Health Tip: Before a Colonoscopy

A colonoscopy -- used to detect colon cancer and other potential problems -- involves use of a long, flexible tube with a camera that takes images of the colon. Before having a colonoscopy, you should follow certain do's and don'ts to ensure an accurate procedure. This list is provided by the U.S. National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse:

• Avoid all solid foods and any beverages with food coloring for one to three days before a colonoscopy.
• You may eat fat-free bouillon or broth soups, or gelatin.
• You may drink water, strained fruit juice, plain coffee, plain tea or diet soda (no food coloring).
• As certain medications may affect your results, tell your doctor if you are taking aspirin, arthritis medications, blood thinners, medications for diabetes, or any vitamins containing iron.

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Health Tip: Keep Bugs at Bay

Insect bites can itch, cause pain, and be quite uncomfortable. While they can't always be prevented, there are ways to reduce your chances of being bitten. Here are suggestions to help prevent insect bites, courtesy of the U.S. National Library of Medicine:

• Don't poke, pick up or otherwise provoke insects.
• Be cautious around nests and hives, and avoid sudden or rapid movement.
• Avoid heavy perfumes, and clothing that has a floral pattern.
• Wear protective clothing that covers the skin, and apply insect repellent when you're outside.
• Pay attention when eating outside, especially when drinking sugary beverages or sitting near garbage cans.
• People with known allergies to bites or stings should carry an emergency epinephrine kit.

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Health Tip: Treating Acne Scars

While there is no perfect treatment to eliminate all acne scars, there are remedies that can significantly reduce their appearance. The Nemours Foundations offers this list of potential options :

• Laser resurfacing, which removes the top layer of damaged skin.
• Dermabrasion, which wears down the skin, fostering a new, smoother layer of skin as it heals.
• Fractional laser therapy, which affects deeper layers of skin without damaging the top layer.
• A chemical peel.
• Injections or surgery.

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Health Tip: Why Are My Eyes Red?

Eye redness occurs when blood vessels on the surface of the eye become dilated. Here are some common causes of red eyes, courtesy of the U.S. National Library of Medicine:

• Straining the eyes.
• Persistent or severe coughing.
• An eye infection.
• A cold or allergy.
• Damage to the eye.
• Acute glaucoma.
• Scratches on the cornea, commonly caused by wearing contact lenses too long, or sand or dust in the eyes.
• Bleeding problems, often caused by taking blood-thinning drugs.

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Health Care : Antioxidant Supplements May Raise Women's Skin Cancer Risk

Taking antioxidant supplements won't protect against skin cancer and may actually boost the risk, at least in women, according to a new French study. "Taking into consideration our results, we are particularly concerned by the use of long-term supplementation, notably in sun-seekers and people wanting to look tanned [using beta-carotene]," said researcher Dr. Serge Hercberg, professor of nutrition at the Medical University of Paris.

The new findings come on the heels of a study, published in mid-August in the Archives of Internal Medicine, that found that antioxidants don't prevent heart disease risk in high-risk women. In the new French study, published in the September issue of The Journal of Nutrition, Hercberg's team looked at the effects of antioxidant doses on skin cancer. The research was conducted as part of a larger study that looked at the effects of antioxidants on cancer and ischemic heart disease.

Antioxidant nutrients are thought to reduce disease risk by cutting down on the unhealthy effects of "free radical" molecules that damage cells.

The researchers assigned almost 7,900 women and more than 5,100 men to take either an oral daily capsule of antioxidant or a placebo that looked the same. The antioxidants included 120 milligrams of vitamin C, 30 milligrams of vitamin E, 6 milligrams of beta-carotene, 100 milligrams of selenium and 20 milligrams of zinc.

"They are not high doses," Hercberg said. "They are at a level below a lot of pills you can find to buy over the counter."

The men and women were followed for about 7.5 years. In that time, 157 cases of any form of skin cancers were reported, including 25 melanomas, the most deadly form.

