http://www.health-news.org Discuss health matters with a healthy online community. Read the latest health news and articles. Copyright 2005 Wed, 03 May 2006 19:12:43 CDT http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6874/soda-distributors-to-end-most-school-sales.html http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6874/soda-distributors-to-end-most-school-sales.html#comments Wed, 03 May 2006 19:12:43 CDT http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6874/soda-distributors-to-end-most-school-sales.html The nation's largest beverage distributors have agreed to halt nearly all sales of sodas to public schools — a step that will remove the sugary, caloric drinks from vending machines and cafeterias around the country. By SAMANTHA GROSS, Associated Press Writer <p> NEW YORK - The nation's largest beverage distributors have agreed to halt nearly all sales of sodas to public schools — a step that will remove the sugary, caloric drinks from vending machines and cafeterias around the country. <p>The agreement was announced Wednesday by the William J. Clinton Foundation and will also likely apply to many private and parochial schools.<p>"This is a bold step forward in the struggle to help 35 million young people lead healthier lives," former President Clinton said at a news conference. "This one policy can add years and years and years to the lives of a very large number of young people."<p>Under the agreement, the companies also have agreed to sell only water, unsweetened juice and low-fat milks to elementary and middle schools. Diet sodas would be sold only to high schools.<p>"I don't think anyone should underestimate the influence this agreement will have," Susan Neely, president and CEO of the American Beverage Association, which has signed onto the deal, said earlier Wednesday. "I think other people are going to want to follow this agreement because it just makes sense."<p>The agreement should reach an estimated 87 percent of the public and private school drink market, Neely said. Industry giants Cadbury Schweppes PLC, Coca-Cola Co. and PepsiCo Inc. and the ABA have signed on. Officials said they hope companies representing the other 13 percent of the market would follow suit.<p>The Alliance for a Healthier Generation, a collaboration between Clinton's foundation and the American Heart Association, helped broker the deal.<p>"The soft drink industry has decided that it won't wait to be pushed," said Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, the co-chair of the alliance. "It jumped in. ... It may be the soft drink industry, but they made a very hard decision."<p>The move follows a mounting wave of regulation by school boards and legislators alarmed by reports of rising childhood obesity. Soda has been a particular target of those fighting obesity because of its caloric content and popularity among children.<p>Still, the deal imposes stricter drink regulations than are currently in place for nearly 35 million public school students.<p>"This is really the beginning of a major effort to modify childhood obesity at the level of the school systems," said Robert H. Eckel, the president of the Heart Association, adding that the alliance would also be working to put healthier foods in schools.<p>John Sicher, editor and publisher of Beverage Digest, which compiles extensive data on the beverage industry, said the agreement would have no impact on the $63 billion beverage industry's bottom line.<p>"The sale of sugar-carbonated sodas in schools is a tiny, tiny part of their overall volume," said Sicher. "Financially, on the big companies, it will have virtually no impact."<p>He applauded the move, however, saying "The impact is more in terms of responsibility and accountability to the consumer."<p>Under the agreement, high schools will still be able to sell low-calorie drinks that contain less than 10 calories per serving, as well as drinks that are considered nutritious, such as juice, sports drinks and low-fat milk. The "nutritious" drinks will be limited to 12-ounce servings, Neely said.<p>Elementary schools will sell 8-ounce servings of the "nutritious" drinks, and middle school kids will get 10-ounce-size drinks.<p>Whole milk will no longer be offered to any schools, Neely said.<p>School sales of sports drinks, diet sodas and bottled water have been on the rise in recent years, while sugary soft drink purchases by students have been falling, according to an ABA report released in December. But regular soda, averaging 150 calories a can, is still the most popular drink, accounting for 45 percent of drinks sold in schools in 2005, according to the report. <p> Diana Garza, a spokeswoman for the Atlanta-based Coca-Cola Co., said in a telephone interview that "these voluntary guidelines escalate ... the shift to lower calorie, more nutritious beverages." <p> A man who answered the phone at Cadbury Schweppes' London headquarters said no one was available for comment. A call to PepsiCo Inc. was not immediately returned. <p> The new rules will apply to beverages sold on school grounds during the regular school day and at after-school activities such as band and choir practice, said Jay Carson, a spokesman for ClintonBut sales at events such as school plays, band concerts and sporting events, where a significant portion of the audience are adults, won't be affected, he said. <p> The deal will be most easily enforced at vending machines, where students buy most of their drinks, Neely said. <p> How quickly the changes take hold will depend in part on individual school districts' willingness to alter existing contracts, The Alliance for a Healthier Generation said in a release. The companies will work to implement the changes at 75 percent of the nation's public schools before the 2008-2009 school year, and at all public schools a year later. <p> Dozens of states have considered legislation on school nutrition this year, but about 32 states still have no legislative or regulatory policy regulating the sale of drinks in schools, according to the American Heart Association. <p> Lawmakers in Connecticut voted last week to prohibit schools from selling regular and diet soda as well as electrolyte replacement drinks such as Gatorade. <p> The agreement follows an August decision by the ABA to adopt a policy limiting soft drinks in high schools to no more than 50 percent of the selections in vending machines. Unlike the agreement announced Wednesday, that recommendation was not binding. <p> Most elementary schools are already soda-free. <p> ___ <p> Associated Press Writers Karen Matthews, Nahal Toosi and Ula Ilnytzky contributed to this report. http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6872/chaos-feared-in-pandemic-flu-plan.html http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6872/chaos-feared-in-pandemic-flu-plan.html#comments Wed, 03 May 2006 19:11:52 CDT http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6872/chaos-feared-in-pandemic-flu-plan.html President Bush's plan for dealing with a flu pandemic warns that the federal government won't be able to bail out communities reeling from illness and economic upheaval, and calls on businesses and individuals to take steps now to keep vital services running. By LAURAN NEERGAARD, AP Medical Writer <p> WASHINGTON - President Bush's plan for dealing with a flu pandemic warns that the federal government won't be able to bail out communities reeling from illness and economic upheaval, and calls on businesses and individuals to take steps now to keep vital services running. <p>The updated plan, released Wednesday, stresses basic human needs such as medical care and food, but doesn't address some major hurdles — how to meet those needs if massive absenteeism stops transportation by closing oil refineries, or crashes the Internet so workers can't telecommute.<p>"Our efforts require the participation of, and coordination by, all levels of government and segments of society," Bush said in a letter to Americans unveiling his updated national pandemic response strategy.<p>"No less important will be the actions of individual citizens, whose participation is necessary to the success of these efforts."<p>Influenza pandemics strike every few decades when a never-before-seen strain arises. It's impossible to predict when the next will occur, or its toll. But last fall, amid concern that the Asian bird flu might lead to one if it starts spreading easily from person to person, Bush proposed a $7.1 billion, multi-year strategy to prepare for the next pandemic.<p>At the plan's core: stockpiling enough bird-flu vaccine for 20 million people, plus anti-flu medications and other key medical supplies, to provide some protection while manufacturers race to brew a pandemic-specific inoculation.<p>Wednesday's report updates Bush's initial plan, outlining exactly which government agency is responsible for some 300 additional tasks. It also provides details, beyond health care, of changes Americans could expect in how they travel, work and conduct day-to-day activities during a severe pandemic.<p>The report's big message: "Local communities will have to address the medical and nonmedical impacts of the pandemic with available resources." That's because the federal government won't be able to offer the kind of aid expected after hurricanes or other one-time, one-location natural disasters, it says.<p>U.S. borders won't be sealed after outbreaks abroad, the report says. That would fail to keep out a pandemic — people can spread flu a full day before they show symptoms. Instead, the goal will be to slow influenza's march, starting by screening international travelers for signs of infection and quarantining possibly ill passengers.<p>As U.S. infections mount, people will be asked to stay away from crowds, and cancel nonessential travel. Patients' families would be temporarily isolated. Schools in affected communities would close.<p>Employers would be urged to let people telecommute, regularly clean buildings — flu viruses can live on hard surfaces for 48 hours — and advise workers to avoid shaking hands and stand 3 feet apart, out of sneeze range.<p>"I want to be careful not to panic people," cautioned Frances Townsend, Bush's White House homeland security adviser. "First of all, a human pandemic has not begun, and we cannot say whether or not a pandemic will begin."<p>But by assuming a worst-case scenario — up to 2 million U.S. deaths, and up to 40 percent of the work force off the job for several weeks — the government hopes to have enough contingency plans to limit social and economic chaos if a severe pandemic strikes, and to energize private sector preparations.<p>A recent Associated Press-Ipsos poll found only one in 10 Americans was doing anything to plan for an outbreak.<p>The report takes important steps in improving the nation's readiness, said Michael Osterholm, a University of Minnesota infectious disease specialist who has advised the federal government on flu preparations.<p>But, he said, the private sector provides 85 percent of essential services, such as food and medicines — and it will take federal intervention to avoid "an incredible domino effect" of failed services if one of those cogs breaks down.<p>Osterholm cited closed-door discussions where oil refinery executives have said they physically can't operate if 30 percent of their workers are out. Communities' plans for shipping food would disintegrate if there's no fuel.<p>Up to 80 percent of medicines — not just for flu, but for other diseases — use at least some ingredients manufactured offshore, he added, putting production and delivery into question. <p> He said the report made clear that the private sector needs to plan, "but we need federal coordination around that." <p> ___ <p> On the Net: <p> White House plan: http://www.whitehouse.gov/homeland/pandemic-influenza-implementation.html http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6873/lawyer-vioxx-study-may-prompt-more-suits.html http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6873/lawyer-vioxx-study-may-prompt-more-suits.html#comments Wed, 03 May 2006 19:11:24 CDT http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6873/lawyer-vioxx-study-may-prompt-more-suits.html An attorney for Vioxx users said on Wednesday said that a new study which suggests the pain killer may cause problems with short-term use may lead to more lawsuits against the pain reliever's maker, Merck & Co. By JEFFREY GOLD, AP Business Writer <p> NEWARK, N.J. - An attorney for Vioxx users said on Wednesday said that a new study which suggests the pain killer may cause problems with short-term use may lead to more lawsuits against the pain reliever's maker, Merck & Co. <p>However, a Merck lawyer, as well as an attorney not involved in the litigation, cautioned that the study, done looking at patient records, is not definitive and is not as reliable as clinical studies done comparing Vioxx with a placebo.<p>The study by researchers at McGill University Medical Centre in Montreal found that a "small proportion" of patients using Vioxx had their first heart attack soon after starting on the drug. Whitehouse Station-based Merck pulled Vioxx from the market in September 2004 after a study showed it doubled patients risk of heart attacks and stokes after 18 months of use.