Monthly Archive for May, 2009

Sun safety facts

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Jana
on May 12, 2009
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Summer is right around the corner and most of us will be exposed to the sun more, but some of us still have some looming questions in the back of our minds. It’s a good time to get up to date information on being wise in the sun.

First of all, a lot of people use tanning beds to get that glow or the beginning of the season base tan, but is it safer than the sun? Sorry tanning bed lovers; the answer is no. Just like the sun, tanning beds expose you to ultraviolet radiation, and this will damage your skin by raising the risk of skin cancer and early skin aging. Even worse, most tanning beds release mostly UVA rays. These rays heighten the risk for melanoma, which is the most life-threatening form of skin cancer according to the Mayo Clinic. Still craving that golden glow? Try using one of the many varieties of sunless tanners or sprays that are widely available and usually not too expensive. Make sure you read the directions carefully to avoid those unsightly streaks or orangey hands.

Another common question for which I have often wondered about is whether sunscreen expires. I was relieved to find out that the sunscreen I bought last year that is still three-fourths full is still good. In fact, sunscreens are designed to stay at their original strength for up to 3 whole years.

Almost everyone should know that when you are out in the sun you should wear sunglasses to protect your eyes. So what type of sunglasses provide the most protection? Well, the American National Standards Institute says that you should make sure that you choose sunglasses that block at least 99 percent of UVB rays and at least 95 percent of UVA rays. Forget purchasing any sunglasses that say “cosmetic” or don’t say anything about UV protection.

When it comes to SPF, or sun protection factor, how high the SPF to use still remains a controversial debate. What is known is that SPF is based on how long your skin can remain in the sun without burning as compared with skin that is completely unprotected. Someone wearing SPF 15 sunscreen would get 75 minutes of protection on the beach if their skin tends to get red after five minutes without protection. This same person will get 150 minutes of protection if they wear SPF 30, which blocks 97 percent of the sun’s burning rays, as compared to 93 percent blocked with SPF 15 sunscreens. Also, don’t forget to apply sunscreen to your scalp or wear a hat.

Even though a higher SPF sunscreen should let you stay out in the sun longer without the burn, it is still not known if using higher SPF sunscreens can block more than 97 percent of the sun’s burning rays. Also, important to mention is that no sunscreen that you can see through can block 100 percent of the sun’s rays from reaching your skin. The recommendation from the American Academy of Dermatology is to use at least 15 SPF and reapply it every 2 hours, and especially after swimming or exercising. Getting a skin cancer screening once a year is also strongly suggested.

Since the present sunscreen regulation is not completely accurate, the FDA is predicted to come up with new rules, especially when it comes to UVA claims. There is a very helpful evaluation of different sunscreen products, which includes plenty of safety information, from the Environmental Working Group at www.cosmeticsdatabase.com. Once there, more skin care links are shown that you can click on.

Has food supply become safer or riskier?

Published
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Jana
on May 11, 2009
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Is it getting more and more dangerous just to eat? Well, public health experts just can’t provide us with a precise answer. This is mainly because records on food-borne illnesses of the past are not very accurate. Most people think that the food supply in the U.S. is substantially safer than it was a century ago, maybe even safer than 10 years ago.

Although less people are getting ill, the recent food-related illnesses and product recalls have health experts and safety advocates worried. As there are more recalls and known outbreaks due to more innovative methods for tracking illness at its source, other things that have happened have unearthed new problems that are evolving in the food supply.

Modern products such as bagged salads demand more handling, which increases the risk for contamination. Foods like spinach and peanuts, which used to be thought of as safe, are now considered risky. Also, more food is expected from abroad, which is troubling to many.

In 1996, the CDC started its improved tracking. Since then, cases of food-borne illnesses have been notably diminished, but contamination scares keep coming to the surface.

The complexity of the food supply suggests the need for firmer government maintenance, including more field inspectors, according to public health experts.

Because of the modern day problems with the nation’s food supply, some people have decided to totally drop out of the contemporary food system. Unfortunately, doing this can cause them to be more vulnerable to diseases that were extinguished from the food supply long ago. For example, a woman from California decided to try raw milk, thinking the unpasteurized milk would provide beneficial organisms. She contracted some campylobacter, which is normally destroyed through pasteurization. This caused her to contract a crippling nerve disease. She currently can not use her hands or stand.  A college student in Washington got severely sick after eating a school cafeteria salad, and a a man from Ohio was temporarily paralyzed after eating chili dogs and drinking beer. The lesson learned here is to try to always be careful.

U.S. and Costa Rica report new swine flu deaths

Published
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Jana
on May 11, 2009
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The amount of swine flu-related deaths, other than Mexico, increased to 5 as the U.S. reported its third death, while Costa Rica had its first. Both of these deaths happened to men who had underlying medical conditions.

In Mexico, the core of the outbreak and where 48 out of a global 53 have died, most victims have been adults ranging from age 20 to 49, with many having no reported complicating elements.

