If you're ready to expand your family, you may need a little help (outside of the bedroom, of course!)
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Monday, August 04, 2008
Creatine Has Negligible Effect on COPD Exercise Rehab
(HealthDay News) -- Taking creatine doesn't improve exercise outcomes in people who have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a U.K. study reports.
Creatine is a popular nutritional supplement used to enhance athletic performance and muscle strength. This study included 100 COPD patients who received either creatine or a placebo during a seven-week pulmonary rehabilitation program.
Of the 80 patients who completed the study, there were no differences in muscle strength between those who took creatine and those who got the placebo. Any benefits of creatine may have been overshadowed by the effects of physical training, the researchers suggested.
"We have evidence to suggest Cr [creatine] uptake into muscles (in COPD patients), but are unable to explain why an increase in muscle Cr did not enhance training," wrote study lead author Dr. Sarah Deacon, specialist registrar at the Institute for Lung Health at Glenfield Hospital in Leicester, England.
The study was published in the first August issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
The findings suggest there's no substitute for the hard physical work that's an essential component of pulmonary rehabilitation.
"Those of us interested in pulmonary rehabilitation are happy to see confirmation of the beneficial effects of exercise training. This information indicates that creatine supplementation not be viewed as a substitute for exercise training," wrote Dr. Francoise Maltais and colleagues at the Centre de Recherche de l'Hospital Laval in Quebec, Canada.
More information
The American Academy of Family Physicians has more about COPD.
Creatine is a popular nutritional supplement used to enhance athletic performance and muscle strength. This study included 100 COPD patients who received either creatine or a placebo during a seven-week pulmonary rehabilitation program.
Of the 80 patients who completed the study, there were no differences in muscle strength between those who took creatine and those who got the placebo. Any benefits of creatine may have been overshadowed by the effects of physical training, the researchers suggested.
"We have evidence to suggest Cr [creatine] uptake into muscles (in COPD patients), but are unable to explain why an increase in muscle Cr did not enhance training," wrote study lead author Dr. Sarah Deacon, specialist registrar at the Institute for Lung Health at Glenfield Hospital in Leicester, England.
The study was published in the first August issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
The findings suggest there's no substitute for the hard physical work that's an essential component of pulmonary rehabilitation.
"Those of us interested in pulmonary rehabilitation are happy to see confirmation of the beneficial effects of exercise training. This information indicates that creatine supplementation not be viewed as a substitute for exercise training," wrote Dr. Francoise Maltais and colleagues at the Centre de Recherche de l'Hospital Laval in Quebec, Canada.
More information
The American Academy of Family Physicians has more about COPD.
Monday, March 10, 2008
AyurGold-Maintain Optimal Blood Chemistry for Good Health
Blood chemistry is regulated by negative feedback in order to keep the body in homeostasis (optimal equilibrium). The levels of glucose in the blood are monitored by the cells in the pancreas.
If the blood glucose level falls to dangerous levels (caused by very heavy exercise or lack of food for extended periods), some pancreas cells release glucagon, a hormone that acts on liver cells to increase blood glucose levels.
Stored glycogen is converted into glucose by a process called glycogenolysis. The glucose is then released into the bloodstream, increasing blood sugar levels.
Blood sugar levels are also increased by "stress" hormones such as adrenalin, steroids, infections, trauma, and the ingestion of food. When levels of blood sugar rise, whether as a result of glycogen conversion, or from the digestion of a meal, a different hormone is released from beta cells found in the Islets of Langerhans in the pancreas.
This hormone, insulin, causes the liver to convert more glucose into glycogen. This process is called glycogenesis and it forces about two-thirds of body cells (primarily muscle and fat tissue cells) to take up glucose from the blood, thereby decreasing blood sugar levels. A breakdown in body homeostasis can lead to dangerously high or low blood sugar levels.
This can become a chronic condition leading to the onset of diabetes. According to the World Health Organization, in 1985, an estimated 30 million people worldwide had diabetes. By 1995, this number shot up to 135 million. The latest WHO estimate for the number of people with diabetes worldwide is 177 million. This will increase to at least 300 million by 2025.
The number of deaths attributed to diabetes is likely to be around 4 million. These projections take into account the fact that there will be more people in the world due to population growth and that there will be more elderly people due to population aging.
They also account for urbanization - the fact that people are moving from rural areas to cities, particularly in developing countries. This migration affects the number of people who are likely to have diabetes, because people living in cities of developing countries tend to be less physically active and have higher levels of obesity than people in rural areas.
In fact, current trends in obesity suggest that these projections are conservative and that the increase in the prevalence of diabetes may be even greater. In developing countries, people in the middle and most productive years of their lives are particularly affected by diabetes.
In these countries, three-quarters of all people with diabetes are under 65 years old and 25% of all adults with diabetes are younger than 44. In developed countries, more than half of all people with diabetes are older than 65, and only 8% of adults with diabetes are younger than 44. Because of its chronic nature, the severity of its complications, and the means required to control it, diabetes is a costly disease, not only for the affected individuals and the families involved, but also for the health authorities.
Studies in India estimate that, for a low-income Indian family, as much as 25% of family income may be devoted to diabetes care. For families in the USA, the corresponding figure is 10%. The total healthcare cost of a person with diabetes in the USA is between two and three times those for people without the condition.
A recent analysis of healthcare expenditure in the Western Pacific region has shown that 16% of hospital expenditure was spent on people afflicted with diabetes. In the Republic of the Marshall Islands, this figure was 25%. The cost of diabetes affects everyone, everywhere, but they are not only a financial problem. Intangible costs (pain, anxiety, inconvenience, and generally lower quality of life) also have great impact on the lives of patients and their families and are the most difficult to quantify.
Direct costs to individuals and their families include medical care, drugs, insulin, and other supplies. Patients may also have to bear other personal costs, such as increased payments for health and life insurance. Recent treatment cost estimates for Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico were US $3.9 billion, US $0.8 billion and US $2.0 billion, respectively.
Each of these is an annual figure and is rising as prevalence of diabetes increases. For most countries, the largest portion of diabetes expenditure is cost of hospital admissions for the treatment of long-term complications, such as heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, and foot problems.
Western medicine relies on aggressive prescription drugs and surgery to deal with many problems related to irregular blood chemistry in the body. Unfortunately, these methods often result in unwanted and even dangerous side effects. And natural pills provide only fleeting, inconsistent results.
Ayurveda, the science of life, prevention and longevity, is the oldest and most holistic and comprehensive medical system available. Its fundamentals can be found in Hindu scriptures called the Vedas - the ancient Indian books of wisdom written over 5,000 years ago. Ayurveda applies the inherent principles of nature to help maintain optimum health in a person by keeping the individual's body, mind, and spirit in perfect equilibrium with nature.
India Herbs has a seasoned group of Ayurvedic doctors specialized in Vajikarana, one of the eight major specialties of Ayurveda. Vajikarana prescribes the therapeutic use of various herbal and tonic preparations to address the root cause of irregular blood chemistry, while strengthening your body and overall well-being.
India Herbs' Vajikarana scientists combine a proprietary herbal formula based on centuries' old wisdom with advice on diet, exercise, mental training, and relaxation to help men and women overcome their health concerns through safe and natural means.
Results: The precise combination of ingredients in AyurGold along with a mind-body focus precisely addresses your blood chemistry concerns!
more information:
http://www.india-herbs.com/aff/dreddyclinic/ayurgold
If the blood glucose level falls to dangerous levels (caused by very heavy exercise or lack of food for extended periods), some pancreas cells release glucagon, a hormone that acts on liver cells to increase blood glucose levels.
Stored glycogen is converted into glucose by a process called glycogenolysis. The glucose is then released into the bloodstream, increasing blood sugar levels.
Blood sugar levels are also increased by "stress" hormones such as adrenalin, steroids, infections, trauma, and the ingestion of food. When levels of blood sugar rise, whether as a result of glycogen conversion, or from the digestion of a meal, a different hormone is released from beta cells found in the Islets of Langerhans in the pancreas.
This hormone, insulin, causes the liver to convert more glucose into glycogen. This process is called glycogenesis and it forces about two-thirds of body cells (primarily muscle and fat tissue cells) to take up glucose from the blood, thereby decreasing blood sugar levels. A breakdown in body homeostasis can lead to dangerously high or low blood sugar levels.
This can become a chronic condition leading to the onset of diabetes. According to the World Health Organization, in 1985, an estimated 30 million people worldwide had diabetes. By 1995, this number shot up to 135 million. The latest WHO estimate for the number of people with diabetes worldwide is 177 million. This will increase to at least 300 million by 2025.
The number of deaths attributed to diabetes is likely to be around 4 million. These projections take into account the fact that there will be more people in the world due to population growth and that there will be more elderly people due to population aging.
They also account for urbanization - the fact that people are moving from rural areas to cities, particularly in developing countries. This migration affects the number of people who are likely to have diabetes, because people living in cities of developing countries tend to be less physically active and have higher levels of obesity than people in rural areas.
In fact, current trends in obesity suggest that these projections are conservative and that the increase in the prevalence of diabetes may be even greater. In developing countries, people in the middle and most productive years of their lives are particularly affected by diabetes.
