Daily Health and Medicine News

Alternative Medicine Today

Alternative and complementary therapies abound for breast cancer patients

That’s because the clinical and professional herbalist and certified flower essence practitioner who works out of her home in West Asheville believes more and more people are looking for alternatives to conventional Western medicine.

“Women have been using herbs on themselves for thousands of years,” Frezza said. “Western medicine has its place and can be used in conjunction with alternatives. A lot of people are really getting tired of pharmaceuticals.”

Frezza works in a field that’s getting more and more attention as the cost of conventional treatments continues to rise, and as research into a variety of alternatives yields more confirmed results. At the forefront of that research is the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. It’s one of the 27 centers and institutes that makes up the National Institutes of Health and is the federal government’s lead agency for scientific research on complementary and alternative medicine.

According to the center, a 2007 National Health Interview Survey found that about 38 percent of adults use the therapies. Complementary medicine is defined as medicine used in conjunction with conventional medicine, while alternative medicine is used in place of conventional medicine.

There are a number of ongoing research studies and clinic trials. For example, there are ongoing trials to study the effectiveness of tai chi and a cardiovascular exercise fitness program in improving the physical fitness and reduction of stress in adult survivors of solid-tumor cancers.

Another study is examining the effectiveness of the combination of mistletoe extract and gemcitabine in patients with solid tumor cancers. The FDA has approved mistletoe extract for use in cancer treatment studies, and mistletoe extract has been used either alone or together with conventional anti-cancer drugs to treat cancer in thousands of patients in Europe.

Frezza says she educates her clients on recent studies, points to resources such as a PubMed, a service of the National Library of Medicine that includes brief summaries of articles from scientific and medical journals, and can explain the folk history of plant medicine.

For someone with breast cancer, Frezza said that although every case is different, she might suggest the use of red clover or violet oil. She also said she would target the physical well-being of a client, as well as their emotional health and their energy level.

“I like to think of myself as a spokesperson for plants,” Frezza said. “What I’m really doing is helping people help themselves.”

Alternative Therapies for Ulcerative Colitis

People with IBD are very likely to have tried complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to treat their symptoms. There are several reasons for this, not the least of which is that many of the prescription medications for IBD carry unwanted side effects. But CAM isn’t always the easiest route to take, either, because what worked for one person may not work for another, and just because something is marketed to treat IBD doesn’t mean that it will actually help. In fact, for some CAM, there’s not much evidence to recommend their use. Some of the CAM therapies associated with ulcerative colitis include: Aloe Vera
Boswellia
Butyrate
Licorice Root
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Slippery Elm

Alternative Biomedical Treatments for Autism: How Good Is the Evidence?

Parents who research treatments for autism are confronted with a bewildering array of options, almost all of which have never been tested for safety and effectiveness. Organizations like The Cochrane Collaboration, which reviews the quality of evidence for medical treatments, are putting more effort into evaluating popular alternative treatments.

So far, the most comprehensive review of alternative autism treatments comes from two pediatricians: Susan Hyman of the University of Rochester School of Medicine Golisano Children’s Hospital at Strong and Susan Levy, a clinical professor of pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Their 2008 analysis gave each treatment a letter grade for the quality of the research conducted up to that point; the mark, however, is not a ranking of the treatment’s safety or effectiveness.

The two pediatricians based the grades on the amount of testing done on the treatments, which in most cases was skimpy at best. Research that got an “A” grade included randomized control trials, the gold standard for medical research, and meta-analyses, which compare research from different labs. A “B” went to treatments that had been studied in “well-designed controlled and uncontrolled trials,” according to Hyman. The “C” grades, the lowest category (there were no “D”s or “F”s), were based on case reports, theories and anecdotes, which are not considered acceptable for mainstream medical research.

Research on just one treatment, secretin, was good enough to earn an A. In short, there is a lot more work that needs to be done toward testing popular alternative treatments and getting more potential treatments into development at research institutions and pharmaceutical companies.

Dietary supplements

B6/Mg++—Grade: B

Vitamin B6 and magnesium have been a popular treatment for autism over the past 20 years. The Cochrane Review identified three studies that compared outcomes of B6 and magnesium treatment with those for placebo or no treatment, but just 28 subjects were treated altogether. One study found no improvements; another reported improvement in IQ and social behaviors. But all the studies suffered methodological weaknesses aside from the small sample size.

DMG—Grade: B

Dimethylglycine (DMG), an antioxidant and derivative of the amino acid glycine, is marketed as an immune system booster. Two small double-blind studies of DMG found it had no effect on autism symptoms.

Melatonin—Grade: B

Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland that regulates sleep. Melatonin supplements are popular for self-treating insomnia or jet lag. Many people with autism-spectrum disorders report sleeping problems, and at least one study has found improvements in falling asleep and staying asleep.

Vitamin C—Grade: B

Vitamin C, an antioxidant, is often part of vitamin supplements given to children with autism. One study reported less repetitive behavior in a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of vitamin C in 18 children with autism.

Amino Acids—Grade: C; L-Carnosine—Grade: B

Neurotransmitter abnormalities have long been a focus of autism research. Some amino acids act as neurotransmitters or prompt their production, so amino acids like tryptophan have been tried as alternative treatments. No trials have studied the benefits of supplementation with tryptophan, taurine, lysine or GABA. L-carnosine, a molecule made of two amino acids that has antioxidant properties, is marketed as an anti-aging remedy. One double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of L-carnosine in 31 children with autism found improved expressive and receptive vocabulary.

Allergies News and Treatment

Parasitic Worms: A Retro Cure for Autoimmune Diseases?

By Jessica Ryen Doyle Published October 06, 2010 | FoxNews.com

Tired of suffering from Crohn’s disease, Michael, a 31-year-old financial planner from New York City, turned to a last resort – an underground network of “worm pushers” in cyberspace.

Michael, who asked that his last name not be revealed, chose to undergo helminthic therapy – infecting himself with Necator Americanus, or microscopic hookworm larvae, in order to put his autoimmune disease into remission. Helminthic therapy, also called worm therapy, is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration, but it has seen significant success around the world.

Worms as medicine? Sounds crazy, but it’s consistent with the hygiene hypothesis — the theory that the organisms we consider harmful today were protecting our immune systems before modern medicine.

Prior to the 20th century, autoimmune diseases like Crohn’s, multiple sclerosis and lupus, as well as asthma and allergies, were virtually nonexistent. People didn’t bathe frequently, and they were exposed more often and for longer periods to animal dander and animal feces. Advocates of helminthic therapy suggest that exposure to those organisms immunized people to their bad effects.

Seeking a “cure” for his “incurable” disease, Michael contacted Jasper Lawrence, owner of Autoimmune Therapies and moderator of a Yahoo group of helminthic therapy, to arrange a meeting outside of the U.S.

Lawrence, who used to suffer from severe allergies and asthma – and was dependent on the anti-inflammatory drug prednisone to survive – self-infected himself with hookworms after traveling to Cameroon in 2006.

