Excessive Drinking Costs U.S. Colleges Millions Annually

Clickbank Products Excessive Drinking Costs U.S. Colleges Millions Annually



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MONDAY, March 19 (HealthDay News) -- The emergency room costs of treating college students with injuries associated with alcohol-induced blackouts can be more than half a million dollars a year at a university with 40,000 or more students, a new study found.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison study included 954 college students who were heavy drinkers. In the 28 days before the start of the study, male participants drank an average of 81.8 drinks and female participants drank an average of 58.7 drinks.

In the year before the study, 52 percent of males and 50 percent of females had experienced an alcohol-induced blackout.

During the two-year study, 30 percent of males and 27 percent of females reported visiting an emergency department at least once. Their injuries ranged from broken bones to head and brain injuries.

Students who experienced frequent alcohol-related blackouts (six or more in the prior year) were 70 percent more likely to be treated at an emergency department than those who consumed the same amount of alcohol but did not experience blackouts.

The cost of emergency-department visits by students who experienced blackouts ranged from $469,000 to $546,000 per university, depending on its location.

"College alcohol abusers susceptible to blackouts put a heavy burden on the medical care system," concluded study authors Marlon Mundt and Larissa Zakletskaia, of the department of family medicine at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

"Given limited campus resources, the study results support targeting efforts at preventing alcohol-related injury [among] students with a history of blackouts," the researchers said. "In our cost estimate, close to a half-million dollars could be saved in emergency-department utilization costs on a large university campus each year if interventions targeting blackout sufferers were successful."

About 44 percent of college students binge drink, according to the study.

The study appears online and in the April print issue of Health Affairs.

-- Robert Preidt Copyright © 2012 HealthDay. All rights reserved. SOURCE: Health Affairs, news release

Excessive,Drinking,Costs,Colleges,Millions,Annually

Flu Risk Higher for Workers in Certain Industries

Clickbank Products Flu Risk Higher for Workers in Certain Industries



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Reasons for Increased Workplace Risk Not Entirely Clear

By Matt McMillen
WebMD Health News

Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

March 22, 2012 -- Although having a job offers some protection against the flu, a new report from the CDC shows that workers in some industries appear more flu-prone than workers in other industries.

"[T]his information is needed for recognizing and responding to increased risks for infection among key occupational groups (e.g., health care workers, school teachers, retail and food service workers, and others with substantial exposure to the general public)," the authors write.

In the wake of the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, researchers with the CDC's Emerging Infections Program (EIP) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) collected data from 3,365 adults whose flu had sent them to the hospital. Although hospitalizations for flu are not the norm, the report states, the authors' aim was to provide "some clues about specific groups of workers that might be most commonly affected by severe influenza."

Health care workers top the list. They account for more than 16% of all hospitalizations. Retail workers, at slightly above 12%, are not far behind. Accommodation and food service workers and educators each make up between 9% and 10% of the total number of those hospitalized.

Rather than simply look at the total number of hospitalized employees in each industry, the researchers also wanted to know which industries had the highest proportion of employees whose flu was severe enough to require a hospital stay.

They found that those in the transportation and warehousing industries -- airline workers, postal employees, and bus drivers, for example -- were more than 1.5 times more likely to be admitted to a hospital for flu than the average worker.

Nearly as likely were travel agents, janitors, secretaries, and other employees in the administrative and support services and waste management and remediation services. Health care workers followed close behind.

Educators, surprisingly, were no more likely to be hospitalized than the average worker.

The authors say that it is hard to determine why some industries are more at risk than others, though they do offer some potential explanations.

"Overrepresentation of an industry sector in the EIP data set may be related to demographic and underlying health characteristics of the sector's work force that put them at increased risk for acquiring influenza and for being hospitalized with influenza," the authors write, "but it may also partially reflect occupational risk factors for influenza (e.g., exposure to ill members of the public)."

For example, more workers in the accommodation and food services smoked than in any other industry. They were also among those with the lowest incomes and the least likely to have a regular doctor. Educators, meanwhile, may be less likely to require a hospital stay because of their comparatively higher salaries and better access to health care.

But such factors can't account for all the hospitalizations, the authors conclude.

"[M]ore research is needed to understand the reasons for the increased incidence of severe influenza among specific groups of workers," they write. "Concurrently, any interventions that focus on these groups of workers should be evaluated for effectiveness and efficiency."

SOURCES: Luckhaupt, S. Emerging Infectious Diseases, March 2012. News release, CDC.

©2012 WebMD, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Higher,Workers,Certain,Industries

Health Highlights: March 19, 2012

Clickbank Products Health Highlights: March 19, 2012



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Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:

Women Still Have Higher Health Insurance Rates

The same health insurance coverage still costs women more than men in most states, even though the new federal health care law will prohibit such "gender rating" starting in 2014.

In states that have not banned gender rating, more than 90 percent of the best-selling health plans charge women more than men, according to a National Women's Law Center report to be issued this week, The New York Times reported.

Only 14 states have moved to limit or ban gender rating in the individual insurance market.

Insurers say women's premiums are higher because they're more likely to visit doctors, to take prescription medicines, to get regular checkups and to have certain chronic illnesses, The Times reported.

But this explanation is "highly questionable" because disparities between women's and men's rates can vary greatly in the same state, according to Marcia D. Greenberger, a president of the National Women's Law Center.

"In Arkansas, for example, one health plan charges 25-year-old women 81 percent more than men, while a similar plan in the same state charges women only 10 percent more," she told The Times.

-----

HHS Says Health Care Law Cut Seniors' Drug Costs

Under the new health care law, nearly 4 million American seniors saved about $2.16 billion through discounts for their prescription drugs in 2011, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.

Officials said making drugs more affordable for seniors should help keep government costs down in the future, USA Today reported.

"Before, many beneficiaries were forced to stop taking the drugs," said Jonathon Blum, director of the Center for Medicare.

He explained that when Medicare recipients are able to afford their medications, they are hospitalized less often for health problems such as asthma attacks, low blood sugar and heart attacks, USA Today reported.

-----

Use of Meds That Conflict With Cancer Drugs Common: Study

Many patients on targeted cancer drugs also take other medicines that may reduce the cancer treatment's effectiveness or cause toxic side effects, according to a new study.

Researchers found that 23 percent to 57 percent of patients who received one of nine targeted cancer pills were also prescribed medicines that may limit the effects of the cancer treatment, and 24 percent to 74 percent were given drugs that could cause toxic side effects when used at the same time as the cancer drugs, Bloomberg news reported.

The study was conducted by a team at Medco Healthy Solutions Inc. and presented today at the annual meeting of the American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics.

"Oncologists are not always aware of other medications prescribed by other doctors and vice-versa, which can pose a real hazard for their patients on oral cancer therapies," Steven Bowlin, one of the study authors and senior director at Medco's research division, said in a statement, Bloomberg reported.

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Copyright © 2012 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Health,Highlights,March

Gene Therapy May Improve Parkinson's Symptoms

Clickbank Products Gene Therapy May Improve Parkinson's Symptoms



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Study Shows Improvement in Tremors After Injection of Genetic Material Into Brain

By Salynn Boyles
WebMD Health News

Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD

March 16, 2011 -- An experimental gene therapy injected into the brains of patients with Parkinson's disease improved tremor, stiffness, and other movement symptoms and was safe with few side effects over six months of follow-up, a study shows.

The small study represents the first successful clinical trial comparing a gene-based treatment to sham treatment in Parkinson's or any neurologic disorder, says Michael Kaplitt, MD, PhD, who developed the gene therapy more than a decade ago. He hopes to market it if phase III trials confirm its effectiveness.

Kaplitt is vice president for research in the department of neurological surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City. He is a co-founder of the company Neurologix, which is developing the treatment and funded the study.

"For almost two decades we have recognized that gene therapy holds great promise for treating neurological diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's," Kaplitt tells WebMD. "The problem has been translating that promise into reality."

Gene therapy involves the use of genes to treat or prevent disease. The genes are transferred into targeted cells via viruses that have been rendered harmless.

While other gene-based treatments have shown promise for the treatment of Parkinson's disease in studies involving primates, the few that have made it to human trials have failed to show a clear benefit over sham treatments, Kaplitt says.

The 45 patients in the newly reported phase II study had moderate to advanced Parkinson's symptoms that were not adequately controlled with conventional treatments. They were treated at seven medical centers in the U.S.

Half got the gene therapy, which involved the infusion of genetic material directly into a key brain regions associated with motor function through tiny holes drilled in the brain.

The gene used in the treatment, glumatic acid decarboxylase (GAD), makes a chemical called GABA, which helps reduce the excessive firing of neurons that lead to Parkinson's symptoms.

In the sham portion of the study, neurosugeons drilled holes halfway through the patients' skulls and pretended to attempt to locate the exact location to place a catheter. This involved no small amount of acting, since the patients remained awake during the surgery in the belief that they were helping the surgeons locate the key brain regions.

The other patients in the study received the gene therapy delivered via catheter in a two-hour infusion. The researchers mimicked the infusion procedure in the sham-therapy patients.

Sixteen of the patients who got the gene therapy and 21 who got the sham surgery completed the study and were included in the analysis.

Over six months of follow-up, half of the gene therapy patients achieved significant improvement in symptoms, compared to 14% of the comparison patients.

Overall, the gene therapy patients had almost twice the improvement in motor scores as those who received the sham surgery: 23% vs. 12%.

Improvements in motor control were seen at one month and continued virtually unchanged throughout the six-month study, Kaplitt says.

The study was published online today in the journal Lancet Neurology.

Study researcher Andrew Feigin, MD, says the gene therapy is a completely novel approach to treating Parkinson's disease.

Feigin is an associate professor of neurology and molecular medicine at The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research in Manhasset, N.Y. He has no ties to Neurologix and is not involved with developing the gene therapy.

Feigin tells WebMD that it is not yet clear if the treatment is more effective or is as effective as deep brain stimulation (DBS), which is the most widely used surgical treatment for Parkinson's disease.