In these countries, three-quarters of all people with diabetes are under 65 years old and 25% of all adults with diabetes are younger than 44. In developed countries, more than half of all people with diabetes are older than 65, and only 8% of adults with diabetes are younger than 44. Because of its chronic nature, the severity of its complications, and the means required to control it, diabetes is a costly disease, not only for the affected individuals and the families involved, but also for the health authorities.
Studies in India estimate that, for a low-income Indian family, as much as 25% of family income may be devoted to diabetes care. For families in the USA, the corresponding figure is 10%. The total healthcare cost of a person with diabetes in the USA is between two and three times those for people without the condition.
A recent analysis of healthcare expenditure in the Western Pacific region has shown that 16% of hospital expenditure was spent on people afflicted with diabetes. In the Republic of the Marshall Islands, this figure was 25%. The cost of diabetes affects everyone, everywhere, but they are not only a financial problem. Intangible costs (pain, anxiety, inconvenience, and generally lower quality of life) also have great impact on the lives of patients and their families and are the most difficult to quantify.
Direct costs to individuals and their families include medical care, drugs, insulin, and other supplies. Patients may also have to bear other personal costs, such as increased payments for health and life insurance. Recent treatment cost estimates for Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico were US $3.9 billion, US $0.8 billion and US $2.0 billion, respectively.
Each of these is an annual figure and is rising as prevalence of diabetes increases. For most countries, the largest portion of diabetes expenditure is cost of hospital admissions for the treatment of long-term complications, such as heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, and foot problems.
Western medicine relies on aggressive prescription drugs and surgery to deal with many problems related to irregular blood chemistry in the body. Unfortunately, these methods often result in unwanted and even dangerous side effects. And natural pills provide only fleeting, inconsistent results.
Ayurveda, the science of life, prevention and longevity, is the oldest and most holistic and comprehensive medical system available. Its fundamentals can be found in Hindu scriptures called the Vedas - the ancient Indian books of wisdom written over 5,000 years ago. Ayurveda applies the inherent principles of nature to help maintain optimum health in a person by keeping the individual's body, mind, and spirit in perfect equilibrium with nature.
India Herbs has a seasoned group of Ayurvedic doctors specialized in Vajikarana, one of the eight major specialties of Ayurveda. Vajikarana prescribes the therapeutic use of various herbal and tonic preparations to address the root cause of irregular blood chemistry, while strengthening your body and overall well-being.
India Herbs' Vajikarana scientists combine a proprietary herbal formula based on centuries' old wisdom with advice on diet, exercise, mental training, and relaxation to help men and women overcome their health concerns through safe and natural means.
Results: The precise combination of ingredients in AyurGold along with a mind-body focus precisely addresses your blood chemistry concerns!
more information:
http://www.india-herbs.com/aff/dreddyclinic/ayurgold
Friday, February 29, 2008
Spanking Raises Chances of Risky, Deviant Sexual Behavior
(HealthDay News) -- Researchers have uncovered another damaging consequence of spanking: risky sexual behaviors, or even sexual deviancy, when the child grows up.
"This adds one more harmful side effect to spanking," said Murray Straus, a spanking expert who was expected to present the findings of four studies at the American Psychological Association's Summit on Violence and Abuse in Relationships in Bethesda, Md., on Thursday.
"I think that it's pretty powerful," said Elizabeth Gershoff, an assistant professor at the University of Michigan's School of Social Work. "It's across several studies and across different forms of either risky or deviant sexual behavior."
Straus, who was the author of all four studies, hopes the findings will raise awareness among child development experts.
"My hope is to convince my colleagues that they ought to put this in their textbooks," said Straus, co-director of the Family Research Laboratory at the University of New Hampshire, in Durham. "It's amazing. Something experienced by all American kids gets an average of half a page in child development textbooks, and not a single one comes to the conclusion that parents should never spank."
Even the revered Dr. Spock, who was anti-spanking, never came right out and advised parents outright not to do it, he added. Instead, Spock advised "avoiding it if you can."
A meta-analysis of spanking studies conducted by Gershoff found 93 percent agreement among studies that spanking can lead to such problems as delinquent and anti-social behavior in childhood along with aggression, criminal and anti-social behavior and spousal or child abuse as an adult.
"There's probably nothing else in child development that has 93 percent agreement in results," Straus said.
Five percent of people who have never been spanked hit their partners, versus 25 percent of those who were spanked frequently.
However, some 90 percent of U.S. parents spank toddlers, according to Straus.
The review being presented at the meeting are the first to look at the relationship of spanking to sexual behavior.
They found that spanking and other corporal punishment is associated with an increased probability of verbally and physically coercing a dating partner to have sex; risky sex such as premarital sex without using a condom; and masochistic sex such as spanking during sex.
There is a "dose response" at work here. "The more parents spank, the higher the probability of harmful side effects," Straus noted.
Of course, there's a similar dose response for smokers. But if someone reaches the age of 65 without developing lung cancer, it doesn't mean that smoking isn't harmful. It means the person was one of the lucky ones.
It's the same with spanking, Straus said. "If a person says, 'I was spanked, and I don't have any interest in bondage and discipline sex, that's correct, but it's not because spanking is OK, it's because they're one of the lucky ones."
And spanking a child once may be like picking up that first cigarette. "The trouble is, if you have a 2-year-old, you pretty soon decide you can't avoid it. The recidivism rate for whatever 'crime' you correct a 2-year-old for is about 50 percent in two hours."
"I've been researching corporal punishment for 30 years and, in the course of that time, the evidence has accumulated that it doesn't work any better than non-corporal punishment but has harmful side effects. I have come to the conclusion that parents should never, ever spank because, although it does work, it's no better than non-hitting methods that don't have harmful side effects. If there was an FDA for spanking, they'd say use an alternative that doesn't have harmful side effects."
More information
Visit the Center for Effective Discipline for other ways to discipline your child.
"This adds one more harmful side effect to spanking," said Murray Straus, a spanking expert who was expected to present the findings of four studies at the American Psychological Association's Summit on Violence and Abuse in Relationships in Bethesda, Md., on Thursday.
"I think that it's pretty powerful," said Elizabeth Gershoff, an assistant professor at the University of Michigan's School of Social Work. "It's across several studies and across different forms of either risky or deviant sexual behavior."
Straus, who was the author of all four studies, hopes the findings will raise awareness among child development experts.
"My hope is to convince my colleagues that they ought to put this in their textbooks," said Straus, co-director of the Family Research Laboratory at the University of New Hampshire, in Durham. "It's amazing. Something experienced by all American kids gets an average of half a page in child development textbooks, and not a single one comes to the conclusion that parents should never spank."
Even the revered Dr. Spock, who was anti-spanking, never came right out and advised parents outright not to do it, he added. Instead, Spock advised "avoiding it if you can."
A meta-analysis of spanking studies conducted by Gershoff found 93 percent agreement among studies that spanking can lead to such problems as delinquent and anti-social behavior in childhood along with aggression, criminal and anti-social behavior and spousal or child abuse as an adult.
"There's probably nothing else in child development that has 93 percent agreement in results," Straus said.
Five percent of people who have never been spanked hit their partners, versus 25 percent of those who were spanked frequently.
However, some 90 percent of U.S. parents spank toddlers, according to Straus.
The review being presented at the meeting are the first to look at the relationship of spanking to sexual behavior.
They found that spanking and other corporal punishment is associated with an increased probability of verbally and physically coercing a dating partner to have sex; risky sex such as premarital sex without using a condom; and masochistic sex such as spanking during sex.
There is a "dose response" at work here. "The more parents spank, the higher the probability of harmful side effects," Straus noted.
Of course, there's a similar dose response for smokers. But if someone reaches the age of 65 without developing lung cancer, it doesn't mean that smoking isn't harmful. It means the person was one of the lucky ones.
It's the same with spanking, Straus said. "If a person says, 'I was spanked, and I don't have any interest in bondage and discipline sex, that's correct, but it's not because spanking is OK, it's because they're one of the lucky ones."
And spanking a child once may be like picking up that first cigarette. "The trouble is, if you have a 2-year-old, you pretty soon decide you can't avoid it. The recidivism rate for whatever 'crime' you correct a 2-year-old for is about 50 percent in two hours."
"I've been researching corporal punishment for 30 years and, in the course of that time, the evidence has accumulated that it doesn't work any better than non-corporal punishment but has harmful side effects. I have come to the conclusion that parents should never, ever spank because, although it does work, it's no better than non-hitting methods that don't have harmful side effects. If there was an FDA for spanking, they'd say use an alternative that doesn't have harmful side effects."
More information
Visit the Center for Effective Discipline for other ways to discipline your child.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Most Internet Sex Offenders Target Teens, Not Kids
(HealthDay News) -- The stereotype of the middle-aged male sex offender posing online as a young person to trick adolescents into clandestine meetings where they can be abducted and raped is inaccurate, a new study finds.
Instead, Internet-initiated sex crimes most often involve adult men who do not lie about their age, are open about wanting sex, and use instant messaging, e-mail and chat rooms to meet and seduce teenagers, according to research published in the February/March issue of American Psychologist, the journal of the American Psychological Association.