“At the time, I didn’t know whether I’d been successful or not,” Lawrence, an American citizen, who runs his business out of Central America to avoid interference with the FDA, told FoxNews.com. “But after an examination, I was in fact infected, and after 16 weeks, I no longer had allergies or asthma.”

Michael, who spent most of his 20s in and out of the hospital, undergoing several surgeries and taking a host of different medications, had followed Lawrence’s Yahoo group for three years and spoken to many of its followers. Symptoms of Crohn’s, an inflammatory bowel disease, include, but are not limited to, abdominal pain, diarrhea, weight loss, arthritis and fatigue. When he simply couldn’t take it any longer, Michael decided to take the plunge.

After purchasing the worms from Lawrence for $3,000, Michael infected himself by applying a bandage packed with worms to his arm. The worms seeped into his skin within several hours; the only side effect he felt was some minor itching, which was relieved by using Benadryl.

“I started feeling better after three months,” Michael said. “I stopped taking my medicine, and I usually get sick two weeks after a skipped dose. I also didn’t have food allergies anymore.”

Scientific Evidence
Miracle? Coincidence? Luck? Maybe, but a group of doctors, including Dr. Joel Weinstock, professor and director of gastroenterology at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, lend credence to the hygiene hypothesis.

Weinstock, who has been studying this concept since the early 1990s, has found that parasitic worms have a calming effect on their hosts’ immune systems. He took what he had learned and applied it to the hygiene hypothesis and, several years later, he and his colleagues started testing helminthes in mice with asthma, Type 1 diabetes, MS and inflammatory bowel disease. Sure enough, the diseased mice got better.
Generic zithromax online pharmacy
Weinstock started a round of human trials, which Michael was a part of, but this was a different kind of worm – Trichuris suis, or pig parasite, which can stay alive in a human’s body for only two weeks. This time, in order to consume the worm, Michael drank a glass of water teeming with the invisible, tasteless creatures.

But here’s the catch: Because these worms stay alive for a few weeks – Michael felt better only for a short time, which ultimately led him to contact Lawrence for help.

Weinstock published results from the helminth study in 2005, which said that 23 out of 29 Crohn’s patients went into remission.

Similar studies like Weinstock’s are popping up around the globe, and he suspects a “worm-based” pill may one day — and not too far off — help patients like Michael.

Environment vs. Genetics
If infected with too many hookworms, you can become anemic, or worse – die, which is why Weinstock does not want patients with autoimmune disease running off to Central America to get worms.

“Most people who go for helminthic therapy do it as a last resort, as all conventional treatment failed them,” Michael said. “They usually have an autoimmune illness for many years, did a lot of research in their field, and are experts in their disease and its treatment.”

But Weinstock thinks there are greater lessons to be learned from all of this: One, the environment plays a greater role in autoimmune disease than genetics, and two, Americans may be going overboard when it comes to hygiene.

“I think we need to re-examine the elements of healthy hygiene and whether it improves life and what aspects are necessary,” Weinstock said. “Is it harmful for kids to get soil in their mouth? Maybe not. Are we using too much hand sanitizer? Perhaps we are going against evolution.”

Adding celebrity to the theory is actress Kellie Martin — famous for her roles as Becca Thatcher on “Life Goes On,” and Lucy Knight on “ER” — who is starting to speak up about the hygiene hypothesis as well.

Martin, who lost her sister, Heather, at the age of 19 to lupus, is the spokeswoman for the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association. She recently heard Weinstock speak at a conference titled “The Global State of Autoimmunity Today” at the United Nations.

“For me, it confirmed my suspicion that I need to give my family, especially my daughter, organic foods, free of toxins, and keep our lives as stress-free as possible,” Martin said.

Martin said she was excited to hear about the research on worms. Though no one advocates living in “filth,” she said allowing one’s body to react to healthy “flora” in and out of the body makes sense to her.

“When we are too clean, we can strip away beneficial bacteria that is essential to the normal functioning of our bodies,” said Martin, who wants to do what she can to protect her 4-year-old daughter Maggie from developing an autoimmune disease – even though she may be genetically predisposed.

“I guess we can chalk it up to: moderation is key. Let your kid get dirty and be a kid, and don’t douse them with hand sanitizers every five minutes.”

ISTA Pharmaceuticals reports preliminary positive results for seasonal allergy nasal spray

ISTA Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: ISTA) announced Wednesday its positive preliminary results from a Canadian phase 1/2 clinical study of bepotastine besilate nasal spray, a treatment for symptoms associated with seasonal allergies.

The findings, based on a placebo-controlled study of 82 patients, demonstrated two of the three bepotastine besilate concentrations tested were effective in relieving patients’ nasal symptoms after exposure to seasonal allergens, the company said. The most rapid improvement was seen in sneezing and nasal itching, according to ISTA.

The data also showed the drug to be well-tolerated, with mild adverse events consistent with those observed in other antihistamine nasal sprays.

Based on the positive results, ISTA plans to submit an Investigational New Drug (IND) Application to the U.S. FDA and to initiate phase 2 clinical studies of the nasal spray before the end of the year, using one of the most potent allergens, Mountain Cedar pollen.

The company expects to report preliminary phase 2 data during the first half of 2011.

According to the American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology, approximately 60 million Americans are affected by allergic rhinitis, an inflammation of the nasal passages caused by exposure to certain allergens, such as pollen from trees, grass and plants, animal dander, feathers, dust mites and molds.

It is characterized by a number of symptoms, including sneezing, nasal congestion, nasal itching and runny nose. Based on data from IMS Health in the U.S., approximately 43.3 million prescriptions were filled for nasal allergy treatments in 2009, resulting in sales of approximately $2.2 billion.

Bepotastine besilate has been approved in Japan for systemic use in the treatment of allergic rhinitis since 2000 under the brand name TALION. In 2006, ISTA licensed the exclusive North American ophthalmic rights to bepotastine besilate and in 2007, ISTA licensed exclusive North American rights to nasal dosage forms.

ISTA’s eye drop formulation of bepotastine besilate, BEPREVE 1.5%, was approved by the U.S. FDA in September 2009 for the treatment of ocular itching associated with allergies.

Based in Irvine, California, ISTA is the fourth largest branded prescription eye care business in the United States, with an expanding focus on allergy therapeutics. The company currently markets four products, including treatments for ocular inflammation and pain post-cataract surgery, glaucoma and ocular itching associated with allergic conjunctivitis.

Rich have more allergies

Affluence and city life have been added to the growing array of factors thought to be driving Australia’s rapidly rising rate of food allergy.
Mexican online pharmacy
An assessment of sales of allergen-free infant formula as well as EpiPen injectors has shown how demand from parents is concentrated in the nation’s cities, and richest postcodes.

“In city versus country, formula rates were five times higher in city and EpiPens were double the rate,” said Canberra-based allergy specialist Dr Ray Mullins.
Advertisement: Story continues below

“… Formula rates were over double comparing the highest socio-economic areas versus lowest socio-economic, while (sales of) EpiPens were three times higher.

