INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1032','6','	<p><p>FRIDAY, July 7 (HealthDay News) -- New research into embryonic stem cells suggests great potential for medical advances but also confirms that big breakthroughs aren\'t waiting just around the corner.</p> <p>Scientists at the University of California, Los Angeles, reported this week that they coaxed stem cells into becoming T-cells, a crucial part of the immune system. If T-cells could be manufactured, doctors would have a powerful new weapon against AIDS and other diseases at their disposal, the investigators said.</p> <p>But the research &quot;is not ready for prime time,&quot; cautioned study co-author Dr. Jerome Zack, a UCLA professor of medicine, microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics. It will take several years just to prepare for testing in humans, and even that process will take a while, he said.</p> <p>Still, &quot;the potential is huge,&quot; Zack said. &quot;We have to see if it lives up to that potential.&quot;</p> <p>At the center of the research are embryonic stem cells, which have been hugely controversial in recent years. Stem cells have the ability to transform themselves into a variety of cells, a fact that thrills scientists who think their manipulation could restore or boost ailing parts of the body.</p> <p>In the new research, Zack and colleagues tested what happened when blood-forming stem cells were injected into a human thymus that had been implanted into a mouse.</p> <p>The findings of the federally funded study were released in this week\'s issue of the <i>Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</i>.</p> <p>The thymus, part of the human immune system, converted the stem cells into T-cells.</p> <p>In another positive sign, the research suggests that scientists can piggyback a gene onto stem cells, delivering it to a diseased organ.</p> <p>That ability would allow a treatment to not only create new immune cells but also target a diseased part of the body with gene therapy, Zack explained.</p> <p>Potentially, the stem-cell therapy could fight any disease that robs the immune system of its ability to function properly.</p> <p>There are hurdles to overcome. For one, the body may reject the stem cells. Also, government restrictions on stem cell research may pose problems because of the limitations of existing stem cell lines, Zack said.</p> <p>Still, it\'s possible that the research could lead to ways to use adult stem cells to create T-cells, said Paul Sanberg, director of the Center of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair at the University of South Florida.</p> <p>&quot;The caveat in all of these types of studies is that it is still an early laboratory study, and does not mean that this is a treatment,&quot; he said. The public should &quot;realize that such treatments may be years away.&quot;</p> <p><b>More information</b> </p> <p>Learn more about stem cells from the <a href=\"http://stemcells.nih.gov/\" target=\"_new\">National Institutes of Health </a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1033','6','	<p><p>THURSDAY, Aug. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Ten years after it was introduced, highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) remains very effective at lowering the risk of AIDS and death in people with HIV, a study in this week\'s issue of <i>The Lancet</i> finds.</p> <p>However, an increase in tuberculosis (TB) among these patients may be cause for concern, the study said.</p> <p>HAART, which uses a combination of several antiretroviral drugs, is designed to slow or prevent HIV infection from progressing to AIDS.</p> <p>British researchers analyzed data from more than 22,000 HIV-positive patients in Europe and North America who started HAART for the first time between 1995 and 2003. While patients\' control of HIV improved during those years, their risk of death in the first year after starting HAART remained about the same.</p> <p>The study found evidence that the risk of AIDS in patients starting the therapy has increased since 1998. This may be largely attributable to an increase in TB, the researchers said.</p> <p>&quot;The discrepancy between the clear improvement we recorded for the action of the drugs in keeping the HIV virus in check and the apparently worsening rates of clinical progression might be related to the change in demographic characteristics of the study participants, with an increasing number of patients from areas with a high incidence of tuberculosis,&quot; the study authors said in a prepared statement.</p> <p>The study also found that many patients started HAART at a more advanced stage of HIV disease than is recommended by treatment guidelines.</p> <p>&quot;Early diagnosis and treatment of those with HIV-infection is needed to prevent progression to AIDS. An expansion of voluntary and cost-effective screening in health-care settings is likely to result in improved patient care and prognosis,&quot; the authors noted.</p> <p>Another study in the same issue of <i>The Lancet</i> concluded that halting HAART in HIV-positive patients from time to time could reduce treatment side effects and save money.</p> <p>HAART is expensive and can cause serious side effects, such as liver damage. But stopping the treatment may increase the risk of disease progression and may also allow the virus to become resistant to HAART, according to background information in the article.</p> <p>The 22-month study included 430 HIV patients who were divided into two groups. One group had their treatment temporarily halted at different times, while the other group received continuous HAART. Levels of resistance and control of the HIV virus remained similar between the two groups.</p> <p>Certain side effects, such as nausea and diarrhea, were less frequent among patients whose HAART was interrupted, but they experienced more minor HIV-related issues, such as oral thrush, the study said.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>The American Academy of Family Physicians has more about <a href=\"http://familydoctor.org/123.xml\" target=\"_new\">medicines for HIV</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1034','6','	<p><p>THURSDAY, Sept. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Research done on mice specially bred to develop lupus has uncovered an area of the spleen that may give rise to the disease. </p> <p>The area is called the marginal zone of the spleen and it appears that this is where B cells from the immune system go awry and turn into cells that attack the body\'s own tissues and organs, researchers say. </p> <p>&quot;This current work gives rise to new possibilities for targeted therapies that are perhaps much milder and more effective than current therapies,&quot; said the study\'s lead author, Thomas Enzler, a visiting scholar, internist and immunologist at the University of California, San Diego. However, he was quick to add that it would be a long time before any such potential therapy could be available for humans. </p> <p>Results of the study were published Thursday in the online edition of the journal <i>Immunity</i>.</p> <p>Lupus is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the body\'s tissues and organs. The disease can affect the joints, kidneys, lungs, brain, blood or skin. As many as 1.5 million Americans have lupus, and the disease is far more common in women than in men, according to the Lupus Foundation of America (LFA).</p> <p>Previously, researchers had developed a mouse version of lupus. These mice are bred to overproduce an immune system hormone (cytokine) known as B-cell activating factor (BAFF). In humans with lupus, the BAFF cytokine is often present in much higher-than-normal levels. B cells produce antibodies. Normally, antibodies are produced to protect against viruses and bacteria. In the case of someone with lupus, however, the B cells produce autoreactive antibodies. This means the antibodies attack normal, rather than diseased, tissue. </p> <p>When the mice overproduce BAFF, they develop lupus, though the mouse version isn\'t exactly the same as the human version. </p> <p>The UCSD researchers transplanted some of the cells from the spleens of the marginal zone of the lupus mice into mice that didn\'t have their own B cells. Lupus-like antibodies began to develop in these mice immediately.</p> <p>The researchers also removed the spleens of some of the lupus mice when they were in the early stages of developing the disease, or the scientists interrupted the production of the B cells. When they did this, lupus was diminished or prevented. </p> <p>&quot;It seems to be that the marginal zone is really important for developing autoimmune disease in transgenic mice,&quot; Enzler explained.</p> <p>Dr. Joan Merrill, medical director of the Lupus Foundation of America and head of the clinical pharmacology research program at Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, said, &quot;This is an exciting scientific paper.&quot;</p> <p>But, Merrill said, people with lupus shouldn\'t rush to their doctors to remove their spleens. &quot;If a lupus patient has a splenectomy, the disease doesn\'t go away,&quot; she said, explaining that sometimes lupus patients have to have their spleens removed due to complications of the disease, and it doesn\'t cure lupus. </p> <p>She also pointed out that this study was done in mice and the human immune system doesn\'t work in exactly the same way as the mouse immune system does. </p> <p>Still, Merrill added that with this study and other research, &quot;We\'re beginning to unravel some of the mysteries surrounding lupus, and I\'m cautiously optimistic about the future. We\'re trying to find better targets and develop better and safer medicines.&quot; </p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>To learn more about lupus, visit the <a href=\"http://www.lupus.org/education/factsheet.html\" target=\"_new\">Lupus Foundation of America</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1035','6','	<p><p>THURSDAY, Sept. 14 (HealthDay News) -- For the first time in the last 10 years, rates of recommended vaccinations were similar for American children of all races and ethnicities, according to a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).</p> <p>In fact, U.S. immunization programs have grown into a real success story, experts say.</p> <p>&quot;We have immunization rates that are at or near record highs,&quot; Dr. Anne Schuchat, the director of the CDC\'s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases said at a press conference Thursday. &quot;We have closed, or are very close to closing, the gap in coverage between racial and ethnic groups. That\'s something we\'ve been working on for many years,&quot; she said.</p> <p>The <i>National Immunization Survey</i> is published in the Sept. 14 issue of the CDC\'s <i>Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report</i>. It finds that over 76 percent of all children have already received all six vaccines recommended and tracked by the CDC. The report surveyed over 17,000 children age 19 to 35 months, Schuchat said.</p> <p>The vaccines include those for whooping cough, diphtheria, tetanus, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox, hepatitis B and Haemophilus influenza type B.</p> <p>&quot;The really exciting news is that we are closing the gap between blacks and other groups in the six vaccine series,&quot; Schuchat added.</p> <p>For racial and ethnic groups the specific rates for those receiving all six vaccines are: 79.5 percent of children of multiple race, 77.1 percent of Asian; 76.3 percent of black kids; 76 percent of whites, and 75.6 percent of Hispanic children. &quot;There was no statistically significant difference between any of those groups,&quot; Schuchat said.</p> <p>Past reports that tracked rates for five vaccines found a 10 percent disparity between blacks and whites in 2002 and a 3 percent disparity in 2005. Among Hispanics, the disparity was 7.5 percent in 2000 and 3 percent in 2005.</p> <p>There is still a wide variation between states in vaccine coverage, Schuchat noted.</p> <p>&quot;The state with the highest immunization coverage was Massachusetts. Their six vaccine coverage was 90.7 percent. The state with the lowest immunization coverage was Vermont. Their coverage was 62.9 percent,&quot; she said. Schuchat said the reason for these state-by-state disparities remains unclear.</p> <p>The CDC is now hoping to achieve at least 80 percent coverage for all six vaccines throughout the United States by 2010, she said.</p> <p>In addition, the CDC\'s <i>National Immunization Survey</i> found that in 2005 more than 50 percent of children were fully vaccinated with pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV), and more than 80 percent received at least three of the four required doses.</p> <p>Vaccination with all four doses of PCV is likely to stay low because of earlier vaccine shortages.</p> <p>One expert is pleased by the increasing vaccine coverage but also concerned about disparities between states and cities.</p> <p>&quot;We think it\'s fantastic that the rates are at high levels,&quot; said Amy Pisani, the executive director of Every Child By Two, which promotes childhood vaccinations. &quot;But we are very concerned about the differences between states and the differences in urban areas,&quot; she said.</p> <p>For example, immunization rates in Las Vegas are just 59 percent, Pisani said. &quot;That\'s a lot of children at risk,&quot; she said, adding that &quot;over 40 percent of their children are not immunized on time.&quot;</p> <p>Pisani said Every Child By Two is working in key cities such as Las Vegas, Cleveland, Houston and Newark to increase immunization rates.</p> <p>&quot;The challenges are so severe [in inner cities] that if we don\'t put some real effort into it, and get some state level support and local congressman support, I don\'t know what will happen,&quot; Pisani said. &quot;I feel hopeful in some ways, but when I go into a community and see what is going on, I don\'t know how they can possibly overcome the challenges they have if we don\'t make it as easy and simple as possible,&quot; she said.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>There\'s more on childhood immunization at <a href=\"http://www.ecbt.org/\" target=\"_new\">Every Child By Two</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1036','6','	<p><!--Spanish ID:535039--> <p>TUESDAY, Sept. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Weakened immune responses inside the nose may help explain chronic sinusitis that does not respond to treatment, according to new research.</p> <p>Chronic sinusitis is persistent inflammation of the moist tissue that lines the nose and sinus cavities, resulting in clogged passages and recurrent infections.</p> <p>This condition is usually treated with antibiotics, decongestants and steroids, but when medications fail, surgery can help keep the passages open. Unfortunately, nearly one in 10 of people treated with medications or surgery see symptoms return within weeks or months.</p> <p>In a new study, a Johns Hopkins University team compared cells of the mucous membrane lining the nose from nine patients who benefited from surgery with nine who did not. They will present the findings Tuesday at the annual scientific sessions of the American Academy of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery.</p> <p>The team found that, in people who did not benefit from surgery, the activity of at least four genes in the body\'s nasal immune defense system were severely decreased, and their production of two proteins critical to this defense was 20 to 200 times below normal.</p> <p>&quot;The nose\'s first line of defense is the epithelium [lining], and when the local innate immune function is curtailed, infections can get a head start, which might serve to worsen the sinus inflammation,&quot; Andrew Lane, associate professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and director of its rhinology and sinus surgery center, explained in a prepared statement.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>The American Academy of Family Physicians has more about <a href=\"http://familydoctor.org/686.xml\" target=\"_new\">sinusitis</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1037','6','	<p><p>WEDNESDAY, May 24 (HealthDay News) -- Florida researchers say they\'ve discovered four genes that enable a type of gum disease bacterium called <i>Porphyromonas gingivalis</i> to invade and infect artery cells.</p> <p>The finding offers one possible explanation for a possible link between gum disease and heart disease.</p> <p>&quot;Aside from lifestyle and genetic factors, there is increasing evidence that bacterial infections may play a role in heart disease. <i>Porphyromonas gingivalis</i>, an important bacterium that causes gum disease, is also linked to cardiovascular disease. In this study we have identified and studied four genes of <i>P. gingivalis</i> that allow it to infect and survive inside artery cells,&quot; researcher Paulo Rodrigues, of the University of Florida, Gainesville, said in a prepared statement.</p> <p>The study was expected to be presented Wednesday at the American Society for Microbiology meeting, in Orlando.</p> <p>In previous research, Rodrigues and his colleagues found that <i>P. gingivalis</i> could invade and survive inside human artery cells. In this new study, they created four strains of the bacterium, each with a different gene mutated to disable it. The researchers then tested the four mutated strains of the bacterium to determine if they could invade and survive in artery cells and compared those to a fully functioning version of the bacterium.</p> <p>&quot;Our study showed that all four mutated strains were defective in invasion of the artery cells and that their ability to survive inside of the cells was diminished. These results show that these four genes play a role in the invasion and survival of <i>P. gingivalis</i> inside artery cells,&quot; Rodrigues said.</p> <p>&quot;The knowledge of how this pathogenic bacterium interacts with artery cells is important and may lead to development of therapeutics and diagnostic tools for the detection and possibly prevention of heart diseases caused by this association,&quot; he said.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>The American Academy of Periodontology has more about <a href=\"http://www.perio.org/consumer/2a.html\" target=\"_new\">gum disease</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1038','6','	<p><p>(HealthDay News) -- Most people know that washing their hands is a good way to keep from getting sick, but just a quick rinse won\'t do the trick. Here are some tips on how to wash your hands properly, courtesy of the Swedish Medical Center in Seattle:</p> <ul> <li>Wash your hands frequently -- and always after using the restroom, changing a diaper, or petting an animal, and before preparing food or eating. </li> <li>Rinse your hands with warm water, then apply the soap and lather.</li> <li>Rub your hands together, scrubbing the tops and bottoms of hands, wrists, and even under your fingernails.</li> <li>Continue scrubbing your hands for at least 15 seconds -- or about the amount of time it takes to sing &quot;Happy Birthday&quot; or another short song.</li> <li>Rinse and dry your hands well. </li> <li>If soap is not available, use an antibacterial hand sanitizer -- but soap and water is best.</li> </ul> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1039','6','	<p><p>(HealthDay News) -- Whether you\'ve got a mouth full of cavities or a perfect set of teeth, preventing tooth decay should be a key concern.</p> <p>The American Dental Association offers these suggestions for keeping your teeth and gums healthy:</p> <ul> <li>Teeth should be brushed after every meal, or at least twice a day. You should be particularly careful to brush after eating anything sticky or sugary.</li> <li>Floss every day.</li> <li>Maintain a healthy diet, full of fruits and vegetables. Try to keep snacks to a minimum, and keep them healthy if you do have them.</li> <li>See your dentist every six months for a cleaning and an exam.</li> </ul> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1040','6','	<p><p>(HealthDay News) -- Although halitosis (bad breath) usually is nothing more than a harmless reflection of what you\'ve eaten, sometimes it\'s a sign of a serious dental or medical condition, the American Dental Association says.</p> <p>Halitosis could indicate chronic bronchitis or sinusitis, postnasal drip, gastrointestinal illness, and liver or kidney disease, the ADA warns.</p> <p>If watching the foods you eat and brushing and flossing regularly do not control halitosis, the ADA recommends talking to your dentist about any other conditions that may be responsible, including periodontal disease. If your dentist doesn\'t find a cause, you should talk with your doctor.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1041','6','	<p><p> (HealthDay News) -- Stains on the teeth are often caused by foods and drinks, according to the Chicago Dental Society. Red wine, coffee and tea can discolor teeth, as can foods such as blueberries, and smoking cigarettes.</p> <p>The best prevention is to brush and floss regularly -- especially after eating or drinking something known to stain teeth. Whitening toothpastes may help by exfoliating the teeth and removing food particles that cause stains.</p> <p>Foods and drinks aren\'t the only culprits, however. Radiation and chemotherapy treatments also may cause tooth discoloration, as can medications to prevent malaria, some antibiotics, and some acne and rheumatoid arthritis treatments.</p> <p>Taken long-term, some high blood pressure medications, antihistamines and antidepressants could stain your teeth. If you think medications may be causing tooth discoloration, talk to your doctor about possible alternatives.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1042','6','	<p><p>SUNDAY, June 18 (HealthDay News) -- Some simple measures can help put a muzzle on bad breath, according to an article in the June issue of the <i>Mayo Clinic Health Letter</i>.</p> <p>Bad breath can be caused by food particles in the mouth, dry mouth, or a health problem. Mayo experts offer these tips to help prevent it:</p><ul> <li>Brush your teeth or use mouthwash after you eat. Brushing is the more effective of the two. If you use mouthwash, make sure you swish it around in your mouth for 30 seconds before you spit it out.</li> <li>Floss your teeth at least once a day in order to remove decaying food.</li> <li>When brushing your teeth, brush the back of your tongue, too, or scrape it with a tongue scraper, available at pharmacies.</li> <li>Drink water to keep your mouth moist. When your mouth gets dry, there isn\'t enough saliva to wash away dead cells. You can also chew sugarless gum or suck on sugarless hard candy to help stimulate saliva production.</li> <li>Don\'t eat foods -- such as onions and garlic -- that encourage bad breath. These foods contain oils that are transferred to the lungs and exhaled.</li> <li>If you have dentures, clean them daily to get rid of food particles and bacteria.</li> <li>If these simple measures don\'t improve your bad breath, see your doctor or dentist. Persistent bad breath may be a sign of periodontal disease, an abscessed tooth, infection, chronic sinusitis, postnasal drip, chronic bronchitis, certain kinds of esophageal problems, and other health conditions.</li></ul> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>The American Dental Association has more about <a href=\"http://www.ada.org/public/topics/bad_breath_faq.asp\" target=\"_new\">bad breath</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1043','6','	<p><p>THURSDAY, June 29 (HealthDay News) -- Dental researchers say a specific protein may help a component of cavity-ridden teeth grow back, potentially preventing the need for root canals. </p> <p>The findings are preliminary, and the synthetic protein, known as Dentonin, hasn\'t reached the required third level of testing, so it may be years before it gets approval to reach the market.</p> <p>Still, Dentonin seems to have possibilities, said David Rosen, vice president of research and development at Acologix, the Hayward, Calif., company developing the product. &quot;It\'s such a novel approach,&quot; he said. &quot;There really isn\'t anything like it.&quot;</p> <p>Dentonin is designed to help the teeth rebuild dentin, a bone-like hard tissue that forms between the outer enamel and the inner pulp, Rosen said. </p> <p>When someone has a deep cavity, a dentist will drill through the enamel and dentin, Rosen said. In some cases, this causes sensitivity to hot and cold, and a root canal may be necessary because the nerve is exposed. Over time, the tooth dies and a dental implant may need to be inserted, he said. </p> <p>In the new study, researchers from Acologix, the University of California, San Francisco and the University of Connecticut studied 35 patients scheduled to undergo at least two extractions of third molars. The researchers placed Dentonin on some of the soon-to-be-extracted teeth and a placebo compound on the others. </p> <p>An analysis of the extracted teeth showed that Dentonin appeared to stimulate formation of new dentin. No side effects were reported. Apparently, the treatment stimulates cells in the pulp, which then produce dentin, Rosen said.</p> <p>The researchers were to report their findings Thursday at the 84th general session of the International Association for Dental Research, in Brisbane, Australia.</p> <p>&quot;We\'re hoping we could use it in a situation when a dentist sees a cavity of any kind,&quot; said Rosen, adding that the protein may be most effective when someone has a deep cavity that threatens to expose the nerve.</p> <p>However, the researchers still have to launch a larger phase III study to confirm that the treatment works. And Rosen cautioned that the new study doesn\'t prove that Dentonin could prevent root canals, although researchers hope it could at least prevent tooth sensitivity.</p> <p>Dr. Dan Meyer, an associate executive director at the American Dental Association who\'s familiar with the study findings, said Dentonin &quot;shows promise&quot; as a way to regenerate dentin in a &quot;healthier way.&quot;</p> <p>&quot;There\'s a long way to go yet, but hopefully this will pan out to be a very good product,&quot; he said.</p> <p>Other dental products aim to help regenerate teeth that have been damaged by decay, he added.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>Learn more about tooth decay from the <a href=\"http://www.ada.org/public/topics/decay_faq.asp\" target=\"_new\">American Dental Association</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1044','6','	<p><!--Spanish ID:533570--> <p>THURSDAY, June 29 (Health Day News) -- Traditional amalgam dental fillings containing mercury are safe for school-age children, two new studies find.</p> <p>The safety of such materials has long been debated, and the two studies are significant because they are the first-ever randomized clinical trials to evaluate the fillings\' safety in a head-to-head comparison with resin (tooth-colored) fillings, which do not contain mercury. They were to be presented at the International Association for Dental Research\'s annual meeting, which opened Wednesday in Brisbane, Australia. </p> <p>One study, first published earlier this year in the <i>Journal of the American Medical Association</i>, was conducted in the United States and the other in Europe. Both reached the same conclusion: Amalgam fillings, which contain mercury, are not associated with neurological or kidney problems as children age.</p> <p>But the studies still leave unanswered the safety of dental fillings in children younger than age 6, because those studied were all age 6 years or older when the follow-up began, said the experts.</p> <p>Still, the findings are as solid an answer as parents are likely to get for a while, said one researcher.</p> <p>&quot;I would say to include amalgam as one of the materials to consider for restoring large cavities in molars,&quot; said Tim DeRouen, director of the Comprehensive Center for Oral Health Research at the University of Washington, Seattle, and the lead author of the Portugal-based study. &quot;Unless you have reason to believe that you have an unusual reaction to mercury, you should not have to worry about health risks from the small amount of mercury exposure from dental amalgam,&quot; he said.</p> <p>The U.S.-based study was led by David C. Bellinger, a professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School in Boston. His team followed the health of 534 children, ages 6 to 10 years at the start of the study. Half of the children got an amalgam filling, and the other half received resin composite fillings. The researchers tracked five-year changes in full-scale IQ scores as the primary outcome of the study. The children had a mean of 15 tooth surfaces restored during the five-year follow-up. </p> <p>In the Portugal study, conducted for seven years in Lisbon, the researchers tracked 507 children, aged 8 to 10 years at the beginning of the trial. Again, the researchers assigned half to the amalgam and half to the resin composite filling group. They focused on tests of memory, concentration, coordination and attention. The children had a mean of 18.7 tooth surfaces restored in the amalgam group and 21.3 in the composite group.</p> <p>In both studies, researchers found no significant differences between the amalgam and resin groups in terms of detectable loss of intelligence, memory, coordination or concentration. The U.S. trial also compared kidney function between the two groups and found no differences.</p> <p> DeRouen said the new data &quot;represents the only evidence about the issue to come from randomized clinical trials, the highest-quality research design that can be used to address the issue. They are expensive and take years to complete, so it isn\'t like there will be more [of the same type of studies] in the foreseeable future.&quot;</p> <p> DeRouen said that fillings that contain mercury could pose a problem for people allergic to mercury. However, according to the American Dental Association (ADA), fewer than 100 cases of such allergies have ever been reported.</p> <p>Bellinger acknowledged that the two studies don\'t include children under 6 years of age. &quot;As far as I am aware, there are not studies of the effects of dental amalgam in children younger than six,&quot; he said.</p> <p>&quot;These are both important, controlled trials,&quot; said Dr. James Crall, chairman of pediatric dentistry at the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Dentistry. &quot;The results are consistent across both studies. They both showed some slight elevation in mercury levels [in the urine of the amalgram groups] over the seven years of the study but no significant differences in outcome measurements that related to neuropsychological outcomes [such as memory, concentration and other skills].&quot;</p> <p>While he, too, is not aware of any published studies of amalgam fillings in children under age six, in baby teeth, he said the exposure is short term by definition, as the baby teeth drop out by age 8 or 9.</p> <p>The DeRouen study was first published in <i>JAMA</i> in April, along with another trial that found no kidney problems in children who received amalgam fillings.</p> <p>At the time, the ADA issued a statement to consumers, saying, &quot;Dental amalgam remains among several safe, effective options for treating dental decay.&quot; The ADA also noted that the best option is to prevent dental decay and other disease by conscientious brushing, flossing and dental visits for examinations.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>For more on good dental care, head to the <a href=\"http://www.ada.org\" target=\"_new\">American Dental Association</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1045','6','	<p><p>(HealthDay News) -- Many children need braces to straighten teeth and correct their bites. The Nemours Foundation recommends a few dietary and lifestyle changes to keep the teeth healthy and prevent damage to the expensive hardware.</p> <p>Biting into foods like apples or hard candies could loosen or bend metal braces. Apples should be cut into small chunks that are easier to chew. Candies and other sugary or sticky foods -- which could adhere to the braces and trigger cavities -- should be avoided.</p> <p>Frequent brushing and flossing is especially important to avoid tooth decay, the foundation advises.</p> <p>If braces are causing discomfort, try an over-the-counter pain reliever.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1046','6','	<p><p>MONDAY, Aug. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Actonel (risedronate sodium) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat osteoporosis in men, according to its manufacturers, Proctor &amp; Gamble Pharmaceuticals and Sanofi-Aventis.</p> <p>Already widely prescribed for osteoporosis in post-menopausal women, Actonel 35 mg. was approved for men based on a two-year study of 284 adult males with the soft-bones condition. Significant improvement was seen in lumber spine bone mineral density at 6, 12, and 24 months, the companies said in a statement.</p> <p>According to statistics from the National Osteoporosis Foundation, 2 million men in the United States are already osteoporotic and another 12 million are at risk, the drugmakers said.</p> <p>Most men who develop osteoporosis do so later in life -- usually later than women, the companies said. Half of male osteoporosis cases are associated with aging, and the rest are due to secondary causes such as oral steroid use, low levels of the male hormone testosterone, and heavy alcohol use.</p> <p>Possible side effects of Actonel include constipation and back pain, the companies said.