News

Obesity does not pay: Lose weight and make more money.

2007-09-10T19:58:00.000-07:00

Health care is expensive. It is estimated that health care spending in the United States will reach $2.2 trillion this year. Much of this cost is absorbed by companies.

Obesity places individuals at risk for diabetes, heart disease, organ failure, depression, and many serious health problems. A sick employee also results in lower productivity and higher costs for companies.

Companies are now placing some financial burden onto employees for being fat. According to a recent article on MSNBC.com:

“In 2009 the company will start reducing pay for employees in its health plan by
$10 per paycheck if their BMI — a measurement of body fat through a height and
weight ratio — is in the obese range of more than 29.9. The deduction will be $5
per check if they don’t meet required cholesterol, blood pressure or blood
glucose measurements. Workers will be required to complete an annual health risk
assessment and can appeal to have their fees dropped if they show improvement.”

Reference: Employees starting to pay for poor health

If obese Americans will not lose weight for better health, perhaps they’ll lose weight when it becomes a financial penalty.

Obesity in the news:

Property values signal obesity (Chicago Tribune, United States) - Neighborhood property values predict obesity rates better than education or incomes, according to a study from the University of Washington published online ...

New link between obesity and infertility (Daily Telegraph, Australia - By Tamara McLean) SCIENTISTS have proven the link between obesity and infertility, with tests showing fat mice are more likely to have damaged embryos which ...

Rising gasoline prices could take a bite out of America's obesity ... (News from Washington University in St. Louis, MO) - An additional $1 in real gasoline prices would reduce obesity in the US by 15 percent after three years," suggests Charles Courtemanche, an economics ...

New approach to fighting obesity and diabetes (UQ News, Australia) - UQ researcher Professor Bob Gilbert said that while an unhealthy lifestyle and poor eating habits were significant factors in Australia's obesity and ...

High Blood Pressure Rising Among Children (Washington Post, United States) - This is another piece of evidence suggesting that the obesity epidemic will likely turn into a heart disease epidemic." Previous research had indicated that ...

Health Headlines in the News - Sept 9th, 2007

2007-09-09T06:00:00.000-07:00

Health Highlights Two or more alcoholic drinks a day may double the risk of endometrial (uterine) cancer, researchers at the University of Southern California have found.

Brooklyn woman tests positive for West Nile (New York- WABC, September 7, 2007) The New York City Department of Health confirmed the season's first human case of West Nile virus Friday.

China reports leap in new HIV/AIDS cases BEIJING (Reuters) - China reported 18543 new cases of HIV/AIDS in the first half of this year, state media said, near the number for the whole of 2006.

Doctors flunk quiz about supplements their patients use (By Sandra G. Boodman The Washington Post) - It's common knowledge that Americans are taking more dietary supplements than ever.Suspended doctors taint drug trials St. Petersburg Times

Breast Cancer More Deadly in Black Women (The Associated Press) - A new study gives a possible explanation for why breast cancer is more deadly in black women: they are more likely to have tumors that do not respond to the hormone-based treatments that help many others with the disease.

Couple Charged With Illegal Surgeries (The Associated Press) - A couple were arrested after authorities said they performed illegal and disfiguring cosmetic surgeries in their filthy home, filled with drugs and syringes.

Discuss these articles in the Medrounds Forums.

Medical News - June 24, 2007

2007-06-24T09:30:00.000-07:00

West Nile virus could hit area hard this summer

Seattle Times - Jun 22, 2007

By Warren King

As dusk falls over the wetlands that border a huge park-and-ride lot in Kenmore, the crows of one of King County's largest roosts assemble once again to put on the nightly show that ends their day.

Va. mental health system found lacking

Houston Chronicle - Jun 22, 2007

By KRISTEN GELINEAU AP Writer

Members of a commission analyzing Virginia's mental health laws on Friday debated whether language dealing with civil commitments is too narrowly worded to force potentially dangerous people ...

Advanced Parkinson's Symptoms Controlled by Gene Therapy

MedPage Today - Jun 21, 2007

By Neil Osterweil, Senior Associate Editor

Motor symptoms of advanced Parkinson's disease were significantly improved in a small investigational gene-therapy trial, according to investigators here.

Americans making progress managing diabetes: study

Reuters - Jun 23, 2007

By Julie Steenhuysen CHICAGO (Reuters)

Americans appear to be doing a better job of managing diabetes, with more than half of diabetics reaching recommended targets for controlling blood sugar last year, according to a survey published on Saturday.

Estrogen May Lower Heart Disease Risk For Some Menopausal Women

Medical News Today - Jun 22, 2007

New results from a follow up study of the US federally funded Women's Health Initiative (WHI) suggest that among women in their 50s who have had hysterectomies, estrogen was associated with a significantly lower risk of coronary artery calcification ...

Drive to curb drug-resistant TB

BBC News - Jun 22, 2007

The World Health Organization has unveiled a two-year plan to combat the spread of drug-resistant tuberculosis. It is hoped the measures will prevent hundreds of thousands of cases of drug-resistant TB - and save as many as 134000 lives world-wide.