<p>"This risk did not increase with the length of treatment and returned to baseline shortly after treatment was discontinued," according to the study, posted Wednesday on the Web site of the Canadian Medical Association Journal.<p>"A quarter of individuals in our study who suffered an acute myocardial infarction did so within two weeks of their first Vioxx prescription," said the lead author, Linda Levesque, a McGill doctoral student in epidemiology and biostatistics. "The additional cardiovascular risk from Vioxx actually decreased with longer duration of use, suggesting that the period of highest susceptibility for most people taking Vioxx may occur earlier than previously believed."<p>The study also found evidence that cardiovascular risk returned to normal within one month of stopping the drug, but acknowledged that more research is needed.<p>Chris Placitella, a Red Bank lawyer handling about 1,000 cases for people who took Vioxx, said he and other plaintiff's lawyers will be looking at the Canadian study.<p>"It certainly lends support for the plaintiffs' claim that short-term duration use of Vioxx can cause cardiac events. It also will cause us to go back and reevaluate some of the cases we rejected because of very short-term use after we have the opportunity to review the results of the study with our experts," Placitella said.<p>Merck, facing about 11,500 lawsuits over Vioxx, said the study would not change its strategy of taking them case-by-case. The company has lost half of the six lawsuits that have come to trial, with three juries awarding multimillion dollar verdicts against Merck.<p>An outside lawyer for the company, Jim Fitzpatrick, said that observational studies such as that done by McGill have "significant limitations."<p>Fitzpatrick said that studies done comparing Vioxx to placebo haven't shown an increased risk with short-term use.<p>"This really doesn't change anything," said Fitzpatrick.<p>A lawyer not involved in Vioxx cases who has defended pharmaceutical companies, Murray S. Levin, said that studies like the McGill effort cannot account for many factors, such as the variety of risk factors for heart attack, including weight and genetic background.<p>However, that probably won't impede plaintiffs' lawyers from using it, Levin said. "It is one more arrow for the quiver that they can fire off," he said.<p>Johns Thomas, a health law professor at Quinnipiac University School of Law, in Hamden, Conn., said the McGill study had a small sample size, but will probably lead to more lawsuits.<p>"It may change the landscape a little but, since Merck is trying to distinguish the short-term users from the long-term users," Thomas said.<p>The McGill study found that of 3,947 patients 66 and older in Quebec who took Vioxx, 239 had heart attacks.<p>The study also checked records of 5,885 users of another Cox-2 drug, Celebrex, made by Pfizer Inc., and found 287 people had heart attacks, but determined there was not conclusive evidence of increased risk of heart attack. <p> Pfizer spokesman Daniel Watts said other studies have found no increased risk for heart attack between those taking Celebrex and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. <p> Merck shares fell 33 cents, or 1 percent, to close at $34.15 on the New York Stock Exchange while Pfizer shares fell 1 cent to finish at $25.17. <p> ___ <p> On the Net: <p> Canadian Medical Association Journal: http://www.cmaj.ca <p> Merck: http://www.merck.com <p> Pfizer: http://www.pfizer.com http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6875/hospital-may-have-exposed-some-to-hiv.html http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6875/hospital-may-have-exposed-some-to-hiv.html#comments Wed, 03 May 2006 18:55:32 CDT http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6875/hospital-may-have-exposed-some-to-hiv.html A California hospital was contacting some 300 morbidly obese patients after learning they may have been exposed to hepatitis or HIV by poorly cleaned instruments used in stomach-reduction operations.) LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A California hospital was contacting some 300 morbidly obese patients after learning they may have been exposed to hepatitis or HIV by poorly cleaned instruments used in stomach-reduction operations. <p>Administrators at Scripps Memorial Hospital in San Diego said on Wednesday the patients had been asked to take blood tests when it was discovered a nurse had failed to follow proper procedures for sterilizing the instruments.<p>"The risk (of infectious disease) is extremely low but to be safe and take every precaution we are having blood drawn and tested, looking for HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C," Scripps spokesman Don Stanziano said.<p>Stanziano said state health officials were overseeing an investigation into the nurse's failure to properly sterilize an instrument called a gastroscope.<p>The gastroscope, which is used in so-called stomach-stapling operations, requires a different sterilization process from most instruments because it cannot be exposed to high temperatures.<p>He said results of the blood tests would be available in two to three weeks. http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6871/problems-with-medicare-drug-information.html http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6871/problems-with-medicare-drug-information.html#comments Wed, 03 May 2006 16:38:56 CDT http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6871/problems-with-medicare-drug-information.html Federal investigators posing as senior citizens found that Medicare's operators routinely failed to give callers accurate and complete information about the government's new drug benefit, prompting Democratic critics of the Bush administration program to ask again for an extension of an approaching enrollment deadline. By KEVIN FREKING, Associated Press Writer <p> WASHINGTON - Federal investigators posing as senior citizens found that Medicare's operators routinely failed to give callers accurate and complete information about the government's new drug benefit, prompting Democratic critics of the Bush administration program to ask again for an extension of an approaching enrollment deadline. <p>The Government Accountability Office investigators said that about one-third of their calls resulted in faulty responses or no response at all because of disconnected calls. The accuracy rates varied a great deal based on the question, but when it came to one of the most important questions, operators provided the right answer only 41 percent of the time. That question concerned which drug plan cost the least for a beneficiary based on certain drug needs.<p>"These findings also point to larger problems," said Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich. "Because of inaccurate or incomprehensible information, seniors haven't been given a fair shake. The president should extend the May 15th enrollment deadline and not penalize seniors for the administration's errors."<p>Mark McClellan, the Bush administration's point man on Medicare, defended the agency's customer service when asked about the GAO's report.<p>"I'm very concerned with it being incomplete, inaccurate and out-of-date," McClellan told members of a House Ways and Means subcommittee on Wednesday.<p>The GAO's investigators called the 1-800-Medicare line 500 times from Jan. 17 through Feb. 7. They asked five questions — each question 100 times. To develop questions, investigators considered topics on the Medicare Web site.<p>The GAO also kept track of how long it took for operators to answer the phone. Three-quarters of the calls resulted in operators answering within five minutes. However, for more than one in 10 calls, it took operators more than 15 minutes to answer.<p>"In one case, we were placed on hold for 54 minutes before being disconnected," the GAO reported.<p>The investigators also looked at the federal government's Web site, as well as the information described in a handbook sent to all beneficiaries. They found problems there as well.<p>Program administrators have "not ensured that its communications to beneficiaries and their advisers are provided in a manner that is consistently clear, complete, accurate and usable," the investigators concluded. "Six months have passed since these materials were first made available to beneficiaries, and their limitations could result in confusion among those seeking to make coverage decisions."<p> Mike Leavitt, secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, said Wednesday that his agency has fixed some of the problems cited by the investigators, particularly the wait times for the Medicare hot line.<p>"We monitored from the very beginning those calls and we saw the same thing, and worked hard to improve it," Leavitt said. "Over the course of time it has improved. We're now down to 2 or 3 minutes. It was too long, and we responded. ... I can say with some satisfaction that things have improved dramatically."<p>Leavitt said he continued to oppose any extension of the May 15 enrollment deadline. By then, he said, he expects that more than 90 percent of about 43 million Medicare beneficiaries will have prescription drug coverage through Medicare or through other programs.<p>About 9 million beneficiaries have opted for coverage through the new benefit. McClellan told lawmakers that operators get one week of classroom training followed by two or three additional days of practice calls. They also must pass a written examination. He said customer service surveys indicate 87 percent of beneficiaries are satisfied with their experience with the 1-800 Medicare line. They are particularly pleased with the courtesy of the operators, 97 percent, he said.<p>In response to calls to delay the enrollment deadline, McClellan said 1.6 million fewer people would enroll this year if there were no deadline. However, Rep. Pete Stark, D-Calif., countered with projections from the Congressional Budget Office that indicated about 1 million more people would enroll if the deadline were extended until Jan. 1. Many people won't enroll if they have to pay a penalty for signing up late, Stark said.<p>___<p>On the Net<p>GAO report: http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-06-654 <p> Medicare: http://www.medicare.gov http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6870/lawmaker-fears-cruise-ultrasoung-copycats.html http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6870/lawmaker-fears-cruise-ultrasoung-copycats.html#comments Wed, 03 May 2006 16:33:47 CDT http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6870/lawmaker-fears-cruise-ultrasoung-copycats.html When Tom Cruise announced he had bought an ultrasound machine so he could see images of his unborn child, a California lawmaker thought the "Mission: Impossible III" star had gone too far. By SAMANTHA YOUNG, Associated Press Writer <p> SACRAMENTO, Calif. - When Tom Cruise announced he had bought an ultrasound machine so he could see images of his unborn child, a California lawmaker thought the "Mission: Impossible III" star had gone too far. <p>Democratic Assemblyman Ted Lieu said he feared copycat fans might buy the machine for home use, which doctors say could harm a fetus.<p>"If someone sees Tom Cruise buy one, they think this is the thing to do," said Lieu. His bill, scheduled for debate Thursday in the California Assembly, would ban manufacturers in the state from selling, leasing or distributing the imaging device to anyone but a licensed medical professional.<p>"There's really no medical reason for an untrained person to use this machine," he said.<p>Cruise's fiancee, Katie Holmes, gave birth to their daughter, Suri, on April 18 in Los Angeles. She is the couple's first child.<p>The actor's publicist, Paul Bloch, did not return phone messages seeking comment. Cruise has been promoting his new film, which opens in theaters Friday.<p>Doctors and technologists receive years of training to perform ultrasound exams, which offer parents the first glimpse of the fetus and obstetricians images to check a baby's health.<p>The machine is also used by doctors on a high-frequency setting to get a better snapshot of an adult's kidneys, pelvis, uterus and other internal organs.<p>There are many settings "you would only use on adults and not on a fetus," said Dr. Miyuki Murphy, director of ultrasound at Radiological Associates of Sacramento.<p>"Obviously, somebody enamored with their own child would want to use it all the time," said Murphy, identified by the California Medical Association as an expert on the topic. "You might push that button because the pictures are prettier."<p>Critics of the bill said lawmakers should leave such decisions to health professionals.<p>"We don't have the expertise to dispense medical advice," said Assemblywoman Audra Strickland, the mother of a 6-month-old daughter.