Complex spinal surgery jumps in U.S. elderly: study
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Older patients with lower back pain are increasingly getting more complex and costlier spinal fusion surgeries, resulting in higher rates of life-threatening complications and increasing costs for the healthcare system, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday.
A study of records from the federal Medicare program for the elderly and disabled between 2002 and 2007 revealed a 15-fold increase in the rate of complex surgeries to treat spinal stenosis - a common condition in the elderly in which the spinal canal narrows, causing pain in the back and legs.
And while the number of overall procedures to treat this problem dipped during the period, hospital charges for those surgeries rose by 40 percent on an inflation-adjusted basis, Dr. Richard Deyo of the Oregon Health and Science University in Portland and his colleagues reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Health Officials Desire to Battle over Obesity and Sodas
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The New York state’s health commissioner has been thinking about soft drinks and its effects on the general population. Dr. Richard F. Daines recently saw several billboards that spoke loud subliminal messages to anyone who glanced at those billboards. From the promotion of a large size of soda, a 44 oz., encouraging consumers to basically consume their soda in their vehicles, another billboard promoted any size soda for a dollar which encourages the average buyer to purchase the soda. A third billboard promoted that diabetes and obesity are one of the many reasons are getting C-sections instead of vaginal birth.
The last billboard was more direct that they suck fat and that is a smart liposuction. Dr. Richard F. Daines noted that the low prices bring on overconsumption and all in all we suffer the consequences from overconsumption and usage of bariatric surgeries and liposuction as a pill to get rid of obesity.
A soda tax has been looming within the state budget tax office however several groups are opposed to the imposition of such a tax. It is confusing the consumers overall that ending their love for soda and stop drinking it will end obesity when this is not true.
Kids differ from adults in travel-related ills
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Children who travel the globe are susceptible to a number of infections and injuries, but they appear less likely than adults to have a pre-travel doctor visit, a new study finds.
In a study of more than 34,000 international travelers who sought medical care for travel-related ills, researchers found that children most often suffered bouts of diarrhea, skin injuries—most commonly animal bites or parasite-induced rashes—fevers and respiratory infections.
A number of those problems were more common among children compared with adult travelers, and children were also more likely than adults to be hospitalized for their conditions.
China says faulty vaccines not cause of children’s deaths
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China’s Health Ministry said on Tuesday faulty vaccines were not to blame for the deaths of four children in northern Shanxi province, after a domestic newspaper pointed the finger of blame at substandard vaccinations.
China has been beset by a series of product safety scandals over the past few years. At least six children died in 2008 after drinking milk contaminated by the industrial chemical melamine.
In 2003 and 2005, three Chinese children suffered severe brain damage after being vaccinated against Japanese encephalitis. Their parents blamed a substandard vaccine, something the government denied.
US health reforms to be clear, transparent: Sebelius
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U.S. health officials aim to move swiftly and clearly to implement newly enacted healthcare reforms, the nation’s health secretary said in remarks on Tuesday aimed at selling Americans on the benefits of the controversial changes.
“For years, Americans have struggled with a health insurance system that was opaque, unnecessarily confusing, and often overwhelming to navigate,” Kathleen Sebelius said in excerpts of a speech prepared for the National Press Club.
“Our goal as we implement this law is to be the opposite of that - to be as clear and transparent as possible.”
Middle-Aged Americans Report More Mobility-Related Disabilities
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The proportion of older middle-aged Americans who report disabilities related to mobility increased significantly from 1997 to 2007, in contrast to the disability decline that has been found among Americans ages 65 and over, according to a new study by the RAND Corporation and the University of Michigan.
Researchers found a rise in the proportion of Americans aged 50 to 64 who reported mobility-related difficulties or the need for help in daily personal care activities such as getting out of bed, according findings published in the April 6 edition of the journal Health Affairs.
The reason for the increase is not clear, although many of those reporting disabilities say they are due to health problems that began in their 30s and 40s.
Healthy, and Safe, School Lunches
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It is probably too much to hope that the more than 30 million school lunches served every day will taste absolutely fabulous. But Congress should at least make certain that whatever lands on those cafeteria trays is nutritious and safe to eat. Every day it delays doing so is another mealtime when millions of students are cheated of programs that could help relieve hunger and reduce obesity.
A reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act is now before the Senate. The bill’s main sponsors, Blanche Lincoln, an Arkansas Democrat, and Saxby Chambliss, a Georgia Republican, have written useful revisions and improvements. The measure deserves prompt approval. It is also time for the House to produce its own version. If Congress can act by late spring, next year’s school cafeteria crowd can be more confident that the food is healthier and safer to eat.
The Senate bill reauthorizes several antihunger programs for children, but its biggest impact would be felt in schools that offer free or cut-rate meals. The bill would give the Agriculture Department new powers to set nutritional standards for any food sold on school grounds, particularly junk foods that contribute to obesity. It would expand the use of local farm products, organic food and school gardens, and require the government to notify schools more quickly about tainted foods. It also provides the first real increase in funding in 40 years.
Web Site Explains How Stem Cells Fuel Cancer
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A new field of cancer research could explain why some cancers that appear to have been cured can rear their ugly head or spread to other organs.
The answer, believe researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, lies with a small number of cells within a tumor, called cancer stem cells, that are responsible for fueling the tumor’s growth.
A U-M Web site explains what cancer stem cells are and why they are the key to finding a cure. The site is at http://www.mcancer.org/stemcells.