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>To learn more about osteoporosis, visit the U.S. <a href=\"http://nihseniorhealth.gov/osteoporosis/toc.html\" target=\"_new\">National Institutes of Health</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1047','6','	<p><p>WEDNESDAY, Aug. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Two company-funded studies offer differing views on the benefits of adding protein to everyday sports drinks.</p> <p>One Canadian study, sponsored by the makers of Gatorade, found that adding protein to sports drinks does <i>not</i> improve exercise performance.</p> <p>&quot;Sports drinks improve performance during prolonged exercise because of two key ingredients: carbohydrate, which provides fuel for working muscles, and sodium, which helps to maintain fluid balance,&quot; researcher Martin Gibala, an associate professor of kinesiology at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, said in a prepared statement.</p> <p>&quot;Research also supports the practice of consuming protein after exercise to promote muscle recovery. However, the alleged benefits of consuming protein during exercise is controversial,&quot; he added.</p> <p>The study included 10 trained cyclists who, on three occasions, did a simulated 80-kilometer (50-mile) race. During these sessions, the cyclists were given either a sports drink, a sports drink with protein, or a placebo that provided no energy.</p> <p>Compared to the placebo, the sports drink improved performance. The sports drink with protein was no more beneficial than the regular sports drink, the researchers said.</p> <p>&quot;Our study shows that protein confers no performance benefit during \'real-life\' exercise when athletes consume sufficient amounts of sports drink,&quot; Gibala said.</p> <p>The findings were published in the August issue of the journal <i>Medicine &amp; Science in Sports &amp; Exercise</i>.</p> <p>However, another study -- funded this time by the makers of the protein-rich Accelerade sports drink -- found that the drink rehydrated endurance athletes better than Gatorade or water.</p> <p>Gatorade contains carbohydrates plus electrolytes, whereas Accelerade (made by PacificHealth Laboratories) contains those two elements plus protein.</p> <p>The athletes in the study lost approximately 2.5 percent of their body weight through exercise-induced sweat loss, according to researchers at St. Cloud University in Minnesota. Those taking Accelerade rehydrated at rates that were 15 percent better than athletes taking Gatorade, and 40 percent better than those drinking plain water.</p> <p>The study is published in the August issue of the <i>International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism</i>.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>The President\'s Council on Physical Fitness and Sport has more about <a href=\"http://www.fitness.gov/fastfacts.htm\" target=\"_new\">sports nutrition</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1048','6','	<p><p>FRIDAY, Sept. 1 (HealthDay News) -- Children of mothers who take in too little vitamin E during pregnancy may be at higher risk for asthma by age five, a new study suggests.</p> <p>The finding expands on previous research conducted by the same team. That work found that two-year-old children whose moms had relatively low vitamin E intake during pregnancy were more prone to wheezing -- even when they were otherwise healthy.</p> <p>&quot;This is part of a body of work that indicates that sufficient vitamin E intake is probably important,&quot; said study lead author Dr. Graham Devereux, of the department of environmental and occupational medicine at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland.</p> <p>Devereux and his team reported their findings in the September issue of the <i>American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine</i>.</p> <p>The authors focused on over 1,250 women who were pregnant and attending neo-natal clinics in Scotland between 1997 and 1999.</p> <p>Maternal dietary intake was assessed dating back to conception, as were medical histories related to asthma, wheezing and related respiratory issues. The same information was gathered for the children of these women up until the age of five.</p> <p>Maternal intake of nutrients such as vitamin C, beta-carotene, magnesium, copper, and iron during pregnancy did not seem to be correlated with an increased risk for wheezing or asthma, the team found.</p> <p>However, low intake of vitamin E during pregnancy was associated with a higher risk among offspring for developing persistent asthma, beginning during the first two years of life and continuing to at least until age five.</p> <p>In fact, children born to mothers rated in the bottom 20 percent for prenatal vitamin E intake were more than five times more prone to asthma as children born to mothers in the top 20 percent.</p> <p>Youngsters born to mothers with relatively poor vitamin E intake during pregnancy were also at higher risk for developing persistent wheezing in their first 5 years of life, the Scottish researchers reported.</p> <p>The researchers stressed that a child\'s diet at age five appears to have no impact on their asthma risk.</p> <p>They pointed out that fetal airways are fully developed 16 weeks following conception. That suggests that certain dietary deficiencies during pregnancy -- particularly early pregnancy -- may heighten risks for childhood asthma.</p> <p>However, much more research is needed to confirm that low prenatal vitamin E helps cause childhood asthma, Devereux said.</p> <p>For that reason, Devereux said, it is premature for women to take vitamin E supplements, at any dosage, to help ward off asthma in their offspring.</p> <p>Vitamin E is abundant in many staple foods such as green leafy vegetables, whole grain cereals, vegetable oils, meat, and fish. The average adult\'s daily vitamin E needs could be fully met if these foods were included in a balanced and healthy diet, Devereux said.</p> <p>&quot;It should be strongly emphasized that women should eat healthily during pregnancy and not take vitamin E supplements just because of this study,&quot; Devereux cautioned.</p> <p>Dr. Arun Jeyabalan, an assistant professor in the division of maternal fetal medicine at the University of Pittsburgh\'s Magee Women\'s Hospital, agreed.</p> <p>&quot;This is an important study because it is important to look at associations between nutrient intake, deficiencies, and potential pregnancy outcomes,&quot; she said. &quot;However, women should be very careful about supplementation. Not all vitamins in high doses are good for anybody, and further study is needed before advocating any kind of vitamin E supplementation.&quot;</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>For more on pregnancy and nutrition, visit the <a href=\"http://www.4woman.gov/pregnancy/pregnancy/eat.cfm\" target=\"_new\">U.S. Department of Health and Human Services</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1049','6','	<p><p>FRIDAY, Sept. 1 (HealthDay News) -- Experimental osteoporosis drugs called estrens do not perform as well as researchers had hoped, new animal studies suggest.</p> <p>The drugs did build bone, but they also had adverse effects on reproductive organs and on human breast cancer cells, say researchers from Yale University School of Medicine and a French company called ProStrakan Pharmaceuticals.</p> <p>The researchers &quot;were not able to replicate many of the findings that were found in the original study reported in <i>Science</i> in 2002,&quot; said Ushma S. Neill, executive editor of the <i>Journal of Clinical Investigation</i>, which published the findings in its September issue.</p> <p>According to Neill, who also wrote an editorial on the findings, the authors\' conclusion is that estren drugs &quot;should not be taken into human trials.&quot;</p> <p>The study was partially funded by ProStrakan, a specialty pharmaceutical company that focuses on treatments for bone disease and other areas. Several of the co-authors work or have worked for the company.</p> <p>The results of the current study are at odds with prior research.</p> <p>&quot;Estrens were touted in several [scientific] papers as the answer to osteoporosis in both men and women based on studies in mice,&quot; said lead researcher Roland Baron, professor of orthopaedics and cell biology at Yale University. One study, published four years ago, found that the compounds increased bone mass and bone strength in animals and had no adverse effect on reproductive organs.</p> <p>The hope was that the estrens might replace the synthetic estrogens used in hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Millions of American women used long-term HRT to help protect bones and ease menopausal symptoms. But that all changed in 2002, when a major study found the therapy boosted risks for cardiovascular events and breast cancer.</p> <p>In this new study, Baron and colleagues directly compared the new compounds with drugs called SERMs (selective estrogen receptor modulators). SERMs, a newer alternative to estrogens, are thought to display selectivity in the tissues they target, minimizing side effects to reproductive organs.</p> <p>Every drug can have a downside, however. Chronic administration of tamoxifen, one of the most widely used SERMs, has been suggested to be associated with an increased risk for uterine cancer. That makes the search for a safe alternative more imperative, the researchers said. </p> <p>In their study, Baron\'s team compared the effects in mice of several doses of SERMs vs. two estrens.</p> <p>The results: Estrens prevented bone loss but caused enlargement of reproductive organs in both male and female mice. They also enhanced the proliferation of human breast cancer cells.</p> <p>&quot;It may be that, administered differently, one would find beneficial effects and no bad effects on the reproductive tract,&quot; Baron added. But for now, he said, his team has concluded that estrens provide &quot;moderate protection&quot; against bone loss, &quot;but also strong negative effects on the uterus, breast and prostate, suggesting increased risk of cancer if transposed to humans.&quot;</p> <p>Osteoporosis is considered a major public health threat for about 44 million Americans, or 55 percent of people age 50 and above, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation. About 10 million Americans have osteoporosis and are at high risk for disabling fractures. Another 34 million are at risk for getting it because they have low bone mass.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>To learn more about osteoporosis, visit the <a href=\"http://www.nof.org\" target=\"_new\">National Osteoporosis Foundation</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1050','6','	<p><p>FRIDAY, Sept. 1 (HealthDay News) -- Despite the known health benefits of fruits and vegetables, too few Americans are eating the recommended amounts of these foods, a new study finds.</p> <p>Teenage boys are the worst offenders, with less than 1 percent of them getting the recommended intake. Children aged 2 to 3 do best, with 48 percent getting the recommended amount. But just 17 percent of women aged 51 to 70 meet the goal, and among other age groups, nearly 90 percent are falling short.</p> <p>The findings are &quot;not good,&quot; said study author Patricia Guenther, a nutritionist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture\'s (USDA) Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion.</p> <p>Guenther and her colleagues looked at how many Americans ate enough fruits and vegetables under the previous recommendation -- five servings a day -- and how many were doing so under new guidelines released in 2005. The new guidelines -- part of the USDA\'s MyPyramid program -- recommend eating two to six-and-a-half cups of fruits and vegetables a day, depending on your age and gender.</p> <p>For instance, a 50-year-old man who exercises a half hour to an hour a day should eat two cups of fruits and three cups of vegetables daily. A 15-year-old girl who exercises a half hour to an hour a day should eat two-and-a-half cups of vegetables and two cups of fruit daily, according to the new guidelines.</p> <p>For the study, Guenther said, &quot;we used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III from 1999 to 2000. We had complete data on 8,070 people, ages 2 and up.&quot;</p> <p>When the researchers applied the previous five-a-day recommendations, only 40 percent of people met the mark.</p> <p>The study findings are published in the September issue of the <i>Journal of the American Dietetic Association</i>.</p> <p>Cynthia Sass, a registered dietitian in Tampa, Fla., and a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, said few of the people she counsels get sufficient amounts of fruits and vegetables.</p> <p>Guenther said it\'s not tough to get enough fruits and vegetables. First, she directs consumers to the new guidelines, which allow users to personalize their consumption recommendations.</p> <p>Then, she said, it\'s not difficult to fit recommended amount of fruits and vegetables into your diet. During the summer, for instance, she said, &quot;I eat berries on my cereal in the morning, take a piece of fruit for a snack, and I make sure I have fruit or juice in the evening. When I want to have dessert, I try to make it fruit-based. The other day I made a peach crisp with whole wheat flour and oatmeal. And, like most women, I love salads.&quot;</p> <p>Added Sass: &quot;People gravitate toward the \'easy\' fruits and vegetables, such as bananas and bagged salad mixes.&quot; She sees nothing wrong with that, but encourages variety, too.</p> <p>Another study in the same issue of the journal found that people who eat salads tend to have above-average intakes of vitamin C, as well as vitamin D, folic acid, lycopene and carotenoids.</p> <p>Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Louisiana State University looked at data from nearly 18,000 participants in the same survey Guenther used, but for the years 1988 to 1994. For every serving of salad women ate, they were 165 percent more likely to meet the daily recommend intake of vitamin C; for every salad men ate, they were 119 percent more likely to do so. The recommended amount of vitamin C is 90 milligrams for men and 75 milligrams for women. The study was partially funded by the Association for Dressings and Sauces, an industry group.</p> <p>A third study in the journal found that young adults are choosing portion sizes larger than those selected by young adults two decades ago -- in some cases 25 percent larger. Oversized portions are often blamed for contributing to the obesity epidemic.</p> <p>Sass said she sees such &quot;portion distortion&quot; all the time. &quot;People confuse a portion that is provided to them [at a restaurant or at a college dorm cafeteria] with a portion that is an appropriate size for them.&quot;</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>To figure out how many cups of fruits and vegetables you should be eating, visit <a href=\"http://mypyramid.gov/\" target=\"_new\">MyPyramid</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1051','6','	<p><p> (HealthDay News) -- Calcium is a necessary mineral to build and preserve strong bones, strong and healthy teeth, and healthy muscles and tissues.</p> <p>Plenty of calcium at a young age -- particularly in adolescence -- is very important to protecting bones later in life and preventing osteoporosis.</p> <p>Bone mass continues to grow until about age 30 or 35. Calcium in milk, cheese, yogurt and other dairy products will help build bone mass. The mineral can also be found in leafy green vegetables, dried beans and fruits, and nuts like almonds.</p> <p>Because the cells in bones are constantly being destroyed and reproduced, the body needs to take in more calcium than what it processes. If enough calcium isn\'t consumed, more bone tissue is destroyed than is created and bones are weakened.</p> <p>The Harvard School of Public Health recommends about 550 milligrams of calcium per day, but that quantity can vary by age. The recommendation is 1000 milligrams a day for people between the ages of 19-50, and 1,200 milligrams a day for people aged 50 and older. </p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1052','6','	<p><p>THURSDAY, Sept. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Consuming the recommended daily amount of vitamin D could nearly halve your risk for deadly pancreatic cancer, new research suggests.</p> <p>&quot;Individuals in the highest levels of consumption of vitamin D had a greater than 40 percent reduction in their risk of pancreatic cancer,&quot; said study co-author Dr. Charles S. Fuchs, an associate professor and medical oncologist with the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, in Boston.</p> <p>&quot;We really have been struggling to find effective measures of prevention, so we are very excited by this effort,&quot; he added.</p> <p>Fuchs\' team presented their findings in the September issue of <i>Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention</i>.</p> <p>The researchers note that pancreatic cancer is currently the fourth-leading cause of cancer death in the Ubited States. Because the disease often is detected relatively late, survival is very low. According to the American Cancer Society, 32,000 new cases of this silent killer will be diagnosed this year, and a similar number of Americans will die of the disease.</p> <p>There is no known cure or effective treatment, and to date no specific environmental or dietary practices other than smoking have been cited as a contributing factors for pancreatic cancer.</p> <p>In their study, the researchers analyzed data from two long-term national studies. One study was launched in 1976 and the other in 1986. Both assessed dietary intake among more than 75,000 female registered nurses and almost 47,000 male health professionals, respectively.</p> <p>The men were between the ages of 40 and 75, while the women were between 38 and 65. Beginning in the mid-1980s, participants completed food-consumption questionnaires every other year through to 2000. Vitamin use, smoking and diabetes status, and cancer history were also tracked over the study period. Exposure to sun -- a major source of daily vitamin D -- was not reviewed.</p> <p>Over the course of the study, 178 women and 187 men were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.</p> <p>Vitamin D intake seemed to be related to pancreatic cancer risk, the researchers found.</p> <p>Compared to individuals who took in less than 150 International Units (IUs) of vitamin D per day, those who consumed between 150 to 299 IUs of the vitamin had a 22 percent reduced risk for pancreatic malignancy, and those who consumed between 300-449 IUs/day cut their risk by 43 percent.</p> <p>The current U.S. recommended daily allowance (RDA) for vitamin D is 400 IUs per day.</p> <p>Taking in more than 400 IUs per day of vitamin D did not result in a further lowering of risk, the researchers found.</p> <p>Neither body mass index nor smoking history had any impact on vitamin D\'s association with a reduced pancreatic cancer risk. As well, where a person lived -- in the sunny south or the less-sunny north -- had no effect on vitamin D\'s impact on pancreatic cancer risk.</p> <p>Older, more physically active, nonsmoking men and women were more likely to consume higher doses of vitamin D, the researchers noted, and almost everyone who placed in the highest level of vitamin D intake took a daily multivitamin.</p> <p>In terms of food, skim milk was the most common source of vitamin D, providing 19 percent of vitamin D dietary consumption for both men and women. Fish provided another 14 percent of the vitamin among the men and 8 percent among the women.</p> <p>Fuchs and his colleagues stressed that it remains unclear whether vitamin D directly reduces pancreatic cancer risk. It could be that high intake of the vitamin is merely associated with another, as yet unidentified, protective behavior.</p> <p>&quot;It\'s really the first study of its kind, so this clearly requires further confirmation,&quot; said Fuchs.</p> <p>In the interim, he advised against rushing out to consume vitamin D supplements.</p> <p>&quot;One has to be very careful about taking too much from this in terms of supplemental dosage recommendations,&quot; Fuchs cautioned. &quot;The biology suggests that even 400 IUs per day may actually be a relatively low dose [of vitamin D], and that human beings would benefit from higher doses in general. But this still needs to be studied in much greater detail.&quot;</p> <p>Susan Harris, a nutritional epidemiologist with the Tufts University Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging in Boston, agreed that vitamin D supplementation is a complex issue. She said supplements do have a role to play in maintaining health and perhaps even fighting off cancer.</p> <p>&quot;We evolved outside in the sun and we\'re really built to make vitamin D from sun exposure, but now that we\'re in an indoor living population our exposure is really reduced,&quot; she said. &quot;And dietary sources are often not enough. So we are really more reliant on supplements.&quot;</p> <p>&quot;But with some nutritional supplements you can do some actual harm,&quot; she advised. &quot;For example, it\'s true that most vitamin D experts now believe that most people should be consuming as much as 1000 IUs per day. And if you take a multivitamin you\'ll get just 400 IUs of vitamin D. But what you don\'t want to take is two multivitamins because you get double of everything else. So you always have to be careful.&quot;</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>There\'s more on pancreatic cancer at the <a href=\"http://www.cancer.org/docroot/lrn/lrn_0.asp\" target=\"_new\">American Cancer Society</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1053','6','	<p><p>TUESDAY, Sept. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Multiple sclerosis patients may benefit from a form of vitamin B3, a new study finds.</p> <p>Multiple sclerosis (MS) results in damage to nerve fibers, causing fatigue, difficulty walking, pain and other problems. Most people with MS eventually enter a chronic progressive phase of the disease for which there is currently no good treatment.</p> <p>New research published in the Sept. 20 issue of the <i>Journal of Neuroscience</i> studied the effects of injecting nicotinamide -- a form of vitamin B3 -- under the skin of mice that had an MS-like disease.</p> <p>The researchers, from the Neurobiology Program in Children\'s Hospital Boston, found the injections protected nerve fibers in the mice from degeneration -- even in the nerve cells that had already been damaged.</p> <p>The higher the dose of nicotinamide, the more protective the effect, the study found.</p> <p>On a scale of one to five, with one indicating the least nerve damage and five indicating the most, the mice receiving the highest doses of nicotinamide had neurologic scores of one to two, and those receiving no nicotinamide had scores between three and four.</p> <p>Even the mice in which treatment was delayed until 10 days after the onset of their disease benefited.</p> <p>&quot;The earlier therapy was started, the better the effect, but we hope nicotinamide can help patients who are already in the chronic state,&quot; Shinjiro Kaneko, a research fellow at Children\'s, said in a prepared statement.</p> <p>Researchers believe nicotinamide works by increasing the levels of a compound known as nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD), which has been shown to directly prevent nerve degeneration.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke has more about <a href=\"http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/multiple_sclerosis/multiple_sclerosis.htm\" target=\"_new\">multiple sclerosis</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1054','6','	<p><!--Spanish ID:533533--> <p>WEDNESDAY, June 28 (HealthDay News) -- U.S. surgeons say they\'ve developed a promising new method of lower jaw reconstruction for patients who\'ve had surgery to remove large oral tumors.</p> <p>This new approach, first tested on rabbits, was to be outlined Wednesday at a meeting of the International Federation of Head and Neck Oncologic Societies in Prague, Czechoslovakia.</p> <p>&quot;We think this new process can be a huge advantage for patients and a good tool for reconstructive surgeons,&quot; lead investigator Dr. Daniel Price, an ear, nose and throat surgery resident at the Mayo Clinic, said in a prepared statement.</p> <p>&quot;We\'re excited about it. It will not completely replace the current mandible reconstruction method -- transfer of bone -- but down the road, I think that this method of reconstruction will be done regularly in patients with cancer involving the mandible,&quot; Price added.</p> <p>The current standard procedure for jaw reconstruction in these patients uses bone transferred from the fibula in the patient\'s leg, along with surrounding muscle, skin and blood vessels. This method produces good functional and aesthetic results but does have some negative aspects. For example, the surgery is costly and takes all day. Plus, the second surgery site in the leg means patients are less mobile after the operation.</p> <p>The new approach uses a procedure called &quot;distraction osteogenesis&quot; to restore the section of jaw that\'s lost during tumor removal surgery. With distraction osteogenesis, a cut is made at one of the remaining ends of the jawbone. Pliable soft tissue appears and a special device is used to stretch this tissue across the gap in the patient\'s jaw. This soft tissue eventually hardens into bone.</p> <p>Within 24 hours of the stretching process, radiation therapy is administered in order to reduce the risk of cancer recurrence.</p> <p>The next phase of the research will involve larger animals, the Mayo team said.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more about <a href=\"http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/wyntk/oral\" target=\"_new\">oral cancer</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1055','6','	<p><p> (HealthDay News) -- Nearsightedness, or myopia, occurs when a person has difficulty seeing objects at a distance. Glasses, contact lenses or LASIK surgery may help remedy the condition.</p> <p>The College of Optometrists in Vision Development offers suggestions that may help reduce or prevent myopia:</p> <ul> <li>Use good posture when reading -- sit up straight, and don\'t cause strain on your eyes by holding the book too close or too far away.</li> <li>Make sure there is always proper lighting when reading or working.</li> <li>Be sure to take frequent breaks and rest your eyes when reading or working on a computer, or any other activity that may strain your eyes.</li> <li>If you do notice yourself squinting or having difficulty seeing objects at a distance, talk to your eye care professional.</li> </ul> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1056','6','	<p><!--Spanish ID:534410--> <p>TUESDAY, Aug. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Yellow pigments found in some vegetables, including corn and squash, may help protect older women against age-related vision loss, a U.S. study suggests. </p> <p>Researchers at the University of Wisconsin in Madison studied 1,787 women ages 50 to 79. The study found that those younger than 75 who ate a diet rich in the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin appeared to have a lower risk of intermediate age-related macular degeneration (AMD).</p> <p>The findings were published in the August issue of the journal <i>Archives of Opthalmology</i>.</p> <p>AMD is the leading cause of blindness among older Americans. There is no cure, and current treatments only slow the progression of the disease.</p> <p>Carotenoids are found in corn, squash, egg yolks, broccoli, peas and leafy green vegetables. Previous studies have suggested that carotenoids may reduce risk of AMD.</p> <p>&quot;This exploratory observation is consistent with a broad body of evidence from observational and experimental studies that suggests that these carotenoids may protect against AMD,&quot; wrote the authors of this new study.</p> <p>&quot;Still, given the numerous analyses performed in this study, our results could be due to chance. More conclusive evidence from long-term prospective studies and clinical trials is needed to determine whether the intake of macular carotenoids themselves, or as markers or broader dietary patterns, can protect against intermediate AMD or delay progression in individuals who have early stages of the disease,&quot; they added.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>The U.S. National Eye Institute has more about <a href=\"http://nihseniorhealth.gov/agerelatedmaculardegeneration/toc.html\" target=\"_new\">AMD</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1057','6','	<p><p>FRIDAY, Aug. 18 (HealthDay News) -- The single biggest advance this year in the treatment of cataracts has come not from science but from the U.S. bureaucracy. </p> <p>Changes to Medicare guidelines mean more older folks than ever can take advantage of the latest technologies to sharpen their eyesight, ophthalmologists say.</p> <p>&quot;The new rules allow patients to make a decision whether they want to pay for these advances,&quot; said Dr. Donald Schwartz, associate clinical professor of ophthalmology at the University of California, Irvine, and the University of Southern California\'s Doheny Eye Institute.</p> <p>More than 20 million Americans are afflicted with cataracts, a clouding of the lens that diminishes vision. And that number is expected to balloon to 30.1 million by 2020, according to Prevent Blindness America, an eye health and safety advocacy group.</p> <p>The elderly are particularly vulnerable to cataracts, which typically occur as part of the aging process. By age 80, more than half of all Americans either have a cataract or have had cataract surgery, according to the National Eye Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health.</p> <p>But two new types of synthetic replacement lenses are available that can restore a cataract patient\'s vision better than ever. The lenses are called multifocal, because they allow people to focus both far and near, while older replacement lenses provided clear vision only at one specific distance.</p> <p>One type, called an accommodating lens that comes with the brand name Crystalens, acts much like a normal human lens when focusing, said Dr. James Salz, attending ophthalmic surgeon at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, and spokesman for the American Academy of Ophthalmologists.</p> <p>&quot;It replicates what the eye does when you go from far to near,&quot; Salz said. &quot;The lens changes its shape, actually becoming thicker in your eye and focusing.&quot;</p> <p>The other type of lens, marketed under the brand names ReZoom and ReSTOR, replicate normal vision through a &quot;bull\'s-eye&quot; design. Formed with concentric circles resembling a practice target, the lens allows a patient to shift his or her focus through slight eye movements.</p> <p>&quot;You might think of them as appearing as an archery target, with a bull\'s-eye and zones around the bull\'s-eye that allow for different distances,&quot; Schwartz said.</p> <p>But up to now these new lenses were financially out of reach for many senior citizens because Medicare would only pay for the old-style basic lens replacement.</p> <p>A guideline revision last year changed all that, however. Patients still receive up to $2,000 for a basic lens replacement, same as always. But, they also now have the option of applying that money toward the more expensive lenses that provide close-to-normal sight.</p> <p>&quot;When patients get these new lenses, over 90 percent say they never wear glasses again,&quot; Salz said. &quot;But they have to pay for it, up to a couple thousands of dollars per eye.&quot;</p> <p>The multifocal lenses also can cause some problems with night vision, with patients suffering from halo effects and glare, a fact they should be aware of. &quot;If I have somebody that does a lot of night driving, I don\'t think it\'s necessarily a good idea to put one of these lenses in because it will bug them,&quot; Salz said.</p> <p>On the surgical front, the operation to correct cataracts has improved to the point where it enjoys a 95 percent success rate, with patients back to normal in a few days, according to Prevent Blindness America. It is the most commonly performed surgical procedure in people age 65 and older.</p> <p>Most doctors now use a technique called phacoemulsification to remove the clouded lens, Schwartz said. The procedure involves a small incision that is made on the side of the cornea, the clear, dome-shaped surface that covers the front of the eye. A tiny probe inserted into the eye emits ultrasound waves that soften and break up the lens, and the tiny fragments are vacuumed out of the eye. This sets the stage for inserting a replacement lens.</p> <p>Inserting a replacement lens also has become easier. The new synthetic lenses can be folded and then slid into the eye through a self-sealing incision as small as an eighth of an inch.</p> <p>Cataracts form in one of two ways, according to the National Institutes of Health. Clumps of protein can adhere to the lens, reducing the sharpness of the image reaching the retina. Or the clear lens can slowly change to a yellowish/brownish color, adding a brownish tint to vision.</p> <p>Cataracts generally are painless, and their development over time is subtle. You should visit your eye doctor if you experience any of following:</p> <ul> <li>Blurred vision, double vision, ghost images, or the sense of a &quot;film&quot; over the eyes.</li> <li>Lights that either seem too dim for reading or close-up work, or strong enough to &quot;dazzle&quot; eyes.</li> <li>Needing to change eyeglass prescriptions often, without experiencing improvement.</li> <li>Finding that a milky or yellowish spot has appeared in the pupil, which is normally black.