In Mexico, there has been a slow lifting in the closing of schools, businesses, churches and stadiums. A recent surge in suspected but not confirmed cases has caused authorities in as much as 6 of the 31 U.S. states to stall plans to allow primary school students to return to class on Monday after a two-week break.

According to WHO and CDC, there are more than 4,500 confirmed cases within 29 countries, 1,626 of which are in Mexico. There has been a worldwide total of 53 deaths – 48 in Mexico; 3 in the U.S.; 1 in Canada and 1 in Costa Rica. Japan reported its first 4 cases and Australia reported its first confirmed case on May 9.

Health care industry promises Obama that they will cut price increases

Published
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Jana
on May 11, 2009
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On Sunday, May 10, White House officials said chief groups in the health care industry have proposed to cut $2 trillion in savings from predicted cost surges during the next ten years. This pledge arises out of the debate on how, or if the nation’s health care system should be renovated.

By using new regulations, the industry groups want to shave the rise in health care costs by 1.5 % a year. This would greatly affect the national economy and the federal budget, which are both substantially affected by health care expenses.

On Monday, May 11, representatives from 6 health industry trade groups will make an offer at a White House meeting with President Obama.

Projections from the White House indicate that after 5 years, the savings could mean about $2,500 annually in lower health care bills for a family of four. Supposedly, during this 10 years, the savings would possibly put an end to the national budget deficit.

Even though these are such healthy forecasts, many components of the plan are quite vague. The groups have not indicated in detail the strategies they intend to perform to get to their goal; they presented a nonspecific letter to Obama, which wasn’t an actual contract.

There is no sure way to make sure that the groups will make good on their promises, and keeping track of the savings will be complicated, according to White House officials. This said, White House officials were positive about the proposal from officials in the industry, who have tried to stop health care reform in the past.

The American Medical Association, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, America’s Health Insurance Plans and the Service Employees International Union, are among the trade groups that are making the proposal. This offer is their most recent tactic to insure a seat at the bargaining table. Meanwhile, Democrats contemplate regulations that could keep costs in check and provide coverage to millions of uninsured Americans.

In 1993, a comparable reform plan by President Bill Clinton was opposed by drug-makers, insurers, hospitals and the American Medical Association. Since then, dramatic health care costs have stifled pay raises for most workers and weakened profits for many businesses.

Get kids to bed earlier, to ward off obesity

Published
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Jana
on May 10, 2009
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Everyone knows that diet and exercise are very effective ways to keep childhood obesity at bay. The latest research indicates that getting kids to go to bed earlier can help too. A study done by the University of Montreal showed that more than 25% of children who slept less than 10 hours a night were overweight by age 6, as compared to 15% who got 10 hours of sleep and only 10% who slept 11 hours. The difference may be from an increase in the production of a hormone that triggers appetite and a decrease in the hormone that decreases food intake – both resulting from loss of sleep. The good news for adults is that similar results were found in them as well.

Also, researchers in a Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center study found that kids who are overweight are possibly at an increased risk for chronic headaches. It was found that as kids lost weight, they came down with fewer headaches.

So what does a parent need to do? Well, first of all, urge your kids to get active by riding their bikes or getting involved in sports. As long as they are kept busy and active during the day, they’ll definitely be more ready to hit the sack at bedtime. Once they are in the habit of going to bed at a certain hour, they will be more tired and ready to go to bed at that time because their internal clock has changed.

Pandemic could infect about 2 billion

Published
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Jana
on May 10, 2009
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The World Health Organization recently warned that up to 2 billion could become infected with the swine flu if the recent outbreak becomes a pandemic and it could last as long as two years.

The WHO flu leader, Keiji Fukuda, said that when we look at the history of flu pandemics, it shows that approximately one-third, or 2 billion, of the world’s population will get infected. This said, he indicated that since the world has changed, looking at pandemics of earlier years is not an accurate predictor.

The professor of virology at St. Bart’s and Royal London Hospital, John Oxford, said people should not be scared, because this doesn’t mean 2 billion will die. WHO predicts that around 2 billion may contract it, but half won’t even show any symptoms, or if they do, they will be hardly noticeable.

Fukuda said that right now no one knows whether the recent strain will be severe or mild, but even with a mild flu, there will still be plenty of people who might develop pneumonia, need respirators, or die. One’s general health and other factors such as poor diet, war, HIV infections will cause people to be more vulnerable to the swine flu. 

The swine flu virus has spread to 26 countries so far, Brazil and Argentina being the two most recent. WHO has raised its worldwide total of cases confirmed through labs to 2,099, from 1,893  on May 6.

Diabetics and health conscious now have a delicious new alternative for water

Published
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Jana
on May 6, 2009
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Eliminating extra sugar from one’s daily diet will help fight diabetes. It also helps decrease insulin levels if one is dealing with the disease. 