The team found that, in women, the incidence of all types of skin cancer combined was actually higher in the antioxidant group, and so was their incidence of melanoma.

But the incidence of non-melanoma skin cancers, when evaluated separately, did not differ between the antioxidant and placebo groups in men or women. In men, there was no difference in any form of skin cancer (including melanoma) between the two groups.

In the antioxidant group, 51 women developed skin cancer, while 30 in the placebo group did. Among the men, 43 in the placebo group and 33 in the antioxidant group got skin cancers.

As for melanoma, the incidence did not differ significantly between the men's treatment group -- 6 in the placebo group and 3 in the antioxidant group got it. But 3 women on placebo and 13 on antioxidants got melanoma -- a significant difference, the researchers said.

Antioxidant studies have yielded mixed results, Hercberg stressed. For example, in previous studies, researchers saw a higher risk of lung cancer in heavy smokers who regularly took high doses of beta-carotene.

Studies have suggested that antioxidant supplements might protect against prostate cancer incidence in men with low blood levels of prostate specific antigen (PSA), Hercberg said. But research has also suggested that the nutrients might increase prostate cancer risk in men with a high PSA. PSA levels are a marker for pre-existing prostate cancer risk.

That could also be happening in the women who got more skin cancers after taking antioxidants, he theorized. If their skin cancer had already been developing, taking an antioxidant might not help, Hercberg speculated.

While the study is interesting, further research is needed to confirm it, said Dr. Ariel Ostad, a spokesman for the Skin Cancer Foundation and a New York City dermatologist not involved in the study.

He said the study did have one serious limitation. "It does not take into account sunscreen use," he said. If the participants tended not to use sunscreen, that could have affected the results.

Meanwhile, Ostad added, taking care in the sun is important, and "sunscreens are by far the most powerful" weapon to prevent skin cancers.

source : news.yahoo.com

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Health Tip: Children Who Play Sports

Scholastic sports are a great way for children to get exercise and stay healthy. But young athletes also are at greater risk of injury to their growing bodies. Here are potential risks to keep in mind when your child is playing a sport, courtesy of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons:

• Growing bones, muscles, ligaments and tendons are more susceptible to injury than those of adults.
• Growth plates leave weak areas exposed that can cause long-term damage.
• Children in the same age group may vary greatly in size and ability, which can lead to injuries in contact sports.
• Competitive children may try to push themselves to play longer and harder than their bodies can physically handle.

source : news.yahoo.com

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Health Care : Obesity predicts prostate cancer recurrence

Obese men have an increased risk of prostate cancer recurrence and death after they have completed radiation therapy, according to results of a study published in the medical journal BJU International. Obesity is known to predict prostate cancer progression in men who undergo radical prostatectomy, or complete surgical removal of the prostate gland, Dr. David Palma and colleagues from the British Columbia Cancer Agency, Vancouver, Canada, pointed out.

The researchers therefore examined whether obesity is associated with outcome for patients who undergo external beam radiation therapy for prostate cancer. Of 706 patients treated with radiation from 1994 through 2000, 195 were normal weight, 358 were overweight, and 153 were obese. There were no significant differences among the three groups in Gleason score (aggressiveness of the tumor); prostate-specific antigen (PSA) score (a prostate tumor marker) before treatment began; or cancer stage (how far the cancer has spread).

Blood levels of the male hormone testosterone were lower in obese men than in overweight and normal-weight men.

There were a total of 292 treatment failures detected by laboratory tests. The average times to relapse for normal-weight, overweight, and obese men were 93 months, 88 months, and 84 months, respectively.

The average times to prostate cancer death were 11.1 years for normal and overweight men, and 10.6 years for obese men, a statistically significant difference. The results of further analysis revealed a trend toward decreased overall survival by weight group.