"Even if this proves to have comparable or even near-comparable efficacy to DBS, I would think that it might still have a place in treatment," he says. "Most importantly, this study shows this kind of therapy can be done safely."

SOURCES: LeWitt, P.A. Lancet Neurology, published online March 17, 2011.Michael Kaplitt, MD, PhD, vice chairman for research, department of neurological surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College; neurosurgeon, New York Presbyterian Hospital; co-founder, Neurologix Inc.Andrew Feigin, MD, associate professor of neurology and molecular medicine, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, N.Y.News release, New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center.News release, Feinstein Institute for Medical Research.

©2011 WebMD, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Therapy,Improve,Parkinsons,Symptoms

FDA OKs Generic Boniva for Bone Loss

Clickbank Products FDA OKs Generic Boniva for Bone Loss



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3 Firms to Sell Ibandronate, Once-Monthly Osteoporosis Pill

By Daniel J. DeNoon
WebMD Health News

Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD

March 19, 2012 -- Three generic drugmakers may now sell their own versions of the bone-loss drug Boniva, the FDA ruled today.

Boniva, known by the generic name ibandronate, is a once-a-month pill prescribed to prevent or to treat bone loss from osteoporosis.

The FDA officially approves Boniva only for treatment of postmenopausal women, as the clinical studies that led to approval mostly enrolled women. However, doctors often prescribe the drug to men.

Overall, some 40 million Americans either suffer osteoporosis or are at high risk of the condition, which can lead to devastating bone fractures.

"Men as well as women are affected by osteoporosis, a disease that can be prevented and treated," Keith Webber, PhD, an FDA deputy director, says in a news release.

Boniva is a member of a class of drugs called bisphosphonates, which help build bone.

Webber said the newly approved generic versions of Boniva should make the medication more affordable.

Generic ibandronate will be made by three firms: Apotex Inc., Orchid Healthcare, and Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc. They will make 150 milligram ibandronate tablets.

The FDA will require each firm to give patients a medication guide describing the drug's risks. Ibandronate can cause serious side effects including esophagus problems; low calcium levels in the blood; bone, joint, or muscle pain; severe jawbone problems; and unusual thigh bone fractures.

In clinical trials for Boniva, the most commonly observed adverse reactions were back pain, indigestion, pain in the arms or legs, diarrhea, headache, and muscle pain.

SOURCE: News release, FDA.

©2012 WebMD, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Generic,Boniva

For Multiple Heart Blockages, Bypass Surgery or Stents?

Clickbank Products For Multiple Heart Blockages, Bypass Surgery or Stents?



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Study Compares Pain, Quality of Life After Drug-Coated Stents or Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery

By Brenda Goodman
WebMD Health News

Reviewed by Elizabeth Klodas, MD, FACC

March 16, 2011 -- For patients who have several blocked arteries around their heart, the gold standard treatment has long been coronary artery bypass surgery.

Now a large clinical trial suggests that drug-coated stents, springy lattice tubes used to prop open clogged arteries, may also work well in patients with multiple blockages. And in some patients, the stents produce equally good results with faster recovery times.

The caveats, experts say, are that people with daily or weekly chest pain from advanced coronary artery disease will probably experience slightly better relief from bypass surgery compared to stenting; but they can also count on waiting to get the full benefit of that procedure weeks to months longer than people who get stents.

Experts say the study, which is published in The New England Journal of Medicine, brings to light important trade-offs that people with complex coronary artery disease need to weigh before making a decision between the two procedures.

"I think the message here, therefore, is not a simple one -- that there's a clear winner -- but that patients will need to choose based on their own priorities and values," says study researcher David J. Cohen, MD, a cardiologist at St. Luke's Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City, Mo.

Independent experts agree.

"If you take the 50,000-mile view, it looks like these procedures got about the same results," says A. Marc Gillinov, MD, cardiac surgeon at the Sydell and Arnold Miller Family Heart & Vascular Institute at Cleveland Clinic, in Ohio. "But if you really dig down and look at the clinical circumstances going in, you'll see there are important differences. So the real value in this study is that it can help patients and doctors make informed decisions on an individual basis."

For the study, researchers at 85 medical centers around the world randomly assigned 1,800 patients with at least three clogged arteries around their hearts, or alternatively, a clogged left main coronary artery -- the vessel that carries the lion's share of blood to the heart's primary pumping chamber -- to one of two treatments: coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

In CABG, surgeons typically saw through the breast bone and open the rib cage, a procedure that, in and of itself, requires significant downtime for recovery. Doctors usually also need to make incisions in other parts of the body, often the legs, to harvest healthy vessels that can be used to bypass blockages.

In PCI, a catheter is threaded through an artery in the groin up to the heart, where a doctor uses a video monitor and radioactive dye to locate the blockages within arteries. The doctor then inflates a balloon to compress the buildup against the artery walls and places a stent to hold the spot open.

The stents in this trial were coated with the drug paclitaxel, which is thought to help prevent the formation of scar tissue around the site of stent implantation, a problem called restenosis.

Before any procedure was performed, an interventional cardiologist and a cardiac surgeon consulted together on each case. If there was mutual agreement that the blocked vessels might be effectively opened using either procedure, the patient was cleared to enter the study.

Before patients were assigned to one procedure or the other, doctors asked patients questions about how often and how strongly they'd been feeling angina, or chest pain, their physical limitations and general quality of life. Based upon the answers, patients were scored on a scale of 1 to 100, with higher scores indicating fewer symptoms and better health status.

Those questions were asked again one month, six months, and 12 months after their procedures.

A disease severity score was also determined at study entry for each patient. This score is dependent upon the degree and extent of blockages as demonstrated on the initial angiogram, with higher scores indicating more complex disease. For subsequent analysis purposes, the patients in the study were divided into three subgroups depending upon their disease severity scores (0 to 22, 23 to 32, and 33 to 83).

In all, 903 patients received stents, while 897 had bypass surgery. In both cases, doctors tried to open all the arteries that were at least 50% blocked.

In the first phase of the study, which was published in 2009, researchers looked primarily at the risk of having a major event, like a heart attack, stroke, or having to reopen an artery that had clogged a second time. After one year, there were about 5% fewer total events in the bypass group compared to the stent group, 12.4% compared to 17.8% respectively.

More patients needed to have clogged arteries reopened in the PCI group than in the CABG group, 13.9% vs. 5.9%, respectively.

After one year, the rate of heart attack or death was similar between the two groups, while stroke was more likely to occur in the bypass group (2.2%) compared to the stent group (0.6%).

When researchers looked at angina and quality of life in study participants, overall, both groups fared well. In fact, slightly more than half of people in both groups reported substantial improvement in angina as early as one month after their procedures.

But when investigators looked at those measures across various time points, and in people with more and less severe disease, differences emerged.

As was expected, people who got stents generally felt better faster, compared to the group that had bypass surgery, probably because there was less healing time required after the less invasive procedure.

But by six and 12 months after their procedures, both groups reported nearly equal improvements in physical functioning, pain, vitality, and social and mental health.

And after six months, researchers say people that went into the study with daily or weekly chest pain experienced greater relief after CABG than did those who got PCI.

"Angina relief at six months and a year was better with bypass surgery, though the difference was small," says Cohen. "But there were clear differences in the early quality of life on a wide range of dimensions that clearly favored PCI, but those benefits were transient," he says.

The study was sponsored by Boston Scientific, which produces paclitaxel-coated stents.

SOURCES: Cohen, D. The New England Journal of Medicine, March 17, 2011.Serruys, P. The New England Journal of Medicine, March 5, 2009.Lee, T. New England Journal of Medicine, Feb. 19, 2009.David J. Cohen, MD, St. Luke's Mid America Heart Institute, Kansas City, Mo.Marc Gillinov, MD, Sydell and Arnold Miller Family Heart & Vascular Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Ohio.

©2011 WebMD, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Multiple,Heart,Blockages,Bypass,Surgery,Stents

Genes may hold the key to the aging of the skin

Clickbank Products Genes may hold the key to the aging of the skin

Friday, March 16, 2010 (per-minute news)-change your DNA as the skin will help to instruct how to, an expert says.

Factors such as smoking and sun exposure and aging skin while Dr. Zoe d. Draelos contributed, Duke University Medical School Professor of counseling at a much greater affect genetic explanation.

Academy of Dermatology annual meeting in San Diego on Friday Draelos United States subject was due to discuss on.

"Groundbreaking research in progress to determine the difference between a young gene" in the Academy Press. Draelos "I hope the young acting how to determine old genes young from old genes to understand how to keep, better care for our patients in their skin embassy."

Researchers at old and young skin, and a way to express the genes that affect the genetic differences of the diet.

In one study, pregnant rats genetically their offspring's hair color to change the expression of responsibility, lack of folic acid and diet food. A poor diet is a blackish "and" head "" all future generations of offspring blondish changes resulted from it.

"This study is a very surprisingly, how some genes have demonstrated, on you are what you eat" Draelos explained.

"Dermatologists, we are constantly asked for our patients by do I need to use the ' how to ' look good on my skin," she noted. "This next-generation genomic-based research as well as what material is suitable for a particular skin types using but for now we can eat throughout our lives and influence our skin is helping us to decide. Based on this new knowledge in science is the key to better help create recommendations. "

The information presented at a medical meeting until the peer review journal publishing should be viewed as preliminary.

--Robert Preidt minute copyright © 2012. All rights reserved. Source: United States Academy of Dermatology, press release, March 16, 2012

Genes,aging

Ground Beef Recalled in 10 States

Clickbank Products Ground Beef Recalled in 10 States



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Dangerous E. coli Contamination in 14,158 Pounds of Ground Beef

By Daniel J. DeNoon
WebMD Health News

Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD

March 11, 2011 -- Potentially deadly contamination with E. coli bacteria has led to the recall of 14,158 pounds of ground beef in 10 states.

The ground beef came from Creekstone Farms Premium Beef, located in Arkansas City, Kansas. It was distributed in large 40- and 60-lb. cases to wholesalers in Arizona, California, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Washington.

