Three cheers for another study that shows a natural substance -- in this case honey -- to be superior to man-made drugs at combating illness. Honey has been used for centuries as an antibacterial and antiviral substance to treat various maladies including respiratory ailments and skin wounds. Now modern researchers are finding that this age-old remedy has been a favorite for very good reasons.
If you choose to medicate with honey, organic is always best, and finding a local source of honey is to your advantage as well. Honey is also great for allergies, and if it is harvested locally, it can more effectively fight pollens and other allergens in your area.
Also, one of the best healing honeys is called Manuka Honey from New Zealand. Active Manuka Honey has been shown in laboratory studies to have antibacterial activity against the 7 most common species of bacteria found in wounds. 58 strains of Staphylococcus Aureus isolated from infected wounds showed complete inhibition at concentrations of 2-3% Active Manuka Honey. Active Manuka Honey is also great for colds and sore throats as well as a soothing balm for all digestive tract concerns.
A Honey of a Sinusitis Treatment
By Steven ReinbergHealthDay Reporter
Wed Sep 24, 11:47 PM ET
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Honey may help bring sweet relief to chronic sinusitis sufferers, new Canadian research suggests.
Scientists say natural germ fighters in honey attack the bacteria that cause the discomforting disorder.
"Honey has been used in traditional medicine as a natural anti-microbial dressing for infected wounds for hundreds of years," noted study co-author Dr. Joseph G. Marsan, from the University of Ottawa.
The objectives of the study were to evaluate the activity of honey on so-called "biofilms," which are responsible for numerous chronic infections, Marsan explained.
"Certain bacteria, mainly Staph aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, have found a method of shielding themselves from the activity of anti-microbials by living in substances called biofilms, which cannot be penetrated by even the most powerful anti-microbials," he said.
The report was to be presented Tuesday at the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation's annual meeting in Chicago.
In the laboratory, Marsan's team applied honey to biofilms made up of the bacteria that cause sinusitis.
They found that honey was more effective in killing these bacteria than antibiotics commonly used against them.
"Our study has shown that certain honeys, namely the Manuka honey from New Zealand and the Sidr honey from Yemen, have a powerful killing action on these bacterial biofilms that is far superior to the most powerful anti-microbials used in medicine today," Marsan said.
This study has shown that certain honeys may play some role in the management of these chronic infections that are extremely difficult to treat, Marsan said. "This study was carried out in-vitro in the lab and we must now find how to apply this activity in-vivo on lab animals and subsequently on patients," he added.
The Canadian findings echo research published last year in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, by a team at Penn State College of Medicine. That group found that honey worked better than commercial cough medicines containing dextromethorphan (DM) in easing children's cough.
But Dr. Ian Paul, director of Pediatric Clinical Research at Penn State and the leader of the cough study, isn't sure how the sinusitis findings would be applied clinically.
"Bacteria do not grow very well in honey," Paul noted. "There is data that honey works well for wounds, in smothering the bacteria that that grow in wounds. So it's not altogether surprising that honey would be effective in killing these bacteria."
However, whether honey could be used clinically to treat sinusitis isn't apparent, Paul said.
"I wonder how they are going to propose using honey, clinically, in sinusitis," Paul said. "I'm wondering how they are proposing it would be curative or helpful in that setting?"
Results of another study, slated to be presented at the meeting Tuesday, show that many patients with sinusitis sufferer from aches and pains that are equal to those experienced by people with arthritis or depression.
Researchers found that endoscopic sinus surgery to relieve the blockage in the sinuses, also significantly people's reduced pain.
"This study highlights an important point: Chronic sinusitis should not be considered as a minor localized disease condition rather, as this study emphasizes, sinusitis can cause serious clinical levels of discomfort in many patients," study co-author Dr. Neil Bhattacharyya, an otolaryngologist and sinus surgeon at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, said in a statement.
More information
For more information on sinusitis, visit the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/ahoneyofasinusitistreatment&printer=1;_ylt=AjVyWYxMFGT717P5_RUXW6O9j7AB
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Monday, September 29, 2008
Resistance Training Aides Senior Citizens
Physical exercise, one of the foundational lifestyle choices that leads to wellness, should be a lifelong pursuit. However, a new study indicates that weight training or other forms of resistance exercise can be beneficial even if you are in your 50s or 60s.
Exercise provides several benefits that keep the body healthy. The most important is to keep elimination routes open so that toxins can be easily removed from the body. The elimination routes that get a positive effect from exercise are breathing, sweating, defecation, and urination. Those who have a routine exercise program are also less likely to experience constipation and digestive tract issues. As one exercises, the lymph system is also kept moving, and is less likely to become stagnant.
The ideal workout routine -- for all age groups -- should include both aerobic and resistance exercises. Weight-bearing activities can be particularly useful for helping individuals maintain balance, coordination, and musculoskeletal strength well into their golden years. Starting early is best, but it's never too late to help yourself stay healthy and well through consistent physical exercise.
Boomers Should Add Muscle Before It's Too Late
Wed Sep 24, 11:47 PM ET
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Strength training can help people build muscle mass to assist in the fight against the debilitating effects of old age until they reach 80, a new study says.
After that, not so much, according to the authors.
The Ball State University study, sponsored by a grant from the U.S. National Institutes of Health, found that while six men in their 80s did get somewhat stronger, their whole muscle size and fiber size did not grow during a 12-week training regime.
"We know that there is accelerated muscle loss as we get older," Scott Trappe, director of Ball State's Human Performance Laboratory, said in a university news release. "The best way to keep our muscles from shrinking is through resistance training, which allows our body to maintain muscle size and strength as we go through our 60s and 70s."
Trappe said aging eventually causes the loss of "fast-twitch" muscle fibers, reducing the ability to produce the explosive movements that allow us to move our feet and arms to keep from falling. The concurrent loss of slow-twitch muscles, the large ones found in the legs, thighs, trunk, back and hips, weakens posture as well. Together, these losses make it harder to balance and maintain an independent life.
"At this point," he said, "I would advise people to actively engage in some sort of resistance training once they hit their 60s. From our study, once you hit the threshold of 80, that may not be possible."
A 2003 study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, estimated U.S. health care costs directly attributed to sarcopenia, the degenerative loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength, exceeds $26 billion. Indirectly, sarcopenia has contributed to a doubling of home health care and nursing home expenditures to $132 billion annually.
More information
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about healthy living for older adults.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20080925/hl_hsn/boomersshouldaddmusclebeforeitstoolate&printer=1;_ylt=AmvGxZI8T7Q4f3Wj3rWemlW9j7AB
Exercise provides several benefits that keep the body healthy. The most important is to keep elimination routes open so that toxins can be easily removed from the body. The elimination routes that get a positive effect from exercise are breathing, sweating, defecation, and urination. Those who have a routine exercise program are also less likely to experience constipation and digestive tract issues. As one exercises, the lymph system is also kept moving, and is less likely to become stagnant.
The ideal workout routine -- for all age groups -- should include both aerobic and resistance exercises. Weight-bearing activities can be particularly useful for helping individuals maintain balance, coordination, and musculoskeletal strength well into their golden years. Starting early is best, but it's never too late to help yourself stay healthy and well through consistent physical exercise.
Boomers Should Add Muscle Before It's Too Late
Wed Sep 24, 11:47 PM ET
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Strength training can help people build muscle mass to assist in the fight against the debilitating effects of old age until they reach 80, a new study says.
After that, not so much, according to the authors.
The Ball State University study, sponsored by a grant from the U.S. National Institutes of Health, found that while six men in their 80s did get somewhat stronger, their whole muscle size and fiber size did not grow during a 12-week training regime.
"We know that there is accelerated muscle loss as we get older," Scott Trappe, director of Ball State's Human Performance Laboratory, said in a university news release. "The best way to keep our muscles from shrinking is through resistance training, which allows our body to maintain muscle size and strength as we go through our 60s and 70s."
Trappe said aging eventually causes the loss of "fast-twitch" muscle fibers, reducing the ability to produce the explosive movements that allow us to move our feet and arms to keep from falling. The concurrent loss of slow-twitch muscles, the large ones found in the legs, thighs, trunk, back and hips, weakens posture as well. Together, these losses make it harder to balance and maintain an independent life.
"At this point," he said, "I would advise people to actively engage in some sort of resistance training once they hit their 60s. From our study, once you hit the threshold of 80, that may not be possible."
A 2003 study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, estimated U.S. health care costs directly attributed to sarcopenia, the degenerative loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength, exceeds $26 billion. Indirectly, sarcopenia has contributed to a doubling of home health care and nursing home expenditures to $132 billion annually.
More information
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about healthy living for older adults.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20080925/hl_hsn/boomersshouldaddmusclebeforeitstoolate&printer=1;_ylt=AmvGxZI8T7Q4f3Wj3rWemlW9j7AB
Friday, September 26, 2008
Cooked Tomatoes Help to Guard Skin
The tomato is one of those fortunate vegetables (it is technically a fruit) that has garnered lots of positive press over the years. Rich in many beneficial substances, the antioxidant lycopene likely the most well-known, tomatoes, like all fresh, organic vegetables, are a great choice in any healthy diet. However, in most cases it is best to eat vegetables raw. Tomatoes are one of the only exceptions to this rule that I am aware of, as lycopene is more easily released and absorbed into our systems when cooked.
According to the study covered in the following article, even a modest amount of cooked tomatoes can significantly increase the health and welfare of the skin, both protecting from sun damage and slowing down the aging process as well. As we move into early autumn, it is prime time for harvesting those home-grown tomatoes or picking up a few pounds at a local farmers market. Why not cook some up and make your own pasta sauce or salsa and enjoy their tastiness and healthful benefits?
Tomato Paste Found to Function as Internal Sunscreen, Blocking UV Rays and Protecting Skin Health
by David Gutierrez
Foods rich in cooked tomatoes may boost your body's ability to ward off skin damage from the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays and stave off the effects of aging, according to a study conducted by researchers from the universities of Manchester and Newcastle, England, and presented to the British Society for Investigative Dermatology.
Researchers fed 10 volunteers a daily supplement of 10 grams of olive oil and 55 grams of standard tomato paste, while another 10 were given only the olive oil. After three months, the researchers analyzed skin samples from all 20 participants.
They found that volunteers who had eaten the tomatoes exhibited 33 percent more protection against sunburn than those who had taken olive oil alone. They also had higher levels of procollagen, a protein that plays a crucial role in preserving skin structure.
"The tomato diet boosted the level of procollagen in the skin significantly. These increasing levels suggest potential reversal of the skin aging process," researcher Lesley Rhodes said.
"These weren't huge amounts of tomato we were feeding the group. It was the sort of quantity you would easily manage if you were eating a lot of tomato-based meals."
Researchers believe that the protective benefit observed came from an antioxidant that naturally occurs in tomatoes, known as lycopene. Because lycopene in raw tomatoes is bound in a form that is difficult for the body to use, cooking dramatically increases the bioavailability of the chemical. This is why the researchers used tomato paste for the study.
The scientists believe that lycopene neutralizes free radicals that are formed when UV radiation strikes the skin. These free radicals have been linked to cancer and the effects of aging.
The researchers warned that the sun protection acquired from the tomatoes was equivalent only to that provided by a low-grade sunscreen and should be used as a "helpful addition," rather than a replacement.
http://www.naturalnews.com/z024298.html
According to the study covered in the following article, even a modest amount of cooked tomatoes can significantly increase the health and welfare of the skin, both protecting from sun damage and slowing down the aging process as well. As we move into early autumn, it is prime time for harvesting those home-grown tomatoes or picking up a few pounds at a local farmers market. Why not cook some up and make your own pasta sauce or salsa and enjoy their tastiness and healthful benefits?
Tomato Paste Found to Function as Internal Sunscreen, Blocking UV Rays and Protecting Skin Health
by David Gutierrez
Foods rich in cooked tomatoes may boost your body's ability to ward off skin damage from the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays and stave off the effects of aging, according to a study conducted by researchers from the universities of Manchester and Newcastle, England, and presented to the British Society for Investigative Dermatology.
Researchers fed 10 volunteers a daily supplement of 10 grams of olive oil and 55 grams of standard tomato paste, while another 10 were given only the olive oil. After three months, the researchers analyzed skin samples from all 20 participants.
They found that volunteers who had eaten the tomatoes exhibited 33 percent more protection against sunburn than those who had taken olive oil alone. They also had higher levels of procollagen, a protein that plays a crucial role in preserving skin structure.
"The tomato diet boosted the level of procollagen in the skin significantly. These increasing levels suggest potential reversal of the skin aging process," researcher Lesley Rhodes said.
"These weren't huge amounts of tomato we were feeding the group. It was the sort of quantity you would easily manage if you were eating a lot of tomato-based meals."
Researchers believe that the protective benefit observed came from an antioxidant that naturally occurs in tomatoes, known as lycopene. Because lycopene in raw tomatoes is bound in a form that is difficult for the body to use, cooking dramatically increases the bioavailability of the chemical. This is why the researchers used tomato paste for the study.
The scientists believe that lycopene neutralizes free radicals that are formed when UV radiation strikes the skin. These free radicals have been linked to cancer and the effects of aging.
The researchers warned that the sun protection acquired from the tomatoes was equivalent only to that provided by a low-grade sunscreen and should be used as a "helpful addition," rather than a replacement.
http://www.naturalnews.com/z024298.html
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Big Brother Further Invades Home Life
If you have been reading this blog for any length of time, you are certainly aware that one of the recurring themes we often discuss is the alarming attacks on personal rights and freedoms that is occurring in this country. Most of the time we reference freedoms directly related to health and wellness issues, but the article below caught my eye today, and as I thought about it, I realized that the issue of homeschooling can impact many different aspects of our lives. Where can we better influence the next generation regarding freedom of thought involving a slew of different topics, including natural wellness, than in the home?
Even if one is philosophically opposed to homeschooling or chooses to pursue a different path with the education of their children for other reasons, is it not frightening that the State is seeking to take away a parent's option to school their children in the privacy and safety of their own home? Forcing every child into a State mandated public or private school setting will only make it easier for the government to implement their agenda of manipulation via mind control, mandatory vaccines, mass prescription of other medications (such as anti-depressants, for example), and a curriculum that feeds kids full of propaganda designed to make them compliant, robotic citizens that will readily accept anything the authorities suggest. This attempt to virtually ban homeschooling in California is just another notch in the belt of those who would seek to stamp out free-thinking and eliminate choices based on personal beliefs and convictions, a tradition that is a foundational part of the liberties we have enjoyed here in America since this country was formed.
Homeschooling Banned in California as State Turns Parents Into Criminals for Teaching Their Own Children
by David Gutierrez
(NaturalNews) A California appeals court has ruled that homeschooling of children is illegal unless their parents have teaching credentials from the state.
"California is now on the path to being the only state to deny the vast majority of homeschooling parents their fundamental right to teach their own children at home," said Michael Smith, president of the Home School Legal Defense Association.
The court overturned a lower court's finding that homeschooling did not constitute a violation of child welfare laws.
"California courts have held that ... parents do not have a constitutional right to homeschool their children," Justice H. Walter Croskey said.
The decision stunned parents of the state's roughly 166,000 homeschooled children. While the court claimed that it was merely clarifying an existing law and not making a new one, the decision leaves the parents of homeschooled children at risk of arrest and criminal prosecution.
"At first, there was a sense of, 'No way,' " homeschool parent Loren Mavromati said. "Then there was a little bit of fear. I think it has moved now into indignation."
Parents' reasons for homeschooling their children range from religious beliefs to dissatisfaction with the education received at public or private schools. But according to the court, all California children between the ages of 6 and 18 must attend either a full-time public or private school or be taught by a tutor credentialed for their specific grade level.
"A primary purpose of the educational system is to train school children in good citizenship, patriotism and loyalty to the state and the nation," Croskey wrote.
California's largest teachers union welcomed the decision as did the Children's Law Center of Los Angeles.