"A number of explanations have been postulated to account for more aggressive prostate cancer in obese men," Palma and colleagues note. "Possible mechanisms include dietary factors, and alterations in hormonal levels, such as estrogens, androgens, leptin, and IGF-1, although definitive mechanisms have not been elucidated."

source : news.yahoo.com

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Health Tips : Tea for tumors.

Research shows one kind of tea can be up to 100 times more potent at blocking growth of cancer cells than another. While all tea (green, oolong or black) contains antioxidant compounds called catechins that protect against cancer (especially of the lung, breast, colon, stomach and skin) by neutralizing free radicals, green tea contains about 7 times more catechins than black tea. Green tea also has unique catechins that block an enzyme involved in breast, prostate and colon cancers. Green tea is 10 to 100 times stronger than black tea in blocking the growth of cancer cells. Catechins also prevent heart disease and stroke, primarily by defending against the harmful effects of artery-clogging LDL cholesterol.

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Health Tip: Facts About Febrile Seizures

When a child has a seizure that's related to a fever, it's called a febrile seizure. Here are some facts for parents on febrile seizures, courtesy of the American Academy of Family Physicians:

• While febrile seizures can be very frightening to watch, they are rarely harmful to children.
• Febrile seizures do not cause brain damage, and will not cause your child to swallow his or her tongue.
• Febrile seizures -- even repeated ones -- do not mean your child has epilepsy.
• These seizures typically last only a few minutes (rarely more than 10) and will subside on their own. Contact your doctor if the seizure lasts longer than 10 minutes.
• If your child has had one febrile seizure, the chances of her having another one are between 25 percent and 30 percent. Most children do not have multiple febrile seizures.
• Your child should be checked by your family doctor after a seizure to be sure that a fever was the only cause.

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Health Tip: Talking to Your Doctor About How to Lose Weight

It may seem intimidating to approach your doctor for advice about how to lose weight. Here are some pointers to get you started, courtesy of the American Academy of Family Physicians:

• Ask your doctor for any available pamphlets or brochures about weight loss, diet and exercise.
• Have your doctor measure your body mass index and waist circumference, and talk about your results and what they mean to your health.
• Talk to your doctor about your exercise regimen and diet, and what changes you can make to help you to lose weight.
• Consider how much change and effort you are willing to make before you talk to your doctor.
• Ask if there are any specialists who can help you, such as dieticians, nutritionists or physical trainers.

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Health Tip: Who's at Greater Risk for Heat-Related Illness

Health Tip

Heat-related illness occurs when the body can't cool itself during extremely hot and humid conditions. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, certain people are at greater risk, including:

• Infants and young children up to 4 years of age.
• People aged 65 and older.
• People who are significantly overweight or obese.
• People who overexert themselves or don't drink enough fluids.
• People with high blood pressure, heart disease, and those who take certain medications for depression, insomnia or poor circulation.

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Health Tip: Symptoms of Bone Spurs

Bone spurs are bone growths that build up over time and tend to affect people as they age. While bone spurs are not painful, they can cause pain by impacting areas around them -- including surrounding nerves.Here are some common symptoms of bone spurs, courtesy of the Cedars-Sinai Health System:

• "Pins and needles" sensation in the hands or feet.
• Dull pain in the neck or lower back while standing or walking.
• Lack of coordination in a part of the body.
• Muscle weakness, spasms or cramps.
• Numbness.
• Pain that radiates through the thighs, buttocks or shoulders.
• Headaches.

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Health Tip: Living With Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder, also called manic-depressive illness, is characterized by extreme mood swings.

The American Academy of Family Physicians offers these suggestions to help you cope with bipolar disorder:

• Find out as much as you can about the disorder -- ask your doctor for good references and resources.
• Maintain a regular routine of sleeping and waking times, mealtimes and exercise.
• Continue to take your medications prescribed by your doctor.
• Avoid caffeine and alcohol, and don't take over-the-counter cold, allergy or cough medicines.
• Try to reduce stress.
• Monitor your moods, and tell your doctor when you start to notice significant changes.