However, the beef likely was repackaged into consumer-size packages and sold under various retail brand names.

The U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is trying to find all the retail outlets where the beef was sold. So far, only 28 specific outlets, all in Missouri, have been identified. These outlets include Price Cutter, Ramey, Country Market, Murfin, Mike's Market, Smitty, and Bistro Market stores.

The E. coli was detected during routine testing by one of the wholesalers to whom the product was shipped.

The specific bacteria detected in the beef are E. coli O157:H7. It's a very bad bug. Infection can cause bloody diarrhea, dehydration, and, in severe cases, kidney failure. Very young and very old people are particularly vulnerable to severe illness, as are people with weak immune systems.

The best way to avoid E. coli food poisoning is to take food-safety precautions while handling raw beef and to thoroughly cook beef to an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit.

SOURCE: USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service.

©2011 WebMD, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Ground,Recalled,States

Health Highlights: March 20, 2012

Clickbank Products Health Highlights: March 20, 2012



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Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:

CDC Warns Olympics-Bound Americans About Measles Risk

Americans traveling to the Summer Olympics in London and the Euro 2012 soccer cup in Poland and Ukraine need to be up-to-date on their measles vaccinations, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.

The measles virus is much more prevalent in Europe and caused 26,000 illnesses and 8 deaths last year, USA Today reported.

The Olympics begin July 27 and the Euro 2012 soccer cup on June 8.

"Disease knows no borders," said Rebecca Martin, director of the CDC's Global Immunization Division, USA Today reported. "We are concerned about Americans coming back from the Olympics this summer and unknowingly infecting others."

Most measles cases in the U.S. are imported by American travelers who have not been vaccinated.

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Women Still Have Higher Health Insurance Rates

The same health insurance coverage still costs women more than men in most states, even though the new federal health care law will prohibit such "gender rating" starting in 2014.

In states that have not banned gender rating, more than 90 percent of the best-selling health plans charge women more than men, according to a National Women's Law Center report to be issued this week, The New York Times reported.

Only 14 states have moved to limit or ban gender rating in the individual insurance market.

Insurers say women's premiums are higher because they're more likely to visit doctors, to take prescription medicines, to get regular checkups and to have certain chronic illnesses, The Times reported.

But this explanation is "highly questionable" because disparities between women's and men's rates can vary greatly in the same state, according to Marcia D. Greenberger, a president of the National Women's Law Center.

"In Arkansas, for example, one health plan charges 25-year-old women 81 percent more than men, while a similar plan in the same state charges women only 10 percent more," she told The Times.

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Copyright © 2012 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Health,Highlights,March

FDA Panel Backs Device to Treat Brain Tumors

Clickbank Products FDA Panel Backs Device to Treat Brain Tumors



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Advisory Panel Recommends Approval of NovoTTF for Treatment of Glioblastoma

By Brenda Goodman
WebMD Health News

Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD

March 17, 2011 -- An expert panel has advised the FDA to approve a new kind of device to treat recurrent glioblastoma, an aggressive and highly fatal kind of brain tumor.

The FDA is not required to follow the recommendations of its advisory panels, though it commonly does.

The NovoTTF-100A System (NovoTTF) is designed to treat tumors by zapping them with an intermediate-frequency electrical field that's generated by a 6-pound battery pack that a patient carries in a satchel or backpack.

It has been studied for use in patients whose cancer has returned after treatment with standard treatments such as surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy.

The device has two parts: the battery pack and wires that attach to a sheath of electrodes that are attached to the scalp. The rechargeable batteries must be replaced every three hours. And patients are advised to wear the electrodes for at least 18 hours.

The twelve voting members of the Neurological Devices Advisory Panel were asked to vote on three questions: whether or not they considered the device to be safe; whether they considered it to be effective; and whether or not the benefits of using the device outweighed the risks.

The panel voted 12-0 that the device was safe enough for use in a terminally ill population.

On the question of effectiveness, however, the panel was deeply divided, and the vote split with six members voting yes and six voting no.

The chairman of the panel, Robert Hurst, MD, a professor of radiology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, was called on to break the tie. He voted yes.

In the final vote, on whether the benefits outweighed the risks, the vote was 7 yes, 3 no, with 2 members abstaining.

In explaining her votes, Sarah H. Lisanby, MD, chair of the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Duke University School of Medicine, voiced the concerns of many on the panel.

"I think that the technology this is based on could be a real breakthrough," she says.

Lisanby, like many on the panel, was concerned by the small size and design flaws that likely biased the results of the clinical trial that was presented to determine approval.

The trial included 237 patients who were randomly assigned to receive either the NovoTTF or chemotherapy.

But in analyzing their data, the researchers did not consider patients who could not complete at least four weeks of therapy with the NovoTTF. Some of those were among the sickest patients in the trial, and panel members felt that their exclusion, along with design problems, likely biased the results in favor of the new device.

Overall, the study found that patients survived about as long using the NovoTTF as they did with chemotherapy, with significantly fewer side effects. But many felt that result wasn't definitive.

"There's still a need for more systematic assessment," Lisanby says.

She voted that the device was not proven to be effective and was one of two voters who abstained on the question of whether the benefits outweighed the risks.

"I didn't know how to make a ratio between safety and efficacy when neither was well measured," she says.

Study researchers reported very few side effects while using the NovoTTF. A skin rash, which developed beneath electrodes, was the most common problem and it could be treated with topical steroids.

The panel's decision was delivered to an audience filled with glioblastoma patients, many of whom had traveled to the meeting to observe the deliberations.

"As a GBM [glioblastoma multiforme] patient myself, I'm here because I want to stay alive," says Cheryl Broyles, who has had her tumor come back three times and says she has run out of treatment options.

Scott Johnson, an assistant softball coach from Minden, La., who was diagnosed with glioblastoma in June 2009, when he was 46, told the panel that an initial round of chemotherapy left him feeling exhausted and sick and took him away from his family during what may be his last months.

"When you don't feel good, it's hard to have hope," Johnson says.

In his testimony, Johnson, who said he had traveled to the meeting at his own expense, had urged the panel to approve the device.

"I've worn the device for 14 months, and it has allowed me to continue my life," Johnson says, who was granted access to the device through a clinical trial.

Depending on the size and location of the tumor, glioblastoma may be treated with surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, or a combination.

The Novo TTF surrounds tumors with an intermediate-frequency electrical field that is thought to disrupt cell division, which, over time, may slow or even shrink the tumor.

The technology is approved in some European countries, but is still in late-stage clinical trials in the U.S. for glioblastoma and non-small-cell lung cancer.

"We look forward to working with the FDA to bring this novel, important therapy to patients as soon as possible," says Asaf Danziger, CEO of Novocure, the maker of NovoTTF, in a news release.

SOURCES: Sarah H. Lisanby, MD, chair, department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, Duke University School of Medicine; member, FDA advisory panel.Cheryl Broyles.Scott Johnson.News release, Novocure.

©2011 WebMD, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Panel,Backs,Device,Treat,Brain,Tumors

Half of First Marriages Don't Last 20 Years

Clickbank Products Half of First Marriages Don't Last 20 Years



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CDC: More Couples Living Together Before Marriage

By Salynn Boyles
WebMD Health News

Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD

March 22, 2012 -- The trend toward delaying first marriages continues in the U.S., with couples increasingly choosing to live together before saying "I do," the CDC reports.

Between 1982 and 2010, the percentage of women under the age of 45 living with a partner outside of marriage nearly quadrupled, from 3% to 11%, according to the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).

The new report on first marriage trends confirms that the dramatic changes in marriage seen in the latter half of the 20th century continued into the first decade of the 21st, researchers say.

People are marrying for the first time at older ages, higher education remains a strong predictor of marriage success, and about half of first marriages still end in divorce, says Casey E. Copen, PhD, of the NCHS.

And while both men and women are getting married later, most have tied the knot at least once by the time they reach their mid-40s.

"This suggests that women and men are postponing marriage, but not forgoing it," Copen tells WebMD.

The new report compares findings from a nationally representative survey of women and men ages 15-44 conducted between 2006 and 2010 to survey data collected in 1982, 1995, and 2002.

Among the key findings:

The median age at first marriage in the latest survey was around 26 for women and 28 for men.56% of first marriages among men and 52% among women now end in the first two decades.In the latest survey, 38% of women under age 45 reported never having been married, compared to 33% in 1995.By age 40, close to 9 out of 10 women and 8 out of 10 men will have married at least once.

The report also highlighted differences in marriage trends by ethnicity and education.

In the latest survey, African-American women were most likely to report having never been married (55%), followed by U.S.-born Hispanic women (49%), Asian women (39%), and white women (34%).

Around 2 out of 3 women (63%) whose educational achievements included a master's degree or higher were married for the first time, compared to 58% of women with a bachelor's degree and 37% of women without a high school diploma or GED.

Other key findings by ethnicity and education:

More than 2 out of 3 Asian women (69%) were likely to still be married after 20 years, compared to around half of white women (54%) and just over a third (37%) of African-American women.Among men, foreign-born Hispanic men were among the most likely to stay married, with a 70% probability of a first marriage lasting two decades (compared to a 54% and 53% probability for white and African-American men, respectively).Education appeared to have a big influence on marriage longevity. Women with college degrees had a 78% probability of remaining married for two decades, compared to a 41% probability for women who completed high school but did not go to college.

The report confirms earlier research showing that highly educated women are more likely to delay first marriages, but they are also more likely to remain married once they tie the knot.

The report appears in the March 22 National Health Statistics Report, published by the CDC.

SOURCES: Copen, C.E. National Health Statistics Report, March 22, 2012. Casey E. Copen, PhD, demographer, National Survey for Family Growth, National Center for Health Statistics, CDC. News release, National Center for Health Statistics.

©2012 WebMD, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

First,Marriages,Years

Expert FAQ: Dealing With Excess Body Hair

Clickbank Products Expert FAQ: Dealing With Excess Body Hair



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Body Hair Can Sometimes Be Unsightly, Sometimes Unhealthy

By Charlene Laino
WebMD Health News

Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD

March 21, 2012 (San Diego) -- Many women and men struggle with excess body hair on the face or other areas of the body. But beyond being sometimes just unsightly, it can also sometimes be unhealthy.