According to the law center's executive director, Leslie Heimov, children should not be educated at home, because they need to be "in a place daily where they would be observed by people who had a duty to ensure their ongoing safety."
http://www.naturalnews.com/z024287.html
Even if one is philosophically opposed to homeschooling or chooses to pursue a different path with the education of their children for other reasons, is it not frightening that the State is seeking to take away a parent's option to school their children in the privacy and safety of their own home? Forcing every child into a State mandated public or private school setting will only make it easier for the government to implement their agenda of manipulation via mind control, mandatory vaccines, mass prescription of other medications (such as anti-depressants, for example), and a curriculum that feeds kids full of propaganda designed to make them compliant, robotic citizens that will readily accept anything the authorities suggest. This attempt to virtually ban homeschooling in California is just another notch in the belt of those who would seek to stamp out free-thinking and eliminate choices based on personal beliefs and convictions, a tradition that is a foundational part of the liberties we have enjoyed here in America since this country was formed.
Homeschooling Banned in California as State Turns Parents Into Criminals for Teaching Their Own Children
by David Gutierrez
(NaturalNews) A California appeals court has ruled that homeschooling of children is illegal unless their parents have teaching credentials from the state.
"California is now on the path to being the only state to deny the vast majority of homeschooling parents their fundamental right to teach their own children at home," said Michael Smith, president of the Home School Legal Defense Association.
The court overturned a lower court's finding that homeschooling did not constitute a violation of child welfare laws.
"California courts have held that ... parents do not have a constitutional right to homeschool their children," Justice H. Walter Croskey said.
The decision stunned parents of the state's roughly 166,000 homeschooled children. While the court claimed that it was merely clarifying an existing law and not making a new one, the decision leaves the parents of homeschooled children at risk of arrest and criminal prosecution.
"At first, there was a sense of, 'No way,' " homeschool parent Loren Mavromati said. "Then there was a little bit of fear. I think it has moved now into indignation."
Parents' reasons for homeschooling their children range from religious beliefs to dissatisfaction with the education received at public or private schools. But according to the court, all California children between the ages of 6 and 18 must attend either a full-time public or private school or be taught by a tutor credentialed for their specific grade level.
"A primary purpose of the educational system is to train school children in good citizenship, patriotism and loyalty to the state and the nation," Croskey wrote.
California's largest teachers union welcomed the decision as did the Children's Law Center of Los Angeles.
According to the law center's executive director, Leslie Heimov, children should not be educated at home, because they need to be "in a place daily where they would be observed by people who had a duty to ensure their ongoing safety."
http://www.naturalnews.com/z024287.html
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Value of Work When Fighting Depression
The following post highlights an article released by a British organization that focuses on occupational health. It discusses how helpful it can be for individuals that are dealing with mental health issues to resume the normality of a regular work schedule as soon as possible, and how critical this is to helping them recover from depression or anxiety. Stress in the work place can be a significant trigger for such problems, but work is also a very beneficial activity that can bolster a person's emotional health.
I would hope that encouraging people to return to work could be coupled with other natural ways of fighting depression (such as nutritional intervention, stress management techniques like exercise and deep-breathing, and music therapy, just to name a few) other than traditional antidepressant drugs that can often worsen a depressed person's condition and lead to additional mental and physical health problems. It is refreshing to see alternatives discussed, but the truth of the matter is that in the vast majority of cases, the use of drugs that are handed out like candy to anyone who even hints at depression (or even as preventative measures to pregnant women just in case they have post-partum depression -- how crazy is that??) are only likely to make it more difficult for them to return to work or any other normal aspect of life.
New Research Shows Returning To Work Can Aid People With Depression
04 Jun 2008
The modern workplace is often blamed for increased rates of depression and stress. New research published in the journal Occupational Medicine, shows that resuming work can actually aid recovery and help depressed employees. However, the Society of Occupational Medicine warned that employers need to be sensitive and consider a range of interventions including changing an employees tasks and reducing hours to help people when they return to work. Line managers also play a key role as an early return to work is aided by line managers keeping in touch at least once every two weeks.
The study followed more than 500 people who were unable to work with depression from a variety of industries over the course of a year. A return to employment significantly promoted recovery. Importantly, it was the approach and flexibility of their employers that proved vital.
The study echoes the findings of Dame Carol Black's Review 'Working for a healthier tomorrow' which recognized that for most people work is good both for their long-term health and for their family's well-being. The review found that ill health was costing the country 100 billion pounds a year -- 40 billion of which was related to mental health.
"Better access to occupational health services and psychological support are essential if employees with depression and anxiety are to get back to work quickly" said Dr Gordon Parker, President of the Society of Occupational Medicine. "'Employers are often frightened of contacting an employee whose sick note says 'depression' for fear of being accused of harassment, but sympathetic contact with the employee and early help through occupational health can identify the most appropriate support. Occupational health services are ideally placed to advise managers and employees on the best return to work plan and should be involved early in the management of the employee's absence".
In any one year about 1 in every 4 employees in the UK will have a mental health problem, and depression is one of the most common. It is not just distressing for the person involved. It makes them less productive at work and is responsible for high rates of sick-leave, accidents and staff turnover. Work often plays one of the largest roles in shaping people's identity and if employees are absent for some time due to anxiety or depression, this can add to feelings of a lack of self-worth. This study shows that going back to work is often one of the most important factors in speeding up a return to full health. It provides an opportunity to regain a sense of self-esteem and puts routine and stability back into people's lives.
A good occupational health team can help senior management develop programmes to educate line managers and the workforce about depression so that the problem is recognised, appropriate early intervention given and employees are helped to return to work. Occupational Health staff will know about the particular stresses and strains of the work environment and have experience of sensitive issues such as workplace confidentiality, job security and the timing of the return to part-time or full-time working. They are also well placed to work closely with family doctors or other specialist health services.
BT's 'Positive Mentality' programme is an example of how a company can be proactive in this area. Their innovative approach supports not only those who have mental health problems but also those staff who are ostensibly well. By encouraging and promoting small changes in lifestyle, significant improvements have been made in how staff cope with stress and the pressures of work and feel about their mental well-being.
Richard Craig, a 54 year old BT employee from Lancashire, suffered from depression that resulted in 6 months off work. On returning to work his hours were reduced for the first two weeks and then increased each week until he was back on full hours. His manager at the time was in contact with him each week either by phone or one to one. He believes that going back to work and the attitude of his employer was crucial to his recovery.
"Whilst I was ill my manager kept coming to see me and was really supportive. When it was time to go back to work my Occupational Health doctor organised a phased return so that I started back part time. " said Mr Craig "Going back to work gave me a structure and took my mind off things"
Depression and anxiety are now the most common reasons for people starting to claim long term sickness benefits. By investing in occupational health services, senior management teams can play a key role in helping people like Richard Craig return to work. This will improve the overall performance of the organisation and of individual employees and reduce the costs of sickness absence.
1. The Society of Occupational Medicine is the largest UK organisation for all doctors with an interest in Occupational medicine.
2. Occupational Health Doctors: - Help prevent work-related ill health- Advise on fitness for work- Advise on appropriate adjustments in the workplace to help people stay in work- Provide rehabilitation to help people return to work, and - Identify and advise on what people CAN do, so that alternative suitable work for people with health problems can be found- Promote healthy lifestyles and health in the workplace - Advise employers on appropriate policies to maintain a safe workplace.
I would hope that encouraging people to return to work could be coupled with other natural ways of fighting depression (such as nutritional intervention, stress management techniques like exercise and deep-breathing, and music therapy, just to name a few) other than traditional antidepressant drugs that can often worsen a depressed person's condition and lead to additional mental and physical health problems. It is refreshing to see alternatives discussed, but the truth of the matter is that in the vast majority of cases, the use of drugs that are handed out like candy to anyone who even hints at depression (or even as preventative measures to pregnant women just in case they have post-partum depression -- how crazy is that??) are only likely to make it more difficult for them to return to work or any other normal aspect of life.
New Research Shows Returning To Work Can Aid People With Depression
04 Jun 2008
The modern workplace is often blamed for increased rates of depression and stress. New research published in the journal Occupational Medicine, shows that resuming work can actually aid recovery and help depressed employees. However, the Society of Occupational Medicine warned that employers need to be sensitive and consider a range of interventions including changing an employees tasks and reducing hours to help people when they return to work. Line managers also play a key role as an early return to work is aided by line managers keeping in touch at least once every two weeks.
The study followed more than 500 people who were unable to work with depression from a variety of industries over the course of a year. A return to employment significantly promoted recovery. Importantly, it was the approach and flexibility of their employers that proved vital.
The study echoes the findings of Dame Carol Black's Review 'Working for a healthier tomorrow' which recognized that for most people work is good both for their long-term health and for their family's well-being. The review found that ill health was costing the country 100 billion pounds a year -- 40 billion of which was related to mental health.
"Better access to occupational health services and psychological support are essential if employees with depression and anxiety are to get back to work quickly" said Dr Gordon Parker, President of the Society of Occupational Medicine. "'Employers are often frightened of contacting an employee whose sick note says 'depression' for fear of being accused of harassment, but sympathetic contact with the employee and early help through occupational health can identify the most appropriate support. Occupational health services are ideally placed to advise managers and employees on the best return to work plan and should be involved early in the management of the employee's absence".
In any one year about 1 in every 4 employees in the UK will have a mental health problem, and depression is one of the most common. It is not just distressing for the person involved. It makes them less productive at work and is responsible for high rates of sick-leave, accidents and staff turnover. Work often plays one of the largest roles in shaping people's identity and if employees are absent for some time due to anxiety or depression, this can add to feelings of a lack of self-worth. This study shows that going back to work is often one of the most important factors in speeding up a return to full health. It provides an opportunity to regain a sense of self-esteem and puts routine and stability back into people's lives.
A good occupational health team can help senior management develop programmes to educate line managers and the workforce about depression so that the problem is recognised, appropriate early intervention given and employees are helped to return to work. Occupational Health staff will know about the particular stresses and strains of the work environment and have experience of sensitive issues such as workplace confidentiality, job security and the timing of the return to part-time or full-time working. They are also well placed to work closely with family doctors or other specialist health services.
BT's 'Positive Mentality' programme is an example of how a company can be proactive in this area. Their innovative approach supports not only those who have mental health problems but also those staff who are ostensibly well. By encouraging and promoting small changes in lifestyle, significant improvements have been made in how staff cope with stress and the pressures of work and feel about their mental well-being.
Richard Craig, a 54 year old BT employee from Lancashire, suffered from depression that resulted in 6 months off work. On returning to work his hours were reduced for the first two weeks and then increased each week until he was back on full hours. His manager at the time was in contact with him each week either by phone or one to one. He believes that going back to work and the attitude of his employer was crucial to his recovery.
"Whilst I was ill my manager kept coming to see me and was really supportive. When it was time to go back to work my Occupational Health doctor organised a phased return so that I started back part time. " said Mr Craig "Going back to work gave me a structure and took my mind off things"
Depression and anxiety are now the most common reasons for people starting to claim long term sickness benefits. By investing in occupational health services, senior management teams can play a key role in helping people like Richard Craig return to work. This will improve the overall performance of the organisation and of individual employees and reduce the costs of sickness absence.
1. The Society of Occupational Medicine is the largest UK organisation for all doctors with an interest in Occupational medicine.
2. Occupational Health Doctors: - Help prevent work-related ill health- Advise on fitness for work- Advise on appropriate adjustments in the workplace to help people stay in work- Provide rehabilitation to help people return to work, and - Identify and advise on what people CAN do, so that alternative suitable work for people with health problems can be found- Promote healthy lifestyles and health in the workplace - Advise employers on appropriate policies to maintain a safe workplace.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Natural Way to Prevent Diabetes and Obesity
As we continue to hear the powers-that-be and the media wring their hands about the epidemic of obesity and related illnesses such as diabetes in this country, a new study has been released that offers hope for the use of a spice to fight such conditions.
We know that the only true and effective way to prevent or reverse obesity and diabetes is through lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise. Unfortunately, some in the main stream medical establishment would like to use the alarming incidence of these conditions as an excuse to prescribe pharmaceutical drugs or dangerous, unfounded surgeries to wipe them out. While this may improve the bottom line of Big Pharma and your local surgeon, it only worsens the health of fat, diabetic Americans.
Putting a bit of curry in your food every day will not reverse a lifetime of bad health and lifestyle choices, but it is one small piece of the puzzle that will help lead one towards wellness. Choosing a natural, whole-foods based diet and becoming consistently physically active are the steps that must be taken to reverse the atrocious health patterns of this country.
Turmeric Shows Promise in Combating Diabetes and Obesity
by Leslee Dru Browning
Turmeric, an Asian spice found in many curries, has a long history of use in reducing inflammation, healing wounds and relieving pain, but can it prevent diabetes? Since inflammation plays a big role in many diseases and is believed to be involved in the onset of both obesity and Type 2 diabetes, Drew Tortoriello, M.D., an endocrinologist and research scientist at the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center at Columbia University Medical Center, and his colleagues were curious what effect the herb might have on diabetic mice.
Dr. Tortoriello, working with pediatric resident Stuart Weisberg, M.D., Ph.D., and Rudolph Leibel, M.D., fellow endocrinologist and the co-director of the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center, discovered that turmeric-treated mice were less susceptible to developing Type 2 diabetes, based on their blood glucose levels, and glucose and insulin tolerance tests. They also discovered that turmeric-fed obese mice showed significantly reduced inflammation in fat tissue and the liver compared to controls. They speculate that curcumin, the anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant ingredient in turmeric, lessens insulin resistance and prevents Type 2 diabetes in these mouse models by dampening the inflammatory response provoked by obesity.
Their findings are the subject of a soon-to-be published paper in Endocrinology and were recently presented at ENDO 2008, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in San Francisco.
Turmeric (Curcuma longa) has no known dose-limiting toxicities in doses of up to at least 12 grams daily in humans. The researchers tested high-doses of a dietary curcumin in two distinct mouse models of obesity and Type 2 diabetes: high-fat-diet-fed male mice and leptin-deficient obese female mice, with lean wild-type mice that were fed low-fat diets used as controls.
The inflammation associated with obesity was shown several years ago by researchers in the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center to be due in part to the presence of immune cells called macrophages in fat tissues throughout the body. These cells produce "cytokine" molecules that can cause inflammation in organs such as the heart, and islets of the pancreas, while also increasing insulin resistance in muscle and the liver. Researchers hypothesized that by suppressing the number and activity of these cells, with turmeric or a drug with similar actions, it may be possible to reduce some of the adverse consequences of obesity.
Curcumin administration was also associated with a small but significant decline in body weight and fat content, despite level or higher calorie consumption, suggesting that curcumin beneficially influences body composition.
"It's too early to tell whether increasing dietary curcumin [through turmeric] intake in obese people with diabetes will show a similar benefit," Dr. Tortoriello said. "Although the daily intake of curcumin one might have to consume as a primary diabetes treatment is likely impractical, it is entirely possible that lower dosages of curcumin could nicely complement our traditional therapies as a natural and safe treatment."
For now, the conclusion that Dr. Tortoriello and his colleagues have reached is that turmeric -- and its active anti-oxidant ingredient, curcumin -- reverses many of the inflammatory and metabolic problems associated with obesity and improves blood-sugar control in mouse models of Type 2 diabetes.
In addition to exploring novel methods of curcumin administration to increase its absorption, they are also interested in identifying novel anti-inflammatory processes invoked by curcumin and in adapting those processes in the development of more potent curcumin analogues.
Funding for the study comes in part from the National Institutes of Health's Child Health and Human Development branch and the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center at Columbia University Medical Center.
http://www.naturalnews.com/024226.html
We know that the only true and effective way to prevent or reverse obesity and diabetes is through lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise. Unfortunately, some in the main stream medical establishment would like to use the alarming incidence of these conditions as an excuse to prescribe pharmaceutical drugs or dangerous, unfounded surgeries to wipe them out. While this may improve the bottom line of Big Pharma and your local surgeon, it only worsens the health of fat, diabetic Americans.
Putting a bit of curry in your food every day will not reverse a lifetime of bad health and lifestyle choices, but it is one small piece of the puzzle that will help lead one towards wellness. Choosing a natural, whole-foods based diet and becoming consistently physically active are the steps that must be taken to reverse the atrocious health patterns of this country.
Turmeric Shows Promise in Combating Diabetes and Obesity
by Leslee Dru Browning
Turmeric, an Asian spice found in many curries, has a long history of use in reducing inflammation, healing wounds and relieving pain, but can it prevent diabetes? Since inflammation plays a big role in many diseases and is believed to be involved in the onset of both obesity and Type 2 diabetes, Drew Tortoriello, M.D., an endocrinologist and research scientist at the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center at Columbia University Medical Center, and his colleagues were curious what effect the herb might have on diabetic mice.
