Times of the Internet RSS Feed - health

Double H1N1 vaccine, but still not enough

ATLANTA, Nov. 6 (UPI) --

Federal health officials said Friday that there is twice as much H1N1 vaccine -- 38 million doses -- available as two weeks ago.

The majority of this is injectable doses, Dr. Anne Schuchat of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said at a briefing in Atlanta.

If all goes well, we are expecting about 8 million doses to be available in the week ahead that's if everything goes well. As vaccine supplies increase, we think things should go better, but we still don't have enough vaccine.

State and local health departments are in the best position to determine how to effectively use and direct the vaccine doses that become available, Schuchat said.

The key now is focusing on the priority groups, children and young adults up through age 24, pregnant women, parents or caretakers of babies under 6 months. People with chronic conditions and health workers, Schuchat said.

The Champaign-Urbana Public Health Department in Illinois developed an innovative program to provide the H1N1 vaccine to children with special needs via a clinic where the nurse comes out to the car to give the vaccination.

There have been some 90 million people vaccinated for seasonal flu, but more is needed. Usually seasonal flu strains don't increase until December through May.

Everything we are seeing is the H1N1 virus, Schuchat said. Hopefully, there will be additional supplies of seasonal flu vaccine.

Steaming food may reduce chronic disease

NEW YORK, Nov. 6 (UPI) --

Inflammatory markers declined by as much as 60 percent in those eating poached, stewed or steamed meals, U.S. researchers found.

Lead author Dr. Helen Vlassara of New York City's Mt. Sinai School of Medicine said inflammatory markers have been linked to increased risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease.

The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, suggested inflammation linked to oxidants -- in particular those that proliferate in fried, grilled or baked food -- may overwhelm the body's defenses.

The good news is that unlike genetics, we can control oxidant levels, Vlassara said in a statement.

In a clinical study involving more than 350 people, Vlassara and colleagues randomly assigned a subset of 40 healthy participants -- either between the ages 18-45 or older than 60 -- as well as another nine patients with kidney disease to eating either a regular Western diet or one of similar caloric and nutrient content but lower in oxidants because meals were poached, stewed or steamed rather than fried or grilled.

Vlassara says oxidant-producing cooking can be addictive since these methods provide flavor. However, she advises keeping the heat down and the water content up in food as well as avoiding pre-packaged and fast foods could help the body restore its own defenses.

Testosterone relevant to women's health

PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 6 (UPI) --

Higher levels of testosterone, the principal male sex hormone, but present in women, may put women at greater heart risk, U.S. researchers said.

The study, published in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, found women with the highest testosterone levels -- in the top 25 percent of this study group -- were three times as likely to have coronary heart disease compared to women with lower testosterone levels.

The researchers, who measured levels of testosterone in 344 women between the ages of 65-98, also found women in the top 25 percent three times as likely to have a group of metabolic risk factors called the metabolic syndrome -- in particular they had a greater degree of insulin resistance where the body does not use insulin efficiently.

For many years, androgens like testosterone were thought to play a significant role in men only and to be largely irrelevant in women, study researcher Dr. Anne Cappola of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia said in a statement.

Further studies are needed to determine if a causal relationship exists between testosterone and insulin resistance and to provide more insight into the role testosterone plays in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease in women.

Prostate cancer outcome not linked to race

CHICAGO, Nov. 6 (UPI) --

Race had no impact on prostate cancer outcomes following radiation treatment, U.S. medical researchers found.

Unlike previous studies that had relatively small percentages of African-American patients, almost half of this study group was African-American, the researchers said.

This study offers an extremely important message for all patients with prostate cancer who receive radiation therapy, senior study author Dr. Benjamin Movsas of the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit said in a statement.

Despite the fact that there was a large difference in income based on race, none of the socioeconomic status factors predicted for outcome. All patients did equally well, based on the known prognostic factors.

The study included 788 Henry Ford Hospital patients treated with external beam radiation for localized prostate cancer between ages 44-90. Of these, 48.5 percent were African-American with a median household income of $36,917, and 46 percent were white with a median household income of $60,190.

The researchers found none of the socioeconomic factors examined predicted for patient outcome. Only known disease risk factors determined overall survival rates, the study found.

The findings were presented in Chicago at the annual meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology.

PSA return time may predict outcome

CHICAGO, Nov. 6 (UPI) --

The time between treatment and prostate specific antigen rise may help predict prostate cancer outcomes, U.S. researchers said.