“It was certainly dramatic.”

The analysis found, for example, sales of allergen-free infant formula in the nation’s richest suburbs approached 48,000 tins per 100,000 in the population during 2008-09.

This was compared to just over 21,300 tins in the poorest suburbs.

Dr Mullins also assessed hospital admissions, and found children who required treatment for anaphylaxis were also more likely to come from affluent areas.

While the data suggests higher rates of allergic kids in cities and affluent areas, with unknown “lifestyle” factors behind this, Dr Mullins also cautioned the research could be skewed by a lack of access to specialist health care in the bush.

“Allergic disease seems to be a disease of the rich and affluent,” Dr Mullins said.

“My concern about the data is that it may also be explained, in part, by barriers to accessing appropriate medical care … almost all allergy and immunology services are in major cities.”

Earlier research by Dr Mullins shows how infant formula and EpiPens were also in more demand in Australia’s southern states, indicating a lack of vitamin D from insufficient sun exposure could also play a role in promoting food allergy.

There were other theories, he said: from rising rates of Caesarean birth to children growing up in increasingly disinfected homes which promoted overly-sensitive immune systems.

While a clear picture of the cause of food allergy was yet to emerge, Australia’s incidence of childhood bad reactions to peanut has roughly doubled over the past decade.

“What it suggests is that there are a number of potential factors influencing the development of allergic disease,” Dr Mullins said.

“There won’t be one factor. It is a whole range of them.”

Dr Mullins’ research is published in the October edition of the journal Clinical & Experimental Allergy.

A University of Melbourne study, also released this week, found children exposed to cooked eggs – scrambled for example – at four to six months of age were up to five times less likely to develop an egg allergy.

This was compared to children who were introduced to cooked eggs after they turned one year old, according to the study of 2,500 children.

Back Pain News

Report highlights chronic back pain link to unemployment

One in five Europeans with chronic back pain are unable to work at all as a result of their chronic pain, according to new research sponsored by Pfizer.

The Pain Proposal, funded by the pharmaceutical company and presented to the European Parliament today, includes a survey of 2,019 people with chronic pain across 15 European counties. It suggests that of those able to work, 61% said their condition had impacted directly on their employment status.

According the report, inefficiencies in the treatment of chronic pain are resulting in “increasing healthcare costs and prolongued patient suffering”.

Musculoskeletal problems are a major cause of claims for group income protection and group private medical insurances. Insurers have developed a number of strategies for tackling this, from open access to physiotherapy to supporting self-management of pain.

Previous studies have shown that chronic pain costs Europe billions of Euros every year, with national costs ranging from €1.1 billion to nearly €50 billion. On average, one in five adults in Europe suffer from moderate to severe chronic pain.

Causes of chronic lower back pain

What is ‘chronic lower back pain’?

Lower back pain is a condition which affects millions of Americans as well as people around the world and is not merely confined to the elderly as we assume most of the time. But, it is true that the condition is seen at a higher frequency among the elderly individuals. The chronic back pain is an entity of the spectrum of lower back pains which would last for more than 3 months and would have an effect on the patients’ day to day activities. Chronic lower back pain can be associated with certain other manifestations including sleep disturbances, depression, tiredness, irritability, morning stiffness as well as with an inability to maintain the same posture for prolonged time duration.

AAOS: Vertebroplasty Not Recommended for Back Pain

New guideline strongly recommends against surgical fix for spinal compression fractures.

Based on a lack of scientific evidence supporting the efficacy of vertebroplasty for the treatment of spinal compression fractures, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons is strongly recommending against the popular procedure, which involves injecting bone cement into the spinal vertebrae.

“When you look at the science and research to-date, there is very strong Level 1 evidence to suggest that vertebroplasty does not provide the types of benefits it was previously thought to provide,” says Stephen I. Esses, MD, the Houston, Texas-based orthopedic surgeon who led the AAOS workgroup that developed a new clinical practice guideline on the treatment of symptomatic osteoporotic spinal compression fractures. In a press release, AAOS clarified that Level 1 evidence “refers to studies done under the strictest scientific guidelines, including blinding randomization.”

The work group, which began researching this issue in 2008, largely based its recommendation on 2 randomized, controlled clinical trials published in the New England Journal of Medicine last year, which showed no statistical difference in back pain levels among patients who underwent vertebroplasty and the control group. The work group did not find published criticisms of the 2 trials to be scientifically compelling.

“Previous studies have touted the benefits of vertebroplasty, however our scientific research suggests this surgical procedure does not offer any advantages, over the placebo control,” says Dr. Esses. He notes, however, that patients who have already undergone the procedure don’t need to worry: “There are no reported negative side effects.”

Wellness Today

Fair To Promote Mental Wellness

The Mental Health Association of Santa Barbara will host the 17th annual Mental Health Arts Festival this weekend to encourage discourse about mental illness in the community and provide those affected with a platform for expression.

The festival will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 2 at De la Guerra Plaza downtown. The event will feature artwork, crafts, paintings, sculptures, jewelry and music created by local people affected by mental illnesses.
According to Annmarie Cameron, executive director of the Mental Health Association in Santa Barbara County, the festival is intended to eradicate social stigmas surrounding mental illness.

“Stigma is a major barrier to people seeking help with their mental illness when they need it, and that is why education is so important,” Cameron said. “The Mental Health Arts Festival not only helps raise awareness, but it also gives our participants a time to creatively express themselves in unique and beautiful ways and to share that directly with our community.”

The Mental Health Association is a nonprofit, private organization that provides housing and support for persons with severe mental illnesses. The group receives approximately 1,000 calls every year from individuals seeking mental health resources.

The festival attracts hundreds of people each year and advertises the Mental Health Association’s resources, such as the Family Advocate Program, Recovery Learning Center and housing opportunities.

The Recovery Learning Center at the Fellowship Club is the only rehabilitation and social center for people with mental illnesses in Santa Barbara, providing a space for peer-to-peer support, resources and craft spaces. Many of the people that frequent the club will have their art featured at this weekend’s festival.

“We are proud to host an event filled with self-expression and creation that provides people in our community living with mental illness with a feeling of accomplishment and a means for healing,” Cameron said.

N.C. Health Plan Selects ActiveHealth for Wellness Initiative

North Carolina’s State Health Plan for Teachers and State Employees, headquartered in Durham, N.C., has selected New York-based ActiveHealth Management to provide disease management, case management and wellness services for its members beginning January 1.

ActiveHealth’s CareEngine system will power the disease management and wellness programs for the plan’s NC HealthSmart initiative. ActiveHealth will work with provider groups and networks across the state to integrate a patient-centered medical home model of care for members. Providers and groups that engage in the PCMH model will have access to a set of online tools through Active CareTeam — they will be able to access patient information, including data from electronic medical records, lab tests, clinical alerts and pharmacy data, and communicate with other clinicians on a member’s care team.