Dr. Tortoriello, working with pediatric resident Stuart Weisberg, M.D., Ph.D., and Rudolph Leibel, M.D., fellow endocrinologist and the co-director of the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center, discovered that turmeric-treated mice were less susceptible to developing Type 2 diabetes, based on their blood glucose levels, and glucose and insulin tolerance tests. They also discovered that turmeric-fed obese mice showed significantly reduced inflammation in fat tissue and the liver compared to controls. They speculate that curcumin, the anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant ingredient in turmeric, lessens insulin resistance and prevents Type 2 diabetes in these mouse models by dampening the inflammatory response provoked by obesity.
Their findings are the subject of a soon-to-be published paper in Endocrinology and were recently presented at ENDO 2008, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in San Francisco.
Turmeric (Curcuma longa) has no known dose-limiting toxicities in doses of up to at least 12 grams daily in humans. The researchers tested high-doses of a dietary curcumin in two distinct mouse models of obesity and Type 2 diabetes: high-fat-diet-fed male mice and leptin-deficient obese female mice, with lean wild-type mice that were fed low-fat diets used as controls.
The inflammation associated with obesity was shown several years ago by researchers in the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center to be due in part to the presence of immune cells called macrophages in fat tissues throughout the body. These cells produce "cytokine" molecules that can cause inflammation in organs such as the heart, and islets of the pancreas, while also increasing insulin resistance in muscle and the liver. Researchers hypothesized that by suppressing the number and activity of these cells, with turmeric or a drug with similar actions, it may be possible to reduce some of the adverse consequences of obesity.
Curcumin administration was also associated with a small but significant decline in body weight and fat content, despite level or higher calorie consumption, suggesting that curcumin beneficially influences body composition.
"It's too early to tell whether increasing dietary curcumin [through turmeric] intake in obese people with diabetes will show a similar benefit," Dr. Tortoriello said. "Although the daily intake of curcumin one might have to consume as a primary diabetes treatment is likely impractical, it is entirely possible that lower dosages of curcumin could nicely complement our traditional therapies as a natural and safe treatment."
For now, the conclusion that Dr. Tortoriello and his colleagues have reached is that turmeric -- and its active anti-oxidant ingredient, curcumin -- reverses many of the inflammatory and metabolic problems associated with obesity and improves blood-sugar control in mouse models of Type 2 diabetes.
In addition to exploring novel methods of curcumin administration to increase its absorption, they are also interested in identifying novel anti-inflammatory processes invoked by curcumin and in adapting those processes in the development of more potent curcumin analogues.
Funding for the study comes in part from the National Institutes of Health's Child Health and Human Development branch and the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center at Columbia University Medical Center.
http://www.naturalnews.com/024226.html
Monday, September 22, 2008
Can Odors Affect Our Dreams?
In the realm of health and wellness, one of the most fascinating topics is that of sleep. There is so much yet to be discovered regarding the role of sleep and dreaming to our physical, mental, and emotional states, but we do know that the both the quality and quantity of sleep we get can have a signifcant impact on our health. The article below caught my interest because it discusses how smells can either positively or negatively influence the type of dreams we may have.
In this day and age of the go-go, 24-hour society that most of us live in, sleep deprivation is a big problem. Studies have shown that poor sleep patterns can increase risk for many health problems. A lack of quality sleep can suppress the immune system, and has been linked to a greater incidence of debilitating diseases such as cancer and others.
It is known that the best sleep is derived when the bedroom is completely dark and as quiet as possible. Today's article touches on the sense of smell, and raises some interesting issues. Aromotherapy is a field that has opened up our understanding as to how smells can be used by the body to help keep us well. Now it appears that odors can also affect us while we sleep and trigger emotional responses that are related to the quality of our dreams. I look forward to learning more about the effects of our amazing sense of smell and its link to sleep as more research comes out.
Sweet smells foster sweet dreams
Sleep with flowers in your bedroom if you want sweet dreams, work suggests.
When the smell of roses had been wafted under the noses of slumbering volunteers they reported experiencing pleasant emotions in their dreams.
An odour of rotten eggs had the opposite effect on the 15 sleeping women, the German scientists found.
They told a Chicago meeting of the American Academy of Otolaryngology that they now plan to study people who suffer from nightmares.
Sweet dreams
It is possible that exposure to smells might help make their dreams more pleasant, believe Professor Boris Stuck and his team from the University Hospital Mannheim.
They waited until their subjects had entered the REM phase of sleep, the stage at which most dreams occur, and then exposed them to a high dose of smelly air for 10 seconds before waking them up one minute later.
The volunteers were then quizzed about the content of their dreams and asked how it made them feel.
The sleeping women hardly ever dreamed of smelling something. Nevertheless, the emotional tone of the dream did change depending on the stimulation.
Previous research has shown that other types of stimulation, such as sound, pressure or vibration, can influence the content and the emotional tone of dreams.
Dr Irshaad Ebrahim of The London Sleep Centre said: "The relationship between external stimuli and dreaming is something we are all at some level aware of.
"This initial research is a step in the direction towards clarifying these questions and may well lead to therapeutic benefits."
Professor Tim Jacob, an expert in smell and taste at Cardiff University, said: "Smell is the only sense that doesn't 'sleep'. Information continues to reach the limbic system of the brain and that includes the hippocampus, or memory area and the amygdala, that is involved with emotional response.
"Other senses have to pass through the 'gate' of the thalamus, which is closed when we sleep."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7628744.stm
In this day and age of the go-go, 24-hour society that most of us live in, sleep deprivation is a big problem. Studies have shown that poor sleep patterns can increase risk for many health problems. A lack of quality sleep can suppress the immune system, and has been linked to a greater incidence of debilitating diseases such as cancer and others.
It is known that the best sleep is derived when the bedroom is completely dark and as quiet as possible. Today's article touches on the sense of smell, and raises some interesting issues. Aromotherapy is a field that has opened up our understanding as to how smells can be used by the body to help keep us well. Now it appears that odors can also affect us while we sleep and trigger emotional responses that are related to the quality of our dreams. I look forward to learning more about the effects of our amazing sense of smell and its link to sleep as more research comes out.
Sweet smells foster sweet dreams
Sleep with flowers in your bedroom if you want sweet dreams, work suggests.
When the smell of roses had been wafted under the noses of slumbering volunteers they reported experiencing pleasant emotions in their dreams.
An odour of rotten eggs had the opposite effect on the 15 sleeping women, the German scientists found.
They told a Chicago meeting of the American Academy of Otolaryngology that they now plan to study people who suffer from nightmares.
Sweet dreams
It is possible that exposure to smells might help make their dreams more pleasant, believe Professor Boris Stuck and his team from the University Hospital Mannheim.
They waited until their subjects had entered the REM phase of sleep, the stage at which most dreams occur, and then exposed them to a high dose of smelly air for 10 seconds before waking them up one minute later.
The volunteers were then quizzed about the content of their dreams and asked how it made them feel.
The sleeping women hardly ever dreamed of smelling something. Nevertheless, the emotional tone of the dream did change depending on the stimulation.
Previous research has shown that other types of stimulation, such as sound, pressure or vibration, can influence the content and the emotional tone of dreams.
Dr Irshaad Ebrahim of The London Sleep Centre said: "The relationship between external stimuli and dreaming is something we are all at some level aware of.
"This initial research is a step in the direction towards clarifying these questions and may well lead to therapeutic benefits."
Professor Tim Jacob, an expert in smell and taste at Cardiff University, said: "Smell is the only sense that doesn't 'sleep'. Information continues to reach the limbic system of the brain and that includes the hippocampus, or memory area and the amygdala, that is involved with emotional response.
"Other senses have to pass through the 'gate' of the thalamus, which is closed when we sleep."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7628744.stm
Friday, September 19, 2008
Dietary Changes Prevent Disease
As we are so fond of saying on this blog, lifestyle is everything when it comes to health and wellness. There have been many studies that have lauded the benefits of the Mediterranean diet, and the latest research discussed in the article below presents us with more good news.
Eating well is a two-sided coin. First we must choose to consume whole foods that are pure and free from hazardous chemicals and additives. The type of diet highlighted below is heavy on whole grains, olive oil, and plenty of fresh fruits and veggies.
The second part of the equation involves what we don't eat -- foods that are high in fats, sugar, sodium, and other harmful ingredients. We truly are what we eat, and it is impossible to stay or get well if we do not supply our bodies with nutritious foods that will build us up instead of tearing us down. Eating a healthy diet can be one of the great pleasures of life, providing the satisfaction that comes from knowing we are treating our bodies well and allowing us to enjoy many tasty foods that are good and good for us as well!
Mediterranean diet helps ward off strokes, cancer: study
by Marlowe Hood
Thu Sep 11, 7:09 PM ET
The so-called Mediterranean diet cuts the risk of heart disease, cancer and neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's, according to research released Friday.
Piecemeal evidence over the last three decades has shown that a diet rich in grains, fruit, vegetables and olive oil but stingy on meat and dairy -- washed down with a modest daily dose of wine -- promotes health.
But a meta-study published in the British Medical Journal is the first to sift through all this data in an attempt to quantify the overall benefits.
"Our findings support a simple recommendation: eat in a more Mediterranean way because it reduces the incidence of chronic disease," the lead researcher, Francesco Sofi of the University of Florence, told AFP by phone.
Pouring over a dozen scientific surveys conducted since 1966 and involving more than 1.5 million people, Sofi and a team of researchers in Italy created a scale of one to nine corresponding to different food groups.
Someone who consumed all the healthiest foodstuffs and largely avoided the harmful ones -- a theoretically-perfect Mediterranean diet -- would score a perfect nine, he explained.
The study found that a bump of two points anywhere in the scale -- moving, say, from zero to two, or from six to eight -- corresponded to a "significant reduction in overall mortality," Sofi said.
When broken down by disease, such a shift in dietary habits lowered the risk of death from cardiovascular disease by nine percent and from cancer by six percent.
The study also evaluated a recent set of findings on the impact of diet on neurodegenerative disease, and concluded that going Mediterranean decreased the incidence of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's by 13 percent.
These results are "clinically relevant for public health," and suggest that getting one's daily calorie intake from these food groups could play an important role in preventing major chronic diseases, Sofi said.
Despite growing evidence of its benefits, some specialists up to now have been reluctant to fully endorse the Mediterranean way.
"We need more studies to find out whether the diet itself or other lifestyle factors account for the lower deaths from heart disease," the American Heart Association says on its website.
Ironically, most of the more than dozen countries ringing the Mediterranean Sea are slowly abandoning their traditional foods in favour of more meat, saturated fats and processed foods, according to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
"The European diet has become too fat, too salty and too sweet," Josef Schmidhuber, an economist at the FAO, said earlier this month in a statement. The traditional balance of foods found in southern Europe and Northern Africa "is declining into a moribund state," he said.
Historically, more than half the fat calories in a Mediterranean diet come from monounsaturated fats -- mainly olive oil -- that do not raise blood cholesterol levels the way saturated fats do.
Sofi hopes that his scoring system might help people improve their eating habits.
"Adherence to the score could be a good way to measure the quality of a diet," she said.
He is currently doing more research on what the optimum quantity of each food group would be for a balanced diet.
"Then we would be in a position to recommend eating a specific amount of, say, fish or fruits," he said.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080911/hl_afp/healthdiseaseheartcanceralzheimersdiet&printer=1;_ylt=AlSdpc1bXpbxSoucuNzr.ZuKOrgF
Eating well is a two-sided coin. First we must choose to consume whole foods that are pure and free from hazardous chemicals and additives. The type of diet highlighted below is heavy on whole grains, olive oil, and plenty of fresh fruits and veggies.
The second part of the equation involves what we don't eat -- foods that are high in fats, sugar, sodium, and other harmful ingredients. We truly are what we eat, and it is impossible to stay or get well if we do not supply our bodies with nutritious foods that will build us up instead of tearing us down. Eating a healthy diet can be one of the great pleasures of life, providing the satisfaction that comes from knowing we are treating our bodies well and allowing us to enjoy many tasty foods that are good and good for us as well!
Mediterranean diet helps ward off strokes, cancer: study
by Marlowe Hood
Thu Sep 11, 7:09 PM ET
The so-called Mediterranean diet cuts the risk of heart disease, cancer and neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's, according to research released Friday.
Piecemeal evidence over the last three decades has shown that a diet rich in grains, fruit, vegetables and olive oil but stingy on meat and dairy -- washed down with a modest daily dose of wine -- promotes health.
But a meta-study published in the British Medical Journal is the first to sift through all this data in an attempt to quantify the overall benefits.
"Our findings support a simple recommendation: eat in a more Mediterranean way because it reduces the incidence of chronic disease," the lead researcher, Francesco Sofi of the University of Florence, told AFP by phone.
Pouring over a dozen scientific surveys conducted since 1966 and involving more than 1.5 million people, Sofi and a team of researchers in Italy created a scale of one to nine corresponding to different food groups.
Someone who consumed all the healthiest foodstuffs and largely avoided the harmful ones -- a theoretically-perfect Mediterranean diet -- would score a perfect nine, he explained.
The study found that a bump of two points anywhere in the scale -- moving, say, from zero to two, or from six to eight -- corresponded to a "significant reduction in overall mortality," Sofi said.
When broken down by disease, such a shift in dietary habits lowered the risk of death from cardiovascular disease by nine percent and from cancer by six percent.
The study also evaluated a recent set of findings on the impact of diet on neurodegenerative disease, and concluded that going Mediterranean decreased the incidence of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's by 13 percent.
These results are "clinically relevant for public health," and suggest that getting one's daily calorie intake from these food groups could play an important role in preventing major chronic diseases, Sofi said.
Despite growing evidence of its benefits, some specialists up to now have been reluctant to fully endorse the Mediterranean way.
"We need more studies to find out whether the diet itself or other lifestyle factors account for the lower deaths from heart disease," the American Heart Association says on its website.
Ironically, most of the more than dozen countries ringing the Mediterranean Sea are slowly abandoning their traditional foods in favour of more meat, saturated fats and processed foods, according to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
"The European diet has become too fat, too salty and too sweet," Josef Schmidhuber, an economist at the FAO, said earlier this month in a statement. The traditional balance of foods found in southern Europe and Northern Africa "is declining into a moribund state," he said.
Historically, more than half the fat calories in a Mediterranean diet come from monounsaturated fats -- mainly olive oil -- that do not raise blood cholesterol levels the way saturated fats do.
Sofi hopes that his scoring system might help people improve their eating habits.
"Adherence to the score could be a good way to measure the quality of a diet," she said.
He is currently doing more research on what the optimum quantity of each food group would be for a balanced diet.
"Then we would be in a position to recommend eating a specific amount of, say, fish or fruits," he said.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080911/hl_afp/healthdiseaseheartcanceralzheimersdiet&printer=1;_ylt=AlSdpc1bXpbxSoucuNzr.ZuKOrgF
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Drugs Pollute Drinking Water: Will Big Pharma be Held Accountable?
Communities all over America are taking another look at the rising tendency for pharmaceutical pollutants to be lingering in their public drinking water. Recent studies have sounded the alarm, and now new research is indicating the problem is worse than originally thought.
This issue raises several key questions. First, how will authorities deal with these toxins? The first line, which we are already hearing, is that levels of these drugs are too low to have any negative effects, which is simply denial of reality. There is not enough known at this point to dismiss the consequences of these drugs. Secondly, will this problem open the door for justifying more chemical additives in public drinking water to combat these toxins? What these additives would be, I have no idea. However, I never underestimate the industrial-chemical-governmental complex.
The big question here is this: If pharmaceutical companies manufacture and distribute these hazardous chemicals, should they not be responsible for cleaning them up? If an industrial chemical is found to have polluted a community, the company who makes it is liable for clean up. With the mass sales of drugs causing their products to show up in drinking water, I see no reason why pharmaceutical firms should not be held to the same standard. If such action will ever occur remains to be seen, but it seems to me that Big Pharma has a legal, moral, and ethical responsibility to be accountable for this issue.