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Few obese adults get treatment plan from docs

Few obese adults receive a formal weight-management plan from their doctors, despite the proven health benefits of even modest weight loss, a new study suggests. The researchers reviewed the medical records of 9827 patients seen at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, between November 2004 and October 2005. A total of 2543 of these patients were obese.

Principal investigator Dr. Warren G. Thompson, and his colleagues, found that only 505, or about one in five obese patients had their condition formally documented. However, patients who did have a formal diagnosis of obesity were 2.5 times more likely to be given a plan of treatment, such as diet changes and exercise goals.

Obese patients who were older or male were less likely to have their condition documented, whereas patients who were morbidly obese, had diabetes mellitus, or obstructive sleep apnea, were more likely to be formally diagnosed, according to the study published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings journal.


Better management of obesity could have a "huge public health impact," according to Thompson and his group. Even a modest weight loss, they point out, can help control a range of chronic health problems, such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol.

It's possible, Thompson told Reuters Health, that when doctors think about obesity as a medical problem that can be diagnosed, they are apt to discuss ways to manage the problem.

Not surprisingly, he noted, study patients who were severely obese were more likely to have a diagnosis and a treatment plan -- suggesting that doctors need to take a closer look at patients with less severe weight problems.

Thompson also suggests that people who are significantly overweight and have yet to get advice from their doctors should consider broaching the topic themselves.
source : news.yahoo.com

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Cell Therapeutics to buy cancer drug

Biotech firm Cell Therapeutics Inc. on Thursday will announce plans to pay Biogen Idec Inc. up to $30 million for a lymphoma cancer treatment. Seattle-based Cell Therapeutics will take over sales, marketing and development of Zevalin in the U.S., while Bayer Schering will continue to sell the drug outside the country. Zevalin posted sales of $15.4 million in the U.S. last year as a treatment for patients with relapsed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Cell Therapeutics management hopes to expand the drug's use to serve an initial treatment for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

"We see potential for substantial revenue growth for this product," Cell Therapeutics Chief Executive James Bianco said in a statement.

Upon terms of the agreement, Cell Therapeutics will pay Biogen $10 million in cash and up to $20 million in milestone payments when the product receives approval for an additional use. The company plans to hold a news conference Thursday morning to provide details.

Shares of Cell Therapeutics fell 12 cents, or 3.3 percent, to $3.47 on Wednesday.

source : news.yahoo.com

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Egypt to strengthen penalties against female circumcision

A law to strengthen penalties against female circumcision will be put to parliament when it reconvenes in autumn, a health ministry spokesman said on Sunday, after a teenage girl died during an illegal operation to mutilate her genitalia. Spokesman Abdel Rahmane Shahine told AFP that a group of doctors and parliamentarians are working on the text which will be presented to parliament when it meets again in November.

"The proposed law is aimed at strengthening penalties" for the practice, he said, without elaborating. Those currently in place, he added, are "not proportional to the seriousness of the crime." People found guilty of carrying out female circumcision currently risk up to three years in prison.

The health ministry will also allocate a further one million euros (1.365 million dollars) in the fight to stamp out the practice, Shahine added.

Newspapers on Saturday reported that Karima Rahim Massud, 13, died as the result of problems with the anasthaesia in the Nile Delta village of Gharbiya.

In June, following the death of 12-year-old Bedur Ahmed Shaker, Health Minister Hatem al-Gabali issued a decree banning every doctor and member of the medical profession from performing the procedure.

Female genital mutilation, also known as female circumcision, is a practice that dates back to pharaonic times in Egypt. It is common in a band that stretches from Senegal in West Africa to Somalia on the east coast, and from Egypt in the north to Tanzania in the south.

The practice, which affects both Muslim and Christian women in Egypt, was banned in 1997 but doctors were allowed to operate "in exceptional cases."