Video Game Overuse May Be an Addiction: Experts

Forbes - Jun 22, 2007FRIDAY, June 22 (HealthDay News)

Millions of US children and adults obsessed with video games may suffer from a real addiction, according to a proposal up for debate by top US doctors.

Omega-3 fatty acids may help slow prostate cancer

Xinhua - Jun 21, 2007BEIJING, June 22 (Xinhuanet)

A new study in US with mice suggests that a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil and certain types of fish might help slow prostate cancer, media reported Friday.

Discuss these topics in the Medrounds Discussion Forums:

Recent headlines on June 3, 2007

2007-06-03T04:33:00.000-07:00

Flaxseed, ginseng show benefit in cancer treatment
Reuters
By Julie Steenhuysen. CHICAGO (Reuters) - Flaxseed slowed the growth of prostate tumors in men, while ginseng helped relieve the fatigue that cancer patients often feel, US researchers reported on Saturday in two of the first scientifically rigorous ...

[Post your experiences with flaxseed and prostate cancer]

[Post your experiences with ginseng and fatigue]

TB patient faces 2 months in hospital
Houston Chronicle - Jun 2, 2007
By COLLEEN SLEVIN AP Writer. © 2007 AP. DENVER - The man quarantined with a dangerous strain of tuberculosis will likely spend up to two months in a hospital while he receives a battery of antibiotics and is evaluated for possible surgery, ...

FDA warns consumers over toothpaste from China
Reuters - Jun 1, 2007
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - US health officials on Friday warned consumers to avoid any toothpaste made in China after inspectors found a poisonous chemical known as DEG in one shipment detained at the border.

Folic Acid May Lower Stroke Risk
WebMD - May 31, 2007
By Salynn Boyles. May 31, 2007 -- Folic acid supplements appear to reduce the risk of stroke, particularly in people who do not get enough of this B vitamin.

Health News March 1, 2007

2007-03-01T07:09:00.000-08:00

Vitamins 'increase death risk'
News24 - Cape Town - Some vitamin supplements could do you more harm than good, according to research published on Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

Ice Cream and Whole-Fat Milk Smooth the Way to Conception
MedPage Today - By Judith Groch, Senior Writer, MedPage Today. BOSTON, Feb. 28 -- Eating rich ice cream and drinking whole-fat milk, and using heavy cream for coffee, may help reward women shooting for pregnancy, researchers here reported.

Study: Common Sexually-Transmitted Virus Found in 1 in 4 US Women
Voice of America - By David McAlary. A sexually-transmitted virus that is a leading cause of female cancer deaths in developing countries is also very prevalent in the United States.

African Prostitutes, Gene Defect Spur Pfizer Hunt for AIDS Drug
Bloomberg - By Andrea Gerlin. March 1 (Bloomberg) -- In 1996, scientists solved a mystery surrounding certain gay men who were immune to AIDS.

Peanut Butter Illnesses Rise as FDA Splits Hairs
Consumer Affairs - By Joseph S. Enoch and Mark Huffman. Federal and state health officials claim to be continuing to trace the source of the Salmonella peanut butter infestation that has sickened consumers nationwide.

Medical News - November 24, 2006

2006-12-24T10:07:00.000-08:00

Laura Bush Discusses Her Skin Cancer
San Francisco Chronicle
First lady Laura Bush says she first thought a sore on her right shin that turned out to be skin cancer was an insect bite. "Actually it never occurred to me to make it public," she told Bob Shieffer on CBS "Face the Nation" aired Sunday.

Olive oil 'can cut cancer risk'
BBC News
Adding plenty of olive oil to a diet could help protect against cell damage that can lead to cancer, experts say. A study of 182 European men found those who had 25 millilitres of olive oil per day had reduced levels of a substance which indicates cell ...

Health Highlights: Dec. 23, 2006
Forbes
Signs of elevated blood pressure in African Americans can be evident as early as age 10, according to new research from the Medical College of Georgia.

NIH researcher is ordered to forfeit Pfizer payments
Los Angeles Times
The scientist, who pleaded guilty to conflict of interest, gets two years' probation and community service. By David Willman, Times Staff Writer.

Psychological Approach Helps Back Pain
WebMD
By Salynn Boyles. Dec. 22, 2006 -- Most people suffer from low back painback pain at some point in their lives, but people with long-lasting pain often get little relief from the most widely recommended treatments.

New scan spots dementia
Health24.com
A new imaging technique could make it possible for doctors to detect Alzheimer's disease in the brain before extensive damage has taken place, researchers report.

Medical Headlines - December 21, 2006

2006-12-21T18:05:00.000-08:00

Teens Getting High on Medicine as Abuse of Illegal Drugs Falls
Bloomberg
By Robert Schmidt. Dec. 21 (Bloomberg) -- Use of illegal drugs by teenagers fell slightly over the past year as adolescents took prescription drugs and over-the-counter cough medicines to get high, a US government-funded study showed.