According to study co-author David Finkelhor, director of the Crimes against Children Research Center at the University of New Hampshire, most arrested sex offenders who find victims on the Internet are charged with crimes such as statutory rape that involve nonviolent sexual relations with adolescents too young to consent to sexual intercourse.
The research team found that online sexual predators rarely resorted to violence or abduction of their victims. Instead, the sex offenders worked slowly, developing the trust of their young victims who felt these relationships were romances or sexual adventures.
"We have to be frank about what is going on if we are going to stop the problem. The teens are often looking for attention, affection, excitement and romance. That doesn't make it a less serious problem, because the teenagers may in some ways contribute to the situation. The adult should know that having sexual relationships with young teenagers is against the law, but they go ahead and do it. It is still a crime," said Finkelhor.
The research was compiled from three surveys -- two telephone interviews totaling 3,000 young Internet users between the ages of 10 and 17 conducted both in 2000 and 2005 and 612 interviews in 2001 and 2002 with federal, state and local law enforcement officials who have expertise in investigating Internet-initiated sex crimes. The data revealed almost 75 percent of victims who met sex offenders in person did so more than once.
"This is a very interesting study and supports other previous research. My only caveat is that it was primarily based on phone interviews, and the researchers were reporting what they were told by the young people," said Ernie Allen, president of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
The investigators identified several behaviors that appear to make teens more likely to receive sexual contact from predators, including placing people they didn't know on their instant messaging buddy lists, talking about sex online with strangers, and engaging in rude or nasty chats online. The teens most vulnerable to online sex offenders are more likely to be risk takers and to have histories of sexual or physical abuse and family problems. In addition, the researchers concluded boys who are gay or are questioning their sexuality may be at higher risk of sex crimes initiated on the Internet than other groups.
The study indicates MySpace and Facebook, social networking Web sites popular with teens, do not appear to increase the risk of adolescents being victimized by sexual predators. The same conclusion was reached recently in a study by one of the researchers of this latest article; that earlier work appeared in the February issue of Pediatrics. Instead, talking online about sex to strangers in chat rooms or with instant messaging heightened the risk of exposure to sex offenders.
"I would caution that it is not clear the Internet has increased the level of risk in young people, although perhaps it has changed the venue for some of these situations with sexual predators. There has certainly been plenty of statutory sex offenses going on before the popularity of the Internet, and it may have migrated to the Web, because that's where people are. However, statistics don't suggest there's a big explosion of it and, in fact, suggest sex crimes against children are going down," Finkelhor explained.
"The bottom line is that most teens are doing a good and responsible job of being on the Internet. But teens think they are immortal, and it is important for parents to keep the lines of communication open and for youngsters to realize predators are out there," said Allen.
More information
For more on protecting children and teens from sexual exploitation, visit The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
Instead, Internet-initiated sex crimes most often involve adult men who do not lie about their age, are open about wanting sex, and use instant messaging, e-mail and chat rooms to meet and seduce teenagers, according to research published in the February/March issue of American Psychologist, the journal of the American Psychological Association.
According to study co-author David Finkelhor, director of the Crimes against Children Research Center at the University of New Hampshire, most arrested sex offenders who find victims on the Internet are charged with crimes such as statutory rape that involve nonviolent sexual relations with adolescents too young to consent to sexual intercourse.
The research team found that online sexual predators rarely resorted to violence or abduction of their victims. Instead, the sex offenders worked slowly, developing the trust of their young victims who felt these relationships were romances or sexual adventures.
"We have to be frank about what is going on if we are going to stop the problem. The teens are often looking for attention, affection, excitement and romance. That doesn't make it a less serious problem, because the teenagers may in some ways contribute to the situation. The adult should know that having sexual relationships with young teenagers is against the law, but they go ahead and do it. It is still a crime," said Finkelhor.
The research was compiled from three surveys -- two telephone interviews totaling 3,000 young Internet users between the ages of 10 and 17 conducted both in 2000 and 2005 and 612 interviews in 2001 and 2002 with federal, state and local law enforcement officials who have expertise in investigating Internet-initiated sex crimes. The data revealed almost 75 percent of victims who met sex offenders in person did so more than once.
"This is a very interesting study and supports other previous research. My only caveat is that it was primarily based on phone interviews, and the researchers were reporting what they were told by the young people," said Ernie Allen, president of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
The investigators identified several behaviors that appear to make teens more likely to receive sexual contact from predators, including placing people they didn't know on their instant messaging buddy lists, talking about sex online with strangers, and engaging in rude or nasty chats online. The teens most vulnerable to online sex offenders are more likely to be risk takers and to have histories of sexual or physical abuse and family problems. In addition, the researchers concluded boys who are gay or are questioning their sexuality may be at higher risk of sex crimes initiated on the Internet than other groups.
The study indicates MySpace and Facebook, social networking Web sites popular with teens, do not appear to increase the risk of adolescents being victimized by sexual predators. The same conclusion was reached recently in a study by one of the researchers of this latest article; that earlier work appeared in the February issue of Pediatrics. Instead, talking online about sex to strangers in chat rooms or with instant messaging heightened the risk of exposure to sex offenders.
"I would caution that it is not clear the Internet has increased the level of risk in young people, although perhaps it has changed the venue for some of these situations with sexual predators. There has certainly been plenty of statutory sex offenses going on before the popularity of the Internet, and it may have migrated to the Web, because that's where people are. However, statistics don't suggest there's a big explosion of it and, in fact, suggest sex crimes against children are going down," Finkelhor explained.
"The bottom line is that most teens are doing a good and responsible job of being on the Internet. But teens think they are immortal, and it is important for parents to keep the lines of communication open and for youngsters to realize predators are out there," said Allen.
More information
For more on protecting children and teens from sexual exploitation, visit The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Ignition Locks Prevent Repeat DWI Offenses
(HealthDay News) -- Breath-testing devices that prevent a vehicle from starting if the driver's blood alcohol level exceeds a preset limit can dramatically reduce more DWI offenses among first-time offenders, a new study shows.
First offenders with "interlock" devices installed on their cars were 60 percent less likely to have a repeat offense than those who did not use the devices, according to findings published in the current issue of Traffic Injury Prevention.
"This study on first-time offenders reinforces prior studies on this issue that show a 65 percent reduction in drunk driving while interlocks are installed," Paul Marques, of the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, said in a prepared statement.
The findings may help resolve questions about whether interlocks work as well with first-time offenders as with repeat offenders. Two earlier studies had questioned their effect, but the researchers noted that in those studies, only a small proportion of those required to install the interlocks actually did.
In the new study, researchers examined the records of 1,461 first-time DWI offenders in New Mexico who had interlocks installed in their vehicles and compared them with 17,562 first-time offenders in the state who didn't use the devices. The two groups were matched by age, gender and blood alcohol concentration at the time of arrest.
"The average first offender has driven drunk many times before he or she was arrested. The big risk difference is between non-offenders and first offenders. The risk difference between first offenders and repeat offenders is small by comparison," Marques said.
This research -- funded in part by the Substance Abuse Policy Research Program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a philanthropic organization that focuses on health and health-care issues -- also cited possible economic benefits to vehicle interlocks.
One device cost the offender $2.25 per day, leading the authors to estimate that for every dollar spent on interlocks for first offenders, the public saves $3 in damage and destruction caused by DWI crashes.
"Interlocks present an opportunity to help change behavior rather than simply punishing or incarcerating the offender," Marques said. "It's not enough to revoke a license -- 75 percent of all people with revoked licenses drive anyway -- but you don't want to sentence an entire family to poverty if they're dependent on that driver getting to and from his or her job. By installing an interlock, the risk that the DWI offender poses is controlled, and interlocks become a public benefit."
Only about 10 percent of arrested DWIs nationally are ordered a period of interlock-controlled driving, Marques said. Four states mandate interlocks for first DWI offenses: New Mexico, Louisiana, Arizona and Illinois (effective in 2009).
More information
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism offers has more about preventing alcohol abuse.
First offenders with "interlock" devices installed on their cars were 60 percent less likely to have a repeat offense than those who did not use the devices, according to findings published in the current issue of Traffic Injury Prevention.
"This study on first-time offenders reinforces prior studies on this issue that show a 65 percent reduction in drunk driving while interlocks are installed," Paul Marques, of the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, said in a prepared statement.
The findings may help resolve questions about whether interlocks work as well with first-time offenders as with repeat offenders. Two earlier studies had questioned their effect, but the researchers noted that in those studies, only a small proportion of those required to install the interlocks actually did.
In the new study, researchers examined the records of 1,461 first-time DWI offenders in New Mexico who had interlocks installed in their vehicles and compared them with 17,562 first-time offenders in the state who didn't use the devices. The two groups were matched by age, gender and blood alcohol concentration at the time of arrest.
"The average first offender has driven drunk many times before he or she was arrested. The big risk difference is between non-offenders and first offenders. The risk difference between first offenders and repeat offenders is small by comparison," Marques said.
This research -- funded in part by the Substance Abuse Policy Research Program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a philanthropic organization that focuses on health and health-care issues -- also cited possible economic benefits to vehicle interlocks.