“Improving the quality of health for our members requires change on an individual level and throughout the health care delivery system,” Jack W. Walker, PhD, executive administrator for the plan, says in a statement. “ActiveHealth will help drive our transformation, supporting and empowering physicians who are offering or are interested in implementing a community-based PCMH model. This includes the delivery of case management and disease management services through the practices.”

Headaches News

Watching Michael Vick Giving Redskins’ Defensive Players Headaches

While most of Washington is wondering how Redskins quarterback Donovan McNabb will fare in his return to Philadelphia, his defensive teammates are trying to figure out how to cool down red-hot Eagles quarterback Michael Vick, who’s even more of a two-way threat than McNabb was during his 18 starts against them.

“Donovan can throw it and also he can run, so you had to keep an eye on him (but) you could spy with one of our faster linebackers,” said cornerback Carlos Rogers. “Vick, he’s gonna need a DB on him. If you put a linebacker on him, they have no chance. He’s a real fast guy.”

Indeed, the 30-year-old Vick, the only quarterback to ever run for 1,000 yards in a season, is leading the NFL with 7.4 yards per carry since replacing McNabb’s successor, Kevin Kolb, at halftime of the season opener.

“Watching film, you see why (Eagles coach Andy Reid) made the change,” Rogers said. “Kolb, he can make the throws and some of the plays, but he don’t have the ability like Vick to get out there and make first downs and run. if we had Kolb it might change up a few things, (but) we’ve got Vick. Once a play breaks down, it’s still not over with yet so we’ll be running a lot.
“We’re gonna be jamming the receivers but also keeping an eye on him because he’s got the ability to scramble and get the yardage. A lot of quarterbacks drop back and if the first or second read is not there, they can just dump the ball to the running back. Vick is his own checkdown. He’ll take off and run.”

And Rogers said that Vick never had downfield receivers in Atlanta like Philadelphia’s DeSean Jackson, whose 24.5 yards per catch leads the league for those players with at least eight receptions, or Jeremy Maclin, who has four touchdowns on just 11 catches.

“We’re gonna have guys watching (Vick) but also we’re gonna have to put our hands on these receivers to not climb up on these safeties. Every week they’re getting 40-, 50-, 60-yard touchdowns.”

Or as Redskins cornerback DeAngelo Hall, Vick’s teammate in Atlanta from 2004-06, said, “The offense is putting up points and he’s directing the choir out there. He’s got them singing right now.”

For the record, Vick was just 8-for-16 for 122 yards and two touchdowns while running 10 times for 59 yards the last time he started against the Redskins in a 24-14 Falcons victory in 2006. He was 1-for-2 for five yards with five carries for 13 yards in brief appearances against Washington in his return to the NFL last year following a two-year suspension.

HART Health: Headaches Cause More Than $61 Billion a Year in Lost Time

Stocking Commercial First Aid Supplies Can Save Employers Billions a Year

SEATTLE, Sept. 30 /PRNewswire/ — Headaches, back pain, arthritis and other aches distract employees and cost companies more than $61 billion a year in lost productive time, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

For individual companies, the cost is $22,000 a year for a company with 50 workers and $88,000 for a company with a staff of 200 people.

Employers can save billions of dollars in lost productive time each year by providing basic first aid supplies and over-the-counter pain medications in the workplace.

“Companies are often blind to the how much the real cost of minor pains such as headaches and back pains adds up to,” said Larry Shaw, CEO of HART Health a national manufacturer and distributor of industrial first aid supplies. “It isn’t just the hourly wage you have to pay when an employee struggles to get through the workday with back pain or a headache; it’s the value of what they could be producing.”

Using a sample of nearly 30,000 working adults, researchers found more than half reported having headache, back pain, arthritis or other muscle pain. Overall, 12.7 percent of the workforce reported lost productive time in a two-week period due to these common pains.

HART Health operates a first aid supply franchise that makes it easy for employers reduce the impact of common pain problems in the workplace.

“The cost of providing high quality commercial grade first aid supplies is very small,” said Shaw. “Larger companies get huge returns on the cost of the supplies. Our first aid van service is growing at double digit rates as more companies come to understand the true cost of employees who can’t treat common pains and aches while on the job.”

HART Health manufactures and distributes proprietary commercial grade versions of common over-the-counter medications, including BackPrin, an acetaminophen pain reducer with caffeine for faster relief, and Proprinal, an extremely popular coated ibuprofen tablet.

“We take the headaches out of the process,” said Shaw. “The majority of the $61 billion in lost time is easy for companies to recover by having the right first aid supplies available and our company is growing as a result.”

For information, please visit www.harthealthfranchise.com

Heavy Rain Causes Headaches

WNEP Stormtracker 16 meteorologists say some parts of our area have already received two inches of rain.

It has been pouring non stop for hours and it shows no signs of letting up anytime soon.

The heavy downpours are making a mess of some area roads.

Rivers, streams and creeks are definitely moving a lot faster and fuller Thursday after so much recent rain.

The wet weather is already affecting more than just roads but homes and businesses.

What’s usually a little run-off from a mountain in Lackawanna County looks more like a small river behind Advance Auto Parts near Clarks Summit. So much rain so fast caused water to pour into the back of the store.

It didn’t slow down business but it did soak some cardboard boxes on the floor. Workers put up sandbags around the back entrance to prevent any further flooding.

The road in front of the place, Routes 6 and 11, was not much better.

“It was nasty. There were streams coming down the side of it. Potholes were covered up but it was nasty out there,” said Keegan Scofield of Clarks Summit.

PennDOT crews stopped by multiple times to clear blocked storm drains.

Another nearby business waged a small weather war against mother nature using squeegees.

A swollen creek next to Kost Tire and Muffler prevented employees there from fixing cars for the morning until they could dry out the garage area.

“Because there’s a risk of shock. All of these lifts are electronic,” said Robert Fritsch of Kost Tire.

The wet weather isn’t just making a mess of some businesses, it’s also causing some trouble for a variety of outdoor events.

In Wilkes-Barre The River Common was gearing up to host an outdoor concert Thursday featuring Mike Miz. Now his act and the dozens of expected concert goers will be forced indoors.

While many outdoor events are being canceled one the biggest, the Bloomsburg Fair, is open for business.

Yeast Infection News

Yeast Infection No More – Is This True Or Just Another Scam?

Linda Allen is not just a certified nutritionist, author, member of the American Holistic Health Association and health consultant. She has a background in medical research and is also someone who knows full well the pain, frustration and sheer hell that living with a chronic yeast infection can bring.

Yeast Infection No More is an online treatment program for yeast infection. This program consists of exactly 150 pages of practical and natural methods to fully understand yeast infection and eliminate the Candida albicans virus, the one that causes the infection, from your system. Purchasing the program also includes a three-month free e-mail consultation period with Linda Allen along with lifetime updates that contain improvements on the methods of treatment.