<p>The Food and Drug Administration has determined that "keepsake" fetal videos and personal snapshots are an unapproved use of a medical device. http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6869/world-children-exercise-to-fight-obesity.html http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6869/world-children-exercise-to-fight-obesity.html#comments Wed, 03 May 2006 15:47:58 CDT http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6869/world-children-exercise-to-fight-obesity.html As children exercised in unison in school yards across the world Wednesday, sweat flowed, calories burned, and, perhaps some lives will be saved. By MATTHEW VERRINDER, Associated Press Writer <p> MONTVILLE, N.J. - As children exercised in unison in school yards across the world Wednesday, sweat flowed, calories burned, and, perhaps some lives will be saved. <p>At least, that's the hope of Len Saunders, a grinning New Jersey elementary school gym teacher who started Project ACES in 1989. Students in all 50 states and at least 50 other countries were urged to exercise en masse for 15 minutes Wednesday, all to curb alarming rates of childhood obesity. ACES stands for All Children Exercise Simultaneously.<p>"Now we just have to get them to do it every day, and we'll be fine," said Saunders, 45, who teaches at Valley View Elementary School, about 25 miles west of Manhattan. "The obesity epidemic is crazy in our country right now. This is not going to change their lives for the 15 minutes today, but it may motivate them to exercise in the future."<p>More than a third of American children and adolescents are overweight; 17 percent are obese, according to government figures.<p>"It (Project ACES) is successful in that it's a single-shot attempt to springboard kids into exercising," said Debi Pillarella, a spokeswoman for the American Council on Exercise. "Childhood obesity is an epidemic and getting worse."<p>In the parking lot of the Valley View school, about 500 students clad in shorts, tank tops, and sports jerseys spread towels underneath them as they did push-ups.<p>Sarah Appelblatt, 11, did jumping jacks and twists.<p>"This keeps you fit and healthy," she said. "A lot of the kids have caught on."<p>Classmate Nicholas Elias, 11, said he exercises every day, playing baseball and basketball or soccer. "This is a good part of a healthy life," he said.<p>Elsewhere in the country, about 500,000 students participated in Michigan, 200,000 in Illinois, and 180,000 in Indiana, Saunders said.<p>Most of the schools held their events at 10 a.m. EST to synchronize the activity as much as possible.<p>Aside from regular exercise, experts say a nutritional diet is just as important to curb child obesity — and they got some major help on Wednesday.<p>The nation's largest soda distributors agreed to stop almost all sales of the sugary, fizzy drinks to public schools, so students can't buy them from vending machines.<p>The agreement should reach about 87 percent of U.S. schools. Industry giants Cadbury Schweppes PLC, Coca-Cola Co. and PepsiCo Inc. have agreed to the change.<p>"Soda is just a ready, available source of empty calories that has fattened up our kids," said Cedric Bryant, chief science officer for the exercise council. "And compounding that is that kids are so much less active these days than they have been."<p>___<p>On the Net:<p>Project ACES: http://www.projectaces.com http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6868/flu-drug-tamiflu-fares-well-in-testing.html http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6868/flu-drug-tamiflu-fares-well-in-testing.html#comments Wed, 03 May 2006 15:35:03 CDT http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6868/flu-drug-tamiflu-fares-well-in-testing.html The flu drug Tamiflu can prevent deaths in mammals infected with bird flu, suggests a new study that offers clues to the ideal dosage and duration needed for people, scientists said Wednesday. By MARGIE MASON, AP Medical Writer <p> SINGAPORE - The flu drug Tamiflu can prevent deaths in mammals infected with bird flu, suggests a new study that offers clues to the ideal dosage and duration needed for people, scientists said Wednesday. <p>Health experts have touted the antiviral Tamiflu as the most effective medicine available to fight bird flu, and countries worldwide have been racing to stockpile it in case the virus mutates into a form easily spread among people. But little is known about how much Tamiflu should be given to a person who has caught the current bird flu.<p>In the study, ferrets given the drug after being infected with the deadly H5N1 virus circulating in Vietnam all survived, said Elena Govorkova of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. She presented the research during a two-day bird flu conference in Singapore.<p>The findings illustrate the benefits of early treatment and are in line with the limited research published about using the drug to fight the virus in humans, according to an abstract of the study.<p>The research will be used to create models to help predict how much Tamiflu people would need to take and for how long if a new pandemic strain emerges, said David Reddy of Swiss-based Roche Holding AG, which makes the drug.<p>After being infected for four hours, ferrets were given a dose equal to half the conventional human dosage for five days. It saved their lives. A higher dose was also given to ferrets 24 hours after being infected. Again, all of the ferrets given the drug survived, while those not treated all died.<p>The news wasn't as promising for human vaccine development, another front in the preparation for a potential flu pandemic.<p>Dr. James D. Campbell of the University of Maryland Center for Vaccine Development in Baltimore, said worldwide vaccine production capacity is still low. And getting the vaccine where it's needed if there's a pandemic will be time-consuming, he said.<p>"First you have to make the vaccine seed virus, then you have to produce large quantities of the vaccine, get the vaccine through the regulatory authorization, distribute the vaccine and actually vaccinate people," said Campbell, who is closely involved in U.S. vaccine trials. "And then wait the weeks that it takes after vaccination before the antibodies get to the level that would lead to protection."<p>Early tests indicate the vaccine currently under development is safe, but effective in only about 50 percent of patients. It also requires a dose 12 times stronger than a regular annual flu shot. Two shots are also required instead of one.<p>Campbell said the first large tests were set to begin this year on a new vaccine that won't rely on chicken eggs to produce, a process that is also time-consuming. http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6867/key-factors-spur-older-cancer-patients-to-quit-chemo.html http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6867/key-factors-spur-older-cancer-patients-to-quit-chemo.html#comments Wed, 03 May 2006 15:09:05 CDT http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6867/key-factors-spur-older-cancer-patients-to-quit-chemo.html Physical weakness, treatment complications, and a lack of social and psychological support can keep elderly patients with stage III colon cancer from finishing chemotherapy after surgery, a new U.S. study finds.) WEDNESDAY, May 3 (HealthDay News) -- Physical weakness, treatment complications, and a lack of social and psychological support can keep elderly patients with stage III colon cancer from finishing chemotherapy after surgery, a new U.S. study finds.<p>Researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle analyzed data from nearly 3,200 stage III colon cancer patients who opted for chemotherapy after they'd had surgery for their cancer. Of those, 2,497 (78.2 percent) completed the chemotherapy treatment, which studies show can reduce the risk of death.<p> <p>Among the patients who did not complete their chemotherapy treatment, physical frailty, treatment complications, and a lack of social/psychological support were cited as factors. The patients' doctors' characteristics did not play a role in failure to complete treatment, the study said. Black patients were as just likely as whites to finish chemotherapy.<p> <p>"From these findings, interventions to improve social and physical support throughout the treatment course could be implemented, to test whether such support improves rates of chemotherapy completion in elderly colon cancer patients," the study authors wrote.<p> <p>The findings appear in the May 3 issue of the <i>Journal of the National Cancer Institute</i>.<p> <p>More information<p> <p>The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more about colon cancer. http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6866/clinton-battles-child-obesity-with-less-sodas-more-juices.html http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6866/clinton-battles-child-obesity-with-less-sodas-more-juices.html#comments Wed, 03 May 2006 14:05:46 CDT http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6866/clinton-battles-child-obesity-with-less-sodas-more-juices.html Former president Bill Clinton, once a chubby child himself, announced that soft drink makers had agreed to replace high-calorie sodas sold in schools with healthier drinks in an effort to curb child obesity.) NEW YORK (AFP) - Former president Bill Clinton, once a chubby child himself, announced that soft drink makers had agreed to replace high-calorie sodas sold in schools with healthier drinks in an effort to curb child obesity. <p> "This is a step forward in a struggle to help more than 35 million American young people live healthier lives," Clinton said in a press conference at the William J. Clinton Foundation in New York.<p> The former US leader, who launched an anti-obesity campaign after undergoing heart surgery, said nine million children are overweight today and 70 percent risk becoming overweight or obese as adults. He warned that these children could have a lower life expectancy than their parents.<p> "We should know this is a big challenge for the United States and for the world," Clinton said. "It has on the surface a simple solution: To help children reduce the number of calories they consume and increase the number they burn."<p> The beverage industry agreed to new guidelines capping the number of calories available in beverages at schools at 100 calories per container, Clinton's foundation said.<p> Under the new guidelines, only water, milk and juices will be sold in elementary schools. Middle schools will apply the same standards, except bigger containers will be available.<p> In high schools, half the drinks will be water and low-calorie selections. Light juices and sports drinks will be available, as well as milk, juices and 100 percent juices.<p> The Alliance for a Healthier Generation, a joint initiative between Clinton's foundation and the American Heart Association, worked with Cadbury Schweppes, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and the American Beverage Association to create the new guidelines.<p> Clinton, who once described himself as "the fat band boy" while growing up in Arkansas, launched an anti-obesity campaign in 2005, several months after undergoing quadruple bypass surgery that he blamed on a lifetime of unhealthy eating. http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6865/beverage-industry-cuts-calories-for-school-kids.html http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6865/beverage-industry-cuts-calories-for-school-kids.html#comments Wed, 03 May 2006 14:00:18 CDT http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6865/beverage-industry-cuts-calories-for-school-kids.html The U.S. beverage industry has agreed to fight child obesity by cutting calories and shrinking the serving sizes of drinks sold at schools in a deal brokered by self-described former "fat kid" Bill Clinton.) By Daniel Trotta <p> NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. beverage industry has agreed to fight child obesity by cutting calories and shrinking the serving sizes of drinks sold at schools in a deal brokered by self-described former "fat kid" Bill Clinton. <p>Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Cadbury Schweppes and the American Beverage Association volunteered for the program that will ban some of their best-selling products from a market of 35 million U.S. public school children.<p>Under the plan unveiled on Wednesday at Clinton's New York-based foundation, the number of calories in school beverages will be capped at 100 except for certain milks and juices. By comparison, a can of regular Coca-Cola has 140 calories.<p>"Today is significant much like it was when Roger Bannister ran a four-minute mile or when the sound barrier was broken. Many did it later but somebody had to do it first," said Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who has joined Clinton's campaign against child obesity and battled chronic obesity himself.<p>Since 1980, obesity rates have tripled among adolescents aged 13 to 17 and doubled among younger children, according to a federal government report issued on Tuesday. An estimated 16 percent of children aged 6 to 19 are obese, it said.<p>Clinton illustrated how the program could help, saying an 8-year-old who cuts 45 calories a day from his diet would be 20 pounds (9 kg) lighter by the time he or she graduates from high school.<p>The former president, who has had two heart-related operations in recent years and was overweight as a child, has made child obesity one of his top public policy issues since leaving the White House in 2001.