tashjian says.

"We probably need some changes in can design -- cans that keep the tabs better attached," Donnelly says.

Source & Picture: http://children.webmd.com

Diabetes Rate May Double by 2034

2009-11-30T16:27:00.000-08:00

Cost of Treating the Disease Set to Triple, Researchers Say
By Salynn Boyles
WebMD Health News

If nothing is done, the number of Americans with diabetes will nearly double in the next 25 years and spending on the disease will nearly triple, a new study shows.

An aging population combined with a dramatic rise in obesity has created a perfect storm for diabetes in the U.S., researchers say.

"A perfect storm is a good way to look at it," study researcher Elbert S. Huang, MD of the University of Chicago tells WebMD. "If things stay the way they are right now we will have massive increases in diabetes incidence in this country over the next two decades."

By 2034, as many as 44 million Americans will have diabetes, up from 23 million today, according to the new projections, published in the November issue of the American Diabetes Association journal Diabetes Care.

The cost of caring for diabetes patients is projected to rise from $113 billion to $336 annually, and that is before adjusting for inflation.

These costs will outpace the increase in cases because more diabetes patients will be older and sicker and will require more expensive medical care, experts say.

Is Your Type 2 Diabetes Under Control? Get Your Health Score
Trouble for Medicare

Age is one of the biggest risk factors for type 2 diabetes, and the transition of baby boomers from middle to old age will drive much of the increase, the study shows.

As a result, by 2034, half of all direct spending in diabetes care is projected to occur in the Medicare population.

About 8 million Americans covered by Medicare now have diabetes and it cost $45 billion to treat them in 2009.

The number of diabetes patients whose treatment is paid for by Medicare is projected to nearly double to 14.6 million in the next 25 years, and the cost of caring for them is expected to quadruple.

By 2034, annual Medicare spending on diabetes care is projected to rise to $171 billion.

Although little can be done about the aging of the population, much can be done about the other major risk factor for type 2 diabetes -- obesity.

About 65% of Americans are overweight, and about one-third are obese, the CDC says.

The obesity rate among adults in the U.S. doubled between 1980 and 2004, but it appears to have leveled off since then.

The new diabetes model developed by the Huang and colleagues predicts a slight decline in obesity rates in the U.S. over the next two decades.
Target Obesity, Change the Future

All agree that a bigger decline in obesity, achieved though successful public health initiatives, could make a huge difference.

The future projected in the newly published study does not have to become reality, experts say.

"The cost of doing nothing is clearly going to be quite high," study co-researcher Michael O'Grady, PhD, said in a news conference. "To do nothing right now is going to cost billions and billions of dollars."

Source & Picture: diabetes.webmd.com

MRSA Strain on the Rise in Hospitals

2009-11-25T16:09:00.000-08:00

Study Shows Community-Associated MRSA Is Spreading in Health Care Facilities
By Bill Hendrick
WebMD Health News

A potentially dangerous and rapidly spreading strain of the "superbug" MRSA poses a much greater public health threat than previously thought, new research shows.

Community-associated MRSA (CA-MRSA) is spreading in hospitals and other health care facilities, according to a study in the December issue of Emerging Infectious Diseases.

The CA-MRSA strain of superbug can be picked up in fitness centers, schools, and other public places, and is increasing the already significant burden of MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) in hospitals, the researchers report.

CA-MRSA and hospital-associated MRSA (HA-MRSA) are bacteria resistant to most common antibiotics.

HA-MRSA infections occur mostly in hospitals and other health care settings, including dialysis centers and nursing homes, and often strike mostly older adults, people having invasive medical procedures, and people with weakened immune systems.

CA-MRSA is a leading cause of serious skin and soft tissue infections, entering the body through scrapes and cuts, the researchers say.

The study, which analyzed data from more than 300 microbiology labs across the U.S., found a sevenfold increase in the proportion of CA-MRSA in outpatients between 1999 and 2006.

This community-associated strain is making its way into hospitals, the researchers say, increasing threats to patient safety because patients and their doctors move back and forth between inpatient and outpatient units of hospitals.

"This emerging epidemic of community-associated MRSA strains appears to add to the already high MRSA burden in hospitals," Ramanan Laxminarayan, PhD, MPH, a senior fellow at Extending the Cure, a project at the Resources for the Future think tank in Washington, D.C., says in a news release.

This major increase in CA-MRSA, the researchers say, has become a major concern.

Over the length of the study, the scientists report finding that the proportion of MRSA had increased more than 90% among outpatients with staph, and now accounts for more than 50% of all Staphyloccus aureus infections.

This was due, the findings suggest, almost entirely to an increase in CA-MRSA strains.

Similar increases in inpatients suggest these strains are spreading rapidly into hospitals.

"MRSA has generally been a significant problem only in hospitals," says Eili Klein, MA, the lead author of the report and also a researcher at Resources for the Future. "But the findings from this study suggest there is a significant reservoir in the community as well."

This suggests that the increased cases of CA-MRSA are causing that bug to spread from the community into hospitals, Klein says.

Hospitals need to take steps to stop this by stepping up infection control procedures, the researchers say, adding that the best way to contain MRSA and other superbugs is through surveillance and regular efforts aimed at infection control.

"Community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus has become a major problem in U.S. hospitals already dealing with high levels of hospital-associated MRSA," the researchers write. They conclude that "more rapid diagnostic methods are urgently needed to better aid physicians" in fighting MRSA. (www.webmd.com)

Baked Fish Beats Fried for Omega-3 Boost

2009-11-21T16:48:00.000-08:00

Study Shows Baked Fish Is Better for Heart Health Than Fried, Salted, or Dried
By Charlene Laino
WebMD Health News

When it comes to reaping the heart-healthy benefits of omega-3 fatty acids in fish, it often comes down to how you prepare it, a study shows.

"The take-home message is that it's better to bake or boil the fish instead of frying it," says study researcher Lixin Meng, MS, a doctoral candidate at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. And adding a dash of low-sodium soy sauce will enhance the heart-healthy benefits, she tells WebMD.

Eating salted, dried, or fried fish, on the other hand, is not beneficial, Meng says. "But if it’s a fun occasion and you really want fried fish, do it the Japanese way -- stir-fry, rather than deep-fry it."

If the idea of eating fish, no matter how it's prepared, turns you off, take heart: Other researchers report they've genetically engineered soybean plants to produce oil that boosts levels of certain omega-3 fatty acids in the blood.

"This soybean oil could be an effective alternative to fish oil as a source of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids," says researcher William Harris, PhD, chief of cardiovascular health research at the University of South Dakota's Sanford School of Medicine in Sioux Falls.

Both new studies were presented at the American Heart Association's (AHA) Scientific Sessions 2009.
Omega-3s Cut Heart Risk

The AHA recommends eating at least two servings of fatty fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids like DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) a week to protect against heart disease, says AHA spokeswoman Alice Lichtenstein, DSc, a nutritionist at Tufts University.

Salmon, sardines, tuna, halibut, and mackerel are among the fish that are richest in omega-3s.

"How you cook the fish, the type of fish, and the amount of fish you consume [all impact its health-health benefits], but not enough attention has been placed on the best way to ensure you get enough of the fatty acids in your diet," says Lichtenstein, who was not involved with the work.

To help fill in the knowledge gap, Meng and colleagues examined the source, type, amount, and frequency of dietary omega-3 consumption among men and women in different ethnic groups.

The study involved 82,243 men and 103,884 women, ages 45 to 75, in Los Angeles and Hawaii. The participants represented five major ethnic groups: African Americans, whites, Hispanics, Japanese-Americans, and native Hawaiians. None suffered from heart disease at the start of the study.

Over the next 10 years, 2,604 of the men and 1,912 of the women died from heart disease.

When the men on the study were divided into five groups depending on their omega-3 intake, those in the highest group consumed an average of about 3.3 grams of omega-3 fatty acids daily. Men in the lowest group consumed about 0.8 grams a day.

Men in the highest group of omega-3 intake had a 23% lower risk of dying due to heart disease than those in the lowest group, the study showed.

Men of white, Japanese, and Hispanic descent appeared to get more benefits from omega-3s than African-American or Hawaiian men, possibly because of how they cook the fish or genetic predisposition, Meng says.

In women, the link between omega-3 fatty acid intake and heart disease wasn't as strong, she says.

Source & Picture: www.webmd.com

Drug May Boost Women's Sexual Desire

2009-11-20T18:29:00.000-08:00

Study Shows Flibanserin Increases Satisfying Encounters for Women With Low Libido
By Kathleen Doheny
WebMD Health News

An investigational drug that didn't perform well as an antidepressant appears to slightly boost sexual desire as well as the number of satisfying sexual encounters in women with lagging libidos, a study shows.

The research was presented this week at the 12th Congress of the European Society for Sexual Medicine in Lyon, France.

Some wonder if the drug, called flibanserin, will be the new ''female Viagra," but critics say the effect is minimal. Meanwhile, the manufacturer is planning additional clinical trials and expanding the participant pool to include older women.

The big news, according to those who studied flibanserin? "There is something that works on the neurotransmitters in the central nervous system to alter sexual desire in a positive way," says John M. Thorp Jr., MD, McAllister distinguished professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, and a principal investigator for the U.S. trials.

Source & Picture: www.women.webmd.com

Staying Healthy in Tough Times

2009-11-18T18:30:00.000-08:00

Try these cheap ways to boost health in a bad economy.
WebMD Feature
By Peter Jaret
Reviewed By Brunilda Nazario, MD
With the economy ailing, lots of us are looking for ways to save money. Unfortunately, we may be looking in all the wrong places.

Scrimping and saving by putting off doctor’s visits? Not filling that prescription because it costs too much? Letting your gym membership lapse? Any one of those decisions could end up costing you dearly in the long run.

Luckily, there are plenty of cheap and effective ways to stick with a healthy lifestyle even in the face of an ailing economy.
Can’t afford that pricey gym membership?

That’s no excuse for becoming inactive. "You don’t have to go to a gym to get the wide range of health benefits of exercise," says Steven Blair, PhD, professor of exercise science at the University of South Carolina.

Fitting in just 150 minutes a week of moderate intensity activities -- walking, gardening, even doing housework -- substantially reduces the risk of chronic diseases, according to the latest federal physical activity guidelines. Building and maintaining muscle strength may take a little more ingenuity. One option: learn a set of basic calisthenics that include push-ups, sit-ups, deep knee bends, and leg lifts. Another alternative: buy an inexpensive set of stretch bands, which can be used to do dozens of strength-building exercises.
Having trouble stretching your food budget?