Female circumcision can cause death through haemorraging and later complications during childbirth. It also carries risks of infection, urinary tract problems and mental trauma.

Religious leaders, usually silent on taboos relating to female sexuality, have also started to speak out against the practice, which many Egyptians believe is a duty under Islam and Christianity.

After the death of Shaker, chief mufti Ali Gomaa declared female circumcision forbidden under Islam.

Mohammed Sayyed Tantawi, the sheikh of Al-Azhar university, the top Sunni Muslim authority, and Coptic Patriarch Chenouda III also declared it had "no foundation in the religious texts" of either Islam or Christianity.

source : news.yahoo.com

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Italian town to pay residents to shed flab

Overweight residents of an Italian town will be paid to lose weight, the mayor said on Monday. Men living in the northwestern Italian town of Varallo will receive 50 euros ($70) for losing 4 kg (9 pounds) in a month, Mayor Gianluca Buonanno said. Women will get the same amount for shedding 3 kg (7 pounds).

If they can keep the weight off for 5 months, they will get another 200 euros ($280), he told Reuters. "Lots of people are saying, 'I really need to lose some weight but it's really tough.' So I thought, why don't we go on a group diet?" said Buonanno, who said he was about 6 kg (13 pounds) overweight.

The town of 7,500 people started the campaign on Friday and some residents have already signed up, he said.

Around 35 percent of Italians are overweight or obese, according to European Union figures, with waistlines expanding as the country's healthy Mediterranean diet has given way to processed foods rich in fat, sugar and salt.

source : news.yahoo.com

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Health Care : Panel worried about baby bottle chemical

A chemical used in plastic baby bottles and other products may affect unborn babies and young children and more study on its safety is needed, a U.S. panel of experts said on Wednesday. The National Toxicology Program Center for the Evaluation of Risks to Human Reproduction convened an expert panel on the effects of bisphenol A, used in clear plastic polycarbonate bottles. Its report will be available later this year, the NTP said.

It said the panel of experts "expressed negligible concern that exposure to Bisphenol A in utero produces birth defects and malformations." But for pregnant women and fetuses, the committee expressed some concern that exposure to Bisphenol A in utero causes neural and behavioral effects. The NTP, part of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, said people can be exposed to the chemical by direct contact or via food or drink that has been in contact with a material containing bisphenol A.

Environmental groups have for years been complaining about the safety of plastic toys, baby bottles and other products containing bisphenol A and pother chemicals known as phthalates.

"(The Center) selected this chemical for evaluation because of (1) high production volume, (2) widespread human exposure, (3) evidence of reproductive toxicity in laboratory animal studies, and (4) public concern," the NTP said in a statement.

Polycarbonate plastics are used in food and drink packaging and resins are used to coat metal products such as food cans, bottle tops, and water supply pipes.

The Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association, which represents the leading manufacturers of baby bottles in the United States, said the panel's brief statement suggested the bottles are safe.

"The Panel's conclusions today reaffirm the safety of plastic baby bottles," said JPMA President Robert Waller.

"These findings validate the Food and Drug Administration's conclusions and the conclusions of governments and independent scientists worldwide that polycarbonate plastic baby bottles are safe."

source : news.yahoo.com

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Red Meat, Dairy Nutrient May Raise Colon Cancer Risk

New research suggests that a nutrient in red meat, poultry and dairy products may contribute to the development of intestinal polyps, which can lead to colon cancer. The study, which involved women only, was preliminary, and no one is yet suggesting a change in diet as a result. However, the research into the nutrient, called choline, could ultimately lead to new dietary recommendations, said Eunyoung Cho, an epidemiologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

"There may be some impact," Cho said. "But this is one study, and it's hard to make any conclusion based on this study." The role played by choline, a nutrient required by the body, has been unclear. Some researchers had thought it might provide protection against colon cancer, which kills an estimated 52,000 people in the United States each year, according to the American Cancer Society. The disease is the second biggest cancer killer in the United States after lung cancer.