Flu 'could wipe out 62 million'
BBC News
The 1918 pandemic claimed 50 million lives, and experts in The Lancet predict the toll today would be higher than this, despite medical advances.

Brain Scan May Detect Alzheimer's
FOX News
By Salynn Boyles. A newly identified imaging compound that shows how Alzheimer?s disease ravages the brain could lead to better tools to diagnose the disease and better ways to evaluate new treatments.

Biomarkers Little Help for Heart Attacks
ABC News
There may be nothing better than basic risk factors to predict a patient's chance of suffering a heart attack, says new research.

Fish oil gives babies head start: study
The Age
Toddlers born to women who consume fish oil during pregnancy know more words and longer phrases than other children, a study has found.

Botox Soothes Writer's Cramp
Forbes
THURSDAY, Dec. 21 (HealthDay News) -- Already hailed for its wrinkling-erasing properties, Botox is now being touted as an effective treatment for writer's cramp, too.

What is mesothelioma?

2006-12-11T18:17:00.000-08:00

Fresh bill to spare asbestos victims of dilemma
The Herald, UK - Dec 6, 2006
Families and campaigners yesterday told MSPs of the appalling dilemma faced by mesothelioma victims as they eked out their last weeks of life. ...

Heroes leave pawprints on lives touched
Contra Costa Times, CA - Dec 10, 2006
... being found in people that worked the Pile, it's thought that by studying the dogs, doctors may learn to understand a disease such as mesothelioma, a cancer ...

Nine-Year Mesothelioma Survivor Inspires Patients
PR Web (press release), WA - Nov 15, 2006
Nine year mesothelioma survivor Paul Kraus is scheduled to provide another inspiring teleconference to mesothelioma patients and their families on December 14 ...

Weitz & Luxenberg Wins $25 Million in Mesothelioma Verdict
PowerHomeBiz.com (press release) - Nov 29, 2006
... PC obtained a jury verdict ordering DaimlerChrysler AG to pay $25 million to a New York City brake reliner who lost his right lung to mesothelioma, a rare ...

Thompsons DWP mesothelioma consultation response
SourceWire (press release), UK - Nov 29, 2006
... asbestos litigation team. We pursue several hundred cases each year on behalf of mesothelioma victims and their families. The firm ...

Asbestos roof warning
Sky News Australia, Australia - Dec 8, 2006
... By the year 2020, experts say there will be 13,000 cases of mesothelioma and up to 40,000 cases of asbestos-related lung cancer.

Medical Headlines - December 7, 2006

2006-12-07T21:43:00.000-08:00

Drug-Coated Stents Don't Boost Death Risk, US Advisers Say
Washington Post
By Amanda Gardner. THURSDAY, Dec. 7 (HealthDay News) -- A US Food and Drug Administration advisory committee said Thursday that drug-coated stents -- tiny mesh tubes used to prop open blocked arteries that ...

Trans fat banned in New Yorkers' attack on porkers
Sydney Morning Herald - Dec 6, 2006
H Kenneth Woods, chef and owner of Sylvia's restaurant, cooks southern fried chicken using a soy bean oil that doesn't contain trans fats in New York's Harlem neighbourhood.

After 21 years, scientists say: mobiles don't cause cancer
Times Online - Dec 5, 2006
Mobile phones have no effect at all on the risk of cancer, the largest and longest-running investigation yet conducted has found. A study that has followed 420,000 mobile phone users in Denmark, for up to ...

Teen girls should scale back their weigh-ins
MSNBC - 6 hours ago
Dec. 4: The hamburger giant is offering advice and exercise gear, but is the new move legitimate or just for publicity. "One the Money's" Larry Kudlow speaks with two experts.

Smokers risk osteoarthritis: study
CBC British Columbia
Men who smoke have a higher risk of arthritis in the knee, showing faster loss of cartilage than non-smokers, a new study suggests.

Medicare Issues Getting Much Attention in Closing Days of Congress
SeniorJournal.com - Dec 6, 2006
December 6, 2006 - The final days of this Congress are seeing considerable focus on Medicare issues. A group of senators have asked Health & Human Services to make diabetes screening and prevention a "top priority" for Medicare.

Medical Headlines - November 29, 2006

2006-11-29T21:03:00.000-08:00

Old World Red Wines May Be Healthier
CBS News
(WebMD) The same ingredient that helps red wines become better with age may help people live longer by protecting against heart disease.

Patients Unconcerned About Doctors' Ties
Washington Post
By Rick Weiss. The vast majority of cancer patients participating in studies of experimental drugs do not care if the doctor running the study has financial ties to the drug's maker, according to a new survey ...

Health Canada warns of Tamiflu reactions, pandemic telephone scam
CBC News
TORONTO (CP) - Health Canada has asked Swiss drug maker Hoffman-La Roche to update the safety information on its influenza drug, Tamiflu, following international reports of rare cases of hallucinations and abnormal behaviour in people who have taken the ...

Aching back? Sitting up straight may be why
Reuters
By Megan Rauscher. NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - "Sit up straight -- you'll hurt your back," Mom always said. It turns out Mom was wrong, according to a new study that found sitting in an upright 90-degree position ...