A limited food budget is no reason to reach for junk food. "Some of the healthiest foods out there are actually the least expensive," says Kathy McManus, PhD, director of inpatient nutrition services at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. A few examples:

* Beans. They’re a great low-calorie source of fiber and protein. And they cost pennies a serving, especially if you buy dried beans and soak them yourself. Add beans to pasta sauce, chili, or soup. Or serve them as a side dish, seasoned with your favorite spices.
* Peanuts. Rich in protein and heart-healthy oils, peanuts are a relatively inexpensive and filling snack. The lowest priced peanuts are typically found in the bulk food aisle.
* Homemade breakfast cereal. Instead of buying an expensive packaged cereal, make your own by combining whole oats and other grains, raisins, nuts and seeds bought in bulk
* Make-them-yourself beverages. Save money by skipping expensive bottled beverages and make your own by brewing up tea for iced tea or adding a splash of fruit juice to carbonated water.
* Frozen vegetables. If fresh vegetables are too expensive, head for the freezer aisle. “Because vegetables are flash frozen soon after being harvested, they may contain higher levels of antioxidants than fresh vegetables that are a day or two old,” says Allyson Mitchell, PhD, a crop scientist at the University of California at Davis. Another option: raise your own vegetables. More and more people are gardening, which offers not only a harvest of healthy foods but also a way to stay fit.

Cooking at home instead of eating out is another way to save money and stay healthy, especially when you skip processed foods and cook from scratch. Home-cooked meals tend to be lower in fat and salt than restaurant offerings. Surveys show that people who eat at home are less likely to be overweight or obese.

Source & Picture: www.webmd.com

Healthy Cats

2009-11-07T18:45:00.000-08:00

Cat Gets H1N1 Swine Flu
Iowa Cat Got Pandemic Flu Bug From Owners
By Daniel J. DeNoon
WebMD Health News

A sick Iowa pet is the latest evidence that cats can carry the H1N1 swine flu virus.

The pandemic flu bug was detected in a sick, 13-year-old Iowa cat after two members of the family that owns the cat fell ill, the Iowa Department of Health reported yesterday.

The cat -- and both humans -- recovered from their illnesses.

"It's not unexpected news ... we know that influenza viruses can be transmitted between humans and animals," CDC spokesman Tom Skinner tells WebMD.

The Iowa cat was taken to the veterinary college at Iowa State University, where tests of a nasal swab confirmed the cat was infected with the H1N1 swine flu virus.

"Just because the virus was found in a sick cat doesn't mean the virus was the cause of the cat's illness," Atlanta veterinarian Megan Hilf, VMD, tells WebMD.

Even so, the CDC warns people with flu-like symptoms to avoid giving the virus to their best friends.

"If people are sick and have pets and they are concerned, then we suggest they follow the same steps we tell them to follow when it comes to preventing spread to other humans: Cover coughs and sneezes, frequently wash your hands, and try to distance yourself from your pet until you have been without fever for 24 hours without use of fever-reducing medicine," Skinner says.

Can cats carry H1N1 swine flu and transmit it to people or to other pets? Maybe, says Drew Weigner, DVM, a feline specialist in Atlanta.

"There is currently no evidence that cats can transmit H1N1 to people," Weigner tells WebMD. "While there is currently no evidence that cats can transmit H1N1 to cats or other pets, it would not be surprising to find transmission from one cat to another -- but this is not yet known to have occurred."

Cats do readily become infected with another worrisome flu bug -- the deadly H5N1 bird flu. Fortunately, that killer virus has not become widespread in either cats or humans. And the H5N1 virus is very different from the H1N1 swine flu virus.

In fact, Weigner says, cats rarely get infected with any kind of flu virus.

"What is often referred to as 'cat flu' is actually a syndrome describing an upper respiratory infection with several different viruses such as herpesvirus and calicivirus," he says.

A 2007 study of blood samples collected from 1999 to 2005 from 60 domestic and 51 free-roaming cats in and around Milan, Italy, showed no indication that any of the animals had ever been infected with any flu virus.

But if a cat does get a human flu bug, what symptoms would it have?

"Since only one cat has been confirmed to be infected with H1N1, it remains to be seen how this virus affects cats," Weigner says. "One would expect infected cats to have a fever and upper respiratory symptoms including sneezing and eye or nasal discharge. The most important point is that any cat exhibiting signs of illness should be examined by your veterinarian as soon as possible."

Weigner and Skinner note that other animals have picked up H1N1 swine flu from humans, including pigs, birds, and ferrets. H1N1 swine flu is a human virus not known to be circulating in pigs.

The diagnosis of swine flu infection in the Iowa cat was a collaboration between the Iowa Department of Public Health; Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine; the Center for Advanced Host Defenses, Immunobiotics, and Translational Comparative Medicine, the U.S. Department of Agriculture; and the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Lands Stewardship Animal Industry Bureau.

Source & Picture: www.webmd.com

Foods to Help You Feel Better

2009-11-04T16:41:00.000-08:00

6 ways to add mood-boosting foods to your diet.
By Elaine Magee, MPH, RD
WebMD Feature

Are you feeling down in the dumps? Are you irritated at how often you’ve been irritable?

Perhaps it’s time to look at the foods and drinks you consume to see if they are trashing your mood. Nutrition experts say that the foods you eat can help you feel better -- or feel worse -- in the short-term and the long-term.

* Meal-to-meal and day-to-day, keeping your blood sugars steady and your gastrointestinal (GI) tract running smoothly will help you feel good and energetic. If your blood sugars are on a roller-coaster ride -- hitting highs and lows from too much sugar and refined flour – you are more likely to feel out of sorts. This is also true if your gastrointestinal system is distressed due to intense hunger from a fad diet or constipation because you aren’t getting enough fiber and water.
* Week-to-week and month-to-month, keeping your body healthy and disease-free makes good moods more likely. For example, key nutrients you get in certain foods can influence the levels of feel-good hormones such as serotonin. Other nutrients can help prevent inflammation so blood circulates well to all of your organs.

“Eating a heart healthy diet -- high in fiber and low in saturated fat -- is a great place to start to boost your mood. There isn’t any question about it, says Diane M. Becker MPH, ScD, director of the Center for Health Promotion at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

Conversely, “a high-fat, high-glycemic load meal can make you physically feel dysfunction in your body. People who eat this type of meal tend to feel bad and sleepy afterwards,” she says.
6 Tips for Foods and Beverages That Help You Feel Good
1. Seek out foods rich in vitamin B12 and folic acid (folate).

What’s special about chili made with kidney beans and lean beef? Or a light chicken Caesar salad made with skinless chicken breast and romaine lettuce? Or grilled salmon with a side of broccoli?

All these dishes feature one food that is rich in folic acid (folate) and another that is rich in vitamin B12. These two vitamins appear to help prevent disorders of the central nervous system, mood disorders, and dementias, says Edward Reynolds, MD, at the Institute of Epileptology, King’s College, London.

The link between higher food intakes of folate and a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms crosses cultures, too. A recent study confirmed this association in Japanese men.

Folic acid is usually found in beans and greens. Vitamin B12 is found in meats, fish, poultry, and dairy.

Other dishes that feature B-12 and folic acid-rich foods include:

* A burrito or enchilada made with black beans plus beef, chicken, or pork
* A spinach salad topped with crab or salmon
* An egg white or egg substitute omelet filled with sauteed spinach and reduced-fat cheese

Source & Picture: www.webmd.com

Diabetes on the Rise in U.S.

2009-10-30T16:47:00.000-07:00

Survey Shows About 26 Million Americans Have Diabetes
By Bill Hendrick
WebMD Health News

Diabetes cases are rising rapidly in the U.S., with the disease afflicting 11.3% of American adults in the third quarter of 2009, according to a new Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index survey. That's an increase from 10.4% in the first quarter of last year.

That means about 26 million Americans have diabetes. Gallup-Healthways notes if current trends continue, more than 37 million will be living with the disease by the end of 2015.

Not coincidentally, the survey shows the U.S. obesity rate is up about 1 percentage point in quarter-over-quarter comparisons to 2008.

According to Gallup-Healthways, Americans who are obese are almost three times as likely as those who aren't to be diagnosed with diabetes.

"The upward trends in obesity rates almost certainly play a substantive role in the increase in diabetes rates over the same time period," the survey states. "More than one-fifth of obese adults [have diabetes]" -- or 21.2%, compared to 7.4% of non-obese people of comparable ages.

The survey, echoing results of many studies, says one of the best ways to reduce obesity is to exercise. Between January and September 2009, it reports a sharply higher incidence of diabetes among those who didn't exercise at least a half hour on any given day in the previous week.

According to Gallup-Healthways:

* 8% percent Americans with diabetes exercised at least 30 minutes a day, four to six times per week.
* 9.5% exercised at least half an hour daily in the previous week.
* 15% did not exercise at least 30 minutes in the week before they were surveyed.

"While exercise is seasonal and is expected to climb in the warmer months, year-over-year comparisons reveal a 2009 decline of 2.7 points in the percentage of American adults who say they are exercising at least 30 minutes three or more times per week, compared with 2008," according to Gallup-Healthways.

The 10 states with the highest increases in obesity from 2008-2009 have, on average, also seen a related increase of 0.5 percentage points in diabetes incidence, the survey shows. These states are Wyoming, Alaska, Minnesota, Maine, Idaho, Tennessee, Iowa, New Hampshire, North Dakota, and Texas.

The 10 states whose obesity rates have remained unchanged or decreased since 2008 have seen an average reduction in reported diabetes incidence of 0.3 percentage points. These states -- Delaware, Montana, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, Louisiana, Virginia, Missouri, Nevada and Florida -- provide examples for future study to learn more about managing diabetes nationally, according to Gallup-Healthways.

The report was based on telephone interviews with 623,538 adults, 18 or older, conducted from January to September 2009 and has a sampling error of +/- 0.3 percentage points.

Source & Picture: www.webmd.com

Officials: Stay Calm on Swine Flu Vaccine

2009-10-29T17:24:00.000-07:00

Swine Flu Vaccine Gap Is Closing, Health and Homeland Secretaries Say
By Daniel J. DeNoon
WebMD Health News

The H1N1 swine flu vaccine demand/supply gap is closing, two top administration officials said today.

The promise came in a joint appearance by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, held to soothe U.S. frustrations over the slow rollout of the H1N1 swine flu vaccine program.

H1N1 swine flu continues to sweep the nation -- and so do complaints about long lines and insufficient vaccine supplies.

"This is not a situation that calls for panic," Napolitano said. "The protection of the country as a whole is under way. ... The thing we have to do now is work our way through the sequence of events. That sequence is that states have opened 150,000 vaccination sites, and every day that goes by, more vaccine is being made available."

Napolitano and Sebelius said they understood Americans' frustrations over the slower-than-predicted availability of H1N1 swine flu vaccine. But they defended the decision to ship vaccine doses as soon as they became available, rather than waiting for production of enough vaccine to ensure a smooth-running program.

Sebelius noted that the original plan had been to start the vaccination program around Oct. 15. But advisory panels made up of nongovernment flu and infectious-disease experts urged the administration to release H1N1 swine flu vaccine as soon as possible.