<p>BUSINESS EFFECT SAID MINIMAL<p>Clinton praised the beverage industry for taking a risk with the initiative. But one expert said vending machines in schools are not a big revenue source for carbonated soft-drink manufacturers.<p>"The effect on their business will be minimal," said Manny Goldman, a beverage industry consultant. "There's a lot more than soft drinks that is responsible for childhood obesity. But soft drinks are visible products and are an easy target."<p>The agreement is part of a larger effort by Clinton's nonprofit foundation and the American Heart Association to promote a better diet and more active lifestyle for youths.<p>The beverage industry agreed to apply the new limits to 75 percent of the nation's public and private schools before the start of the 2008-09 school year and apply it to all schools a year later.<p>Elementary schools will sell only water, small servings of juices with no added sweeteners, and small servings of milk that are fat-free or low-fat.<p>Middle schools will have the same restrictions while allowing slightly larger portion sizes. For high schools, at least half of available beverages must be water, zero-calorie and low-calorie drinks.<p>(Additional reporting by Anupama Chandrasekaran) http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6864/ban-on-chinese-chicken-advances.html http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6864/ban-on-chinese-chicken-advances.html#comments Wed, 03 May 2006 13:17:45 CDT http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6864/ban-on-chinese-chicken-advances.html Spurred by concerns about bird flu, lawmakers voted Wednesday to block chicken processed in China from entering the United States. By LIBBY QUAID, AP Food and Farm Writer <p> WASHINGTON - Spurred by concerns about bird flu, lawmakers voted Wednesday to block chicken processed in China from entering the United States. <p>The prohibition is part of a $94 billion spending bill for food and agriculture programs that cleared a House subcommittee and now goes to the full Appropriations Committee.<p>The Bush administration had said last month that it would allow poultry processed in China, so long as it comes from birds raised and slaughtered in the United States. Agriculture Department officials said the meat would be fully cooked and perfectly safe.<p>But Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut said there's no way to guarantee the safety of chicken cooked and packaged in China, where thousands of birds and several people have died from bird flu.<p>DeLauro, the agriculture spending subcommittee's senior Democrat, mentioned a recent recall in Tennesee of chicken breast fillets, sold as fully cooked, that may have been undercooked.<p>"If undercooking can occur at a U.S. plant, where there are daily inspections, think of how easy it will be for undercooking or other problems to occur in a Chinese plant, which is inspected by U.S. inspectors only once per year," DeLauro said.<p>"The public health risk increases exponentially when a product from China is undercooked, because the threat of avian flu is so high in that country," she said.<p>The panel approved DeLauro's amendment blocking processed chicken from China on a voice vote.<p>The spending bill would provide $80 million to protect against bird flu, about $33 million less than what President Bush requested.<p>___<p>On the Net:<p>House Appropriations Committee: http://appropriations.house.gov/ http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6863/prostate-cancer-screening-may-not-be-needed-in-older-men.html http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6863/prostate-cancer-screening-may-not-be-needed-in-older-men.html#comments Wed, 03 May 2006 11:07:24 CDT http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6863/prostate-cancer-screening-may-not-be-needed-in-older-men.html Elderly men may not benefit from aggressive treatment for prostate cancer, a new study suggests.) By Steven Reinberg<br /><i>HealthDay Reporter</i> <p> WEDNESDAY, May 3 (HealthDay News) -- Elderly men may not benefit from aggressive treatment for prostate cancer, a new study suggests.<p>Even though prostate cancer can eventually be fatal, it often progresses so slowly that many men -- particularly those over 75 -- are more likely to die from some other disease. And aggressive treatments such as radical prostatectomy or radiation, while eradicating the cancer, can have negative effects on quality of life, including urinary incontinence and impotence.<p> <p>As a result, aggressive therapy's side effects may not be worthwhile for elderly patients, the researchers said.<p> <p>"This raises the question: Should we be aggressively looking for prostate cancer in these older men? The answer, I think, is no," said lead researcher Dr. Richard M. Hoffman, an associate professor of medicine at the University of New Mexico Cancer Research and Treatment Center.<p> <p>There's no evidence there is going to be a significant survival benefit from treatment, Hoffman added. "But we are going to cause complications that are going to affect quality of life," he said.<p> <p>Conservative treatments -- such as hormone therapy or so-called "watchful waiting" -- may preserve quality of life, but might not be appropriate for aggressive cancer that progresses quickly. Current guidelines suggest that men aged 75 or older may not benefit from screening. But many older men continue to be screened.<p> <p>For this population-based study, Hoffman and his colleagues followed 465 men aged 75 to 84 who had been diagnosed with localized prostate cancer in 1994 or 1995. One hundred seventy-five men underwent aggressive treatment such as surgery or radiation therapy, while 290 received hormone therapy or no treatment.<p> <p>The researchers then looked at health-related quality of life and survival two and seven years after the diagnosis.<p> <p>"Men who received aggressive treatment for prostate cancer were much more likely to have problems with urinary incontinence and sexual dysfunction, compared with men who received watchful waiting or hormone treatment," Hoffman said.<p> <p>Fewer of the men who got aggressive treatment died from the disease, Hoffman said, "but that wasn't statistically significant. Most of the men died from other causes."<p> <p>The findings appear in the May issue of <i>The American Journal of Medicine</i>.<p> <p>Hoffman said screening and treatment for prostate cancer may be worthwhile for healthy older men who have a life expectancy of 10 to 15 years. "But it's not proven," he said. "People need to understand that if they start down the pathway of looking for prostate cancer, it can lead to aggressive treatment that can cause complications that will negatively affect their quality of life."<p> <p>Dr. Anthony D'Amico, chief of radiation oncology at Brigham and Women's Hospital, in Boston, said deciding who these study results apply to isn't so simple. "It depends on what kind of man over 75 with what kind of prostate cancer," he said.<p> <p>Men over 75 who have non-aggressive prostate cancer will often die from something other than prostate cancer, D'Amico said. "But if you have aggressive prostate cancer, I don't think these results apply."<p> <p>Older men in bad health probably don't need to be treated for prostate cancer if it's non-aggressive, D'Amico said.<p> <p>Dr. Durado Brooks, director of prostate and colorectal cancers at the American Cancer Society, thinks this study underscores the problem of what to do for older men with prostate cancer.<p> <p>"It raises the question about the value of screening related to the value of treatment," he said.<p> <p>Another expert thinks healthy older men with aggressive prostate cancer who have a life expectancy of 10 to 15 years should be given the option of aggressive treatment.<p> "If these patients are willing to accept the potential side effects, the risk of dying from prostate cancer can be reduced," said Dr. Stephen Freedland, an assistant professor of urology and pathology at Duke University.<p> "For men 75 to 80, there are benefits and risks to treatment," Freedland said. "That's something you need to address with the patient." But treating someone over 80, Freedland agreed, is probably not productive.<p> More information<p> The National Cancer Institute can tell you more about prostate cancer. http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6862/fda-oks-bone-marrow-disorders-drug.html http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6862/fda-oks-bone-marrow-disorders-drug.html#comments Wed, 03 May 2006 09:50:35 CDT http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6862/fda-oks-bone-marrow-disorders-drug.html An injectable drug to treat a rare group of diseases of the bone marrow that are often fatal won federal approval Wednesday. WASHINGTON - An injectable drug to treat a rare group of diseases of the bone marrow that are often fatal won federal approval Wednesday. <p>The Food and Drug Administration said Dacogen would provide an additional treatment option for patients suffering from myelodysplastic syndromes. The condition is marked by bone marrow that does not produce enough mature blood cells.<p>The drug, also known as decitabine, is believed to promote normal development of blood cells. In three clinical trials, about one-fifth of patients treated with Dacogen had a complete or partial response to the drug, the FDA said.<p>There are different types of myelodysplastic syndromes, which can develop following treatment with drugs or radiation for other diseases. Some forms of the diseases can develop into acute myeloid leukemia, according to the FDA.<p>The FDA approved Dacogen under the Orphan Drug Act, which encourages drug companies to develop treatments for rare diseases and conditions. An estimated 7,000 to 12,000 new myelodysplastic syndrome cases are diagnosed each year in the United States.<p>Myelodysplastic syndromes are most common in the elderly. Symptoms include weakness, fatigue, infections, easy bruising, bleeding and fever.<p>The most common side effects of Dacogen include low white blood cell count, low platelets in blood, anemia, fatigue, fever, nausea, cough, bleeding in the skin, constipation, diarrhea and high blood sugar.<p>Dacogen is made by Netherlands-based Pharmachemie B.V. Haarlem for MGI Pharma Inc. of Bloomington, Minn.<p>Other drugs to treat myelodysplastic syndromes include Vidaza and Revlimid.<p>___<p>On the Net: Food and Drug Administration: http://www.fda.gov/<p>MGI Pharma Inc.: http://www.mgipharma.com/ http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6860/health-tip-tubes-may-help-frequent-ear-infections.html http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6860/health-tip-tubes-may-help-frequent-ear-infections.html#comments Wed, 03 May 2006 08:08:10 CDT http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6860/health-tip-tubes-may-help-frequent-ear-infections.html Ear infections are common in young children, and are often easily treated with antibiotics or may even clear up on their own.) (HealthDay News) -- Ear infections are common in young children, and are often easily treated with antibiotics or may even clear up on their own.<p>But if your child has had multiple ear infections in a short period of time that never seem to clear, he may need ear tubes to help drain fluid from his ears and prevent infection, the Nemours Foundation says.<p> <p>Children who attend group child-care centers, are around people who smoke, and who take bottles to bed are more prone to ear infections. Most often, they occur between ages 6 months and 2 years.<p> <p>Symptoms of an ear infection can include fever, fussiness or irritability, and fluid leaking from the ears. If your child's ear infections are causing trouble hearing or slowing speech development, your doctor may recommend ear tube surgery.<p> <p>Tympanostomy, the medical name for the procedure, involves placing a small tube in the child's ear -- usually in both ears -- to help ventilate the area and prevent future infections. The tubes, which also equalize pressure in the middle ear, are typically removed within 6-18 months after surgery. http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6861/uk-cancer-charity-launches-unique-drug-plan.html http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6861/uk-cancer-charity-launches-unique-drug-plan.html#comments Wed, 03 May 2006 08:06:49 CDT http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6861/uk-cancer-charity-launches-unique-drug-plan.html A leading cancer charity launched a plan on Wednesday to develop new treatments from anti-cancer drugs that have been shelved by pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.) By Patricia Reaney <p> LONDON (Reuters) - A leading cancer charity launched a plan on Wednesday to develop new treatments from anti-cancer drugs that have been shelved by pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. <p>Cancer Research UK said the initiative aims to increase the number of treatments available to cancer patients by "borrowing" compounds that have not been developed by a company and taking them into early clinical trials.<p>"There are literally hundreds of molecules at the pre-clinical or clinical stage sitting on the shelves of companies and not being developed," said Harpal Kumar, chief operating officer of the charity.