"If you notice a dramatic change in body hair growth or hair growth in an unusual pattern, you should not ignore it," says Sandy S. Tsao, MD, instructor at Harvard Medical School and a dermatologist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

"It could signal an underlying medical condition," she says. "And there are a number of safe and effective treatment options."

At the meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology here, Tsao discussed how to get rid of unwanted body hair.

Consult your doctor. I recommend that any woman with new excess hair growth, especially in a typical male pattern, discuss it with her doctor as it might be a sign of an underlying illness.

For example, there could be an increase in the level of androgens, or male hormones. Hair growth accompanied by other symptoms -- especially severe acne flares, increased muscle mass, or changes in voice -- could also be the sign of an underlying medical condition.

Your doctor may recommend that you be screened for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a condition caused by an imbalance of sex hormones that may result in irregular periods, obesity, infertility, and sometimes multiple cysts on your ovaries.

Other causes include adrenal gland tumors, insulin resistance, and Cushing's disease, a hormonal disorder caused by high levels of cortisol in the blood.

Yes. They include but are not limited to minoxidil, phenytoin, cyclosporine, androgens, danazol (Danocrine), anabolic steroids, methyldopa (Aldomet), and progestins (which are sometimes contained in oral contraceptives).

Depending on the underlying cause of the excessive hair growth, your doctor may prescribe hormonal treatments. But whether used in conjunction with hormonal treatments or alone, there are a number of non-hormonal options:

Office-based laser hair removal: Laser hair removal minimizes damage to the surrounding skin by only targeting the hair.

Traditionally, this treatment works best for patients with fair skin and dark, thick hair. But there now are lasers specifically designed for darker skin.

If you have darker skin, a word of caution, however: Melanin in the surrounding skin can absorb the laser and cause dark spots or a loss of pigment appearing as white spots on the skin.

On average, six to eight treatments permanently get rid of 80% of excess hair.

Electrolysis: With this procedure, heat or chemicals are used to destroy the hair follicle.

An advantage is that it, too, can offer permanent hair removal. But it has a number of drawbacks. Each follicle is treated individually, making it a tedious and time-consuming procedure. The procedure must be repeated on a weekly basis, and the process could take a few years for permanent hair removal.

And since each hair follicle must be treated repeatedly, it can result in an exaggerated pore size or dilated pores that are permanent.

Laser hair removal devices for at-home use: These devices can be expensive and have a number of limitations. They are only approved for use on limited areas of the body and cannot be used for facial hair.

They can require a lot of treatment time, so they work best for smaller areas such as the underarms. If used improperly, the device can burn or blister the skin, or even cause blindness. If you have dark skin tones, they can cause your skin to become either darker or lighter.

Over-the-counter hair removal creams: These are the most tedious and least effective of the temporary hair removal options. They can irritate and burn the skin, and results only last about a week or two on average.Bleaching: This technique requires upkeep every one to two weeks to keep coarse, dark hair faint and less noticeable.Plucking/waxing: These remove hair for an average of one to three weeks, but can cause side effects. Plucking can cause ingrown hair or folliculitis (acne-like bumps). Waxing can cause temporary burns or skin irritation and should be done professionally.Shaving: This requires daily upkeep and in some cases may be needed twice a day, if you experience a "5 o'clock shadow" effect with hair growing back by the evening hours.

Though no formal studies have been conducted, laser hair removal would likely overall be less expensive. It offers permanent reduction, while temporary treatments will carry a continued cost over time. And it requires fewer treatments overall compared with electrolysis, the only other method of permanent hair removal.

For laser hair removal, the average cost to treat a small region (upper lip, chin) is $150 to $250 per treatment; a medium region (underarms, bikini) between $300 and $450 per treatment; and large regions (back, legs) approximately $1,000 per treatment.

SOURCES: American Academy of Dermatology Annual Meeting, San Diego, March 16-20, 2012. Sandy S. Tsao, MD, instructor, Harvard Medical School; dermatologist, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston.

©2012 WebMD, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Expert,Dealing,Excess

Daily aspirin may help prevent and treat cancer.

Clickbank Products Daily aspirin may help prevent and treat cancer.

You can add the use of drugs, a new study shows aspirin appears to slow cancer growth.

By Salynn Boyles
Web health news

Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD

2012: March 20 – heart attack and stroke, the lower their risk and taking aspirin every day, millions of Americans can reduce cancer risk can be also.

New research suggests that aspirin may help prevent certain cancers increases on a daily basis in evidence.

On top of that, daily aspirin is an effective treatment for those who already have cancer.

The study, published in the Lancet in a series of low-dose daily in the United Kingdom, expanding on a previous study or in a subsequent full-strength aspirin reduced the risk of death from cancer for years.

Their latest work, researchers have reduced the influence of aspirin on cancer treatment, cancer University of Oxford from looking at the short term says about three years after the use of aspirin every day medical Neurology, Dr. Peter M. Rothwell, MD, Professor, who led the study.

Five years from the death of their diseases diagnosed once had a lower risk to spread some people taking aspirin for.

A new study of the Rothwell and fellow heart attack and stroke risk in aspirin every day ordeal 51 impact review analyzed data from the originally designed.

Taking low-dose aspirin on a daily basis, according to an analysis on cancer risk of death after at least 5 years of use 37% reduction.

At least 3 years of daily aspirin around men's and women's 25% reduction in cancer incidence of by.

In the second study, researchers investigated the effects of a daily aspirin therapy in cancer metastasis, or spread, to analyze the new data from the five other large trials.

Among the results:

Six-and-a-half years of average use 36% reduced risk of aspirin every day for follow-up treatment was associated with the spread of cancer, colorectal cancer patients with localized disease. "is an aspirin every day when they have their disease to spread the risk of decline 74% for daily aspirin use among patients with solid tumor was cancer deaths were associated with a reduction of 35%, but not cancer, such as leukemia and blood.

The third test analysis as well as the use of aspirin also regularly and breast cancer, colorectal cancer, esophageal organ seemed to reduce the risk of developing.

Three years ago, health policy experts weigh in on the prevention of heart and vascular disease treatment, daily aspirin for your use.

United States preventive services task force recommends aspirin therapy in men 45 years now 79, heart attack between the potential benefit outweighs the risk for lowering. The task force is 55 to 78 lower stroke risk potential profits for the out of hours beyond the ladies for aspirin therapy is recommended.

These risks are common but can be fatal, such as stomach bleeding include: major satiety

One key finding from a new analysis of major bleeding in patients taking aspirin on a daily basis for risk reduction over time.

"We have a random test of aspirin for cancer care is urgently needed," says Rothwell. "In the meantime, I take aspirin increases the risk of bleeding [above] is not reasonable for a cancer patient, I guess."

An editorial published with the study, Andrew T. CHAN, MD, MPH, and Nancy R. Cook, ScD, Brigham and women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, daily aspirin use, as well as future guidelines for heart attack and stroke risk in cancer therapy should consider the impact of the conclusions.

In the absence of definitive data, Chan before the start of treatment to patients and their health care providers to discuss the potential benefits and risks with a daily aspirin to be tells Webmd.

"This is a limitation of the patient's individual risk, and this debate has included data," he said. "But we are very strong, even though no definitive data can not be ignored."

Eric Jacobs, Ph.d., United States Cancer Society for pharmacoepidemiology's strategic Director who for some reason that no one should start taking aspirin therapy for his or her decision not to talk to.

"Treatment should be made individually, any decision about your health care and counseling, professional," he said. "Even low-dose aspirin increases the risk of serious gastrointestinal bleeding was substantially."

Source: Rothwell, Lancet, March 21, 2012. Peter Rothwell, m.d., Ph.d., Professor of medical M. Neurology, University of Oxford and the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom Andrew T. CHAN, MD, MPH, camouflage, Massachusetts General Hospital and the Channing laboratory; Brigham and women's Hospital in the Department; Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, Dr. Eric Jacobs, United States strategic Director pharmacoepidemiology, Atlanta GA press release cancer society. United States preventive services task force: "aspirin for the prevention of cardiovascular disease."

© 2012 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.

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Exercise May Trigger Orgasm in Some Women

Clickbank Products Exercise May Trigger Orgasm in Some Women



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MONDAY, March 19 (HealthDay News) -- Sex may not always be essential for orgasm: A new survey finds that some women can also experience the sensation while exercising.

This type of orgasm is sometimes referred to as a "coregasm" because of its association with exercises that involve core abdominal muscles, said study author Debby Herbenick, co-director of the Center for Sexual Health Promotion at Indiana University's School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation.

"The most common exercises associated with exercise-induced orgasm were abdominal exercises, climbing poles or ropes, biking/spinning and weight lifting," Herbenick said in a university news release. "These data are interesting because they suggest that orgasm is not necessarily a sexual event, and they may also teach us more about the bodily processes underlying women's experiences of orgasm."

The findings are based on the results of online surveys completed by 124 women who reported experiencing exercise-induced orgasms and 246 women who experienced exercise-induced sexual pleasure.

The women ranged in age from 18 to 63, most were married or in a relationship and about 69 percent were heterosexual, according to the study, which was published in a special issue of the journal Sexual and Relationship Therapy.

About 40 percent of the women who had experienced exercise-induced orgasms and exercise-induced sexual pleasure had done so on more than 10 occasions. Most of the women who reported exercise-induced orgasms said they were not fantasizing sexually during their experiences, and about 20 percent said they could not control the orgasm.

Abdominal exercises accounted for 51 percent of exercise-induced orgasms, followed by weight lifting (27 percent), yoga (20 percent), bicycling (16 percent), running (13 percent) and walking/hiking (10 percent).

The mechanisms behind exercise-induced orgasms and exercise-induced sexual pleasure remain unclear, but the researchers hope to learn more about the triggers for both experiences.