"We made the decision when some early vaccine became available to push it out the door, even though it was in much smaller quantities than we had anticipated," Sebelius said. "Since Oct. 5, when we began vaccinating Americans, more than 23 million doses have become available and more is being processed every day. ... That pace is picking up. The early problems and production challenges have been fixed."

Those problems include:

* Early "seed" viruses did not grow well on hens' eggs.
* The yield of viral antigen per egg -- the key ingredient in a vaccine -- was lower than expected.
* Glitches plagued new "fill and finish" production lines manufacturers had added to speed vaccine production.
* Each state has a different plan for how to provide vaccine to its citizens. Some states were less prepared than others.

Such problems are the rule, and not the exception, for a biologic product that is made via a 50-year-old process.

"There is no question that production started more slowly than anyone would have liked, but frankly, many things that could have gone wrong actually have gone right," Sebelius said. "We want folks to remember that a safe and effective vaccine was the primary goal, and we have arrived at that end goal. The supply to states is steadily growing."

Source & Picture: www.webmd.com

Build the Body You Want

2009-10-26T19:40:00.000-07:00

Here's a sign of the times: You can actually hire people to come to your house and organize your closets. They'll also do your garage, your attic, and the shed in your backyard. These people are tough on pack rats. They ask questions like "Why do you have this box of dog leashes, but no dog?"

My job isn't all that different. As a trainer, if I see something in a client's workout -- or my own -- that doesn't belong there, I get rid of it. If I see a redundant exercise, it's gone. Disorganized workout? I organize it. And if I see a client doing a program he got out of some old bodybuilding magazine, I throw the whole thing out and start over.

I can't come to your gym and fix your workout (or organize your closets). But I can tell you what you need to know to organize your own regimen, based on your goals, your available time, and your experience. I'll even throw in six sample body building workouts for beginner through advanced lifters. Now, about those closets . . .
Goals

I assume the closet lady would start by asking, "What do you need this closet to do for you?" Me, I'd ask the same question, substituting the word "workout" for "closet." Usually, these goals fall into three categories:

Lose weight: If you're a beginner, start with a circuit routine in which you do 10 to 12 exercises one after the other, 10 to 15 repetitions per set, with little or no rest in between. Do two or three circuits.

If you're more advanced, try supersets. In these, you do two exercises back-to-back, rest 60 seconds, and then repeat once or twice. There are many ways to do supersets, but for fat loss, I'd like to see you use as much muscle as possible. One way is to pair exercises that work completely different muscles, such as squats and seated rows.

Build muscle: For most men, I recommend exercises that allow you to do eight to 12 repetitions per set. You can do them as straight sets-complete a set, rest about 60 seconds, do the next set of the same thing, and keep going that way until you've finished all your sets and are ready to move on to the next exercise.

If you have more experience, try supersets, but not the way you did them for fat loss. Pair synergistic exercises-two moves that work the same muscles. Usually, the first is a compound move to work a lot of muscles, the second a single-joint exercise to focus on one large muscle. So barbell bench presses might be followed by dumbbell flies. Shoulder presses could lead in to lateral raises.

Gain strength: There's no secret here-heavy weights, low repetitions (usually three to five per set for the most important moves, such as squats, deadlifts, and bench presses), and longer rest (up to 4 minutes) between sets. You don't have to do every exercise this way, of course. Start with low reps on your main moves, then do more repetitions with lighter weights and shorter rest periods on less important ones.

Source & Picture: www.menshealth.com

HPV Vaccine Gardasil OK'd for Boys

2009-10-17T17:44:00.000-07:00

FDA Approves Gardasil to Help Prevent Genital Warts in Boys and Young Men
By Miranda Hitti
WebMD Health News

The FDA has approved the vaccine Gardasil to help prevent genital warts in boys and young men.

Gardasil is now approved for males ages 9 to 26 for the prevention of genital warts caused by two human papillomavirus (HPV) strains: HPV 6 and HPV 11.Those are two of the four HPV strains that Gardasil targets.

In September, an FDA advisory panel recommended Gardasil's approval to prevent genital warts in boys and young men. The vaccine wasn't up for consideration to help prevent cancer in males or to curb transmission of the HPV virus, which is sexually transmitted, to women.

Gardasil is not yet on the CDC's schedule of recommended vaccines for males. The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will discuss that possibility at a meeting next week.

Gardasil, which is made by the drug company Merck, already has FDA approval for use in girls and young women ages 9 to 26. In females, HPV can cause cervical cancer.

Source & Picture: www.webmd.com

U.S. Pregnancy Rate Is Dropping

2009-10-15T17:50:00.000-07:00

CDC Report Shows the Abortion Rate Also Declined Between 1990 and 2005
By Miranda Hitti
WebMD Health News

The U.S. pregnancy rate dropped by 11% from 1990 to 2005, a new CDC report shows.

According to that report, there were an estimated 6.4 million pregnancies in the U.S. in 2005, which works out to a rate of 103.2 pregnancies per 1,000 women ages 15-44, compared to a rate of 115.8 pregnancies per 1,000 women ages 15-44 in 1990.

The 2005 pregnancy rate is close to the nation's pregnancy rate in 1976, when the CDC started tracking pregnancy data.

Other findings, published in the CDC's National Vital Statistics Report, include:

* Women in their 20s had the highest pregnancy rates from 1990 to 2005.
* Pregnancy rates dropped by 8% for married women and by 11% for unmarried women during 1990-2005.
* Pregnancy rates dropped for teens during 1990-2005, with a greater decline for teens ages 15-17, compared to older teens.

The data do not include the 2006 rise in teen birth rates reported earlier this year.

The estimated 6,408,000 pregnancies in the U.S. in 2005 include 4.14 million live births, 1.21 million induced abortions, and 1.06 million miscarriages or other fetal losses.

The abortion rate fell during the years studied. Among married women, seven out of 1,000 pregnant women got an abortion in 2005, down from 11 per 1,000 pregnant women in 1990. Among unmarried women, 31 per 1,000 pregnant women got abortions in 2005, compared to 48 per 1,000 in 1990.

Source & Picture: www.webmd.com

Staying Healthy in Tough Times

2009-10-11T19:32:00.000-07:00

Try these cheap ways to boost health in a bad economy.
WebMD Feature
By Peter Jaret
Reviewed By Brunilda Nazario, MD

With the economy ailing, lots of us are looking for ways to save money. Unfortunately, we may be looking in all the wrong places.

Scrimping and saving by putting off doctor’s visits? Not filling that prescription because it costs too much? Letting your gym membership lapse? Any one of those decisions could end up costing you dearly in the long run.

Luckily, there are plenty of cheap and effective ways to stick with a healthy lifestyle even in the face of an ailing economy.
Can’t afford that pricey gym membership?

That’s no excuse for becoming inactive. "You don’t have to go to a gym to get the wide range of health benefits of exercise," says Steven Blair, PhD, professor of exercise science at the University of South Carolina.

Fitting in just 150 minutes a week of moderate intensity activities -- walking, gardening, even doing housework -- substantially reduces the risk of chronic diseases, according to the latest federal physical activity guidelines. Building and maintaining muscle strength may take a little more ingenuity. One option: learn a set of basic calisthenics that include push-ups, sit-ups, deep knee bends, and leg lifts. Another alternative: buy an inexpensive set of stretch bands, which can be used to do dozens of strength-building exercises.
Having trouble stretching your food budget?

A limited food budget is no reason to reach for junk food. "Some of the healthiest foods out there are actually the least expensive," says Kathy McManus, PhD, director of inpatient nutrition services at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. A few examples:

* Beans. They’re a great low-calorie source of fiber and protein. And they cost pennies a serving, especially if you buy dried beans and soak them yourself. Add beans to pasta sauce, chili, or soup. Or serve them as a side dish, seasoned with your favorite spices.
* Peanuts. Rich in protein and heart-healthy oils, peanuts are a relatively inexpensive and filling snack. The lowest priced peanuts are typically found in the bulk food aisle.
* Homemade breakfast cereal. Instead of buying an expensive packaged cereal, make your own by combining whole oats and other grains, raisins, nuts and seeds bought in bulk
* Make-them-yourself beverages. Save money by skipping expensive bottled beverages and make your own by brewing up tea for iced tea or adding a splash of fruit juice to carbonated water.
* Frozen vegetables. If fresh vegetables are too expensive, head for the freezer aisle. “Because vegetables are flash frozen soon after being harvested, they may contain higher levels of antioxidants than fresh vegetables that are a day or two old,” says Allyson Mitchell, PhD, a crop scientist at the University of California at Davis. Another option: raise your own vegetables. More and more people are gardening, which offers not only a harvest of healthy foods but also a way to stay fit.

Cooking at home instead of eating out is another way to save money and stay healthy, especially when you skip processed foods and cook from scratch. Home-cooked meals tend to be lower in fat and salt than restaurant offerings. Surveys show that people who eat at home are less likely to be overweight or obese.

Source & Picture: www.webmd.com

6 Reasons Why Your Cold Lingers

2009-10-10T19:15:00.000-07:00

Why Your Cold Won't Go Away, and What to Do About it
By Lisa Zamosky
WebMD Feature

It’s almost an annual rite of passage: Winter comes and despite your best efforts, you catch a cold. In today’s fast-paced world, it’s hard to slow down for a mere case of the sniffles. Many of us try to work straight through our colds and hope that, with minimal effort, the symptoms will get better quickly. Although that may sometimes be the case, it can also happen that pesky cold symptoms leave us feeling drained for what seems like an eternity.

Cold symptoms can vanish in as little as two days. Seventy percent of people who catch a cold feel better within a week, says Gary Rogg, MD, an internal medicine specialist at Montefiore Medical Center in New York. But it is not unusual to suffer from symptoms of the common cold for as long as two weeks.

Sometimes, it’s the things we do - or don’t do - that leave us feeling ill for longer than we expect. Why does your cold seem to be hanging on for longer than it should? Here are six possible reasons.
1. Lack of Rest

Sleep plays an important role in our immune system. In fact, a study published earlier this year in the Archives of Internal Medicine demonstrated that people who got less than seven hours of sleep per night were nearly three times more likely to catch a cold than were people who slept for eight hours or more.

Once you do have a cold, it will also take longer for it to clear up if you don’t get adequate rest.

"Most of society in general doesn’t want you calling in sick; they look down on you if you use your sick days," Rogg says. "But when you're sick, the ideal thing is to stay home and stay away from people and rest it out."
2. Low on Fluids

Fluids play an important part in your healing process as well. If your cold won’t go away, consider drinking more water, Gatorade, or juice.

A lack of fluids can cause discomfort and dehydration, particularly because your water demands increase when you’re sick, given the loss of fluids from drainage. In some circumstances, a lack of fluids in your system might contribute to prolonging your symptoms.