<p>"Many of those compounds are anti-cancer drugs and some of those could, if developed, offer new treatment opportunities for cancer patients," he added.<p>The charity has already approached companies about the initiative. Under the terms of the Clinical Development Partnership (CDP), the charity would test the treatment in early trials at no cost to the company.<p>If it shows promise, the firm could retain the option to develop and market it and the charity would receive a share of the revenue it generates.<p>"It is about releasing the potential of deprioritised cancer drugs that are sitting on the shelves of companies," Kumar told reporters.<p>Developing a new drug can take a decade or more and cost as much as 500 million pounds. Only about 8 percent of molecules tested in Phase 1 safety trials make it to the market. For anti-cancer drugs the odds are even lower.<p>Progress in science, mergers in the pharmaceutical industry which have resulted in competing programs and hard choices about which compounds to develop have resulted in many molecules being shelved, according to Kumar.<p>The charity hopes the plan will double the number of compounds it puts into early clinical trials over the next five years. The expected cost is 2 million pounds a year.<p>"The drug companies have these potential treatments trapped in their pipelines and we have the expertise and capacity to release this potential," he added.<p>Dr Richard Tiner, medical director of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, described the initiative as a unique approach.<p>"This is a simple, rapid and cost-effective way in which pharmaceutical companies can boost their product lines," he said.<p>The drug or biotech company would retain the ownership of the molecule and have first option to view the results of the trial. If it chooses not to take a promising compound further, the charity will retain the option to fully develop it and the ability to partner it with another company. http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6859/half-tonne-man-seeks-life-saving-surgery-in-italy.html http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6859/half-tonne-man-seeks-life-saving-surgery-in-italy.html#comments Wed, 03 May 2006 05:50:30 CDT http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6859/half-tonne-man-seeks-life-saving-surgery-in-italy.html A Mexican man who at 1,212 pounds is possibly the heaviest person in the world hopes to soon travel to Italy for a life-saving operation on his small intestine that would allow him to shed weight.) By Phil Stewart <p> ROME (Reuters) - A Mexican man who at 1,212 pounds is possibly the heaviest person in the world hopes to soon travel to Italy for a life-saving operation on his small intestine that would allow him to shed weight. <p>Manuel Uribe, bedridden for the past 5 years, cannot stand on his own and will need a special flight to take him from Monterrey, Mexico to a hospital in Modena, Italy, where a surgical team has offered to treat him.<p>"I can't walk. I'm can't leave my bed," Uribe, age 40, said in a telephone interview.<p>"I'm in the process of trying to reduce my weight a bit right now so I can be in the right condition for the operation."<p>Uribe made an impassioned plea for help earlier this year shown on Mexican television, saying he had weighed a more normal 287 pounds until aged 22 and did not know what happened to him.<p>Part of the broadcast was retransmitted on Italian state television and drew the attention of doctor Giancarlo De Bernardinis, who travelled to Mexico in March with a small team, including an anesthetist, to examine Uribe.<p>Bernardinis, whose biggest patient to date weighed 772 pounds, told Reuters he plans a gall-bladder, intestinal bypass procedure that he says will allow Uribe to pass food more quickly without so many calories being absorbed.<p>Bernardinis said he planned to perform the surgery in Modena as early as this month, but a Mexican health official doubted Uribe would be ready for a trip to Europe that quickly.<p>MEDICAL WONDER<p>Uribe's case is still a medical mystery of sorts since his cholesterol levels are normal, as are his blood-sugar levels, despite his extreme obesity.<p>"His heart works very well. He has some respiratory difficulty because of his obesity, but in strict terms, he's well," said Marco Anibal Rodriguez Vargas, the director of hospitals in the Mexican state of Nuevo Leon.<p>Doctors who have visited Uribe estimate he weighs about 1,212 pounds -- roughly the weight of five baby elephants.<p>As is common with extreme obesity, no one has managed to find a suitable scale for Uribe in years, however, and estimates are made partly by tape-measure.<p>He said Mexican hospitals still had hope of treating Uribe themselves, but added Uribe would ultimately decide what to do.<p>When asked by Reuters, Uribe said it was just a matter of time before he went to Italy: "Are we going? Yes. We're going. But the doctors will decide when."<p>Bernardinis said the operation would last four to five hours and would likely require Uribe to spend one month in Italy before returning to Mexico.<p>"He will always be heavier than normal but certainly not like he is now ... We would be satisfied even if he weighed 150 kilos (330 pounds) after two years," Bernardinis said.<p>For Uribe, that would be a welcome change. He is just shy of becoming the heaviest man ever to live -- a record currently held by Jon Brower Minnoch, who died in Seattle in 1983 after reaching a record 1,400 pounds. He was in his early 40s. <p> Uribe, who turns 41 in July, said he hopes to avoid that fate. But his wife, horrified by his increasing size, feared for the worst and abandoned him more than a decade ago. <p> "She left me because she must have thought I was dying, because I was very bad off," Uribe said. <p> "Thank God, I'm still alive and hopefully will be able to take care of this problem." http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6858/non-diet-sodas-wont-be-sold-to-schools.html http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6858/non-diet-sodas-wont-be-sold-to-schools.html#comments Tue, 02 May 2006 23:16:26 CDT http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6858/non-diet-sodas-wont-be-sold-to-schools.html Tens of millions of students will no longer be able to buy non-diet sodas in the nation's public schools, under an agreement announced Wednesday between major beverage distributors and anti-obesity advocates. NEW YORK - Tens of millions of students will no longer be able to buy non-diet sodas in the nation's public schools, under an agreement announced Wednesday between major beverage distributors and anti-obesity advocates. <p>The distributors, working with the William J. Clinton Foundation and the American Heart Association, also have agreed to sell only water, juice and low-fat milks to elementary and middle schools, said Jay Carson, a spokesman for former President Clinton.<p>Cadbury Schweppes, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and the American Beverage Association have all signed onto the deal, Carson said, adding that the companies represent "a very significant market share."<p>"Only a coalition of this type can make such a sweeping move effecting so many students at once," Carson said. "It's a bold and sweeping step that industry and childhood obesity advocates have decided to take together." http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6857/report-federal-bird-blu-aid-may-be-tough.html http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6857/report-federal-bird-blu-aid-may-be-tough.html#comments Tue, 02 May 2006 21:25:51 CDT http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6857/report-federal-bird-blu-aid-may-be-tough.html A medical reality is complicating federal preparations for the next pandemic: Flu spreads in ways that make it extremely unlikely the U.S. could avoid being hit. By LAURAN NEERGAARD, AP Medical Writer <p> WASHINGTON - A medical reality is complicating federal preparations for the next pandemic: Flu spreads in ways that make it extremely unlikely the U.S. could avoid being hit. <p>Even shutting U.S. borders against outbreaks abroad offers little reassurance, because people can spread flu a full day before they show symptoms. With 1.1 million people legally entering the country every day, that means a super-strain would probably be incubating here by the time it was diagnosed abroad.<p>The government's latest national response plan, obtained by The Associated Press, acknowledges the difficulty as it warns that states, cities and businesses shouldn't count on a federal rescue if a super-strain of influenza strikes — and that people may have to rely on creative if not scientifically proven ideas such as staying 3 feet away from co-workers and not shaking anyone's possibly contaminated hand.<p> President Bush last fall announced a $7.1 billion strategy to fight the next flu pandemic, focusing largely on public health preparations such as how to rapidly produce a vaccine once the next super-flu strikes. On Wednesday, the White House will formally release Step 2 of that strategy — a list of actions that different branches of government need to take to prepare.<p>"This would really be a road map," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said Tuesday. "It will cover both the government and non-government actions that are being taken to plan and prepare for any potential pandemic."<p>It's an incremental step, one already drawing political attacks that the Bush administration isn't moving fast enough.<p>"Other nations have been implementing their plans for years, but we're reading ours for the first time now. These needless delays have put Americans at risk," Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., said.<p>But infectious disease experts hope the new details being released Wednesday will help businesses and local governments better determine exactly what they should be doing — and what aid they can expect from the federal government if a pandemic strikes.<p>"Everybody is asking, 'Well, we want to do something. How do we do it?'" says former Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson, who heard those questions Tuesday while addressing pandemic preparations at a Michigan law-enforcement conference. "We've got to be much more specific."<p>Influenza pandemics strike every few decades when a never-before-seen strain arises. It's impossible to predict when the next will occur, although concern is rising that the Asian bird flu, called the H5N1 strain, might lead to one if it eventually starts spreading easily from person to person.<p>Regardless of what causes the next pandemic, the 228-page draft version of the government's plan outlines a set of steps federal officials will take at different stages.<p>We're currently in Stage 0 — worrisome flu strains are circulating in birds. Stage 5 would be widespread U.S. cases. In between, U.S. health officials would help world authorities try to detect and contain any potential pandemic-triggering outbreaks abroad.<p>The main defense: Screening travelers from affected countries and diverting or quarantining flights that arrive with possibly ill patients aboard.<p>But many travelers will seem healthy even as they shed virus, warn flu specialists.<p>Trying to meet and quarantine lots of planes, "I'm dubious, No. 1, that just physically that's feasible. And, No. 2, I frankly wonder exactly what degree of effectiveness can be expected by that," said Dr. William Schaffner of Vanderbilt University, an adviser to the government on flu vaccine.<p>A pandemic wouldn't shut down the country at once. Instead, the document paints a picture of communities battling active infections for six to eight weeks, before the flu spreads to the next area.<p>Each ill person is expected to infect two others. Symptoms should appear within two days. Flu spreads most among school-age children — expect a 40 percent attack rate among them compared to 20 percent among working adults. But, with caring for sick relatives and stay-at-home precautions to avoid infection, 40 percent of the workforce could be absent for weeks at a time.<p>To minimize workplace infection, the report gives the most in-depth advice yet for businesses to take such steps as cleaning offices — flu can live on hard surfaces for 48 hours — and minimize employee contact by not shaking hands and staying 3 feet from co-workers. <p> But the 3-feet advice assumes flu only spreads in the large droplets of coughs and sneezes; tiny droplets that stay suspended in the air for long periods can spread it, too. <p> "Those are the kinds of uncertainties that make it hard to be very dogmatic" about health tips, cautioned Dr. John Treanor, a University of Rochester flu specialist. <p> ___ <p> Associated Press Writer Nedra Pickler contributed to this report. <p> ___ <p> On the Net: <p> Heath and Human Services Department site on pandemic flu: http://www.pandemicflu.gov http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6856/unicef-poor-nutrition-kills-6m-children.html http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6856/unicef-poor-nutrition-kills-6m-children.html#comments Tue, 02 May 2006 19:07:32 CDT http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6856/unicef-poor-nutrition-kills-6m-children.html Poor nutrition contributes to the deaths of some 5.6 million children every year and the world has fallen far short in efforts to reduce hunger by half before 2015, the U.N. Children's Fund said Tuesday. By NICK WADHAMS <p> UNITED NATIONS - Poor nutrition contributes to the deaths of some 5.6 million children every year and the world has fallen far short in efforts to reduce hunger by half before 2015, the U.N. Children's Fund said Tuesday. <p>The finding, announced in a UNICEF report, was the latest evidence the United Nations is not on pace to meet the Millennium Development Goals, a series of targets set out in 2000 to spur development and reduce poverty and hunger worldwide.