Soda, juices and most flavored waters are full of unwanted sugar, carbohydrates and calories. Water is usually recommended as the healthiest drink choice, but people often become tired and bored from the lack of taste.

One option is a drink that is thirst-quenching and healthy with no artificial sweeteners or preservatives. It has absolutely no sugar or calories either. It’s called hint and is made in San Francisco, California. It is just as healthy as drinking regular water, but it has some added natural flavor with a refreshing taste.

For more information or to purchase hint, go to (www.drinkhint.com).,

First N.C. swine flu case reported

Published
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Jana
on May 4, 2009
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The first confirmed case of the H1N1 swine flu in N.C. is an Onslow County resident who recently traveled to San Antonio, Texas. An N.C. health director said that he suspects that the lab results will reveal that this person’s spouse also has the virus. The couple has been in isolation and according to them, no one has become ill that has come in contact with them. 

According to Governor Bev Perdue, lab results from the Centers for Disease Control validated the swine flu case. This makes N.C. one of about 34 states with confirmed cases.

N.C. health officials have received 413 samples of suspected flu cases. Among those, 320 were negative and six are probable, including the spouse of the Onslow resident. The other cases were a visitor from Wake Count and four people in Craven County. There are 65 samples that are still waiting to be tested.

North Carolina has received 10 trucks containing treatment supplies from a national stockpile given out to local officials.

In the meantime, Gov. Perdue talked about steps that residents can do to prevent diseases from spreading. They include washing hands throughly, “more than you want to, more than you have before,” covering their mouths and noses when sneezing or coughing and staying home from school or work when they are sick. They can also go to the ‘What’s New’ section of bcbsnc.com for more information.

For longer life, limit red meat

Published
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Jana
on May 4, 2009
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The National Institutes of Health reveal findings that indicate eating red meat may lead to an earlier death. 

In the study, more than a half million older adults were followed for more than 10 years. Even when other health factors were considered, such as tobacco use and exercise level, people who ate more red meat, such as beef, pork or lamb, were more likely to die earlier, most likely from heart disease and cancer. It was found that the more meat they ate, the more likely they were to die during the course of this study.

Critics from the meat industry swiftly dismissed the study, saying that it relied on self-reported accounts of people’s eating habits, which are often not completely accurate. They also claimed that meat is high in protein, iron and other nutrients of value for health.

This being true, the size and quality of this study and the fact that the results are in sync with research that already exists, is very compelling. 

The value of the nutrients found in meat may be insignificant. In actuality, some nutrition scientists claim that the elements of the protein and iron that red meat contain may be damaging to health. For example, the easily absorbed form of iron that is found in meat is a powerful oxidant that can cause variations in cholesterol that make it more prone to clog arteries. Also, meat in the diet seems to dismiss the health-supporting foods like fiber-rich fruits and vegetables, beans and whole grains.

So is it OK to eat red meat every now and then, and if so, how much is too much? No one knows for sure. It depends on too many factors like lifestyle, what they eat and their genetic profile. The main thing to remember is that less is better.

Plavix with aspirin may help prevent strokes and heart attacks

Published
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Jana
on May 4, 2009
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Aspirin, along with the blood thinner Plavix, helped people with a common heartbeat abnormality from getting a stroke and heart attack. Doctors claim that having this abnormality raises their risk for these problems.

This specific treatment is for a rhythm disorder, called atrial fibrillation, that 2.2 million Americans suffer from. It happens when the upper parts of the heart flutter instead of beating normally. This causes blood to pool and form clots that can make their way to the brain, resulting in a stroke.

The blood thinner warfarin, sold as Coumadin and in generic form, is the normal treatment for this condition. Unfortunately, zeroing in on the right dose tends to be tricky – too little and a stroke could result and too much could cause life-threatening bleeding. Patients using the drug have to go to the doctor often for blood tests to monitor their dosage.

Because of these complications, almost half of patients take aspirin instead of warfarin, even though aspirin is way less effective at preventing strokes. 

Dr. Stuart Connolly of McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, was in charge of a study that tested whether adding clopidogrel, sold as Plavix by French-based Sanofi-Aventis SA, could be effective. There were 7,554 U.S. patients and 32 other countries who either were not able to or chose not to take the drug warfarin; also half were given Plavix.

At the end of four years of observance, the dual drug treatment lowered the number of these combined conditions – heart attacks, heart-related deaths, strokes and blood clots – by 11 percent. There were 924 of these problems in patients who took only aspirin versus only 832 patients who also took Plavix. Despite that, the combination treatment did raise the risk for serious bleeding – 251 cases against 162 who took only aspirin.

Dr. Connolly said that patients on the combination still fared better. In three years, for every 1,000 patients treated, the combination prevented 28 strokes and six heart attacks and resulted in 20 bleeding cases.

Results were given March 31 at an American College of Cardiology conference and published online by the New England Journal of Medicine.

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