Medicare drug benefit came in under budget
CNN
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Medicare drug benefit has cost nearly $13 billion less than expected this year, a rare federal program coming in under budget.

Drug stents more likely to clot blood: analysis
Reuters.uk
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Blood clotting is four to five times more likely to occur in patients getting drug-coated heart devices known as stents, compared to the older bare-metal variety, according to a large data analysis released on Wednesday.

Even in Africa, obesity a burgeoning problem
More than one-third of African women and a quarter of African men are estimated to be overweight, and the World Health Organization predicts that will rise to 41 percent and 30 percent respectively in the next 10 years.

Medicine in the News - November 21, 2006

2006-11-21T19:54:00.000-08:00

Global AIDS epidemic continues to grow despite some positive ...
UN News Centre
21 November 2006 - Despite some promising trends, the global AIDS epidemic continues to grow, with 2.9 million deaths and 4.3 million new HIV infections in the past year, amid worrying evidence of a resurgence in infection rates in some countries that ...

Pharmaxis soars on FDA approval for Bronchitol
The Australian
PHARMAXIS shares soared by more than 8 per cent today after the company announced that the US Food and Drug Administration had granted its cystic fibrosis drug Bronchitol fast track status.

Contraceptives protect against endometrial cancer
Reuters.uk
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Oral contraceptives and intrauterine devices (IUD) appear to provide long-term protection against endometrial cancer, researchers report in the International Journal of Cancer.

Medicare Part D assistance available locally
Tryon Daily Bulletin
From Nov. 15 through Dec. 31 is the open enrollment window for the Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan. For those senior citizens who did not sign up for a plan by May 15, 2006 or those who want to change plans, the time to do it is now.

Medical News - November 20, 2006

2006-11-20T21:38:00.000-08:00

Hopkins Celebrates Quintuple Transplant
Washington Post
By Susan Levine. The success and logistics of the first-ever quintuple kidney transplant were heralded yesterday by Johns Hopkins surgeons, while former strangers from as far as Florida and Maine talked of the joy of giving or getting a new chance at life.

Bird Flu Vaccines Lose Their Strength
Medical News Today
The initial doses of bird flu vaccines that were stockpiled by US authorities are less effective now - they lose their strength over time.

African health 'needs investment'
BBC News
A major report into health in Africa suggests that some of the continent's biggest problems are getting worse. Rates of death during childbirth and among young children are increasing, the World Health Organisation found.

Low Brain Oxygen Ups Alzheimer's Risk
FOX News
By Miranda Hitti. Low levels of brain oxygen may boost Alzheimer?s risk, a new study in mice shows. The study compared mice that were kept in cages with low-oxygen air with mice exposed to normal levels of ...

Salmonella strain turning up more in chicken
MSNBC
WASHINGTON - A type of salmonella found in eggs is turning up more often in chicken meat and needs to be reduced, according to the Agriculture Department.

Doctors say how we taste affects health (AP)
AP - Woe to those who have a cold on Thursday. If you can't smell the roasting turkey, it just won't taste as good. And if you think the brussels sprouts are bitter, well, blame how many taste buds you were born with, not the chef.

Medical Headlines - November 19, 2006

2006-11-19T18:23:00.000-08:00

Drug for troops labeled dangerous
Houston Chronicle - Nov 18, 2006
© 2006 AP. BALTIMORE - A blood-coagulating drug designed to treat rare forms of hemophilia is being used on critically wounded US troops in Iraq despite evidence it can cause clots that lead to strokes, heart ...

FDA ends silicone-implant ban
Seattle Times - Nov 18, 2006
By David Brown and Christopher Lee. WASHINGTON - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ended its 14-year ban on the cosmetic use of silicone-gel breast implants Friday, despite lingering safety concerns from some health advocates.

How Foods Can Affect Cancer
TIME
By ANDREW WEIL, MD. What do steak, tofu and sushi have to do with cancer? Plenty, it seems, if several new studies served up at the American Association for Cancer Research in Boston are to be believed.

Extreme obesity puts extra strain on ER
The Age
Hospitals need to be better equipped with heavy duty beds and hoists to cope with the rising number of extremely obese patients needing emergency care, a specialist has warned.

Certain Fatty Acid May Cut Dementia Risk
Forbes - Nov 17, 2006
FRIDAY, Nov. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Adding further weight to the theory that fish may be brain food, new research found that people with diets rich in fish have a significantly lower risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

WHO aims to wipe out polio within four years
Guardian Unlimited - Nov 16, 2006
Vaccination programmes are likely to eradicate the crippling polio virus around the globe within four years, health officials claimed yesterday.

VaxGen Wins Extension on Anthrax Vaccine
Washington Post - Nov 16, 2006
By Renae Merle. VaxGen Inc., a California biotechnology firm, said yesterday that the government had given it more time to conduct human testing of its anthrax vaccine, postponing a decision on whether the program should be canceled.