Study leader Dr. Mark Buyyounouski of Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia found men whose PSA went up within 18 months of radiotherapy were more likely to develop disease spread and die of their disease.

PSA is the gold standard for following prostate cancer patients after they receive radiation or surgery, Buyyounouski said in a statement. But we haven't known if having PSA rise sooner means a patient has a greater danger of dying of prostate cancer, though it seems logical.

Using a single institution database, Buyyounouski and colleagues previously showed men who suffered an early biochemical failure -- that is, their lowest PSA level plus 2 ng/mL -- were at greater risk of dying of prostate cancer.

This new study confirms those results using a multi-national database of 2,132 men who had biochemical failure after treatment.

Now we can use the simple criteria from this study, which is widely available for anyone who has PSA testing, to identify men who have a greater than 25 percent chance of dying from prostate cancer in the next five years. That is huge. There is nothing else that can do that, Buyyounouski said.

Buyyounouski presented the findings in Chicago at the annual meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology.

Domestic homicides up in New York state

ALBANY, N.Y., Nov. 6 (UPI) --

In New York state, 50 percent of females age 16 and older who were murdered in 2008 were killed by intimate partners, state officials said.

A report, by researchers at the New York state Division of Criminal Justice Services, tracked homicides in which the victim was either an intimate partner or child of the perpetrator, or involved some other type of family relationship.The report said 4 percent of adult male murder victims were killed by an intimate partner.

Domestic homicides in New York state increased 7.3 percent in 2008, while other homicides increased 2.6 percent, the report said.

Child domestic homicides decreased by 31 percent in 2008, primarily because there were fewer infant/newborn homicides reported outside of New York City, the report said.

The report also said intimate partner homicides increased by 25 percent in 2008 as counties outside of New York City reported a 45 percent increase in intimate partner homicides.

Most domestic violence does not result in homicide, but we see the bigger problem reflected in police responding to almost a half-million domestic calls every year, shelters housing more than 16,000 people annually and emergency hotlines handling another 300,000 calls, Amy Barasch, executive director of the New York state Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence, said in a statement.

Dentists urged to look for cardiac risk

STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Nov. 6 (UPI) --

Dentists can play key roles in identifying people at risk of fatal heart attacks and referring them for further evaluation, doctors in Sweden suggest.

Dentists are encouraged to use HeartScore, a computerized system that calculates the risk of a person dying of a heart attack within a 10-year period, the European Society of Cardiology said in a release Thursday.

HeartScore measures cardiovascular disease risk in people ages 40-65 by factoring the person's age, sex, blood pressure and smoking status.

People with HeartScores of 10 percent or higher, meaning they had at least a 10-percent risk of having a fatal heart attack or stroke within a 10-year period, were told by dentists to see a doctor about their condition.

Using HeartScore, which was tested in Sweden, dentists can identify patients who are unaware they need medical intervention, the American Dental Association said in a release Thursday.

Dentists may find themselves in an opportune position to enhance the overall health and well-being of their patients, the association said.

Right-handed have a 'right' bias

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., Nov. 6 (UPI) --

In left-handed people equal parts of the brain are devoted to each arm but in the right-handed more of the brain is devoted to the right, U.S. researchers say.

University of Virginia in Charlottesville psychologists Sally Linkenauger, Johathan Bakdash and Dennis Proffitt found right-handed people have more cortical area in the brain devoted to the right arm than to the left one. This may affect how they see their right hand.

In experiments, left-handed volunteers judged both of their arms to be the same length, but right-handed participants underestimated the length of their left arm and consistently perceived their right arms as being longer.

In addition, right-handed volunteers thought their right hands were larger than their left, when in fact, they were both the same size. When guessing how far they could reach with their arms, left-handed volunteers estimated they could reach equally far with both arms while right-handed volunteers predicted they could reach farther with their right arm.

The study, published in Psychological Science, also involved researchers Jessica Witt of Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., and Jeanine Stefanucci of The College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Va.

Patients want doctors to discuss costs

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C., Nov. 6 (UPI) --

As patients are charged more by health insurance companies, they expect physicians to help them navigate options to get the best treatment, researchers said.

Mark A. Hall, a professor of law and public health at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine, and co-author by Carl E. Schneider, of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, reviewed literature on relevant professional ethics and interviewed primary care physicians who treat lower-income patients to see how the physician-patient relationship is changed by the current trend in consumer-driven healthcare.