By drinking extra water when you’re sick, you’ll help to flush congestion out of your system, says Peter Katona, MD, associate clinical professor of infectious diseases at the University of California Los Angeles Health System.

"Increasing the amount of fluid in your system actually allows the mucus trapped in your nose and chest to flow better," Katona says.

But be warned, Rogg says. Drinking a lot of water, or taking an over-the-counter medicine such as Mucinex, which helps to loosen and thin the mucus that causes congestion rather than drying it out, may cause you to feel worse initially because the mucus is increasing in volume. Although this often creates more pressure, ultimately the mucus causing your discomfort will drain better than if you keep taking medications that dry you out.

"It’s like honey on the table you don’t clean up right away," Rogg says. "You squeeze water on it first. Then it comes off easier." (www.webmd.com)

10 Foods Most Likely to Make You Sick

2009-10-08T19:47:00.000-07:00

Leafy Greens, Eggs, and Tuna Are Among Foods Mostly Like to Cause Food-borne Illness
By Todd Zwillich
WebMD Health News

Here's a surprise: Some of the healthiest foods may also be the most likely to cause food-borne illness.

That's the conclusion in a report by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). The report shows leafy greens, sprouts, and berries are among the most prone to carry infections or toxins.

"We don't recommend that consumers change their eating habits," says Caroline Smith DeWaal, the CSPI's head of food safety programs. Instead, the group is trying to point out vulnerabilities in the nation's food safety system as it lobbies Congress to beef up enforcement.

The group analyzed CDC data on food illness outbreaks dating back to 1990. They found that leafy greens were involved in 363 outbreaks and about 13,600 illnesses, mostly caused by norovirus, E. coli, and salmonella bacteria.

The rest of the top 10 list included:

* Eggs, involved in 352 outbreaks and 11,163 reported cases of illness.
* Tuna, involved in 268 outbreaks and 2,341 reported cases of illness.
* Oysters, involved in 132 outbreaks and 3,409 reported cases of illness.
* Potatoes, involved in 108 outbreaks and 3,659 reported cases of illness.
* Cheese, involved in 83 outbreaks and 2,761 reported cases of illness.
* Ice cream, involved in 74 outbreaks and 2,594 reported cases of illness.
* Tomatoes, involved in 31 outbreaks and 3,292 reported cases of illness.
* Sprouts, involved in 31 outbreaks and 2,022 reported cases of illness.
* Berries, involved in 25 outbreaks and 3,397 reported cases of illness.

It is unclear how many of the outbreaks can be blamed on the foods themselves. The CDC's database can't discriminate between outbreaks caused by tomatoes, for example, vs. those caused by other ingredients in a salad. Foods like potatoes are almost always consumed cooked, so it is unlikely that potatoes themselves caused 108 outbreaks.

Still, Smith DeWaal called the list "the tip of the iceberg" when it comes to food-borne illnesses in the U.S. Not all outbreaks are reported to public health authorities. In addition, the analysis focused only on foods regulated by the FDA; that leaves out beef, pork, poultry, and some egg products, which are policed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

"Consumers always want to know what they should do to avoid getting sick," says Sarah Klein, lead author of the report. She recommends "defensive eating," including keeping food cold and cooking it thoroughly, chilling oysters and avoiding them when raw, and avoiding raw eggs or using them in homemade ice cream.

Several bills that are circulating in Congress aim to crack down on food safety by requiring all food producers to keep written safety plans and giving the FDA more power to inspect plans and enforce rules.

"In a relative scale our food supply remains quite safe," says Craig Hedberg, a professor of environmental and occupational health at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. The CDC says 76 million Americans get sick from food-borne illnesses each year.

"Because most people don't experience a bad outcome from a lapse in good behavior it's difficult to enforce," he says.

Source & Picture: www.webmd.com

Autism May Be More Common Than Thought

2009-10-06T17:36:00.000-07:00

Survey Shows 1 in 91 Children May Have Autism Spectrum Disorder
By Kathleen Doheny
WebMD Health News

About 1% of U.S. children, or about one in 91, may have autism or an autism spectrum disorder, according to two new national surveys.

The new estimate is a dramatic increase from the previously accepted number of one in 150. But experts who discussed the findings of the two new surveys -- one released today and the other due out before year's end -- urged caution in interpreting the new information about the developmental disorders.

A new survey by the CDC found that about 1% of U.S. children are affected by an autism spectrum disorder, says Ileana Arias, PhD, deputy director of the CDC.

No further details were available on the CDC survey, due to be released in full later this year.

The same prevalence, however, was found in the survey released today, says Michael D. Kogan, PhD, of the Maternal and Child Health Bureau of the Health Resources and Services Administration. With his colleagues, Kogan drew on data from the 2007 National Survey of Children's Health, a telephone survey of parents jointly conducted by the Health Resources and Services Administration and the CDC.

The parents of more than 78,000 children ages 3 to 17 were asked if their child had ever been diagnosed with autism or other disorders on the spectrum, such as Asperger's syndrome or pervasive developmental disorder. If parents answered yes, they were then asked if their child currently had an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and if so, how severe the condition was -- mild, moderate, or severe.

In all, 1,412 said their children had ever been diagnosed with an ASD, and 913 said their child still had the condition. Next, Kogan's team took the number of children in the survey with ASD and the total number of children surveyed and computed estimates of autism spectrum disorder prevalence based on the general population.

''We estimate that the prevalence of ASD among children 3-17 in 2007 was around 110 in 10,000,'' Kogan says. "What this translates to is about one in every 100."

The survey also showed that white non-Hispanic children were more likely than black non-Hispanic or multiracial children to have the diagnosis, he says. Boys were four times as likely as girls to have ASD.

About 38% of the parents said they had been told previously their child had an ASD but that the child did not currently have the condition. The survey results are published in the journal Pediatrics.
Interpreting the New Autism Data

Experts are not certain what to make of the findings but urged caution in interpreting them. "In ASD, we don't know if the change in the numbers over time is a change in the actual condition," Arias says, or to other factors.

Source & Picture: www.webmd.com

Drinking Water Quality: What You Need to Know

2009-10-04T17:39:00.000-07:00

Most of us don’t think about the water we drink. We turn on a tap, fill a glass, and drink. But how much water do you really need to drink every day? Is the water you're drinking safe or would bottled water be safer? What can you do if your tap water suddenly became contaminated? Read on to find out how much you know about the drinking water in your own home.
How Much Water Do You Need?

Your body weight is more than 50% water. Without water, you couldn’t maintain a normal body temperature, lubricate your joints, or get rid of waste through urination, sweat, and bowel movements.

Not getting enough water can lead to dehydration, which can cause muscle weakness and cramping, a lack of coordination, and an increased risk of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. In fact, water is so important that a person couldn’t last more than five days without it.

So how much water do you need? Enough to replace what you lose daily through urination, sweating, even exhaling. And your need for replacing water increases:

* In warm or hot weather
* With vigorous physical activity, such as exercise or working in the yard
* During bouts of illness, especially if you are vomiting or have diarrhea

You often hear that you need to drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water each day. In 2004, the Institute of Medicine’s Food and Nutrition Board recommended that women actually need 91 ounces of water daily, and men need 125 ounces.

The good news is if you’re healthy, you don’t really need to keep track of how much you drink. You can get enough water each day by drinking when you’re thirsty and consuming fluids like soup and drinks, with your meals. Just keep in mind that if you’re going to do something strenuous, like playing sports or running, you’ll need extra water before, during, and after.
Water Quality: Is Tap Water Safe?

You need to stay hydrated, that’s clear, but is the tap water in your home safe? It is if the water comes from a public water system in the United States, such as one run and maintained by a municipality. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has the authority to monitor all public water systems and sets enforceable health standards regarding the contaminants in drinking water.

When drinking water leaves a treatment plant on its way to your house, it must meet strict safety standards. That doesn’t mean that your water is free of all contaminants, but that the levels of any contaminants don’t pose any serious health risk.

Of course, accidents can happen. If the water supply becomes contaminated by something that can cause immediate illness, the supplier must promptly inform you. Suppliers also need to offer alternative suggestions for safe drinking water. In addition, they have 24 hours to inform customers of any violation of standards that could have major impact on health following a short-term exposure.

Source: www.women.webmd.com

Mean Girls: Why Girls Bully and How to Stop Them

2009-10-03T19:22:00.000-07:00

Researchers are gaining more and more insights into what drives girl bullies -- and why they so desperately need help.
By Susan Davis
WebMD the Magazine - Feature

When I was in seventh grade, Helen arrived in my New England town. We locals had never seen anything like her. She was from New Jersey. She wore hip-hugger bell-bottoms, knew sexy line dances, smoked cigarettes, and had actually kissed a boy.

She was also mean. She befriended me initially -- perhaps because I lived next door and she needed a friend. But once she realized I was a shy bookworm, she dropped me. Then she laughed at my clothes (in my face) and started rumors about me (behind my back).

Eventually I learned to ignore her. But the pain of her rejection haunted me for years. It even made me distrustful of "girl groups" long into adulthood.

The topic of girl bullying is not new. Dozens of lay books and scholarly journals have explored the ways "relational aggression -- tactics such as exclusion, rumor mongering, and Internet harassment -- can damage girls' self-esteem. But only recently have researchers begun looking at what bullying does to the bullies themselves. The news is not good.
The Impact of Bullying

In the short term, girl bullies often are rejected by peers and lack meaningful relationships, notes Charisse Nixon, PhD, co-author of Girl Wars: 12 Strategies That Will End Female Bullying and an assistant professor of developmental psychology at Pennsylvania State University in Erie.

In the long term, "these girls learn to manipulate people like chess pieces," Nixon says. "Unfortunately, this can harm their ability to have meaningful relationships and successful careers."

Some characteristics of a girl bully are jealousy, feelings of superiority, poor impulse control, and lack of empathy. Nixon believes girls bully when their basic needs of "ABCs, and me" -- acceptance (by self), belonging (among others), control, and meaningful existence -- are thwarted. "These needs apply to everyone," she notes, "children and adults." People will do what they need to do to get those needs met.
Prevent Bullying

Whatever the cause of bullying, researchers are now focusing on prevention -- including counseling to get at the root of the need to bully; teaching healthy communication skills; and introducing schoolwide antibullying programs.

What should you do if your daughter is accused of being a bully? Psychologist Charisse Nixon, PhD, offers these tips and advises seeking counseling if the behavior continues.

Discuss perspective. "Developmentally, adolescents often have no idea how their behavior hurts others."

Model healthy ways of dealing with conflict . "As grown-ups we are often unconscious of the ways we ourselves bully, like the way we gossip behind people's backs. But girls pick up on all that," says Nixon.

Make sure her basic needs are being met. These include acceptance and a sense of belonging. "If she's not getting what she needs, she'll find a destructive way to cope."