Medicine in the News - November 18, 2006

2006-11-18T06:15:00.000-08:00

US lifts ban on silicone breast implants
Mail & Guardian Online
The United States federal government gave the beauty industry a long-sought push-up late on Friday as it lifted a 14-year-old ban on women's silicone-breast implants, despite concerns by some experts they might not be safe.

Vaccine Could Be Cure For Cervical Cancer
KTIV - Nov 15, 2006
Cancer touches all of us in some way. Whether it be by a family member or friend who's battled the disease... or being diagnosed yourself.

Third drug firm joins lawsuit against Nice
Guardian Unlimited
A third company yesterday announced it would join a legal challenge to the ruling by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence to restrict the use of Alzheimer's drugs in the NHS, as protesters took to the streets around the UK.

Red Wine Ingredient Increases Endurance, Study Shows
New York Times - Nov 16, 2006
By NICHOLAS WADE. A drug already shown to reverse the effects of obesity in mice and make them live longer has now been shown to increase their endurance as well.

Passive smoking threatens healthy adults
NZZ Online
A long:term Swiss study has for the first time shown some of the risks of passive smoking on healthy adult non:smokers. Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) is more likely to affect so:called never:smokers with ...

Hospital not blowing smoke in ban
Allentown Morning Call - Nov 17, 2006
By Brian Callaway Of The Morning Call. David Foster takes as many as seven or eight smoke breaks a day during quiet times at work, walking down to a semi-enclosed patio for a Marlboro ultra light and a chat with co-workers.

Eye Tests Predict Later Vision Trouble for Preemies
Forbes
FRIDAY, Nov. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Having youngsters undergo eye tests at two-and-a-half years of age can help predict vision problems when they're 10 years old, Swedish researchers report.

Bad news for top-selling anemia drugs
International Herald Tribune - Nov 16, 2006
By Alex Berenson / The New York Times. NEW YORK: A new medical study suggests that high doses of a best- selling drug used to treat anemia in dialysis and cancer patients may increase the risk of heart problems and death.

Stem Cells Help Dogs With Muscular Dystrophy
Medical News Today
Dogs with Duchenne muscular dystrophy experienced a return of muscle strength after receiving stem cell therapy, say scientists from Italy and France.

Survive the 3 diet danger months
The problem of mindless eating gets kicked into overdrive during the three diet danger months of the party-happy holidays. Here are easy strategies to help you avoid stuffing yourself.

Free Viagra spices up small Brazilian town
The mayor of a small Brazilian town has begun handing out free Viagra, spicing up the sex lives of dozens of elderly men and their partners.

Medical News - November 15, 2006

2006-11-15T03:49:00.000-08:00

Hospitals speed up treatment
Indianapolis Star
By Shari Rudavsky and Jason Thomas. A check of metro-area hospitals showed that most already are using newly recommended best practices for treating heart attack patients, unblocking arteries within 90 minutes of patients arriving at emergency rooms.

Enrolling in Medicare Part D? Read the fine print
Pioneer Press
BY JEREMY OLSON. Enrollment for Medicare Part D starts today, and advocates are encouraging the nation's elderly and disabled to review the fine print of their prescription drug coverage.

Red meat linked to increased breast cancer risk
FoodNavigator-USA
By Stephen Daniells. 11/14/2006 - A new study from Harvard has reported that pre-menopausal women who eat more that one and a half servings of red per day may double their risk of hormone receptor-positive ..

Rich countries 'blocking cheap drugs for developing world'
Guardian Unlimited
Poor people are needlessly dying because drug companies and the governments of rich countries are blocking the developing world from obtaining affordable medicines, a report says today.

Hershey plant still shut
Toronto Star - Nov 14, 2006
SMITHS FALLS - The Hershey chocolate factory here remained shut yesterday because of a salmonella scare affecting two dozen of its popular chocolates and candy bars.

Exercise and aging
Kentucky.com
An antibiotic linked to rare reports of severe liver problems, including several deaths, will be subjected to new scrutiny by federal health advisers, according to a document released yesterday.

Frieden's fat in the fire
New York Daily News
When Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden announced in September that he wanted to ban artery-clogging trans fats from the city's 24,000 restaurants by July 2008, he told New Yorkers, "Restaurants can replace trans fat without changing the taste or cost of ...

You May Be What Your Grandmother Eats
Forbes
TUESDAY, Nov. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Could your grandma's dining habits be influencing your genes? A new study in pregnant mice suggests they might.

Potent Painkiller Found in Human Saliva
Forbes
TUESDAY, Nov. 14 (HealthDay News) -- French researchers say they've discovered a natural painkiller in human saliva that's several times more potent than morphine used in animal studies.

SoCal high school student tests positive for meningitis
San Jose Mercury News
AP. LOS ANGELES - At least one high school student was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis, and a second student was believed to have been infected with the highly contagious disease, health officials said.

Snail Toxin May Help Nerve Pain Relief
Washington Post - Nov 13, 2006
AP. WASHINGTON -- Toxins from cone snail venom may help point the way to better relief of severe nerve pain in people, researchers report.