In Battle Against Lung Cancer, Investigators Eye Oncolytic Virus Therapy
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A virus that destroys cancer cells but leaves normal cells unharmed may offer hope to those affected by squamous cell carcinoma of the lungs (SCC lung cancer), according to investigators from the Cancer Therapy & Research Center (CTRC) at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. The CTRC has started patient enrollment in a US Phase 2 clinical trial using intravenous administration of REOLYSIN® in combination with carboplatin and paclitaxel in patients with SCC lung cancer.
REOLYSIN is an experimental treatment derived from a common virus called the reovirus. REOLYSIN directly kills many types of cancer cells and works synergistically with many approved chemotherapies and radiation.
When the reovirus enters a cancer cell, it produces thousands of copies of itself, causing the cell to burst. But the reovirus can replicate only in cancer cells with mutations along a signaling pathway in the cell called the Ras pathway, while leaving normal cells unharmed. Approximately two-thirds of all human cancers express this particular mutation and are therefore a potential target for REOLYSIN treatment.
Breastfeeding lowers diabetes risk
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Middle-aged and older women who breastfeed their children have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those who bottle-feed their babies.
Past studies have linked breastfeeding with a lower risk of developing diabetes. To examine the effect of childbearing and breastfeeding on the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, researchers studied 52,731 Australian women, aged between 45 years and older. The women in the study were divided into 3 groups – women who had children and never breastfed; women who never had children previously; and women who had children and breastfed.
Of the 5,700 women who never had children earlier, 274 (5 percent) were diagnosed with diabetes. Diabetes was also reported by 5 percent of the 25,000-plus women who had breastfed their children for more than three months.
Vitamin K lowers cancer risk
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People with higher dietary intake of vitamin K are less likely to develop or die of cancer, particularly lung or prostate cancers.
Vitamin K exists in two natural forms: vitamin K1, or phylloquinone, found largely in green leafy vegetables, as well as some vegetable oils, such as canola and soybean oils; and vitamin K2, or menaquinone, for which meat and cheese are the primary dietary sources.
To evaluate the association between dietary intake of vitamin K1 and vitamin K2, researchers analysed data on 24,340 cancer-free German adults, aged between 35 and 64 years. The researchers estimated the participants’ usual vitamin K intake based on a detailed dietary questionnaire. Over the next decade, 1,755 participants were diagnosed with colon, breast, prostate or lung cancers, of whom 458 died during the study period.
For kids, small soda taxes don’t make a big difference
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Small scale increases in the cost of soda likely have little impact on childhood obesity, according to a study published in the journal Health Affairs. Soda taxes have been proposed as a means for fighting obesity by several prominent health researchers, and some public health officials have sparked controversy by advocating for steep taxes on soft drinks to deter consumption.
Yet, while previous research has shown that increased cost of soda leads to decreased consumption - a 10% price increase corresponds with an 8% reduction - there has been little analysis of how increased cost actually influences weight, and no analysis of this impact on children, they argue. To remedy that, the team of researchers from the RAND Corporation, the University of Illinois at Chicago and the Institute for Health Research and Policy used current data on state soda taxes and children’s weight to assess the influence of soda tariffs both on consumption and childhood obesity.
Using data from a national study of elementary school-aged children collected in spring 2004, researchers analyzed body mass index (BMI), total weekly consumption of sugary drinks, and consumption during school hours for more than 7,000 children. They then analyzed state soda taxes (taxes specific to carbonated, sweetened beverages), from the same time period.
Ronald McDonald targeted for contributing to childhood obesity
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Just as lawmakers in Santa Clara County, Calif., are considering banning toys in kids’ quick-serve meals, a consumer watchdog organization is calling for McDonald’s to retire Ronald McDonald as its kids-marketing-oriented mascot. Corporate Accountability International has released a new report and national poll that finds that even though most Americans have a a positive impression of the iconic mascot, close to half think it’s time the company stop using him to target children.
The findings come amid growing concern over the QSR industry’s primary role in rise of childhood obesity and diet-related disease. The report, “Clowning With Kids’ Health,” analyzes how Ronald McDonald and other children’s marketing are at the heart of current trends.
The new poll was conducted by Lake Research Partners for Corporate Accountability International. Its findings include:
Obesity: Doctors slow to address the problem
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Surprising findings about doctors’ attitudes toward obesity were just released by the Strategies to Overcome and Prevent (STOP) Alliance for Obesity. A survey of primary care doctors revealed that:
* Almost 90 percent of doctors feel it’s their responsibility to help patients lose weight.
* Yet 72 percent said that no one in their practice has been trained to deal with obesity and weight-related issues.
A separate survey of patients, including many who were obese (defined as body mass index of 30 or more), found that:
Michael Jackson’s father plans suit against doctor
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A lawyer for Michael Jackson’s father said Tuesday he intends to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the late pop star’s doctor within 90 days, claiming the physician’s actions amounted to murder.
Brian Oxman, who represents Joe Jackson, said the amount of the powerful anesthetic propofol given to the “Thriller” singer by Dr Conrad Murray before Jackson’s death on June 25, 2009 “was reckless, and it amounts to second-degree murder.”
“The continuous administration of drugs over six weeks - he (Murray) gave him propofol every night - that is Russian roulette, that is loading six bullets into a gun with only six chambers,” Oxman told Reuters.