So what makes it any different to the dozens of other books about yeast infections?

To begin with, her book isn’t just another ‘yeast infection relief’ book; it’s an actual cure for the problem. You may think, “Well, they all say that.” And you’re probably right, but the difference with this book is that it doesn’t offer just ‘relief’ from your yeast infection, it is a real cure. Yeast Infection No More™ shows you exactly how to get to the bottom of the cause and then get rid of it. It will get to the internal crux of the infection rather than just treating the symptoms and making you think the infection’s gone… until it comes back.

Click to Download Yeast Infection No More System

Yeast Infection No More™ won’t just spout a lot of facts at you and expect you to believe every word. It will explain your infection and tell you about all the lies and myths that abound regarding Candida albicans. It can be a very confusing subject but this book will put it all in plain English and explain everything step-by-step. It is a very detailed book that approaches yeast infections from a holistic point of view.

The Yeast Infection No More™ ebook is 150 pages of easy to read detail and information about yeast infections and how to treat them 100% naturally. There are no drugs to take or creams to apply; just a solid 5 Step System to rid you of your infection. The book gives an in-depth overview of every stage then discusses all the specifics of the treatment in chronological order. It contains charts, checklists and many other items that enable you to keep track of the program and where you’re up to.

The Yeast Infection No More™ program isn’t a magic potion or quick-fix; it’s a holistic approach and a holistic solution that guarantees you’ll be free of Candida if you follow the program. It doesn’t matter how severe your infection is, this program will work, unlike the quick-fixes other programs falsely offer.

The only criticism that the Yeast Infection No More™ ebook has attracted is that it’s too full of information! People who thought it would be a quick pick-it-up-and-you’re-cured book might find it somewhat overwhelming at first but with a little perseverance, the most impatient reader will find this the most invaluable yeast infection book they’ve every bought.

Survey Reveals Roughly 3 in 5 Women May be Mistreating Their Yeast Infections

The MONISTAT® Brand aims to Cure Confusion by educating women about effective treatment options

SKILLMAN, N.J., Sept. 9 /PRNewswire/ — For more information, please go to: http://monistat.presslift.com/yeastinfections.

Few women go through life having never suffered from the uncomfortable symptoms of a yeast infection. In fact, nearly 3 in 4 (72 percent) women will experience their first yeast infection before age 25. (1) Furthermore, the incidence of yeast infections is highest among young women ages 18-24 (2), who are new to the category and uncertain about symptoms and available treatment options. According to a recent survey of women ages 18-24 commissioned by the MONISTAT® Brand, sixty-one percent (61 percent) of young women are unsure about which, if any, over the-counter products can cure a yeast infection.

“Many women don’t realize that once they’ve identified they have a yeast infection they can easily treat it on their own terms,” said Dr. Suzanne Gilberg-Lenz, a board-certified OB/GYN who practices in Beverly Hills, California. Dr. Lenz, a partner in the MONISTAT® survey, reviewed the full results and offers the following advice to help cure the confusion around yeast infections:

Cure vs. Care
More than 1/3 (37 percent) of women incorrectly believe that treating the symptoms of a yeast infection is the same as curing the infection.

“I see many women who have unsuccessfully tried to treat their yeast infections,” said Dr. Lenz. “One of the biggest mistakes I see my patients make is using external symptom relief creams, such as Vagisil® (3) to treat a yeast infection. Vagisil®(4) does not cure the infection; it only temporarily masks or relieves symptoms.”

Over-the-Counter Cure
Thirty-eight percent (38 percent) of women mistakenly believe a yeast infection can only be cured by a doctor’s prescription.

“While there are prescription treatments available, they can sometimes take 24 – 48 hours to start working,” said Dr. Lenz. “If you know you have a yeast infection and you are in good health, try an over-the-counter remedy like MONISTAT® right away to cure the infection and treat the symptoms. The brand has a portfolio of products, including 1-, 3- and 7-Day treatments, to suit individual women’s needs, which are scientifically proven to be safe and effective.”

Know Before You Go
The majority of women (60 percent) have been unsure whether or not their symptoms were those of a yeast infection.

“The symptoms of a yeast infection vary greatly among individuals,” said Dr. Lenz. “The classic symptoms – thick, white and lumpy discharge, itching and burning – do not appear for all women. The important sign is always vaginal discomfort that develops out of the blue. If you are unsure, especially if you’ve never had a yeast infection, check with your doctor to make sure your symptoms aren’t actually the result of a sexually transmitted disease, bacterial infection or a combination of yeast and bacteria.”

“If your yeast infection does not clear up, contact your doctor,” adds Dr. Lenz. “Once you’ve treated the infection, long-term, preventative measures, including changes to your diet and lifestyle, can help prevent future infections.”

With 35 years of proven efficacy, MONISTAT® is the #1 Doctor Recommended over-the-counter cure that begins the cure on contact. For more information about the signs, symptoms of and treatment options for yeast infections, and to hear more from Dr. Lenz, visit www.Monistat.com.

(1) Ipsos Tracking Study, Q4 2009 [p. 94]

(2) The 2003 Gallup Study of Women’s Yeast Infection Treatment Products [p. 96]

(3) A product of Combe Incorporated. The trademarks use herein are trademarks of their respective owners.

(4) A product of Combe Incorporated. The trademarks use herein are trademarks of their respective owners.

About MONISTAT®

MONISTAT®, which means “stops yeast infections,” is an over-the-counter, antifungal yeast infection treatment that relieves symptoms and cures the infection. The Brand offers a portfolio of products, including 1-, 3- and 7-Day treatments, which are available in three forms – OVULE®, cream and suppository – and are designed to help women confidently address their vaginal health needs on their terms. The active ingredient in MONISTAT® is Miconazole Nitrate. For a complete list of MONISTAT® products, visit www.monistat.com. MONISTAT® is a brand of McNEIL-PPC, Inc.

About the Survey

This MONISTAT® Survey was conducted by Wakefield Research among 711 nationally representative American women aged 18 to 24, using an email invitation and an online survey between June 4th and June 9th, 2010. Quotas were set to ensure reliable and accurate representation of the total U.S. population of women 18-24 year olds.

Results of any sample are subject to sampling variation. The magnitude of the variation is measurable and is affected by the number of interviews and the level of the percentages expressing the results. For the 711 interviews conducted in this particular study, the chances are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary, plus or minus, by more than 3.68 percentage points from the result that would be obtained if interviews had been conducted with all persons in the universe represented by the sample.

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on current expectations of future events. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from McNeil Consumer Healthcare and/or Johnson & Johnson’s expectations and projections. Risks and uncertainties include general industry conditions and competition; economic conditions, such as interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations; technological advances and patents attained by competitors; challenges inherent in new product development, including obtaining regulatory approvals; domestic and foreign health care reforms and governmental laws and regulations; and trends toward health care cost containment. A further list and description of these risks, uncertainties and other factors can be found in Exhibit 99 of Johnson & Johnson’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2010. Copies of this Form 10-K, as well as subsequent filings, are available online at www.sec.gov, www.jnj.com or on request from Johnson & Johnson. Neither McNeil Consumer Healthcare nor Johnson & Johnson undertake to update any forward-looking statements as a result of new information or future events or developments.