N.J. launches campaign for better health (AP)

AP - A statewide campaign promoting healthier diets and exercise kicked off Tuesday, as educators and nutritionists attempt to counteract an obesity epidemic among New Jersey children and adults.

AMA rejects proposal to tax soft drinks (AP)
AP - The American Medical Association on Tuesday decided against a proposal to call for taxes on soft drinks as a way to curb consumption of the sugar-laden beverages blamed for contributing to obesity.

Top companies vow to rein in kid junk food ads

Ten major food and drink makers, including McDonald?s, Coca-Cola and Campbell Soup, announced Tuesday that their child-oriented advertising will do more to promote health foods and exercise.

Daily chocolate cuts heart attack risk
Chocolate, like aspirin, affects the platelets that cause blood to clot and can help lower the risk of heart attack.

Medicine in the News - November 12, 2006

2006-11-12T06:37:00.000-08:00

Time for seniors to pick 2007 drug plan
News-Leader.com
It's decision time again for Ozarkers age 65 and older - and any friends or family members who help them with financial decisions.

Manufacturer Recalls Millions of Bottles of Acetaminophen
ABC News
By DAN CHILDS. Nov.9, 2006? A large drug manufacturer recalled 383 lots, or 11 million bottles, of the pain medication acetaminophen Thursday after discovering that metal fragments contaminated some pills.

Google could 'help doctors diagnose illness'
Daily Mail - UK
Doctors could turn to Google to help them diagnose illnesses, experts said today. The internet search engine found the correct diagnosis in 58 per cent of difficult cases, they said.

HIV costs, life expectancy going up
Seattle Post Intelligencer - Nov 10, 2006
By MIKE STOBBE. AP MEDICAL WRITER. ATLANTA -- An American diagnosed with the AIDS virus can expect to live for about 24 years on average, and the cost of health care over those two-plus decades is more than $600,000, new research indicates.

Military service may boost Lou Gehrig's disease risk
CNN - Nov 10, 2006
By Saundra Young. WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Military service may slightly increase the risk of developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's disease, but more research is needed, according to a new report from the National Academy of Sciences.

Stem cell cure hope for diabetes
BBC News
Scientists have used stem cells from human bone marrow to repair defective insulin-producing pancreatic cells responsible for diabetes in mice.

High blood sugar levels add to heart, stroke deaths
Reuters - Nov 9, 2006
LONDON (Reuters) - High blood sugar levels cause about three million deaths worldwide each year linked to heart disease and strokes as well as diabetes, researchers said on Friday.

NY Doctor Will Perform First Womb Transplant on a Human
New York Sun - Nov 9, 2006
By The Daily Telegraph. The world's first successful womb transplant will take place next year, Dr. Giuseppe Del Priore of New York Downtown Hospital said.

Lupus raises pregnancy death risk: study (Reuters)
Reuters - Women with the immune disease lupus who become pregnant face a much higher risk of serious complications and even death, U.S. researchers reported on Saturday., 2006-11-11

New massage for "BlackBerry Thumb"?
Sore thumbs after spending hours on a hand-held e-mail device? Sounds like a case of "BlackBerry Thumb" ? but help is at hand., 2006-11-10

Confused about green tea?
A recent study that linked consumption of green tea with protection from stroke, but not cancer, caught many people by surprise. How to understand the sometimes conflicting news about green tea., 2006-11-10

Medical Headlines on November 11, 2006

2006-11-11T05:06:00.000-08:00

Painkiller recall affects Utah drug stores
Salt Lake Tribune - Nov 10, 2006
Employees at dozens of Albertsons and Smith's Food and Drug stores in Utah pulled private label painkillers with acetaminophen from shelves Thursday after a major manufacturer of the drug recalled 11 million bottles that may be contaminated with metal ...

Google Searches Out the Diagnoses, Stat
MedPage Today
By Crystal Phend, Staff Writer, MedPage Today. BRISBANE, Australia, Nov. 10 -- Google can pluck diagnoses for tough cases out of the range of stumped into the realm of inspired in minutes, with a decent grade for accuracy, found…

Military service may boost Lou Gehrig's disease risk
CNN
By Saundra Young. WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Military service may slightly increase the risk of developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's disease, but more research is needed, according to a new report from the National Academy of Sciences.

Firefighters at High Risk for Cancer
Forbes
FRIDAY, Nov. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Firefighters risk their lives each day as part of their job, but new research suggests they're at higher cancer risk, too.

Asian Diabetes Rates Soar
Voice of America - Nov 9, 2006
By David McAlary. Asian diabetes rates are soaring, according to a South Korean study. It says the health consequences of the disease are worse in that region than in more prosperous areas.

For Soft Drink Guzzlers, Pancreatic Cancer Is Greater Risk
MedPage Today - Nov 9, 2006
By Neil Osterweil, Senior Associate Editor, MedPage Today. STOCKHOLM, Nov. 9 -- Habitually downing one soft drink after another may nearly double the risk of pancreatic cancer, according to investigators here.

HIV patients live years after diagnosis (AP)
AP - An American diagnosed with the AIDS virus can expect to live for about 24 years on average, and the cost of health care over those two-plus decades is more than $600,000, new research indicates.