AP Enterprise: Drugs affect more drinking water
By MARTHA MENDOZA, AP National Writer
Fri Sep 12, 4:26 AM ET
Testing prompted by an Associated Press story that revealed trace amounts of pharmaceuticals in drinking water supplies has shown that more Americans are affected by the problem than previously thought -- at least 46 million.
That's up from 41 million people reported by the AP in March as part of an investigation into the presence of pharmaceuticals in the nation's waterways.
The AP stories prompted federal and local legislative hearings, brought about calls for mandatory testing and disclosure, and led officials in at least 27 additional metropolitan areas to analyze their drinking water. Positive tests were reported in 17 cases, including Reno, Nev., Savannah, Ga., Colorado Springs, Colo., and Huntsville, Ala. Results are pending in three others.
The test results, added to data from communities and water utilities that bowed to pressure to disclose earlier test results, produce the new total of Americans known to be exposed to drug-contaminated drinking water supplies.
The overwhelming majority of U.S. cities have not tested drinking water while eight cities -- including Boston, Phoenix and Seattle -- were relieved that tests showed no detections.
"We didn't think we'd find anything because our water comes from a pristine source, but after the AP stories we wanted to make sure and reassure our customers," said Andy Ryan, spokesman for Seattle Public Utilities.
The substances detected in the latest tests mirrored those cited in the earlier AP report.
Chicago, for example, found a cholesterol medication and a nicotine derivative. Many cities found the anti-convulsant carbamazepine. Officials in one of those communities, Colorado Springs, say they detected five pharmaceuticals in all, including a tranquilizer and a hormone.
"This is obviously an emerging issue and after the AP stories came out we felt it was the responsible thing for us to do, as a utility, to find out where we stand. We believe that at these levels, based on current science, that the water is completely safe for our customers," said Colorado Springs spokesman Steve Berry. "We don't want to create unnecessary alarm, but at the same time we have a responsibility as a municipal utility to communicate with our customers and let them know."
Fargo's water director, Bruce Grubb, said the concentrations of three drugs detected there were so incredibly minute -- parts per trillion -- that he sent them to the local health officer to figure out how to interpret the information for the community.
"We plan to put this into some kind of context other than just scientific nomenclature, so folks can get some level of understanding about what it means," said Grubb.
The drug residues detected in water supplies are generally flushed into sewers and waterways through human excretion. Many of the pharmaceuticals are known to slip through sewage and drinking water treatment plants.
While the comprehensive risks are still unclear, researchers are finding evidence that even extremely diluted concentrations of pharmaceutical residues harm fish, frogs and other aquatic species in the wild and impair the workings of human cells in the laboratory.
And while the new survey expands the known extent of the problem, the overwhelming majority of U.S. communities have yet to test, including the single largest water provider in the country, New York City's Department of Environmental Protection, which delivers water to 9 million people.
In April, New York City council members insisted during an emergency hearing that their drinking water be tested. But DEP officials subsequently declared that "the testing of finished tap water is not warranted at this time."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080912/ap_on_re_us/pharmawater_testing_update&printer=1;_ylt=Al9J2z._PoC5PBaQW1mO05pH2ocA
This issue raises several key questions. First, how will authorities deal with these toxins? The first line, which we are already hearing, is that levels of these drugs are too low to have any negative effects, which is simply denial of reality. There is not enough known at this point to dismiss the consequences of these drugs. Secondly, will this problem open the door for justifying more chemical additives in public drinking water to combat these toxins? What these additives would be, I have no idea. However, I never underestimate the industrial-chemical-governmental complex.
The big question here is this: If pharmaceutical companies manufacture and distribute these hazardous chemicals, should they not be responsible for cleaning them up? If an industrial chemical is found to have polluted a community, the company who makes it is liable for clean up. With the mass sales of drugs causing their products to show up in drinking water, I see no reason why pharmaceutical firms should not be held to the same standard. If such action will ever occur remains to be seen, but it seems to me that Big Pharma has a legal, moral, and ethical responsibility to be accountable for this issue.
AP Enterprise: Drugs affect more drinking water
By MARTHA MENDOZA, AP National Writer
Fri Sep 12, 4:26 AM ET
Testing prompted by an Associated Press story that revealed trace amounts of pharmaceuticals in drinking water supplies has shown that more Americans are affected by the problem than previously thought -- at least 46 million.
That's up from 41 million people reported by the AP in March as part of an investigation into the presence of pharmaceuticals in the nation's waterways.
The AP stories prompted federal and local legislative hearings, brought about calls for mandatory testing and disclosure, and led officials in at least 27 additional metropolitan areas to analyze their drinking water. Positive tests were reported in 17 cases, including Reno, Nev., Savannah, Ga., Colorado Springs, Colo., and Huntsville, Ala. Results are pending in three others.
The test results, added to data from communities and water utilities that bowed to pressure to disclose earlier test results, produce the new total of Americans known to be exposed to drug-contaminated drinking water supplies.
The overwhelming majority of U.S. cities have not tested drinking water while eight cities -- including Boston, Phoenix and Seattle -- were relieved that tests showed no detections.
"We didn't think we'd find anything because our water comes from a pristine source, but after the AP stories we wanted to make sure and reassure our customers," said Andy Ryan, spokesman for Seattle Public Utilities.
The substances detected in the latest tests mirrored those cited in the earlier AP report.
Chicago, for example, found a cholesterol medication and a nicotine derivative. Many cities found the anti-convulsant carbamazepine. Officials in one of those communities, Colorado Springs, say they detected five pharmaceuticals in all, including a tranquilizer and a hormone.
"This is obviously an emerging issue and after the AP stories came out we felt it was the responsible thing for us to do, as a utility, to find out where we stand. We believe that at these levels, based on current science, that the water is completely safe for our customers," said Colorado Springs spokesman Steve Berry. "We don't want to create unnecessary alarm, but at the same time we have a responsibility as a municipal utility to communicate with our customers and let them know."
Fargo's water director, Bruce Grubb, said the concentrations of three drugs detected there were so incredibly minute -- parts per trillion -- that he sent them to the local health officer to figure out how to interpret the information for the community.
"We plan to put this into some kind of context other than just scientific nomenclature, so folks can get some level of understanding about what it means," said Grubb.
The drug residues detected in water supplies are generally flushed into sewers and waterways through human excretion. Many of the pharmaceuticals are known to slip through sewage and drinking water treatment plants.
While the comprehensive risks are still unclear, researchers are finding evidence that even extremely diluted concentrations of pharmaceutical residues harm fish, frogs and other aquatic species in the wild and impair the workings of human cells in the laboratory.
And while the new survey expands the known extent of the problem, the overwhelming majority of U.S. communities have yet to test, including the single largest water provider in the country, New York City's Department of Environmental Protection, which delivers water to 9 million people.
In April, New York City council members insisted during an emergency hearing that their drinking water be tested. But DEP officials subsequently declared that "the testing of finished tap water is not warranted at this time."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080912/ap_on_re_us/pharmawater_testing_update&printer=1;_ylt=Al9J2z._PoC5PBaQW1mO05pH2ocA
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Dietary Sleep Aides
Getting enough quality sleep is one of the key lifestyle choices that lead us towards wellness and away from disease. Good sleep can also make a dramatic difference in the quality of our lives, giving us more energy both physically and mentally. Unfortunately, a lack of sleep is a huge problem in our 24 hour fast-paced society.
What we eat (and don't eat) can greatly impact both the quality and quantity of our sleep. Most of us are aware that we should stay away from stimulants such as coffee or tea, especially before bed. But what about some foods that may help us to sleep well? The article below highlights several items that can improve our sleep if we include them in our diet. Choosing natural means of regulating sleep is by far the best way to go, much preferable to any of the many artificial sleep aides available at the local drug store.
Seven Foods for a Good Night's Sleep
by Sheryl Walters
(NaturalNews) Sleep is essential for our health and wellbeing. It allows our body to rejuvenate and restore itself. Sleep deprivation is one of the biggest causes of aging. Tiredness can also affect your mood and how you feel. Chronic tiredness can increase your risk of depression and anxiety. It can also affect the way that you respond and react to the people around you.
It can also affect your cognitive ability and your ability to use your brain. This can cause you to be less constructive and creative. It can also decrease your ability to think quickly which may impair your ability to drive or do daily tasks.
There is no set amount of time that everyone needs to sleep, since it varies from person to person. Studies indicate that people are generally most effective when they sleep an average of 7 hours, but people can find anywhere between 5 and 7 hours okay for them.
Insomnia can be caused by deficiencies in certain nutrients. The foods that we eat can help us to gain those nutrients and help us sleep. These 7 super foods can help us get a good night's sleep at last so that we can feel refreshed and energized in our daily life.
Bananas
Bananas are a delicious sleepy time fruit. They balance melatonin and serotonin levels, which are the neurotransmitters necessary for deep sleep. They also contain magnesium, which is a muscle relaxant.
Chamomile tea
Chamomile is a mild sedative that calms and relaxes, making it the perfect natural antidote for restless minds and bodies.
Honey
While sugar is stimulating, honey helps the brain to turn off because it contains orexin, a recently discovered neurotransmitter that's linked to alertness.
Potatoes
Potatoes contain tryptophan, which will ensure you get your ZZZZZZZZs.
Oatmeal
Oats are a rich source of sleep inducing melatonin
Almonds
A handful of my favorite food can help one relax and unwind because they contain the snooze helping nutrients tryptophan and magnesium.
Flaxseeds
Flaxseeds are a rich source omega-3 fatty acids, which make them a natural mood lifter. They are one of the 7 super foods for a good night's rest.
http://www.naturalnews.com/z024141.html
What we eat (and don't eat) can greatly impact both the quality and quantity of our sleep. Most of us are aware that we should stay away from stimulants such as coffee or tea, especially before bed. But what about some foods that may help us to sleep well? The article below highlights several items that can improve our sleep if we include them in our diet. Choosing natural means of regulating sleep is by far the best way to go, much preferable to any of the many artificial sleep aides available at the local drug store.
Seven Foods for a Good Night's Sleep
by Sheryl Walters
(NaturalNews) Sleep is essential for our health and wellbeing. It allows our body to rejuvenate and restore itself. Sleep deprivation is one of the biggest causes of aging. Tiredness can also affect your mood and how you feel. Chronic tiredness can increase your risk of depression and anxiety. It can also affect the way that you respond and react to the people around you.
It can also affect your cognitive ability and your ability to use your brain. This can cause you to be less constructive and creative. It can also decrease your ability to think quickly which may impair your ability to drive or do daily tasks.
There is no set amount of time that everyone needs to sleep, since it varies from person to person. Studies indicate that people are generally most effective when they sleep an average of 7 hours, but people can find anywhere between 5 and 7 hours okay for them.
Insomnia can be caused by deficiencies in certain nutrients. The foods that we eat can help us to gain those nutrients and help us sleep. These 7 super foods can help us get a good night's sleep at last so that we can feel refreshed and energized in our daily life.
Bananas
Bananas are a delicious sleepy time fruit. They balance melatonin and serotonin levels, which are the neurotransmitters necessary for deep sleep. They also contain magnesium, which is a muscle relaxant.
Chamomile tea
Chamomile is a mild sedative that calms and relaxes, making it the perfect natural antidote for restless minds and bodies.
Honey
While sugar is stimulating, honey helps the brain to turn off because it contains orexin, a recently discovered neurotransmitter that's linked to alertness.
Potatoes
Potatoes contain tryptophan, which will ensure you get your ZZZZZZZZs.
Oatmeal
Oats are a rich source of sleep inducing melatonin
Almonds
A handful of my favorite food can help one relax and unwind because they contain the snooze helping nutrients tryptophan and magnesium.
Flaxseeds
Flaxseeds are a rich source omega-3 fatty acids, which make them a natural mood lifter. They are one of the 7 super foods for a good night's rest.
http://www.naturalnews.com/z024141.html
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Do You Know What's in Your Drinking Water?
Last week we took a look at water pollution in the form of fluoride that is purposely added to many public drinking water systems. Today's article discusses another type of chemical hazard in drinking water that is a by-product of rocket fuel and other industrial operations.
This case happens to be in Massachusetts, but it could occur anywhere, as no place -- rural or urban -- is safe from toxins in this day in age. The importance of pure water to our health cannot be overstated, and it is becoming increasingly more difficult to find. Whether pollutants are intentional or accidental, a high quality home water filtration system is a critical part of a total wellness plan to keep you and your family healthy and happy.
Warnings issued in 2 towns about perchlorate in water
By Padraig Shea
Globe Correspondent / August 31, 2008
The North Shore town of Hamilton has warned residents that their water may be tainted with a potentially hazardous chemical. And Millbury, in central Massachusetts, meanwhile, has shut down one of its wells after detecting unsafe amounts of the chemical.
John Tomasz, director of public works in Hamilton, said tests taken this month had found perchlorate in two locations. Tomasz warned that pregnant women, nursing mothers, children, and people with thyroid problems should not drink tap water. He also said residents should also discard any beverage or ice prepared with tap water in recent days.
In Millbury, the Millbury Avenue well was shut down on Thursday, according to a statement from Aquarion Water Co., which operates the well. Citing similar safety concerns as in Hamilton, the company also advised Millbury residents to discard ice and beverages prepared before Friday.
The Hamilton samples taken Aug. 13 at the School Street well and at the Idlewood water treatment plant contained as much as 22 times the state limit of 2 parts per billion. New samples taken Thursday and Friday returned clean, Tomasz said. But the no-drink order for children and pregnant and nursing women will be lifted only after six consecutive days of clean samples.
"We're taking samples every day until Tuesday just to confirm that the water supply on an ongoing basis is OK," he said.
Tomasz said warnings about the water had been sent to 3,200 households, most of which use the tap for water.
In Millbury, readings of perchlorate from Aug. 20 were 10.2 ppb, five times the state limit, according to Aquarion's statement.
The company has since received one safe sample from the well, said Town Manager Bob Spain, but will wait until Tuesday at earliest to reopen the Millbury Avenue well. In the meantime, residents will get their water from the Jacques well and from Worcester. He estimated 1,800 households, almost three-quarters of the town's homes, were serviced by the closed well.
A perchlorate contamination was discovered at the Jacques well in 2005, and a purification system was installed, Spain said.
Joe Ferson, a spokesman for the state Department of Environmental Protection, said the high readings of perchlorate are being scrutinized. "They suspect it might be part of the process" of testing, he said.
Perchlorate is used in explosives and rocket fuel. Exposure to the chemical can cause, among other things, impairment in physical development, behavior, movement, speech, hearing, vision, and intelligence, according to DEP.
While Massachusetts has set safety standards for perchlorate, the US Environmental Protection Agency has not ruled on what level of perchlorate is safe. It has set a nonbinding safety standard at 24.5 parts per billion.
The state issued its perchlorate regulation, the toughest in the country, in 2006 after high levels were detected in a Bourne aquifer.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/08/31/warnings_issued_in_2_towns_about_perchlorate_in_water?mode=PF
This case happens to be in Massachusetts, but it could occur anywhere, as no place -- rural or urban -- is safe from toxins in this day in age. The importance of pure water to our health cannot be overstated, and it is becoming increasingly more difficult to find. Whether pollutants are intentional or accidental, a high quality home water filtration system is a critical part of a total wellness plan to keep you and your family healthy and happy.
Warnings issued in 2 towns about perchlorate in water
By Padraig Shea
Globe Correspondent / August 31, 2008
The North Shore town of Hamilton has warned residents that their water may be tainted with a potentially hazardous chemical. And Millbury, in central Massachusetts, meanwhile, has shut down one of its wells after detecting unsafe amounts of the chemical.
John Tomasz, director of public works in Hamilton, said tests taken this month had found perchlorate in two locations. Tomasz warned that pregnant women, nursing mothers, children, and people with thyroid problems should not drink tap water. He also said residents should also discard any beverage or ice prepared with tap water in recent days.
In Millbury, the Millbury Avenue well was shut down on Thursday, according to a statement from Aquarion Water Co., which operates the well. Citing similar safety concerns as in Hamilton, the company also advised Millbury residents to discard ice and beverages prepared before Friday.
The Hamilton samples taken Aug. 13 at the School Street well and at the Idlewood water treatment plant contained as much as 22 times the state limit of 2 parts per billion. New samples taken Thursday and Friday returned clean, Tomasz said. But the no-drink order for children and pregnant and nursing women will be lifted only after six consecutive days of clean samples.