-- Robert Preidt Copyright © 2012 HealthDay. All rights reserved. SOURCE: Indiana University, news release, March 19, 2012

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Dense Breasts May Be Linked to Cancer Recurrence

Clickbank Products Dense Breasts May Be Linked to Cancer Recurrence



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THURSDAY, March 22 (HealthDay News) -- Breast cancer is more likely to recur in women over 50 who have denser breast tissue, researchers report, noting that doctors should take breast density into account when making initial treatment decisions.

The Swedish study found that women with denser breasts had nearly twice the risk of recurrence, either in the same breast or in the surrounding lymph nodes, than women with less dense breasts.

"We found that if you have a PD [percentage density] at diagnosis of 25 percent or more, you have an almost twofold increased risk of local recurrence in the breast and surrounding lymph nodes than women with a PD of less than 25 percent," said Dr. Louise Eriksson and colleagues from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm.

"However, density does not increase the risk of distant metastasis [spread] and has no effect on survival," Eriksson said.

Breast density, which can be determined through mammography, varies among women and decreases with age, especially at menopause, the researchers noted.

For the study, the researchers reviewed mammograms and treatment results for almost 1,800 postmenopausal women, aged 50 to 74, who were part of a larger study of women diagnosed with breast cancer in Sweden between 1993 and 1995.

The findings were presented Wednesday at the European Breast Cancer Conference, in Vienna.

It is known that dense breast tissue increases the odds of developing cancer, but whether breast density might influence recurrence has not been established.

"Our study shows that breast density before or at diagnosis should be taken into account even after diagnosis, for instance, when deciding on adjuvant [secondary] treatment and follow-up routines," Eriksson said in a meeting news release. "Perhaps women with dense breasts should be followed more frequently or for a longer period of time in order to quickly spot any local recurrence."

The research showed that breast density differs greatly. "In the group of women I studied, those with the lowest percentage density had breasts that were less than 1 percent dense, whereas those with highest PD had 75 to 80 percent dense breasts," Eriksson said. The average was 18 percent, she noted.

She said the findings are significant because of the detailed information on each woman and the overall size of the study. "This is one of the largest studies to date studying mammographic density, tumor characteristics and prognosis," Eriksson said in the news release.

Why dense breasts influence cancer is still unclear, and researchers say more work is needed before the findings could influence medical practice.

David Cameron, a professor at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, said in the news release that the study is more thought-provoking than practice-changing, "since it is not clear what a patient, or her physician, should do if the mammogram shows a higher density of the normal breast tissue."

Research presented at meetings is considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.

-- Margaret Steele Copyright © 2012 HealthDay. All rights reserved. SOURCE: European Breast Cancer Conference, news release, March 21, 2012

Dense,Breasts,Linked,Cancer,Recurrence

Half of Stroke Victims Don't Call 911, Research Shows

Clickbank Products Half of Stroke Victims Don't Call 911, Research Shows



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FRIDAY, March 16 (HealthDay News) -- Slightly more than half of Americans with stroke symptoms call 911, a rate that hasn't changed since the mid-1990s, a new study finds.

The study highlights the need for more public education about stroke symptoms and the importance of early treatment, said the researchers from New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center.

"People do not always recognize the seriousness of stroke symptoms, or instead of calling 911 they may call their primary-care physician for an appointment and lose valuable time as the damage becomes irreversible," study leader Dr. Hooman Kamel, a neurologist at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell, said in a medical center news release.

The researchers examined data from more than 1,600 stroke cases collected by the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey between 1997 and 2008.

The analysis revealed that just 51 percent of adults who were diagnosed with stroke at an emergency department arrived via ambulance, and that rate had not significantly changed during the 11-year study period.

The findings were published in a research letter in the March 14 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Recovery from stroke often is possible with early treatment, Kamel said.

"We have drugs and surgeries that can minimize brain damage from a stroke, but they can be used only within a few short hours," Kamel said in the release. "When stroke victims or bystanders quickly recognize the symptoms of a stroke and call 911, patients are more likely to arrive in time to receive these treatments."

Common warning signs of stroke include:

Sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arms or legs, especially on one side of the bodySudden confusionSudden trouble speaking or understandingSudden trouble seeing in one or both eyesSudden trouble walking, dizziness, or loss of balance or coordinationSudden, severe headache with no known cause

You should call 911 if you or someone else experiences any of these symptoms, according to the U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

-- Robert Preidt Copyright © 2012 HealthDay. All rights reserved. SOURCE: New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, news release, March 14, 2012

Stroke,Victims,Research,Shows

FDA Mulls Expanding Patients' Access to Certain Drugs

Clickbank Products FDA Mulls Expanding Patients' Access to Certain Drugs



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By Amanda Gardner
HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, March 22 (HealthDay News) -- Americans troubled by a range of ailments might someday more easily obtain medications that are now only available by prescription.

On Thursday and Friday, experts at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are holding hearings on whether to expand the availability of certain prescription drugs by giving them "conditional" over-the-counter, or OTC, status.

The details of the new plan are sketchy, but certain drugs used to treat such conditions as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, asthma and migraine may no longer require a prescription.

Dispensing of these drugs would vary on a case-by-case basis and would include "conditions of safe use," possibly to be determined by the consumer with the help of a pharmacist.

"There are a lot of unanswered questions right now but we're advocating that the pharmacist would be involved with the patient as they . . . determine if the product is right for them," explained pharmacist Ronna Hauser, vice president of policy and regulatory affairs at the National Community Pharmacists Association. "The information would be relayed back to a physician if necessary."

According to Brian Gallagher, senior vice president of government affairs at the American Pharmacists Association, many of the discussions that have taken place with the FDA on the issue so far have involved emergency medications, such as asthma inhalers.

For example, he said, "if someone had already had an inhaler [prescribed] and they had it confiscated at the airport, they could go in, talk to their pharmacist who has access to medical records and get a refill on their inhaler," he said.

Farther down the road, the plan might give pharmacists the ability to screen a person who has already been diagnosed with high blood pressure by their doctor and restart them on medication if needed.

"The pharmacist could urge them to go see a physician before they get into a really bad situation," Gallagher added.

The idea behind the plan is to get millions of untreated or undertreated Americans back into the health care system, experts said.

The move is being driven partly by computer technology, such as the touch-screen kiosks found in pharmacies that help patients self-diagnose common diseases, an idea that has raised inevitable concerns about patient safety.

But the kiosks, said Gallagher, would be less for self-diagnosing than for making decisions in conjunction with a pharmacist in the drug store.

"It might say 'You need to see a doctor right away' rather than 'I've made a diagnosis. Here's some medication,'" Gallagher said.

In particular, concerns about drug interactions, specifically interactions that would lessen the effectiveness of certain cancer drugs, have been voiced.

Without knowing details of the new initiative, Diane Pinakiewicz, president of the National Patient Safety Foundation, said the intent of making it easier for patients to obtain certain types of medications for certain types of conditions is "reasonable."

"Patients today are better informed and want to play a more active role and that's what we're trying to encourage patients to do," she said. "Patient engagement is a key piece of patient care."

But coordination of care with a physician is still critical, she added.

Dr. Sandra Adamson Fryhofer, chair-elect of the American Medical Association's Council on Science and Public Health, testified at the hearing Thursday and expressed concern about the potential lack of physician involvement.

"A patient's confidence in their physician and the prescriber's emphasis on the need to take the medicine as prescribed is one of the most motivating influences in promoting medication adherence," she explained in a statement. "For a program to be successful on this front, it must be delivered by a trusted source, be personalized to the patient's situation, reinforce medical need and expected outcomes, segment and target at-risk populations and reinforce and reward initiation and maintenance of treatment," Fryhofer added.

"We also have concerns about patients taking certain drugs without physician involvement, especially for patients with chronic disease," she continued.

"While the increased availability of certain prescription-based antidotes, such as Epi-Pens [which administer adrenaline for severe allergic reaction], appear to have few if any safety concerns, the FDA has not offered evidence that patients with hypertension [high blood pressure], hyperlipidemia [high cholesterol], asthma or migraine headaches can self-diagnose and manage these serious chronic medical conditions safely on their own," Fryhofer stated.

Copyright © 2012 HealthDay. All rights reserved. SOURCES: Brian Gallagher, R.Ph., J.D., senior vice president, government affairs, American Pharmacists Association; Ronna Hauser, Pharm.D., vice president of policy and regulatory affairs, National Community Pharmacists Association; Diane Pinakiewicz, president, National Patient Safety Foundation; statement of Sandra Adamson Fryhofer, M.D., chair-elect, Council on Science and Public Health, American Medical Association

Mulls,Expanding,Patients,Access,Certain,Drugs

Diabetes Raises Depression Risk

Clickbank Products Diabetes Raises Depression Risk



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Negative Life Events, Obesity, Poor Disease Control May Raise Depression Risk in People With Diabetes

By Jennifer Warner
WebMD Health News

Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD

March 14, 2011 -- Experiencing negative life events and being overweight may raise the risk of depression in people with type 2 diabetes, according to new research.

People with type 2 diabetes are 52% more likely to become depressed than people without the condition, according to background information cited in the study.

Although some studies have suggested that all people with diabetes should be screened for depression, researchers say determining risk factors specific to people with diabetes might help identify people most likely to develop depression.

In the study, researchers followed 338 adults with type 2 diabetes for 18 months. Each participant was evaluated every nine months for signs of depression and disease status.

The results showed a history of depression and negative mood were the biggest predictors of depression among people with diabetes.

But when they looked closer at people with similar negative moods, they found the following factors were associated with an increased risk of developing depression:

Negative life events, such as divorce or death of a loved oneBeing overweight, as evidenced by an elevated BMI (body mass index)Poor diabetes control, as shown by elevated hemoglobin A1c level

"When patients have even moderate levels of increased depressive symptoms, it may be helpful to inquire about other life stressors and chronic disease management," write researcher Diana M. Naranjo, PhD, of the University of California, San Francisco, and colleagues in the Annals of Family Medicine.

SOURCES: Naranjo, D. Annals of Family Medicine, March/April 2011; vol 9: pp 115-120.News release, Annals of Family Medicine.