</li> </ul> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>To learn more, visit the <a href=\"http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/cataract/cataract_facts.asp\" target=\"_new\">National Eye Institute</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1058','6','	<p><p>TUESDAY, Aug. 22 (HealthDay News) -- Men who have ever taken Flomax or other drugs known as alpha-blockers to treat an enlarged prostate may face some recovery problems from, of all things, cataract surgery.</p> <p>The problem has prompted an alert from the three medical associations representing most of the specialties involved in eye surgery and prostate treatment: the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery and the American Urological Association.</p> <p>The organizations are urging that any cataract surgery applicant notify his doctor if he has taken Flomax (tamsulosin), Hytrin (terazosin), Cardura (doxazosin) or Uroxatral (alfuzosin) or any other drug categorized as an alpha-blocker. </p> <p>Mentioning the use of these drugs will allow eye surgeons to take special precautions to reduce the risk of potential problems during surgery that could slow patients\' healing and increase the risk of post-operative complications, said representatives from the medical societies. However, there is no evidence that the potential surgical complications from these drugs cause long-term damage or vision loss. And there\'s no reason for those with cataracts to stop the medications before having surgery, experts said. It\'s just that a different procedure may be called for, they added.</p> <p>&quot;You don\'t need to worry; you just need to inform your eye surgeon if you are currently taking, or have ever taken, Flomax or other alpha-blockers,&quot; said Dr. David F. Chang, clinical professor of ophthalmology at the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine.</p> <p>Chang and fellow researcher Dr. John Campbell tracked 1,600 patients and found that current or prior use of Flomax -- and to a lesser extent, other alpha-blockers -- appeared to keep the muscle of the iris, (the colored part of the eye) from allowing the pupil (the opening in the iris) to stay completely open during cataract surgery with conventional eye drops. This dilation is necessary for surgeons to remove the clouded, cataract-covered lens beneath the pupil and replace it with an artificial lens.</p> <p>Instead, Chang found that alpha-blocker use may cause the pupil to suddenly constrict during surgery, causing the iris to relax, a condition that Chang and Campbell termed &quot;intraoperative floppy iris syndrome.&quot; This doesn\'t cause any eye disfigurement, but it can increase the risk of the surgeon tearing a portion of the eye that holds the artificial lens in place, Chang said.</p> <p>&quot;If we know that patients have ever used Flomax or the other drugs, we can use different, longer-lasting dilation eye drops or micro-hooks to keep the pupil completely dilated during surgery,&quot; Chang said. &quot;Taking these measures, which eye surgeons normally wouldn\'t use, will prevent potential problems and result in an excellent prognosis. The issue is that when the pupil isn\'t completely dilated, surgeons just can\'t see what they\'re doing as well.&quot;</p> <p>Based on the research, the medical associations jointly issued a patient advisory Aug. 22.</p> <p>This followed an e-mail alert to eye surgeons initiated last year by Chang, warning about drug-related problems during cataract surgery.</p> <p>In November 2005, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a label change for the alpha blockers that read, &quot;The patient\'s ophthalmologist should be prepared for possible modifications to their surgical technique,&quot; and it is now included in patient information material for Flomax.</p> <p>Kate O\'Connor, spokeswoman for Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc., maker of Flomax, said her company also had sent letters to ophthalmologists and urologists about the possible complications during cataract surgery.</p> <p>A cataract is a vision-affecting clouding of the lens in the eye that increases with age. Cataracts typically begin to form after age 50 and, by age 80, more than half of all Americans either have a cataract or have had cataract surgery. </p> <p>An enlarged prostate, or benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), also is age-related: By age 60, it affects half of men; by age 70, as many as 90 percent. It causes urination difficulty such as a weak stream, dribbling after urination, a feeling the bladder is not completely empty, and frequent overnight bathroom visits. To combat this problem, alpha-blockers help control the need for sudden and frequent urination, especially at night, by controlling a receptor in the prostate muscle.</p> <p> The same receptor controls the dilation muscle in the iris and pupil, Chang said. Any alpha-blocker can trigger the sudden pupil dilation during surgery, but research indicates it\'s most evident from the use of Flomax, because it is less likely to cause sudden dizziness if a patient stands up too quickly.</p> <p><b>More information</b> </p> <p>To more about the research being done concerning cataract surgery complications from alpha blockers, visit <a href=\"http://www.eyeworld.org/article.php?sid=3285\" target=\"_new\">Eye World, </a>the newsletter of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1059','6','	<p><p>TUESDAY, Aug. 22 (HealthDay News) -- Government researchers report that a recent outbreak of severe eye infections was indeed associated with the use of ReNu with MoistureLoc contact lens solution, but a chemical reaction that can occur with the solution appears to be the actual culprit.</p> <p>Officials also believe the fungal contamination occurred in patients\' homes, and not in the manufacturing or storage process.</p> <p>&quot;We think that there\'s something about the chemical make-up of the solution that allows the fungus to grow and cause infection,&quot; said study senior author Dr. Benjamin J. Park, medical officer with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. &quot;We don\'t know the exact mechanism, but it\'s important that users of solution don\'t use Moistureloc.&quot;</p> <p>After the same research team came out with a preliminary report in May, Bausch & Lomb recalled the solution.</p> <p>For the 34 million contact lens wearers in the United States, the risk of developing keratitis, an infection that can lead to blindness or the need for a corneal transplant, is about four to 21 per 10,000. The risk is amplified for soft lens users, and by wearing lenses overnight or not following correct care protocols.</p> <p>In February, however, unusually large clusters of patients with <i>Fusarium</i> were reported in Singapore and Hong Kong. A high proportion of these individuals had used a Bausch & Lomb ReNu brand contact lens solution.</p> <p>Beginning in March of this year, CDC officials started receiving reports of similar cases among contact lens wearers in the United States.</p> <p>In May, Bausch & Lomb stated that the combination of moisturizing agents exclusive to MoistureLoc could increase the risk of keratitis infections in unusual circumstances. <i>HealthDay\'s</i> attempts to reach the company for comment on this latest report were unsuccessful.</p> <p>For this study, which appears in the August 23/30 issue of the <i>Journal of the American Medical Association</i>, CDC researchers looked at confirmed cases of <i>Fusarium</i> keratitis that occurred after June 1, 2005.</p> <p>As of June 30, 2006, 164 cases had been identified in 33 states and one U.S. territory. About one-third (34 percent) of these patients required corneal transplantation. Almost all (94 percent) wore soft contact lenses.</p> <p>This latest paper focused on 45 patients and 78 controls. Sixty-nine percent of patients had used ReNu with MoistureLoc, compared with 15 percent of controls.</p> <p>Researchers did not find <i>Fusarium</i> at the factory or warehouse, or in unopened solution bottles.</p> <p>Ongoing research is trying to determine the exact mechanism of infection, although when 39 isolates of the fungus were tested, at least 10 different genetic types were found. &quot;This suggests that the organism had a lot of different sources,&quot; Park said.</p> <p>In the meantime, contact lens wearers should take proper care of their eyewear.</p> <p>&quot;There seems to be an association of this infection with patients who don\'t replace their contact lens solution on a daily basis. That\'s a dangerous thing to do,&quot; said Dr. Robert Cykiert, a clinical associate professor of ophthalmology at New York University School of Medicine in New York City. &quot;I ask my patients if, when they take a bath, do they drain the bathtub at the end or jump into the same bathwater the same day. You\'re putting your contacts in old bathwater.&quot;</p> <p>&quot;People who are reusing the old solution are more likely to get an infection,&quot; Park confirmed. &quot;But we don\'t think that this outbreak is due to hygiene measures alone. The most important component was clearly the solution.&quot; </p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>For more on <i>Fusarium</i> keratitis, head to the <a href=\"http://aao.org/public/fungal_keratitis.cfm\" target=\"_new\">American Academy of Ophthalmology</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1060','6','	<p><p>(HealthDay News) -- Redness or blood in the eye could be caused by an inflamed or broken blood vessel -- also known as a subconjunctival hemorrhage. The eye can look extremely red from only a small amount of blood that has leaked and become trapped under the conjunctiva, or thin layer of tissue on your eye.</p> <p>This condition usually is harmless -- although it may look bad -- and the blood normally will clear up on its own.</p> <p>While anyone can have a subconjunctival hemorrhage, Fairview Health Services says people with high blood pressure may be more susceptible. Certain activities that may cause strain to the eye, such as rubbing the eye, sneezing, coughing, or lifting heavy objects, may also cause a blood vessel to break.</p> <p>Redness should disappear within one to three weeks without treatment. A subconjunctival hemorrhage should not cause any impairment or change in your vision; if you do notice a change, see your doctor at once.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1061','6','	<p><p>MONDAY, Aug. 28 (HealthDay News) -- Genetics plays a big role in age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of vision loss in older adults, two new studies show.</p> <p>&quot;We took a very detailed look at a gene that had previously been identified as involved in AMD,&quot; explained the lead researcher for one study, Goncalo Abecasis, an associate professor of biostatistics at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. &quot;We found there were many variants of the gene that could increase the risk of AMD -- some with very large effects,&quot; he added.</p> <p>The reports were published in the September issue of <i>Nature Genetics</i>.</p> <p>AMD is a degenerative disorder that affects the retina, gradually reducing vision. The risk of developing the condition increases with age and is influenced by environmental as well as genetic factors.</p> <p>Earlier studies have found that a genetic variant of a protein called complement factor H (CFH) to be associated with increased risk of developing AMD. These new studies show that other variants of the CFH gene also play an important role in the risk of AMD.</p> <p>In the first study, Abecasis\' team examined at gene variants associated with the CFH gene. They studied these variants in 726 people with AMD and in 268 people who didn\'t have the condition.</p> <p>They found that variants linked to CFH gene -- which do <i>not</i> change the protein itself -- significantly contribute to the risk of AMD. They also showed that multiple variants taken together make up a high proportion of people\'s risk.</p> <p>What was unusual about the finding was that these variants didn\'t have an obvious impact on the protein, Abecasis said. This finding could give scientists a more accurate means of determining an individual\'s specific risk for AMD.</p> <p>The discovery may also help lead to new treatments. &quot;We would like to be able to target the gene to reduce the risk of developing AMD,&quot; Abecasis said. There are also other genes involved in AMD which need to be examined just as this one was, he noted.</p> <p>The second study was led by Mark Daly, an assistant professor of medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. His team examined the genetic causes of AMD cases and found that a common variant of CFH influenced the risk for AMD. As with Abecasis\' study, this variant appeared to have no relation to the CFH protein. The Boston group studied over 1,200 people with AMD and more than 900 people without the disease.</p> <p>They also confirmed links between AMD susceptibility and variations in two other genes. Together, genetic variations in these three genes accounted for a large proportion of people\'s increased risk for AMD, the report found.</p> <p>&quot;We identified a new gene variant that is associated with AMD,&quot; Daly said. &quot;And we have confirmed several other findings. There is now confirmation of three genes involved in AMD,&quot; he added.</p> <p>Brothers and sisters of people with AMD have a 3- to 6-fold higher risk of developing AMD compared with the general population, experts say. Daly\'s group now estimates that variations in these three genes account for about half of that increased risk.</p> <p>With this information, researchers can start to look at people to determine their personal risk for developing AMD, Daly said.</p> <p>That might help in the future, if and when effective treatments arose. However, &quot;At this point, if there were more substantial measures in treating AMD, this would be more valuable information,&quot; Daly said. &quot;At present, there are not really compelling ways of preventing the onset of disease.&quot;</p> <p>The new findings could yield effective ways to prevent or treat AMD, Daly said.</p> <p>Two other experts agreed.</p> <p>&quot;These studies confirm what has already been known, but give us a better view on the subject,&quot; said Rando Allikmets, the Acquavella associate professor in ophthalmology and director of the molecular genetics laboratory at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City.</p> <p>Targeting these genes might help treat AMD by suppressing inflammation in the eye, he said.</p> <p>And Michael Dean, head of the human genetics section at the U.S. National Cancer Institute, said prevention will be key.</p> <p>&quot;Now that we can identify people at risk for AMD, we need to identify them when they are young and follow them over time to see when AMD starts occurring and to see if there is a way delay or prevent the disease,&quot; he said. </p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>For more on AMD, head to the <a href=\"http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/maculardegen/armd_facts.asp\" target=\"_new\">U.S. National Eye Institute</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1062','6','	<p><p>THURSDAY, Sept. 7 (HealthDay News) -- A visual aid invented by U.S. scientists may help improve vision and mobility for people with tunnel vision.</p> <p>The study found that the device -- which combines a tiny camera, a pocket-sized computer and transparent computer display mounted on a pair of glasses -- significantly increased the effectiveness and speed with which visually impaired people were able to find objects.</p> <p>About one in 200 Americans over age 55 has tunnel vision, which is caused by diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa and glaucoma. People with tunnel vision lose their peripheral (side) vision and are left with only a small window of central vision that can be like looking through a tube.</p> <p>It can be difficult for people with tunnel vision to make their way through streets and buildings, and they often bump into or trip over obstacles. As one researcher explained, for people with tunnel vision, trying to locate a misplaced item is like using a flashlight to search for a key in a dark room.</p> <p>As reported in the September issue of <i>Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science</i>, the new glasses-mounted display provides users with added, detailed visual information. This can help them overcome difficulties caused by tunnel vision.</p> <p>&quot;We are very pleased with the results of this first evaluation and hope that with further study and refinement, we may soon make this device available for the public,&quot; inventor Dr. Eli Peli, a low-vision specialist and senior scientist at the Schepens Eye Research Institute, said in a prepared statement.</p> <p>Peli is also a professor of ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School and the senior author of the study.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>The U.S. National Eye Institute has more about <a href=\"http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/risk.asp\" target=\"_new\">eye diseases</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1063','6','	<p><p>TUESDAY, Sept. 12 (HealthDay News) -- Pumping iron could weigh heavily on eye health, researchers report.</p> <p>Pressure in the eye increases during certain weightlifting exercises, they explain, and that can boost the risk for developing a type of glaucoma called normal-tension glaucoma.</p> <p>&quot;Intraocular pressure goes up when you lift weights and even more when you hold your breath,&quot; said co-author Dr. Robert Ritch, from the Department of Ophthalmology at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, New York City.</p> <p>However, another expert said it\'s unlikely weightlifting poses any real threat to sight.</p> <p>&quot;People who lift weights shouldn\'t be concerned,&quot; said Dr. Richard Bensinger, a spokesman for the American Academy of Ophthalmology and chair of the Eye Department at Swedish Hospital, Seattle.</p> <p>The report was published in the September issue of the <i>Archives of Ophthalmology</i>.</p> <p>Intraocular (&quot;within the eye&quot;) pressures decrease after aerobic exercise and non-aerobic exercise, such as weightlifting. However, higher intraocular pressure is associated with the Valsalva maneuver -- where air is forced against a closed windpipe and pressure goes up within the chest. This can occur during coughing, vomiting, playing wind instruments and weightlifting.</p> <p>In the study, Ritch\'s team measured the intraocular pressure of 30 male weightlifters, none of whom had glaucoma. All tested as having normal intraocular pressure before working out.</p> <p>The men then did four repetitions of a typical high-weight bench press. The first time, the researchers measured pressure in the right eye, and the weightlifters held their breath during the last repetition. Next, they measured pressure in the left eye while the men breathed normally during the exercise. Eye pressure was measured during the fourth repetition.</p> <p>Ritch\'s team found that during the first round of exercise, intraocular pressure increased in 27 of the men by an average of 4.3 millimeters of mercury. During the second round, 18 men showed an average of 2.2 millimeters of mercury increase in pressure, the researchers found.</p> <p>The rise in pressure could be due to the Valsalva maneuver or a similar motion performed during bench presses, the researchers said. The higher pressure during the first repetitions &quot;may be due to greater intrathoracic [chest] pressure caused by the air retained in the lungs when the subjects held their breath during intraocular pressure measurement,&quot; they theorized.</p> <p>Normal-tension glaucoma appears to be more common in people who experience frequent changes in eye pressure. However, whether weightlifting actually can <i>cause</i> glaucoma is not known. &quot;Can you get glaucoma from lifting weights? Probably not,&quot; Ritch said.</p> <p>However, &quot;we don\'t know how many people who have been lifting weights for 20 years have glaucoma and if that is greater than one would suspect in the general population,&quot; Ritch said. &quot;All we can say at this point is that lifting weights can increase [intraocular] pressure,&quot; he said.</p> <p>People already diagnosed with glaucoma may be putting themselves at risk of further damage from weightlifting, however. &quot;People with glaucoma probably ought to be very careful about weightlifting,&quot; Ritch said.</p> <p>Bensinger remains skeptical as to the findings\' importance.</p> <p>&quot;Whatever effects they are seeing are very short-term,&quot; said Bensinger. &quot;Whenever you do this stuff, the pressure in the eye goes up, and when you stop, it goes down.&quot;</p> <p>Glaucoma takes a long time to develop, Bensinger noted, so these minor ups-and-downs in intraocular pressure are unlikely to cause any damage.</p> <p>&quot;I don\'t believe that these temporary increases in pressure are anything serious,&quot; Bensinger said. &quot;There are enough weightlifters out there that if there was a concern, we would have seen it already,&quot; he said.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>Find out more about glaucoma at the <a href=\"http://www.medem.com/medlb/article_detaillb.cfm?article_ID=ZZZC6A6EIVC&amp;sub_cat=2012\" target=\"_new\">American Academy of Ophthalmology</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1064','6','	<p><p>WEDNESDAY, July 19 (HealthDay News) -- U.S. researchers say they\'ve identified a genetic disorder that causes congenital diarrhea and intestinal failure in children.</p> <p>University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) researchers named the disorder &quot;enteric anendocrinosis.&quot; It\'s caused by a mutation in the Neurogenin-3 (NEUROG3) gene.</p> <p>The finding -- the first new intestinal disorder identified within the past 15 years -- could help advance stem cell research for both type 1 diabetes and intestinal conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome, the researchers said.</p> <p>&quot;Rare diseases help us understand how the body works,&quot; principal investigator Dr. Martin G. Martin, professor of pediatrics, division of gastroenterology and nutrition, Mattel Children\'s Hospital at UCLA, said in a prepared statement.</p> <p>His team identified the NEUROG 3 mutation after analyzing DNA from three newborns who suffered vomiting, diarrhea, and dehydration after they were fed baby formula. The findings are published in the July 20 issue of the <i>New England Journal of Medicine</i>.</p> <p>Children with enteric anendocrinosis have an abnormally low number of endocrine cells in their intestine and eventually develop type 1 diabetes. There is no cure for the condition, which is worsened by eating. Treatment options include specialized formulas and intravenous feeding to minimize diarrhea and promote growth.</p> <p>&quot;We now know that the hormone-producing endocrine cells of the intestine have an essential role in facilitating nutrition absorption. These findings have already led to the detection of subset forms of enteric anendocrinosis,&quot; Martin said.</p> <p>The study findings could lead to other research advances, he added.</p> <p>&quot;Since patients with enteric anendocrinosis develop type 1 diabetes, we hope stem cell researchers can apply the knowledge from this discovery to the role of NEUROG3 in the development of insulin-producing islet cells in the pancreas,&quot; Martin said.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>The Nemours Foundation has more about <a href=\"http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/infections/common/diarrhea.html\" target=\"_new\">children and diarrhea</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1065','6','	<p><p>FRIDAY, Aug. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Exposure to pesticides causes changes to rats\' nervous systems, according to preliminary results of a project led by the Energy &amp; Environmental Research Center (EERC) at the University of North Dakota (UND).</p> <p>The project seeks to identify the dangers posed by pesticides, how exposure occurs, and ways to reduce pesticide-related human health risks.</p> <p>In laboratory tests with rats, the researchers found that pesticide exposure caused changes in the same areas of the brain involved in multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, Parkinson\'s disease and Alzheimer\'s disease.</p> <p>Pesticides can also cause severe damage to the gastrointestinal system and cause neurological dysfunction, the researchers said.</p> <p>&quot;Such results may lead to behavioral or biochemical characteristics that will facilitate better diagnosis of pesticide-related illness and help physicians take appropriate steps to treat them,&quot; Patrick Carr, an associate professor of anatomy and cell biology, UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences, said in a prepared statement.</p> <p>&quot;Ultimately, the program will result in the determination of how humans are exposed to pesticides and the development of strategies to help us reduce our exposure-related risks,&quot; Ed Steadman, EERC senior research advisor, said in a prepared statement.</p> <p>&quot;Over the past year, we evaluated the relationships between locations where pesticides are being used and any incidences of neurological symptoms in those areas, as well as characterized the effect specific pesticides have on the nervous system,&quot; Steadman said.</p> <p>That data, which is currently being analyzed, will be used to guide future research on how humans are exposed to pesticides.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has more about <a href=\"http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/factsheets/riskassess.htm\" target=\"_new\">health risks from pesticides</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1066','6','	<p><p>(HealthDay News) -- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) occurs when the intestines squeeze too hard or not hard enough, causing food to pass either too quickly or too slowly. IBS typically affects women, most often around age 20.</p> <p>Symptoms of IBS include abdominal cramps, diarrhea, constipation, bloating and gas. The American Academy of Family Physicians says travel, stress, large meals and menstrual cycles may contribute to symptoms of IBS.</p> <p>The academy suggests eating a healthy diet with plenty of insoluble fiber, including lots of vegetables, fruits and whole grains each day. Also, try to reduce stress, the group advises.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1067','6','	<p><p>TUESDAY, Aug. 8 (HealthDay News) -- U.S. researchers are hoping to milk genetically-modified goats for a new way to protect children against intestinal/diarrheal diseases, which kill more than two million children worldwide each year. </p> <p>Animal scientists at the University of California, Davis, studied milk produced by transgenic goats with the gene for an antibacterial enzyme (lysozyme) found in human breast milk. When this milk was fed to young goats and pigs, it altered their intestinal bacteria.</p> <p>This research may lead to the development of milk that can protect children from intestinal/diarrheal illnesses, the scientists said. The findings were published in the August issue of the journal <i>Transgenic Research</i>.</p> <p>&quot;This goat\'s milk represents one of the first transgenic food products that has the potential to really benefit human health,&quot; study author Jim Murray said in a prepared statement. &quot;The results of the study indicate that the protective, antibacterial characteristics of lysozyme-rich human breast milk are also present in milk produced by transgenic goats that carry the gene for lysozyme.&quot;</p> <p>Lysozyme limits the growth of bacteria that cause intestinal infections and diarrhea, and encourages the growth of beneficial intestinal bacteria.</p> <p>&quot;This study underscores the potential for using biotechnology to improve the healthfulness of the milk of dairy animals by introducing the beneficial properties of human milk into dairy animals,&quot; Murray said.</p> <p>It may be possible to use this method to produce lysozyme-rich powdered milk, and eventually, herds of transgenic dairy goats for use by developing nations.</p> <p>Larger, more in-depth studies are needed to examine the other possible benefits of the lysozyme-rich milk from the transgenic goats, the study authors said.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>The Nemours Foundation has more about <a href=\"http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/digestive/diarrhea.html\" target=\"_new\">diarrhea in children</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1068','6','	<p><p>TUESDAY, Aug. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Extremely obese people with poor cardiopulmonary fitness had longer surgery times and suffered more post-surgery complications than those with higher fitness levels, a U.S. study says. </p> <p>Bariatric surgery reduces the size of the stomach in order to help people lose weight.</p> <p>This study included 109 morbidly obese patients with a mean body mass index (BMI) of 48.7 (for comparison purposes, a BMI of 30 is considered the threshold for obesity). They were divided into three groups. Those in the first group had the highest BMI and lowest cardiopulmonary fitness and those in the third group had the lowest BMI and the highest cardiopulmonary fitness.</p> <p>Patients in the first group were seven times more (16.6 percent) likely to suffer primary complications -- such as death, angina, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, renal failure and/or stroke -- than patients in the other two groups (2.8 percent).</p> <p>Surgery times were also nearly 25 minutes longer in the first group than in the third group. Patients in the first group also had longer hospital stays and higher readmission rates. They were more likely to be women, smokers, older, non-Caucasian, and have diabetes and hypertension.</p> <p>&quot;Random complications may occur during bariatric surgery. However, complications may become more apparent in patients with low levels of cardiopulmonary fitness, because they have very little pulmonary reserve and have reduced ability to withstand surgery,&quot; researcher Dr. Peter A. McCullough, of William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, Mich., said in a prepared statement.</p> <p>The findings were published study in the August issue of the journal <i>Chest</i>. </p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>The American Medical Association has more about <a href=\"http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/294/15/1986\" target=\"_new\">bariatric surgery</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1069','6','	<p><p> (HealthDay News) -- Diarrhea can be caused by either a viral or bacterial infection, food poisoning, and a host of other diseases and conditions. By itself it can be serious, because it can lead to dehydration.</p> <p>The University of Maryland Medical Center says drugs can be used to treat diarrhea, but the condition often goes away on its own. </p> <p>Certain foods may worsen diarrhea, so you should stay away from chocolate, dairy products, coffee and anything with strong spices until the condition subsides.</p> <p>Try eating bland foods like crackers, clear soup broth, applesauce, or bananas until you start to feel better. Drink plenty of water to keep yourself hydrated. And try vegetable juice to help restore electrolytes, the UMMC advises.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1070','6','	<p><p>TUESDAY, Aug. 22 (HealthDay News) -- There\'s surprisingly little scientific evidence on how best to prevent pressure ulcers (bed sores), even though they\'re common among people with limited mobility and cost billions of dollars a year to treat, says a Canadian study in this week\'s issue of the <i>Journal of the American Medical Association</i>. </p> <p>Researchers reviewed 59 studies on preventing bed sores. The studies were conducted over the past 30 years and involved nearly 14,000 patients. Still, considering the magnitude of the problem, that\'s a meager number of studies for such a long period of time, the researchers said.</p> <p>&quot;Pressure ulcers are common in a variety of settings and are associated with adverse health outcomes and high treatment costs,&quot; lead author Dr. Madhuri Reddy, a geriatrician and chronic wound specialist at Women\'s College Hospital in Toronto.</p> <p>&quot;We found that the majority of published studies which have examined interventions to prevent pressure ulcers have been inadequate in their design and have not generated robust scientific evidence from which to develop comprehensive and unequivocal best practice guidelines,&quot; Reddy said.</p> <p>Pressure ulcers range from slight skin discoloration to open sores that go all the way to the bone and frequently develop in the tail-bone area, and the hips and heels. Pressure ulcers can prolong a patient\'s hospital stay and be complicated by pain and infection, which can even result in death.</p> <p>Sixty percent of pressure ulcers develop in patients admitted to hospital and many of the affected patients are elderly and/or have diabetes or vascular disease. Pressure ulcers can develop within three to six hours in immobile patients.</p> <p>An estimated 2.5 million pressure ulcers are treated each year in acute care facilities in the United States, at a cost of about $11 billion. Elderly people in long-term care are also at risk for pressure ulcers, particularly those who are immobile, incontinent, or have dementia.