In consumer-driven healthcare, patients pay for more treatment themselves and therefore are required to make more cost-related choices.

Doctors generally avoid asking patients about health insurance and finances because physicians want what they believe is best for their patients -- which is not always the most affordable.

However, Hall and Schneider say patients are counting on physicians to help guide them to the best treatment decisions -- medically and financially.

Doctors need to make their treatment recommendations in the context of what patients can and can't afford, with the understanding that some patients can't afford what they might recommend, the researchers said in a statement.

The findings are published in the Journal of Family Practice.

Rotavirus vaccine needed in more countries

NEW YORK, Nov. 6 (UPI) --

Rotavirus vaccines could save an estimated 228,000 lives worldwide each year by reducing deadly diarrhea, the World Health Organization said.

Strains of rotavirus, disease surveillance and vaccine-cost effectiveness are outlined in special edition of the Journal of Infectious Diseases, which supports WHO recommendations that rotavirus vaccines be included in every country's national immunization program.

Rotavirus is the leading cause of severe diarrheal disease and exacts a heavy toll on the world's poorest countries, said Dr. John Wecker, director of the Vaccine Access and Delivery Global Program at PATH, a non-profit health group.

Rotavirus is one of the most deadly diseases children in the developing world face, Wecker said in a release Thursday. Vaccination holds the key to making it one of the most preventable diseases.

Vaccines preventing rotavirus have been licensed in more than 100 countries. The vaccines, however, have not yet reached many of the places where the rotavirus burden is greatest, especially in African and Asian countries.

Diet of colorful foods boosts immunity

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 6 (UPI) --

A U.S. health and wellness expert says an easy way to boost immunity is to eat more fruits and vegetables in different colors.

Amy Hendel says says a study published in the Phytonutrient Report found eight in 10 Americans are missing out on the health benefits of a diet rich in colorful fruits and veggies -- resulting in a phytonutrient gap.

The report looked at fruit and vegetable consumption in five color categories -- green, red, white, blue/purple and yellow/orange and the phytonutrients found in each color category.

Hendel recommends eating two foods from each of the five color categories. For optimal health, aim to eat two foods from each of the five color categories for a total of 10 servings each day.

Foods in the red category -- tomatoes, pomegranate, red cabbage, cranberries, even pink grapefruit -- boost immune systems and support heart health, Hendel says.

The health benefits of foods in the yellow/orange category -- carrots, squash, sweet potatoes and pineapple -- also boost immunity and help vision and heart health as well as maintain skin hydration.

Weight lifting aids breast cancer patients

PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 6 (UPI) --

Weightlifting has multiple benefits for breast cancer survivors, U.S. researchers said.

The study, published in Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, found breast cancer survivors who lift weights regularly feel better about their bodies and appearance, and are more satisfied with their intimate relationships compared with survivors who did not lift weights.

The findings were from a randomized controlled trial testing the impact of twice-weekly weight lifting for 12 months.

In a preliminary report, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in August, Schmitz and colleagues found lifting weights kept lymphedema -- arm-swelling some breast cancer patients sufferer -- from worsening.

It looks like weight training is not only safe and may make lymphedema flare ups less frequently, but it also seems help women feel better about their bodies, study senior author Kathryn Schmitz of Philadelphia's University of Pennsylvania Abramson Cancer Center said in a statement. The results suggest that the act of spending time with your body was the thing that was important -- not the physical results of strength.

Women interested in this type of exercise should begin by learning to do it properly in a slow, progressive program, supervised by a certified fitness professional. Those with lymphedema should also wear a well-fitting compression garment during all exercise sessions.

Clothing can determine physical activity

CINCINNATI, Nov. 6 (UPI) --

What parents choose to have their child wear to childcare may hamper not only the child's physical activity, but the whole class as well, U.S. researchers say.

The study, published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, suggests inadequate or inappropriate clothing can restrict children's outdoor play.

Dr. Kristen Copeland of the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center says three-quarters of U.S. children ages 3-6 spend time in childcare and many spend most of their waking hours in these settings.

Copeland and colleagues undertook a qualitative study of 53 child-care providers from 34 childcare centers in Cincinnati via a series of focus groups.