"We're taking samples every day until Tuesday just to confirm that the water supply on an ongoing basis is OK," he said.
Tomasz said warnings about the water had been sent to 3,200 households, most of which use the tap for water.
In Millbury, readings of perchlorate from Aug. 20 were 10.2 ppb, five times the state limit, according to Aquarion's statement.
The company has since received one safe sample from the well, said Town Manager Bob Spain, but will wait until Tuesday at earliest to reopen the Millbury Avenue well. In the meantime, residents will get their water from the Jacques well and from Worcester. He estimated 1,800 households, almost three-quarters of the town's homes, were serviced by the closed well.
A perchlorate contamination was discovered at the Jacques well in 2005, and a purification system was installed, Spain said.
Joe Ferson, a spokesman for the state Department of Environmental Protection, said the high readings of perchlorate are being scrutinized. "They suspect it might be part of the process" of testing, he said.
Perchlorate is used in explosives and rocket fuel. Exposure to the chemical can cause, among other things, impairment in physical development, behavior, movement, speech, hearing, vision, and intelligence, according to DEP.
While Massachusetts has set safety standards for perchlorate, the US Environmental Protection Agency has not ruled on what level of perchlorate is safe. It has set a nonbinding safety standard at 24.5 parts per billion.
The state issued its perchlorate regulation, the toughest in the country, in 2006 after high levels were detected in a Bourne aquifer.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/08/31/warnings_issued_in_2_towns_about_perchlorate_in_water?mode=PF
Monday, September 15, 2008
Walking Excellent Therapy for Strokes
More good press for exercise! Physical activity is one of the key lifestyle choices that can help to prevent disease, and a new study involving patients recovering from strokes reminds us again of the restorative properties of exercise.
Researchers found that a treadmill regimen helped stroke patients in two critical ways: Learning "how" to walk again (by re-wiring the brain) and improving vascular and brain health as well. It was also encouraging to see that many of the subjects who benefited from the treadmill had experienced strokes years earlier in some cases.
It is important to remember that no matter what your health situation is, making positive lifestyle like exercise and dietary changes is always beneficial. It is never too late to change the direction you are going and make a U-turn towards wellness.
Treadmill Workouts Help Stroke Survivors
Function improved even after conventional therapy, study found
Posted August 28, 2008
By Ed Edelson
HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, Aug. 28 (HealthDay News) -- Working out on a treadmill improves brain function and fitness for people who have survived a stroke and gone through the usual rehabilitation program, a new study found.
"You address two problems these patients have," said study researcher Dr. Andreas Luft, a professor of clinical neurology and neurorehabilitation at the University of Zurich in Switzerland. "One is that they don't know how to walk. Not walking, they become deconditioned and lose cardiovascular fitness. With the treadmill type of training, you improve walking and also increase fitness."
Luft worked with physicians at Johns Hopkins University, the University of Maryland and the Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Center on the study. It compared the brain and physical function of 37 people who had had strokes and worked on a treadmill three times a week, with 34 people who were given traditional stretching exercises.
After six months, peak walking velocity increased by 51 percent in the treadmill group and just 11 percent in the stretching group. Cardiovascular fitness increased by 18 percent with the treadmill routine, but decreased by 3 percent in the group limited to stretching.
And magnetic resonance imaging showed an increase of blood flow carrying more oxygen to the brainstem and cerebellum for those who worked on the treadmill.
"The most important clinical aspect of the study is that it is saying recovery can occur long after a stroke and can occur even after all the routine therapies have been tried," said Dr. Daniel Hanley, professor of neurology at Johns Hopkins. "Scientifically, the most important point appears to be that rewiring of the brain may be involved in this process, not just body conditioning."
The average age of study participants was 63, and the average time they began the treadmill program was 50 months after the stroke, Hanley noted.
"The average stroke patient now has about eight physical therapy sessions over six to 12 weeks," Hanley said.
The study, published in the Aug. 29 issue of the journal Stroke, shows that treadmill work "should be part of standard treatment for every stroke survivor who has a walking habit," Luft said.
That may not be an easily achievable goal, Luft acknowledged. "Most physical therapy departments have treadmills, but they don't use them to the extent that we used them in the study," he said.
And stroke survivors can't just climb on a treadmill and start walking, Luft said. "Because this is exhausting, it should always be done under supervision," he said. "There is always the risk of running into heart problems and falling. We used special treadmills with handrails and also monitored the heart rate to achieve the level of exertion we needed."
Nevertheless, Hanley said, "the study defies current practice."
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2008/08/28/treadmill-workouts-help-stroke-survivors_print.htm
Researchers found that a treadmill regimen helped stroke patients in two critical ways: Learning "how" to walk again (by re-wiring the brain) and improving vascular and brain health as well. It was also encouraging to see that many of the subjects who benefited from the treadmill had experienced strokes years earlier in some cases.
It is important to remember that no matter what your health situation is, making positive lifestyle like exercise and dietary changes is always beneficial. It is never too late to change the direction you are going and make a U-turn towards wellness.
Treadmill Workouts Help Stroke Survivors
Function improved even after conventional therapy, study found
Posted August 28, 2008
By Ed Edelson
HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, Aug. 28 (HealthDay News) -- Working out on a treadmill improves brain function and fitness for people who have survived a stroke and gone through the usual rehabilitation program, a new study found.
"You address two problems these patients have," said study researcher Dr. Andreas Luft, a professor of clinical neurology and neurorehabilitation at the University of Zurich in Switzerland. "One is that they don't know how to walk. Not walking, they become deconditioned and lose cardiovascular fitness. With the treadmill type of training, you improve walking and also increase fitness."
Luft worked with physicians at Johns Hopkins University, the University of Maryland and the Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Center on the study. It compared the brain and physical function of 37 people who had had strokes and worked on a treadmill three times a week, with 34 people who were given traditional stretching exercises.
After six months, peak walking velocity increased by 51 percent in the treadmill group and just 11 percent in the stretching group. Cardiovascular fitness increased by 18 percent with the treadmill routine, but decreased by 3 percent in the group limited to stretching.
And magnetic resonance imaging showed an increase of blood flow carrying more oxygen to the brainstem and cerebellum for those who worked on the treadmill.
"The most important clinical aspect of the study is that it is saying recovery can occur long after a stroke and can occur even after all the routine therapies have been tried," said Dr. Daniel Hanley, professor of neurology at Johns Hopkins. "Scientifically, the most important point appears to be that rewiring of the brain may be involved in this process, not just body conditioning."
The average age of study participants was 63, and the average time they began the treadmill program was 50 months after the stroke, Hanley noted.
"The average stroke patient now has about eight physical therapy sessions over six to 12 weeks," Hanley said.
The study, published in the Aug. 29 issue of the journal Stroke, shows that treadmill work "should be part of standard treatment for every stroke survivor who has a walking habit," Luft said.
That may not be an easily achievable goal, Luft acknowledged. "Most physical therapy departments have treadmills, but they don't use them to the extent that we used them in the study," he said.
And stroke survivors can't just climb on a treadmill and start walking, Luft said. "Because this is exhausting, it should always be done under supervision," he said. "There is always the risk of running into heart problems and falling. We used special treadmills with handrails and also monitored the heart rate to achieve the level of exertion we needed."
Nevertheless, Hanley said, "the study defies current practice."
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2008/08/28/treadmill-workouts-help-stroke-survivors_print.htm
Friday, September 12, 2008
Second-Hand Smoke Takes Another Hit
Maine is joining a handful of other states, territories, and foreign countries who have had the foresight to ban smoking in vehicles where children are present. Tobacco smoke is toxic under any conditions, but especially in small, enclosed areas such as in a car. It makes perfect sense. We don't allow parents to drink and drive, so why not make it illegal to endanger kids with smoke as well?
We need to protect individual freedoms and rights in this country, and sometimes this can be a fine line. However, when a person's "freedom" puts the health of others at risk, that is clearly crossing the line between rights and responsibilities. Sometimes it is government's job to step in and legislate when adults fail to act appropriately.
Maine's anti-smoking law for cars kicks in; 1st violators to get warnings
Aug 31, 2008
AUGUSTA, Maine -- On Monday, Maine joins other U.S. states and Canadian provinces that have made it illegal to smoke in a car while children are present.
But for the first year the law's in effect, violators will only get warnings.
A law passed by the state legislature earlier this year outlaws smoking in cars while youths under 16 are present.
It's modeled after a tougher ordinance in the city of Bangor, Maine.
California, Arkansas and Louisiana have passed similar laws, as have Puerto Rico and some Canadian provinces.
Other states have also looked at the proposal.
When he signed Maine's bill into law in April, Gov. John Baldacci hailed the legislation as a strike against secondhand smoke, saying that tobacco use costs too many lives and too much money.
The federal Environmental Protection Agency, which urges smoke-free homes and cars, says secondhand smoke increases the number of asthma attacks and severity of asthma symptoms as well as lower respiratory tract infections for children under 18 months of age.
Developing lungs of young children are severely affected by exposure to secondhand smoke, the EPA says. Children receiving high doses of secondhand smoke, such as those with smoking mothers, run the greatest risk of damaging health effects. The U.S. Surgeon General also warns of links between secondhand smoke exposure and cancer and heart disease.
While opponents of the Maine law raised concerns it would infringe on people's private liberties, its chief sponsor said he's seen firsthand the positive effect of such a law.
Representative Brian Duprey (R-Hampden) said he ordinarily would oppose legislation he sees as government interference in people's privacy.
But Duprey, who runs a child care business, said he was moved to act after seeing tots arrive at his facilities smelling of tobacco and often sick. After neighbouring Bangor became the state's first city to adopt an ordinance to outlaw smoking in cars with children, Duprey said, the kids smelled better and the rate of illnesses dropped sharply.
Maine's law authorizes police to hand out only warnings until Sept. 1, 2009, but after that violators can get $50 fines.
California's law, by comparison, authorizes fines of up to $100, while Ontario violators face $250 fines. British Columbia and Nova Scotia also passed similar laws. Some Australian states also ban smoking in cars where children are present.
http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5ibbWd7_szC6DGrJ9HrcQU_RKMWNw
We need to protect individual freedoms and rights in this country, and sometimes this can be a fine line. However, when a person's "freedom" puts the health of others at risk, that is clearly crossing the line between rights and responsibilities. Sometimes it is government's job to step in and legislate when adults fail to act appropriately.
Maine's anti-smoking law for cars kicks in; 1st violators to get warnings
Aug 31, 2008
AUGUSTA, Maine -- On Monday, Maine joins other U.S. states and Canadian provinces that have made it illegal to smoke in a car while children are present.
But for the first year the law's in effect, violators will only get warnings.
A law passed by the state legislature earlier this year outlaws smoking in cars while youths under 16 are present.
It's modeled after a tougher ordinance in the city of Bangor, Maine.
California, Arkansas and Louisiana have passed similar laws, as have Puerto Rico and some Canadian provinces.
Other states have also looked at the proposal.
When he signed Maine's bill into law in April, Gov. John Baldacci hailed the legislation as a strike against secondhand smoke, saying that tobacco use costs too many lives and too much money.
The federal Environmental Protection Agency, which urges smoke-free homes and cars, says secondhand smoke increases the number of asthma attacks and severity of asthma symptoms as well as lower respiratory tract infections for children under 18 months of age.
Developing lungs of young children are severely affected by exposure to secondhand smoke, the EPA says. Children receiving high doses of secondhand smoke, such as those with smoking mothers, run the greatest risk of damaging health effects. The U.S. Surgeon General also warns of links between secondhand smoke exposure and cancer and heart disease.
While opponents of the Maine law raised concerns it would infringe on people's private liberties, its chief sponsor said he's seen firsthand the positive effect of such a law.
Representative Brian Duprey (R-Hampden) said he ordinarily would oppose legislation he sees as government interference in people's privacy.
But Duprey, who runs a child care business, said he was moved to act after seeing tots arrive at his facilities smelling of tobacco and often sick. After neighbouring Bangor became the state's first city to adopt an ordinance to outlaw smoking in cars with children, Duprey said, the kids smelled better and the rate of illnesses dropped sharply.
Maine's law authorizes police to hand out only warnings until Sept. 1, 2009, but after that violators can get $50 fines.
California's law, by comparison, authorizes fines of up to $100, while Ontario violators face $250 fines. British Columbia and Nova Scotia also passed similar laws. Some Australian states also ban smoking in cars where children are present.
http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5ibbWd7_szC6DGrJ9HrcQU_RKMWNw
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Fish Oil Better Than Statins for Heart Failure Patients
An Italian study released last week compared the effectiveness of statin drugs vs. omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil on patients with a history of heart failure. The results indicate that the wholesale prescription of statins, some of the best selling drugs in the world, was of no benefit to cardiac patients in the study. However, those taking omega-3's experienced significantly less hospitalizations and fatalities.
Statin drugs are a scam. They work by blocking the formation of cholesterol, a necessary substance naturally produced by the body, but they do nothing to discourage inflammation in the arteries, which is the true cause of heart disease. Cardiac disease would not be at epidemic proportions in this country if measures were taken such as changes in diet and lifestyle instead of making Big Pharma wealthier by the mass prescription of statin drugs.
Fish Oil Supplements Help With Heart Failure
By Ed Edelson
HealthDay Reporter
Monday, September 1, 2008; 12:00 AM
SUNDAY, Aug. 31 (HealthDay News) -- Daily supplements of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids -- the kind found in fish oil -- reduced deaths and hospitalizations of people with heart failure, an Italian study found.
But a cholesterol-lowering statin drug had no beneficial effect in a parallel heart failure trial.
"This confirms what we've been seeing for a couple of decades in observational studies," Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, an associate professor of medicine and epidemiology at Harvard Medical School and the Harvard School of Public Health, said of the fish oil trial. "There is a benefit of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids for heart failure patients."
Both findings were published online Aug. 31 in the journal The Lancet and presented at a meeting of the European Society of Cardiology, in Munich, Germany.
The omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) study, done by a consortium of 357 Italian cardiology centers, enlisted more than 7,000 people diagnosed with heart failure, which is the progressive loss of the heart's ability to pump blood. Half took a daily capsule containing omega-3 PUFA, the other half took a capsule with a placebo. The death rate in the PUFA group was 27 percent, compared to 29 percent in the placebo group.
That reduction might not seem like much, but it impressed Mozaffarian, who has done his own PUFA studies.
"There are few treatments we have in medicine that affect total mortality in patients," he said. "Just a handful of treatments affect total mortality. Even a small move percentage-wise is a very important effect."
In absolute terms, the Italian researchers reported that 56 people with heart failure would have to take PUFA supplements for about four years to avoid one death. The supplements also reduced hospitalizations, with one less hospitalization or death for every 44 people taking the supplements for four years.
Similar results have been reported in two earlier trials, Mozaffarian said. But they did not have the strict conditions of the Italian study, which were placebo-controlled and "double-blind," meaning that neither the physicians nor the participants knew who was getting the active substance rather than the placebo.
"You always like to have a placebo-controlled trial," he said.
But the positive trial results don't mean that anyone with heart failure can start taking fish oil supplements on their own, said Dr. Gregg Fonarow, professor of cardiovascular medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, who wrote an editorial accompanying the journal report.
"They used a specific formulation, a prescription formulation," Fonarow said. "Heart failure is a very high-risk condition. It is absolutely critical for patients, whether it is a prescription medicine or modification of diet or a supplement, that they consult their physician."
The negative results of the statin trial were a surprise, Fonarow said. It included more than 4,500 people with heart failure, half of whom took the statin rosuvastatin (Crestor), while the other half took a placebo. The death rate was 29 percent in the statin group, 28 percent in the placebo group.
The result doesn't mean that a statin should not be prescribed for someone with heart failure and high cholesterol, Fonarow said. "There were no safety concerns," he said. "The drug was well tolerated. It indicates that heart failure, in and of itself, should not be reason to start a patient on a statin."
The study "doesn't shut the door" on the use of statins for heart failure, Mozaffarian said, "but it closes it partly. Maybe another statin would have a benefit. It definitely makes us question the benefit of statins in heart failure, but it doesn't close the door completely."