No antibullying programs -- or even caring adults -- existed to help my tormentor, Helen, who, I realized later, was having a hard time herself. She had just moved to a new school and her parents were divorced. No doubt she put me down to give her own social standing a leg up. It's a shame she had no better way.

Source & Picture: www.webmd.com

Living to 100 to Become Common?

2009-10-02T19:27:00.000-07:00

Report Predicts Most Babies Born Since 2000 in Wealthy Countries Will Live to 100
By Miranda Hitti
WebMD Health News

Reaching the age of 100 may become pretty ordinary for most babies born in rich countries since 2000, according to a new report.

"If the pace of increase in life expectancy in developed countries over the past two centuries continues through the 21st century, most babies born since 2000 in France, Germany, Italy, the U.K., the USA, Canada, Japan, and other countries with long life expectancies will celebrate their 100th birthdays," states the report, published in The Lancet.

The report comes from researchers including Kaare Christensen, MD, of the Danish Aging Research Centre at the University of Southern Denmark.

Christensen and colleagues note that life expectancy in most developed countries keeps rising and shows no sign of slowing down. But they also point out that it remains to be seen if obesity, which has also been rising, will put the brakes on rising life expectancies.

Christensen's team predicts that societies will stop looking at life as consisting of three phases -- childhood, adulthood, and old age -- and start dividing "old age" into a "third age (young old)" and a "fourth age (oldest old)."

"Very long lives are not the distant privilege of remote future generations -- very long lives are the probable destiny of most people alive now in developed countries," write the researchers.

Will people be healthy in their "fourth age"? It may be too soon to tell.

Christensen and colleagues say there is "sparse" data on health among people age 85 and older. But they also point to earlier detection and better treatment of many conditions, including cancer and heart disease.

For the record, Japan has the world's longest life expectancy -- 83 years for babies born in 2007, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Life expectancy is 77.9 years for U.S. babies born in 2007, according to preliminary data from the CDC.

Source & Picture: www.webmd.com

100 Worst Cities for Fall Allergies

2009-10-02T19:23:00.000-07:00

McAllen, Texas, Tops the Asthma and Allergy Foundation's 2009 List of Fall Allergy Capitals
By Miranda Hitti
WebMD Health News

McAllen, Texas, is the worst city in the U.S. this year for fall allergies, according to the new list of "fall allergy capitals" selected by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.

Cities are ranked based on four factors: prevalence data, seasonal pollen, allergy medicine use per patient, and the number of board-certified allergists per patient.

Here is the full list of all 100 fall allergy capitals:

1. McAllen, Texas
2. Wichita, Kan.
3. Louisville, Ky.
4. Oklahoma City
5. Jackson, Miss.
6. Dayton, Ohio
7. Augusta, Ga.
8. Tulsa, Okla.
9. Knoxville, Tenn.
10. Little Rock, Ark.
11. Madison, Wis.
12. San Antonio
13. Dallas
14. New Orleans
15. Baton Rouge, La.
16. Charlotte, N.C.
17. St. Louis
18. Birmingham, Ala.
19. El Paso, Texas
20. Virginia Beach, Va.
21. Memphis, Tenn.
22. Chattanooga, Tenn.
23. Des Moines, Iowa
24. Austin, Texas
25. Greensboro, N.C.
26. Omaha, Neb.
27. Columbia, S.C.
28. Philadelphia
29. Kansas City, Mo.
30. New York
31. Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
32. Richmond, Va.
33. Indianapolis
34. Allentown, Pa.
35. Cape Coral, Fla.
36. Bakersfield, Calif.
37. Nashville, Tenn.
38. Grand Rapids, Mich.
39. Syracuse, N.Y.
40. Tucson, Ariz.
41. Houston
42. Buffalo, N.Y.
43. Tampa, Fla.
44. Charleston, S.C.
45. Columbus, Ohio
46. Lakeland, Fla.
47. Riverside, Calif.
48. Orlando, Fla.
49. Toledo, Ohio
50. Atlanta
51. Milwaukee, Wis.
52. Detroit
53. Washington, D.C.
54. Jacksonville, Fla.
55. Las Vegas
56. Providence, R.I.
57. Scranton, Pa.
58. Los Angeles
59. Cincinnati
60. Pittsburgh
61. Sarasota, Fla.
62. Baltimore
63. Oxnard, Calif.
64. Akron, Ohio
65. Phoenix
66. Rochester, N.Y.
67. Modesto, Calif.
68. Albuquerque, N.M.
69. Palm Bay, Fla.
70. Hartford, Conn.
71. Boise City, Idaho
72. Chicago
73. New Haven, Conn.
74. Fresno, Calif.
75. Minneapolis
76. Lancaster, Pa.
77. Harrisburg, Pa.
78. San Francisco
79. Springfield, Mass.
80. Raleigh, N.C.
81. Youngstown, Ohio
82. San Jose, Calif.
83. Cleveland
84. Denver
85. Daytona Beach, Fla.
86. Bridgeport, Conn.
87. Colorado Springs, Colo.
88. Worcester, Mass.
89. Portland, Maine
90. Miami
91. Boston
92. Stockton, Calif.
93. Ogden, Utah
94. Salt Lake City
95. Sacramento, Calif.
96. Greenville, S.C.
97. San Diego
98. Seattle
99. Albany, N.Y.
100. Portland, Ore.

Source & Picture: www.webmd.com

High Heels Today, Foot Pain Tomorrow

2009-09-29T19:32:00.000-07:00

Women's Poor Shoe Choices Lead to Foot Pain Later in Life
By Jennifer Warner
WebMD Health News

Wearing high heels today may hurt just a little, but even bigger foot pain may be in store later on.

A new study shows that people who make poor shoe choices early in life by wearing unsupportive footwear like high heels, sandals, and slippers are much more likely to suffer from foot pain in later years.

The study showed that men don’t experience the same type of foot pain as women, largely because of the type of shoes men wear. Researchers say the findings may help explain why women are much more likely than men to have foot pain.

Foot and toe pain are among the top 20 reasons adults aged 65-74 visit their physician, but researchers say relatively little is known about the causes of foot pain in older adults. Previous studies on footwear and foot pain have been small or based on people with a particular disease.
Causes of Foot Pain

In this study, published in Arthritis Care & Research, researchers examined the effects of footwear choices early in life on foot pain later in life in a group of 3,378 adults who participated in the Framingham Foot Study.

The participants were asked if they had pain, aching, or stiffness in one or both feet. They also provided information on the types of shoes they wore during the following age groups: 20-29, 30-44, 45-64, 65-74, and 75+.

Shoes were classified into three groups:

* Good: low-risk shoes, such as athletic and casual sneakers
* Average: mid-risk shoes, like hard- or rubber-soled shoes, special shoes, and work boots
* Poor: high-risk footwear that don’t have support or structure, such as high heels, sandals, and slippers

The results showed that 19% of men and 29% of women had generalized foot pain on most days.

Women who wore good shoes in the past were 67% less likely to report hindfoot pain than those who wore average shoes.

“While more research is needed, young women should make careful choices regarding their shoe type to avoid hindfoot pain later in life, or perform stretching exercises to alleviate the effect of high heels on foot pain,” write researcher Alyssa B. Dufour, of the Boston University School of Public Health, and colleagues.

Researchers found no link between foot pain and shoe choice among men, largely because less than 2% wore bad shoes.

Source & Picture: www.webmd.com

U.S. Swine Flu Vaccinations Start Oct. 6

2009-09-28T19:31:00.000-07:00

Most of First 6 Million Doses Will Be Nasal Spray Vaccine
By Daniel J. DeNoon
WebMD Health News

accinations against H1N1 swine flu will start on Oct. 6, CDC Director Thomas Frieden, MD, MPH, said today.

Nearly all of the first 6 million doses of swine flu vaccine are the FluMist nasal spray vaccine. By mid-October, the government plans to deliver some 45 million doses -- including more traditional flu shots -- apportioned to states based on population.

"We have a vaccine and it is likely to be effective after a single dose for those over 10, and it is going to be rolling into doctors' offices and clinics," Frieden said at a news conference.

Because the FluMist vaccine cannot be given to pregnant women, kids under age 2, or to those with underlying health problems, the first vaccine doses will go to health care workers and to people caring for or living with infants under 6 months of age.

As flu shots arrive, priority vaccinations will go to pregnant women and to school-age kids. Different states are emphasizing different kinds of programs. Frieden said school-based vaccination programs are especially important.

"We know many kids get sick from flu, and not only is that a problem for them, but they end up spreading flu widely in the community," Frieden said. "So if you protect kids, you probably end up protecting the community as well."

Although the vaccine is right on schedule, it's arriving at least two weeks after the flu pandemic. As of Sept. 19, H1N1 swine flu was widespread in 26 states. Doctors in nine of the 10 U.S. surveillance regions reported elevated rates of flu-like illness -- and virtually all proven cases of flu have been swine flu.

Will it be too late for people to get vaccinated? No, Frieden said. There's no way to tell whether there will be new waves of pandemic flu. And even if 10% of the population gets the flu -- as happened in New York City last spring -- that means 90% of the population remains vulnerable until vaccinated.
Swine Flu Vaccine Distribution 'Bumpy' at First

The CDC is working to ensure equitable vaccine delivery across the nation. But Frieden said some states are better prepared than others to start vaccinating their residents once the federal government delivers the swine flu vaccine to them.

"It's going to be a busy and challenging few weeks," Frieden said. "It is going to be bumpy. In different states there will be different levels of preparedness and readiness and planning. There will undoubtedly be places where people want to get vaccinated and can't in early to mid-October, particularly."

Eventually, Frieden promised, there will be enough vaccine for any U.S. resident who wants it.

Frieden urged people not to wait for the H1N1 swine flu vaccine, but to get their seasonal flu shots right away. He was asked about reports from Canada of unpublished research suggesting that people who got seasonal flu shots might be more susceptible to swine flu. (www.webmd.com)

Some Children's, Infants' Tylenol Recalled

2009-09-26T19:27:00.000-07:00

Maker Recalls Certain Lots of Children's and Infants' Tylenol From Warehouses and Retailers; No Illnesses Reported
By Miranda Hitti
WebMD Health News

McNeil Consumer Healthcare is recalling certain lots of Children's Tylenol and Infants' Tylenol after bulk raw material was found to be tainted with B. cepacia bacteria.

In a news release, the company says it has implemented the voluntary recall "at the warehouse and retail levels," not at the consumer level. "The packaged product, shipped to retailers by the company, has met all specifications," McNeil Consumer Healthcare states.

The recalled products were made between April 2008 and June 2008.

In a letter to healthcare professionals, McNeil Consumer Healthcare states that examination of bulk raw material detected the bacteria Burkholderia cepacia (B. cepacia). But none of that tainted raw material was used in the production of any finished product; the recall is a precaution, according to McNeil Consumer Healthcare.