News Headlines on November 9, 2006

2006-11-09T16:31:00.000-08:00

Manufacturer Recalls Millions of Bottles of Acetaminophen
ABC News
By DAN CHILDS. Nov.9, 2006? A large drug manufacturer recalled 383 lots, or 11 million bottles, of the pain medication acetaminophen Thursday after discovering that metal fragments contaminated some pills.

Low-Carb Diet Doesn't Up Heart Risk
CBS News
(WebMD) Critics of low-carbohydrate diets claim that they promote heart disease, but one of the first studies to examine the long-term effects of low-carb eating suggests otherwise.

Blind mice could help humans regain sight
The Australian
CELL transplants that restored sight to blind mice have raised hopes that similar kinds of blindness in people could also be cured.

FDA Announces Medical Device Plan
Forbes
The US Food and Drug Administration unveiled a new plan to better track the safety and efficacy of medical gadgets embedded in millions of patients and used in procedures to do everything from treating heartburn to preventing stroke.

Malaria Drug May Fight Metabolic Syndrome
Forbes
TUESDAY, Nov. 7 (HealthDay News) -- A drug that has been used for decades to treat malaria may also fight the constellation of cardiovascular risk factors known as the metabolic syndrome.

Health Highlights: Nov. 9, 2006
Forbes
People who start smoking at a young age or who are exposed to secondhand smoke during childhood have an increased risk of bladder cancer later in life, says a study funded by Cancer Research UK.

Medicine in the News - November 8, 2006

2006-11-08T21:46:00.000-08:00

Blind mice could help humans regain sight

The Australian

CELL transplants that restored sight to blind mice have raised hopes that similar kinds of blindness in people could also be cured.

Are Industrial Chemicals Killing Kids' Brains?
KTRE

A laundry list of common industrial chemicals could be responsible for a silent pandemic that already has resulted in brain impairment in millions of children worldwide, according to a study published today in the British medical journal The Lancet.

Time to Take Another Look at Medicare Drug Plans
New York Times - Nov 6, 2006
By JANE E. BRODY. Maybe you already signed up for Medicare Part D, the prescription drug benefit plan, and maybe you didn?t. Either way, experts strongly urge that every Medicare recipient take a second look.

Study links pancreatic cancer to high sugar intake
Reuters
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - People who drink large quantities of fizzy drinks or add sugar to coffee or tea run a higher risk of developing cancer of the pancreas, Swedish research showed on Wednesday.

Radioactive weapons against AIDS?
ZDNet - Nov 7, 2006
You all know that radiotherapy has been used for a long time as a treatment for several types of cancer. Why not applying it to people infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS?

Low-carb diet doesn't raise heart risk (AP)
AP - Eating a low-carb, high-fat diet for years doesn't raise the risk of heart disease, a long-term study suggests, easing fears that the popular Atkins diet and similar regimens might set people up for eventual heart attacks.

Doctors Rarely Discuss Drug Costs With Patients (HealthDay)
HealthDay - WEDNESDAY, Nov. 8 (HealthDay News) -- U.S. doctors often fail to discuss costs, prescription drug insurance coverage and other related issues when they give new prescriptions to patients, a new study finds.,

Medicine in the News - November 7, 2006

2006-11-07T22:41:00.000-08:00

Concern over chemicals brain risk
BBC News
Toxic chemicals may be causing a pandemic of brain disorders because of inadequate regulation, researchers say. A report in the Lancet identifies over 200 industrial chemicals, including metals, solvents and ...

Aged mice, jet lag a fatal mix
Richmond Times Dispatch - Nov 6, 2006
BY AJ HOSTETLER. Chronic jet lag and shift changes can take a deadly toll on the elderly, University of Virginia biologists observed in a new study.

Vital Signs Remedies: Researchers Devise New Weapon for Head Lice
New York Times - Nov 6, 2006
By ERIC NAGOURNEY. The scourge of elementary school, head lice, may have a formidable new enemy, even if it is just air. Researchers said yesterday that they had developed a blow-dryer-like device that appears ...

Study, Citing Student Injuries, Calls for Safety Belts on Buses
New York Times - Nov 5, 2006
By AP. CHICAGO, Nov. 5 - National data show that accidents involving school buses send 17,000 children to emergency rooms each year.

Meat products recalled after syringe discovery at Ont. plant
CBC News
Maple Leaf Foods is recalling some of its ham and turkey products after police were called in to investigate a possible case of food tampering at a meat products plant in southern Ontario.

Systolic and Non-Systolic Heart Failure Equal Threats
MedPage Today
By Judith Groch, Senior Writer, MedPage Today. ROCHESTER, Minn., Nov. 7 --Mortality rates for heart failure patients with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (non-systolic) are similar to those for ...

Scientists Developing 'Artificial Pancreas'
Life Style Extra - Nov 6, 2006
Scientists are developing an 'artificial pancreas' for children with diabetes that will monitor their blood sugar levels and end the daily trauma of insulin injections.