Another report in the same issue of the journal that was led by British cardiologists described a trial of the drug ivabradine, which reduces the heart rate, in people with coronary artery disease and an unusually fast heart rate. The drug reduced deaths and hospitalizations significantly, the researchers said.
More information
Learn more about heart failure and its treatment from the American Heart Association.
SOURCES: Dariush Mozaffarian, M.D., associate professor of medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Public Health, Boston; Gregg Fonarow, M.D., professor of cardiovascular medicine, University of California, Los Angeles; Aug. 31, 2008, European Society of Cardiology meeting, Munich, Germany; Aug. 31, 2008,The Lancet, online.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/31/AR2008083100444_pf.html
Statin drugs are a scam. They work by blocking the formation of cholesterol, a necessary substance naturally produced by the body, but they do nothing to discourage inflammation in the arteries, which is the true cause of heart disease. Cardiac disease would not be at epidemic proportions in this country if measures were taken such as changes in diet and lifestyle instead of making Big Pharma wealthier by the mass prescription of statin drugs.
Fish Oil Supplements Help With Heart Failure
By Ed Edelson
HealthDay Reporter
Monday, September 1, 2008; 12:00 AM
SUNDAY, Aug. 31 (HealthDay News) -- Daily supplements of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids -- the kind found in fish oil -- reduced deaths and hospitalizations of people with heart failure, an Italian study found.
But a cholesterol-lowering statin drug had no beneficial effect in a parallel heart failure trial.
"This confirms what we've been seeing for a couple of decades in observational studies," Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, an associate professor of medicine and epidemiology at Harvard Medical School and the Harvard School of Public Health, said of the fish oil trial. "There is a benefit of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids for heart failure patients."
Both findings were published online Aug. 31 in the journal The Lancet and presented at a meeting of the European Society of Cardiology, in Munich, Germany.
The omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) study, done by a consortium of 357 Italian cardiology centers, enlisted more than 7,000 people diagnosed with heart failure, which is the progressive loss of the heart's ability to pump blood. Half took a daily capsule containing omega-3 PUFA, the other half took a capsule with a placebo. The death rate in the PUFA group was 27 percent, compared to 29 percent in the placebo group.
That reduction might not seem like much, but it impressed Mozaffarian, who has done his own PUFA studies.
"There are few treatments we have in medicine that affect total mortality in patients," he said. "Just a handful of treatments affect total mortality. Even a small move percentage-wise is a very important effect."
In absolute terms, the Italian researchers reported that 56 people with heart failure would have to take PUFA supplements for about four years to avoid one death. The supplements also reduced hospitalizations, with one less hospitalization or death for every 44 people taking the supplements for four years.
Similar results have been reported in two earlier trials, Mozaffarian said. But they did not have the strict conditions of the Italian study, which were placebo-controlled and "double-blind," meaning that neither the physicians nor the participants knew who was getting the active substance rather than the placebo.
"You always like to have a placebo-controlled trial," he said.
But the positive trial results don't mean that anyone with heart failure can start taking fish oil supplements on their own, said Dr. Gregg Fonarow, professor of cardiovascular medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, who wrote an editorial accompanying the journal report.
"They used a specific formulation, a prescription formulation," Fonarow said. "Heart failure is a very high-risk condition. It is absolutely critical for patients, whether it is a prescription medicine or modification of diet or a supplement, that they consult their physician."
The negative results of the statin trial were a surprise, Fonarow said. It included more than 4,500 people with heart failure, half of whom took the statin rosuvastatin (Crestor), while the other half took a placebo. The death rate was 29 percent in the statin group, 28 percent in the placebo group.
The result doesn't mean that a statin should not be prescribed for someone with heart failure and high cholesterol, Fonarow said. "There were no safety concerns," he said. "The drug was well tolerated. It indicates that heart failure, in and of itself, should not be reason to start a patient on a statin."
The study "doesn't shut the door" on the use of statins for heart failure, Mozaffarian said, "but it closes it partly. Maybe another statin would have a benefit. It definitely makes us question the benefit of statins in heart failure, but it doesn't close the door completely."
Another report in the same issue of the journal that was led by British cardiologists described a trial of the drug ivabradine, which reduces the heart rate, in people with coronary artery disease and an unusually fast heart rate. The drug reduced deaths and hospitalizations significantly, the researchers said.
More information
Learn more about heart failure and its treatment from the American Heart Association.
SOURCES: Dariush Mozaffarian, M.D., associate professor of medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Public Health, Boston; Gregg Fonarow, M.D., professor of cardiovascular medicine, University of California, Los Angeles; Aug. 31, 2008, European Society of Cardiology meeting, Munich, Germany; Aug. 31, 2008,The Lancet, online.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/31/AR2008083100444_pf.html
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Fluoridation Taps Into Brain Power
Today's post references an excellent article discussing the ridiculous and unsafe practice of fluoridating American drinking water. Fluoride is a toxic chemical that can adversely affect the nervous system, brain function (including intelligence), thyroid health, bone health, and a myriad of other bodily systems. This is particularly true for children, both born and unborn.
The ludicrous thing is that science has proven that fluoridated water is of no value to tooth health, but in fact leads to excessive fluoride levels and tooth damage. This is a classic example of many situations in modern conventional health care: The "cure" is worse than the "cause."
Fluoride is just one of many reasons why most public water is unsafe to drink. I recommend a high quality water purification system such as Wellness Filters for your home in order to protect your family from the hazards of chemical-laden drinking, cooking, and bathing water.
Fluoride Lowers IQ, Studies Show
Dr. Vyvyan Howard, a prominent fetal toxicologist said in a recent Canadian TV interview that current brain/fluoride research convinces him that we should stop water fluoridation.
Dr. Howard, President of the International Society of Doctors for the Environment and Senior Lecturer, Developmental Toxico-Pathology, University of Liverpool, England, made presentations at three Toronto Canada meetings - International Society of Fluoride Research, Fluoride Action Network and the Citizens for a Safe Environment.
Studies done in several countries show that children's IQ are likely to be lower in high natural water fluoride areas, said Howard. These studies are plausible because fluoride is known to affect the thyroid hormone which affects intelligence and fluoride is also a neurotoxicant, said Howard. Such studies have not been conducted in countries that artificially fluoridate the water such as the US, UK and Canada, but should be, he said.
"This new brain research together with the NRC's evidence of fluoride's thyroid and bone damage and the CDC's recommendation against use of fluoridated water in infant formula as well as the National Kidney Foundation's withdrawal of their fluoridation support makes a strong case for ending this 60-year-old fluoridation experiment." says attorney Paul Beeber, President, New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation, Inc.
Fluoride, added to water supplies ostensibly to prevent tooth decay, is also in virtually all US non-organic foods and beverages from pesticide residues and processing with fluoridated water.
"There have now been over 40 animal studies which show that fluoride can damage the brain, and no less than 18 studies which show that fluoride lowers IQ in children, and only 2 that don't," says Paul Connett, PhD, Executive Director, Fluoride Action Network (FAN).
In 2006, the U.S. National Research Council's (NRC) expert fluoride panel reviewed recent fluoride toxicology and concluded, "It's apparent that fluorides have the ability to interfere with the functions of the brain."
Michael Connett, FAN's Project Director co-authored a poster presentation at the International Association of Dental Research entitled, "Fluoride and its effect on human intelligence." which identified 20 ecological studies that purport an association between high fluoride exposure and decreased human intelligence.
"The weight of evidence that's on the table now says that, on a precautionary basis, we should stop this practice (fluoridation)," said Dr. Howard.
FAN is now working on getting an additional 7 Chinese studies published for the first time in English-language journals by the end of the year. These additional studies include two studies showing that fluoride can pass the placenta and damage the brain of the fetus, and 5 more studies finding a reduction in IQ among children exposed to excess fluoride.
"The Canadian Dental Association says there is no evidence to support the claims that fluoride in drinking water can lead to lower IQs," reported the Lethbridge Herald.
Here is the evidence: http://www.FluorideAlert.org/brain
The President of the Ontario Dental Association further displayed ignorance of current fluoride research, apparently widespread in the dental community, when he insisted in the CTV broadcast that ingested fluoride incorporates into children's developing teeth to prevent decay. That theory was discarded long ago in favor of science which shows fluoride decay-preventing properties occur by topical means alone.
A study by Yoder concluded, "The majority of dental professionals surveyed were unaware of the current understanding of fluoride's predominant posteruptive mode of action."
"No child is, or ever was, fluoride deficient. In fact, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control tells us that 1/3 of U.S school children are fluoride-overdosed causing dental fluorosis - white spotted, yellow, brown and/or pitted teeth. It's time to stop fluoridation," says Beeber.
http://www.bestsyndication.com/?q=20080814_flouride_lower_iq_study.htm
The ludicrous thing is that science has proven that fluoridated water is of no value to tooth health, but in fact leads to excessive fluoride levels and tooth damage. This is a classic example of many situations in modern conventional health care: The "cure" is worse than the "cause."
Fluoride is just one of many reasons why most public water is unsafe to drink. I recommend a high quality water purification system such as Wellness Filters for your home in order to protect your family from the hazards of chemical-laden drinking, cooking, and bathing water.
Fluoride Lowers IQ, Studies Show
Dr. Vyvyan Howard, a prominent fetal toxicologist said in a recent Canadian TV interview that current brain/fluoride research convinces him that we should stop water fluoridation.
Dr. Howard, President of the International Society of Doctors for the Environment and Senior Lecturer, Developmental Toxico-Pathology, University of Liverpool, England, made presentations at three Toronto Canada meetings - International Society of Fluoride Research, Fluoride Action Network and the Citizens for a Safe Environment.
Studies done in several countries show that children's IQ are likely to be lower in high natural water fluoride areas, said Howard. These studies are plausible because fluoride is known to affect the thyroid hormone which affects intelligence and fluoride is also a neurotoxicant, said Howard. Such studies have not been conducted in countries that artificially fluoridate the water such as the US, UK and Canada, but should be, he said.
"This new brain research together with the NRC's evidence of fluoride's thyroid and bone damage and the CDC's recommendation against use of fluoridated water in infant formula as well as the National Kidney Foundation's withdrawal of their fluoridation support makes a strong case for ending this 60-year-old fluoridation experiment." says attorney Paul Beeber, President, New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation, Inc.
Fluoride, added to water supplies ostensibly to prevent tooth decay, is also in virtually all US non-organic foods and beverages from pesticide residues and processing with fluoridated water.
"There have now been over 40 animal studies which show that fluoride can damage the brain, and no less than 18 studies which show that fluoride lowers IQ in children, and only 2 that don't," says Paul Connett, PhD, Executive Director, Fluoride Action Network (FAN).
In 2006, the U.S. National Research Council's (NRC) expert fluoride panel reviewed recent fluoride toxicology and concluded, "It's apparent that fluorides have the ability to interfere with the functions of the brain."
Michael Connett, FAN's Project Director co-authored a poster presentation at the International Association of Dental Research entitled, "Fluoride and its effect on human intelligence." which identified 20 ecological studies that purport an association between high fluoride exposure and decreased human intelligence.
"The weight of evidence that's on the table now says that, on a precautionary basis, we should stop this practice (fluoridation)," said Dr. Howard.
FAN is now working on getting an additional 7 Chinese studies published for the first time in English-language journals by the end of the year. These additional studies include two studies showing that fluoride can pass the placenta and damage the brain of the fetus, and 5 more studies finding a reduction in IQ among children exposed to excess fluoride.
"The Canadian Dental Association says there is no evidence to support the claims that fluoride in drinking water can lead to lower IQs," reported the Lethbridge Herald.
Here is the evidence: http://www.FluorideAlert.org/brain
The President of the Ontario Dental Association further displayed ignorance of current fluoride research, apparently widespread in the dental community, when he insisted in the CTV broadcast that ingested fluoride incorporates into children's developing teeth to prevent decay. That theory was discarded long ago in favor of science which shows fluoride decay-preventing properties occur by topical means alone.
A study by Yoder concluded, "The majority of dental professionals surveyed were unaware of the current understanding of fluoride's predominant posteruptive mode of action."
"No child is, or ever was, fluoride deficient. In fact, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control tells us that 1/3 of U.S school children are fluoride-overdosed causing dental fluorosis - white spotted, yellow, brown and/or pitted teeth. It's time to stop fluoridation," says Beeber.
http://www.bestsyndication.com/?q=20080814_flouride_lower_iq_study.htm
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Statins + Obesity = Greater Risk for Prostate Cancer
It appears there's another fly in the ointment for Big Pharma's billion dollar baby --
statin drugs. A new study finds an alarming increase of prostate cancer in overweight men who use statins long-term, boosting rates by 80% for those taking these drugs for 5 years or more. If your doctor tries to put you on statins, please realize that there are many serious side effects associated with these drugs, and yet many people are prescribed them for life! Besides the dangers, they often don't work as advertised, and can in fact even worsen your risk for cardiovascular disease.
If you have abnormally high cholesterol or other indicators of arterial inflammation, there are many safer, more effective ways to regain your health. Some of these include dietary and supplemental therapies such as flaxseed (and oil), oatmeal, fish oil (high in omega-3 fatty acids), exercise, and other lifestyle choices that will lead you towards wellness and away from disease. Don't fall for the statin scam. They're a huge moneymaker for the pharmaceutical companies, but they are no friend to your health.
Prostate cancer risk increased in obese men: study
By Michelle Rizzo
Fri Aug 22, 2:17 PM ET
Use of cholesterol-lowering statin drugs, especially long-term use, appears to raise the risk of prostate cancer among obese men, according to findings of a new study.
"Given the epidemic of obesity in the U.S. and the frequent use of statins, the positive association we observed raises substantial concern as to the safety of these widely prescribed agents," Dr. Janet L. Stanford of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle and colleagues wrote in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
In a population-based, case-control study, the researchers matched 1,001 men with prostate cancer diagnosed between 2002 and 2005 with 942 age-matched cancer-free controls from King County, Washington.
No overall association was observed between the risk of prostate cancer and the current or past use of statin treatment. Duration of statin use was also not associated with prostate cancer risk.
"We also found no evidence that use of a statin was associated with risk of developing more aggressive subtypes of prostate caner," Stanford said in an interview with Reuters Health. "Overall we found no support for the current hypothesis that statin use may reduce risk of prostate cancer."
However, the results do suggest a significant increase in the risk of developing prostate cancer associated with current statin use and with longer durations of use among obese men (defined as a body mass index of 30 greater).
"Among obese men," Stanford told Reuters Health, "current use of a statin was associated with a 50 percent increase in risk of prostate cancer; and use for 5 or more years was associated with an 80 percent increase in risk of the disease; both of these risk estimates were statistically significant."
These findings warrant further investigation, she said.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080822/hl_nm/prostate_risk_dc&printer=1;_ylt=An_n7K0dzWY.qS4Q_PM7LCUR.3QA
statin drugs. A new study finds an alarming increase of prostate cancer in overweight men who use statins long-term, boosting rates by 80% for those taking these drugs for 5 years or more. If your doctor tries to put you on statins, please realize that there are many serious side effects associated with these drugs, and yet many people are prescribed them for life! Besides the dangers, they often don't work as advertised, and can in fact even worsen your risk for cardiovascular disease.
If you have abnormally high cholesterol or other indicators of arterial inflammation, there are many safer, more effective ways to regain your health. Some of these include dietary and supplemental therapies such as flaxseed (and oil), oatmeal, fish oil (high in omega-3 fatty acids), exercise, and other lifestyle choices that will lead you towards wellness and away from disease. Don't fall for the statin scam. They're a huge moneymaker for the pharmaceutical companies, but they are no friend to your health.
Prostate cancer risk increased in obese men: study
By Michelle Rizzo
Fri Aug 22, 2:17 PM ET
Use of cholesterol-lowering statin drugs, especially long-term use, appears to raise the risk of prostate cancer among obese men, according to findings of a new study.
"Given the epidemic of obesity in the U.S. and the frequent use of statins, the positive association we observed raises substantial concern as to the safety of these widely prescribed agents," Dr. Janet L. Stanford of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle and colleagues wrote in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
In a population-based, case-control study, the researchers matched 1,001 men with prostate cancer diagnosed between 2002 and 2005 with 942 age-matched cancer-free controls from King County, Washington.
No overall association was observed between the risk of prostate cancer and the current or past use of statin treatment. Duration of statin use was also not associated with prostate cancer risk.