</p> <p>&quot;There seems to be a huge mismatch between the billions of dollars we\'re spending on treating this condition, including an incredible amount of nursing time, and the relatively little effort in determining best practices for prevention,&quot; senior author Dr. Paula Rochon, a geriatrician and senior scientist at Baycrest Geriatric Health Care System, said in a prepared statement.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>The American Academy of Family Physicians has more about <a href=\"http://familydoctor.org/039.xml\" target=\"_new\">pressure ulcers</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1071','6','	<p><p>(HealthDay News) -- A sore or hole in the lining of the stomach is called an ulcer.</p> <p>How do you know that you\'ve got one? Your doctor should evaluate your symptoms, but here\'s is a list of possible warning signs, courtesy of the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse:</p> <ul> <li>Pain in the stomach that feels dull, not sharp, and burning.</li> <li>Stomach pain that usually goes away after you eat, but may return several hours after.</li> <li>Stomach pain that occurs in the middle of the night when you haven\'t eaten in several hours.</li> <li>Weight loss and loss of appetite.</li> <li>Nausea and vomiting.</li> </ul> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1072','6','	<p><p>THURSDAY, Aug. 24 (HealthDay News) -- U.S. researchers have discovered an intestinal protein that defends the organ against microbial invaders.</p> <p>The finding offers new insight into how the intestine fights off pathogens, says a team from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, and could lead to treatments for inflammatory bowel disease and intestinal infections.</p> <p>&quot;We found that when the gut lining comes into contact with bacteria, it produces a protein that binds to sugars that are part of the bacterial outer surface. Once bound, these proteins quickly destroy their bacterial targets. They\'re killer proteins with a sweet tooth,&quot; study senior author Dr. Lora Hooper, assistant professor of immunology, said in a prepared statement.</p> <p>The researchers used mice raised inside plastic sterile bubbles. Because the mice had never been in contact with microbes in the outside world, they did not have the bacteria that normally colonize the gut.</p> <p>During the study, the mice were exposed to different types of gut bacteria and the researchers observed how the epithelial cells lining the rodents\' intestines responded to these invaders.</p> <p>This protein is called RegIIIgamma in mice and HIP/PAP in humans. The protein may help create an &quot;electric fence&quot; that protects the intestinal surface against invading bacteria, Hooper explained.</p> <p>The study appears in the Aug. 25 issue of <i>Science</i>.</p> <p>People with inflammatory bowel disease, which can cause painful ulcers and bloody diarrhea, have elevated levels of HIP/PAP production.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>The American Academy of Family Physicians has more about <a href=\"http://familydoctor.org/252.xml\" target=\"_new\">inflammatory bowel disease</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1073','6','	<p><!--Spanish ID:534778--> <p>TUESDAY, Sept. 5 (HealthDay News) -- The American Academy of Pediatrics has a new attitude about consumption of milk and milk products by children with lactose intolerance: Hey, give it a try.</p> <p>New guidelines say the academy &quot;supports use of dairy foods as an important source of calcium for bone mineral health and of other nutrients that facilitate growth in children and adolescents.&quot; Specifically, it does not recommend eliminating dairy products to treat lactose intolerance.</p> <p>In practical terms, said Dr. Melvin B. Heyman, a member of the committee that wrote the guidelines, the new advice is for parents of children with lactose intolerance, in collaboration with pediatricians, to &quot;test the system and see how much milk, cheese and ice cream they can tolerate.&quot;</p> <p>One reason for the new advice, said Heyman, who is a professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco, is that &quot;we have more information about what people will tolerate. We know that children who have lactose intolerance have a tendency to tolerate some dairy products.&quot;</p> <p>At least an equally important factor is the need for the calcium in dairy products, he said. &quot;Young people have to get as much calcium as they can to lower the risk of problems with bones as they get older,&quot; Heyman said.</p> <p>The new guidelines were published in the September issue of the academy\'s journal, <i>Pediatrics</i>.</p> <p>An estimated 30 million to 50 million Americans have some degree of intolerance to lactose, the main sugar found in milk and other dairy products. They have a shortage of the enzyme lactase, which breaks down the sugar, and can experience unpleasant symptoms, including nausea, cramps, bloating, gas and diarrhea if they ingest too much lactose.</p> <p>The condition is relatively rare in whites, but as many as 75 percent of blacks, 90 percent of Asian-Americans and nearly 100 percent of Native Americans suffer from it. Symptoms generally start appearing after the age of 2.</p> <p>When symptoms do appear, the first step should be to make sure that they are not caused by another condition, such as irritable bowel syndrome, celiac disease, an infection or parasites, Heyman said.</p> <p>If lactose intolerance is the problem, it\'s important to remember that the condition does not do bodily damage, however unpleasant the symptoms might be, he said. Careful testing can help determine which products affect an individual and which are a lesser problem. &quot;Some people might tolerate yogurt but have problems with milk,&quot; Heyman said.</p> <p>The important point is that young people get an adequate amount of calcium, he said. The guidelines note that the National Medical Association, an organization of black physicians, &quot;recently recommended that black people consume three to four servings a day of low-fat milk, cheese and/or yogurt.&quot;</p> <p>&quot;If lactose-free diets are used for treatment of lactose intolerance, the diets should include a good source of calcium and/or calcium supplementation to meet daily recommended intake levels,&quot; the guidelines state.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>Visit the U.S. <a href=\"http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health/digest/pubs/lactose/lactose.htm\" target=\"_new\">National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases</a> for more on lactose intolerance.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1074','7','	<p><!--Spanish ID:533984--> <p>MONDAY, July 24 (HealthDay News) -- Interventions tailored to language and culture can significantly boost colorectal cancer screening rates for U.S. minority groups, a new study finds.</p> <p>The study found that low-income, Chinese-speaking patients in the United States were six times more likely to be screened for colorectal cancer when a clinic-based, multilingual health educator provided the patients with culturally and linguistically appropriate counseling, educational materials, and screening test instructions.</p> <p>Researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, reported the findings in the Sept. 1 issue of <i>Cancer</i>.</p> <p>The study included two groups: one control group received standard care, while the intervention group received the targeted counseling and information, including fecal occult blood test (FOBT) instructions and three FOBT cards.</p> <p>FOBT is a type of screening test for colorectal cancer.</p> <p>Within six months, nearly 70 percent of the patients in the intervention group had completed FOBT screening, compared to just over 27 percent of patients in the control group.</p> <p>&quot;Our results confirm the notable effectiveness of a multi-component, culturally appropriate health education program to promote FOBT screening within an ethnic minority group,&quot; the study authors wrote.</p> <p>Until a few decades ago, colorectal cancer was predominately a Western disease that afflicted Caucasians, the study noted. But studies of U.S. immigrants from countries with a low incidence of colorectal cancer show that the incidence of colorectal cancer in those immigrant groups increases within one generation of living in the United States.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more about <a href=\"http://www.cancer.gov/cancerinfo/pdq/screening/colorectal/patient/\" target=\"_new\">colorectal cancer screening</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1075','7','	<p><p>WEDNESDAY, Aug. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Chemicals found in onions and curry may help prevent colon cancer, a Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine study suggests. </p> <p>Published in the August issue of the journal <i>Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology</i>, the study included five people with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), an inherited form of precancerous polyps in the lower bowel. FAP is characterized by the development of hundreds of colorectal polyps and eventual colon cancer.</p> <p>For an average of six months, the patients received three daily oral doses of 20 milligrams of quercetin (an antioxidant found in onions) and 480 milligrams of curcumin (found in tumeric, one of the main ingredients of curry).</p> <p>The average number of polyps in the patients declined by 60.4 percent, and the average size of the polyps decreased by 50.9 percent, the study said.</p> <p>&quot;We believe this is the first proof of principle that these substances have significant effects in patients with FAP,&quot; study leader Dr. Francis M. Giardiello, director of the division of gastroenterology at the university, said in a prepared statement.</p> <p>He believes that curcumin is the key agent.</p> <p>&quot;The amount of quercetin we administered was similar to what many people consume daily; however, the amount of curcumin is many times what a person might ingest in a typical diet, since tumeric only contains on average three percent to five percent curcumin by weight,&quot; Giardiello said.</p> <p>It\'s not likely that simply eating onions and curry would provide the same benefits seen in this study, he noted.</p> <p>The researchers plan to conduct a randomized clinical trial with more patients.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more about <a href=\"http://www.cancer.gov/cancerinfo/pdq/treatment/colon/patient/\" target=\"_new\">colon cancer</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1076','7','	<p><p>WEDNESDAY, Aug. 30 (HealthDay News) -- The final word on whether the cox-2 painkiller Celebrex might be used to prevent colon cancer is a definite &quot;no,&quot; according to the long-awaited results of two major studies.</p> <p>Both of the three-year trials found that the drug reduced the occurrence of precancerous polyps called adenomas in people at risk for colon cancer, but it more than doubled patients\' risk for heart attack and other serious cardiovascular events.</p> <p>&quot;The message is that celecoxib [Celebrex] has no role as a chemotherapeutic agent -- in people with adenomas or in people among the general population. The risks far exceed the potential benefits,&quot; said Dr. Bruce Psaty, a professor of medicine, epidemiology and health services at the University of Washington, Seattle.</p> <p>Psaty co-authored an editorial on the two studies, both of which were expected to be published in the Aug. 31 issue of the <i>New England Journal of Medicine</i>. Both studies received funding from Pfizer Inc., the maker of Celebrex.</p> <p>Cox-2 inhibitors are part of a class of analgesics called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which also include widely used medications such as aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen (Aleve). Prescription medications such as Celebrex were originally developed because they are safer on the stomach than other NSAIDs.</p> <p>However, Celebrex is the only cox-2 inhibitor left on the market. Two other related drugs -- Vioxx and Bextra -- were withdrawn in 2004 and 2005, respectively, following reports of heightened cardiovascular risks.</p> <p>As mandated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Celebrex now carries a special &quot;black box&quot; warning that advises consumers of the potential heart dangers.</p> <p>Cox-2 inhibitors work by blocking cyclooxygenase enzymes, which are produced by the body in response to inflammation and are also produced in precancerous tissues.</p> <p>The latter fact left cancer researchers pondering whether or not long-term use of Celebrex might cut risks for colon cancer.</p> <p>These two latest trials try to answer that question. The biggest study, called the Adenoma Prevention with Celecoxib (APC) trial, was led by Dr. Monica Bertagnolli, of Brigham and Women\'s Hospital in Boston. It tracked the incidence of polyps called adenomas in more than 2,000 patients with a prior history of these precancerous growths.</p> <p>&quot;Adenomas are a precursor of colon cancer -- you could consider them a proxy for colon cancer in the context of this trial,&quot; explained co-researcher Dr. John Saltzman, director of endoscopy at Brigham and an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.</p> <p>Patients in the trial were divided into three groups: a third received a dummy placebo, a third got 200 milligrams of Celebrex twice daily, and the remaining third received 400 milligrams of the drug twice a day.</p> <p>The team then had patients come in for regular colonoscopies over the next 3 years.</p> <p>Celebrex did help bring down the rate of adenoma recurrence, the researchers reported.</p> <p>While more than 60 percent of those on placebo developed these potentially malignant polyps, that number fell to about 43 percent for those on lower-dose (400 mg/day) Celebrex, and 37.5 percent for those taking the higher dose of Celebrex (800 mg/day).</p> <p>There was a definite downside to the long-term use of Celebrex, however.</p> <p>&quot;Compared with placebo, celecoxib was associated with approximately a doubling of the cardiovascular event rates,&quot; Psaty noted. Specifically, patients taking lower-dose Celebrex for three years had 2.6 times the rate of serious cardiovascular events -- such as fatal or nonfatal heart attack and/or heart failure -- compared to those taking placebo. That risk more than tripled for those on the higher-dose regimen, the researchers added.</p> <p>A second three-year study involving nearly 1,600 patients -- this time led by Dr. Bernard Levin of the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston -- found similar results.</p> <p>The Prevention of Colorectal Sporadic Adenomatous Polyps (PreSAP) trial compared patients who took a placebo to those who received 400 milligrams/day of Celebrex.</p> <p>It found that the drug cut the rate of adenomas by 36 percent after three years. However, long-term use also significantly boosted patients\' risk for cardiovascular trouble.</p> <p>According to Psaty, the take-home message from both trials is that the cardiovascular risks &quot;far outweighed even the most optimistic projections about the drug\'s cancer-prevention properties.&quot;</p> <p>Saltzman agreed, adding that heart risks associated with Celebrex probably apply to Vioxx and Bextra as well. &quot;My presumption is that it\'s a class effect,&quot; he said.</p> <p>However, other NSAIDs might still help lower the odds of colon cancer for patients at high risk, the experts said.</p> <p>&quot;Low-dose aspirin has been looked at already and does show some chemopreventive effects, with about a 20 percent reduction of recurrent adenomas,&quot; Saltzman noted. &quot;And certainly low-dose aspirin is used by doctors everywhere to help the heart.&quot;</p> <p>Even though aspirin\'s anti-cancer benefits aren\'t as great as those attributed to Celebrex, &quot;I think it is not an unreasonable thing for people to pursue,&quot; he said.</p> <p>The new findings probably won\'t change the status quo when it comes to the marketing of cox-2 inhibitors, the experts said, since much of the side-effect data had been published before.</p> <p>&quot;I don\'t think this gives new or additional information that will help with the determination of whether these drugs should stay on the market,&quot; Saltzman said.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>There\'s more on cox-2 inhibitors at the <a href=\"http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/infopage/cox2/default.htm\" target=\"_new\">U.S. Food and Drug Administration</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1077','7','	<p> <P><b>Summary:</b> Researchers from Johns Hopkins University and other institutions have identified scores of gene mutations that play a role in <a href=\"http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/CRI_2x.asp?sitearea=LRN&dt=5\">breast cancer</a> and <a href=\"http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/CRI_2x.asp?sitearea=LRN&dt=10\">colorectal cancer</a>. This knowledge could one day help doctors better understand how these diseases form, and could lead to the development of drugs to treat them. The findings appear in <i>Science Express</i>, the early online edition of the journal <i>Science</i>.</p> <P><b>Why it\'s important:</b> Breast and colorectal cancers account for more than 2 million cancer cases and around 940,000 deaths worldwide. In the US, breast cancer is expected to strike more than 200,000 women and kill nearly 41,000 this year alone. Colorectal cancer is expected to strike nearly 150,000 Americans and kill more than 55,000 this year. Researchers are searching for more clues as to how these cancers develop in hopes of finding new ways to prevent and treat them.</p> <P>\"We are convinced that this kind of study will provide one of the best road maps possible for beating cancer,\" said study coauthor Kenneth Kinzler, PhD, professor of oncology and co-director of the Ludwig Center at Johns Hopkins. \"Who would pass up the opportunity to read the enemy\'s game plan?\"</p> <P><b>What\'s already known:</b> Researchers have already identified some genes that are involved in the development of each of these cancers. For instance, mutations in the BRCA1 and/or BRCA2 genes make women (and men) more likely to develop breast cancer. Changes in a gene called APC are responsible for familial adenomatous polyposis, a condition that causes people to develop hundreds of colon polyps and puts them at high risk of developing colon cancer. </p> <P>Until now, however, no one had sequenced the entire genome of these cancers in hopes of finding all -- or at least many -- of the gene changes that might cause these diseases.</p> <P><b>How this study was done:</b> The research team began with samples from 11 breast tumors and 11 colon tumors. Using sophisticated gene sequencing techniques, they compared more than 13,000 genes in the cancer samples to genes from normal breast and colon samples, looking for mutations. To narrow the field even more, they compared those mutations to samples from other cancers of the same type. Finally, they used a statistical calculation to figure out which of the hundreds of mutations they\'d found were likely to contribute to cancer. </p> <P><b>What was found:</b> In the end, the team identified 122 genes likely involved with breast cancer and 69 genes likely involved with colon cancer -- much more than the handful they had expected. Some of the genes they found were already known or suspected to be associated with cancer, but most had not been linked to the disease previously.</p> <P>The researchers also determined that the mutations found in breast cancer are very different from those found in colon cancer. That could be one reason that different cancers behave so differently in people, and why even tumors of the same type vary dramatically from person to person, they said. Their results also suggest that it takes many more mutations than previously believed to stimulate a cancer.</p> <P>The researchers caution that their work is just a first draft of the breast and colon cancer genomes. The techniques they used were not able to analyze every single gene there is -- around 5,000 were not included in the study -- and they could not identify every possible type of mutation. There could be more genes with different mutations that also play a role in these cancers.</p> <P><b>The bottom line:</b> Although a lot of work remains to be done, this genome research has many implications for cancer diagnosis and treatment in the future, said Len Lichtenfeld, MD, deputy chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society.</p> <P>\"This report brings us one more step down the line in understanding cancer processes and toward the development of new methods for truly early diagnosis,\" he said. \"This [work] will also lead the way to new approaches in determining the prognosis of individual cancers, and enable us to create personalized therapeutic \'targeted cocktails\' for the treatment of patients with cancer.\"</p> <P>The researchers agree that identifying targets for new drugs will be an important application of these findings. But that\'s not all. Knowing about the genes involved with these 2 cancers can help scientists figure out exactly what factors cause the mutations that lead to different cancers (perhaps things in the environment, or in our diets) and maybe lead to better ways of preventing these diseases.</p> <P>\"Just as sequencing the human genome laid the groundwork for subsequent research in genetics, these data lay the foundation for decades of research on colon and breast cancers, \" said study coauthor Victor Velculescu, MD, PhD, assistant professor of oncology at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center.</p> <P>Their technique can also be used to identify mutated genes in other cancer types, Velculescu and colleagues said, potentially opening the door to more treatments for more people.</p> <DIV align=center><IMG height=1 alt=\"\" src=\"/images/health/story/www_cancer_org/common/images/rule.gif\" width=440 vspace=10 name=rule></DIV> <P><b>Citation:</b> \"The Consensus Coding Sequences of Human Breast and Colorectal Cancers.\" Published online Sep. 7, 2006 in <i>Science Express</i>. First author: Tobias Sjoblom, Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1078','7','	<p><p>TUESDAY, April 4 (HealthDay News) -- The commonly prescribed prostate drug doxazosin may increase heart failure risk by blocking specific receptors in heart muscle cells, an animal study suggests.</p> <p>Doxazosin is used to improve urinary flow in men with enlarged prostates. The drug does this by blocking the action of alpha 1-adrenergic receptors, which increase contraction of smooth muscles. By blocking these receptors, the drug relaxes muscles that control urine flow.</p> <p>In this study, mice that lacked alpha 1 receptors were subjected to conditions that simulated high blood pressure. Half of the mice that lacked the receptors died of heart failure, and the rest developed a serious form of heart disease called dilated cardiomyopathy. The deaths and heart disease in these mice were apparently due to the lack of alpha 1 signaling ability in heart muscle cells, the researchers said.</p> <p>When normal mice were subjected to the same kind of high blood pressure-like conditions, they all survived.</p> <p>The findings appear in the April issue of the <i>Journal of Clinical Investigation</i>.</p> <p>&quot;While you can\'t jump to conclusions about humans based on mouse results, it might not be a good idea to block this receptor. I think doctors and researchers need to pay more attention to the possibility that these drugs are making people worse,&quot; principal investigator Dr. Paul. C. Simpson, a staff cardiologist at San Francisco VA Medical Center, said in a prepared statement.</p> <p>The findings also suggest that alpha 1 receptors may provide a new target for drugs to treat heart failure.</p> <p>&quot;We\'ve studied what happens when these receptors aren\'t present,&quot; added Simpson, who is also a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. &quot;But what happens when you take a drug that specifically activates them? Can you stimulate them to cause the heart muscle cell to recover when it\'s injured, or grow stronger when it\'s weak?&quot;</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>The U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases has more about <a href=\"http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/prostateenlargement/index.htm#symptoms\" target=\"_new\">enlarged prostate</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1079','7','	<p><p>THURSDAY, Sept. 7 (HealthDay News) -- In what experts are calling a milestone achievement, U.S. researchers have sequenced the genetic &quot;blueprints&quot; of two major cancer killers -- breast and colon cancer.</p> <p>Identifying nearly 200 genes thought responsible for these diseases, the work gives researchers new insight into these malignancies and lays the foundation for the gene-targeted therapies that may one day cure them.</p> <p>&quot;Only by understanding this blueprint of cancer will we be fully able to understand the mechanism of what makes a cancer a cancer and to think about strategies for diagnosis, prevention and therapy,&quot; explained Dr. Victor Velculescu, senior researcher on the project and an assistant professor of oncology at Johns Hopkins University\'s Kimmel Cancer Center.</p> <p>Experts elsewhere were similarly optimistic. In a statement, Dr. Elias A. Zerhouni, director of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, which funded the project, described the new genetic maps as &quot;groundbreaking work.&quot;</p> <p>&quot;This research approach holds great promise for providing an understanding of the genomic contributions to cancer,&quot; he said.</p> <p>Velculescu\'s team outlined the findings in the Sept. 8 issue of the journal <i>Science</i>.</p> <p>Just as the human body has its genetic code, so, too, do cancer cells.</p> <p>&quot;Work from the past two decades has shown us that cancer is a genetic disease,&quot; said Velculescu. He explained that a malignancy occurs when specific genes in healthy cells undergo unhealthy mutations.</p> <p>&quot;A mutation is really like a typo in a blueprint that\'s 3 billion letters long,&quot; he said, so spotting any one mutation has been like finding the proverbial needle in a haystack.</p> <p>A new $100 million federal initiative, The Cancer Genome Atlas project, seeks to change all that by mapping the myriad genetic &quot;typos&quot; that cause specific tumor types to form. The project described in <i>Science</i> is the first major step in that effort.</p> <p>In their research, Velculescu and his colleagues from across the United States focused on cracking the gene codes for breast and colon cancers, which together make up one-fifth of all cancer diagnoses worldwide. Other initiatives, focused on other tumor types, are currently under way.</p> <p>The team analyzed more than 13,000 genes from tumor tissues taken from 11 patients with breast cancer and 11 patients with colorectal cancer.</p> <p>What they found surprised them.</p> <p>&quot;Many of us might have expected that only a few of the \'building blocks\' in a cell to be mutated, but we actually found quite a number of them,&quot; Velculescu said. &quot;It looks like each cancer has about 100 different genes that are mutated, at least 20 of which are thought to be important for the tumor\'s progression.&quot;</p> <p>The research also confirmed that there\'s no one disease called cancer.</p> <p>&quot;It looks like there are quite a bit of differences between the blueprint of different cancer types,&quot; the Johns Hopkins expert noted. &quot;Colon and breast cancers are different, and, in addition, each individual\'s cancer is different. This, in part, may explain the differences that clinicians for a long time have seen among their cancer patients.&quot;</p> <p>But the team also found &quot;commonalities&quot; between colon and breast cancers as well -- mutations that affected similar cellular pathways. &quot;As we learn more and more about how these genes interact, about pathways and how these genes control processes that occur inside cancer cells, we may be able to find simpler [treatment] targets,&quot; Velculescu said.</p> <p>Another expert agreed. &quot;This achievement is important because, to the degree that those genes are proven now to be related to the cancer process, they provide targets that can be potentially used either for diagnostic or treatment purposes,&quot; said Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, deputy chief medical officer at the American Cancer Society.</p> <p>For example, doctors may someday use sensitive nanotechnology early detection tests to spot tiny amounts of cancer-linked proteins produced by these aberrant genes. &quot;That would be a test that would enable you to diagnose a cancer long before you are actually able to see it,&quot; Lichtenfeld said.</p> <p>In terms of treatments, drug developers can target specific genes and their proteins to create treatments that stop a cancer cold without harming the patient. Gleevec -- the &quot;wonder&quot; drug now used to halt chronic myelogenous leukemia -- is one such targeted therapy, Lichtenfeld said.</p> <p>&quot;So, this new achievement is a really important step and an important link between where we are today and where we have been talking that we will be in five, 10, 15 years,&quot; he said.</p> <p>Velculescu said he shares that vision.</p> <p>&quot;We are predicting that cancer is an individualized disease, and there will come a day when people will go into the clinic and their tumor will be analyzed for specific mutations,&quot; he said. &quot;Based on the combination of genes that are mutated, they will receive a particular combination of therapies that will treat the disease.&quot;</p> <p>&quot;We\'re not there yet, and there\'s still a long way to go,&quot; Velculescu said. &quot;But without knowing what\'s broken inside a cancer cell, we have no hope of fixing it.&quot;</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>For more on gene therapy and cancer, head to the <a href=\"http://www.cancer.org/docroot/MBC/content/MBC_2_3x_Gene_Therapy.asp?sitearea=MBC\" target=\"_new\">American Cancer Society</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1080','7','	<p><p>TUESDAY, April 11 (HealthDay News) -- Italian researchers have found what they call the first direct association between high cholesterol levels and prostate cancer.</p> <p>In a nine-year study of almost 3,000 men, the researchers discovered that those with prostate cancer, particularly older men, were twice as likely to have high cholesterol as those without.</p> <p>U.S. experts, however, pointed out the possibility that the two conditions are only indirectly connected through a third factor.</p> <p>&quot;This is an interesting observation, but prostate cancer is linked with obesity and diabetes -- both of which are known risk factors for high cholesterol,&quot; noted Dr. Jay Brooks, chairman of hematology/oncology at the Ochsner Health System in Baton Rouge, La. &quot;I would say that\'s the correlation.&quot; </p> <p>&quot;It says nothing definitive, but it raises an interesting question,&quot; added Dr. Ronald Ennis, director of radiation oncology at St. Luke\'s Roosevelt Hospital and associate director of Continuum Cancer Centers, both in New York City. &quot;Whether the findings are a fluke of the patient population or if there\'s a real relationship is very uncertain right now.&quot; </p> <p>The findings were published Wednesday in the online edition of the <i>Annals of Oncology</i>.</p> <p>While age, ethnicity and family history help determine who will get prostate cancer, other causes are poorly understood, the study authors from the Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri in Milan, explained. </p> <p>Diabetes, cardiovascular conditions and obesity have been associated with prostate cancer but the evidence has not been consistent, they added. High cholesterol has been listed as a culprit but, again, the evidence has been sketchy. </p> <p>For this study, the researchers looked at almost 1,300 men under the age of 75 who had prostate cancer and compared them with 1,451 men who did not have the illness, but had been admitted to the same hospitals with acute, non-cancerous conditions. The study took place between 1991 and 2002. </p> <p>Participants answered questions about their medical conditions and medical history. The presence of prostate cancer was confirmed by lab tests. The existence of high cholesterol came from the participants\' say-so, which could be considered a study weakness. </p> <p>Men with prostate cancer were 50 percent more likely to have high cholesterol than men without prostate cancer, the Italian team found. The association was stronger in those over 65 (who were 80 percent more likely to also have high cholesterol) than in younger men (who were only 32 percent more likely to have high cholesterol). </p> <p>The prostate cancer patients in the study were also 26 percent more likely to have had gallstones than the controls, but this was not considered to be statistically significant. According to the authors, gallstones are often related to high cholesterol levels. </p> <p>The association between high cholesterol levels and prostate cancer was also stronger in men diagnosed with high cholesterol before the age of 50. </p> <p>As for the biological plausibility, the study authors point to the fact that androgens or male hormones that play a role in cancer and in prostate tissue are synthesized from cholesterol. </p> <p>If future studies bear out these results, statins (popular cholesterol-lowering drugs like Lipitor or Pravachol) may have a role in preventing prostate cancer, the authors said. </p> <p>So far, the evidence regarding statins and prostate cancer has been inconclusive, however. </p> <p>&quot;If they could look at databases of people who have high cholesterol or follow people long-term, that would be interesting,&quot; Ennis said. </p> <p>According to the American Cancer Society, prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer in American men after skin cancer. An estimated 234,460 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed in the U.S. in 2006 and about 27,350 men will die of the disease. Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in men, following lung cancer. </p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>For more on prostate cancer, head to the <a href=\"http://www.cancer.org/docroot/lrn/lrn_0.asp\" target=\"_new\">American Cancer Society</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1081','7','	<p><p>WEDNESDAY, April 19 (HealthDay News) -- A team of American researchers have developed a &quot;risk calculator&quot; that they say is a better tool for predicting a man\'s odds of developing prostate cancer than prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood testing alone.</p> <p>The calculator -- posted online for use by both patients and physicians -- adds age, race, family history of prostate cancer, prior biopsy findings, and digital rectal exam (DRE) results into the mix alongside PSA levels, to assess a man\'s risk before having a new biopsy.</p> <p>&quot;PSA is a very important predictor of cancer, but is only one part of the picture of a man\'s risk of cancer,&quot; explained study author Dr. Ian M. Thompson, professor and chairman of the department of urology at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio.</p> <p>His team describe the new screen in the April issue of the <i>Journal of the National Cancer Institute</i>.</p> <p>According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), prostate cancer is the second leading cancer killer for men. An estimated one in six men will receive a prostate cancer diagnosis in their lifetime, and more than 30,000 Americans currently die of the disease each year.</p> <p>For healthy men over the age of 50, the ACS now recommends an annual PSA blood test, as well as a digital rectal exam (DRE). The organization advises that men at higher risk -- such as blacks and patients with a history of prostate cancer in their family -- begin such testing at age 45.</p> <p>While 50 percent of older men now undergo routine PSA screenings, Thompson said his prior work suggests PSA results are more useful when taken in context with other factors. Too often, he said, PSA levels are interpreted as black-and-white indicators of either &quot;normal&quot; or &quot;elevated&quot; risk status. The truth is that rising PSA levels reflect a more graduated increase in cancer risk.</p> <p>Looking for a more accurate method, Thompson and his colleagues collected data from more than 5,500 healthy men over the age of 55 who had participated in a large-scale prostate cancer prevention trial.</p> <p>For a period of seven years, all the men underwent annual PSA and DRE testing, and well as having at least one prostate biopsy conducted over the study period. By the study\'s end, nearly 22 percent of the men went on to develop prostate cancer, and 5 percent developed high-grade disease.</p> <p>At the seven-year mark, the researchers fed a combination of accumulated data -- biopsy findings, patient age, race, family history of prostate cancer, previous biopsy history, along with PSA levels and DRE results -- into their &quot;statistical risk models.&quot;</p> <p>Thompson\'s team found that a family history of prostate cancer, or an abnormal result from the PSA or DRE test, were all strongly associated with an increased risk for prostate cancer.</p> <p>Race and age also figured in the equation, with blacks and older men at relatively high risk for prostate cancer.</p> <p>Having had a prior negative biopsy result was found to be associated with a decreased risk for the disease.</p> <p>By compiling such patient variables together, the Texas group say they were able to develop a prostate risk calculator that provides better predictive accuracy than an analysis of PSA levels alone.</p> <p>&quot;This study provides a way to integrate other important risk factors to allow men and their doctors to better understand their risk and make a more intelligent decision whether to proceed with further testing,&quot; said Thompson.</p> <p>But in an accompanying editorial, Dr. H. Ballentine Carter, of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, cautioned that the calculator\'s current design fails to distinguish between slow-growing, cancers and more life-threatening varieties. This, he said, could lead to a rash of unnecessary biopsies.</p> <p>Robert Smith, director of cancer screening at the American Cancer Society, said the new model has its pros and cons.</p> <p>&quot;It does not distinguish between significant and not-significant disease, so the calculator provides some help but not enough help,&quot; he said. &quot;But it also allows an individual to take their PSA level and actually interpret it in the context of some other information based on the experience of a large number of men, to understand what is the likelihood that they have prostate cancer. So, I think it could actually be useful.&quot;</p> <p>A second study, also published in the April of the same journal, suggests that new prostate cancer treatments currently undergoing clinical trials could be better and more quickly assessed by tracking ongoing changes in a patients\' PSA levels, rather than by waiting to tally long-term patient survival.</p> <p>The team of Columbia University researchers working at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia in New York City based their conclusions on an analysis of the progress of 551 men undergoing a new treatment for prostate cancer.</p> <p>They found that a 30 percent drop in PSA levels in the first three months of treatment correlated with a 50 percent drop in their risk of death -- a &quot;surrogate&quot; marker that could be used in placed of the usual endpoint, survival. Use of this marker might mean a treatment\'s effectiveness could be evaluated much earlier.</p> <p>The researchers noted that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration currently bases its &quot;endpoint&quot; assessment of a given treatment\'s success solely on long-term patient survival.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>Here\'s where you can find out more about the <a href=\"http://www.compass.fhcrc.org/edrnnci/bin/calculator/main.asp\" target=\"_new\">Prostate Cancer Risk Calculator</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1082','7','	<p><p>WEDNESDAY, May 3 (HealthDay News) -- Elderly men may not benefit from aggressive treatment for prostate cancer, a new study suggests.</p> <p>Even though prostate cancer can eventually be fatal, it often progresses so slowly that many men -- particularly those over 75 -- are more likely to die from some other disease. And aggressive treatments such as radical prostatectomy or radiation, while eradicating the cancer, can have negative effects on quality of life, including urinary incontinence and impotence.</p> <p>As a result, aggressive therapy\'s side effects may not be worthwhile for elderly patients, the researchers said.</p> <p>&quot;This raises the question: Should we be aggressively looking for prostate cancer in these older men? The answer, I think, is no,&quot; said lead researcher Dr. Richard M. Hoffman, an associate professor of medicine at the University of New Mexico Cancer Research and Treatment Center.</p> <p>There\'s no evidence there is going to be a significant survival benefit from treatment, Hoffman added. &quot;But we are going to cause complications that are going to affect quality of life,&quot; he said.</p> <p>Conservative treatments -- such as hormone therapy or so-called &quot;watchful waiting&quot; -- may preserve quality of life, but might not be appropriate for aggressive cancer that progresses quickly. Current guidelines suggest that men aged 75 or older may not benefit from screening. But many older men continue to be screened.</p> <p>For this population-based study, Hoffman and his colleagues followed 465 men aged 75 to 84 who had been diagnosed with localized prostate cancer in 1994 or 1995. One hundred seventy-five men underwent aggressive treatment such as surgery or radiation therapy, while 290 received hormone therapy or no treatment.</p> <p>The researchers then looked at health-related quality of life and survival two and seven years after the diagnosis.</p> <p>&quot;Men who received aggressive treatment for prostate cancer were much more likely to have problems with urinary incontinence and sexual dysfunction, compared with men who received watchful waiting or hormone treatment,&quot; Hoffman said.</p> <p>Fewer of the men who got aggressive treatment died from the disease, Hoffman said, &quot;but that wasn\'t statistically significant. Most of the men died from other causes.&quot;</p> <p>The findings appear in the May issue of <i>The American Journal of Medicine</i>.</p> <p>Hoffman said screening and treatment for prostate cancer may be worthwhile for healthy older men who have a life expectancy of 10 to 15 years. &quot;But it\'s not proven,&quot; he said. &quot;People need to understand that if they start down the pathway of looking for prostate cancer, it can lead to aggressive treatment that can cause complications that will negatively affect their quality of life.&quot;</p> <p>Dr. Anthony D\'Amico, chief of radiation oncology at Brigham and Women\'s Hospital, in Boston, said deciding who these study results apply to isn\'t so simple. &quot;It depends on what kind of man over 75 with what kind of prostate cancer,&quot; he said.</p> <p>Men over 75 who have non-aggressive prostate cancer will often die from something other than prostate cancer, D\'Amico said. &quot;But if you have aggressive prostate cancer, I don\'t think these results apply.&quot;</p> <p>Older men in bad health probably don\'t need to be treated for prostate cancer if it\'s non-aggressive, D\'Amico said.</p> <p>Dr. Durado Brooks, director of prostate and colorectal cancers at the American Cancer Society, thinks this study underscores the problem of what to do for older men with prostate cancer.</p> <p>&quot;It raises the question about the value of screening related to the value of treatment,&quot; he said.</p> <p>Another expert thinks healthy older men with aggressive prostate cancer who have a life expectancy of 10 to 15 years should be given the option of aggressive treatment.</p> <p>&quot;If these patients are willing to accept the potential side effects, the risk of dying from prostate cancer can be reduced,&quot; said Dr. Stephen Freedland, an assistant professor of urology and pathology at Duke University.</p> <p>&quot;For men 75 to 80, there are benefits and risks to treatment,&quot; Freedland said. &quot;That\'s something you need to address with the patient.&quot; But treating someone over 80, Freedland agreed, is probably not productive.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>The National Cancer Institute can tell you more about <a href=\"http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/prostate\" target=\"_new\">prostate cancer</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1083','7','	<p><p>MONDAY, May 8 (HealthDay News) -- A radiation treatment commonly used in prostate cancer patients older than 55 works just as well in younger men with the same level of disease, a preliminary study finds.</p> <p>The findings aren\'t yet definitive, and it\'s not clear if they\'ll lead to any changes in how prostate cancer is treated generally. But the study results do poke a hole in a common assumption that younger men need more aggressive treatment than older patients, said lead author Dr. Andre Konski, clinical research director of the Radiation Oncology Department at the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia. </p> <p>&quot;Patients need to factor all risks and benefits, but external radiation should be given as a viable option for patients to consider,&quot; Konski said. </p> <p>According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), prostate cancer is the second leading cancer killer for men. An estimated one in six men will receive a prostate cancer diagnosis in their lifetime, and more than 30,000 Americans currently die of the disease each year.</p> <p>Prostate cancer tends to be more aggressive in younger patients, and doctors often respond with more drastic treatments, such as removal of the prostate. </p> <p>In the new study, Konski and colleagues looked at how 84 men who underwent external beam radiation treatment for prostate cancer fared five years after their diagnosis. </p> <p>They compared the outcomes of patients under 55 with those aged 60-69 and those 70 and older. All the men were in similar stages of the disease. </p> <p>The study findings are expected to appear in the June 15 issue of the journal <i>Cancer</i> and were published online by the journal on Monday.</p> <p>Konski\'s team found no statistically significant difference between how men in the three groups were doing at the five-year mark. Ninety-four percent of those in the youngest group were still alive, compared to 95 percent of those 60-69 and 87 percent of those 70 and older. </p> <p>Also, between 96 percent and 98 percent of the living patients showed no signs of prostate cancer spread. </p> <p>Konski cautioned that the results don\'t say anything about younger patients with more aggressive forms of prostate cancer. &quot;They\'ll have potentially different outcomes,&quot; he said. </p> <p>And he added that the study also doesn\'t mean that radiation is better than other treatments. However, the research does suggest that &quot;when you have a younger man who has an earlier-stage disease, he would do as well as an older man does,&quot; Konski said. </p> <p>Another expert said the study is still too short to draw definite conclusions. Dr. Durado Brooks, director of prostate cancer for American Cancer Society, noted that it can take a long time for prostate cancer to recur, &quot;and while a five-year follow-up study is encouraging, it\'s by no means definitive.&quot;</p> <p>As for choices about cancer treatment, &quot;this is just one little piece of the puzzle,&quot; Brooks said. &quot;We don\'t have enough definitive information to say this is the treatment you should choose.&quot;</p> <p>In a related study, researchers in Iceland report finding a variant gene with strong links to prostate cancer.</p> <p>As reported Monday by <i>The New York Times</i>, geneticists at DeCode Genetics say the gene is carried by about 13 percent of men of European ancestry and may raise a man\'s risk of developing prostate cancer by about 60 percent. The gene variant probably accounts for 8 percent of all cases of the disease, they said.</p> <p>The gene is also twice as common in black men compared to whites, helping to explain &quot;a significant part&quot; of why prostate cancer strikes blacks more often than whites, DeCode\'s CEO Dr. Kari Stefansson told the <i>Times</i>. DeCode plans to develop a test aimed at spotting individuals who carry the gene and may be at special risk for prostate cancer.</p> <p>The researchers reported their findings online Monday in the journal <i>Nature Genetics</i>.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>The National Cancer Institute can tell you more about <a href=\"http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/wyntk/prostate\" target=\"_new\"> prostate cancer</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1084','7','	<p><p>MONDAY, June 5 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers say they\'ve found a powerful new weapon in the fight against deadly metastatic prostate cancer.</p> <p>A new treatment that uses both chemotherapy with radionuclide therapy may actually cause the disease to regress -- and improve patients\' long-term survival odds.</p> <p>&quot;A new treatment protocol combining radionuclide therapy and chemotherapy may represent a distinct advantage over conventional protocols, especially when patients have metastatic (or spreading) prostate cancer that is not responding to hormonal therapy,&quot; Giuliano Mariani, director at the Regional Center of Nuclear Medicine at the University of Pisa Medical School in Italy, said in a prepared statement.</p> <p>&quot;Radionuclide therapy alleviated bone pain, but preliminary observations indicated that -- if adequately combined with chemotherapy -- it might produce clinical benefit in terms of regression and prolonged survival,&quot; said Mariani.</p> <p>The research, based on the use of radioisotope Samarium-153 with carrier EDTMP nuclide therapy, along with chemotherapy, provided pain relief to patients as well as disease regression and prolonged survival. </p> <p>&quot;The blood-toxic effects of our combination regimen were mild and comparable to those observed when the two therapies were used separately,&quot; said Mariani. &quot;The majority of patients treated so far have either stable disease or regression of disease in a six-month follow up,&quot; he added.</p> <p>The results were to be released Monday at the Society of Nuclear Medicine\'s annual meeting, in San Diego.</p> <p>Mariani added that additional research was needed to determine if increasing the dosage of the combined treatments would provide an even higher improvement in stopping the progression of the disease -- without causing toxic side effects to the patient.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>The Prostate Cancer Foundation has more information on <a href=\"http://www.prostatecancerfoundation.org/&quot;target=\">prostate cancer</a></.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1085','7','	<p><p>WEDNESDAY, June 7 (HealthDay News) -- The cancer drug Gleevec stops the spread of prostate malignancies in mice by attacking the tumor\'s blood vessels, a new U.S. study reports.</p> <p>Typically used to treat certain leukemias and more recently gastrointestinal tumors, Gleevec also seemed effective against otherwise drug-resistant prostate tumors when tested in mice, the research team said.</p> <p>&quot;Why, then, did it work so well in the animal? Because we didn\'t attack the tumor, we attacked the blood vessels,&quot; senior study author Dr. Isaiah J. Fidler, director of the Cancer Metastasis Research Center at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, said in a prepared statement. &quot;We target and destroy the vasculature that provides oxygen and nutrients to tumor cells.&quot;</p> <p>The results, reported in the June 7 issue of the <i>Journal of the National Cancer Institute</i>, show that the drug was most potent when combined with paclitaxel (Taxol). Although paclitaxel is already used to treat prostate cancer, the drug tends to become ineffective once drug-resistant cancer cells continue to divide.</p> <p>This two-drug treatment reduced bone metastases and the size of the tumors in mice with the drug-resistant cancer. Only four of the 18 mice injected with the cancer cells developed tumors, and the cancer spread in only three of those mice. Average size of the tumors was one-tenth of a gram.</p> <p>In the control group of mice who did not receive the drug therapy, all 19 mice developed tumors that spread to the lymph notes. Average size of the tumors was 1.3 grams.</p> <p>According to the researchers, Gleevec killed the blood vessels by stunting the activation of platelet-derived growth factor receptors (PDGF-R) on the cancer cells. When PDGF receptors are deactivated, new blood vessels cannot form, and cancerous cells cannot divide and migrate. Instead, a natural process called apoptosis -- a type of cell suicide -- occurs.</p> <p>&quot;Here, we attack the soil. The seeds can be resistant. Kill the endothelial cell, you kill the soil,&quot; said Fidler.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>Learn more about <a href=\"http://www.prostatecancerfoundation.org/&quot;target =\">prostate cancer</a> from the Prostate Cancer Foundation.</p></p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1086','7','	<p><!--Spanish ID:533733--> <p>MONDAY, July 10 (HealthDay News) -- A new survey finds that American women are greatly uninformed about the threats posed by lung cancer and how it can affect them.</p> <p>Published by the U.S. National Lung Cancer Partnership, the 2006 survey of more than 500 women not only lists the statistical realities of lung cancer in this country -- it also reveals a widespread lack of awareness by millions.</p> <p>&quot;This survey is a current snapshot of women\'s attitudes and beliefs about lung cancer, and it\'s frightening -- especially considering the extensive media coverage on the topic after Peter Jennings\' and Dana Reeve\'s deaths. Women need to know the truth about lung cancer,&quot; Regina Vidaver, executive director of the National Lung Cancer Partnership (NLCP), said in a prepared statement.</p> <p>According to the NLCP, lung cancer affects more than 80,000 American women annually, with over 70,000 cases proving to be fatal. Thirty thousand more women die annually from lung cancer than from breast cancer, they noted. In fact, lung cancer claims the lives of more women than breast, uterine, and ovarian cancers combined.</p> <p>Other vital findings include: </p> <ul><li>Only 41 percent of women know that lung cancer is the leading cancer killer in the United States.</li> <li>Only 8 percent of women understand that exposure to radon gas is the second leading cause of lung cancer. Instead, 60 percent of women share the mistaken belief that exposure to secondhand smoke is the number two cause.</li> <li>Only 36 percent of women are aware that lung cancer kills more women than breast cancer.</li> <li>Only 29 percent know that lung cancer kills more women than breast, ovarian and uterine cancers combined.</li> <li>Only 41 percent of women know that one in every 17 women will develop a lung malignancy in her lifetime.</li> <li>Only 18 percent of women know that women make up the majority of young (under age 40) lung cancer patients.</li> <li>Only 4 percent of women know that women typically do better than men following lung cancer treatment.</li> </ul> <p>Another crucial subject addressed was that a quarter of all women &quot;mistakenly believe there is a standard screening test to detect lung cancer in its early stages. Although such tests are in development, there is no clinically-approved screening test for this nation\'s top cancer killer&quot;, the NLCP said in a statement.</p> <p>&quot;Lung cancer is often perceived as a man\'s disease, yet it affects tens of thousands of women, and we\'re very concerned that women seem to be in the dark when it comes to the facts about lung cancer and the significant impact lung cancer can have on their lives,&quot; said Dr. Joan Schiller, president of the NLCP.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>For more information on lung cancer and treatment, please visit <a href=\" http://www.4woman.gov/faq/lung.htm&quot;target=\">Women and Lung Cancer</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1087','7','	<p><!--Spanish ID:533877--> <p>TUESDAY, July 18 (HealthDay News) -- Treatment with a non-surgical technique called thermal ablation can provide some terminal lung cancer patients with a few extra years of life, a U.S. study finds.</p> <p>Researchers at Rhode Island Hospital in Providence found that 57 percent of patients treated with thermal ablation -- which uses targeted radiofrequency energy to heat and kill tumors -- survived three years. That\'s two years longer than the average one-year life expectancy.</p> <p>The study included 41 people with early-stage I-II, non-small-cell lung cancer with a life expectancy of less than one year. The patients were not eligible for surgery.</p> <p>Twenty-seven of the patients received external beam radiation after they underwent thermal ablation. The other 14 patients had interstitial brachytherapy (radiation therapy delivered directly to the tumor) after they underwent thermal ablation.</p> <p>Of the 41 patients, almost 98 percent survived to six months, 87 percent to one year, more than 70 percent to two years and more than 57 percent to three years. Overall average survival was 42.2 months. The 17 patients with tumors smaller than 3 centimeters had the best outcomes, with an average survival of 44.4 months.</p> <p>&quot;Only one-third of patients diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer are eligible for surgery -- the rest face the reality of having less than 12 months to live,&quot; study author Dr. Damian Dupuy, of Rhode Island Hospital, pointed out in a prepared statement.</p> <p>&quot;These new outpatient treatments not only are effective, but allow us to treat patients who historically have no other options,&quot; he said. &quot;Utilizing imaging and targeted thermal ablation, we can heat and destroy lung tumors, and extend a patient\'s life,&quot; he said.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>The American Cancer Society has more about <a href=\"http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_2_1x_What_Is_Non-small_Cell_Lung_Cancer.asp?rnav=cri\" target=\"_new\">non-small cell lung cancer</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1088','7','	<p><p>FRIDAY, July 21 (HealthDay News) -- While the nicotine in tobacco and in nicotine-replacement patches and gums doesn\'t cause lung cancer, it may help it along, a new study finds.</p> <p>&quot;Nicotine can promote the growth of new blood vessels and new cells -- two things that are correlated with the progression of cancer -- and our study shows how this actually happens,&quot; said study co-author Srikumar P. Chellappan, an associate professor in the Drug Discovery Program with the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute at the University of South Florida, in Tampa.</p> <p>The finding raises questions about the use by lung cancer patients of nicotine-containing interventions aimed at helping smokers quit, such as popular patches and gums.</p> <p>Chellappan\'s team identified a key binding process taking place between nicotine and receptors found on cells lining the lung\'s air passages, and in lung cancer cells themselves. The bond between nicotine and these receptors provokes further lung cancer cell proliferation, the researchers report in the August issue of the <i>Journal of Clinical Investigation</i>.</p> <p>The Florida group conducted their lab work on cancer cells taken from patients afflicted with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLS).</p> <p>According to the American Cancer Society, lung cancer accounts for 13 percent of all new cancers and is the leading cancer killer of American men and women. Non-small cell cancers comprise 85 percent of the nearly 175,000 new cases of lung cancer diagnosed in the United States each year.</p> <p>But while tobacco smoke is the direct cause of eight out of 10 lung malignancies, nicotine -- the addictive chemical in tobacco -- does not have cancer-causing properties. The role, if any, of nicotine in lung cancer has long been the subject of debate.</p> <p>In previous work, Chellapan found that nicotine exposure among lung cancer patients did appear to undermine chemotherapy\'s effectiveness in killing off cancer cells. Because so many patients use nicotine patches or gums to help them quit, this raise the troubling notion that these interventions might actually help encourage the disease.</p> <p>In this study, Chellappan\'s focused on NSCLS cells and adjacent cells from the lung\'s air passages also known as bronchial cells. They exposed both cell types to nicotine in the test tube. The amount of nicotine used was the equivalent to what would typically be present in the bloodstream of a patient who smokes one pack of cigarettes a day.</p> <p>In addition to binding with what are known as nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, the nicotine appeared to help create signaling pathways that promoted the cancer cell growth cycle. This growth activated and recruited other cell machinery known to stimulate tumor growth.</p> <p>The researchers concluded that, in the test-tube setting, nicotine appears to go beyond simply protecting cancer cells as had been previously observed. Instead, it appears to promote cancer-cell proliferation and tumor progression.</p> <p>&quot;We found that a normal amount of nicotine that is typically present in the blood of smokers can really induce a proliferation of cancer cells, and we have identified some proteins in the cell that facilitate this proliferation,&quot; said Chellappan.</p> <p>&quot;So, smokers should be staying away from all products that contain nicotine,&quot; he cautioned. &quot;Not just cigarettes -- anything. I can not say that this is just about smoking. This is about exposure to any nicotine. Even a patch to help quit smoking may not be the best idea.&quot;</p> <p>Nevertheless, one expert is still on the fence when it comes to the risks and benefits for lung cancer patients in using nicotine-replacement therapies.</p> <p>&quot;You can\'t necessarily say whether nicotine-replacement therapy is a good or bad idea,&quot; said Dr. Norman H. Edelman, chief medical officer with the American Lung Association.</p> <p>&quot;My guess is that it\'s a good idea to engage in smoking cessation,&quot; he said. &quot;Smoking cessation is a much healthier way to go rather than avoiding the nicotine in smoking-cessation therapies based on the theoretical risk shown in test tubes that nicotine can promote tumors.&quot;</p> <p>Edelman emphasized, however, that the current study is &quot;an important biologic finding&quot; that will need to be followed up with research in animals and ultimately humans.</p> <p>Two other major groups agreed. The U.S. National Cancer Institute\'s Web site states that &quot;any potential risks of short-term use of nicotine-replacement therapy to stop smoking are far outweighed by the significant and known benefits that accrue to patients who stop smoking.&quot;</p> <p>And the American Cancer Society\'s Web site notes that &quot;numerous studies have shown that these products are safe and effective in helping smokers quit.&quot; Society experts also point out that the use of nicotine-replacement products, alongside in-person and phone counseling, can double a smoker\'s chances of successfully quitting.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>For more on cancer and nicotine, head to the <a href=\"http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/nicotinestudy\" target=\"_new\">U.S. National Cancer Institute</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1089','7','	<p><p>WEDNESDAY, Aug. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Marking a new era in cancer care, researchers say a genetic test predicts which patients with early stage lung cancer will need post-operative chemotherapy to survive and which will have a good prognosis with surgery alone.</p> <p>The test may herald a new approach to disease management, where treatments are tailored to each patient\'s genetic code.</p> <p>&quot;This is the tip of the sword. It\'s the first step and it\'s definitely personalized medicine at its best,&quot; said Dr. Anil Potti, lead author of the study and assistant professor at the Duke Institute for Genome Sciences. &quot;We\'re looking at a group of genes in a way similar to fingerprinting. Based on that fingerprint, we can identify which patients are going to have a recurrence from lung cancer.&quot;</p> <p>The test could theoretically apply to other cancers as well. </p> <p>The researchers are now embarking on a larger trial involving 1,200 patients at multiple medical centers to validate the results further. &quot;That hopefully should start accruing patients in January 2007,&quot; Potti said. </p> <p>Dr. Len Horovitz, a pulmonary specialist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, added, &quot;It\'s a very exciting study and I think the clinical trial next year will bear out what is in this preliminary study.&quot;</p> <p>The findings appear in the Aug. 10 issue of the <i>New England Journal of Medicine</i>.</p> <p>Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for both men and women, killing over 163,000 Americans each year. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for about 80 percent of these deaths. Overall, lung cancer has only a 15 percent survival rate. </p> <p>Chemotherapy is generally reserved for later-stage tumors, while early stage malignancies are treated with surgery and considered cured. Yet even in this group, 30 percent to 35 percent of patients will have a recurrence and most likely die. &quot;Chemo is not standard for stage 1 because it\'s considered curable by surgery,&quot; Horovitz said. </p> <p>The tough question for doctors has been identifying <i>who</i> is most at risk for this type of relapse. </p> <p>&quot;Currently, there is no way to identify who\'s going to have a recurrence,&quot; Potti said. </p> <p>The authors of this study identified gene-expression profiles that predicted who, in a group of 89 patients with early stage NSCLC, had a higher risk of recurrence. </p> <p>Then they validated the test, called the &quot;Lung Metagene Predictor,&quot; in a group of 134 patients. The test scans thousands of genes in individual tumors. It predicted the patients\' risk of recurrence with up to 90 percent accuracy, Potti said. </p> <p>Of course, &quot;There\'s no point in identifying high-risk patients if you can\'t do much about [their prognosis],&quot; Potti said. But with the new test, &quot;You\'re actually in a position to save lives based on individual profiles,&quot; he added.</p> <p>The test, however, will probably not be widely available until results of the larger clinical trial are in, Horovitz said. </p> <p>In a similar vein, a second study in the same issue of the journal found that five gene-expression models or tests delivered similar predictions regarding disease recurrence or death for patients with breast cancer.