One device cost the offender $2.25 per day, leading the authors to estimate that for every dollar spent on interlocks for first offenders, the public saves $3 in damage and destruction caused by DWI crashes.
"Interlocks present an opportunity to help change behavior rather than simply punishing or incarcerating the offender," Marques said. "It's not enough to revoke a license -- 75 percent of all people with revoked licenses drive anyway -- but you don't want to sentence an entire family to poverty if they're dependent on that driver getting to and from his or her job. By installing an interlock, the risk that the DWI offender poses is controlled, and interlocks become a public benefit."
Only about 10 percent of arrested DWIs nationally are ordered a period of interlock-controlled driving, Marques said. Four states mandate interlocks for first DWI offenses: New Mexico, Louisiana, Arizona and Illinois (effective in 2009).
More information
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism offers has more about preventing alcohol abuse.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Fixing Poor Vision Boosts Preschoolers' Test Scores
(HealthDay News) -- Preschoolers with poor vision significantly improved their test scores within six weeks of consistently wearing prescription glasses, a new study shows.
"It has been theorized that when young children have early vision problems that are undiagnosed and uncorrected, their development and performance in school are impacted," Stuart I. Brown, chairman of ophthalmology and director of the Shiley Eye Center University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, said in a prepared statement. "This study shows that children with vision impairment do perform below the norm in visual-motor coordination tests, and that they catch up quickly once they are given corrective [lenses]."
The study, published in the February issue of the Archives of Ophthalmology, followed 70 children, aged 3 to 5, about half of whom had normal vision, and half were diagnosed with ametropia -- abnormal refractive eye conditions leading to poor vision, such as astigmatism.
The children took two standardized tests that relate directly to future school performance: the Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration (VMI) and the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-Revised (WPPSI-R).
Before being given glasses, the vision-impaired children scored significantly lower on both tests, demonstrating reduced ability of the brain to coordinate the eyes with the hands, the researchers said.
That changed after the vision-impaired children were provided with prescription glasses and monitored with the assistance of their families over six weeks to ensure that they wore their glasses consistently.
Upon retesting, the VMI scores of the children with vision problems were at the same level as the scores of the children with normal eyesight. The WPPSI-R scores did not show the same dramatic improvement, but the researchers speculated that the test might not be as sensitive to changes in visual-motor integration skills tested by the VMI tool. The researchers are following the children to test whether the WPPSI-R scores change further over time.
"Amazingly, this is the first controlled study of preschool children to show the cognitive disadvantage preschool children have when they are farsighted and/or have astigmatism, as well as to show the benefit of early intervention with glasses," study co-author Barbara Brody, director of the Center for Community Ophthalmology at the Shiley Eye Center, said in a prepared statement.
More information
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality offers a guide to good health for children.
"It has been theorized that when young children have early vision problems that are undiagnosed and uncorrected, their development and performance in school are impacted," Stuart I. Brown, chairman of ophthalmology and director of the Shiley Eye Center University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, said in a prepared statement. "This study shows that children with vision impairment do perform below the norm in visual-motor coordination tests, and that they catch up quickly once they are given corrective [lenses]."
The study, published in the February issue of the Archives of Ophthalmology, followed 70 children, aged 3 to 5, about half of whom had normal vision, and half were diagnosed with ametropia -- abnormal refractive eye conditions leading to poor vision, such as astigmatism.
The children took two standardized tests that relate directly to future school performance: the Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration (VMI) and the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-Revised (WPPSI-R).
Before being given glasses, the vision-impaired children scored significantly lower on both tests, demonstrating reduced ability of the brain to coordinate the eyes with the hands, the researchers said.
That changed after the vision-impaired children were provided with prescription glasses and monitored with the assistance of their families over six weeks to ensure that they wore their glasses consistently.
Upon retesting, the VMI scores of the children with vision problems were at the same level as the scores of the children with normal eyesight. The WPPSI-R scores did not show the same dramatic improvement, but the researchers speculated that the test might not be as sensitive to changes in visual-motor integration skills tested by the VMI tool. The researchers are following the children to test whether the WPPSI-R scores change further over time.
"Amazingly, this is the first controlled study of preschool children to show the cognitive disadvantage preschool children have when they are farsighted and/or have astigmatism, as well as to show the benefit of early intervention with glasses," study co-author Barbara Brody, director of the Center for Community Ophthalmology at the Shiley Eye Center, said in a prepared statement.
More information
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality offers a guide to good health for children.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Baseline Exam Is Key to Eye Health
(HealthDay News) -- Even people with no signs or risk factors for eye disease can suffer vision loss and need to get baseline eye exams at age 40, says the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO).
The reminder is part of the academy's EyeSmart campaign to mark Save Your Vision Month in February.
"Many eye diseases progress without any warning sings," Dr. Stephanie Marioneaux, a clinical correspondent for the AAO, said in a prepared statement. "Gradual changes in vision can affect your ability to function independently and have confidence in your abilities. One of the hardest adjustments a person can make is adapting to life with permanent vision loss. That is why nothing replaces a comprehensive baseline eye exam."
Based on the findings from the initial screening, an ophthalmologist will create a schedule for follow-up eye exams.
People of any age who have symptoms of eye disease or at high risk due to family history, diabetes or high blood pressure should consult with their ophthalmologist to determine how often they should have their eyes checked, the AAO recommends.
By 2020, 43 million Americans will be at significant risk for vision loss or blindness due to age-related eye diseases such as cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma and macular degeneration. That's a more than 50 percent increase over the current number of Americans with such vision-threatening diseases.
But many Americans are unconcerned about the risk of vision loss. Only 23 percent of Americans are very concerned about losing their vision, while most feel weight gain or joint or back pain are greater worries than vision loss, according to an AAO survey conducted for its EyeSmart campaign.
"Unfortunately, millions of people with suffer significant vision loss and blindness because they don't know the risks. That is why the academy launched the EyeSmart campaign, because knowing your risks can save your sight," Marioneaux said.
More information
The U.S. National Eye Institute has more about eye disease risk.
The reminder is part of the academy's EyeSmart campaign to mark Save Your Vision Month in February.
"Many eye diseases progress without any warning sings," Dr. Stephanie Marioneaux, a clinical correspondent for the AAO, said in a prepared statement. "Gradual changes in vision can affect your ability to function independently and have confidence in your abilities. One of the hardest adjustments a person can make is adapting to life with permanent vision loss. That is why nothing replaces a comprehensive baseline eye exam."
Based on the findings from the initial screening, an ophthalmologist will create a schedule for follow-up eye exams.
People of any age who have symptoms of eye disease or at high risk due to family history, diabetes or high blood pressure should consult with their ophthalmologist to determine how often they should have their eyes checked, the AAO recommends.
By 2020, 43 million Americans will be at significant risk for vision loss or blindness due to age-related eye diseases such as cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma and macular degeneration. That's a more than 50 percent increase over the current number of Americans with such vision-threatening diseases.
But many Americans are unconcerned about the risk of vision loss. Only 23 percent of Americans are very concerned about losing their vision, while most feel weight gain or joint or back pain are greater worries than vision loss, according to an AAO survey conducted for its EyeSmart campaign.
"Unfortunately, millions of people with suffer significant vision loss and blindness because they don't know the risks. That is why the academy launched the EyeSmart campaign, because knowing your risks can save your sight," Marioneaux said.
More information
The U.S. National Eye Institute has more about eye disease risk.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Chest Compressions Key to Revised CPR Guidelines
(HealthDay News) -- Maintaining blood flow to the brain and other vital organs is the key to simplified cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) guidelines that emphasize chest compressions over rescue breathing, particularly for heart attack victims.
In fact, the revised recommended ratio is just two breaths per every 30 chest compressions.
That's twice as many compressions as was recommended in the past.
"Just doing chest compressions can make a difference," explained Dr. Shukri David, chief of cardiology at Providence Hospital of St. John's Health System, in Southfield, Mich. "When you compress the chest deep enough, you create a vacuum that pulls in air as you release."
However, David and other experts caution that in the case of drowning victims or people who were deprived of oxygen, rescue breaths are still necessary. Because health experts wanted to make the revised CPR guidelines as simple as possible, and they felt it might be difficult for lay people to differentiate who needed rescue breaths and who didn't, the guidelines include rescue breaths, as well as the rescue breaths-to-chest-compression ratio.
The need for simplified CPR was clear. Little progress had been made in the CPR survival rate over the past decade, according to the American Heart Association. And, it wasn't for lack of CPR opportunities. Four out of five heart attacks occur in the home, according to the American Heart Association, and many are witnessed by family members.
The biggest problem was that standard CPR allowed for too much time without chest compressions. Even health-care professionals, such as nurses or emergency workers, trained to do CPR often weren't providing an adequate number of chest compressions per minute, according to past studies. And, getting enough chest compressions can make the difference in survival. In animal studies, researchers have found that when animals in cardiac arrest receive 80 compressions per minute that 100 percent survive. When that number dropped below 80 compressions per minute, just 10 percent survived, according to a recent editorial in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
In a study of CPR given to people in cardiac arrest, the editorial reported that those who received "good" CPR from bystanders had about a 23 percent survival rate compared to less than 6 percent for poor or no CPR.