Johnson and Johnson highlights yeast infection misconceptions

Posted on 15/09/2010 in Pharmacy Supplier News
Johnson and Johnson has published results from a new survey which reveals a lack of awareness among consumers about treatment of yeast infections.

According to research commissioned on behalf of the healthcare group’s Monistat brand among a sample group of women aged between 18 and 24, the majority of females are unable to identify a vaginal yeast infection from its symptoms.

Further findings from the survey show that around a third of women believe treating symptoms using relief cream is the same as curing the infection, while most are unaware that the condition can be remedied using over-the-counter products.

Obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Suzanne Gilberg-Lenz, a partner in the study, said this shows the importance of female patients seeking medical advice on the condition if they are uncertain.

She added: “Once you’ve treated the infection, long-term preventative measures including changes to your diet and lifestyle can help prevent future infections.”

This comes after Johnson and Johnson published a consumer study last month which illustrated the lifestyle benefits which children can experience by wearing contact lenses instead of glasses.

Cancer Treatment and Prevention News

October: National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month – a campaign launched 25 years ago to raise awareness of breast cancer nationwide. We post below some news on the disease for those who may be interested. Becoming aware of this disease and having it diagnosed in its early stages is not enough. Many patients still die prematurely no matter how rigorously they are treated.

A new study reported online in the journal Cancer found women whose wives or girlfriends are diagnosed with breast cancer are at a higher risk of developing mood disorders, such as major depression, that are so severe they require hospitalization.

The study suggests that men need emotional, social, and economic support to meet their psychological needs after their partners are diagnosed with breast cancer.

Previous studies have already shown that male partners of breast cancer patients are more likely than others to develop major psychosocial problems. But the current study found the disease raised risk of severe depression in men whose female partners were diagnosed with it.

Christoffer Johansen MD, PhD, DSc (Med), of the Institute of Cancer Epidemiology in Copenhagen, Denmark and colleagues analysed data from 1,162,596 men ages 30 years or older to see how frequently partners of women with breast cancer were hospitalized with disorders like major depression, bipolar disease and other serious mood altering conditions.

During 13 years of follow-up, 180 of the 20,538 men analyzed were hospitalized with a mental disorder like depression.

Compared to men whose wives or girlfriends were not diagnosed with breast cancer, men with partners diagnosed with the disease were an overwhelming 309 percent more likely to develop a mental disorder.

The higher risk of being hospitalized was found in men whose partners were diagnosed with severe breast cancer compared to men whose wives or girlfriends were not diagnosed with the disease. Men whose significant others experienced a relapse were also more likely to develop depression compared to those whose wives/girlfriends were free of cancer. When female breast cancer patients died, their partners were 3.6 times as likely to develop depression compared to those whose partners survived.

“A diagnosis of breast cancer not only affects the life of the patient but may also seriously affect the partner,” said Prof. Johansen.

“We suggest that some sort of screening of the partners of cancer patients in general and of those of breast cancer patients in particular for depressive symptoms might be important for preventing this devastating consequence of cancer,” Prof. Johansen added.

Breast cancer patients with physical limitations more likely to die earlier.

A new study published online in The Journal of the National Cancer Institute suggests that breast cancer patients with basic physical limitations or disabilities that disallow them from simple everyday life tasks are more likely to die;such limitiations can be either a direct cause of the disease itself or its treatment.

The study led by researchers at the University of California – San Fransisco found breast cancer survivors who reported physical limitations after breast cancer treatment had the same risk of dying from breast cancer as those without limitations; however, they were more likely to die from other conditions.

Additionally, older women as well as overweight breast cancer patients were found more likely to have functional impairments for at least 18 months after treatment.

According to a press release by the UCSF, the findings suggest that physical activity is important in improving the outcome; simple modifications in habits that allow more physical activity would greatly improve patients’ health.

“Our study provides evidence of why it is important to develop interventions that improve physical function, to mitigate the adverse effects of physical limitations,” said Dejana Braithwaite, PhD, first author of the study and assistant professor at UCSF’s Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center.

“Intervention strategies – on the part of the individual, the community and the health provider – should emphasize physically active lifestyles,” Braithwaite added.

The association between physical inability and death risk was derived from an analysis of data from 2,202 women with breast cancer in California and Utah on their endurance, strength, muscular range of motion and small muscle dexterity after initial treatment such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy or hormone therapy. The women were followed for a 11-year period and as many as 36 percent were found physically inactive.

Physical activity has been associated with a better long-term prognosis in breast cancer patients, while physical inactivity has been linked to bad outcomes.

A health observer suggested that breast cancer patients who died early may not voluntarily be physically active. Those who were physically inactive may have a worse condition in the first place. That is, physical inactivity may simply serve as a “biomarker” to indicate the severity of breast cancer and their overall health condition.

Healthcare reform law provides education on breast cancer prevention in young women

Breast cancer when found in young women tends to be more aggressive compared to breast cancer diagnosed in older women. Media reports say the healthcare reform law provides measures against development of breast cancer in women between ages of 15 and 44.

Under the law, the centers for Disease Control and Prevention is required to create education programs that are focused on young women and breast cancer and to encourage a healthy lifestyle that promotes prevention and early detection of the condition.

The law also provides $9 million annually between 2010 and 2014 for groups to help young women with breast cancer. Under the law, the National Institutes of health will develop new screening methods to prevent breast in young women and improve early detection, which is believed to cut risk of dying of the disease.

Breast cancer is diagnosed in 250,000 women in the United States and 10 percent of them are younger than 45 years, according to the American Cancer Society.

Simple steps can limit risk of cancer

By Ranit Mishori
Special to The Washington Post
Tuesday, September 28, 2010

There was a time when “cancer” was a word that was only whispered in polite society. It was the devastating, invidious illness that almost nothing could be done about. Death from cancer was ugly, unavoidable and best not thought about until you absolutely had to. Preventing it was thought to be, in most cases, out of the realm of possibility.

Today, we know a great deal more about cancer and have made advances in its treatment. Yet many of us are still in denial, reluctant to engage the topic in our daily lives.

In fact, there are a number of common-sense ways to reduce your risk of getting certain kinds of cancer. No guarantees, but there are steps you can take now to improve your odds.

And guess what? They’re the same things you do to avoid getting heart disease. That’s right: Watching your weight, avoiding junk food and getting exercise – which you already knew will would help to fend off a heart attack – also greatly reduce your chances of getting cancer.

According to the American Cancer Society, about a third of the 550,000 American cancer deaths each year are linked to obesity, poor diet and inactivity. Another third are due to smoking.

In other words, one of the biggest contributors to cancer risk is lifestyle – and that’s something over which you have control.