"We also found no evidence that use of a statin was associated with risk of developing more aggressive subtypes of prostate caner," Stanford said in an interview with Reuters Health. "Overall we found no support for the current hypothesis that statin use may reduce risk of prostate cancer."
However, the results do suggest a significant increase in the risk of developing prostate cancer associated with current statin use and with longer durations of use among obese men (defined as a body mass index of 30 greater).
"Among obese men," Stanford told Reuters Health, "current use of a statin was associated with a 50 percent increase in risk of prostate cancer; and use for 5 or more years was associated with an 80 percent increase in risk of the disease; both of these risk estimates were statistically significant."
These findings warrant further investigation, she said.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080822/hl_nm/prostate_risk_dc&printer=1;_ylt=An_n7K0dzWY.qS4Q_PM7LCUR.3QA
Monday, September 8, 2008
Medical Establishment Raising Concerns About Gardasil
Merck's HPV vaccine for cervical cancer is coming under scrutiny regarding its safety, effectiveness, and cost. An editorial in the New England Journal of Medicine is questioning the legitimacy of the "science" behind the trial studies that were used to justify vaccinating pre-teen girls, a move that several state governments are considering making mandatory.
I find it amazing that it just two short years over 8 million young women have been inoculated with the HPV vaccine -- all because of very effective, yet misleading, marketing. These marketers understand that "fear" will get people to do just about anything, especially if that fear concerns their children.
As the article below and the Journal point out, there are clearly too many unanswered questions that raise red flags about the wisdom of these mass vaccinations, and many groups and individuals have been sounding the alarm. It is encouraging to finally see voices in conventional medicine speaking up about this debacle.
If your state requires these vaccines, be aware that you have the right to refuse to subject your children to this hazardous procedure. Vaccination options vary from state to state, but it would behoove you to investigate and learn how you can legally say no to Gardasil and protect your constitutional rights as well as the health and wellness of your children.
Researchers Question If HPV Vaccine Is Worth the Risk
Gardasil's High Cost and Effectiveness Come Under Fire
By SHARYN ALFONSI
Aug. 20, 2008
Sonya Sheehan's daughters are the picture of health, and she wants to keep it that way. As a nurse, Sheehan had her older daughter inoculated with Gardasil, the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. She plans to give the shot to her 6-year-old in a few years, to protect her against cervical cancer.
Most medical organizations have strongly advocated using the HPV vaccine for girls 11 and 12 years old.
Merck, the maker of the vaccine, launched a massive and carefully targeted marketing campaign, where young women stand before the camera and declare with confidence, "I could be one less," woman to die of cervical cancer.
The commercials have caught the attention of parents, and in just two years, more than 8 million young women have been given a Gardasil shot.
Dr. Nathan Litman, Director of Inpatient Pediatrics at Montefiore Medical Center in New York, considers Gardasil a medical breakthrough.
"This vaccine should be able to prevent about 70 percent of cervical cancer," he said.
But, an editorial to be published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Thursday outlined some serious concerns about the vaccine.
First, Gardasil's long-term effectiveness is unclear. Because cervical cancer takes years to develop, critics say the current information is insufficient to determine whether Gardasil works.
"The overall effect of the vaccines on cervical cancer remains unknown," Dr. Carolyn J. Haug, the Journal of Norwegian Medical Association's editor, wrote in the New England Journal editorial. "The real impact of HPV vaccination on cervical cancer will not be observable for decades."
Gardasil is also expensive, costing about $400 to $1,000 for the necessary three doses of the vaccine. Studies have not proven how long the immunity will last and whether or not additional shots will be needed, which would raise the cost even higher.
And it's not a slam dunk. The vaccine only protects against some of the viruses that cause cervical cancer, so women still need regular pap screenings. And some doctors said that a traditional pap screen may be more effective.
These remaining questions have prompted some doctors to ask if it's worth it for girls to get vaccinated in the first place.
"Most of the information people have right now leads them to believe that if they're vaccinated with Gardasil, they're protected for life, and that's just not true," said Dr. Diane Harper of Dartmouth College.
There is also the issue of side effects. FDA records reveal that, since Gardasil's approval, nearly 9,000 girls had "bad health events" after receiving their shots. These included 78 reported outbreaks of genital warts, 18 deaths and six cases of Guillain Barre Syndrome, which can result in paralysis. It is unknown whether there are unseen side effects, like decreasing the body's ability to fight off other strains of the HPV virus.
Merck maintains that the vaccine is perfectly safe and effective.
"These reports are from conditions that have occurred following the vaccination," said Dr. Rick Haup, executive director of Merck research labs. "They do not necessarily mean they are causally related."
But, "with so many essential questions still unanswered, there is good reason to be cautious," Haug wrote.
Virginia is set to require all young girls to get vaccinated before entering middle school this fall, and dozens of other states are considering whether to make the Gardasil shot mandatory for young women.
These lingering questions are sure to inject a new shot of concern into the debate.
http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=5620282
I find it amazing that it just two short years over 8 million young women have been inoculated with the HPV vaccine -- all because of very effective, yet misleading, marketing. These marketers understand that "fear" will get people to do just about anything, especially if that fear concerns their children.
As the article below and the Journal point out, there are clearly too many unanswered questions that raise red flags about the wisdom of these mass vaccinations, and many groups and individuals have been sounding the alarm. It is encouraging to finally see voices in conventional medicine speaking up about this debacle.
If your state requires these vaccines, be aware that you have the right to refuse to subject your children to this hazardous procedure. Vaccination options vary from state to state, but it would behoove you to investigate and learn how you can legally say no to Gardasil and protect your constitutional rights as well as the health and wellness of your children.
Researchers Question If HPV Vaccine Is Worth the Risk
Gardasil's High Cost and Effectiveness Come Under Fire
By SHARYN ALFONSI
Aug. 20, 2008
Sonya Sheehan's daughters are the picture of health, and she wants to keep it that way. As a nurse, Sheehan had her older daughter inoculated with Gardasil, the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. She plans to give the shot to her 6-year-old in a few years, to protect her against cervical cancer.
Most medical organizations have strongly advocated using the HPV vaccine for girls 11 and 12 years old.
Merck, the maker of the vaccine, launched a massive and carefully targeted marketing campaign, where young women stand before the camera and declare with confidence, "I could be one less," woman to die of cervical cancer.
The commercials have caught the attention of parents, and in just two years, more than 8 million young women have been given a Gardasil shot.
Dr. Nathan Litman, Director of Inpatient Pediatrics at Montefiore Medical Center in New York, considers Gardasil a medical breakthrough.
"This vaccine should be able to prevent about 70 percent of cervical cancer," he said.
But, an editorial to be published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Thursday outlined some serious concerns about the vaccine.
First, Gardasil's long-term effectiveness is unclear. Because cervical cancer takes years to develop, critics say the current information is insufficient to determine whether Gardasil works.
"The overall effect of the vaccines on cervical cancer remains unknown," Dr. Carolyn J. Haug, the Journal of Norwegian Medical Association's editor, wrote in the New England Journal editorial. "The real impact of HPV vaccination on cervical cancer will not be observable for decades."
Gardasil is also expensive, costing about $400 to $1,000 for the necessary three doses of the vaccine. Studies have not proven how long the immunity will last and whether or not additional shots will be needed, which would raise the cost even higher.
And it's not a slam dunk. The vaccine only protects against some of the viruses that cause cervical cancer, so women still need regular pap screenings. And some doctors said that a traditional pap screen may be more effective.
These remaining questions have prompted some doctors to ask if it's worth it for girls to get vaccinated in the first place.
"Most of the information people have right now leads them to believe that if they're vaccinated with Gardasil, they're protected for life, and that's just not true," said Dr. Diane Harper of Dartmouth College.
There is also the issue of side effects. FDA records reveal that, since Gardasil's approval, nearly 9,000 girls had "bad health events" after receiving their shots. These included 78 reported outbreaks of genital warts, 18 deaths and six cases of Guillain Barre Syndrome, which can result in paralysis. It is unknown whether there are unseen side effects, like decreasing the body's ability to fight off other strains of the HPV virus.
Merck maintains that the vaccine is perfectly safe and effective.
"These reports are from conditions that have occurred following the vaccination," said Dr. Rick Haup, executive director of Merck research labs. "They do not necessarily mean they are causally related."
But, "with so many essential questions still unanswered, there is good reason to be cautious," Haug wrote.
Virginia is set to require all young girls to get vaccinated before entering middle school this fall, and dozens of other states are considering whether to make the Gardasil shot mandatory for young women.
These lingering questions are sure to inject a new shot of concern into the debate.
http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=5620282
Friday, September 5, 2008
New Study Indicates Further Dangers of Conventional Hormone Replacement Therapy
Even the mainstream medical establishment has finally come around and admitted that the use of synthetic hormone replacement therapy in women is hazardous. They initially stated that the use of such drugs was only linked to increased risk of breast cancer in women using them for at least five years. However, new evidence indicates that shorter usage periods can significantly increase risk for certain types of cancers after only three years. It is obvious that the use of these artificial forms of hormones is not a good choice for health-conscious women, regardless of the length of exposure.
The "one size fits all" approach to hormonal balance that is the foundation of most HRT regimens is obviously a huge mistake. One of the concerns is that such therapies assume that all women are estrogen-deficient, despite the fact that this is typically not the case. The use of synthetic estrogen does help relieve some hormonal symptoms, but never gets to the root of the concern and in fact may cause more health concerns down the road. The use of a high-quality, natural hormone replacement product will address the problem of progesterone deficiency that is overlooked by conventional HRT, and will provide natural hormonal balance in a form that is gentle to the body, and easily recognized and assimilated for maximum safety and efficiency. There are many natural ways of dealing with hormonal changes. Do not be duped into thinking that the use of synthetic HRT, even for a short time, is necessary or safe, regardless of the advice of many well-meaning but misinformed healthcare practitioners.
Hormone Replacement Therapy Boosts Risk of Breast Cancer by 400 Percent
by David Gutierrez
(NaturalNews) Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) increases women's risk of lobular breast cancer by four times after only three years, according to a study published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention.
"Previous research indicated that five or more years of combined hormone-therapy use was necessary to increase overall breast cancer risk," said lead researcher Christopher Li of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. "Our study ... suggests that a significantly shorter length of exposure to such hormones may confer an increased risk."
Researchers suggested that the longer time period found in prior studies arose from the fact that those studies looked only at breast cancer in general, while the current study looked specifically at lobular cancers.
Lobular breast cancer accounts for approximately 10 percent of invasive breast cancers, while ductal breast cancer, in which tumors form in the breast's milk ducts, accounts for much of the rest.
In the current study, researchers questioned 1,500 post-menopausal women in western Washington about their use of HRT. Women who were currently taking HRT had three times the cancer rate as women who were not undergoing the therapy. Those who had been taking HRT drugs for three years or more had four times the risk.
The researchers noted that the occurrence of lobular cancer in the United States increased by 52 percent between 1987 and 1999, while the incidence of ductal-lobular cancer rose by 96 percent. In the same time period, the occurrence of ductal cancer rose by only 3 percent.
In 2002, the results of the Women's Health Initiative study first showed a link between HRT and increased breast cancer risk, leading to a sharp drop in the prevalence of HRT. Between 2001 and 2004, the researchers noted, breast cancer rates in the United States fell by 8.6 percent.
http://www.naturalnews.com/023893.html
The "one size fits all" approach to hormonal balance that is the foundation of most HRT regimens is obviously a huge mistake. One of the concerns is that such therapies assume that all women are estrogen-deficient, despite the fact that this is typically not the case. The use of synthetic estrogen does help relieve some hormonal symptoms, but never gets to the root of the concern and in fact may cause more health concerns down the road. The use of a high-quality, natural hormone replacement product will address the problem of progesterone deficiency that is overlooked by conventional HRT, and will provide natural hormonal balance in a form that is gentle to the body, and easily recognized and assimilated for maximum safety and efficiency. There are many natural ways of dealing with hormonal changes. Do not be duped into thinking that the use of synthetic HRT, even for a short time, is necessary or safe, regardless of the advice of many well-meaning but misinformed healthcare practitioners.
Hormone Replacement Therapy Boosts Risk of Breast Cancer by 400 Percent
by David Gutierrez
(NaturalNews) Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) increases women's risk of lobular breast cancer by four times after only three years, according to a study published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention.
"Previous research indicated that five or more years of combined hormone-therapy use was necessary to increase overall breast cancer risk," said lead researcher Christopher Li of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. "Our study ... suggests that a significantly shorter length of exposure to such hormones may confer an increased risk."
Researchers suggested that the longer time period found in prior studies arose from the fact that those studies looked only at breast cancer in general, while the current study looked specifically at lobular cancers.
Lobular breast cancer accounts for approximately 10 percent of invasive breast cancers, while ductal breast cancer, in which tumors form in the breast's milk ducts, accounts for much of the rest.
In the current study, researchers questioned 1,500 post-menopausal women in western Washington about their use of HRT. Women who were currently taking HRT had three times the cancer rate as women who were not undergoing the therapy. Those who had been taking HRT drugs for three years or more had four times the risk.
The researchers noted that the occurrence of lobular cancer in the United States increased by 52 percent between 1987 and 1999, while the incidence of ductal-lobular cancer rose by 96 percent. In the same time period, the occurrence of ductal cancer rose by only 3 percent.
In 2002, the results of the Women's Health Initiative study first showed a link between HRT and increased breast cancer risk, leading to a sharp drop in the prevalence of HRT. Between 2001 and 2004, the researchers noted, breast cancer rates in the United States fell by 8.6 percent.
http://www.naturalnews.com/023893.html
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Irradiation Can Be Hazardous to Your Skin
Last week, we addressed the issue of irradiation of food products here on the blog. Below is a very insightful article that addresses some of the potentially harmful effects of irradiation as they specifically relate to skin care. The skin, the largest organ of the body, is an excellent indicator of overall health, for good or for bad. When essential nutrients in food are destroyed or compromised by exposure of radiation, all systems of the body, including the skin, will suffer. Without the necessary building blocks, the skin cannot stave off disease properly or heal and rejuvenate itself as it is designed to do.
Besides eating an organic diet composed of chemical-free and non-radiated foods, it is critical that you choose your skin care products carefully as well. Buy products that are made of natural ingredients and do not include harsh or hazardous chemicals. Remember, whatever you put on your skin goes directly into your body and is transported very efficiently via the circulatory system. Keeping your skin healthy will help your entire body to stay cleansed and balanced.
Will Irradiating our Vegetables Affect the Health of Our Skin?
Published on: August 27th, 2008 08:21pm
Montrose, CA (The Open Press) August 27, 2008 -- As of August 22, 2008, food suppliers are free to irradiate some of our vegetables, according to an FDA ruling. Right now the rule limits the practice to lettuce and spinach, but the FDA is looking at extending this to include other fruits and vegetables. Although the FDA says irradiation doesn't destroy nutrients, many experts disagree. In fact, some say the specific nutrients destroyed by radiation are vital for the treatment and prevention of many serious health conditions. They are also pivotal in natural skin care.
The new FDA ruling comes on the heels of the spinach scare and is an attempt to ensure harmful bacteria and other microorganisms are eliminated. However, some experts say that eliminating the bacteria through radiation will also eliminate phytonutrients. As phytonutrients are said to convert to vitamin A, destroy free radicals, enable inter-cell communication, enhance the immune system, alter estrogen metabolism, repair DNA damage caused by exposure to toxins, kill cancer cells and detoxify cancer-causing agents (carcinogens), it is anticipated that irradiation could have serious health repercussions.
You may have noticed that several of the functions attributed to phytonutrients are directly related to the condition of the skin. The antioxidant activity, immune system enhancement, hormonal regulation and conversion to vitamin A are basics in natural skin care. Healthy skin starts with healthy food and a properly functioning body.
While skin problems and skin care may be the least of our concerns when we're facing the loss of something that kills cancer cells, the skin is, after all, the body's largest organ and plays a vital role in overall health. The outer layer of the skin, composed of dead skin cells, natural oils and fats, is designed to prevent the absorption of bacteria, viruses and dangerous chemical substances. It is also vital for the elimination of toxins.
If the skin is not in good condition, and we're no longer receiving some of the nutrients we depend on from food, we're fighting an uphill battle with very little ammunition.