The researchers found inappropriate clothing included inadequate outdoor clothing, such as a lack of coats and gloves in the wintertime; unsuitable footwear, such as flip flops; and nice or expensive outfits not to be ruined. The study also finds that a few children dressed improperly could prevent the entire class from going outside.

Those who worked at the childcare facilities suggested several reasons why parents may dress their child inappropriately, including forgetfulness, a rushed morning routine, limited income to buy clothes, a child's preference for a favorite item and parents not understanding the importance of outdoor play, the researchers say.

CDC: U.S. ranks 30th for infant mortality

ATLANTA, Nov. 6 (UPI) --

The United States compares favorably with European countries in infant mortality rates for preterm, but not for full term infants, health officials said.

A report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics said that in 2005, the latest year that the international ranking is available for, the United States ranked 30th in the world in infant mortality, behind almost all European countries, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan and Israel.

Infant mortality is an indicator of the health of a nation, and the recent stagnation -- since 2000 -- in the U.S. infant mortality rate has generated concern among health officials.

There are some differences among countries in the reporting of very small infants who may die soon after birth. However, it appears unlikely that differences in reporting are the primary explanation for the United States' relatively low international ranking, the report said.

In 2005, the United States had an infant mortality rate of 6.9 per 1,000 live births, behind 29 countries and behind Singapore, with the best infant mortality rate of 2.1 per 1,000 live births.

One would have to assume that these countries did not report more than one-third of their infant deaths for their infant mortality rates to equal or exceed the U.S. rate, the study authors said. The United States compares favorably with Europe in the survival of infants born preterm, the report said.

Weight Loss Tips For The Holidays - Diet And Exercise Needed

CLEVELAND, OH., Nov. 6 (TOTI) --

It's that time of the year when again when the average person wants to let loose and really celebrate. Often, that means over-indulging in both food and drink. Thanksgiving and Christmas are two of the most popular holidays, and are known for the delicious food and festive times. But, if ever there's a time where a person can gain weight, it's now!

If you're struggling with a weight problem and you'd like to keep yourself from going overboard during the Holiday season, keep in mind you'll need some serious discipline to maintain your goals. If not, you might just go overboard like everybody else and end up tempted to just overeat because you can always 'make a New Year's resolution' and deal with the problem in 2010.

1.) Let yourself go on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas. Go ahead and indulge on the two big Holidays of the year. You deserve it.

2.) Don't go crazy every weekend that isn't a Holiday. Keep your diet in check and continue exercising, even if everybody else is feeling festive. If you want to lose weight, realize it's hard work and you'll have to keep giving it your all.

3.) Don't underestimate how many calories are in alcoholic beverages. When it comes to drinking, a little goes a long way.

4.) Don't feel alone. Most of the modern world is now struggling with a weight problem, so don't feel singled out just because you're being extra aware of your food consumption around the Holidays. So are billions of other people worldwide!

5.) Enjoy yourself. Don't let the holidays be a time of stress.

6.) Enjoy the company you keep. The Holidays are a time to re-unite with loved ones.

When all is said and done, you can easily survive the Holiday seasons just by reminding yourself to be moderate most of the time, but don't be afraid to let your hair down and enjoy the actual holidays.

One thing is certain, if you can continue to be diligent for the next few months, it will give you a big boost when New Year's rolls around. You'll already have been working on your goals, and will be way ahead of people who have been partying due to the season.

Researchers track leprosy bacterium

LAUSANNE, Switzerland, Nov. 6 (UPI) --

The bacterium that causes leprosy is genetically stable, which makes curing the disease easier, a Swiss-led research team says.

The project, headed by Stewart Cole of the Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, found samples of mycobacterium leprae from around the world, Swissinfo reported. The oldest was found in an Egyptian mummy buried about 2,400 years ago.

There are four strains of the bacterium -- European, Indian and East and West African -- with only small genetic differences among them.

Irrespective of the origin of the sample of mycobacterium leprae, there was a remarkably high level of similarity and the genome was extremely well conserved, Cole said. This is very good news in terms of treatment.

While an antibiotic cure for leprosy has been available for 30 years and is free, about 700,000 people worldwide are infected with the disease. The World Health Organization said 250,000 new cases were diagnosed in 2008.

Obesity causes 100,500 U.S. cancer cases

WASHINGTON, Nov. 5 (UPI) --

Excess body fat causes an estimated 100,500 U.S. cancer cases every year, an analysis by a large U.S. cancer research organization indicated Thursday.