©2011 WebMD, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Diabetes,Raises,Depression

EPA Proposes New Mercury Air Pollution Rules

Clickbank Products EPA Proposes New Mercury Air Pollution Rules



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Standards Proposed by Environmental Protection Agency Will Cut Mercury Released by Power Plants

By Brenda Goodman
WebMD Health News

Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD

March 16, 2011 -- The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today proposed the first national standards for mercury and other toxins emitted by power plants, which are some of the biggest air polluters in the nation.

A broad coalition of environmental groups, health agencies, and doctors hailed the new standards, which were issued under court order more than 20 years after they were mandated by congress.

"EPA is finally cleaning up the biggest source of toxic air pollution in America," says John Walke, a senior attorney and director of the Clean Air for the Natural Resources Defense Council in Washington, D.C.

The EPA estimates that the new standards will save up to 17,000 lives each year by reducing exposure to heavy metals like mercury, arsenic, chromium, and nickel; acid gases like sulfur dioxide; and particulate matter.

One major change will be amounts of mercury released into the atmosphere. Under the proposed rule, coal-fired power plants will have to reduce the amount of mercury that they release by about 91%.

The nonpartisan, nonprofit group Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) released a list of the 25 biggest mercury-emitting power plants across the U.S in 2009.

Twenty are located within 50-100 miles of some of the nation's biggest cities, including Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Chicago, Minneapolis, Minn., Detroit, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, St. Louis, and Austin, Texas, according to the EDF.

Three of the five worst offenders are in Texas. The Martin Lake plant near Longview, Texas, and the Big Brown plant near Dallas are No. 1 and No. 2 on the list. Both are operated by Luminant Energy.

In a statement released in response to the report, the company said it had already installed activated carbon injection systems, the primary technology used to control mercury, on all of its coal-fired power plants. A company spokeswoman confirmed that both the Martin Lake plant and the Big Brown plant had gotten the new systems, but said she did not know when they were installed.

"The company remains committed to ongoing improvements in air quality, informed and balanced by an understanding of the impacts on electricity reliability, consumer prices and jobs, as well as the physical and timing constraints associated with installing new control equipment," the statement reads.

Rounding out the top five mercury polluting power plants are Labadie Power Station in Missouri; James H. Miller Jr. Electric Generating Plant in Birmingham, Ala.; and the Limestone Electric Generating Station near Jewett, Texas.

"The pollutants spread all over the country, but they concentrate around these plants," says Janice Nolen, assistant vice president for policy and advocacy for the American Lung Association. "These communities have been suffering for a long, long time."

Mercury, a neurotoxin, can cause mental retardation, cerebral palsy, and deafness and blindness in fetuses and infants. In even low doses, mercury may cause developmental delays, affecting how long it takes kids to walk and talk. Mercury exposure has also been linked to poor attention spans and learning disabilities.

In adults, mercury exposure has been tied to infertility, memory loss, high blood pressure, and blindness; toxicity can cause numbness in the fingers and toes.

"I'm extremely hopeful that we'll see big reductions as a result of this rule," Nolen says.

"Through the commonsense goal of reducing harmful pollution in the air we breathe we'll save lives, prevent illnesses, and promote vital economic opportunities in communities across the country," says EPA administrator Lisa Jackson in public remarks she made before signing the new rule.

The standards must now go through a public comment period before being made final in November. Once the rule goes into effect, power plants will have four years to comply.

The EPA estimates it will cost the energy industry about $11 billion a year to meet the regulations, though Jackson noted that many companies had already voluntarily upgraded their plants.

An estimated 44% of power plants lack advanced pollution control equipment.

Some power companies said the costs could become an unwieldy burden, ultimately causing some plants to close.

"Companies facing multiple emission-control requirements under very tight deadlines would face the biggest challenges related to costs and possibly jobs," says Dan Riedinger, a spokesman for Edison Electric Institute, an industry lobbying group.

Riedinger says he hopes that the EPA will be flexible in working with energy producers.

"Regulations should allow for compliance in the most cost-effective manner to avoid undue impacts on customers, the economy, and jobs," he says.

Many health problems have been linked to air pollution, including cancer, heart attacks, strokes, aggravated asthma attacks, bronchitis, and lung disease in addition to the neurological damage caused by mercury and lead poisoning.

"There are no other sources of air pollution in America, beyond power plants, that cause so many premature deaths, and today's standards are the biggest response in a generation to avoiding that death toll."

The top 25 mercury-emitting power plants are:

Martin Lake, TexasBig Brown, TexasLabadie, Mo.James H. Miller Jr., Ala.Limestone, TexasMonticello, TexasScherer, Ga.Coal Creek, N.D.Rockport, Ind.James M. Gavin, OhioMonroe, Mich.W.A. Parish, TexasSandow No 4, TexasBig Cajun 2, La.Keystone, Pa.Pirkey, TexasColumbia, Wis.Sherburne County, Minn.Milton R. Young, N.D.Independence, Ark.Nebraska City, Neb.Conemaugh, Pa.Colstrip, Mont.Laramie River Stn., Wyo.White Bluff, Ark.SOURCES: Proposed Emissions Standards for Coal- and Oil-Fired Electric Power Plants, EPA, Signed March 16, 2011.Fact sheet: Proposed Mercury and Air Toxics Standards, EPA, March 16, 2011.News conference, EPA, March 16, 2011.News release, American Lung Association.American Lung Association: "Toxic Air."Environmental Defense Fund: "Mercury Air Alert: Cleaning Up Coal Plants for Healthier Lives."John Walke, senior attorney, director of clean air, Natural Resources Defense Council, Washington, D.C.Janice Nolen, assistant vice president for policy and advocacy, American Lung Association, Washington, D.C.Statement, Luminant Energy, Dallas.Dan Riedinger, spokesman, Edison Electric Institute, Washington, D.C.

©2011 WebMD, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Proposes,Mercury,Pollution,Rules

Health Highlights: March 22, 2012

Clickbank Products Health Highlights: March 22, 2012



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Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:

Dissolvable Tobacco Products May Have Fewer Health Risks: FDA Panel

While dissolvable tobacco products could pose fewer health risks compared to cigarettes, they could increase the number of tobacco users in the United States, a Food and Drug Administration advisory panel says.

Dissolvable tobacco -- finely milled tobacco pressed into shapes like tablets that slowly dissolve in the mouth -- are one of the cigarette alternatives being considered by tobacco companies for future sales growth, the Associated Press reported.

There is a lack of research on dissolvable tobacco products, which make up a small share of the market, the panel noted.

The findings were posted online Thursday and will be reviewed by the FDA in any future decisions but there's no timeline for the agency to act, the AP reported.

-----

Army Mental Health Programs Under Review

A system-wide review of U.S. Army mental health facilities is being conducted to determine if psychiatrists overturned soldiers' diagnoses of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in order to save money.

The review by the Army inspector general comes as the case of a U.S. soldier suspected of killing 16 Afghan civilians has led to renewed focus on war-related mental strain among military personnel, the Associated Press reported.

The service is trying to determine whether changes in PTSD diagnoses were isolated or common practice, Army Secretary John McHugh told Congress on Wednesday.

The forensic psychiatry unit at Madigan Army Medical Center on Joint Base Lewis-McChord is under investigation for reversing PTSD diagnoses in order to avoid the expense of providing care and benefits to soldiers, according to Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash.

"Not only is it damaging for our soldiers, but it also really furthers the stigma for others that are -- whether they're deciding to seek help or not today," Murray said, the AP reported.

----

More Young Adults OK Living With Parents: Study

The stigma of having to move back in with their parents appears to be fading for young adults in the United States, a new study suggests.

Pew Research Center investigators found that more than 75 percent of young adults who moved back home during and after the recent recession say they're fine with living at home and feel good about their future financial prospects, according to U.S. News & World Report.

The fact that living with friends and relatives has become so common in a challenging economy may be one reason why so many of the so-called boomerang generation are less likely to be ashamed to be living with their parents.

The study found that 61 percent of young adults say they have family or friends who have been forced to return to their parents' home in recent years due to money problems, U.S. News & World Report said.

-----

Copyright © 2012 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

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Estrogen-sensitive breast cancer women pregnancy safety

Clickbank Products Estrogen-sensitive breast cancer women pregnancy safety

Wednesday, March 21, 2009-per-minute news)-positive breast cancer, estrogen receptor modulators, pregnancy is safe for women, according to a new study.

These types of breast tumors, estrogen levels in the body and especially sensitive, for pregnancy can increase estrogen circulating and thus fixes the issues that are causing the cancer return.

According to the researchers of this study within 2 years after the cancer diagnosis of pregnancy if it occurs after being diagnosed with breast cancer at any time, increasing the risk of recurrence is not recommended.

In addition, to become pregnant breast-cancer patients, Dr. Hatem Azim Jr., Jules Bordet Institute in Brussels, Belgium, and fellow medical oncology does not appear to live longer than men, according to.

Their research, which later became pregnant did not 333-874-breast cancer patients breast cancer patients. Follow-up of the almost 5 years 30% of all women of above average breast cancer recurrence in.

Fifty-seven percent of the women in the study of estrogen receptor positive breast cancer. Estrogen receptor-positive or during pregnancy that is estrogen receptor negative breast cancer patients in their cancer breast cancer cancer Conference presentations in Europe, Vienna, Austria, will be announced Wednesday, according to a study the difference in surviving period without recurrence.

"We are breast-cancer diagnosis became pregnant within 2 years of the patient to become pregnant compared to those who did not have better disease-free survival emerged," Azim said at a press conference.

However, no clear trend over time ", were demonstrated; Therefore, this finding must be interpreted carefully, you may have confused potential selection bias by not protecting the safety and within 2 years of the diagnosis and thus considered to be pregnant, "Azim noted.

Research of the influence of pregnancy on survival overall goal.

"We [estrogen receptor] matches control regardless of the status of their lower risk of death compared to a breast cancer patient who became pregnant were found," Azim said.