</p> <p>This means that even though different genes were being looked at in the separate tests, they seemed to track a commons set of biological characteristics, said researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. </p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>There\'s more on lung cancer at the <a href=\"http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/lung\" target=\"_new\">U.S. National Cancer Institute</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1090','7','	<p><p>WEDNESDAY, Aug. 16 (HealthDay News) -- A new drug called Chantix (varenicline tartrate) provides short- and long-term help for smokers trying to quit, according to two U.S. studies published this week in the <i>Archives of Internal Medicine</i>.</p> <p>The drug, approved this May by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, mimics the effects of nicotine to quell cravings for cigarettes. The new findings mirror those of three studies published last month in the <i>Journal of the American Medical Association</i>.</p> <p>The study included healthy smokers aged 18 to 65 randomly assigned to receive Chantix in a dosage of .3 milligrams once daily, 1 milligram once daily, or 1 milligram twice daily for six weeks, plus placebo for one week; to 150 milligrams of sustained-release bupropion (Zyban) twice daily for seven weeks; or to placebo for seven weeks.</p> <p>Zyban is an antidepressant also used for smoking cessation.</p> <p>Four-week continuous quit rates were 48 percent for Chantix, 1 milligram twice daily; 37.3 percent for Chantix, 1 milligram daily; 33.3 percent for Zyban; and 17.1 percent for placebo.</p> <p>Long-term quit rates, from four weeks to one year, were 14.4 percent for Chantix, 1 milligram twice daily and 4.9 percent for placebo, the researchers found.</p> <p>Drug maker Pfizer provided funding for this study and was involved in all elements of the study, including its design and monitoring.</p> <p>Another study conducted by the same research team at the University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, found that Chantix, taken over 12 weeks, was effective in helping smokers quit. Pfizer also funded this study and was involved in all its elements.</p> <p>The findings from these studies demonstrates that Chantix helps in smoking cessation, Dr. Bankole A. Johnson, of the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, wrote in an accompanying editorial. Johnson also outlined the development of other approaches to treat nicotine addiction.</p> <p>&quot;In sum, pharmacological and immunological studies are opening up new vistas for safe, efficacious and potent treatments for nicotine dependence,&quot; Johnson wrote. &quot;Molecular genetic studies are also investigating how to identify those individuals vulnerable to becoming nicotine dependent and, once they are dependent, the treatments that might work best for them. All these advances will deliver real aid to curbing smoking. Now, a smoker who wants help to quit no longer has a legitimate excuse to delay seeking treatment.&quot;</p> <p>Johnson has consulting agreements with a number of drug companies.</p> <p>A review in the same issue of the <i>Archive of Internal Medicine</i> noted that a plant-derived medication called cytisine has been used to treat tobacco dependence in Eastern Europe for 40 years, but has received little notice in English-language medical literature.</p> <p>Cytisine is an alkaloid found in a plant called the golden rain tree (<i>Cytisus laburnum</i>).</p> <p>Review author Jean-Francois Etter of the University of Geneva, Switzerland, found 10 studies conducted on cytisine in Bulgaria, Germany, Poland and Russia between 1967 and 2005. The research suggests that cytisine is effective for smoking cessation.</p> <p>The studies may have received little attention because they were not published in English and didn\'t conform to current standards of conducting and reporting drug trials, Etter wrote.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>The American Cancer Society offers a <a href=\"http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/content/PED_10_13X_Guide_for_Quitting_Smoking.asp\" target=\"_new\">guide to quitting smoking</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1091','1','<!--startclickprintinclude--><script language=\"JavaScript\" type=\"text/javascript\">var clickExpire = \"02/15/2007\";</script> <div id=\"cnnSCFontButtons\" class=\"cnn0pxTMargin\"><!--startclickprintexclude--><div id=\"cnnSCFontLabel\">Adjust font size:</div>\n<div id=\"cnnSCFontMinusBtn\" onclick=\"setActiveStyleSheet(\'default\'); return false;\"><img src=\"http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/story/misc/icon.minus.dim.gif\" border=\"0\" height=\"12\" width=\"18\" alt=\"Decrease font\" title=\"Decrease font\" class=\"cnnIncreaseFont\"><img src=\"http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/story/misc/icon.minus.gif\" border=\"0\" height=\"12\" width=\"18\" alt=\"Decrease font\" title=\"Decrease font\" class=\"cnnDecreaseFont\"></div>\n<div id=\"cnnSCFontPlusBtn\" onclick=\"setActiveStyleSheet(\'LargeFont\'); return false;\"><img src=\"http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/story/misc/icon.plus.gif\" border=\"0\" height=\"12\" width=\"18\" alt=\"Enlarge font\" title=\"Enlarge font\" class=\"cnnIncreaseFont\"><img src=\"http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/story/misc/icon.plus.dim.gif\" border=\"0\" height=\"12\" width=\"18\" alt=\"Enlarge font\" title=\"Enlarge font\" class=\"cnnDecreaseFont\"></div><!--endclickprintexclude--></div><p><b>CHICAGO, Illinois</b> (AP)  -- Offering a glint of hope for treating a notorious killer, researchers found that a common chemotherapy drug can help pancreatic cancer patients who have undergone surgery stave off a return of the disease longer.</p><p>In the German study, the group receiving Gemzar, or gemcitabine, lived on average of 13.4 months without their cancer coming back. A comparison group that did not receive the drug lived without disease for 6.9 months.</p><p>The 61/2-month gain may look modest. And scientists said they have seen no difference so far in the overall survival rates between the two groups. But pancreatic cancer is such a rapid and efficient killer that the findings were still highly encouraging.</p><p>Pancreatic cancer has one of the worst chances of recovery of all types of cancer. Most cases are not diagnosed until the cancer has spread, and fewer than one in 10 patients are alive five years after diagnosis.</p><p>Only 20 percent of new patients are good candidates for surgery, the best hope for a cure. And even then, the disease returns in the vast majority of cases.</p><p>The new findings, when considered along with preliminary results from a large U.S. trial reported last year, suggest that chemotherapy after pancreatic cancer surgery should at least include gemcitabine.</p><p>The study appears in Wednesday\'s Journal of the American Medical Association.</p><p>&quot;This study says to me that gemcitabine can keep the disease at bay for a period of time after surgery,&quot; said Dr. Sunil Hingorani of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. But it also &quot;underscores the essential incurability of the disease,&quot; he said. &quot;If you wait long enough, the beast comes back.&quot;</p><p>The findings apply only to those patients who can have surgery -- just 6,000 to 6,500 patients a year in the United States. Those are the patients whose cancer was diagnosed before it spread beyond the pancreas.</p><p>Gemcitabine already is used to fight breast, lung and ovarian cancer. It is also used to treat inoperable pancreatic cancer. It costs about $2,800 a month and has relatively mild side effects such as fatigue and hair thinning.</p><a name=\"1\"></a><a name=\"rv1\"></a><h3>Chemo immediately?</h3><p>Doctors disagree about the best treatment following surgery for pancreatic cancer. Some watch for the disease to recur before starting other therapies. Others recommend chemotherapy right away, or a combination of chemotherapy and radiation.</p><p>&quot;Unfortunately, the majority of patients after surgery have their cancer come back,&quot; said Dr. Daniel Laheru of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, who was not involved in the study but specializes in pancreatic cancer. &quot;That\'s why this study is important.&quot;</p><p>Unlike other cancers, pancreatic cancer appears to spread almost as soon as it appears, possibly because the pancreas is not as self-contained as other organs. Pancreatic cancer cells are also usually tougher to kill in a petri dish than other types of cancer cells.</p><p>The German researchers followed 354 patients after surgery for an average of 41/2 years. Some patients were chosen at random to get gemcitabine for about six months starting soon after surgery.</p><p>The researchers found that 74 percent of patients receiving gemcitabine saw their cancer come back, versus 92 percent of patients not getting the drug.</p><p>The patients were treated at 88 cancer centers in Germany and Austria.</p><p>Study co-author Dr. Hanno Riess of Charite School of Medicine in Berlin, Germany, said the findings are changing practice in Europe, where most doctors previously had not used radiation or chemotherapy after pancreas surgery.</p><p>Worldwide, there are an estimated 232,000 new cases of pancreatic cancer annually. In the United States, it is the fourth-leading cause of cancer death, claiming 32,300 lives last year.</p><p>The pancreas, located between the stomach and the spine, secretes enzymes that help digest food and hormones that maintain blood sugar levels.</p><p>Smoking and a family history of pancreatic cancer raise the risk of the disease. Eating more fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk.</p><p>Some of the study\'s authors reported financial ties to drug makers including Gemzar\'s manufacturer, Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly and Co. A grant from Lilly Deutschland supported the study, but the company had no say in its design or data interpretation, the researchers reported.</p><p class=\"cnnSCAttribution\">Copyright 2007 The <a href=\"/interactive_legal.html#AP\">Associated Press</a>. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.</p><!--startclickprintexclude-->  ');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1092','1','<!--startclickprintinclude--><script language=\"JavaScript\" type=\"text/javascript\">var clickExpire = \"02/15/2007\";</script> <div id=\"cnnSCFontButtons\" class=\"cnn0pxTMargin\"><!--startclickprintexclude--><div id=\"cnnSCFontLabel\">Adjust font size:</div>\n<div id=\"cnnSCFontMinusBtn\" onclick=\"setActiveStyleSheet(\'default\'); return false;\"><img src=\"http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/story/misc/icon.minus.dim.gif\" border=\"0\" height=\"12\" width=\"18\" alt=\"Decrease font\" title=\"Decrease font\" class=\"cnnIncreaseFont\"><img src=\"http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/story/misc/icon.minus.gif\" border=\"0\" height=\"12\" width=\"18\" alt=\"Decrease font\" title=\"Decrease font\" class=\"cnnDecreaseFont\"></div>\n<div id=\"cnnSCFontPlusBtn\" onclick=\"setActiveStyleSheet(\'LargeFont\'); return false;\"><img src=\"http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/story/misc/icon.plus.gif\" border=\"0\" height=\"12\" width=\"18\" alt=\"Enlarge font\" title=\"Enlarge font\" class=\"cnnIncreaseFont\"><img src=\"http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/story/misc/icon.plus.dim.gif\" border=\"0\" height=\"12\" width=\"18\" alt=\"Enlarge font\" title=\"Enlarge font\" class=\"cnnDecreaseFont\"></div><!--endclickprintexclude--></div><p><b>DALLAS, Texas</b> (AP)  -- Heart patients who had drug-coated stents inserted to prop open blocked coronary arteries should stay on anti-clotting drugs for at least a year, several doctor groups said in an advisory issued Tuesday.</p><p>The advisory recommends that doctors tell their patients to take an anti-clotting drug such as Plavix and aspirin for a year to reduce the risk of clotting, which could lead to a heart attack or death. The long-term safety of Plavix in stent patients has not been established.</p><p>Drug-coated stents are often chosen over bare metal stents because they slowly release medication that reduces the chance of arteries reclogging, which can mean follow-up surgery. However, the newer stents mean a small but significant increased risk of clotting.</p><p>The new advisory cited research showing blood clots in up to 29 percent of patients who stopped anti-clotting drugs early after receiving a drug-coated stent. The doctors also cited a study of 500 patients who received the drug-coated stents after a heart attack in which the death rate over the next 11 months was 7.5 percent for those who stopped taking anti-clotting medication compared with 0.7 percent for those who continued the regimen.</p><p>The recent information on drug-coated stents and the recommended drug regimen of up to a year means more dialogue between patients and doctors, said Dr. Cindy Grines, chair of the advisory writing committee.</p><p>&quot;I think what\'s happened with the drug-eluting stents is the patients are scared too much,&quot; said Grines of the William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan.</p><p>The recent publicity about drug-coated stents is on patients\' minds, said Dr. John Warner, medical director of the heart, lung and vascular center at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas.</p><p>&quot;Patients are very informed about this and most are asking the question before we even begin the conversation with them, which is good,&quot; he said.</p><p>The new information means that before stent surgery, doctors must discuss with the patient whether there\'s any reason they might not be able to keep up the drug regimen for at least a year, said Warner. If the cost of the drug -- Plavix is $4 a day -- or an upcoming surgery would require stopping the drug, he said it might be best to use a bare metal stent.</p><p>The new advisory -- issued by the American Heart Association, American College of Cardiology, Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions, American College of Surgeons and the American Dental Association -- recommends patients postpone elective surgery for a year.</p><p>&quot;Before, we would put a stent in and (then) talk about aspirin and Plavix. Now we talk about it before,&quot; said Warner, who was not on the advisory committee.</p><p class=\"cnnSCAttribution\">Copyright 2007 The <a href=\"/interactive_legal.html#AP\">Associated Press</a>. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.</p><!--startclickprintexclude-->  ');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1093','1','	<p><p>TUESDAY, Jan. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Scientists are unraveling the secrets of a virus found in prostate cancer patients that might spur the disease.</p> <p>In a new study, a U.S. team of researchers says the virus appears to be an infectious retrovirus with the ability to hijack body cells. Retroviruses are a family of viruses that include HIV.</p> <p>There\'s no indication yet that the virus could cause or worsen prostate cancer, but the study authors are intrigued by the prospect.</p> <p>\"We have a long way to prove that it\'s a cause-and-effect, but it\'s a possibility,\" said study co-author Robert H. Silverman, a professor and researcher at the Cleveland Clinic. \"Another question is whether the virus is associated with other kinds of cancer besides prostate cancer.\"</p> <p>It\'s not uncommon for contagious viruses to be connected to cancer. For example, a sexually transmitted virus known as HPV (human papilloma virus) is considered a major cause of cervical cancer.</p> <p>Last year, researchers from Cleveland Clinic and the University of California at San Francisco reported the existence of the prostate cancer-linked retrovirus, known as XMRV. They found it in prostate cancer patients and suspected it may have something to do with the disease.</p> <p>According to the Prostate Cancer Foundation, prostate cancer strikes one in six American men and is the most prevalent form of non-skin cancer in the United States. Risk rises with age, with more than 65 percent of all cases diagnosed in men over the age of 65.</p> <p>The new study, published in this week\'s issue of the <i>Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</i>, found that XMRV is infectious and works by taking over the reproductive machinery of cells and making them create more virus.</p> <p>The researchers also found that the medication interferon seemed to kill the virus.</p> <p>The infectious nature of the virus raises the question that it could be contagious, perhaps through sex, Silverman said.</p> <p>If the virus does cause prostate cancer, \"that would have significant implications,\" he said. \"There could be early screening, and maybe it could be done on men much younger than ages 40 to 50.\"</p> <p>Discovery of a virus that causes cancer could also lead to antiviral medications -- such as those that treat HIV -- and even a vaccine, Silverman said.</p> <p>However, it\'s also possible that the virus may <i>not</i> cause prostate cancer. \"We should know a lot more in one to two years,\" Silverman said.</p> <p>For now, researchers are developing ways to test for the virus and potentially explore its effects on animals.</p> <p>Dr. Bruce Roth, a professor of medicine and urologic surgery at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, said the findings are worthy of more research, and he agrees that a cause-and-effect relationship between the virus and prostate cancer could lead to a vaccine or antiviral drugs.</p> <p>Even if only a small percentage of prostate cancer cases are connected to the virus, that could mean a \"a huge step forward\" in treatment, he said.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>For more on prostate cancer, head to the <a href=\"http://www.prostatecancerfoundation.org/site/c.itIWK2OSG/b.271349/k. 87DD/Prostate_Cancer_Symptoms.htm\" target=\"_new\">Prostate Cancer Foundation</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1094','1','	<p><!--Spanish ID: 601051 --> <p>TUESDAY, Jan. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Small blood vessels associated with brain tumors create a nurturing environment for self-renewing cancer stem cells, U.S. researchers report.</p> <p>They also found that antiangiogenic drugs that disrupt this environment reduce the number of cancer stem cells and halt tumor growth.</p> <p>Cancer stem cells comprise only a small fraction of most brain tumors but play a critical role in tumor growth and survival, according to background information in the study, published in the January issue of the journal <i>Cancer Cell</i>.</p> <p>Researchers at St. Jude\'s Children\'s Research Hospital in Memphis found that cancer stem cells in human brain tumors are associated with blood vessels and that, in culture, vascular cells interact with and help brain cancer stem cells survive. This kind of interaction was not seen in most kinds of non-cancer stem cell tumor cells.</p> <p>The researchers also transplanted human brain tumors, with or without vascular cells, into mice. The mice that received the vascular cells showed an increase in cancer stem cells and increased tumor activity.</p> <p>When the mice were given antiangiogenic drugs to diminish tumor blood vessels, the team saw a reduction in cancer stem cells. Tumor growth was also halted, the study authors said.</p> <p>\"Our data identify a possible role for niche microenvironments in the maintenance of CSCs (cancer stem cells) and identify a mechanism by which antiangiogenic drugs inhibit brain tumor growth,\" researcher Dr. Richard J. Gilbertson said in a statement. \"If the notion that niches protect CSCs proves correct, then targeting these microenvironments could prove highly effective treatments of cancer.\"</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more about <a href=\"http://www.cancer.gov/cancerinfo/wyntk/brain\" target=\"_new\">brain tumors</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1095','1','	<p>The intestinal disease <span class=\"keyword\"><a href=\"http://us.rd.yahoo.com/DailyNews/manual/ap/ap_on_he_me/what_s_ailing_castro/21599140/*http://news.search.yahoo.com/search/news?fr=news-storylinks&amp;p=%22Fidel%20Castro%22&amp;c=&amp;n=20&amp;yn=c&amp;c=news&amp;cs=nw\">Fidel Castro</a></span> is reportedly suffering from is usually easy to treat ? but if complications develop in an elderly patient like the Cuban leader, it can quickly become a death sentence.<p/>\nThe Spanish newspaper El Pais reported Tuesday that the 80-year-old Castro is suffering from diverticulitis, an inflammation of the colon that can lead to serious infection if contents from the intestine leak into the abdomen.<p/>\nIn the elderly, the prognosis for this kind of infection is generally very poor ? with the mortality rate as high as 90 percent. \"Castro would definitely qualify as critically ill,\" said Dr. Roshini Rajapaksa, a gastroenterologist at New York University School of Medicine, referring to the report.<p/>\nIn a younger patient, even the severe complications Castro has reportedly suffered are not necessarily fatal. But Castro\'s advanced age is a major factor.<p/>\n\"When you\'re in your 80s, any complication can be fatal,\" said Dr. Joel Weinstock, director of the gastroenterology department at Tufts Medical School.<p/>\nStill, it is possible that Castro could recover.<p/>\n\"If they get the infections under control, he should get stronger in the next few weeks,\" Weinstock said. \"But given everything he\'s supposedly been through, it would be difficult. He\'s had a tough run.\"<p/>\nAbout 65 percent of people develop weak spots, or bulges called diverticula, on their colons by age 85. In about 10 percent of cases, these pouches become inflamed, causing pain and other problems, a condition called diverticulitis. The illness can become life-threatening if other complications, such as infection, occur, requiring removal of part or all of the large intestine.<p/>\nPatients with mild diverticulitis are usually treated with antibiotics, as well as being put on a liquid diet. El Pais reported that Castro had his entire large intestine removed, suggesting the infection was extremely severe.<p/>\nDoctors then reportedly implanted a bile duct device, presumably to help drain the infected area, as Castro may have been too ill to have his gall bladder removed.<p/>\nAdditional problems ? such as a clot caused by remaining immobile in bed, a heart attack due to increased stress or kidney failure ? are still possible, experts said. In his weakened condition, Castro is also vulnerable to additional infections.<p/>\nThe El Pais report was not made public in Cuba, where the government controls the media and Cubans have become accustomed to very limited details about their ailing leader\'s health.<p/>\nA Cuban diplomat called the report a \"lie,\" and the government has not otherwise reacted.<p/>\nIn its report, El Pais cited two unidentified sources from Gregorio Maranon Hospital in Madrid, which employs surgeon Jose Luis Garcia Sabrido, who flew to Cuba in December to treat Castro. It said a grave infection in the large intestine, at least three failed operations and various complications have left Castro with a \"very grave prognosis.\"<p/>\nEl Pais said that in December, when Garcia Sabrido visited, Castro had an abdominal wound that was leaking more than half a pint of fluids a day, causing \"a severe loss of nutrients.\" The Cuban leader was being fed intravenously, the report said.<p/>\nGarcia Sabrido, the Madrid hospital\'s chief surgeon, could not immediately be reached for comment Tuesday. A secretary who answered the phone at his office said the doctor did not plan to comment on the report.<p/>\n</p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1096','1','	<p>With big handbags\nbecoming a key fashion accessory for working women, health\nexperts are warning they can also become a key health concern.<p/>\nBags for women have become bigger and heavier as designers\ncombine briefcases with handbags and straps have become longer\nbut the extra leverage has many patients complaining of neck,\nshoulder and back problems.<p/>\n\"I see so many women with neck pains and headaches and what\nI usually do is look for their purse and pick it up,\" said Jane\nSadler, a family practice physician on the medical staff at\nBaylor Medical Center in Garland, Texas.<p/>\n\"We take it over to the scale and weigh it and usually\nthey\'re anywhere from 7 to 10 pounds (3.1-4.5 kgs)...We\'re\nreally going to see women with more and more problems later on\nif we continue the big purse craze.\"<p/>\nWilliam Case, a physical therapist in private practice in\nHouston, Texas, said an aggravated neck or shoulder can lead to\nupper back problems, meaning pain may then be felt while\nworking at a computer or playing sports.<p/>\nHe urged designers \"to place a cute, educational caution\ntag on all bags to inform of potential neck and shoulder\ndangers.\"<p/>\nAbove all, he recommended correct posture while carrying\nbulky purses, keeping the head and shoulders aligned upright.\nPatients should also frequently change the size and weight of\npurses carried.<p/>\n\"The extra-large purses are quite phenomenal. They look\nbeautiful when the women wear them, but I don\'t know how aware\nthey are of the potential problems,\" Case said.<p/>\n\"Massage, anti-inflammatories and rest are good to help\nalleviate the symptoms temporarily however the only real cure\nis patient education,\" case added in a written message to the\nAmerican Physical Therapy Association.<p/>\nCase said children were recommended to carry no more than\n10-15 percent of their body weight in backpacks, which are\neffective at spreading loads carried, but fashion consultants\nsay they just aren\'t cool any more.<p/>\n\"The trend is either very large or very small. People go to\nthe gym, they have an extra pair of shoes, they have their\nmake-up, so there\'s more stuff to carry around,\" said Ellen\nCampuzano, president of the Committee for Color and Trend, a\nfashion forecasting service.<p/>\n\"The backpack is really for a very casual customer, for a\nstudent with books, that is not a fashion customer.\"<p/>\nProfessor Alan Hedge, an ergonomics specialist at Cornell\nUniversity in New York state, said similar health problems\narose when laptops were first introduced.<p/>\nTraditionally women adopted better postures for carrying\nloads, such as baskets on heads or strapping a papoose across\nthe back, but placing objects on one shoulder was one of the\nleast efficient ways of carrying a load.<p/>\n\"This causes a great imbalance. You only have to see people\ncarrying bags in shopping centers, looking hunched up like\nQuasimodo,\" he said.<p/>\n\"If it (a big bag) is a fashion accessory, then occasional\nand symbolic use is fine. If not, then keep it light.\"\n<p/>\n</p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1097','1','<p><b>Dr. Richard Schlegel\'s</b> research helped lead to the development of Gardasil, a vaccine for human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted virus that can cause genital warts and cervical cancer. The D.C. Council is <a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/11/AR2007011101981.html\" target=\"\"><person>currently considering</person></a> a bill that would require girls to  receive the HPV vaccine before the start of sixth grade.</p><p>Schlegel was online <b>Wednesday, Jan. 17 at 11 a.m.</b> to discuss the vaccine and the virus.</p><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" align=\"right\" width=\"238\"><tr><td width=\"10\"></td><td width=\"228\">\n<img src=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/liveonline/icons/lol_todayqa.gif\" alt=\"Today\'s Live Discussions\" /><br />\n<div class=\"sidebar\" style=\"font-size:16px;\">\n<div class=\"sidebarcontent\">\n<p>\n<table border=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" width=\"185\" bgcolor=\"#FFFFFF\" style=\"font-family:arial;font-size:0.7em;color:#000000;\">\n<tr><td>\n\n\n<b>Earlier Today</b> <br>\n\n<span style=\"font-family:arial;font-size:11px;color:#000000;\">&#149; </span> <a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2007/01/16/DI2007011600929.html\"><b>Health</b></a>: HPV Vaccine \n <br>\n \n <span style=\"font-family:arial;font-size:11px;color:#000000;\">&#149; </span> <a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2007/01/10/DI2007011001327.html\"><b>Post Politics</b></a>: Chris Cillizza   <br>\n\n<span style=\"font-family:arial;font-size:11px;color:#000000;\">&#149; </span> <a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2007/01/16/DI2007011600774.html\"><b>Pearlstein</b></a>: Health Care      <br>\n\n<span style=\"font-family:arial;font-size:11px;color:#000000;\">&#149; </span> <a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2007/01/10/DI2007011000990.html\"><b>Ask Tom</b></a>: Tom Sietsema    <br>\n\n<span style=\"font-family:arial;font-size:11px;color:#000000;\">&#149; </span> <a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2007/01/02/DI2007010200604.html\"><b>PBS Frontline</b></a>: \'Hand of God\'    <br>\n\n<span style=\"font-family:arial;font-size:11px;color:#000000;\">&#149; </span> <a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2007/01/10/DI2007011001332.html\"><b>Federal Diary</b></a>: Stephen Barr  <br>\n\n<span style=\"font-family:arial;font-size:11px;color:#000000;\">&#149; </span> <a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2007/01/11/DI2007011101328.html\"><b>Soccer</b></a>: Steven Goff   <br>\n\n<span style=\"font-family:arial;font-size:11px;color:#000000;\">&#149; </span> <a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2007/01/12/DI2007011201662.html\"><b>Gossip</b></a>: Reliable Source   <br>\n\n<span style=\"font-family:arial;font-size:11px;color:#000000;\">&#149; </span> <a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2007/01/14/DI2007011400261.html\"><b>Color of Money</b></a>: Taxes   <br>\n\n<span style=\"font-family:arial;font-size:11px;color:#000000;\">&#149; </span> <a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2007/01/10/DI2007011001367.html\"><b>Free Range</b></a>: Food Section    <br>\n\n<span style=\"font-family:arial;font-size:11px;color:#000000;\">&#149; </span><a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2007/01/16/DI2007011601255.html\"><b>\'American Idol\'</b></a>: Lisa de Moraes   <br>\n\n<span style=\"font-family:arial;font-size:11px;color:#000000;\">&#149; </span> <a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2007/01/08/DI2007010800742.html\"><b>W.H. Talk</b></a>: Dan Froomkin    <br>\n\n<span style=\"font-family:arial;font-size:11px;color:#000000;\">&#149; </span> <a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2007/01/11/DI2007011101312.html\"><b>The Wizards</b></a>: Carter & Lee   <br>\n\n<span style=\"font-family:arial;font-size:11px;color:#000000;\">&#149; </span> <a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2007/01/11/DI2007011101290.html\"><b>Books</b></a>: Michael Dirda    <br>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>\n</span> <FONT face=verdana,sans-serif size=-2><a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/liveonline/schedule/front.html\" style=\"font-family:arial;font-size:11px;\"><b>Weekly Schedule</B></A></FONT> \n<br>\n\n <FONT face=verdana,sans-serif size=-2><a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/linkset/2005/05/18/LI2005051801255.html\" style=\"font-family:arial;font-size:11px;\"><b>Recent Discussion Transcripts</B></A></FONT> \n\n</td></tr></table> \n\n\n</p>\n</div>\n</div>\n\n<script src=\"http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/technorati/Technorati.js\"></script><script>\nvar technorati = new Technorati() ;\ntechnorati.setProperty(\'url\',\'http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2007/01/16/DI2007011600929_Technorati.html\') ;\ntechnorati.article = new item(\'HPV Vaccine\',\'http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2007/01/16/DI2007011600929.html\',\'Dr. Richard Schlegel\\\'s research helped lead to the development of Gardasil, a vaccine for human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted virus that can cause genital warts and cervical cancer. The D.C. Council is considering a bill that would require girls to be vaccinated for HPV before the start of sixth grade.\',\'Dr. Richard Schlegel\') ;\n</script><script src=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2007/01/16/DI2007011600929_Technorati.js\"></script><script>document.write( technorati.getDisplaySidebar() );</script>\n<link href=\"http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/css/bookmarking.css\" rel=\"stylesheet\" media=\"all\"/><div class=\"sidebarhack\"><b></b></div><div class=\"sidebar\"><h2><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"right\" border=\"0\" width=\"222\"><tr><td class=\"sb-left\" align=\"left\">Save &amp; Share Article</td><td class=\"sb-right\" align=\"right\"><a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/community/saveandshare.html\">What\'s This?</a></td></tr></table></h2><div class=\"sidebarcontent\"><div class=\"sidebarbox\"><div class=\"bookmark\"><div class=\"generic_bookmark digg_bookmark\"><div class=\"pad_bookmark\"><a href=\"http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2007/01/16/DI2007011600929.html%3Freferrer=digg&title=HPV Vaccine&bodytext=Dr. Richard Schlegel\'s research helped lead to the development of Gardasil, a vaccine for human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted virus that can cause genital warts and cervical cancer. 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Council is considering a bill that would require girls to be vaccinated for HPV before the start of sixth grade.