"Adverse health consequences of B. cepacia infections could be potentially severe, especially in high-risk patients, such as those with underlying pulmonary disease, cystic fibrosis, or compromised immune systems," McNeil Consumer Healthcare states in the letter, which is dated Sept. 18.

The company says it has checked its post-marketing data and found no safety signals for Children's or Infants' Tylenol products for the time period related to the recalled batches.

The likelihood of a serious medical event is "remote," McNeil Consumer Healthcare states.

McNeil Consumer Healthcare advises parents or caregivers to contact their child's health care provider if they have given the product to their child or infant and have concerns. Consumers with questions can also call the company's consumer call center at 800-962-5357 Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern time.
List of Recalled Children's Tylenol and Infants' Tylenol Products

The recall includes the following Tylenol products (the lot number is on the bottom of the box containing the liquid product and also on the sticker that surrounds the product bottle):

* Children's Tylenol Plus Cold MS Suspension 4 oz. Grape

UPC # 300450391049

Code # 3910400

Lot # SBM041, SBM067, SCM037, SDM027, SEM109

* Children's Tylenol Suspension 4 oz. Grape

UPC# 300450296047

Code # 2960400

Lot # SBM042, SCM015, SCM036, SDM034

* Children's Tylenol Suspension 4 oz. Bubble Gum

UPC # 300450407047

Code # 4070400

Lot # SBM043, SBM044, SCM029

* Children's Tylenol Suspension 4 oz. Strawberry

UPC # 300450493040

Code # 4930400

Lot # SBM045, SCM011, SCM030, SDM035

* Infants' Tylenol Grape Suspension Drops 1/4 oz.

UPC# 300450122407

Code # 1224000

Lot # SBM064, SCM033, SDM020

* Infants' Tylenol Suspension 1/2 oz. Cherry

UPC # 300450186157

Code # 1861500

Lot # SBM065, SCM005, SCM006, SDM032

* Children's Tylenol Dye Free Suspension 4 oz. Cherry

UPC # 300450166043

Code # 1660400

Lot # SBM066, SCM068

* Children's Tylenol Suspension 4oz. Cherry

UPC Code # 300450123046

Code # 1230400

Lot # SBM068, SCM035, SCM070, SCM080, SDM005

* Children's Tylenol Plus Cough & Runny Nose 4 oz. Cherry

UPC # 300450249043

Code # 2490400

Lot # SBM069, SBM070, SCM081, SDM006

* Infants' Tylenol Suspension Drops 1/2 oz. Grape

UPC # 300450122155

Source & Picture: www.webmd.com

HIV & AIDS Health Center

2009-09-25T19:23:00.000-07:00

AIDS Vaccine Success Is 'Modest'
First-Ever Protective Effect Is Small but Suggests HIV Vaccine Is Possible
By Daniel J. DeNoon
WebMD Health News

"Modest" success in an HIV vaccine trial shows for the first time that vaccination can protect people against infection with the AIDS virus.

It's a small but significant step forward. Few, if any, think this vaccine is effective enough to deploy in the worldwide fight against AIDS. But many experts say it offers badly needed hope to an effort marked by many expensive failures.

"While these results are encouraging, we recognize that further study is required to build upon these findings," Col. Nelson Michael, director of the U.S. Military HIV Research Program, says in a news release.

The trial was a collaboration between the U.S. Army, Thailand, the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Sanofi Pasteur, and Global Solutions for Infectious Diseases. It tested Sanofi's ALVAC vaccine boosted with a dose of GSID's AIDSVAX.

Conducted in Thailand, it began in 2003 and enrolled 16,402 adult, HIV-negative men and women. Half got the two-part vaccine, and half got inactive placebo shots.

Over the course of the study, 74 placebo recipients and 51 vaccine recipients became infected with HIV. The difference isn't large, but it translates into 31% vaccine effectiveness. That is, it lowered the risk of getting HIV by 31%.

That's "an important step forward in HIV vaccine research," NIAID director and long-time AIDS researcher Anthony Fauci, MD, says in a news release. "Certainly this is an encouraging advance."

Even so, the study results are puzzling. It was expected that vaccine recipients who became infected would at least have some protection against the virus. But the study found no evidence of such protection. HIV levels were just as high in vaccine recipients who became infected as in placebo recipients who contracted the virus.

Perhaps more importantly, the study fell far short of its goal of reducing the risk of HIV infection by 50%.

The study was controversial from the outset. It's the largest HIV vaccine trial yet conducted, and some AIDS activists called the study a waste of precious resources.

AIDSVAX, the first HIV vaccine ever to be tested, had already failed to prevent HIV in a number of trials. ALVAC, a live canarypox virus carrying HIV genes, did not appear to stimulate strong immune responses in healthy people. And similar combination vaccine strategies showed little evidence of eliciting strong immune responses.

Moreover, a similar study of the ALVAC and AIDSVAX vaccines had been canceled in the U.S. And critics said the study design would make it hard to tell which part of the vaccine regimen was or was not effective.

Now that the study is completed, researchers will go over the data with a fine-tooth comb. They'll try to figure out what worked and build on that success.

"Knowledge gained through this study will be used to accelerate future study design and testing as researchers continue the search for a safe, globally effective HIV vaccine," Col. Jerome Kim, HIV vaccines product manager for the U.S. Army, says in a news release.

Source & Picture: www.webmd.com

Hand Hygiene Habits Improve

2009-09-23T19:32:00.000-07:00

Survey Shows Americans Are Cleaning Up Their Hand Washing Habits
By Miranda Hitti
WebMD Health News

Americans get a B- for their hand hygiene in a new survey about hand washing. That grade is up from a C- in 2008.

The new, improved grade is based on a survey of 888 U.S. adults. The survey, which was conducted by phone in August for the Soap and Detergent Association, gets into the nitty gritty of how often -- or how rarely -- participants wash their hands.

Here are some highlights from the survey:

* Half of the participants say they wash their hands more than 10 times daily, up from 36% in 2008.
* Women wash their hands more often than men do. For instance, 62% of women reported that they wash their hands more than 10 times daily, compared to 37% of men. And 41% of men say they wash their hands six times a day or less, compared to 17% of women.
* 88% of participants say they "always" or "frequently" wash their hands before lunch.
* 90% of participants say they always wash their hands after going to the bathroom, up 5% since 2008. But 3% say they never do, which is the same percentage as last year.

The survey has a margin of error of 3.4%.

Source & Picture: www.webmd.com

Kids Need 2 Swine Flu Shots

2009-09-22T23:42:00.000-07:00

Kids Under Age 10 Need 2 Doses of H1N1 Swine Flu Vaccine, 3 Weeks Apart
By Daniel J. DeNoon
WebMD Health News
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Kids under age 10 will need two doses of the H1N1 swine flu vaccine, given three weeks apart.

The finding -- early results from clinical trials of the Sanofi Pasteur version of the swine flu vaccine -- is no surprise. The CDC bases its swine flu vaccination plan on the need for two shots in younger kids.

In kids over age 10, the H1N1 swine flu vaccine works just as well as it does in adults. These older children will need just one dose of the swine flu vaccine and can expect protection in eight to 10 days.

One shot of the vaccine raised protective antibodies in 76% of older children, a level of protection considered very good for flu vaccines. But a single dose of the vaccine protects only 36% of 3- to 9-year-olds, and only 25% of children age 6 months to 35 months.

"These two younger groups may require two doses of the vaccine," National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director Anthony Fauci, MD, said in a news conference held to announce the findings. "This is not an unexpected finding and is quite similar to what we see with seasonal flu vaccine."

H1N1 swine flu vaccine from other manufacturers -- including the inhaled FluMist version -- is expected to act in much the same way as the Sanofi product.

More clinical trial data are expected soon. But so far, experts are relieved to see that the H1N1 swine flu vaccines act very much like seasonal flu vaccines. There's been no sign of unusual side effects in children or adults given the H1N1 swine flu vaccine.

It's likely that kids will be able to get their seasonal flu shots and their H1N1 swine flu shots on the same day, although clinical trials are still looking at the issue. However, the CDC urges parents to get their kids the seasonal flu vaccine right away and not wait for the swine flu vaccine to become available.

The inhaled FluMist version of the swine flu vaccine cannot be given on the same day a kid gets the FluMist version of the seasonal vaccine. That's because FluMist contains a live, weakened flu virus and stimulates the immune system in a different way than flu shots, which contain inactivated virus particles.

The first 3.4 million doses of swine flu vaccine to be distributed in the U.S. will be FluMist, although millions more doses of the injectable vaccine will start arriving in mid-October. FluMist is recommended only for kids over age 2 (and adults under age 50) who do not suffer respiratory problems.

Since the H1N1 swine flu first appeared, 47 U.S. children and teens have died of the disease.

Source & Picture: www.webmd.com

Diet for Your Blood Type

2009-09-19T16:29:00.000-07:00

By: Lara Endreszl
Published: Saturday, 19 September 2009

After a recent doctor appointment and being advised to get blood drawn, a phlebotomist (blood technician) friend of mine asked if the blood type diet would be a good idea for me to try. With some investigation as to exactly what “eating for my blood type” meant, the results were interesting enough to share.

Even if you are not having health problems, knowing your blood type and being able to decipher the best health plan for your diet are good things to know. A doctor by the name of Peter J. D’Adamo was brought up by his father to learn that people have different blood types and based on those blood types specific diet patterns work better with certain types of blood. In 1996, Dr. D’Adamo published a book called Eat Right 4 Your Type (ER4YT) that won awards in the health sector including being named one of the "10 Most Important Health Books Ever Written." After the success with ER4YT, Dr. D’Adamo followed up his book in 2007 with a new diet called The GenoType Diet, aimed at further investigation of diets based on your blood type and genotype according to your specific genes.

Dr. D’Adamo recommends a unique blend of food for each of the main blood types: A, B, AB, and O. Studies have been outstanding and one in particular shows that three out of every four people reported a vast improvement in their health. A lot of the recorded improvements have been weight loss along with better digestion, less stress, more energy, and clearer mental stability out of the 6,500 individuals who tracked their blood type diet over the course of at least one month.

People with type A blood are asked to follow a lower fat, vegetarian-based diet full of fruits and vegetables because they have thicker blood, sensitive immunity, and a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease, cancer, or diabetes.

Recommendations for Type B blood include an omnivorous diet consisting of a balance between plants and meats because they have the best chance of avoiding serious diseases.

Type AB should follow a strict vegetarian program.

Type O—the most universal blood type—should consume a larger percentage of proteins, meats, vegetables, etc. and a smaller percentage of carbohydrates like pasta and breads. Type O blood should stay away from wheat, dairy, and nut products as people carrying this blood are more prone to hypothyroidism (an underactive thyroid) and acidic conditions like stomach ulcers.