<p>In its report, UNICEF said one of every four children under age 5, including 146 million children in the developing world, is underweight.<p>"At our current pace, we will not meet the promise of the Millennium Development Goals," UNICEF Executive Director Ann Veneman said. "I think that frankly, we need a sense of urgency about all of the (goals). We know what needs to be done. We know how to make progress."<p>The report defines "undernutrition" as the combination of hunger and repeated infectious diseases. It includes being underweight, too short, too thin and lacking in vitamins and minerals.<p>The most troublesome area in the world is South Asia, where 46 percent of children are underweight. India, Bangladesh and Pakistan account for half of the world's underweight children even though they have only 30 percent of the world's population of children under 5.<p>"Children in this region live in an almost constant state of emergency," Veneman said.<p>Veneman also said that poor nutrition, particularly the lack of iodine, is diminishing the brainpower of children worldwide, sometimes by several IQ points.<p>The report was another reminder of how much work must still be done to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. Last year, the top HIV/ AIDS official said it was no longer realistic to hope the world will meet its goal of halting and reversing the spread of AIDS by 2015.<p>And last week, UNESCO said that the targets for universal primary school education was probably now out of reach, in part because of massive teacher shortages.<p>According to the UNICEF report card, only one in three children is breast-fed in the first six months of life, meaning they are deprived of crucial nutrients that stimulate their immune systems and protect them from respiratory infections.<p>Veneman and Catherine Bertini, chair of the UN Standing Committee on Nutrition, who helped unveil the report, said undernutrition must be combatted by a host of measures: sanitation, children's education, security, and awareness among adults, for example.<p>"The mother has to have enough food in order to produce enough milk in order to breast feed, but she has to know that she should breast feed," Bertini said. "That's an education issue."<p>The Middle East and North Africa were the only regions where poor nutrition rates have actually increased since 1990. That's primarily because of poor nutrition in Iraq, Sudan and Yemen, the report said.<p>China has been one success story, the report said. According to UNICEF data, China has reduced its number of underweight children by half, the main reason that numbers in the East Asia/Pacific region have dropped from 25 percent to 15 percent. http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6855/antipsychotic-drug-use-among-kids-soars.html http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6855/antipsychotic-drug-use-among-kids-soars.html#comments Tue, 02 May 2006 18:53:29 CDT http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6855/antipsychotic-drug-use-among-kids-soars.html The number of children taking antipsychotic medicines soared 73 percent in the four years ending in 2005, far outpacing the increase in adults, according to a Medco Health Solutions Inc. report released Tuesday. By THERESA AGOVINO, AP Business Writer <p> NEW YORK - The number of children taking antipsychotic medicines soared 73 percent in the four years ending in 2005, far outpacing the increase in adults, according to a Medco Health Solutions Inc. report released Tuesday. <p>Use of the new class of drugs known as atypical antipsychotics by people 19 and younger skyrocketed 80 percent in the same time period, according to the pharmacy benefit manager.<p>Antipsychotic drug prescriptions for that age group comprise a relatively small amount of the total for such medicines, Medco said. In 2005, 15 percent of prescriptions for such drugs were for children while 85 percent were for adults.<p>Still, the sharp increase is noteworthy because the powerful drugs are for individuals with serious psychosis such as schizophrenia so there is some concern the medicines may not always be prescribed appropriately, said Dr. Amita Dasmanapatra, senior director of medical affairs at Medco. She said it is possible that some doctors are prescribing the drugs for children with behavioral problems, which would be better controlled by other means. Medco's analysis of over 2 million insured Americans didn't explore the reasons for the increase.<p>Additionally, the atypical antipsychotics aren't approved for use in children although doctors are free to prescribe drugs as they see fit.<p>The number of children on antipsychotics rose to 6.6 per 1,000 in 2005 from 3.81 per thousand in 2001. In contrast, 11 adults per 1,000 were taking one of the drugs. The increase in the number of adults taking antipsychotics rose 13 percent in the four years ended in 2005.<p>However, the rate of prescription growth in children has been slowing although the analysis was not designed to determine the reason. For example, the rate of prescription growth in all antipsychotics was 3.38 percent last year, down from 14 percent in 2004 and 22 percent in 2003. Meanwhile, last year prescription growth for atypical antipsychotics was nearly 5 percent, down from nearly 13 percent in 2004 and 24 percent in 2003.<p>In adults, the number of prescriptions fell 7 percent.<p>Dr. David Kessler, a child and adolescent psychiatrist in Burlington, Vt., speculated that the decrease in growth is tied to concern about atypical antipsychotics link to diabetes.<p>In 2003, The U.S. Food and Drug Administration asked manufacturers of atypical antipsychotics to add warning labels describing the increased risk of high blood sugar and diabetes. The drugs include Eli Lilly & Co.'s Zyprexa, AstraZeneca PLC's Seroquel, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.'s Abilify and Pfizer Inc.'s Geodon.<p>Also, last year the FDA determined that elderly patients with dementia that were being treated with atypical antipsychotics had an increased risk of death. The FDA asked manufacturers to include a warning on the drugs' label about the risk, and note that the drugs are not approved to treat behavioral problems in patients with dementia. http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6853/doctor-face-transplant-patient-smiling.html http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6853/doctor-face-transplant-patient-smiling.html#comments Tue, 02 May 2006 17:51:29 CDT http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6853/doctor-face-transplant-patient-smiling.html The world's first face transplant patient is "already smiling" just months after her groundbreaking operation in November, a member of her surgical team told a conference of plastic surgeons Tuesday. By RYAN NAKASHIMA, Associated Press Writer <p> LAS VEGAS - The world's first face transplant patient is "already smiling" just months after her groundbreaking operation in November, a member of her surgical team told a conference of plastic surgeons Tuesday. <p>"It's not perfectly symmetrical but it's improving a lot since the results we saw three months ago," said Benoit Lengele, a Belgian plastic surgeon who is part of a team of 50 doctors caring for Isabelle Dinoire.<p>Lengele showed doctors video taken three weeks ago of Dinoire, a 38-year-old mother of two, speaking in French, and at one point, faintly smiling and chuckling.<p>"You see the smile is quite natural," Lengele said.<p>In the video, Dinoire speaks about how she has feeling in the transplanted area and that she is exercising her face to regain motor functioning. A scar surrounding her nose and lips is barely visible and her partial smile is concentrated on the left side. She cannot yet fully close her lips.<p>She still smokes about one to five cigarettes a day, Lengele said, a practice he blamed on media attention.<p>"The British tabloids were very aggressive with her family and with the family of the donor," he said. "The pressure was terrible for the patient.<p>"She's now diminishing (her smoking) because she's doing fine, because she has recovered a normal life with her family," he added.<p>Dinoire lost much of her face when she was mauled by her pet Labrador last May while she was unconscious from drugs she said she had taken at a stressful time. Her lipless gums and teeth were permanently exposed, and most of her nose was missing.<p>The surgery took 15 hours and gave her a new nose, mouth and chin.<p>Dinoire told the French Le Journal du Dimanche in a story published Sunday that she cannot thank the donor and her family enough. "We must not forget that today, thanks to them, I have become visible again," she said.<p>Lengele said his surgical team has five more French patients who need face transplants and is awaiting regulatory approval, which can take several months.<p>But he said the surgeons will not accept new patients until they have observed Dinoire for at least one year. http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6854/us-urges-junk-food-makers-to-restrict-ads-to-kids.html http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6854/us-urges-junk-food-makers-to-restrict-ads-to-kids.html#comments Tue, 02 May 2006 17:39:23 CDT http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6854/us-urges-junk-food-makers-to-restrict-ads-to-kids.html U.S. regulators urged food companies on Tuesday to voluntarily limit their advertising of sugary snacks, soft drinks and other junk food to kids to help combat childhood obesity.) By Peter Kaplan <p> WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. regulators urged food companies on Tuesday to voluntarily limit their advertising of sugary snacks, soft drinks and other junk food to kids to help combat childhood obesity. <p>The Federal Trade Commission and Department of Health and Human Services recommended expanding current, self-imposed guidelines on advertising to children, and said the industry should consider setting nutritional standards for foods marketed to kids.<p>"Although the (current) guides are a good foundation for industry self-regulation, the agencies believe the guides should be expanded and their enforcement enhanced," the government report said.<p>Public health advocates are concerned about the growing incidence of childhood obesity, which can lead to heart disease and diabetes in young adults.<p>Since 1980, the report said, obesity rates have tripled among adolescents aged 13 to 17 and doubled among younger children. According to recent estimates, 16 percent of children aged 6 to 19 are obese, it said.<p>Consumer groups welcomed the recommendations.<p>"The gist of what it says is clear -- that companies are not marketing food responsibly to kids. They need to make changes," said Margo Wootan, director of nutrition policy for the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest.<p>"This is a good start," Wootan said.<p>Wootan and other public health advocates say part of the problem is heavy marketing of unhealthy foods such as sugary cereals, drinks and chips that are high in calories, sugar and trans fats, the harmful artificial fats found in many snacks.<p>The food industry trade group, Grocery Manufacturers Association, praised the report and said it would consider its recommendations.<p>"While many companies are already engaged in a variety of initiatives, we welcome the agencies' suggestions regarding other ways in which we might be able to have positive impact on the health of all consumers, especially children," association president Manly Molpus said in a statement.<p>In the report, the federal government recommended the expansion of a unit of the Council of Better Business Bureaus called the Children's Advertising Review Unit.<p>The group oversees guidelines that require all advertising to children be "truthful, accurate and developmentally appropriate."<p>The government also said the unit should consider setting minimum nutritional standards. The unit's advisory board should be expanded to include more experts in nutrition, child health and developmental psychology, the report said. http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6852/moms-mental-health-woes-can-pass-to-kids.html http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6852/moms-mental-health-woes-can-pass-to-kids.html#comments Tue, 02 May 2006 16:49:28 CDT http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6852/moms-mental-health-woes-can-pass-to-kids.html The children of mothers who have mental health, substance abuse or domestic violence problems a year after delivery are more likely to experience behavioral problems at age 3, a U.S. study finds.) TUESDAY, May 2 (HealthDay News) -- The children of mothers who have mental health, substance abuse or domestic violence problems a year after delivery are more likely to experience behavioral problems at age 3, a U.S. study finds.