&bkmk=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2007/01/16/DI2007011600929.html%3Freferrer=google\" target=\"new\">Google</a></div></div><br clear=\"all\"/><div class=\"generic_bookmark delicious_bookmark\"><div class=\"pad_bookmark\"><a href=\"http://del.icio.us/post?v=4&partner=wpni&noui&jump=close&url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2007/01/16/DI2007011600929.html%3Freferrer=delicious&title=%22HPV Vaccine%22 With Dr. Richard Schlegel&notes=Dr. Richard Schlegel\'s research helped lead to the development of Gardasil, a vaccine for human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted virus that can cause genital warts and cervical cancer. The D.C. 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Cervical cancer develops from certain strains of HPV, which affects both men and women. Gardasil blocks the two strains of HPV responsible for about 70 percent of cervical cancer cases. The FDA recommends the vaccine for females between the ages of nine and 26 to prevent cervical cancer.</p><p>Schlegel is now working on second- and third-generation vaccines to prevent HPV and decrease the incidence of cervical cancer in the developing world.</p><p>____________________</p><p><b>Dr. Richard Schlegel:</b> As an introduction, I am the Chair of Pathology of Georgetown and have been working on papillomaviruses for approximately 25 years. We are very interested in studying the interaction of this virus with humans and how it promotes cancer. Our laboratory studies include vaccine development as well as potential new drug therapies.</p><p></p><p>_______________________</p><p><b>Washington, D.C.:</b> Two years ago I was diagnosed with the cervical cancer strain of HPV. After the colopscopy, it never developed into anything and my gynecologist gave me the all-clear. When I recently asked about the vaccine, she recommended against it, saying that I already had the antibodies and it was unnecessary. If this true? If you already have HPV, should you get Gardasil?</p><p><b>Dr. Richard Schlegel:</b> Cervical caner</p><p><b>Dr. Richard Schlegel:</b> Cervical cancer is caused by approximately a dozen different types of human papillomaviruses.  You most likely were infected by only 1 type and the vaccine currently covers two types most frequently involved in cancer.  So vaccination would give you the benefit of protecting against this other HPV type.</p><p>_______________________</p><p><b>Washington, D.C.:</b> Three days ago, I asked a prominent pediatrician in Los Angeles if she recommended the vaccine and if so, when?</p><p>She enthusiastically endorsed the vaccine but said that she is cautioning parents to wait to vaccinate until the age of 14.  Why would this be a better option than sixth grade or 11 years of age?</p><p><b>Dr. Richard Schlegel:</b> No, immunizing at age 11 would certainly be the most beneficial.  There isn\'t any difference known between vaccinating at age 11 or 14.  The earlier the better.</p><p>_______________________</p><p><b>U St., Washington, D.C. :</b>1. If HPV is sexually transmitted, why not also immunize boys/men and stop viral transmission from that source as well?</p><p>2. HPV seems linked to cervical cancer in women -- and seems to be a primary reason for the urgency of the campaign.  Is there evidence that HPV is also linked to other diseases in men? Which would argue for immunizing them as well?</p><p><b>Dr. Richard Schlegel:</b> Eventually the vaccination will probably be extended to boys.  They certainly are infected by the virus and these infections can, with low frequency, lead to cancer of the penis.  Also, the virus can be transmitted in genital/anal contact in homosexual men.</p><p></p><p></p><p>_______________________</p><p><b>Washington, D.C.:</b> How soon can we expect second- and third-generation HPV vaccines?</p><p><b>Dr. Richard Schlegel:</b> The upcoming HPV second and third generation are currently in the early clinical trial phases.  I would anticipate that in 5-7 years there might be new formulations available.  Also, both Merck and GSK and currently improving their vaccines to cover more of the HPV types involved in cancer and these might be available sooner.</p><p>_______________________</p><p><b>Washington, D.C.:</b> About two years ago, I found out I had HPV and then had to have surgery to remove pre-cancerous cells. I had only been with two partners in my lifetime, and always used condoms.</p><p>So even if you are responsible, you can contract HPV. While I was lucky and no longer have HPV, it was an extremely difficult time for me, very scary experience. I\'ll make sure my children receive the vaccine.</p><p><b>Dr. Richard Schlegel:</b> Unfortunately, condoms are not particularly effective in preventing the transmission of HPV.  The virus is found in genital cells not covered by the condom.</p><p>_______________________</p><p><b>Washington, D.C.:</b> Did you always know you wanted to study HPV, or did you start out doing something completely different?</p><p><b>Dr. Richard Schlegel:</b> I started studying a cow papillomavirus in 1982 in order to study how viruses can induce abnormal growth of cells.  Once HPV has been isolated from cervical cancer, we switched to studying the human virus and developed assays to study the transforming activity of these viruses in the laboratory.  This eventually led to our interest in devising ways to inhibit these virus infections.</p><p>_______________________</p><p><b>Washington, D.C.:</b> I see the news focus of today\'s chat is on the District of Columbia.  But I was curious what implications your vaccine has for the health of individuals in developing countries.  Are there many steps that need to occur to get the vaccine to these places?  Is it difficult?</p><p><b>Dr. Richard Schlegel:</b> Cervicalcancer is a critical health issue in developing countries and, in fact, is the second most common cause of cancer deaths in women worldwide.  The current HPV vaccine will have an enormous impact and has the potential to save nearly 250,000 women every year.  At Georgetown, we are involved in an international research cooperative to develop a more stable and cost-effective vaccine which will make this vaccination procedure afffordable in these countries.</p><p>_______________________</p><p><b>Muncie, Ind.:</b> My 19-year-old daughter had the first shot right after Thanksgiving and the second shot after Christmas.  I know that she is due for the third shot at the end of June, but she may be in another state for the summer.  How important is it to have the third shot within 6 months of the second?  It is difficult to find providers?  Are there plans to widen distribution of the vaccine?</p><p><b>Dr. Richard Schlegel:</b> No, the timing of the final booster is not critical.  I would arrange it to be compatible with schedule (i.e. at the end of the summer).</p><p></p><p></p><p>Hopefully the vaccine will be available widely very soon.  It is certainly available in many states right now and in many college health centers.</p><p>_______________________</p><p><b>Baltimore:</b> Is sex the only way HPV is transmitted?</p><p><b>Dr. Richard Schlegel:</b> Although sex is the most common mechanism for transmitting the papillomavirus, it is not the only way.  For example, during birth, babies can be infected in their airway by passing through the birth canal of an infected mother.  Also, the papillomaviruses that infect our hands and feet are transmitted by contact with infected surfaces.  However, with regard to cervical cancer, sex is basic mechanism of infection.</p><p>_______________________</p><p><b>Washington, D.C.:</b> I have heard that you can\'t get the vaccine after the age of 25.  I\'m a 24 year old woman.  If I get the first one of the series now, will I be able to finish it even after I turn 25 in a few months?  Is it even accurate that there is an age limit?</p><p><b>Dr. Richard Schlegel:</b> This is a great question.  The reason for recommending the age limit is that this is the time at which most women will be exposed to the virus.  However, women older than 26 can certainly gain benefit from vaccination, especially if they have had limited sexual contact.  Women older than 26 have a very good immune system and will respond well to the vaccine.</p><p>_______________________</p><p><b>Gaithersburg, Md.:</b> How long does the vaccine last?  I\'ve heard vague reports that it\'s good for five years but nothing concrete.</p><p><b>Dr. Richard Schlegel:</b> Currently, the vaccine is known to last AT LEAST 5 years.  However, with continuing followup, we may find that it last for much longer.  We really don\'t know the limit right now.</p><p>_______________________</p><p><b>Georgetown, D.C.:</b> Are there other cancers that are triggered by HPV?</p><p><b>Dr. Richard Schlegel:</b> Yes, papillomaviruses are also involved in oral cancers and anal cancers, such as the cancer that Farah Fawcett currently has.  Overall, then, the HPV vaccines are going anticipated to prevent these malignancies as well.</p><p>_______________________</p><p><b>Durham, N.C.:</b> Has there been any research done on the possible therapeutic benefits of the vaccine being given to an individual already infected with one of the high-risk strains of HPV?</p><p><b>Dr. Richard Schlegel:</b> This is a very controversial question.  I think it is safe to say that our information is incomplete at the current time.  It appears from the ongoing clinical trials that the vaccine does not have a significant effect on established infections (probably of recent onset).  However, the effect of the vaccine on long-term, persistent infection in not known.  There is very limited data in animal studies that vaccination might be beneficial for such persistent infections.  However, these are animal studies and would certainly need to be verified in human trials.</p><p>_______________________</p><p><b>Washington, D.C.:</b> Dr. Schlegel,</p><p>I am so pleased that you are here to talk about your research. This is a lifesaving vaccine and you have done so much for public health!</p><p>Will there be a vaccine for men at any point? Is any of your research geared toward that?</p><p>Thanks for your time.</p><p><b>Dr. Richard Schlegel:</b> The same vaccine that is availabe for women will probably be offered to men in the future.  Clinical trials are evaluating this procedure.  It certainly offers the best way to prevent transmission.</p><p>_______________________</p><p><b>Charlottesville, Va.:</b> I was diagnosed with a strain of HPV that does not cause cervical cancer. Can or should I still get the vaccine?</p><p><b>Dr. Richard Schlegel:</b> Yes, you should definitely get vaccinated, because the vaccine will cover the high-risk papillomaviruses. Being infected with the lower-risk types of HPV does not interfere with this vaccination.</p><p>_______________________</p><p><b>Ashburn, Va.:</b> I have a thirteen year old daughter and I would really like to get the HPV vaccine for her. I am a cancer survivor myself, and if there\'s a way to spare her any of that pain, I want to make it happen. When she had her annual physical last summer, I asked about the vaccine and was told that they didn\'t carry it and didn\'t know where to get it. They suggested the county board of health, but they had no information either. So I tried searching the Web to find information on where it was available and couldn\'t find any. Can you please direct me to information on how to obtain the vaccine for my daughter? If this vaccine is as important as I understand it to be, why is it so hard to find out how to get it for my child?</p><p><b>Dr. Richard Schlegel:</b> I would suggest you call your local medical board-- each city has one-- and they should be able to direct you to a place to get the vaccine. THis is important-- you should keep trying.</p><p>_______________________</p><p><b>Washington, D.C.:</b> I\'m 33 years old and my Doctor said that I\'m too old for the vaccine.  Is this true?  Or should I receive it anyway?  I don\'t have HPV.</p><p><b>Dr. Richard Schlegel:</b> As I said before, this is a great question. The reason for recommending the age limit is that this is the time at which most women will be exposed to the virus. However, women older than 26 can certainly gain benefit from vaccination, especially if they have had limited sexual contact. Women older than 26 have a very good immune system and will respond well to the vaccine.</p><p>_______________________</p><p><b>Takoma Park, Md.:</b> Dr. Schlegel</p><p>The vaccine does not prevent all types of HPV, including the more serious and fast moving types. Do you think the vaccine will give folks a false sense of security?</p><p><b>Dr. Richard Schlegel:</b> Actually, the current Merck and GlaxoSmithKline vaccines cover the most frequent and serious HPV types that cause cancer. However, both of these companies are modifying their vaccines to cover more HPV types and these vaccines should be available in the next five years.</p><p>_______________________</p><p><b>Washington, D.C.:</b> How useful is this drug in preventing rectal cancer in men? Can it be helpful if administered post-exposure to HPV?</p><p><b>Dr. Richard Schlegel:</b> It is anticipated that the HPV vaccines will also have a dramatic effect on preventing rectal cancers in men. However, clinical trials are incomplete at this time.</p><p>_______________________</p><p><b>Silver Spring, Md.:</b> How does the vaccine work? Does it kill the virus? Stop it from replicating? Prevent it from attaching to whatever structure (I guess the cervix) it attaches to?</p><p><b>Dr. Richard Schlegel:</b> When injected, the vaccine stimulates the production of antibodies. THese antibodies bind to the virus and prevent it from infecting our cells. You are correct in your statement that it will prevent attachment of the virus to cervical cells.</p><p>_______________________</p><p><b>Annapolis, Md.:</b> I am a family physician, and I want to thank you for helping answer questions about this important vaccine.</p><p>The vaccine was not in great supply last summer, and many physicians were not stocking the vaccine until it was clear the insurance companies were going to cover it (it costs about $120/dose, not including ancillary fees, and it is a 3-shot series).  Now that the vaccine is out and many if not all insurance companies are covering the vaccine, most family doctors and pediatricians are providing the vaccine.  The parent in Ashburn, Va., should perhaps simply go back to the original physician who didn\'t have the vaccine last summer and ask again--they probably have it now.  Just a thought.</p><p><b>Dr. Richard Schlegel:</b> Good suggestion, thanks for your comment.</p><p>_______________________</p><p><b>Reston, Va.:</b> What percentage of HPV cases actually develop into cervical cancer?</p><p><b>Dr. Richard Schlegel:</b> Actually, the great majority of HPV infections resolve spontaneously within one year. Only a small percentage of women, much less than one percent, become persistently infected by the virus and have an increased chance of developing cervical cancer.</p><p>_______________________</p><p><b>Washington, D.C.:</b> My doctor suggested that she did not support the vaccine, because in the future insurance companies might refuse to cover PAP/wellness examinations. Do you agree that this is possible?</p><p><b>Dr. Richard Schlegel:</b> I don\'t believe that will happen. Health care groups realize that its going to be important to continue to perform pap tests in the future, since the vaccine will only cover 75 percent of cases.</p><p>_______________________</p><p><b>Nashville, Tenn.:</b> I\'m 23 and am very interested in getting the vaccine within the next month.  But what happens when the newer vaccines that cover more strains of HPV come out?  I don\'t see why I should wait for these, but should I get vaccinated again when they come around?</p><p><b>Dr. Richard Schlegel:</b> I wouldn\'t suggest waiting for that, because those vaccines have not yet been developed and may not be for several years.</p><p>_______________________</p><p><b>Cleveland:</b> You mentioned that women over 26 respond well to the vaccine because they have a strong immune system, but are there any risks associated for women younger than 26 who have a weakened immune system?  Is it possible that, like a flu virus, you could actually contract HPV from this vaccine?</p><p><b>Dr. Richard Schlegel:</b> It\'s important to recognize that the vaccine is non-infectious. THere is no live virus in this preparation, so it would not be dangerous to someone whose immune system might be somewhat weakened.</p><p>_______________________</p><p><b>Washington, D.C.:</b> An earlier questioner commented that she no longer had HPV, but I don\'t believe this possible.  Is it true that once you have it, it is always with you?  And if true, what\'s the best way (if condoms are not effective) to limit transmission?  Is there a &quot;cure&quot; being worked on?</p><p><b>Dr. Richard Schlegel:</b> It\'s true that if someone is infected, they might develop a latent or persistent infection, and in most of these cases, that person will probably not be infectious because they don\'t have observable viral lesions. There are several trials evaluating therapies for these viruses, but none are available at this time.</p><p></p><p>But as I said before, most HPV cases will spontaneously resolve themselves without treatment.</p><p>_______________________</p><p><b>Washington, D.C.:</b> My boyfriend\'s last partner tested postitive for HPV. How can he get tested?</p><p><b>Dr. Richard Schlegel:</b> THere are methods of testing men by scraping the penile surface and detecting the virus by standard techniques, but, its not a standard clinical practice currently. There really isn\'t a standarized method for testing for the virus in men. If there is an observable lesion, it can certainly be biopsied and tested but if there are no symptoms, its difficult to test men.</p><p></p><p>_______________________</p><p><b>Bowling Green, Ky.:</b> First, I feel compelled to ask for the sake of full disclosure - what financial interests do you currently have in companies producing or distributing this vaccine?</p><p>Second, what side effects are currently known or suspected as a potential result of this vaccination?</p><p><b>Dr. Richard Schlegel:</b> The technology developed in my lab at GEorgetown was licensed commercially for the development of the vaccine.</p><p></p><p></p><p>Regarding side effects, there haven\'t been any serious side effects observed to date with the vaccine. Of those observed, pain and swelling at the site of the injection are the most common.</p><p>_______________________</p><p><b>New York, New York:</b> Thanks for taking questions.</p><p>What is the difference between Cervarix and Gardisil?  Are any vaccines effective against existing HPV infection?  If a person is already infected with a particular strain of HPV, will a vaccine prevent infection with other strains of the virus?</p><p><b>Dr. Richard Schlegel:</b> Gardasil is a tetravalent vaccine that covers four different HPV types that cause genital infection. Two of the types are HPV 16 and 18, which cause cervical cancer. Cervarix will cover HPV 16 and 18. As I said before, there isn\'t conclusive data on whether these vaccines will work on persistent infections. There is preliminary data suggesting that there is no significant effect on early onset infections.</p><p>_______________________</p><p><b>Washington, D.C.:</b> How did your research impact the development of the HPV vaccine?</p><p>What future plans do you have?</p><p>Would you recommend the vaccine for your own family members?</p><p><b>Dr. Richard Schlegel:</b> We are currently developing, with a grant from the Gates Foundation, second- and third-generation vaccines that are both therapeutic and prophylactic... and yes, both of my daughters, aged 20 and 22, are currently being vaccinated.</p><p>_______________________</p><p><b>Dr. Richard Schlegel:</b> THanks to everyone who wrote in with their great questions today. Unfortunately, there were many questions I did not have time to answer.</p><p></p><p></p><p>If you are interested in learning more, you can learn more at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention website at http://www.cdc.gov</p><p></p><p>_______________________</p><p>Editor\'s Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.  washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.</p></div></div><br clear=\"all\">\n');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1098','1','<table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\"><tr><td width=\"10\"></td><td width=\"98%\"><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"98%\" valign=\"top\"><tr><td><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><font size=\"+2\" color=\"551E1B\">Drug slows cancer return after pancreas surgery</font><br><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><b>Findings encouraging for patients who have deadly pancreatic cancer</b><br></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"></td></tr></table><font size=\"-2\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://msnbcmedia1.msn.com/i/msnbc/Components/Sources/sourceAP.gif\" height=\"20\" width=\"140\" vspace=\"0\" hspace=\"0\"><p></p></font><p>Offering a glint of hope for treating a notorious killer, researchers found that a common chemotherapy drug can help pancreatic cancer patients who have undergone surgery stave off a return of the disease longer.</p><p>In the German study, the group receiving Gemzar, or gemcitabine, lived on average of 13.4 months without their cancer coming back. A comparison group that did not receive the drug lived without disease for 6.9 months.</p><p>The 6?month gain may look modest. And scientists said they have seen no difference so far in the overall survival rates between the two groups. But pancreatic cancer is such a rapid and efficient killer that the findings were still highly encouraging.</p><p>Pancreatic cancer has one of the worst chances of recovery of all types of cancer. Most patients are not diagnosed until the cancer has spread, and fewer than one in 10 patients are alive five years after diagnosis.</p><p>Only 20 percent of newly diagnosed patients are good candidates for surgery, the best hope for a cure. And even then, the disease returns in the vast majority of cases.</p><p>The new findings, when considered along with preliminary results from a large U.S. trial reported last year, suggest that chemotherapy after pancreatic cancer surgery should at least include gemcitabine.</p><p>The study appears in Wednesday\'s Journal of the American Medical Association.</p><p>\"This study says to me that gemcitabine can keep the disease at bay for a period of time after surgery,\" said Dr. Sunil Hingorani of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. But it also \"underscores the essential incurability of the disease,\" he said. \"If you wait long enough, the beast comes back.\"</p><p><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"460\"><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"10\" border=\"0\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr height=\"20\"><td width=\"98%\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><font size=\"-1\"><b color=\"#666666\">&nbsp;Click for related content</b></font></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"5\" cellpadding=\"0\" bordercolor=\"#cccccc\" border=\"0\" style=\"border-top:solid 1px #cccccc;border-bottom:solid 1px #cccccc;background-color:#ffffff;\" bgcolor=\"#ffffff\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellpadding=\"0\" class=\"headlineList2\"><tr></tr></table></td></tr><tr valign=\"top\"><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"8\"><tr><td style=\"padding:8px;\"><font class=\"bigRedLink\"><ul><li><a href=\"/id/16564573/\">Two drugs slow growth of kidney cancer</a></li><li><a href=\"/id/16297736/\">Experimental cancer drug attacks tumors</a></li></ul></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"\" bordercolor=\"\" border=\"0\" style=\"background-color:#eeeeee;\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr><td style=\"\"><font class=\"textSmall\" color=\"#000000\"></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></p><p>The findings apply only to those patients who can have surgery - just 6,000 to 6,500 patients a year in the United States. Those are the patients whose cancer was diagnosed before it spread beyond the pancreas.</p><p>Gemcitabine already is used to fight breast, lung and ovarian cancer. It is also used to treat inoperable pancreatic cancer. It costs about $2,800 a month and has relatively mild side effects such as fatigue and hair thinning.</p><p>Doctors disagree about the best treatment following surgery for pancreatic cancer. Some watch for the disease to recur before starting other therapies. Others recommend chemotherapy right away, or a combination of chemotherapy and radiation.</p><p>\"Unfortunately, the majority of patients after surgery have their cancer come back,\" said Dr. Daniel Laheru of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, who was not involved in the study but specializes in pancreatic cancer. \"That\'s why this study is important.\"</p><p>Unlike other cancers, pancreatic cancer appears to spread almost as soon as it appears, possibly because the pancreas is not as self-contained as other organs. Pancreatic cancer cells are also usually tougher to kill in a petri dish than other types of cancer cells.</p><p>The German researchers followed 354 patients after surgery for an average of 4?years. Some patients were chosen at random to get gemcitabine for about six months starting soon after surgery.</p><p>The researchers found that 74 percent of patients receiving gemcitabine saw their cancer come back, versus 92 percent of patients not getting the drug.</p><p>The patients were treated at 88 cancer centers in Germany and Austria.</p><p>Study co-author Dr. Hanno Riess of Charite School of Medicine in Berlin said the findings are changing practice in Europe, where most doctors previously had not used radiation or chemotherapy after pancreas surgery.</p><p>Worldwide, there are an estimated 232,000 new cases of pancreatic cancer annually. In the United States, it is the fourth leading cause of cancer death, claiming 32,300 lives last year.</p><p>The pancreas, located between the stomach and the spine, secretes enzymes that help digest food and hormones that maintain blood sugar levels.</p><p>Smoking and a family history of pancreatic cancer raise the risk of the disease. Eating more fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk.</p><p>Some of the study\'s authors reported financial ties to drug makers including Gemzar\'s manufacturer, Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly and Co. A grant from Lilly Deutschland supported the study, but the company had no say in its design or data interpretation, the researchers reported.</p><div class=\"textBodyBlack\" style=\"clear:both;\"><i><em>?2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</em></i></div><br>');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1099','1','<table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\"><tr><td width=\"10\"></td><td width=\"98%\"><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"98%\" valign=\"top\"><tr><td><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><font size=\"+2\" color=\"551E1B\">Baby is born from embryo rescued after Katrina</font><br><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><b>Mother names boy Noah; embryo had been recovered from flooded hospital</b><br></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://msnbcmedia2.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/070116/070116_katrina_hmed_6a.hmedium.jpg\" vspace=\"0\" hspace=\"0\" alt=\"Glen Markham, Noah Markham\"></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"><font size=\"-2\">Alex Brandon / AP</font><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><font size=\"-1\">Glen Markham, right, holds his son Noah Benton Markham as the two grandparents Geri Markham, left, and Lezette Crosby, center, hug just after the birth at St. Tammany Parish Hospital in Covington, La., on Tuesday, Jan. 16. </font><br><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br></td></tr></table><font size=\"-2\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://msnbcmedia1.msn.com/i/msnbc/Components/Sources/sourceAP.gif\" height=\"20\" width=\"140\" vspace=\"0\" hspace=\"0\"><p></p></font><p>COVINGTON, La. - Sixteen months after being rescued as a frozen embryo from a hospital flooded by Hurricane Katrina, Noah Benton Markham entered the world Tuesday morning and was greeted by his cheering family.</p><p>The 8 pound, 6?ounce boy was born by Caesarean section at 7:23 a.m. CST at St. Tammany Hospital. He was in good shape, doctors said.</p><p>Before the procedure Rebekah and Glen Markham had decided that if their baby was a boy, he would be named after the biblical builder of the Ark. A girl would have been Hannah Mae - Hannah means \"God has favored us.\"</p><p>Relatives gathered around as Glen Markham, grinning proudly, carried the tiny blanket-wrapped bundle topped by a pink-and-blue cap out of the operating room. For a few seconds he tried to make them guess whether the baby was a boy or a girl. Then he said \"It\'s a boy!\" to an eruption of cheers and applause.</p><p><b><strong>\'It\'s Noah!\'</strong></b><br>Rebekah Markham\'s mother, Lezette Crosby, got on the telephone to another relative: \"It\'s Noah! It\'s Noah! It\'s a boy!\"</p><p>\"All babies are miracles. But we have some special miracles,\" said Wanda Stogner, a cousin of Rebekah Markham.</p><p>One of the people who made Noah\'s birth possible joined the family about shortly after Noah was born and was hugged by both grandmothers.</p><p>\"I\'m the guy who rescued the embryos,\" said Roman Pyrzak, lab director for The Fertility Institute of New Orleans.</p><p><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"460\"><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"10\" border=\"0\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr height=\"20\"><td width=\"98%\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><font size=\"-1\"><b color=\"#666666\">&nbsp;Click for related content</b></font></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"5\" cellpadding=\"0\" bordercolor=\"#cccccc\" border=\"0\" style=\"border-top:solid 1px #cccccc;border-bottom:solid 1px #cccccc;background-color:#ffffff;\" bgcolor=\"#ffffff\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellpadding=\"0\" class=\"headlineList2\"><tr></tr></table></td></tr><tr valign=\"top\"><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"8\"><tr><td style=\"padding:8px;\"><font class=\"bigRedLink\"><ul><li><a href=\"/id/16637583/\">Hospital plans to offer uterus transplant</a></li><li><a href=\"/id/16634910/\">World\'s first \'test-tube\' baby has baby of her own</a></li></ul></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"\" bordercolor=\"\" border=\"0\" style=\"background-color:#eeeeee;\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr><td style=\"\"><font class=\"textSmall\" color=\"#000000\"></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></p><p>When Katrina struck, the future Noah was one of 1,400 embryos frozen in canisters of liquid nitrogen at a hospital in eastern New Orleans.</p><p>Rebekah Markham, 32, had evacuated before the hurricane with their toddler, Glen Witter \"Witt\" Markham Jr. Her husband, a New Orleans police officer, stayed to work.</p><p>Mother and son actually evacuated twice. The first time was to relatives\' about a half-hour from their home among 40-foot-tall pine trees in Covington.</p><p><b><strong>Story of survival</strong></b><br>But when the storm toppled trees and cut electricity across south Louisiana, that first refuge became a poor place to care for a toddler who had turned 1 only 10 days before Katrina, so they went to Rebekah Markham\'s sister\'s home in central Louisiana.</p><p>A cell phone text message - \"R U OK?\" - the day after the storm told her that her husband had survived.</p><p>He was stationed across the Mississippi River from flooded parts of the city. But it had its own dangers. One member of his squad was shot in the head on Aug. 29 after confronting looters at a gas station.</p><p>Markham, 42, never got his wife\'s answer to his text query because his phone\'s battery was dead. \"It was about two weeks before I found out that they were OK,\" he said.</p><p>In the meantime, Pyrzak and Dr. Belinda \"Sissy\" Sartor of the Fertility Institute had led seven Illinois Conservation Police officers and three Louisiana State Police officers to the facility in flat-bottomed boats brought from Illinois.</p><p>Witt is also an in-vitro baby. His embryo was created at the same time as Noah\'s, but it was implanted immediately, while five others were frozen in case of miscarriage.</p><p>The Markhams aren\'t sure if they\'ll have a third child.</p><p>\"I thought three would be the ideal number,\" Rebekah Markham has said. But her medical problems have required bed rest for the first three months of each pregnancy. \"And I was even more sick with this one than with Witt.\"</p><p>They also needed a lot of family help to take care of Witt, a boy who never seems to stop running. So any decision probably will be postponed until both children are in school.</p><div class=\"textBodyBlack\" style=\"clear:both;\"><i><em>?2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</em></i></div><br>');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1100','1','<table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\"><tr><td width=\"10\"></td><td width=\"98%\"><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"98%\" valign=\"top\"><tr><td><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><font size=\"+2\" color=\"551E1B\">Patients with drug stents need year of aspirin</font><br><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><b>Anti-clogging medicines recommended for minimum of a year</b><br></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"></td></tr></table><font size=\"-2\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://msnbcmedia1.msn.com/i/msnbc/Components/Sources/sourceAP.gif\" height=\"20\" width=\"140\" vspace=\"0\" hspace=\"0\"><p></p></font><p>Heart patients who had drug-coated stents inserted to prop open blocked coronary arteries should stay on anti-clotting drugs for at least a year, several doctor groups said in an advisory issued Tuesday.