The American Institute for Cancer Research analysis, based on updated cancer data and a report released this year by a panel of experts, also indicated only half of Americans realize that carrying excess body fat places them at significantly higher risk for cancer, the nation's No. 1 health concern.

In light of the fact that excess body fat causes over 100,000 cancer cases each year in the U.S. -- cases that could be prevented by staying lean -- public awareness of the link remains alarmingly low, institute Nutrition Communications Manager Alice Bender said at a Washington news conference. It's a message that desperately needs to be heard.

Among the types of cancer most strongly linked to excess body fat are breast cancer, with 33,000 cases a year caused by obesity; endometrium (the inner membrane of the uterus), with 20,700 cases a year; kidney, with 13,900 cases; colon, 13,200; pancreas, 11,900; esophagus, 5,800; and gallbladder, 2,000.

The institute's analysis comes on the heels of new estimates that obesity-related diseases add $147 billion to the nation's healthcare bill. About a third of U.S. adults are obese, or roughly 30 or more pounds above a healthy weight.

Obesity also increases the risk of diabetes, heart disease and other diseases.

Abnormal sleep may increase nurse errors

SAN DIEGO, Nov. 5 (UPI) --

U.S. researchers say they found nurses who worked in hospital intensive care units may get less regular sleep than other nurses and may commit more errors.

Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston assessed the overall sleep quality and vigilance among intensive care unit nurses at the beginning and end of their shift. They compared their findings with similar measurements in floor nurses.

The intensive care nurses and the floor nurses completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index Questionnaire and were assessed for vigilance at the beginning and end of a 12-hour shift.

The study found the errors at either end of the shift were different only for the nurses who worked in the intensive care unit group, but not on the hospital floors.

The researchers speculated the abnormal sleep and fall in vigilance demonstrated among intensive care unit nurses may have implications for patient safety.

The findings were presented in San Diego at the annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians.

Plants rated top indoor air 'cleaners'

ATHENS, Ga., Nov. 5 (UPI) --

U.S. scientists say they have come up with five ornamental plants that do a superior job of removing indoor air pollutants.

The study of 28 types of plants, published in HortScience, found Hemigraphis alternata, known as purple waffle plant; Hedera helix or English ivy; Hoya carnosa or variegated wax plant; and Asparagus densiflorus or Asparagus fern had the highest removal rates for all five volatile organic compounds introduced.

Tradescantia pallida or Purple heart plant was rated superior for its ability to remove four of the volatile organic compounds.

Study leader Stanley J. Kays of the University of Georgia in Athens placed plants in gas-tight glass jars, exposing them to benzene, octane, toluene and alpha-pinene. The researchers analyzed air samples and then classified plants as superior, intermediate and poor in their ability to remove the five volatile organic compounds from the air.

The volatile organic compounds tested in this study can adversely affect indoor air quality and have a potential to seriously compromise the health of exposed individuals, Kays said in a statement.

Kays said benzene and toluene are known to originate from petroleum-based indoor coatings, cleaning solutions, plastics, environmental tobacco smoke and exterior exhaust fumes seeping into buildings; octane from paint, adhesives and building materials; TCE from tap water, cleaning agents, insecticides and plastic products; and alpha-pinene from synthetic paints and odorants.

Asthma linked to late pregnancy folic acid

ADELAIDE, Australia, Nov. 5 (UPI) --

Folic acid supplements taken late in pregnancy may be tied to allergic asthma in children ages 3-5, researchers in Australia said.

Michael Davies of the University of Adelaide's Robinson Institute said public health guidelines recommend women consume a supplemental dose of 400 micrograms of folic acid per day in the month preceding and during the first trimester of pregnancy to reduce the risk of neural tube defects in children.

The study involved more than 500 women whose maternal diet and supplements were assessed twice during their pregnancy, with follow-up on their child's asthma status at 3.5 years and 5.5 years.

Asthma was reported in 11.6 percent of children at 3.5 years and 11.8 percent of children at 5.5 years. Nearly one-third of these children reported persistent asthma.

Our study supports these guidelines, as we found no increased risk of asthma if folic acid supplements were taken in pre- or early pregnancy, Davies said in a statement.

However, these guidelines may need to be expanded to include recommendations about avoiding use of high-dose supplemental folic acid in late pregnancy.

The findings are published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.