<p>In their three-year study, researchers at Mathematica Policy Research Inc., in Princeton, N.J., followed nearly 2,800 children born in 18 large U.S. cities.<p> <p>A year after delivery, half the mothers had a condition in at least one of the three categories -- mental health, substance abuse, domestic violence -- and 22 percent of the children had at least one type of behavior problem such as aggression, anxiety-depression, or inattention/hyperactivity. The more problems reported by a mother, the more likely her child was to develop behavior problems by age 3.<p> <p>The study also found that when mothers reported difficulties in zero, one, two, or three areas, reports of aggression among their children at age 3 increased from 7 percent to 12 percent to 17 percent to 19 percent, respectively; anxiety and depression increased from 9 percent to 14 percent to 16 percent to 27 percent; and inattention/hyperactivity increased from 7 percent to 12 percent to 15 percent to 19 percent.<p> <p>The authors noted that mothers' mental health problems, substance abuse and domestic violence tend to accompany each other and have cumulative negative effects on children.<p> <p>However, "there is evidence that mothers appear open to empathic inquiries about how they are doing, and that mothers also understand that their own well-being is related to that of their children," the study authors wrote.<p> <p>"Whether a clinician is focused primarily on the care of children, adults or pregnant women, there is the potential to help disrupt this intergenerational transmission of poor health," they concluded.<p> <p>The study appears in the May issue of the <i>Archives of General Psychiatry</i>.<p> <p>More information<p> <p>The American Academy of Pediatrics has more about children's behavior. http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6849/efforts-urged-to-boost-organ-donations.html http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6849/efforts-urged-to-boost-organ-donations.html#comments Tue, 02 May 2006 15:00:28 CDT http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6849/efforts-urged-to-boost-organ-donations.html More emphasis needs to be placed on showing people the importance of donating organs and making it easy for them to do so, the Institute of Medicine reported Tuesday. WASHINGTON - More emphasis needs to be placed on showing people the importance of donating organs and making it easy for them to do so, the Institute of Medicine reported Tuesday. <p>But its report discouraged the offering of financial incentives to donate organs and said the country is not ready for policies that would assume consent to donate unless an individual had specifically chosen not to.<p>"All members of society have a stake in an adequate supply of organs for patients in need, because all of us are potential recipients as well as potential donors," said committee chairman James F. Childress, a professor of medical education at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville.<p>The report called on federal agencies, nonprofit groups and other organizations to improve organ donation systems, increase opportunities for people to make donations and to educate the public about the value of donating organs.<p>As of the start of 2006, about 90,000 people in the United States were awaiting organ donations, the report said. And while rates of donation have been increasing, 7,593 deceased donors provided 21,215 organs in 2005, and there were 6,896 living donors.<p>Most donations come from people whose death is determined by lack of brain activity, and the panel suggested seeking ways to increase the potential for donations from people who die of irreversible loss of heart function.<p>Currently people have to make a decision to donate organs, or it can be made by their next of kin. There have been suggestions that the law be changed to assume willingness to donate unless the individual has specifically opted out. However, the panel concluded that there is no widespread public support for such a change.<p>And it discouraged the idea of offering financial incentives to donate, saying that could cause people to view organs as commodities and discourage donations for altruistic reasons.<p>The Institute is an arm of the National Academies, the nation's most prestigious science organization. Its report was requested by the Department of Health and Human Services.<p>___<p>Institute of Medicine: http://www.iom.edu http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6848/study-says-many-options-for-alcoholics.html http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6848/study-says-many-options-for-alcoholics.html#comments Tue, 02 May 2006 15:00:28 CDT http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6848/study-says-many-options-for-alcoholics.html Alcoholics who were motivated were able to dramatically cut back on drinking over four months no matter what type of treatment they stuck with, including taking dummy pills, a rigorous short-term study found. By LINDSEY TANNER, AP Medical Writer <p> CHICAGO - Alcoholics who were motivated were able to dramatically cut back on drinking over four months no matter what type of treatment they stuck with, including taking dummy pills, a rigorous short-term study found. <p>The findings suggest a variety of options can help if drinkers are determined to quit and if they regularly meet with a doctor or nurse for guidance, researchers said. They said the study also indicates drinkers can make strides without going to a costly alcohol treatment center.<p>That could vastly expand access to care for a problem that affects some 8 million Americans — most of whom never seek help.<p>The 1,383 alcoholics studied were assigned to get 16 weeks of treatment — either counseling, medication or fake pills — most with the help of a doctor or nurse. All badly wanted to quit, a factor that led some outside experts to question whether the results apply to the real world.<p>And one critic said getting alcoholics to drink less over just four months doesn't prove they've kicked the habit.<p>But the researchers argued that cutting back is an important step and said the results should help convince skeptics that alcoholism isn't hopeless.<p>The study "really does open up the possibility of people having more choice and it could significantly expand access," said Dr. Mark Willenbring, director of treatment and recovery research at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, which funded the research. The findings appear in Wednesday's Journal of the American Medical Association.<p>The most effective treatments were naltrexone, a drug that reduces alcohol craving, and specialized counseling. When each was combined with medical management, abstinence days increased from about 25 percent to about 80 percent. Combining fake pills was almost as effective.<p>Unexpectedly, a newer alcoholism drug called Campral, used more often in Europe than in the United States, was no more effective than dummy pills. The researchers aren't sure why and said more study is needed.<p>A 58-year-old Charleston, S.C., artist said taking a placebo every day helped her "stay focused on what the goal was, to get rid of this habit."<p>Sylvia, who asked that her last name not be used, said counseling with doctors and nurses also helped, teaching her common-sense tips, such as keeping alcohol out of the house and finding healthy substitutes — for her, tea.<p>That kind of advice is similar to that given newly diagnosed diabetics, the researchers said, and involved nine 20-minute sessions with a doctor or nurse.<p>"I've had some backslides," Sylvia said, but added, "the longer you stay sober, the easier it gets."<p>Among the participants, lapses occurred during a yearlong follow-up but overall, they continued to drink far less than the daily nine- to 10-drink average at the start.<p>Several study authors have industry ties, including lead author Dr. Raymond Anton, a Medical University of South Carolina researcher who has consulted for the makers of a long-acting form of naltrexone and for the U.S. distributor of Campral.<p>Dr. Stuart Gitlow, an addiction specialist at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, said the study used "worthless" short-term measures to define success.<p>Alcoholism is a lifetime disease, said Gitlow, who was not involved in the research. "Either you drink or you don't. Alcoholism is like pregnancy: you are or you're not. No middle ground."<p>Dr. Lynne Kirk, president of the American College of Physicians, called the research potentially promising for primary-care doctors faced with alcoholic patients. But she said real-world treatment might be more challenging because those in the study were clearly "ready to abstain from alcohol. That's a big step in and of itself." <p> ___ <p> On the Net: <p> JAMA: http://jama.ama-assn.org http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6851/dont-think-kids-can-get-at-household-guns-think-again.html http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6851/dont-think-kids-can-get-at-household-guns-think-again.html#comments Tue, 02 May 2006 14:35:28 CDT http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6851/dont-think-kids-can-get-at-household-guns-think-again.html American parents are often mistaken when they think children can't or don't gain access to guns kept in the home, a new study finds.) TUESDAY, May 2 (HealthDay News) -- American parents are often mistaken when they think children can't or don't gain access to guns kept in the home, a new study finds.<p>The survey of 314 pairs of parents and children, aged 5 to 14, in rural Alabama found that some parents don't realize that their children know the location of household firearms and have already handled them.<p> <p>Of the 314 mom-dad pairs, 201 (64 percent) reported that they had at least one gun in the home, and 91 percent of those parents said they had discussed gun safety with their children. Of the 201 parents, 141 said their children knew where the guns were stored, and 61 said they believed their children had handled a gun in the home.<p> <p>However, the researchers found different numbers when they interviewed children in these families. Thirty-nine percent of parents who said their children did not know the location of the gun, and 22 percent of parents who said their children had never handled a gun in the home, were contradicted by their children's testimony, the study found.<p> <p>What's more, "parents who locked their guns away and discussed gun safety with their children were as likely to be contradicted as parents who did not take such safety measures," the study authors wrote.<p> <p>The findings "suggest that in a region where gun ownership is prevalent and where children are frequently included in gun-related activities, many mothers appear to be misinformed about the extent of their children's potential access and exposure to household guns," the authors concluded.<p> <p>Firearms account for about 10 percent of deaths among U.S. children aged 5 to 14, the study noted. For every gun-related death among children, three children are injured by guns. Household guns are responsible for many of these incidents.<p> <p>More information<p> <p>The Nemours Foundation has more about children and gun safety. http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6847/world-failing-to-roll-back-childhood-malnutrition-unicef.html http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6847/world-failing-to-roll-back-childhood-malnutrition-unicef.html#comments Tue, 02 May 2006 14:00:48 CDT http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6847/world-failing-to-roll-back-childhood-malnutrition-unicef.html The world has failed to roll back childhood malnutrition, with more than 25 percent of children under age five in poor countries underweight, a United Nations Children's Fund ( UNICEF) report said.) UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - The world has failed to roll back childhood malnutrition, with more than 25 percent of children under age five in poor countries underweight, a United Nations Children's Fund ( UNICEF) report said. <p> Despite progress in some countries, it said, averages for underweight children in the developing world have fallen just five percentage points in the past 15 years.<p> And 27 percent of Third World children -- around 146 million -- are underweight, the study said.<p> "The lack of progress to combat undernutrition is damaging children and nations," UNICEF Executive Director Ann Veneman said as she introduced the report, titled "Progress for Children: A Report Card on Nutrition."<p> "Few things have more impact than nutrition on a child's ability to survive, learn effectively and escape a life of poverty," she added.<p> The report found that nearly 75 percent of the world's underweight children live in just 10 countries, with South Asia the worst-performing region. Bangladesh, India and Pakistan are home to more than half of them.