The numbers behind this statement? “Forty percent of breast cancer cases in the U.S. – about 70,000 cases a year – could be prevented” by changes in behavior, says Susan Higginbotham, director of research for the American Institute of Cancer Research.

A German study published last year in the Archives of Internal Medicine showed a 36 percent reduction in cancer risk overall among people who changed to more-healthful habits. A Harvard School of Public Health study described 44 percent of cancer deaths as avoidable in a report that appeared in BMJ, a British medical journal.

None of this is easy, but bad habits can be changed, and it’s good to know which ones count when it comes to reducing your risk of cancer. So here they are:

Obesity

More than 100,000 cancer cases each year – cancers of the uterus, esophagus, pancreas, kidney, gallbladder, breast and colon – are linked to being overweight, according to the AICR. Scientists believe it partly has something to do with estrogen stored in and produced by our fat cells.

In women, “fat cells are a major source of estrogen after menopause,” says Michael Thun, vice president emeritus of epidemiology and surveillance at the American Cancer Society. That estrogen, he notes, “promotes the development of uterine and breast cancer.”

Heart Disease News

Young adults not spared from heart disease

According to the report from Singapore Heart Foundation (SHF) unveiled on yesterday, almost 15 people die every day because of cardiovascular diseases in Singapore. The study has also suggested that the young people are also suffering from heart attacks and strokes.

According to the experts, the young generation is falling in to the heart problems because of their unhealthy diets and sedentary lifestyles. The SHF aid it would continue its efforts to improve the awareness of the heart diseases and blood pressure diseases. Instead of the only mass screening the SHF is providing 300 blood pressure monitors at various schools to monitor the blood pressure of the pupils.

All the blood pressure monitors are donated by a company. The children are also trained to use the monitor to test the blood pressure of their parents at home. SHF has aimed to cover 15 more schools in the next year.

The SHF has also raised questions on the use of the diabetes drug Avandia and said the drug had a negative impact on the heart of a human body. On Friday the SHF had appealed to the people of Singapore not to use the drug.

Study: Walking, Cycling Keeps Heart Failure at Bay

A new Finnish study has indicated that going to work on foot or cycling can be useful in warding off the possibility of a heart failure. And a job that is not sedentary helps too.

Senior researcher, Dr. Gang Hu of Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, told Reuters Health in an e-mail that engaging in some physical activity is of course important, but being active at workplace is essential too.

Walking to work everyday or spinning two wheels is integral in keeping good health.

Heart failure takes place when the heart is not able to pump enough blood that is required by the body. At present, five million Americans fall prey to heart failure.

Hu said, “Increases in computerization and mechanization that have resulted in ever-increasing numbers of people being sedentary for most of their time”.

It is pertinent to mention that earlier studies were focused on positive outcomes of regular exercise on both coronary heart disease and stroke. But, the investigators had not examined the effects of physical activity on the peril of heart failure, or the exceptional roles of relaxation and non-leisure movements on the condition.

Dr. Luc Djousse of Brigham and Women’s Hospital, in Boston, observed that the results are in agreement with the Physician’s Health Study.

In this study, he and his associates had revealed that regular exercise was linked with a minor risk of heart failure in men.

Kenyans warned as heart diseases on the rise

At least 17.2 million people are dying from heart disease and stroke each year but this is expected rise to 41 million in five years, says Gender PS James Nyikal.

Dr Nyikal warned Kenyans during celebrations to mark World Heart Day in Nairobi on Sunday that increased intake of salt, alcohol, cigarettes and lack of exercise, were a threat to life.

Could be avoided

He said 80 per cent of premature heart-related deaths could be avoided.

In Kenya, heart specialists have sounded the alarm and are advocating for a radical change in people’s lifestyles.

The government has already banned adverts on smoking and smoking in public places. “Even though a lot has been done to discourage smoking, it is disheartening to note that in Kenya, the rate is as high as 50 per cent, especially in colleges and universities,” said Dr Nyikal.

He said in urban areas, dietary preferences had shifted from vegetables, legumes, fruits and home-made meals to fast foods, especially among children.

“With urbanisation and a free economy, a lot of processed and pre-packed foods are available in supermarkets. The sale of fast foods to children must be regulated,” he said, adding: “Heart diseases develop slowly. A poor diet at a young age contributes to early child deaths.”

Dr Nyikal said the global goal of reducing the death rate of chronic diseases by an additional two per cent annually would prevent 36 million deaths in the next five years.

Speaking at the same event, Kenya Cardiac Society chairman Prof Gerald Yonga said many deaths in Kenya were related to how we eat, drink and move.

“Kenyans are advised to avoid excessive intake of certain foods like fatty meat, salt or sugar, alcohol or cigarettes,” said Prof Yonga.

“Treating heart diseases is very expensive yet it can be avoided by changing our lifestyles because if we continue living this, we will die like flies.”

Allergies Today

Seasonal allergies treatments

by Manura Nanayakkara MBBS

Seasonal allergies are allergic reactions that develop in certain part of the year. It is usually triggered by environmental allergens such as pollens which are common during spring and fall.

Once entered into the body, allergens such as pollens initiate a cascade of reactions, which ultimately results in the release of neurotransmitter histamine. It is responsible for the allergic reactions. So most of the oral drugs inhibit histamine action. In addition, nasal symptoms are caused by edema of the inner nose.

Allergies, Celiac and Asthma: The New Allergicliving.com Has Got it All

Allergic Living magazine unveils the most comprehensive consumer allergy site on the Web. Allergicliving.com offers hundreds of articles from leading health journalists and a superb recipe center to serve the growing audience living with allergies and gluten-free.

(PRWEB) September 24, 2010

Allergic Living magazine proudly announces the complete rebuild of its website Allergicliving.com. The new site becomes the most comprehensive consumer allergy site on the Web.

It is an essential one-stop resource for those living with food allergies, celiac disease, asthma and environmental allergies.

“This is no mere cosmetic renovation,” Gwen Smith, Allergic Living’s editor and content director, says of Allergicliving.com. “We made a significant investment and rebuilt this site from the ground up. Visitors will find hundreds of great articles, recipes, blogs and interactive features.”

While the old site had already gained a half million visitors a year, an ambitious marketing and SEO campaign is underway to introduce a significantly larger audience to the newly unveiled Allergicliving.com.

Noting that the community of people living with allergies and celiac disease is rapidly growing, Smith says: “When you live with these conditions, there are so many questions and adjustments to your life. That’s why the team here is so passionate about our new site – Allergicliving.com will truly help people; it is that comprehensive.”