Cancer Combo Therapy Is Cost-Effective
Forbes - 6 hours ago
TUESDAY, Nov. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Combination cancer treatments are initially more expensive than single-agent cancer therapies, but they offer better results for patients and prove more cost-effective in the long term, a new study finds.

Childhood Cancer Survivors Face Long-Term Stroke Risk (HealthDay)
HealthDay - TUESDAY, Nov. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Long-term survivors of childhood leukemia and brain tumors are at increased risk for stroke, even years after they finish their cancer treatment, a new study finds.,

USANA Vitamins and Supplements in the news

2006-11-06T23:30:00.000-08:00

Home Based Business Ideas for the Health and Fitness Industry
Best Syndication, CA - Oct 11, 2006
... Advertisers might be retailers of vitamins and minerals, exercise equipment, health foods ... Some companies, such as USANA, enable you to sell their products, and ...

Utah rivals teaming for foray into China
Salt Lake Tribune, United States - Oct 16, 2006
... and vitamins, skin-care products and nutritional supplements - are doing this week in China. Normally, Nature's Sunshine, NuSkin, Tahitian Noni and USANA ...

Unlikely business coalition sends delegates to China
Kitsap Sun (Subscription), United States - Oct 18, 2006
... and vitamins, skin-care products and nutritional supplements - were doing this week in China. Normally, Nature's Sunshine, Nu Skin, Tahitian Noni and USANA ...

ConsumerLab.com Report on COQ10 Supplements Find Quality High But ...
HealthNewsDigest.com, NY - Oct 22, 2006
... Rite Aid, Shaklee, Spring Valley, Sundown, Trace Minerals Research, USANA, Vitamin World ... The paperback ConsumerLab.com's Guide to Buying Vitamins and Supplements ...

Direct sales reps lobby for market
Salt Lake Tribune, United States - Oct 19, 2006
... facing Utah natural products companies who sell lotions and vitamins and tropical ... Nu Skin, executives from Nature's Sunshine, Tahitian Noni, USANA and XanGo ...

News Headlines for November 6, 2006

2006-11-06T19:42:00.000-08:00

Excess Junk Food Can Kill The Children
Playfuls.com
by Monica C. Spoiling the children with high-fat, high-sugar foods has been proven scientifically unsafe, as American researchers reveal that kids and teens in the US are becoming fatter and more at risk for a series of diseases.

Tune-up During Sleep May Boost Memory
CBS News
(WebMD) Sleep boosts memory. An electric current that tunes the brain during early sleep can improve memory even more, German scientists say.

HIV used to halt Aids
InTheNews.co.uk
Scientists have developed a genetically-based procedure that may help prevent the spread of Aids. The method involves combining patients' own immune cells with HIV to make them resistant to the retrovirus.

Chronic fatigue syndrome gains disease status
Houston Chronicle
By MAGGIE FOX. WASHINGTON - Chronic fatigue syndrome, once thought by some doctors to be a psychological problem or even an excuse for malingerers, is a real disease that affects more than a million Americans ...

Survey: Unproven diet products popular (AP)
AP - Besides extra pounds, dieters also seem to carry a hefty independent streak. A survey finds that 70 percent of Americans who are trying to lose weight are following their own diet plans and have no interest in seeking a doctor's help.

FDA: Bausch & Lomb failed on reporting (AP)
AP - Bausch & Lomb Inc. failed to formally report nearly three dozen foreign cases of fungal eye infections later linked to one of its contact lens solutions, according to a federal warning letter.

60 million Chinese are considered obese (AP)

AP - Rising affluence has made about 60 million Chinese — equal to the population of France — obese, state media said on Monday.

Binge-eating a problem for some overweight kids (Reuters)

Reuters - Overweight children who are prone to binge-eating can down hundreds more calories at a sitting than their peers, yet still feel hungry again soon after, a new study shows.

Fighting Rising Drug Costs - Recent News Headlines

2006-11-05T20:23:00.000-08:00

Seniors see Democrats offering hope on drug costs
Boston Globe, United States - Nov 2, 2006
... hole, a coverage gap between $2,250 and $5,100 in annual drug spending that forces many seniors to pay thousands of dollars in prescription drug costs. ...

Some drug costs may rise
New Brunswick Home News Tribune, NJ - Nov 2, 2006
... expensive. It refers to the cutoff that occurs in Medicare drug coverage when a participant's total drug costs reach $2,250. The ...

Seniors' drug plan costs will rise
NorthJersey.com, NJ - Nov 2, 2006
... $250 deductible for their medications. After that, 75 percent of drug costs are covered up to $2,250. Once they reach that point ...

Cure for high drug costs
Centre Daily Times, PA - Oct 30, 2006
... As an example, Blue Cross and Blue Shield may move a drug from the brand ... amount we reimburse to the pharmacy, which helps us hold the line on premium costs.".

Minimize Your Drug Costs
Kiplinger.com, DC - Oct 24, 2006
... That's because most Part D plans cover most of the drug costs up to $2,250 (including any deductible, your co-pays and the insurer's share of the cost). ...