The study was presented at a medical Conference, because the data and conclusions should be considered preliminary until published in a peer reviewed journal.

--Robert Preidt minute copyright © 2012. All rights reserved. Source: the European Breast Cancer Conference, press release, March 19, 2012

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Could Two Words Help You Resist Temptation?

Clickbank Products Could Two Words Help You Resist Temptation?



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THURSDAY, March 22 (HealthDay News) -- When it comes to weight loss, the words you choose when refusing something tasty can make the difference in whether you are able to resist temptation, new research suggests.

For instance, when offered a slice of pie, responding with the words "I don't" increases the likelihood you will stick to your diet, rather than saying "I can't."

"Whether it's buffalo wings at a tailgate or heaping plates of calories at the Thanksgiving day dinner table that is your downfall, help is merely a couple of words away," wrote co-authors Vanessa Patrick and Henrik Hagtvedt.

"This insight is based on the notion that saying 'I can't' to temptation inherently signals deprivation and the loss from giving up something desirable," the University of Houston and Boston college researchers explained in a journal news release.

On the other hand, they said, the "I don't" strategy shows a sense of determination and empowerment.

In conducting the study, the researchers assigned 30 women to one of three groups and followed them for 10 days. Each group received a single strategy for refusing foods: "I don't," "I can't" or "Just say no."

The study, published online in the Journal of Consumer Research, revealed the 'I don't' strategy boosted people's feelings of autonomy, control and self-awareness. This strategy also created a positive change in their long-term behavior, such as renewed dedication to weight loss.

"What's great about this research is that it suggests a strategy that is simple, straightforward and easy to implement. And most importantly...it works," the authors concluded.

-- Mary Elizabeth Dallas Copyright © 2012 HealthDay. All rights reserved. SOURCE: Journal of Consumer Research, news release, March 14, 2012

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Field of youth baseball players are safe

Clickbank Products Field of youth baseball players are safe

Sunday, March 18, 2009-per-minute news)-youth baseball season will start soon, and the parents and coaches to the players need to know how to prevent injury and medical expert says.

Shoulder and elbow injuries are the most common and usually due to abuse, Dr. Tony Wanich, Montefiore Medical Center in New York City in the Department of orthopedic surgery, the surgeon said.

Proper conditioning and training, play, then safety guidelines and the best way to prevent injury with.

The following tips offer Wanich:

Hold your stretches for 30 seconds and stretching program, including consistent warm up routine runs, set the warm-ups and demonstration is an important part of the conditioning. Endurance and stamina and player development pitching to develop speed and agility positioning. strength training is important for a baseball player. Rotator cuff muscles, biceps, triceps and forearms, paying special attention to the pitcher must not pitch between consecutive. Young pitchers pitching accuracy and good through the mechanism should focus on development control. They have different types of pitches before attempting to master the fastball. communication between the players, parents and coaches to identify the problem before they can lead to more serious injuries. The rest does not improve should be evaluated by a sports medicine specialist permanent pain relief: founded by parents and coaches little league baseball players must comply with health and safety guidelines.

--Robert Preidt minute copyright © 2012. All rights reserved. Source: Montefiore Medical Center, press release

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Fatty meals can also cause irritation for diabetes.

Clickbank Products Fatty meals can also cause irritation for diabetes.

Wednesday, March 21, 2009 — a high-fat meal per minute news) may boost inflammation in people with type 2 diabetes, a new study says.

A lot of the inflammation-related complications such as heart disease and diabetes.

Research includes 54 persons blood sugar (diabetes) that persons with disabilities-tolerance and obesity, 15, 12, 18 2 diabetes, healthy and once obesity not a high-fat meal-overnight fast.

Researchers in the participants ' blood meal before endotoxins then compares the level of a. Endotoxins are in the bloodstream, and inflammation of the gut, the heart disease associated with bacterial piece.

After eating a fatty meal all participants endotoxin levels had risen, but the level of people with type 2 diabetes was the presentation of the annual meeting of the society for Endocrinology in the United Kingdom on Tuesday, according to the study was scheduled for a healthy, non-obese people at significantly higher than.

Although research shows cause and effect, the study of obesity, type 2 diabetes, damage to blood vessels and other tissues and may lead to an inflammatory, scientists have developed a new way to prevent this damage, one approach could explain that.

"High-fat, low-carbohydrate diets are often promoted in patients with type 2 diabetes blood glucose control and weight loss aid, but if you check in a large study, suggested that the data displayed is not just about weight loss, healthy diet, inflammation and some patients with specific risk of heart disease can be increased."Lead detective Allison Hart, University of Warwick in the United Kingdom at postdoctoral research fellow in the society for Endocrinology press release said.

"The next step in our research, often in small, frequent meals than in type 2 diabetes patients in understanding the effects of endotoxin levels. We will also be interested in fat and carbohydrate contents in another, "added Hartman. effects of find

Data and conclusions are presented at a medical meeting primary peer-reviewed medical journal published by should be considered.

--Robert Preidt minute copyright © 2012. All rights reserved. Source: society of Endocrinology, press release on March 18, 2012

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More 'Safety' Workers Testing Positive for Drugs

Clickbank Products More 'Safety' Workers Testing Positive for Drugs



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Cocaine, Amphetamine Use in Safety Sensitive-Workers Spiked in 2011

By Cari Nierenberg
WebMD Health News

Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD

March 21, 2012 -- Some pilots, truck drivers, rail operators, and bus drivers are flunking their drug tests, according to a new study.

A newly released survey from Quest Diagnostics of federally mandated "safety-sensitive workers," who must receive pre-employment as well as random drug and alcohol testing, found a 33% jump in testing positive for cocaine during 2011.

The data, collected from 1.6 million drug tests done last year, also show a nearly 26% spike in testing positive for amphetamines.

These upward trends come on the heels of stricter government drug testing rules, which took effect in October 2010, along with new lower drug testing cutoff levels for substances, such as cocaine and amphetamines.

At the same time, the U.S. Department of Transportation also added a few other substances, including heroin and ecstasy, to its required drug testing list for private and public sector workers in the transportation industry.

These "safety-sensitive workers," who are subject to random drug testing via urine sample, include flight crews, air traffic controllers, ship captains and crew members, subway operators, and locomotive engineers, to name a few.

Whether on the road, rails, water, air, or underground, these workers are put into a distinct category because people count on them to be as clear-headed and alert as possible during their shifts to ensure safety.

But as a recent survey from the National Sleep Foundation found, sleepiness is a common problem for some transportation workers: One in four pilots and train operators admitted to feeling sleepy on the job to the point that it affected their performance at least once a week.

An estimated 12 million transportation workers in the U.S. are subject to these new drug testing rules.

Safety-sensitive workers tested positive for cocaine at the highest levels since 2008, and methamphetamine use was at the highest level since prior to 2007. Both of these drugs are stimulants.

Researchers suspect the increase in positive tests for these substances likely stems from the newly reduced cutoff point, as well as from greater use of prescription medications containing amphetamines to treat ADHD.

Among transportation workers in 2011, testing positive for marijuana was at the lowest levels since prior to 2007.

To give a broader perspective on overall trends and shed light on the potential use of these substances among workers, the survey also included findings from 6.4 million drug tests in U.S. workplaces in general.

Compared to 2010, the number of positive tests in the general workforce for amphetamines is up nearly 17%, and it is up by 75% since 2007. Positive cocaine tests are also up 8% in 2011 compared to the previous year.

Perhaps one encouraging finding from last year's data is that the number of positive drug tests among safety-sensitive workers is lower at 1.7% compared to 4.1% in the general workforce.

SOURCES: Quest Diagnostics Drug Testing Index. News release, Quest Diagnostics. "What Employers Need to Know about DOT Drug and Alcohol Testing, U.S. Department of Transportation. WebMD Health News: "1 in 4 Pilots Sleepy on the Job."

©2012 WebMD, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Safety,Workers,Testing,Positive,Drugs

Northeast United States should prepare for spikes in Lyme disease: experts

Clickbank Products Northeast United States should prepare for spikes in Lyme disease: experts

Tuesday, March 20, is the northeastern United States (per-minute news) – this spring, and in the case of Lyme disease, a significant increase can be seen warning.

Why do oak trees produce acorns are relatively small this year, boom and bust years Acorn is part of the normal cycle for the crop. But a small crop of acorns to feed the White-footed mouse problem.

"We had the Acorn, in the boom of the boom in rats behind. And now, we have seen the little Acorn crops on the heels of the conflict, "said Richard Ostfeld, disease, and population at Cary Institute of ecosystem studies in ecology, New York, the Institute said in a press release of rooks.

That have to do with Lyme disease?

Mouse is Lyme disease ticks, black legs, and the default host for the transfer. Black tick larvae, nymphs and adults of the bridge in three stages-one need. bloodmeal The larvae feed on the large spring 2011, and the population of nymphal ticks they will be looking for a meal.

Borrelia burgdorferi infection this spring "is a black tick blood meal is looking for our forests, the bridge will be a lot of. And the White-footed mouse, instead of looking like they'll find, we add other mammals-"Ostfeld.

Borrelia burgdorferi Lyme disease-causing bacteria.

Ostfeld and peers surge and finally starts in May to July. Researchers in 2006 and 2007, the population of Acorn crop, similar to the boom-bust cycle, and observation. In the wake of this cycle with black legs and reach the height of 20 years on the nymphal tick.

Ticks transmit the bacteria does not affect mice. But humans are chronic fatigue, Lyme disease treatments, joint pain and nerve problems may occur that may cause.

-Mary Elizabeth Dallas minute copyright © 2012. All rights reserved. Source: Cary Institute of ecosystem studies, press release, March 16, 2012

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New Procedure Makes Hyperhidrosis No Sweat

Clickbank Products New Procedure Makes Hyperhidrosis No Sweat



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Small Study Finds Ultrasound Therapy Destroys Underarm Sweat Glands, Reduces Sweat Production

By Kathleen Doheny
WebMD Health News

Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD

March 19, 2012 (San Diego) -- Ultrasound treatment can reduce excessive sweating in the underarms by nearly 80%, according to a new study.