Exclusive Features
Ask the Expert: 4 leading allergy specialists, a celiac disease expert and a certified asthma educator take your questions at Allergicliving.com.
Indepth sections on: Top 10 Food Allergies, Celiac Disease, Pollen Allergy, Asthma, Skin Allergy.
The new Allergy-Safe and Gluten-Free Recipe centers. Fully searchable. Outstanding recipes created by Allergic Living’s Chef Simon Clarke.
NewsFlash – our journalists report the latest news on Allergies, Celiac and Asthma.
The Healthy Home section – from safe painting to getting rid of dust mites.
Living sections: Travel with Allergies, School and Allergies and more.
Interactive: Story of the Month for kids and teens; Our Poll; commenting available on all articles.
The Talking Allergies Forum.
Slideshow photo stories.
Intuitive navigation and advanced search tools.
“I expect visitors will be amazed by the scope of the new Allergicliving.com,” Smith says. “We’re a little amazed ourselves – and eager to hear what others think of it.”

Contact: Gwen Smith
gwen(at)allergicliving(dot)com
1-888-771-7747

How to protect your family from food allergies before it’s too late

Does your child have reactions to foods they use to eat with no problem?

They could have food allergies that haven’t even been diagnosed and they can be very dangerous.

It’s more common than you think. In fact more than three million children in the U.S. have allergies.

Lisa Horne says her son had an anaphylactic reaction to a PB&J sandwich. She rushed him to the hospital, and today he has to avoid any contact with peanuts of any form. He has to carry an Epi-pen with him for the rest of his life, and have a medical ID on him at all times.

Symptoms :

Skin reactions, including hives along with itching, flushed or pale skin (almost always present with anaphylaxis)
• A feeling of warmth
• The sensation of a lump in your throat
• Constriction of the airways and a swollen tongue or throat, which can cause wheezing and trouble breathing
• A feeling of impending doom
• A weak and rapid pulse
• Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea
• Dizziness or fainting

How to protect your family

Follow-up with your doctor or allergist if you’ve had a severe reaction.
• If you’ve been prescribed self-injectable epinephrine (i.e., EpiPen® or Twinject®), carry it at all times.
• Educate others about your allergy. Teach them what you need to avoid, the symptoms of an allergic reaction, and how they can help during an allergic emergency.
• Teach yourself and others how to use an epinephrine auto-injector. Practice until it becomes second nature.
• Wear medical identification jewelry noting your allergy.

Walk for food allergy

(Date: Saturday, December 4, 2010)
Time: Check-in begins at 9 a.m.; Walk begins at 10 a.m.
Location: Tempe Arts Park, 700 W. Rio Salado Parkway, Tempe, AZ 85281
Distance: 3 miles
Restrictions: No pets, glass bottles, bikes, roller skates, or skate boards. Baby strollers and wagons are welcomed.

Obesity News

Childhood Obesity Blamed on Virus

By Christopher Wanjek, LiveScience’s Bad Medicine Columnist

Doctors have found more evidence that a viral infection can trigger obesity. And no, the virus doesn’t live on cheese puffs and Twinkies.

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego, found traces of adenovirus 36 (AD36) in an alarming number of obese children and went so far as to claim that there is a positive association between the presence of the virus and obesity, as reported this week in the journal Pediatrics.

Excess calories and inactivity are clearly associated with obesity. And yet some children who have junk-food-filled diets and an exercise routine comprising entirely of walking back and forth from the refrigerator and sofa do manage to remain relatively thin. Why?

In my blood

Genetics, a popular rationale for all that’s right or wrong with any given person, can’t explain all cases of obesity, doctors say, particularly the sharp rise in childhood obesity. Bad habits among children have remained constant over the last two decades, but the child obesity rate has nearly tripled during this time.

AD36 is one of dozens of adenoviruses that are common causes of respiratory infections. Studies dating back to the 1990s have shown that lab animals deliberately infected with this human virus can get fat. In recent years, other studies have shown that upwards of 30 percent of obese adults have been infected by AD36, compared with only 10 percent of normal-weight individuals. The theory is that the virus targets immature fat cells and gets them to mature and proliferate rapidly.

This latest UC San Diego study, led by Jeffrey Schwimmer, examined 124 children; slightly over half were obese. Among all the children, only 19 (or about 22 percent) had been infected with AD36, a fact determined by the presence of AD36-specific antibodies in their blood. But among these infected kids, nearly 80 percent were obese.

More surprising to Schwimmer’s team, the infected obese children were much heavier than the non-infected obese children. The average BMI of the obese kids was about 33; but among the infected obese kids, the average BMI was over 36.

This translates to an average, extra bulk of 35.5 pounds (16 kilograms) for those with the AD36 virus antibodies. That’s a huge amount of extra weight for adults, let alone kids. Sadly, most obese kids will be obese adults and have a lifespan shortened by up to 20 years. A study out this year suggested obese men could die eight years earlier than other men.

Fat chance

Clearly you don’t need a virus to get fat; bad food and eight hours of daily TV-watching can work well for you in that regard. But as skeptical as you (and I) might remain, some doctors are becoming increasingly convinced that AD36 is playing some role in the obesity epidemic. Schwimmer’s team indeed has upped the ante by finding that those once infected have a high probability of being even heavier than other obese individuals.

What Schwimmer and others haven’t been able to establish, though, is cause and effect. Is AD36 a cause of the weight gain, or is the infection the result of having certain kinds of fat cells that the virus happens to like? Or, are obese people predisposed to persistent AD36-specific antibodies after infection? That is, maybe most people have been infected, but obese people maintain the presence of antibodies longer.

So many unknowns. Makes you want to do something crazy like eat better and exercise, just in case.

Cold Virus Linked to Childhood Obesity?

I just read a new study that was published in the online version of the journal Pediatrics on September 20th that links childhood obesity to adenovirus 36 – one of the viruses that cause the common cold. Sounds crazy, right? Perhaps, but it does raise some interesting questions.
Researchers studied 124 children between the ages of 8 and 18. Fifty four percent (67) of the children were considered obese based on their body mass measurements. On average, children who tested positive for adenovirus 36 weighed about 50 pounds more than those who tested negative. And even among the obese children, those who tested positive weighed about 35 pounds more than the obese children who tested negative.

However, only about 15 percent of all of the children tested positive for the virus at all – 22% percent of obese children and 7% of children who were not obese.

So what does all of this mean?

At this point, it’s hard to say. There certainly isn’t enough evidence to say the virus causes obesity and the researchers don’t seem to be suggesting that either. However, there may be more to childhood obesity than just a lack of exercise and poor diet.

We all seem to be so quick to judge parents when it comes to obese children, but like most health problems, it is probably a more complicated issue.

On the flip side, this was a very small study that did not cover an accurate cross-sample of the population (67% of the children were hispanic, 27% white and 11% black) and only 15% of those (18 children) studied had ever had this virus. So drawing a conclusion that there is a link between the virus and obesity at all seems like a stretch. It’s almost like saying a majority of the obese children had brown hair so brown hair must be related to obesity – which of course is ridiculous.

In reality, it could even mean that children who are obese are more likely to get adenovirus 36. To me, this actually makes more sense, because people who are obese typically have weaker immune systems and get sick more often.

What do you think? Share your thoughts on this new study and read more about it from Catherine Holecko, About.com’s Guide to Family Fitness.