What can you do about it? The FDA requires requires a "radura" logo along with the statement "treated with radiation" or "treated by irradiation." Much of the irradiated produce is expected to be in packages -- which should display those warnings. For lettuce and spinach that's not bagged, you may have to do a little more research.
Also, protect your skin -- good skin care is even more important when the nutrients in our food are under attack and even food with the highest nutrient content possible won't protect you from airborne pollutants. Thousands of doctors now recommend a shielding lotion. A good shielding lotion, unlike traditional skin care products like lotions and moisturizers, bonds with the outer layer of the skin to form a new protective non-greasy layer that doesn't clog the pores. It locks in natural moisture, keeps out chemicals, and is probably the best solution out there for preserving the integrity of the skin's outer layer.
Mother Nature seems to have provided us with everything we need. While man has figured out how to utilize Her natural resources to our benefit, we have also been instrumental in their destruction. Whether we're talking about treatment and prevention of cancer or natural skin care, our health depends on protecting what we have left and preventing further damage. If we buy organic, nutrient-rich food and use natural skin care treatment products like shielding lotion, we're better able to meet those challenges.
http://www.theopenpress.com/index.php?a=print&code=00&id=37012
Besides eating an organic diet composed of chemical-free and non-radiated foods, it is critical that you choose your skin care products carefully as well. Buy products that are made of natural ingredients and do not include harsh or hazardous chemicals. Remember, whatever you put on your skin goes directly into your body and is transported very efficiently via the circulatory system. Keeping your skin healthy will help your entire body to stay cleansed and balanced.
Will Irradiating our Vegetables Affect the Health of Our Skin?
Published on: August 27th, 2008 08:21pm
Montrose, CA (The Open Press) August 27, 2008 -- As of August 22, 2008, food suppliers are free to irradiate some of our vegetables, according to an FDA ruling. Right now the rule limits the practice to lettuce and spinach, but the FDA is looking at extending this to include other fruits and vegetables. Although the FDA says irradiation doesn't destroy nutrients, many experts disagree. In fact, some say the specific nutrients destroyed by radiation are vital for the treatment and prevention of many serious health conditions. They are also pivotal in natural skin care.
The new FDA ruling comes on the heels of the spinach scare and is an attempt to ensure harmful bacteria and other microorganisms are eliminated. However, some experts say that eliminating the bacteria through radiation will also eliminate phytonutrients. As phytonutrients are said to convert to vitamin A, destroy free radicals, enable inter-cell communication, enhance the immune system, alter estrogen metabolism, repair DNA damage caused by exposure to toxins, kill cancer cells and detoxify cancer-causing agents (carcinogens), it is anticipated that irradiation could have serious health repercussions.
You may have noticed that several of the functions attributed to phytonutrients are directly related to the condition of the skin. The antioxidant activity, immune system enhancement, hormonal regulation and conversion to vitamin A are basics in natural skin care. Healthy skin starts with healthy food and a properly functioning body.
While skin problems and skin care may be the least of our concerns when we're facing the loss of something that kills cancer cells, the skin is, after all, the body's largest organ and plays a vital role in overall health. The outer layer of the skin, composed of dead skin cells, natural oils and fats, is designed to prevent the absorption of bacteria, viruses and dangerous chemical substances. It is also vital for the elimination of toxins.
If the skin is not in good condition, and we're no longer receiving some of the nutrients we depend on from food, we're fighting an uphill battle with very little ammunition.
What can you do about it? The FDA requires requires a "radura" logo along with the statement "treated with radiation" or "treated by irradiation." Much of the irradiated produce is expected to be in packages -- which should display those warnings. For lettuce and spinach that's not bagged, you may have to do a little more research.
Also, protect your skin -- good skin care is even more important when the nutrients in our food are under attack and even food with the highest nutrient content possible won't protect you from airborne pollutants. Thousands of doctors now recommend a shielding lotion. A good shielding lotion, unlike traditional skin care products like lotions and moisturizers, bonds with the outer layer of the skin to form a new protective non-greasy layer that doesn't clog the pores. It locks in natural moisture, keeps out chemicals, and is probably the best solution out there for preserving the integrity of the skin's outer layer.
Mother Nature seems to have provided us with everything we need. While man has figured out how to utilize Her natural resources to our benefit, we have also been instrumental in their destruction. Whether we're talking about treatment and prevention of cancer or natural skin care, our health depends on protecting what we have left and preventing further damage. If we buy organic, nutrient-rich food and use natural skin care treatment products like shielding lotion, we're better able to meet those challenges.
http://www.theopenpress.com/index.php?a=print&code=00&id=37012
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Move Made to Increase Sales of Hazardous Drug Roaccutane
In the Australian marketplace, the medication Roaccutane (known as Accutane in the US), which is given to treat severe acne, can only be prescribed by a limited number of dermatologists and other specialists. These restrictions are in place because this powerful drug has been linked to a number of serious side effects including birth defects, depression, and suicidal behaviors. The Australian equivalent of the FDA (the Therapeutic Goods Administration, or TGA) is currently discussing the possibility of allowing all physicians to describe this toxic drug. The manufacturers and distributors of Roaccutane claim they have nothing to do with these potential changes. However, I have a hard time believing that, especially if the TGA and pharmaceutical companies have the same cozy relationship as such firms have with the FDA here in the states.
I find it quite an irony that the group within TGA considering this proposal is called "The National Drugs and Poisons Scheduling Committee." At least the Australians are a bit more out front about the toxicity of many drugs than their American counterpart.
As with all medical concerns, acne is best dealt with via natural means, like a healthy, nutritious diet, ample amounts of pure water, plenty of physical activity, and natural skin care products that are free from dangerous chemicals. Living well is the best way to both prevent and treat acne.
Acne Drug 'May Lead to More Abortions'
Using the controversial acne drug Roaccutane could lead to more abortions, according to specialists.Roaccutane is used for the treatment of severe, persistent acne, but it has made headlines in recent years for its unproven links with depression and suicide.
According to dermatologists, a move by health authorities to allow GPs to prescribe the heavy-duty medication will push up prescription rates and endanger patients.
Dr Stephen Shumack, secretary of the Australasian College of Dermatologists said that there was a risk that patients would not be informed of the dangers of birth abnormalities among babies born to women taking Roaccutane, potentially causing them to choose an abortion.
"This would be a very bad move indeed," the Sydney Morning Hearld quoted Shumack, as saying.
"The college fears that appropriate people may not be given it, inappropriate people may be given it, and the side effects may not be managed appropriately.
"And, overall, far more people will be given it, which increases the risk of pregnancies, especially if this is not properly screened for, and then there's potentially more abortions," he added.
He said that under current arrangement there had been very few pregnancy issues with the drug.
More than 140,000 prescriptions were written for Roaccutane in the past financial year but prescribing is limited to the nation's 400 dermatologists and specialist physicians.
However, the Therapeutic Goods Administration''s national drugs and poisons scheduling committee said that it would consider a proposal to extend prescribing rights to include 18,000 GPs.
Roaccutane manufacturer Roche, and several firms that sell the drug generically, have denied making the request.
Shumack described it as "ill-conceived" and said the college would oppose it.
http://living.oneindia.in/health/pregnancy/2008/acne-drug-roaccutane-abortions-260808.html
I find it quite an irony that the group within TGA considering this proposal is called "The National Drugs and Poisons Scheduling Committee." At least the Australians are a bit more out front about the toxicity of many drugs than their American counterpart.
As with all medical concerns, acne is best dealt with via natural means, like a healthy, nutritious diet, ample amounts of pure water, plenty of physical activity, and natural skin care products that are free from dangerous chemicals. Living well is the best way to both prevent and treat acne.
Acne Drug 'May Lead to More Abortions'
Using the controversial acne drug Roaccutane could lead to more abortions, according to specialists.Roaccutane is used for the treatment of severe, persistent acne, but it has made headlines in recent years for its unproven links with depression and suicide.
According to dermatologists, a move by health authorities to allow GPs to prescribe the heavy-duty medication will push up prescription rates and endanger patients.
Dr Stephen Shumack, secretary of the Australasian College of Dermatologists said that there was a risk that patients would not be informed of the dangers of birth abnormalities among babies born to women taking Roaccutane, potentially causing them to choose an abortion.
"This would be a very bad move indeed," the Sydney Morning Hearld quoted Shumack, as saying.
"The college fears that appropriate people may not be given it, inappropriate people may be given it, and the side effects may not be managed appropriately.
"And, overall, far more people will be given it, which increases the risk of pregnancies, especially if this is not properly screened for, and then there's potentially more abortions," he added.
He said that under current arrangement there had been very few pregnancy issues with the drug.
More than 140,000 prescriptions were written for Roaccutane in the past financial year but prescribing is limited to the nation's 400 dermatologists and specialist physicians.
However, the Therapeutic Goods Administration''s national drugs and poisons scheduling committee said that it would consider a proposal to extend prescribing rights to include 18,000 GPs.
Roaccutane manufacturer Roche, and several firms that sell the drug generically, have denied making the request.
Shumack described it as "ill-conceived" and said the college would oppose it.
http://living.oneindia.in/health/pregnancy/2008/acne-drug-roaccutane-abortions-260808.html
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Chronic Stress Aggravates Allergies
As the incidence of allergies and asthma increases in the general population, many studies have been done that clearly link such reactions to stress levels in people's lives. Researchers at Ohio State University presented findings last month from a project that reinforces these conclusions. What is particularly interesting about this study is that it also correlates chronic or ongoing stress with delayed allergic reactions. In other words, stress today can lead to allergic reactions tomorrow.
We in the natural health field have long believed and taught that stress can have numerous long-term effects on many systems of the body, including the immune system which is closely tied to allergic reactions. This is why lifestyle changes such as a natural, whole-foods diet, including plenty of fresh, pure water, and lots of physical exercise, are so much more useful for controlling allergies than the medications often prescribed that tend to have side effects that tear down the immune system instead of strengthening it. In fact, the best way to prevent allergies from ever occurring in the first place is to pursue a lifestyle of wellness that keeps you healthy instead putting yourself in a position where you have to overcome disease. If you should suffer from high stress levels, along with a very healthy diet I would suggest the following: Learn to say no; spend at least 30 minutes every day listening to music, reading or just being quiet; remove yourself from stressors; take a good Vitamin B-12 and B-Complete along with an organic, liquid multi-vitamin mineral complex; exercise (walking is excellent) for 40 minutes every day, and get sunshine on your body every day.
Remember: It is much easier to stay well than to get well.
Stress, Anxiety Worsen Response to Allergens
Thursday, August 14, 2008; 12:00 AM
THURSDAY, Aug. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Even a little stress and anxiety can greatly worsen and extend a person's reaction to common allergens, a new study says.
The finding, to be presented Thursday at the American Psychological Association annual meeting, in Boston, are important, as allergies are the fifth-most-common chronic disease in the United States. The researchers estimated that Americans pay more than $3.4 billion for allergy medications and allergy-related doctor visits annually, and lose about 3.5 million work days a year because of them.
"Allergies are not minor problems," researcher Jan Kiecolt-Glaser, a professor of psychology and psychiatry at Ohio State, said in a news release issued by the university. "A huge number of people suffer from allergies and, while hay fever, for example, is generally not life-threatening, allergy sufferers often also have asthma, which can be deadly."
The study looked at 28 volunteers with a history of hay fever and seasonal allergies. Researchers gave standard allergy prick tests to the volunteers, then measured the raised "wheals" that formed on the arms of the participants before and after they were subjected to stressful situations, such as given a speech and answering a series of math questions. They were tested again the next day as well.
"The wheals on a person who was moderately anxious because of the experiment were 75 percent larger after the experiment, compared to that same person's response on the day when they were not stressed," Kiecolt-Glaser said, signifying a stronger reaction.
"But people who were highly anxious had wheals that were twice as big after they were stressed compared to their response when they were not stressed. Moreover, these same people were four times more likely to have a stronger reaction to the skin test one day later after the stress," she said.
This second-day "late-phase reaction" signals an ongoing and strengthening response to the allergens, the researchers said. It suggests that sufferers may react strongly to other stimuli that previously hadn't caused them to develop an allergic reaction.
Co-investigator Gailen Marshall, a professor of medicine and pediatrics at the University of Mississippi, said late-phase reactions typically do not respond to common allergy treatment, such as antihistamines.
"Late-phase reactions also occur in allergic asthma and can, in the proper settings, be potentially life-threatening. The results of this study should alert practitioners and patients alike to the adverse effects of stress on allergic reactions in the nose, chest, skin and other organs that may seemingly resolve within a few minutes to hours after starting, but may reappear the next day when least expected," he said.
Therefore, people may be setting themselves up to have more persistent allergy issues by being stressed and anxious when allergy attacks begin, Kiecolt-Glaser said.
More information
The U.S. National Library of Medicine has more about stress.
SOURCE: Ohio State University, news release, Aug. 14, 2008
We in the natural health field have long believed and taught that stress can have numerous long-term effects on many systems of the body, including the immune system which is closely tied to allergic reactions. This is why lifestyle changes such as a natural, whole-foods diet, including plenty of fresh, pure water, and lots of physical exercise, are so much more useful for controlling allergies than the medications often prescribed that tend to have side effects that tear down the immune system instead of strengthening it. In fact, the best way to prevent allergies from ever occurring in the first place is to pursue a lifestyle of wellness that keeps you healthy instead putting yourself in a position where you have to overcome disease. If you should suffer from high stress levels, along with a very healthy diet I would suggest the following: Learn to say no; spend at least 30 minutes every day listening to music, reading or just being quiet; remove yourself from stressors; take a good Vitamin B-12 and B-Complete along with an organic, liquid multi-vitamin mineral complex; exercise (walking is excellent) for 40 minutes every day, and get sunshine on your body every day.
Remember: It is much easier to stay well than to get well.
Stress, Anxiety Worsen Response to Allergens
Thursday, August 14, 2008; 12:00 AM
THURSDAY, Aug. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Even a little stress and anxiety can greatly worsen and extend a person's reaction to common allergens, a new study says.
The finding, to be presented Thursday at the American Psychological Association annual meeting, in Boston, are important, as allergies are the fifth-most-common chronic disease in the United States. The researchers estimated that Americans pay more than $3.4 billion for allergy medications and allergy-related doctor visits annually, and lose about 3.5 million work days a year because of them.
"Allergies are not minor problems," researcher Jan Kiecolt-Glaser, a professor of psychology and psychiatry at Ohio State, said in a news release issued by the university. "A huge number of people suffer from allergies and, while hay fever, for example, is generally not life-threatening, allergy sufferers often also have asthma, which can be deadly."
The study looked at 28 volunteers with a history of hay fever and seasonal allergies. Researchers gave standard allergy prick tests to the volunteers, then measured the raised "wheals" that formed on the arms of the participants before and after they were subjected to stressful situations, such as given a speech and answering a series of math questions. They were tested again the next day as well.
"The wheals on a person who was moderately anxious because of the experiment were 75 percent larger after the experiment, compared to that same person's response on the day when they were not stressed," Kiecolt-Glaser said, signifying a stronger reaction.
"But people who were highly anxious had wheals that were twice as big after they were stressed compared to their response when they were not stressed. Moreover, these same people were four times more likely to have a stronger reaction to the skin test one day later after the stress," she said.
This second-day "late-phase reaction" signals an ongoing and strengthening response to the allergens, the researchers said. It suggests that sufferers may react strongly to other stimuli that previously hadn't caused them to develop an allergic reaction.
Co-investigator Gailen Marshall, a professor of medicine and pediatrics at the University of Mississippi, said late-phase reactions typically do not respond to common allergy treatment, such as antihistamines.
"Late-phase reactions also occur in allergic asthma and can, in the proper settings, be potentially life-threatening. The results of this study should alert practitioners and patients alike to the adverse effects of stress on allergic reactions in the nose, chest, skin and other organs that may seemingly resolve within a few minutes to hours after starting, but may reappear the next day when least expected," he said.
Therefore, people may be setting themselves up to have more persistent allergy issues by being stressed and anxious when allergy attacks begin, Kiecolt-Glaser said.
More information
The U.S. National Library of Medicine has more about stress.
SOURCE: Ohio State University, news release, Aug. 14, 2008
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