"The most common reason that many people die is because none of the people nearby knew CPR, and if they knew it, they didn't do it. One of the reasons is that the skill has been too complicated. [The revised] guidelines simplify the instructions and make them easier to remember," Dr. Michael Sayre, an associate professor of emergency medicine at Ohio State University School of Medicine, said in a prepared statement.
The revised guidelines, introduced in late 2005, emphasize chest compressions to restore blood flow. Rescuers should push hard and push fast and try to maintain a rate of 100 chest compressions per minute, according to the guidelines. The chest must be allowed to return to its normal position completely after each compression to allow the heart to fill with blood. And, the guidelines remind rescuers that every interruption in compressions stops the blood flow.
The updated guidelines also establish a universal compression-to-breath ratio of 30 compressions to two breaths, and that each breath should last just one second.
These changes are already starting to pay off. "In various studies, a clear improvement in outcomes in the community is becoming apparent," said Dr. Paul Pepe, chief of emergency medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas.
And, Pepe added, he expects CPR to improve even more with the introduction of faster, easier training of CPR, with more feedback. The American Heart Association has recently introduced its CPR Anytime Personal Training programs that teach CPR at home in less than a half-hour. "This will be a breakthrough in CPR. We will see a lot more lives saved," he said.
Other training programs are also available through the American Red Cross and local community groups.
"If you perform CPR, you can save someone's life. It's simple and easy to do. All you really need to do is put your hands in the middle of the breast bone and push down two inches," David said. "If you do CPR immediately on someone with cardiac arrest, the survival rate goes from 6 percent to 50 percent. This will really make a difference if the population pulls together."
More information
For more on the revised CPR guidelines, visit the American Heart Association.
In fact, the revised recommended ratio is just two breaths per every 30 chest compressions.
That's twice as many compressions as was recommended in the past.
"Just doing chest compressions can make a difference," explained Dr. Shukri David, chief of cardiology at Providence Hospital of St. John's Health System, in Southfield, Mich. "When you compress the chest deep enough, you create a vacuum that pulls in air as you release."
However, David and other experts caution that in the case of drowning victims or people who were deprived of oxygen, rescue breaths are still necessary. Because health experts wanted to make the revised CPR guidelines as simple as possible, and they felt it might be difficult for lay people to differentiate who needed rescue breaths and who didn't, the guidelines include rescue breaths, as well as the rescue breaths-to-chest-compression ratio.
The need for simplified CPR was clear. Little progress had been made in the CPR survival rate over the past decade, according to the American Heart Association. And, it wasn't for lack of CPR opportunities. Four out of five heart attacks occur in the home, according to the American Heart Association, and many are witnessed by family members.
The biggest problem was that standard CPR allowed for too much time without chest compressions. Even health-care professionals, such as nurses or emergency workers, trained to do CPR often weren't providing an adequate number of chest compressions per minute, according to past studies. And, getting enough chest compressions can make the difference in survival. In animal studies, researchers have found that when animals in cardiac arrest receive 80 compressions per minute that 100 percent survive. When that number dropped below 80 compressions per minute, just 10 percent survived, according to a recent editorial in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
In a study of CPR given to people in cardiac arrest, the editorial reported that those who received "good" CPR from bystanders had about a 23 percent survival rate compared to less than 6 percent for poor or no CPR.
"The most common reason that many people die is because none of the people nearby knew CPR, and if they knew it, they didn't do it. One of the reasons is that the skill has been too complicated. [The revised] guidelines simplify the instructions and make them easier to remember," Dr. Michael Sayre, an associate professor of emergency medicine at Ohio State University School of Medicine, said in a prepared statement.
The revised guidelines, introduced in late 2005, emphasize chest compressions to restore blood flow. Rescuers should push hard and push fast and try to maintain a rate of 100 chest compressions per minute, according to the guidelines. The chest must be allowed to return to its normal position completely after each compression to allow the heart to fill with blood. And, the guidelines remind rescuers that every interruption in compressions stops the blood flow.
The updated guidelines also establish a universal compression-to-breath ratio of 30 compressions to two breaths, and that each breath should last just one second.
These changes are already starting to pay off. "In various studies, a clear improvement in outcomes in the community is becoming apparent," said Dr. Paul Pepe, chief of emergency medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas.
And, Pepe added, he expects CPR to improve even more with the introduction of faster, easier training of CPR, with more feedback. The American Heart Association has recently introduced its CPR Anytime Personal Training programs that teach CPR at home in less than a half-hour. "This will be a breakthrough in CPR. We will see a lot more lives saved," he said.
Other training programs are also available through the American Red Cross and local community groups.
"If you perform CPR, you can save someone's life. It's simple and easy to do. All you really need to do is put your hands in the middle of the breast bone and push down two inches," David said. "If you do CPR immediately on someone with cardiac arrest, the survival rate goes from 6 percent to 50 percent. This will really make a difference if the population pulls together."
More information
For more on the revised CPR guidelines, visit the American Heart Association.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Chronic Illness Often a Taboo Subject: Survey
(HealthDay News) -- Along with taboo topics such as politics and religion, many Americans are reluctant to discuss managing a chronic illness with family or friends, according to a new survey of more than 1,000 adults.
The survey, released Oct. 11, found that 82 percent of respondents said they knew someone with a chronic illness, but only 34 percent were likely to suggest ways for this person to better manage their care. That's about the same number who said they'd debate politics (37 percent) or religion (33 percent) with a loved one or friend.
Respondents were more likely to discourage friends or loved ones from buying the wrong house (65 percent), loan them a large amount of money (56 percent), advise them against taking a job they didn't think was right for the person (48 percent), and tell them their spouse was unfaithful (41 percent).
The survey was released by Evercare, a provider of health plans for people who have chronic illnesses, are older, or have disabilities.
The reasons why many Americans are reluctant to offer advice to chronically-ill friends or family include: They think the person has the situation under control (66 percent); they are not a health care professional (31 percent); they don't want to seem like a nag (31 percent) or rude (29 percent); they don't believe the person would listen to them (27 percent); or they didn't think the matter was that important (15 percent).
Other findings:
The survey, released Oct. 11, found that 82 percent of respondents said they knew someone with a chronic illness, but only 34 percent were likely to suggest ways for this person to better manage their care. That's about the same number who said they'd debate politics (37 percent) or religion (33 percent) with a loved one or friend.
Respondents were more likely to discourage friends or loved ones from buying the wrong house (65 percent), loan them a large amount of money (56 percent), advise them against taking a job they didn't think was right for the person (48 percent), and tell them their spouse was unfaithful (41 percent).
The survey was released by Evercare, a provider of health plans for people who have chronic illnesses, are older, or have disabilities.
The reasons why many Americans are reluctant to offer advice to chronically-ill friends or family include: They think the person has the situation under control (66 percent); they are not a health care professional (31 percent); they don't want to seem like a nag (31 percent) or rude (29 percent); they don't believe the person would listen to them (27 percent); or they didn't think the matter was that important (15 percent).
Other findings:
- Twenty percent of respondents said their spouse was the easiest person to give advice to about health, followed by a child (20 percent), mother (13 percent), and father (5 percent).
- Most respondents said they'd prefer to receive advice about managing a chronic illness from a health care professional (67 percent), followed by a spouse (10 percent) or parent (7 percent). Men were twice as likely as women (14 percent versus 7 percent) to have their spouse give them such advice.
- Men have an easier time offering health advice to their spouse (28 percent) than women (19 percent). Women have an easier time offering health advice to their children (24 percent) than men (16 percent).
- Thirty-four percent of respondents said the person closest to them with a chronic illness is a parent (34 percent), followed by another relative (16 percent), spouse (14 percent), friend (11 percent), sibling (8 percent), and child (6 percent).
Evercare offered tips on how to help family or friends with a chronic illness:
- Talk to them in order to get an understanding of their goals. Get the conversation started by discussing events or activities they used to enjoy or future events they want to be part of, such as a family reunion. Once you understand their goals, you can help them achieve them along with health care providers, doctors or community service agencies.
- Appoint an "ambassador" -- someone your friend or loved one feels comfortable talking with and respects enough to heed his or her advice. This person can help your friend or family member manage their condition.
- Increase your comfort levels by educating yourself about the person's chronic illness. This will make you feel more comfortable speaking with them about the condition and reinforcing the advice the patient has received from their doctors.
By 2020, about 157 million Americans will be afflicted by chronic illnesses, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
More information
The American Psychological Association has more about coping with chronic illness.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Health Tip: Even Babies Can Have Foot Problems
(HealthDay News) -- New parents are understandably concerned about the health of their baby. But while worrying about hearing, eyesight and other things, they might forget the feet.
The American Podiatric Medical Association warns that foot problems that flare up in adults often start in infancy.
The association says parents should report anything suspicious to the family doctor. To maintain healthy feet, parents should make sure blankets are loose and allow the baby to kick. Also, be sure to change the baby's position often because lying too long in one position can strain the legs and feet.