In the new study, Cho and colleagues looked at nurses enrolled in a large study. They found more than 39,000 women who were free of colon cancer and then underwent at least one endoscopic examination between 1984 and 2002. Polyps -- benign growths that can lead to colon cancer -- were found in more than 2,400 of the women.

Women who ate the most choline in their food were 1.45 times more likely to have polyps, the team reported in the Aug. 7 online issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Having more polyps doesn't necessarily mean more cancer, and future research will explore whether those who ate the most choline actually developed tumors, Cho said. Studies also need to look into the impact of choline on men.

Why might choline contribute to polyps, and possibly colon cancer, in the first place? The nutrient is a major component of the membranes of cells, Cho said, "and the tumor cell may need choline."

Currently, health officials recommend that people prevent colon cancer by eating a lot of fiber along with fruits and vegetables. Red meat, meanwhile, is thought to increase risk.

That dietary advice isn't likely to change even if choline turns out to be a possible villain, said Regina Ziegler, a senior investigator with the National Cancer Institute, who co-wrote a commentary accompanying the new study. "What they're finding is consistent" with the recommendations, she said.

As for now, "people shouldn't run out and start either taking more choline or less choline," she said.

source : news.yahoo.com

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Check-ups, immunizations urged for pre-teens

By scheduling a well-child visit for their 11- or 12-year-old, parents can help protect their pre-teen's health into the turbulent teen years and beyond, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). At this visit, kids can be immunized or re-vaccinated against whooping cough, meningitis and other serious infectious diseases. It's also an opportunity for parent, child and doctor to discuss health concerns that become increasingly important in adolescence, such as growth, nutrition and obesity; peer pressure, substance use and sex; and more, Dr. Anne Schuchat, the director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, told Reuters Health.

Currently, just 9 percent of pediatrician visits by 11- to 12-year-olds are for preventive care, Schuchat notes; the rest are for illness and injury. This means many parents and their pre-teens are missing an opportunity to update immunizations and address key health issues.

With this in mind, the CDC and the AAP have launched their first-ever Preteen Vaccine campaign to increase awareness of three new vaccines now routinely recommended for 11- and 12-year olds. They include Tdap, a tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (whooping cough) booster, and MCV4, which helps prevent meningitis, both introduced in 2005; and the cervical cancer-preventing human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine for girls, which became available last year.

"Most parents know about vaccines for babies," Schuchat noted. "A lot of parents think that immunization ends at the beginning of elementary school, but that's just not true."

Immunity to some infectious diseases, such as whooping cough, begins to fade in the pre-teen years, she explained, making boosters particularly important. Moreover, in adolescence, kids become increasingly vulnerable to meningococcal meningitis, an infection of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord that can lead to permanent disability or even death. "It's a very tragic disease and now it can be prevented through the vaccine," Schuchat said.

While some parents may question giving girls a vaccine against a sexually transmitted virus at such a young age, this is actually the best time for them to be immunized against HPV, she added. Preteens have a stronger antibody response to the shot than young adults, Schuchat explained, and giving the vaccine -- which requires a series of three injections -- so early ensures that a girl is well protected years before sexual activity begins.

The cost of the shots shouldn't worry, Schuchat noted. Health insurers typically cover immunizations recommended by the CDC, and the CDC's Vaccinations for Children program will pay for immunizations for uninsured kids, she added, as long as a child's pediatrician is participating in the program, and most do.

Another key issue for pre-teens is obesity, Schuchat noted. At this age, boys and girls are growing so quickly that they, and their parents, may not know if they are overweight or obese, and checking in with their pediatrician will give them a chance to talk about nutrition and exercise.

Finally, the pre-teen well-child visit is generally the first time that a pediatrician will speak to the child privately, which can help build a relationship that makes it possible for the child to address sensitive issues with his or her doctor down the road.

source : news.yahoo.com

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