Although critics cite lack of scientific evidence for the reason why this program isn’t sweeping the nation, it seems that followers of the blood type diet love the idea of not having to track points, calories, fat grams, or carbs while sticking to a food and drink regimen perfect for the blood circulating throughout his or her system. Allergies, diet changes according to age, and other restrictions based on medical problems also have no basis on this diet because the rules do not apply.

However, this does not mean that Dr. D’Adamo is wrong in his hypothesi,s but it does mean that along with any other diet adding subtle healthy changes will most likely have positive benefits. The downside to only being able to have one type of diet is that because it is based on a specific unchanging variable (your blood) the diet cannot be changed which could cause problems such as iron or protein deficiencies down the line. I have yet to take my friend’s advice and check out the blood type diet on my own, but now I know that a primarily vegetarian diet and low-resistance exercise are suggested for my Type A blood.

Source & Picture: www.healthnews.com

Heart Risk Factors on the Rise Again

2009-09-18T15:58:00.000-07:00

Hypertension, Diabetes, and Obesity Are Increasing After Decades of Improvement
By Bill Hendrick
WebMD Health News

The percentage of Americans without major heart disease risk factors rose during the 1980s and 1990s, but our health is declining again, a study shows.

Though the percentage of smokers is still heading south, the number of people with obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure is increasing, shows the study published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

"It's not good news," study researcher Earl S. Ford, MD, MPH, of the U.S. Public Health Services at the CDC, tells WebMD. "The effect of all this stuff is going to be determined by the balance of the risk factors."

In a news release, Ford says that "from a preventive health point of view, it's important that individuals achieve as many of these [low-risk] goals as possible, and it's disappointing that less than 10 percent of Americans are meeting them all."
Trends in Heart Disease Risk Factors

About one in 12 adults in the U.S. had a low-risk profile for cardiovascular disease during the 1994-2004 period, he tells WebMD, and that needs to improve.

Ford adds in the news release that the study "suggests that achieving low risk status for most U.S. adults remains a distant and challenging goal. Unfortunately, the limited strides that were made toward this goal during the 1970s and 1980s were eroded by the increases in excess weight, diabetes and hypertension during more recent decades."

Ford's team analyzed data on adults aged 25-74 in four national surveys, examining the prevalence of a low-risk profile for heart disease, which includes all of the following:

* Never smoked, or former smoker.
* Total cholesterol below 200 and not using cholesterol-lowering drugs.
* Blood pressure below 120/80 without using blood pressure-lowering medications.
* Not overweight or obese, as reflected in a body mass index (BMI) less than 25.
* Never diagnosed with diabetes.

In many studies, the researchers say, people with a low-risk profile have lower health care costs and are far less likely to develop cardiovascular disease.

In the present analysis, they found that 4.4% of adults had all five of the low-risk factors between 1971 and 1975. That rose to 5.7% in the 1976-1980 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, and rose again to 10.5% in 1988-1994. But the trend did not continue and the proportion of adults rating at low risk in 1999-2004 fell to 7.5%.

"Until the early '90s, we were moving in a positive direction, but then it took a turn and we're headed in a negative direction," Ford says in a news release. "When you look at the individual factors, tobacco use is still headed in the right direction and so are cholesterol levels, although that has leveled off. The problem is that blood pressure, BMI and diabetes are all headed in the wrong direction."

Source & Picture: www.webmd.com

Nasal Spray May Kill Cold Virus

2009-09-16T19:45:00.000-07:00

Virus Levels Drop Faster in Volunteers Given Oxymetazoline Spray
By Charlene Laino
WebMD Health News

Oxymetazoline, a compound found in many over-the-counter nasal decongestant sprays, may help kill the virus that causes the common cold, researchers report.

In a new study, viral levels dropped more quickly than expected in volunteers treated with oxymetazoline nasal sprays, says Birgit Winther, MD, PhD, of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.

Winther tells WebMD that previous research in test tubes suggested that oxymetazoline had an antiviral effect against rhinovirus, which causes the common cold.

As the next step, she and colleagues infected 94 young healthy adult volunteers with the rhinovirus.

Three hours later, “before they really got sick,” half were randomly assigned to receive oxymetazoline nasal spray and the other half were given a saline spray. The volunteers received one puff of either spray into each nostril three times daily for five days.
Cold Virus Levels Drop Quickly in Volunteers Given Oxymetazoline

If no medication is given, “you would expect viral levels in nasal secretions to peak two to three days after infection,” Winther says. That’s just what happened in the volunteers who were treated with saline.

But in volunteers given oxymetazoline, rhinovirus levels in nasal secretions started to drop by day two, she says.

Winther says the quick dip in viral levels could help reduce the spread of the cold virus from the nose into the ears, sinus, and lungs, as well as from person to person.

By the fourth day after infection with rhinovirus, however, viral levels were lower -- and the same -- in both groups.

The new study was presented at the Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.
Long-Term Use Has Rebound Effect

Sprays containing oxymetazoline are sold under a variety of trade names, including Afrin, Dristan 12-Hour Nasal Spray, Duramist Plus, and Vicks Sinex 12 Hour Nasal Spray.

A decongestant, oxymetazoline works by shrinking blood vessels in your nasal tissues, allowing mucus to drain.

The sprays work very quickly to reduce symptoms, Winther says, but you can't use them long-term. After five days, they can damage your nasal tissue and lead to chronic congestion.

Michael Ison, MD, an infectious diseases expert at Northwestern University in Chicago who moderated the session at which the findings were presented, says he isn’t sure that the quick dip in viral levels in volunteers given oxymetazoline “is clinically meaningful.”

The sprays “definitely provide symptom relief,” but further study is needed to confirm an antiviral effect, he tells WebMD.

Source & Picture: www.webmd.com

Beaches May Be Safe Harbor for MRSA

2009-09-15T16:22:00.000-07:00

Researchers Find Samples of the Superbug on Washington State Beaches
By Charlene Laino
WebMD Health News

Drug-resistant staph bacteria have been found on public beaches in Washington state, and beaches in other states may harbor the superbug too.

MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) was once rarely seen outside of hospitals or other health care facilities. But in the past decade, cases have been rising in communities.

Community-acquired infections in people without risk factors such as poor hygiene are a growing concern, but little is known about environmental sources of MRSA, says Marilyn Roberts, PhD, an environmental health scientist at the University of Washington in Seattle.

The new study suggests marine water and sand may harbor the bug, she says.

Roberts tells WebMD that an individual beachgoer's risk of acquiring the infection is unknown.

"But we thought that chance of finding MRSA [at the beach] would be zero. The very fact that we found these organisms suggests that the level is much higher than we had thought," she says.

The findings were presented at the Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.

Earlier this year, other researchers reported they found MRSA in samples taken from South Florida beaches.

For the new study, Roberts and colleagues tested marine water and sand samples from beaches along the Puget Sound in Washington from February to September 2008.

Staph bacteria were found at nine of 10 beaches tested. Five of the beaches harbored strains of multidrug-resistant staph.

To the researchers' surprise, most of the samples "looked more like hospital-acquired MRSA strains than the bacteria typically found in the community," Roberts says. Three samples, from beaches 10 miles apart, were "essentially the same," she says.

Roberts says further research is needed to find out the exact source of the bacteria. In the meantime, people should continue to enjoy the beach, she says.

Her recommendations for lowering the risk of infection:

* Make sure you get all the sand off when you get out of the water. Digging and being buried in the sand appear to raise the risk of infection.
* Clean and bandage any open cuts or scrapes before playing in the sand.
* If a scrape looks infected a few days after a trip to the beach, see a health care professional right away.

"It's probably prudent to shower when you come out of the water," adds Lance Peterson, MD.

"Staph is a salt-loving organism. It's not surprising to see it in the ocean," he tells WebMD. Peterson, a microbiologist at NorthShore University Health System in Evanston, Ill., was not involved with the research.

Source: http://www.webmd.com

California Detox Center

2009-09-14T17:28:00.000-07:00

Our location provides a much needed relief from the stresses of daily life. Southern California's beautiful climate and the proximity to the ocean will put your mind at ease and replenish your spirit. Finding the right drug and alcohol treatment center can be the hardest part of the recovery process. If you are looking for an affordable and effective treatment program, Orange County Detox is your best choice.

Web: http://www.orange-county-detox.com

Cold & Flu Health Center

2009-09-12T16:42:00.000-07:00

Swine Flu Breaks Out Across U.S.
Flu Hot Spot: College Campuses
By Daniel J. DeNoon
WebMD Health News

Outbreaks on college campuses are signaling swine flu hot spots as fast-spreading H1N1 swine flu gives an early start to the fall flu season.

College campuses as far apart as Emory in urban Atlanta and Washington State in rural Pullman report explosive outbreaks of swine flu. The action isn't all on campus: Elementary and high schools are also seeing a lot of flu; 24 schools last week dismissed 25,000 students because of flu outbreaks.

One of the CDC's main indicators of flu season is the number of people seeing a doctor for flu-like illness. That statistic last week shot sharply up. That uptick was mainly because of swine-flu hot spots in the Southeastern U.S., with flare-ups in widely separated communities across the nation.

"It is time to pay attention," the CDC's disease chief, Anne Schuchat, MD, said today at a news conference.

The CDC can't predict where swine flu will strike next, how long it will linger in communities, or when it will come back. Yet so far, the pandemic is developing very much as experts expected:

* The vast majority of swine flu cases have been mild, with people getting over the worst of it in three to five days.
* Swine flu spreads most quickly among children, teens, and young adults.
* In every nation, the pandemic appears as a series of widely separated community hot spots that flare up and die down -- not as a wave moving from east to west or north to south.
* Children and adults at risk for flu complications -- those with lung conditions (including asthma), neurologic conditions, heart conditions, immune suppression, pregnancy, or under 5 years old -- tend to be those with the most severe disease.
* Because some previously healthy children and adults have died of swine flu, it's important to be on the lookout for severe symptoms in anyone who has a flu-like illness. This is particularly true for children under 2.

Even though things are turning out as expected, Schuchat says the CDC is not ready to relax. And neither should we.

"Our prediction is it is going to be a busy and long flu season," Schuchat said. "We need to be prepared through the fall and winter and even into the spring."

One reason the CDC can't relax is that flu viruses can change with remarkable speed. They can become more or less virulent. And as often happens with seasonal flu bugs, they eventually get around flu vaccines.

"The H1N1 influenza viruses that have been tested as recently as a couple of weeks ago are close matches, essentially the same as those in the vaccine," Schuchat said. "That does not mean that in a couple of months or weeks from now that won't change."

Source& Picture: www.webmd.com

Recognizing the Symptoms of Depression

2009-09-10T16:29:00.000-07:00

Craving Carbs: Is It Depression?
Many people crave carbohydrates when they feel low.
By Kathleen Doheny
WebMD Feature

Does a bad day at the office or a tiff with your spouse send you marching to the cookie jar or the corner bakery?