The American Podiatric Medical Association warns that foot problems that flare up in adults often start in infancy.
The association says parents should report anything suspicious to the family doctor. To maintain healthy feet, parents should make sure blankets are loose and allow the baby to kick. Also, be sure to change the baby's position often because lying too long in one position can strain the legs and feet.
Friday, September 07, 2007
Filtered Cigarettes Blamed for Huge Rise in Type of Lung Cancer
(HealthDay News) -- The introduction of filtered and low-tar cigarettes in the 1950s coincided with a steady rise in the incidence of a once-rare type of lung cancer that's now the most common form of the disease, a new study finds.
Decades ago, squamous cell carcinoma was the most common form of lung cancer. But between 1950 and 2007, adenocarcinoma became the most frequently diagnosed lung malignancy, as the market share of filtered cigarettes soared from just 1 percent to almost 100 percent, the study authors said.
Described as a "correlation of evidence," the apparent link was uncovered by study author Dr. Gary M. Strauss, medical director of the lung cancer program at Tufts-New England Medical Center in Boston. He presented the findings Wednesday at the 12th World Conference on Lung Cancer, in Seoul, South Korea.
Strauss and his colleagues suggest that the impact of filtered cigarettes on adenocarcinoma rates is due to the introduction of filter vents in filtered cigarettes, making it easier to draw in smoke. These vents allow smokers to take bigger and deeper puffs, thereby inhaling carcinogens further into the bronchial passages and lungs.
"The rise of adenocarcinoma is consistent with changes in cigarette design and composition -- which the cigarette industry indicated were safer -- that they introduced in response to mounting evidence that smoking causes other forms of lung cancer," Strauss said.
"And so the point is that the tobacco industry, through how they changed the cigarette over time and deceived the public for decades about its safety, has created an epidemic," he added.
Philip Morris USA's media affairs manager, David Sutton, said he could not comment on the findings. "We cannot comment on a study we have not had a chance to review. Smoking is addictive and causes serious diseases. There is no such thing as a safe cigarette," he said.
To explain the dramatic rise in diagnoses of adenocarcinoma, Strauss and his team of U.S, researchers first analyzed data concerning cancer rates that had been collected between 1975 and 2003 through the National Cancer Institute's "Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results" (SEER) program.
The study authors focused on information covering more than 307,000 black and white lung cancer patients, 75 percent of whom were 60 or older at the time of their diagnosis. And they focused on six time periods: 1975-1979, 1980-84, 1985-89, 1990-94, 1995-99 and 2000-03.
Statistics on four major types of lung cancer -- adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, large cell carcinoma, and small cell carcinoma -- were tallied to reveal how common each disease had been at the six different time periods. The first three cancers fall into the "non-small cell" category of lung disease that accounts for about 85 percent of all lung cancers in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society.
The SEER figures showed that by the years 2000 to 2003, 47 percent of all lung cancers were adenocarcinoma, Strauss and his team observed.
While American Cancer Society numbers currently place adenocarcinoma at 40 percent of all cases, both ACS and SEER data confirm that adenocarcinoma is by far the most prevalent form of lung cancer today --- regardless of race, age and gender.
In 1950, adenocarcinoma constituted just 5 percent of all lung cancer cases, and a diagnosis of the disease was not typically considered to be due to cigarette smoking. Back in the mid-20th century, most lung cancer cases were squamous cell, the researchers said.
But the SEER data illustrate a sharp rise in adenocarcinoma cases beginning in the 1960s. And from the 1975-79 period to the 1995-99 period, adenocarcinoma cases skyrocketed 62 percent.
Adenocarcinoma surpassed squamous cell carcinoma as the most common form of lung cancer among women in the 1975-79 period and among men during the 1980-84 period.
Because the SEER database did not collect information on smoking demographics, the researchers said they subsequently sifted through a wide range of additional data covering 50 years of U.S. cigarette production and consumer habits in search of an underlying explanation.
Strauss and his colleagues said they found that the wide-scale adoption of filtered and low-tar cigarettes closely tracked the jump in adenocarcinoma rates.
Filtered cigarettes went from 1 percent of the U.S. market in 1950 to 64 percent by 1964. By 1986, filtered cigarettes had captured 95 percent of the market; by 2007 that figure was 98 percent.
"And while adenocarcinoma of the lung has always existed, it is now the most common form of lung cancer, and probably the second most common cause of cancer death," said Strauss. "Probably more people die specifically of smoking-related adenocarcinoma today than die of colon cancer."
"So while nothing is really new here, we're putting it all together," he said. And what emerges, he added, is the story of a tobacco industry that years back actively changed its product to minimize its known connection to certain types of cancers, thereby giving birth to a whole new carcinogenic threat and an even bigger lung cancer killer.
"And so now I'm hoping that there will be a recognition that the tobacco industry actually created this deadly epidemic of smoking-related adenocarcinoma through decades of deception," Strauss said.
The results of several other international studies were also presented this week at the South Korea conference, including a Norwegian finding that hand-rolled cigarettes are more carcinogenic than pre-packaged cigarettes, resulting in a higher risk for lung cancer.
Another study, out of Japan, showed that people with a family history of lung cancer are more likely to develop the disease -- particularly squamous cell disease -- later in life. However, a general family history of cancer was not associated with an increased risk for lung cancer.
More information
For more on lung cancer, visit the American Cancer Society.
Decades ago, squamous cell carcinoma was the most common form of lung cancer. But between 1950 and 2007, adenocarcinoma became the most frequently diagnosed lung malignancy, as the market share of filtered cigarettes soared from just 1 percent to almost 100 percent, the study authors said.
Described as a "correlation of evidence," the apparent link was uncovered by study author Dr. Gary M. Strauss, medical director of the lung cancer program at Tufts-New England Medical Center in Boston. He presented the findings Wednesday at the 12th World Conference on Lung Cancer, in Seoul, South Korea.
Strauss and his colleagues suggest that the impact of filtered cigarettes on adenocarcinoma rates is due to the introduction of filter vents in filtered cigarettes, making it easier to draw in smoke. These vents allow smokers to take bigger and deeper puffs, thereby inhaling carcinogens further into the bronchial passages and lungs.
"The rise of adenocarcinoma is consistent with changes in cigarette design and composition -- which the cigarette industry indicated were safer -- that they introduced in response to mounting evidence that smoking causes other forms of lung cancer," Strauss said.
"And so the point is that the tobacco industry, through how they changed the cigarette over time and deceived the public for decades about its safety, has created an epidemic," he added.
Philip Morris USA's media affairs manager, David Sutton, said he could not comment on the findings. "We cannot comment on a study we have not had a chance to review. Smoking is addictive and causes serious diseases. There is no such thing as a safe cigarette," he said.
To explain the dramatic rise in diagnoses of adenocarcinoma, Strauss and his team of U.S, researchers first analyzed data concerning cancer rates that had been collected between 1975 and 2003 through the National Cancer Institute's "Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results" (SEER) program.
The study authors focused on information covering more than 307,000 black and white lung cancer patients, 75 percent of whom were 60 or older at the time of their diagnosis. And they focused on six time periods: 1975-1979, 1980-84, 1985-89, 1990-94, 1995-99 and 2000-03.
Statistics on four major types of lung cancer -- adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, large cell carcinoma, and small cell carcinoma -- were tallied to reveal how common each disease had been at the six different time periods. The first three cancers fall into the "non-small cell" category of lung disease that accounts for about 85 percent of all lung cancers in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society.
The SEER figures showed that by the years 2000 to 2003, 47 percent of all lung cancers were adenocarcinoma, Strauss and his team observed.
While American Cancer Society numbers currently place adenocarcinoma at 40 percent of all cases, both ACS and SEER data confirm that adenocarcinoma is by far the most prevalent form of lung cancer today --- regardless of race, age and gender.
In 1950, adenocarcinoma constituted just 5 percent of all lung cancer cases, and a diagnosis of the disease was not typically considered to be due to cigarette smoking. Back in the mid-20th century, most lung cancer cases were squamous cell, the researchers said.
But the SEER data illustrate a sharp rise in adenocarcinoma cases beginning in the 1960s. And from the 1975-79 period to the 1995-99 period, adenocarcinoma cases skyrocketed 62 percent.
Adenocarcinoma surpassed squamous cell carcinoma as the most common form of lung cancer among women in the 1975-79 period and among men during the 1980-84 period.
Because the SEER database did not collect information on smoking demographics, the researchers said they subsequently sifted through a wide range of additional data covering 50 years of U.S. cigarette production and consumer habits in search of an underlying explanation.
Strauss and his colleagues said they found that the wide-scale adoption of filtered and low-tar cigarettes closely tracked the jump in adenocarcinoma rates.
Filtered cigarettes went from 1 percent of the U.S. market in 1950 to 64 percent by 1964. By 1986, filtered cigarettes had captured 95 percent of the market; by 2007 that figure was 98 percent.
"And while adenocarcinoma of the lung has always existed, it is now the most common form of lung cancer, and probably the second most common cause of cancer death," said Strauss. "Probably more people die specifically of smoking-related adenocarcinoma today than die of colon cancer."