Researchers used a ''microfocused" ultrasound to target the sweat glands in 14 men and women, aged 18 to 75, says Mark Nestor, MD, PhD, a dermatologist and voluntary associate professor of dermatology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

All had hyperhidrosis, a condition where a person sweats much more than the body needs to cool itself.

"Microfocused ultrasound appears to be effective and safe in the treatment of hyperhidrosis," Nestor says. It works, he says, by heating and destroying the sweat glands under the arm.

The sweating can occur even when the temperature is cool and the person is at rest. The armpits, palms, and soles are often affected.

He presented the findings here at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Nestor received a research grant for the study from Ulthera, which makes the technology. The study was small and the findings are preliminary.

About 3% of people suffer from this excessive sweating.

Doctors diagnose it by tests such as the starch-iodine test. In this test, iodine solution is applied to the areas with sweat. When it dries, starch is sprinkled on the area. If there is excess sweat, the combination turns purplish.

Nestor gave the men and women two ultrasound treatments, 28 days apart. He treated one arm. He gave the other arm a ''sham'' treatment that looked the same. He evaluated their sweat production after both.

He used standard measures to assess sweat production, including the starch iodine test.

At the meeting, he reported results on the 14 people after two treatments. Two months after the second treatment, he found nearly an 80% average reduction in sweat.

Some in the study reported temporary tenderness, redness, numbness, and bruising.

Nestor is in the middle of a second study, looking at 20 patients. Fourteen days after one treatment, the average sweat reduction was 70%, he says. "It's still early," he says. He will give them a second treatment. "It should get better."

There was no improvement in the untreated underarms.

The technique takes about 20 minutes per armpit, Nestor tells WebMD. He plans to test the treatment for palm sweating.

Nestor did not estimate costs.

The company has FDA approval for eyelid lifts with the device.

Although the result is preliminary, "it looks good," says William Abramovits, MD, a Dallas dermatologist. He reviewed the findings for WebMD.

The available treatments for excess sweating do not work for everyone, says Abramovits. He says he would welcome more options for his patients.

A larger study is needed, says Carolyn Jacob, MD, a Chicago dermatologist. Examining the tissue specimens from the underarms under a microscope would help determine if the sweat glands are truly destroyed, she says, or if inflammation prevents them from working.

She reports serving on the advisory board for Miramar Labs. It makes miraDry, a treatment for excess sweating.

Among the current options for treating excessive sweating:

AntiperspirantsMedications to prevent sweat glands from being stimulatedBotox, FDA-approved for excess sweating in 2004Surgery to turn off the nerve signals that trigger excess sweating.Iontophoresis, an FDA-approved procedure using electricity to block sweat glandsmiraDry, approved by the FDA in 2011. A handheld device delivers electromagnetic energy to the sweat glands. "It takes the sweat glands to a temperature that results in irreversible damage," says Steve Kim, chief technology officer and founder of Miramar Labs, which makes it. The loss of the glands will not adversely affect body cooling, he says. The procedure costs $2,500 to $3,000, he says.

This study was presented at a medical conference. The findings should be considered preliminary as they have not yet undergone the "peer review" process, in which outside experts scrutinize the data prior to publication in a medical journal.

SOURCES: Mark Nestor, MD, dermatologist and dermatologic surgeon and voluntary associate professor of dermatology and cutaneous surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. William Abramovits, MD, Dallas dermatologist, assistant clinical professor of dermatology, Baylor University Medical Center and University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas. American Academy of Dermatology annual meeting, San Diego, March 16-20, 2012.Carolyn Jacob, MD, dermatologist, Chicago. Steve Kim, chief technology officer, Miramar Labs, Sunnyvale, Calif.

©2012 WebMD, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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Nuclear Meltdown in Japan: Radiation Risk?

Clickbank Products Nuclear Meltdown in Japan: Radiation Risk?



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FAQ on Radiation Risk From Tsunami-Damaged Nuclear Plants

By Daniel J. DeNoon
WebMD Health News

Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD

March 14, 2011 -- Among the casualties of Japan's earthquake/tsunami disaster were several nuclear power plants. Damage and failed cooling systems have raised the fears of a meltdown happening.

There's hope that a major nuclear disaster can be averted. But what are the risks from the radiation that already has been released -- and from the radiation that could be released if containment efforts fail?

Here's WebMD's FAQ.

"Meltdown" is not a technical term, but it vividly describes the worst-case scenario for a nuclear reactor.

Nuclear reactors generate power via controlled nuclear fission, which occurs when enough radioactive material is gathered into a critical mass. Control rods can separate the radioactive material, thus ending the nuclear reaction.

That's exactly what happened when the March 11 earthquake hit Japan. Control rods effectively halted the nuclear reactions.

This means there is no danger of a nuclear blast from Japan's damaged nuclear plants.

But the nuclear materials inside the reactors remain radioactive -- which means they give off a great deal of heat. It takes days to cool these materials down.

If not cooled, these materials will melt. In a worst-case scenario, they could possibly melt right through the thick metal shield that contains the reactor, spilling highly radioactive materials into the environment.

When the tsunami hit Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, three reactors lost power. That meant serious trouble, as the pumps needed to cool the overheated reactors with water stopped running when their battery backups were exhausted.

Nuclear reactors have two main containers that keep radioactive materials from spreading outside the plant. One container is the thick-walled building surrounding each reactor. The other is a thick metal vessel that makes up the outer wall of the reactor itself.

As water cools the fuel rods in the innermost container, steam is created. The intense heat also releases hydrogen from the water. If the pressure inside the container gets too high, the steam has to be vented. This releases some radioactivity. It also releases hydrogen, which can build up inside the building.

At least two of the three buildings housing the Fukushima reactors had hydrogen explosions. One, on March 14, injured 11 workers and could be felt for miles. However, the internal containment walls appear to remain intact.

One of the emergency measures being taken to prevent a meltdown is the release of steam from the reactors. This means some radiation is released into the environment.

Japan's nuclear energy agency reports that measures of radiation outside the plant are higher than legal limits, but that they were not dangerously high as of March 14.

Nevertheless, officials have evacuated all residents living within 20 kilometers (about 12.5 miles) of the plant.

Some of the workers trying to prevent a meltdown have already suffered radiation sickness and injury from explosions related to hydrogen buildup outside the reactor core.

"The scariest outcome from such releases of radiation are the immediate effects, which are going to be only felt by personnel who have to go into the building and shut it down," radiation biologist Jacqueline P. Williams, PhD, tells WebMD. Williams is a researcher in the department of radiation oncology at the University of Rochester, N.Y.

The long-term effects of radiation exposure, Williams says, are the various cancers that can occur.

The most cancers most commonly associated with radiation are leukemia and cancers of the thyroid, lung, and breast.

The worst nuclear disaster ever was in 1986 at the Chernobyl nuclear plant in northern Ukraine. This wasn't the same kind of disaster as in Japan, as it was caused by a series of human and mechanical failures. The result was a series of explosions that shot a plume of radioactive materials into the air.

Fallout from Chernobyl fell heavily on Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Austria, and Bulgaria.

"The Chernobyl cloud technically covered a huge area. It did follow the jet stream and everything else," Williams says. "But radioactive particles have substance, they have weight. The bigger the particle, the quicker it falls out of the cloud. So the contamination area where you have risks from contamination are relatively close to the disaster site. As far as I am aware, the cancers from Chernobyl radiation occurred in and around Chernobyl itself."

However, radioactive iodine from the Chernobyl cloud fell on fields where it was absorbed by grass, eaten by cows, and drunk as milk by children. Until 1998, there was a significant increase in thyroid cancer among children in the affected areas.

A meltdown in Japan would be devastating to the local environment. Should there be a release of radiation, and should winds blow in the wrong direction, residents of Japan would be affected to some degree. But the effects almost certainly will not go far beyond the borders of Japan.

No radiation from the Japan disaster is expected to hit the U.S., say experts from the Oregon State University department of radiation health physics.

"Any radioactive contaminants released will end up raining out of the atmosphere into the Pacific Ocean, where they will be diluted and absorbed, or in the very near vicinity of the plants," Kathryn Higley, PhD, says in a news release. "This is not Chernobyl."

Radiation risks are different for people at different stages of life:

Radiation has harmful effects on child development.Radiation can induce cancers that appear years after an adult is exposed.Elderly people's cells may have reduced ability to repair damage from radiation.

"Radiation research worldwide has been very much in decline, and has only received a little boost since 9/11," Williams says. "In the past 10 to 20 years research has focused on medical radiation therapy and not on accidental or incidental exposure."

According to Lisandro Irizarry, MD, chair of emergency medicine at The Brooklyn Hospital Center in New York, symptoms of acute radiation poisoning are nausea and vomiting. Other symptoms include fever, dizziness, disorientation, and bloody diarrhea. Symptom onset is quickest with the greatest radiation exposure.

In the event of a nuclear accident, people living near nuclear power plants generally are provided with potassium iodine pills. That's because radiation leaks tend to carry radioactive iodine. The pills load the thyroid gland with iodine and prevent uptake of radioactive molecules.

But the best way to prevent radiation exposure is to stay indoors, close the windows, and turn off external sources of air, such as air-conditioning, until the all-clear is given or until you can safely be evacuated from a contaminated area.

"Contamination from fallout comes from touching a contaminated surface, from it falling, from inhaling it, or ingesting it," Williams says. "So in case of an event, be sure to drink bottled water and eat only sealed food that has not been outside."

SOURCES: Jacqueline P. Williams, PhD, research professor, department of radiation oncology, University of Rochester Medical Center, N.Y.News release, Brooklyn Hospital Center.News release, Oregon State University.News releases, Japan Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency.News releases, International Atomic Energy Agency.News releases, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.Moysich, K.B. The Lancet Oncology, May 2002; vol 3: pp 269-279.Auvinen, A. BMJ, July 16, 1994; vol 309: pp 151-154.Hjalmars, U. BMJ, July 16, 1994; vol 309: pp 154-157.

©2011 WebMD, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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