Or do you find yourself at the vending machine every day precisely at 4 p.m. for some crackers or candy?

If either scenario fits, you're not alone. Many people crave carbohydrates -- especially cookies, candy, or ice cream -- when they feel upset, depressed, or tired.

"Carb craving is part of daily life," says Judith Wurtman, PhD, a former scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and co-author of The Serotonin Power Diet. She and her husband, MIT professor Richard J. Wurtman, have long researched carbohydrates and their link to mood and depression.

The Wurtmans published a landmark article about carbs and depression in Scientific American in 1989. They are convinced that the carbohydrate craving is related to decreases in the feel-good hormone serotonin, which is marked by a decline in mood and concentration.

Other experts aren’t so sure. Some wonder if depressed mood and reaching for carbs are both related to an external event -- such as the stock market decline -- or to simply habit.
Carbohydrate Cravings: What's Known? What's Debated?

Carb cravings seem to be related to decreases in serotonin activity, says Wurtman.

"We discovered years and years ago that many people experience the 'universal carbohydrate craving time' between 3:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. every day," she says. "I suspect the tradition of English tea with its carb offering is a ritual developed to fill this need."

"It's a real neurochemical phenomenon," she says.

The Wurtmans’ work, however, has its skeptics.

Edward Abramson, PhD, a psychologist and professor emeritus at California State University, Chico, wrote the book Emotional Eating. He does not think the link is strong and clear-cut.

"You could be down because of loss of money in the stock market," he says. "The depression is triggered by an external event, not by [only] a dip in serotonin. It may be the external event causing the dip in serotonin, not the dip occurring, then the craving, he says.

Another possibility, says Abramson, is that carb craving may be just a habit, learned early. For instance, a woman brought up to believe that anger is not an acceptable emotion may turn to eating treats such as cookies instead -- because that's what she did as a kid and perhaps was encouraged to do by a parent.

Carb cravings can also result from diets, says Evelyn Tribole, RD, a dietitian in Newport Beach, Calif., and author of Healthy Homestyle Cooking.

She sees quite a few dieters who crave carbohydrates, especially if they’re on one of the high-protein, low-carb diets.

"You don't want to kill for a piece of broccoli, but you'd kill for a piece of bread. It's a clear signal,” she says, “that your body needs more carbs. It’s not an abnormal craving.”

Prostate Cancer Health Center

2009-09-02T17:41:00.000-07:00

PSA Test: More Harm Than Good?
Study: 1 Million Men Suffered Needless Treatment After
Prostate Cancer Test
By Daniel J. DeNoon
WebMD Health News

The PSA prostate cancer screening test does more harm than good, a new study suggests.

How much harm and how much good?

"For every man who avoids a prostate cancer death due to PSA screening, about 50 men have to be treated unnecessarily -- and a third of these men will have serious problems with treatment," study co-author H. Gilbert Welch, MD, MPH, tells WebMD.

The blood test detects prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in the blood. Rising PSA levels may, or may not, mean prostate cancer. So men with suspicious PSA levels undergo prostate biopsies.

Although vast numbers of men undergo annual PSA blood tests, many professional groups, including the American Cancer Society, do not recommend routine PSA screening for prostate cancer. They instead recommend the test only for men who still want it after carefully discussing the risks and benefits with their doctor.

The PSA test became popular in 1986. What have we learned about the test's risks and benefits?

To find out, Welch, professor or medicine at Dartmouth University, and urologist Peter C. Albertsen, MD, of the University of Connecticut, analyzed data on prostate cancer collected by the National Cancer Institute and population data from the U.S. Census.

The result: From 1986 to 2005, PSA testing resulted in the diagnosis of about 1.3 million prostate cancers that would never otherwise have been detected. More than 1 million of these patients were treated with surgery or radiation.

Over that time, deaths from prostate cancer declined. Taking a conservative approach, Welch and Albertsen assumed that PSA detection of early prostate cancers -- and not improvements in treatment -- was responsible for the entire drop in prostate cancer deaths.

In that case, PSA testing would have saved about 56,500 lives. But some 943,500 men would have been "overdiagnosed."

"The overdiagnosed patient is one not destined to experience symptoms or death from the cancer," Welch says. "This means people who were never going to get a dangerous cancer get treated and suffer the ill effects of needless treatment. Overdiagnosed patients cannot benefit from treatment because there is nothing to be fixed, but they can be harmed."

Source: www.webmd.com

Mediterranean Diet Helps Control Diabetes

2009-09-01T15:55:00.000-07:00

Low-Carbohydrate Mediterranean Diet Better Than Low-Fat Diet at Managing Diabetes
By Jennifer Warner
WebMD Health News

Eating a Mediterranean-style diet may help people with type 2 diabetes keep their disease under control without drugs better than following a typical low-fat diet.

A new study from Italy shows that people with type 2 diabetes who ate a Mediterranean diet rich in vegetables and whole grains with at least 30% of daily calories from fat (mostly olive oil) were better able to manage their disease without diabetes medications than those who ate a low-fat diet with no more than 30% of calories from fat (with less than 10% coming from saturated fat choices).

After four years, researchers found that 44% of people on the Mediterranean diet ended up requiring diabetes medications to control their blood sugars compared with 70% of those who followed the low-fat diet.

It’s one of the longest-term studies of its kind, and researchers, including Katherine Esposito, MD, of the Second University of Naples, say the results “reinforce the message that benefits of lifestyle interventions should not be overlooked."
Best Diet for Diabetes Control

In the study, researchers randomly assigned 215 overweight people recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes who had never been treated with diabetes medications to either a Mediterranean-style diet or a low-fat diet.

The Mediterranean diet was rich in vegetables and whole grains and low in red meat, which was replaced with fish or poultry. Overall, the diet consisted of no more than 50% of daily calories from carbohydrates and no less than 30% of calories from fat.

The low-fat diet was based on American Heart Association guidelines and was rich in whole grains and limited in sweets with no more than 30% of calories from fat and 10% from saturated fats, such as animal fats.

After four years of follow-up, the Mediterranean diet group had better glycemic (blood sugar) control and were less likely to require diabetes medications to bring their blood sugar within healthy levels.

In addition, people who followed the Mediterranean diet group also experienced improvement in other heart disease risk factors. Interestingly, weight loss was relatively comparable between the two groups by the end of the trial, suggesting that attributes of the Mediterranean diet beyond weight loss affect blood sugar control.

Source & Picture: http://diabetes.webmd.com

Stopping Swine Flu Up to You

2009-08-31T20:09:00.000-07:00

Before the Vaccine Arrives, It's Up to Citizens to Slow Swine Flu
By Daniel J. DeNoon
WebMD Health News

Who's on the front line of this fall's flu fight? You are, say HHS and CDC officials.

Until Thanksgiving, at the earliest, it's going to be up to you to try not to catch the flu. And if you do catch the flu, it's going to be up to you to try not to infect anyone else.
Why? The government is rushing to deliver H1N1 swine flu vaccine to states on or around Oct. 15. Vaccination likely will take two shots given three weeks apart. No protection is expected until two to four weeks after the second shot -- around Thanksgiving for those who start vaccination in mid-October.

"We are not going to have vaccine before H1N1 disease gets here because the disease never went away this summer," Anne Schuchat, MD, director of the CDC's Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said this week at a pandemic flu symposium. "Schools are now opening and cases are appearing. I would expect to see clusters popping up soon."

"I think we're going to have an interesting fall," Steven C. Redd, MD, director of the CDC's Influenza Coordination Unit, said at the symposium.

All relevant branches of the U.S. government are making full-speed-ahead efforts to prepare for a bad flu season, as the new H1N1 swine flu collides with the seasonal flu. But in the end, the government can do only so much.

The rest is up to citizens, says Kathleen Sebelius, secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

"It is essential people make plans, because we will not have a vaccine available for a few months," Sebelius said at the CDC symposium.

What plans?

The first part of the plan is to avoid infection:

* Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly. Use soap and warm water when available; use hand sanitizer between hand washings.
* Avoid close contact with sick people. Close contact means getting within 6 feet of a sick person. If you must care for someone who is ill, minimize close contact.
* It's not known whether face masks protect against infection. If you use one, don't slack off on hand washing or avoiding close contact with sick people. Use the face mask properly and throw it away after use.
* Get your seasonal flu vaccine as soon as possible. It's safe, and it protects against the three seasonal flu bugs expected to circulate this fall and winter -- even though it won't protect against H1N1 swine flu.

The second part of the plan is to keep from spreading the swine flu virus:

* Stay home if you are sick.
* Observe flu etiquette. Don't cough or sneeze into your hands. Cough/sneeze into a tissue -- or, failing that, your elbow.
* If you can do so comfortably, wear a face mask if you come into contact with others.
* If you are an employer, do not penalize workers for staying home if sick or for caring for sick children.
* Make plans -- now -- for what you'd do if you or your children get sick this fall.

Kudzu May Help Ease Metabolic Syndrome

2009-08-30T20:04:00.000-07:00

Kudzu Root Extract Shows Promise in Lab Tests on Rats With Condition Like Metabolic Syndrome

By Miranda Hitti
WebMD Health News

Kudzu, a fast-growing vine widely considered a nuisance because it covers everything in its path, may be set for a medical makeover.

A new study, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, shows that kudzu root extract may help curb symptoms of metabolic syndrome.

Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of risk factors that make diabetes and heart disease more likely. People with metabolic syndrome have at least three of the following traits:

* Large waist: 40 inches or larger for men; 35 inches or larger for women
* Low levels of HDL ("good") cholesterol
* High levels of blood fats called triglycerides
* Elevated blood pressure
* High blood sugar

The new study tests kudzu root extract in female rats with high blood pressure that were prone to stroke. Those rats had many of the symptoms of metabolic syndrome.

The researchers, who included Ning Peng and J. Michael Wyss, PhD, of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, put the rats on a diet free of antioxidants called polyphenols. They added kudzu root extract, which naturally contains certain polyphenols, to the diets of some of the rats.

The rats stayed on those diets for two months. During that time, the rats in the kudzu group gained less weight than the other rats, though the kudzu didn't hamper their eating habits.

At the end of the two months, the rats in the kudzu group had better blood pressure, blood sugar, insulin, and total cholesterol levels than the other rats.

It's not clear if that's because of the kudzu root extract or because of the weight difference between the two groups of rats.

No side effects were seen with the kudzu root extract. So the researchers conclude that kudzu polyphenols may have potential as complements to other strategies (such as diet and exercise) for reducing metabolic disorders.

The researchers aren't recommending kudzu supplements for people with metabolic disorders. They didn't test kudzu root extract on people.

The study was funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), but the journal notes that the contents of the study "are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, the Office of Dietary Supplements, or the NIH."

Source & Picture: http://www.webmd.com