"So while nothing is really new here, we're putting it all together," he said. And what emerges, he added, is the story of a tobacco industry that years back actively changed its product to minimize its known connection to certain types of cancers, thereby giving birth to a whole new carcinogenic threat and an even bigger lung cancer killer.
"And so now I'm hoping that there will be a recognition that the tobacco industry actually created this deadly epidemic of smoking-related adenocarcinoma through decades of deception," Strauss said.
The results of several other international studies were also presented this week at the South Korea conference, including a Norwegian finding that hand-rolled cigarettes are more carcinogenic than pre-packaged cigarettes, resulting in a higher risk for lung cancer.
Another study, out of Japan, showed that people with a family history of lung cancer are more likely to develop the disease -- particularly squamous cell disease -- later in life. However, a general family history of cancer was not associated with an increased risk for lung cancer.
More information
For more on lung cancer, visit the American Cancer Society.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Soy Nuts Lower Blood Pressure in Postmenopausal Women
(HealthDay News) -- Soy nuts may help lower blood pressure in postmenopausal women, a new U.S. study finds.
Researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston studied 60 healthy women -- 12 with high blood pressure (140/90 milligrams of mercury or higher) and 48 with normal blood pressure. All the women ate two kinds of diets for eight weeks each.
One was the Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) diet, which consisted of 30 percent of calories from fat (with 7 percent or less from saturated fat), 15 percent from protein, and 55 percent from carbohydrates, 1,200 milligrams of calcium per day, two meals of fatty fish (such as salmon or tuna) per week, and less than 200 milligrams of cholesterol a day.
The other diet had the same calorie, fat and protein content, but the women replaced 25 grams of protein intake with one-half cup of unsalted soy nuts.
"Soy nut supplementation significantly reduced systolic (top number) and diastolic (bottom number) blood pressure in all 12 hypertensive women and in 40 of the 48 normotensive women," the study authors wrote.
"Compared with the TLC diet alone, the TLC diet plus soy nuts lowered systolic and diastolic blood pressure 9.9 percent and 6.8 percent, respectively, in hypertensive women, and 5.2 percent and 2.9 percent, respectively, in normotensive women."
In women with high blood pressure, the soy nuts also decreased levels of low-density lipoprotein ("bad") cholesterol by an average of 11 percent and levels of apoliprotein B (a particle that carries bad cholesterol) by an average of 8 percent.
The study was published in the May 28 issue of the journal Archives of Internal Medicine.
More information
The American Academy of Family Physicians has more about high blood pressure and how to lower it.
Researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston studied 60 healthy women -- 12 with high blood pressure (140/90 milligrams of mercury or higher) and 48 with normal blood pressure. All the women ate two kinds of diets for eight weeks each.
One was the Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) diet, which consisted of 30 percent of calories from fat (with 7 percent or less from saturated fat), 15 percent from protein, and 55 percent from carbohydrates, 1,200 milligrams of calcium per day, two meals of fatty fish (such as salmon or tuna) per week, and less than 200 milligrams of cholesterol a day.
The other diet had the same calorie, fat and protein content, but the women replaced 25 grams of protein intake with one-half cup of unsalted soy nuts.
"Soy nut supplementation significantly reduced systolic (top number) and diastolic (bottom number) blood pressure in all 12 hypertensive women and in 40 of the 48 normotensive women," the study authors wrote.
"Compared with the TLC diet alone, the TLC diet plus soy nuts lowered systolic and diastolic blood pressure 9.9 percent and 6.8 percent, respectively, in hypertensive women, and 5.2 percent and 2.9 percent, respectively, in normotensive women."
In women with high blood pressure, the soy nuts also decreased levels of low-density lipoprotein ("bad") cholesterol by an average of 11 percent and levels of apoliprotein B (a particle that carries bad cholesterol) by an average of 8 percent.
The study was published in the May 28 issue of the journal Archives of Internal Medicine.
More information
The American Academy of Family Physicians has more about high blood pressure and how to lower it.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Pack Health Into Your Summer Holiday
(HealthDay News) -- Planning for your summer vacation involves more than looking at brochures, packing, and traveling to your destination. You also need to protect your health, says Dr. Kathy Alvarez, a family medicine physician at Baylor All Saints Medical Center in Forth Worth, Texas.
She offers the following advice for having a healthy vacation:
Talk to you doctor about where you're going and whether you need any immunizations. This is especially important if you're traveling to other countries, but it's also a good idea for those traveling in their own countries.
Be sure to bring all important health-related information and medical supplies. "Carry a list of the medications you're taking and any allergies you have, your doctor's name and phone number, and your health insurance information," Alvarez said in a prepared statement. "If you take daily doses of medication, pack a couple of extra days' worth just in case your plans change or your transportation home is delayed."
Do your best to avoid germs in planes, taxis, when exchanging money, and in other travel-related settings and situations. Washing your hands as often as possible can reduce your risk of getting sick. Drink only bottled water, which should also be used to brush your teeth. Don't eat any food that's been washed or cooked in water, unless it's been boiled. Don't drink beverages with ice.
Don't overeat. "Try to limit splurging to only one meal a day, and share high-fat and high-calorie dishes with a friend," Alvarez said. If possible, avoid buffets.
Stay active on your holidays by planning outings that involve plenty of walking.
More information
The MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia offers more travel health tips.
She offers the following advice for having a healthy vacation:
Talk to you doctor about where you're going and whether you need any immunizations. This is especially important if you're traveling to other countries, but it's also a good idea for those traveling in their own countries.
Be sure to bring all important health-related information and medical supplies. "Carry a list of the medications you're taking and any allergies you have, your doctor's name and phone number, and your health insurance information," Alvarez said in a prepared statement. "If you take daily doses of medication, pack a couple of extra days' worth just in case your plans change or your transportation home is delayed."
Do your best to avoid germs in planes, taxis, when exchanging money, and in other travel-related settings and situations. Washing your hands as often as possible can reduce your risk of getting sick. Drink only bottled water, which should also be used to brush your teeth. Don't eat any food that's been washed or cooked in water, unless it's been boiled. Don't drink beverages with ice.
Don't overeat. "Try to limit splurging to only one meal a day, and share high-fat and high-calorie dishes with a friend," Alvarez said. If possible, avoid buffets.
Stay active on your holidays by planning outings that involve plenty of walking.
More information
The MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia offers more travel health tips.
Thursday, July 05, 2007
Health Tip: Keeping Seniors on Their Feet
(HealthDay News) -- When an elderly person falls, it could cause life-threatening injury.
Here are steps you can take to make your home safe for seniors, courtesy of the American Academy of Family Physicians:
Keep the house well lit. Use bright lamps and overhead lighting, and keep night lights throughout the house.
Fasten area rugs and carpeting well to the floor, and use nonskid rug pads.
Keep electrical cords neat and out of areas where people walk.
Install hand rails in bathrooms and stairways.
In the kitchen, keep items within easy reach. Don't store things too high, where a stepladder is needed to reach them.
Here are steps you can take to make your home safe for seniors, courtesy of the American Academy of Family Physicians:
Keep the house well lit. Use bright lamps and overhead lighting, and keep night lights throughout the house.
Fasten area rugs and carpeting well to the floor, and use nonskid rug pads.
Keep electrical cords neat and out of areas where people walk.
Install hand rails in bathrooms and stairways.
In the kitchen, keep items within easy reach. Don't store things too high, where a stepladder is needed to reach them.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Private Insurance May Help in Earlier Cancer Detection
(HealthDay News) -- Uninsured Americans or those with certain types of public health insurance are more likely to have oral or breast cancer diagnosed at an advanced stage, compared to people with private insurance whose disease is caught earlier.
That's the conclusion of two studies in the July 15 issue of the journal Cancer. They were produced by American Cancer Society researchers who analyzed data from a nationwide cancer database.
The analysis of oropharyngeal cancer patient data found that patients with no health insurance were more likely than those with private insurance to be diagnosed with advanced disease, the largest tumors or invasive disease that had spread to regional lymph nodes.
Patients with public health insurance, particularly Medicaid for low-income families, were also more likely than those with private insurance to have more advanced cancer, the largest tumors and lymph node involvement, the study found.
The analysis of breast cancer patient data revealed that uninsured patients and those covered by Medicaid were almost 2.5 times more likely to be diagnosed with advanced disease than patients with private insurance.
Improved access to regular medical care and cancer screening programs for the uninsured and underinsured could help reduce these disparities, the authors of both studies said.
In an accompanying editorial, Dr. Richard C. Wender, president of the American Cancer Society and chairman of the department of family medicine at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, wrote that having "a usual primary care clinician, a trusted source of care, also known as a medical home, is a strong predictor of improved preventive care delivery."
"A primary care medical home plays a vital role in reducing cancer mortality. Individuals who have a regular source of primary care are both more likely to be up to date with cancer screening and more likely to receive timely follow-up and evaluation for abnormal findings on an initial screen," Wender wrote.
More information
The American Medical Association has more about health insurance.
That's the conclusion of two studies in the July 15 issue of the journal Cancer. They were produced by American Cancer Society researchers who analyzed data from a nationwide cancer database.