<p> The problem in that part of the world was blamed mainly on poor food quality and safety, women's low social status, early marriage leading to low birth weights and poor sanitation causing energy-draining diarrhoeal diseases.<p> The success story is China, which managed to cut underweight prevalence rates from 19 percent in 1990 to eight percent in 2002.<p> At the same time, China's child mortality rates have also dropped from 49 per 1,000 births to 31 per 1,000 during the period.<p> In Africa, more than 25 percent of all children under five are underweight for their age, particularly in famine-prone eastern and southern Africa.<p> West and central Africa witnessed a slight improvement over the past 15 years, from 32 percent to 28 percent, coupled with a rise in breastfeeding rates.<p> In the Middle East and North Africa, undernutrition rates in countries such as Iraq, Sudan and Yemen have been getting worse since 1990.<p> Latin America and the Caribbean region performed well, with underweight rates of just seven percent between 1990 and 2004.<p> The report also noted that in the industrialized world, undernutrition still exists among minority groups and obesity has become a major public health issue. http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6850/companies-forge-a-new-option-in-fertility.html http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6850/companies-forge-a-new-option-in-fertility.html#comments Tue, 02 May 2006 13:22:51 CDT http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6850/companies-forge-a-new-option-in-fertility.html Avery Lee Kennedy isn't just a cute four-month-old. She may be the embodiment of a new avenue in fertility treatments. By THERESA AGOVINO, AP Business Writer <p> NEW YORK - Avery Lee Kennedy isn't just a cute four-month-old. She may be the embodiment of a new avenue in fertility treatments. <p>Avery was conceived using a frozen donor egg from a bank, a fledgling approach to helping infertile couples that lessens some of the disadvantages of using fresh donated ovum — such as inconvenience, emotional turmoil and availability.<p>"In five years nobody is going to think anything about this (using frozen donor eggs)," said Wendy Kennedy, Avery's mom. "It will become the norm."<p>Two donor agencies sell frozen eggs in the United States and at least one other may enter the arena.<p>For now, the process is rare. Avery may be the first child born in the United States from a frozen donor egg although that's impossible to verify.<p>Typically donor egg pregnancies are achieved by using fresh eggs harvested from a donor which are fertilized and implanted in another woman.<p>The American Society for Reproductive Medicine says egg freezing is still an experimental technology; few doctors know how to freeze and thaw eggs properly. One doctor estimates only 200 children worldwide have been born from frozen eggs.<p>Egg freezing has been spotlighted recently because it has been promoted to young women as a way to save their eggs for use later in life. But some doctors say it's inappropriate to market an experimental procedure as biological insurance.<p>There are no reliable statistics of the success of having a baby using frozen eggs, said Dr. Marc A. Fritz, the chairman of the practice committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. The odds of having a baby using fresh donor eggs were 51 percent in 2003, the last year for which data are available from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention.<p>Using fresh donor eggs has its own challenges. It requires that the menstrual cycles of the donor and recipient be synchronized using hormones, so finding a mutually convenient time can be a chore, and a donor may either not produce eggs or change her mind mid-cycle.<p>Demand for egg donors has increased as women wait longer to start their families. Ova quality drops dramatically after age 35 and is a chief cause of infertility.<p>Frozen eggs donor would eliminate such problems, experts said.<p>Luci, who requested her last name not be used, opted to try frozen eggs for her second pregnancy after one donor she selected couldn't be found and another backed out. The 50-year old environmental planner's first child was born using a donated embryo.<p>"The whole experience is so emotionally loaded," said Luci. "Frozen eggs seemed like a safer choice."<p>The frozen eggs Luci purchased produced viable embryos, but she couldn't sustain a pregnancy.<p>Kennedy said she opted to use frozen eggs to avoid having to coordinate with a donor's schedule. She also was troubled by the thought of having leftover embryos.<p>A live donor can produce as many as many as 20 eggs, but depending on the recipient's age and health guidelines say no more than five embryos should be implanted. Kennedy only purchased seven eggs. Five survived thawing and were then fertilized with her husband's sperm, leading to three embryos that were implanted.<p>"There was the moral dilemma about what to do with them (leftover embryos) and then there was thought that maybe she (the donor) wouldn't produce any eggs," said Kennedy, a 41-year old nurse in Lexington, Ky. <p> Kennedy bought her eggs from Cryo Eggs International in Phoenix. Diana Thomas, who started the bank nearly two years ago, said another client is pregnant with twins from frozen ovum. Thomas has been running a traditional egg donation agency for ten years. <p> Using frozen eggs cuts waiting time from the process since the donor's portion of the process is done, said Thomas. Plus, the eggs can be shipped anywhere, eliminating travel costs that can occur when the donor and recipient don't live in the same vicinity. <p> "You can start whenever you want with frozen eggs," said Sheilah Gooding, a 31-year old donor. <p> Clients have a 40 percent chance of becoming pregnant using donor eggs, Thomas said, basing the prediction on results of a doctor that serves as her consultant. <p> Thomas conceded many physicians still aren't comfortable using frozen donor eggs. <p> "It is just a matter of doctors getting familiar," said Thomas, whose three children were born using donor eggs. <p> Fred Rosenmund started The Donor Egg Bank last year after he and his wife experienced fertility problems. The bank has frozen eggs from 14 donors, said Dr. John Jain, a professor at University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine and consultant to the bank. <p> Jain says using frozen eggs is cheaper for recipients because a donor's roughly 18 to 20 ovum are split into two batches spreading out the associated costs between two recipients. <p> Recipients pay $18,000 for about 8 frozen eggs and, after paying for drugs and implantation, their total costs go up to about $20,000 in Los Angeles. If none of the eggs survive the thaw, the recipient gets additional eggs for free. <p> A fresh donor cycle would cost around $30,000. A cycle's price varies around the country depending on fees paid to doctors and donors. The Donor Egg Bank pays donors $7,000. <p> Starting a frozen egg bank is risky because donors' fees and medical expenses must be paid upfront even though their eggs may never sell, one reason The Donor Source International hasn't started an egg bank, said CEO Steve Masler. It is being considered, he added, but said he still isn't sure about the technology's reliability. <p> Jain said USC has been conducting an experiment where researchers freeze a woman's own eggs then thaw, fertilize and implant them. Fifty percent of the 20 women in the study have an ongoing pregnancy. <p> "That's the same as the national birth rate using a fresh donor," Jain said. <p> __________ <p> On the Net: <p> The Donor Egg Bank: http://www.donoreggbankinc.com/ <p> Cryo Eggs International: http://www.cryoeggsintl.com/ <p> The Donor Source International: http://www.thedonorsource.com/index.html http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6842/online-video-brings-the-gym-home.html http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6842/online-video-brings-the-gym-home.html#comments Tue, 02 May 2006 13:17:58 CDT http://www.health-news.org/breaking/6842/online-video-brings-the-gym-home.html Tired of the commute to the gym? Embarrassed to be seen sweating in public? Bored with your workout video? By JAMIE STENGLE, Associated Press Writer <p> DALLAS - Tired of the commute to the gym? Embarrassed to be seen sweating in public? Bored with your workout video? <p>Now there are alternatives to the gym — and to exercise videos and cable TV fitness shows. A handful of companies are offering streaming fitness video online.<p>This new format is still in its infancy. But experts say technological advancements, such as fitness equipment with Internet connections and the ability to hook the computer up to the television have helped make Web-based exercise more popular.<p>One fan is Michele Galindo, who enjoys practicing yoga and body-sculpting at her home in Austin. She has two computers, both in rooms with plenty of open space.<p>"I don't have any problem seeing it," Galindo said when asked about getting her exercise cues from a computer screen.<p>Galindo says she's never been a fan of the gym and doesn't like the commute. So she's a customer of Austin-based demandFitness, which started its online fitness business in March.<p>"In the past I haven't kept up with an exercise program, because it's not convenient or I get tired of it," said Galindo, 42.<p>The Austin company is among several that have popped up in recent years offering fitness and health advice. Some offer a smorgasbord of diet and exercise information along with video clips to explain exercises. Fewer, like demandFitness, offer longer workouts with streaming video.<p>"This is really the cutting edge stuff," said Raphael Calzadilla, chief fitness pro at eDiets.com, a 10-year-old subscription-based online diet, fitness and health site, which offers animated video clips to explain certain exercises. "This is the next wave of online fitness."<p>Jas Singh, president of California-based SlimTree.com, said, "People can watch them at home, at work or in a hotel room." SlimTree offers about 30 streaming workouts from pilates to martial arts and frequently adds new ones.<p>Singh, who would not disclose customer numbers for his 8-month-old Web site, said plans range from about $4 a week for six weeks to about $8 a month for a year and the videos run from 10 to 30 minutes.<p>Austin-based demandFitness says it has about 100 customers accessing more than 80 workout choices from fitness ballet to aerobics. Plans range from about $15 a month to a day pass for 99 cents. New classes are often added, including niche areas like yoga for overweight people.<p>"You can work out when you want, where you want," said co-founder John Webster.<p>Such sites often try to connect with customers by having them fill out a questionnaire and then offering advice on classes to achieve their goals.<p>In the future, customers should expect even more personalization, Webster said. He hopes to better track customers' workout progress, adding such features as heart monitor data that would feed into their workout history.<p>"The next big step is all these pieces of interactivity," he said.<p>At the moment, though, some experts worry about a lack of interactivity.<p>A trainer in the gym can offer advice about exercise form and technique, said Michael Maina, who teaches health and human performance at Roanoke College in Salem, Va. He said it's important to check the credentials of the Web instructors. <p> Cedric Bryant, exercise physiologist for the American Council Exercise, said there should be phone or e-mail contact with the people running the site. And it's a good idea for those with limited exercise experience to first get a few sessions with a personal trainer. <p> "Then they should have an idea of what works for them," he said. <p> Steven Taylor, founder of California-based Yoga Learning Center, said he doesn't see the Web-based approach "as a replacement for live instruction or personal trainers, but it's definitely going to be a supplement that people can use." <p> Yoga Learning Center offers about 50 yoga audio/video streams for about $10 a month; videos range from 4 to 90 minutes. <p> "Some people hook it up to their TV because that technology is getting better and better," said Taylor, who started the site three years ago and wouldn't disclose the number of subscribers. "With wireless connectivity, you can take your laptop anywhere in the house." <p> Maina, the health professor, noted that Web-based programs can lend flexibility for different ability levels. <p> Exercising online also emboldens people to try something outside their comfort zone, like an athletic guy trying yoga, said Valerie MacLean, director of fitness programs at directFitness. <p> Last week, America Online launched a free six-week series called Beach Ready Boot Camp featuring 15- to 20-minute streaming video workouts. It also offers workout instruction in audio files. <p> "It feels almost like you have a personal trainer in your home," said Margit Detweiler, editorial director for AOL Diet and Fitness. <p> ___ <p> On the Net: <p> demandFitness: http://www.demandfitness.com <p> SlimTree: http://www.slimtree.com <p> Yoga Learning Center: http://www.yogalearningcenter.com <p> AOL: http://www.aol.com/diet <p> eDiets: http://www.ediets.com