The analysis of oropharyngeal cancer patient data found that patients with no health insurance were more likely than those with private insurance to be diagnosed with advanced disease, the largest tumors or invasive disease that had spread to regional lymph nodes.
Patients with public health insurance, particularly Medicaid for low-income families, were also more likely than those with private insurance to have more advanced cancer, the largest tumors and lymph node involvement, the study found.
The analysis of breast cancer patient data revealed that uninsured patients and those covered by Medicaid were almost 2.5 times more likely to be diagnosed with advanced disease than patients with private insurance.
Improved access to regular medical care and cancer screening programs for the uninsured and underinsured could help reduce these disparities, the authors of both studies said.
In an accompanying editorial, Dr. Richard C. Wender, president of the American Cancer Society and chairman of the department of family medicine at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, wrote that having "a usual primary care clinician, a trusted source of care, also known as a medical home, is a strong predictor of improved preventive care delivery."
"A primary care medical home plays a vital role in reducing cancer mortality. Individuals who have a regular source of primary care are both more likely to be up to date with cancer screening and more likely to receive timely follow-up and evaluation for abnormal findings on an initial screen," Wender wrote.
More information
The American Medical Association has more about health insurance.
Sunday, February 04, 2007
Nitroglycerin Could Help Prevent Preterm Births
(HealthDay News) -- Giving nitroglycerin to women in preterm labor helps prolong their pregnancy and improves the health of their babies, Canadian researchers report.
The boost in newborns' health was greatest in those who were born very prematurely (24 weeks to 28 weeks), the study said.
Premature delivery is the leading cause of death and disability of newborns worldwide. According to the researchers at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, this is the first study to identify a drug that stops preterm labor and also improves infant outcomes. They said nitroglycerin causes fewer side effects than other drugs.
Published in the January issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the five-year study included 153 women who were recruited at the time they went into preterm labor.
Caring for premature babies and their medical complications can be costly for families and societies. Based on their findings, the researchers said that "treatment with nitroglycerin may result in major cost savings and longer-term health benefits for these babies."
The study was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
More information
The U.S. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development has more about research into preterm labor and premature birth.
The boost in newborns' health was greatest in those who were born very prematurely (24 weeks to 28 weeks), the study said.
Premature delivery is the leading cause of death and disability of newborns worldwide. According to the researchers at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, this is the first study to identify a drug that stops preterm labor and also improves infant outcomes. They said nitroglycerin causes fewer side effects than other drugs.
Published in the January issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the five-year study included 153 women who were recruited at the time they went into preterm labor.
Caring for premature babies and their medical complications can be costly for families and societies. Based on their findings, the researchers said that "treatment with nitroglycerin may result in major cost savings and longer-term health benefits for these babies."
The study was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
More information
The U.S. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development has more about research into preterm labor and premature birth.
Friday, January 19, 2007
Campaign to Heighten Awareness of Lung Disease
(HealthDay News) -- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States, and a new campaign launched Thursday is aimed at spreading awareness about this killer respiratory condition.The campaign -- sponsored by the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and a number of professional, health and advocacy groups -- will include print and radio public service announcements, fact sheets for patients and people at risk for COPD, a Web site, an educational video, and materials to help community-based groups inform the public about the signs and symptoms of COPD.
COPD develops slowly and affects breathing. Symptoms included shortness of breath, constant coughing, wheezing, and excess sputum production.
People over age 45 with a history of smoking are at highest risk for COPD. Other risk factors include exposure to secondhand smoke or pollutants. Some people have a genetic risk for the disease, according to the NHLBI.
About 12 million Americans are currently diagnosed with COPD, and it's estimated that another 12 million have COPD but have not been diagnosed, even though they have symptoms.
"Many people with early signs of COPD simply avoid activities they used to enjoy because they become short of breath more easily. We want people to know that these symptoms have a name -- COPD -- that diagnosis is easy, requiring only a simple breathing test (spirometry) in your doctor's office, and that treatment can help," Dr. Elizabeth G. Nabel, NHLBI director, said in a prepared statement.
Treatments such as inhaled bronchodilators, inhaled corticosteroids, and pulmonary rehabilitation help control symptoms and improve exercise capacity. Another treatment, oxygen therapy, may help prolong the life of patients with severe COPD.
More information
The American Academy of Family Physicians has more about COPD.
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Health Tip: Living With Hepatitis C
(HealthDay News) -- Hepatitis is a viral condition that causes inflammation of the liver.
Hepatitis C, a particularly virulent strain, is commonly passed from person-to-person via sexual contact or sharing a contaminated syringe or tattoo needle, says the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP).
There is no cure or vaccine for this chronic illness. If you have been diagnosed with hepatitis C, you will need to maintain a healthy, balanced diet and get plenty of regular exercise. You should also avoid Tylenol and other acetaminophen-based pain relievers, which could speed up damage to the liver.
You're also advised to limit alcohol intake to a bare minimum. An ocassional drink probably is OK, but check with your physician first, the AAFP advises.
Hepatitis C, a particularly virulent strain, is commonly passed from person-to-person via sexual contact or sharing a contaminated syringe or tattoo needle, says the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP).
There is no cure or vaccine for this chronic illness. If you have been diagnosed with hepatitis C, you will need to maintain a healthy, balanced diet and get plenty of regular exercise. You should also avoid Tylenol and other acetaminophen-based pain relievers, which could speed up damage to the liver.
You're also advised to limit alcohol intake to a bare minimum. An ocassional drink probably is OK, but check with your physician first, the AAFP advises.
Sunday, November 19, 2006
Easing Depression Without a Prescription
(HealthDay News) -- A brisk run, a friendly game of chess, a soothing massage: All these pursuits can help ease mild depression, experts say."These are all things that are certainly worth trying and are generally healthy, anyway," said Dr. Nadia Marsh, an expert in treating depression and chief of the division of geriatrics at Cabrini Medical Center, in New York City.
Marsh stressed, however, that alternative or complementary therapies probably won't do much to ease really serious depression.
"For any form of mild depression, all of these things can help when added together," she said. "But, even then, it's not a form of treatment in and of itself."
Each year millions of Americans are diagnosed with depression, and many turn to their doctors for either professional psychotherapy or an antidepressant medication -- usually widely used selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as Prozac or Zoloft.
But increasingly, people are also looking for non-pharmacologic relief of illness, including depression. Unfortunately, according to Marsh, the evidence to support the effectiveness of alternative therapies against the disease isn't strong.
"The studies for non-pharmacologic interventions have not been great," she said. "There are relatively few randomized controlled trials, and the ones that have been done are plagued by problems such as too-short follow-up or small sample size."
Still, some research has been encouraging. One study released about five years ago found that exercise could be a major weapon against depression.
"Exercise, at least when performed in a group setting, seems to be at least as effective as standard antidepressant medications in reducing symptoms in patients with major depression," said researcher James Blumenthal, a professor of medical psychology at Duke University.
His team's study found that 10 months of regular, moderate exercise reduced depressive symptoms at a rate equal to that of Zoloft.
Another study, this time by researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, found that 30-minute workouts done three to five times a week could cut depressive symptoms in half in young adults.
Even less vigorous activities, such as T'ai chi or yoga, may help lower blood pressure and ease stress, Marsh said. "People who exercise also tend to feel that they have more control over their life," she added. That's important, since a persistent feeling of helplessness is a hallmark of depression.
According to Marsh, the science is much less clear when it comes to the effectiveness of supplements and herbal medicines. For example, there's little good data to support the use of either folate or the B vitamins in warding off the blues, she said.
Perhaps the most talked-about herbal therapy for depression is St. John's wort, but "the evidence that it can help moderate-to-severe depression is very poor," Marsh said. "Even for mild depression, it's unclear what the correct dose should be -- the studies have been all over the map."
Marsh also warned that both St. John's wort and prescription SSRIs get metabolized through the liver. "They both affect the liver, and it affects the metabolism of the antidepressant," she said.
"A lot of people combine antidepressants and alternative medicines -- we see that all the time," Marsh said. It's a dangerous mix, however, because adding St. John's wort to an antidepressant might boost the risk for side effects. The herbal can also trigger photosensitivity in users, causing their skin to quickly turn "beet-red" if they go out in the sun, she said.
"It shouldn't be given during chemotherapy, either, that can be very dangerous," Marsh added.
The bottom line, according to Marsh, is to always let your doctor know what over-the-counter medications -- herbal or otherwise -- you might be taking.
Finally, non-pharmacologic interventions such as massage therapy, acupuncture or aromatherapy are great at easing short-term stress, "but the real issue, when it comes to depression, is what is the effect over the long term?" Marsh said. Right now, nobody really knows, she said.
One thing the science does show, however, is that contact with others -- friends, family, clubs and group activities -- can boost mood and help ease depression.
"If you're socially isolated, especially, just reaching out can help," Marsh said. "It can have a huge impact on how people see themselves and help them to 're-orient.'"
Marsh stressed that most of the interventions listed above certainly won't hurt, and taken together, probably will help boost mood.
"They'll certainly improve your physical well-being and transiently, at least, your mental well-being, too," she said.
More information
Find out more about depression at the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health.
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