</p><p>The advisory recommends that doctors tell their patients to take an anti-clotting drug like Plavix and aspirin for a year to reduce the risk of clotting, which could lead to a heart attack or death. The long-term safety of Plavix in stent patients has not been established.</p><p>Drug-coated stents are often chosen over bare metal stents because they slowly release medication that reduces the chance of arteries reclogging, which can mean follow-up surgery. However, the newer stents mean a small but significant increased risk of clotting.</p><p><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"1%\"><tr><td><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://msnbcmedia2.msn.com/i/msnbc/Components/Art/HEALTH/070116/ap_stents.jpg\" align=\"Right\" height=\"512\" width=\"186\" vspace=\"0\" hspace=\"0\"></td></tr></table></p><p>The new advisory cited research showing blood clots in up to 29 percent of patients who stopped anti-clotting drugs early after receiving a drug-coated stent. The doctors also cited a study of 500 patients who received the drug-coated stents after a heart attack in which the death rate over the next 11 months was 7.5 percent for those who stopped taking anti-clotting medication compared to 0.7 percent for those who continued the regimen.</p><p>The recent information on drug-coated stents and the recommended drug regimen of up to a year means more dialogue between patients and doctors, said Dr. Cindy Grines, chair of the advisory writing committee.</p><p>\"I think what\'s happened with the drug-eluting stents is the patients are scared too much,\" said Grines of the William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Mich.</p><p>The recent publicity about drug-coated stents is on patients\' minds, said Dr. John Warner, medical director of the heart, lung and vascular center at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.</p><p><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"460\"><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"10\" border=\"0\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr height=\"20\"><td width=\"98%\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><font size=\"-1\"><b color=\"#666666\">&nbsp;Click for related content</b></font></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"5\" cellpadding=\"0\" bordercolor=\"#cccccc\" border=\"0\" style=\"border-top:solid 1px #cccccc;border-bottom:solid 1px #cccccc;background-color:#ffffff;\" bgcolor=\"#ffffff\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellpadding=\"0\" class=\"headlineList2\"><tr></tr></table></td></tr><tr valign=\"top\"><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"8\"><tr><td style=\"padding:8px;\"><font class=\"bigRedLink\"><ul><li><a href=\"/id/16578828/\">Heart doctors urge caution with drug stents</a></li><li><a href=\"/id/16114030/\">\'Safety concerns\' for majority of stent patients</a></li><li><a href=\"http://boards.msn.com/MSNBCboards/thread.aspx?ThreadID=148298\">Discuss: Do you have a stent? Are you concerned?</a></li></ul></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"\" bordercolor=\"\" border=\"0\" style=\"background-color:#eeeeee;\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr><td style=\"\"><font class=\"textSmall\" color=\"#000000\"></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></p><p>\"Patients are very informed about this and most are asking the question before we even begin the conversation with them, which is good,\" he said.</p><p>The new information means that before stent surgery, doctors must discuss with the patient whether there\'s any reason they might not be able to keep up the drug regimen for at least a year, said Warner. If the cost of the drug - Plavix is $4 a day - or an upcoming surgery would require stopping the drug, he said it might be best to use a bare metal stent.</p><p>The new advisory - issued by the American Heart Association, American College of Cardiology, Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions, American College of Surgeons and the American Dental Association - recommends patients postpone elective surgery for a year.</p><p>\"Before, we would put a stent in and (then) talk about aspirin and Plavix. Now we talk about it before,\" said Warner, who was not on the advisory committee.</p><div class=\"textBodyBlack\" style=\"clear:both;\"><i><em>?2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</em></i></div><br>');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1101','1','<table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\"><tr><td width=\"10\"></td><td width=\"98%\"><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"98%\" valign=\"top\"><tr><td><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><font size=\"+2\" color=\"551E1B\">Wanna live longer? Win a Nobel Prize</font><br><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><b>Windfall of cash plus ultra-status symbol also confers two extra years of life</b><br></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"></td></tr></table><font size=\"-2\"><a href=\"http://www.reuters.com/\"><a href=\"http://www.reuters.com/\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://msnbcmedia3.msn.com/i/msnbc/Components/Sources/sourceReuters.gif\" height=\"20\" width=\"140\" vspace=\"0\" hspace=\"0\"></a></a><p></p></font><p>Winning the Nobel Prize quite literally gives scientists a new lease of life.</p><p>New research at the University of Warwick in central England shows that scientists who have won the prize for their work in chemistry and physics not only get cash and kudos but they live two years longer than colleagues who have only been nominated.</p><p>\"Status seems to work a kind of health-giving magic. Once we do the statistical corrections, walking across that platform in Stockholm apparently adds about two years to a scientist\'s lifespan,\" Professor Andrew Oswald said.</p><p>\"How status does this, we just don\'t know.\" </p><p>Oswald and government economist Matthew Rablen compared the lifespan of 524 scientists who had been nominated for the prize between 1901 and 1950, including 135 who had won it.</p><p>The average lifespan in the group was 76 years but winners lived on average 1.4 years longer than nominees. The gap widened another two-thirds of a year when winners and losers from the same country were compared, according to the study.</p><p><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"460\"><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"10\" border=\"0\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr height=\"20\"><td width=\"98%\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><font size=\"-1\"><b color=\"#666666\">&nbsp;Click for more health content</b></font></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"5\" cellpadding=\"0\" bordercolor=\"#cccccc\" border=\"0\" style=\"border-top:solid 1px #cccccc;border-bottom:solid 1px #cccccc;background-color:#ffffff;\" bgcolor=\"#ffffff\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellpadding=\"0\" class=\"headlineList2\"><tr></tr></table></td></tr><tr valign=\"top\"><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"8\"><tr><td style=\"padding:8px;\"><font class=\"bigRedLink\"><ul><li><a href=\"/id/16640159/\">Amnesia can block past and future</a></li><li><a href=\"/id/16331336/\">Jumpstart your January: Daily doable tips</a></li></ul></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"\" bordercolor=\"\" border=\"0\" style=\"background-color:#eeeeee;\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr><td style=\"\"><font class=\"textSmall\" color=\"#000000\"></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></p><p>The amount of prize money given to winners has changed since Alfred Nobel established the Nobel Prize which was first awarded in 1901. But Oswald said the amount of prize money did not have an impact on lifespan, nor did being nominated more than once.</p><div class=\"textBodyBlack\" style=\"clear:both;\"><i><em>Copyright 2007 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters.</em></i></div><br>');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1102','1','<table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\"><tr><td width=\"10\"></td><td width=\"98%\"><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"98%\" valign=\"top\"><tr><td><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><font size=\"+2\" color=\"551E1B\">Promise of pregnancy raises series of what-ifs</font><br><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><b>Womb transplants may be possible, but what happens next remains unclear</b><br></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"></td></tr></table><font size=\"-2\"><div class=\"textStoryTag\" style=\"padding-top:10px;\">COMMENTARY</div><div class=\"textMedBlackBold\" style=\"padding-top:10px;\">Arthur Caplan, Ph.D.</div><div class=\"textMedBlack\">MSNBC contributor</div><p></p></font><p><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"102\"><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"10\" border=\"0\" bgcolor=\"#7788aa\"><tr height=\"20\"><td width=\"20\" bgcolor=\"#7788aa\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://msnbcmedia2.msn.com/i/msnbc/Test-Dev/donna/msnbc10/Launch%20images/byline_msnbc.gif\" height=\"20\" width=\"100\" vspace=\"0\" hspace=\"0\"></td><td width=\"98%\" bgcolor=\"#7788aa\"><font size=\"-1\"><b color=\"#000000\"></b></font></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"5\" cellpadding=\"0\" bordercolor=\"#666666\" border=\"0\" style=\"border-top:solid 1px #666666;border-bottom:solid 1px #666666;background-color:#ffffff;\" bgcolor=\"#ffffff\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellpadding=\"0\" class=\"headlineList2\"><tr></tr></table></td></tr><tr valign=\"top\"><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\"><tr><td><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://msnbcmedia1.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Bylines/mugs/MSNBC%20Interactive/msnbc_caplan_arthur.thumb.jpg\" vspace=\"0\" hspace=\"0\"></td></tr><tr><td style=\"padding:4px;\"><font color=\"#000000\"><table cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" border=\"0\"><tr><td><font color=\"black\"><b>Arthur Caplan, Ph.D.</b></font></td></tr><tr><td><hr size=\"1\" width=\"85%\" color=\"#cccccc\" noshade=\"1\" align=\"center\"></td></tr><tr><td><font color=\"551E1B\">?/font><font color=\"black\"><script language=\"javascript\">document.write(\'<a href=\"mailto:\'+\'caplan\'+\'@\'+\'mail.med.upenn.edu\">\')</script>E-mail<script language=\"javascript\">document.write(\'</a>\');</script></font></td></tr></table></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"\" bordercolor=\"\" border=\"0\" style=\"background-color:#eeeeee;\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr><td style=\"\"><font class=\"textSmall\" color=\"#000000\"></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr></table>A team of physicians in New York City has announced that they intend to conduct the <a href=\"/id/16637583/\">first uterus transplant</a> in the United States. For women born without a uterus, or who have had their uterus removed due to illness, this procedure offers the hope that they will be able to bear children.?</p><p>It is hard to argue that there is any \"in principle\" reason why surgeons should not attempt uterus transplants. There are women who could benefit from the procedure and the technical skill to undertake the procedure is rapidly evolving. Despite the adoption options and the fact that American women can, in most states, use a surrogate mother, the fact is that many women want to bear their own biological children. The risks involved in trying a brand-new form of surgery are not going to discourage some women from signing on as subjects.</p><p>There is a need. There are people willing to take the risk. And the skills necessary to do a uterine transplant are emerging at many transplant centers. So, what is the problem with the proposed surgery?</p><p>There are three major issues.?</p><p>First, little research has been done on animals. No animal has given birth to a healthy offspring or even given birth at all post a uterus transplant. If, instead of a surgical innovation, the doctors involved were talking about a new drug treatment to give to infertile women, no one would let them try without showing that it was safe and had some efficacy in animals.?</p><p><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"460\"><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"10\" border=\"0\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr height=\"20\"><td width=\"98%\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><font size=\"-1\"><b color=\"#666666\">&nbsp;Click for related content</b></font></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"5\" cellpadding=\"0\" bordercolor=\"#cccccc\" border=\"0\" style=\"border-top:solid 1px #cccccc;border-bottom:solid 1px #cccccc;background-color:#ffffff;\" bgcolor=\"#ffffff\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellpadding=\"0\" class=\"headlineList2\"><tr></tr></table></td></tr><tr valign=\"top\"><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"8\"><tr><td style=\"padding:8px;\"><font class=\"bigRedLink\"><ul><li><a href=\"/id/16637583/\">Hospital plans to offer first uterus transplant</a></li><li><a href=\"http://boards.msn.com/MSNBCboards/thread.aspx?BoardID=761&amp;ThreadID=170289&amp;BoardsParam=HIPDelay%3d1\">Message Board: Technically possible, but should we?</a></li><li><a href=\"/id/16473471/\">Therapy stunts disabled girl\'s growth</a></li></ul><p></p></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"\" bordercolor=\"\" border=\"0\" style=\"background-color:#eeeeee;\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr><td style=\"\"><font class=\"textSmall\" color=\"#000000\"></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr></table>The fact that the surgery involves no new drugs or medical devices does not mean the surgeons are not morally obligated to prove they can make it work in a mouse, rat, pig or goat before rounding up desperate women as experimental subjects.</p><p>Second, the uterus to be transplanted will have to come from a deceased woman. ?he New York doctors say they will use someone who has signed a donor card and whose family is OK with the donation. But is this really enough? Few American women ever thought that their uterus might be donated if they signed a donor card. The uterus is not seen by many women in the same light as a kidney or a liver. The transplant team would be on firmer moral ground if they used a donated uterus from a woman who explicitly consented to donate that organ prior to her death and who made it very clear that she and her family renounced any and all claims to a relationship with any child that might result.</p><p>Lastly, it is very likely the first uterus transplant will fail. The surgical team says that this is not a problem since they can take the uterus out if things go wrong.?</p><p><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"1%\"><tr><td><a href=\"http://www.bioethics.net/\" target=\"_parent\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/msnbc/Components/Art/HEALTH/031209/GCH150_BioethicsNet.gif\" align=\"Left\" height=\"65\" width=\"150\" vspace=\"0\" hspace=\"0\"></a></td></tr></table>But what if that uterus contains a fetus??What if the mother says she is willing to die to give birth to that fetus? What if the father or the mother say they want the uterus removed even if there is a fetus present if things are not going as planned? The doctors have not said as much as they need to about what their \"exit\" strategy will be if, sadly, the surgery does not go as planned.</p><p>Transplanting the uterus, or for that matter, fallopian tubes, ovaries, testes, and other reproductive organs may bring great benefit to many.?But since there are two subjects involved - the would-be mom and her would-be child - any transplant team that proposes trying this novel surgery had better be sure it has done all that it can to ensure a good outcome. It isn\'t clear that the New York group has yet met that standard.</p><p><em>Arthur Caplan, Ph.D., is director of the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania.</em></p><div class=\"textBodyBlack\" style=\"clear:both;\"><i><em>?2007 MSNBC Interactive</em></i></div><br>');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1103','1','	<p><!--Spanish ID: 601050 --> <p>TUESDAY, Jan. 16 (HealthDay News) -- People from large families have an increased risk of stomach cancer, suggests a study that followed more than 7,000 Japanese-American men for 28 years. </p> <p>The study concluded that family size had a major influence on the development of stomach cancer linked to the bacterium <i>Helicobacter pylori</i>, and that younger siblings from large families were especially prone to the most common form of stomach cancer.</p> <p><i>H. pylori</i> lives in the mucous layer of the stomach and is associated with peptic ulcers and stomach cancer. It\'s estimated that half of the world\'s population carries <i>H. pylori</i> in the stomach. It can be transmitted orally from person to person or through contact with human feces.</p> <p>The study found that men who carried certain strains of <i>H. pylori</i> in their stomachs and had seven or more siblings had more than twice the risk of developing stomach cancer, compared to men with the same <i>H. pylori</i> strains who had one to three siblings.</p> <p>The findings are published in the Jan. 16 online issue of the journal <i>Public Library of Science Medicine</i>.</p> <p>\"This is a very carefully controlled study that clearly shows that there are factors in early childhood that affect the risk of developing cancer many decades later,\" study leader Dr. Martin J. Blaser, professor and chairman of the department of medicine, and professor of microbiology at New York University Medical Center and School of Medicine, said in a prepared statement.</p> <p>\"That early childhood events affect the risk of cancers occurring in old age is remarkable, and this may be a model for other cancers,\" Blaser said.</p> <p>He said that younger children in large families may acquire <i>H. pylori</i> from older siblings at a time when the younger children\'s immune systems are still developing. This, in combination with the fact that the bacterium is already adapted to a genetically related person, means the younger children may have a more virulent <i>H. pylori</i> population in the stomach than if they\'d acquired the germ from a non-relative.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>The American Academy of Family Physicians has more about <a href=\"http://familydoctor.org/817.xml\" target=\"_new\">stomach cancer</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1104','1','	<p>U.S. health officials proposed new\nstandards on Tuesday meant to help companies and other\norganizations seek approval to sell stem cells from newborn\'s\numbilical cord blood used to treat some cancers and other\ndiseases.<p/>\nThe <span class=\"keyword\"><a href=\"http://us.rd.yahoo.com/DailyNews/manual/nm/hl_nm/babies_bloodbank_dc/21600283/*http://news.search.yahoo.com/search/news?fr=news-storylinks&amp;p=%22Food%20and%20Drug%20Administration%22&amp;c=&amp;n=20&amp;yn=c&amp;c=news&amp;cs=nw\">Food and Drug Administration</a></span> said it would allow cord\nblood banks that store the cells to submit research already\navailable on use of the cells in an effort to streamline the\napproval process, rather than require them to conduct their own\nclinical trials.<p/>\nLike companies selling other products, the banks must also\nmeet other handling, storing and packaging requirements to win\napproval for the cells, the agency said.<p/>\nEllen Lazarus, an FDA medical officer in the division of\nhuman tissue, said use of the cells went so rapidly from\nresearch use to clinical use that the agency \"didn\'t want to\nget in the way of development of the necessary medical\ntechnology,\" but did want to set clear guidelines for a bank to\nbe approved.<p/>\nUmbilical cord blood contains stem cells that can be used\nto treat bone marrow failure, immune system deficiencies and\nsome cancers such as leukemia among other conditions in both\nchildren and adults. Researchers are also studying their use\nfor other diseases, such as Alzheimer\'s and Parkinson\'s.<p/>\nA mix of for-profit and not-for-profit companies collect\ncord blood donations for research and public use. Some\ncompanies offer private storage, including Celgene Corp.\'s\nLifebank USA and Viacell Inc.\'s Viacord, although they may also\nsell some cells for public use.<p/>\nBoth public and private banks already must meet FDA\nrequirements for handling human cells, including facility\ninspections.<p/>\nMandatory approval for public banks would go into effect as\nsoon as the standards are finalized following a 90-day comment\nperiod, the FDA said. Stephanie Simek, deputy director of the\nFDA\'s Office of Cellular, Tissue and Gene Therapies, said she\nhoped that could be completed within months.<p/>\nCompanies could apply for approval before the final\nguidelines are issued, Simek added.<p/>\nThe new standards would not apply to banks that manage cord\ncells for private use when parents pay to store their\nchildren\'s cells for possible future therapy. Those firms do\nnot need licenses because they do not make cells widely\navailable, an FDA spokeswoman said.\n<p/>\n</p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1105','1','<table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\"><tr><td width=\"10\"></td><td width=\"98%\"><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"98%\" valign=\"top\"><tr><td><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><font size=\"+2\" color=\"551E1B\">Diverticulitis often deadly in those Castro\'s age</font><br><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><b>Intestinal disease easy to treat among young, but kills 90 percent of elderly</b><br></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"></td></tr></table><font size=\"-2\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://msnbcmedia1.msn.com/i/msnbc/Components/Sources/sourceAP.gif\" height=\"20\" width=\"140\" vspace=\"0\" hspace=\"0\"><p></p></font><p>LONDON - The intestinal disease Fidel Castro is reportedly suffering from is usually easy to treat - but if complications develop in an elderly patient like the Cuban leader, it can quickly become a death sentence.</p><p>The Spanish newspaper El Pais reported Tuesday that the 80-year-old Castro is suffering from diverticulitis, an inflammation of the colon that can lead to serious infection if contents from the intestine leak into the abdomen.</p><p>In the elderly, the prognosis for this kind of infection is generally very poor - with the mortality rate as high as 90 percent. \"Castro would definitely qualify as critically ill,\" said Dr. Roshini Rajapaksa, a gastroenterologist at New York University School of Medicine, referring to the report.</p><p>In a younger patient, even the severe complications Castro has reportedly suffered are not necessarily fatal. But Castro\'s advanced age is a major factor.</p><p>\"When you\'re in your 80s, any complication can be fatal,\" said Dr. Joel Weinstock, director of the gastroenterology department at Tufts Medical School.</p><p>Still, it is possible that Castro could recover.</p><p>\"If they get the infections under control, he should get stronger in the next few weeks,\" Weinstock said. \"But given everything he\'s supposedly been through, it would be difficult. He\'s had a tough run.\"</p><p>About 65 percent of people develop weak spots, or bulges called diverticula, on their colons by age 85. In about 10 percent of cases, these pouches become inflamed, causing pain and other problems, a condition called diverticulitis. The illness can become life-threatening if other complications, such as infection, occur, requiring removal of part or all of the large intestine.</p><p><b><strong>Castro\'s entire large intestine reportedly removed<br></strong></b>Patients with mild diverticulitis are usually treated with antibiotics, as well as being put on a liquid diet. El Pais reported that Castro had his entire large intestine removed, suggesting the infection was extremely severe.</p><p><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"460\"><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"10\" border=\"0\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr height=\"20\"><td width=\"98%\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><font size=\"-1\"><b color=\"#666666\">&nbsp;Click for related content</b></font></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"5\" cellpadding=\"0\" bordercolor=\"#cccccc\" border=\"0\" style=\"border-top:solid 1px #cccccc;border-bottom:solid 1px #cccccc;background-color:#ffffff;\" bgcolor=\"#ffffff\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellpadding=\"0\" class=\"headlineList2\"><tr></tr></table></td></tr><tr valign=\"top\"><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"8\"><tr><td style=\"padding:8px;\"><font class=\"bigRedLink\"><p><a href=\"/id/16642456/\">Report: Castro in \'grave\' condition</a></p></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"\" bordercolor=\"\" border=\"0\" style=\"background-color:#eeeeee;\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr><td style=\"\"><font class=\"textSmall\" color=\"#000000\"></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></p><p>Doctors then reportedly implanted a bile duct device, presumably to help drain the infected area, as Castro may have been too ill to have his gall bladder removed.</p><p>Additional problems - such as a clot caused by remaining immobile in bed, a heart attack due to increased stress or kidney failure - are still possible, experts said. In his weakened condition, Castro is also vulnerable to additional infections.</p><p><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"1%\"><tr><td><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://msnbcmedia2.msn.com/i/msnbc/Components/Art/HEALTH/070116/AP_DIVERTICULITIS.gif\" align=\"Right\" height=\"442\" width=\"181\" vspace=\"0\" hspace=\"0\"></td></tr></table></p><p>The El Pais report was not made public in Cuba, where the government controls the media and Cubans have become accustomed to very limited details about their ailing leader\'s health.</p><p>A Cuban diplomat called the report a \"lie,\" and the government has not otherwise reacted.</p><p><b><strong>\'Very grave prognosis\'<br></strong></b>In its report, El Pais cited two unidentified sources from Gregorio Maranon Hospital in Madrid, which employs surgeon Jose Luis Garcia Sabrido, who flew to Cuba in December to treat Castro. It said a grave infection in the large intestine, at least three failed operations and various complications have left Castro with a \"very grave prognosis.\"</p><p>El Pais said that in December, when Garcia Sabrido visited, Castro had an abdominal wound that was leaking more than half a pint of fluids a day, causing \"a severe loss of nutrients.\" The Cuban leader was being fed intravenously, the report said.</p><p>Garcia Sabrido, the Madrid hospital\'s chief surgeon, could not immediately be reached for comment Tuesday. A secretary who answered the phone at his office said the doctor did not plan to comment on the report.</p><div class=\"textBodyBlack\" style=\"clear:both;\"><i><em>?2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</em></i></div><br>');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1106','1','<table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\"><tr><td width=\"10\"></td><td width=\"98%\"><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"98%\" valign=\"top\"><tr><td><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><font size=\"+2\" color=\"551E1B\">Unhealthy gums may hike risk of cancer</font><br><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><b>Gum disease linked to body-wide inflammation, cancer of pancreas</b><br></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"></td></tr></table><font size=\"-2\"><a href=\"http://www.reuters.com/\"><a href=\"http://www.reuters.com/\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://msnbcmedia3.msn.com/i/msnbc/Components/Sources/sourceReuters.gif\" height=\"20\" width=\"140\" vspace=\"0\" hspace=\"0\"></a></a><p></p></font><p>Gum disease might raise a person\'s risk of pancreatic cancer by causing general inflammation through the body, U.S. researchers said Tuesday.</p><p>They found that men who had periodontal disease had a 63 percent higher risk of developing pancreatic cancer than men with healthy teeth and gums. Men who lost teeth within the past four years were especially likely to develop pancreatic cancer, they reported in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.</p><p>While the study does not definitively show that gum disease causes cancer, the researchers say the evidence is strong. They filtered out other factors known to be linked with pancreatic cancer, such as smoking and obesity.</p><p>\"Most convincing was our finding that never-smokers (with gum disease) had a two-fold increase in risk of pancreatic cancer,\" said Dominique Michaud of the Harvard School of Public Health, who led the study.</p><p>Michaud\'s team studied 48,000 men taking part in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study between 1986 and 2002. These men, aged 40 to 75 at the start, answered a battery of questions about health and lifestyle and were then watched to see which diseases they developed.</p><p>More than half the men are dentists.</p><p>\"On the baseline questionnaire, participants responded to the following question: \'Have you had periodontal disease with bone loss?\'\' the researchers wrote.</p><p><b><strong>4th leading cause of cancer deaths<br></strong></b>Pancreatic cancer is the fourth-leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. It will kill 95 percent of the 32,000 people who get it this year, according to the American Cancer Society.</p><p>It is not usually diagnosed until it is far advanced, and thus ways to identify people at high risk might save lives.</p><p>\"Our study provides the first strong evidence that periodontal disease may increase the risk of pancreatic cancer. This finding is of significance as it may provide some new insights into the mechanism of this highly fatal disease,\" Michaud said in a statement.</p><p>Periodontal disease is caused when bacteria infect the gums and the infection gradually destroys bone. Other studies have found a link between gum disease or tooth loss and pancreatic cancer, but did not account for smoking - which can cause both gum disease and pancreatic cancer.</p><p>In this study, the effects of gum disease appeared to affect non-smokers more than smokers, the researchers found.</p><p><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"460\"><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"10\" border=\"0\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr height=\"20\"><td width=\"98%\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><font size=\"-1\"><b color=\"#666666\">&nbsp;Click for related content</b></font></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"5\" cellpadding=\"0\" bordercolor=\"#cccccc\" border=\"0\" style=\"border-top:solid 1px #cccccc;border-bottom:solid 1px #cccccc;background-color:#ffffff;\" bgcolor=\"#ffffff\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellpadding=\"0\" class=\"headlineList2\"><tr></tr></table></td></tr><tr valign=\"top\"><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"8\"><tr><td style=\"padding:8px;\"><font class=\"bigRedLink\"><ul><li><a href=\"/id/16655715/\">Drug slows return of pancreatic cancer</a></li><li><a href=\"/id/16636470/\">Significance of Alzheimer\'s gene far from clear</a></li><li><a href=\"/id/16651652/\">\'Cloudy\' apple juice packs more antioxidants</a></li></ul></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"\" bordercolor=\"\" border=\"0\" style=\"background-color:#eeeeee;\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr><td style=\"\"><font class=\"textSmall\" color=\"#000000\"></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></p><p>Nonetheless, this study is not proof, Michaud said.</p><p>\"More research is needed both to confirm this finding in other populations and also to explore the role of inflammation in this particular cancer,\" she said.</p><p>\"The association may be due to systemic (throughout the body) inflammation and/or increased levels of carcinogenic compounds generated by bacteria in the oral cavity of individuals with periodontal disease,\" the researchers wrote.</p><p><b><strong>Couple possible causes<br></strong></b>The men with gum disease seemed to have chronic inflammation - their levels of a protein called C-reactive protein, a measure of inflammation, were 30 percent higher than those of men with healthy gums.</p><p>Or the bacteria responsible for the gum loss could produce nitrosamines, which are compounds known to cause cancer.</p><p>\"Individuals with periodontal disease and poor oral hygiene have elevated levels of oral bacteria and have much higher nitrosamine levels in their oral cavity,\" the researchers wrote.?REUTERS</p><div class=\"textBodyBlack\" style=\"clear:both;\"><i><em>Copyright 2007 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters.</em></i></div><br>');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1107','1','	<p><p>TUESDAY, July 11 (HealthDay News) -- Volunteers who tried the hallucinogenic ingredient in psychedelic mushrooms during a controlled study funded by the U.S. government had &quot;mystical&quot; experiences, and many of them still felt unusually happy months later.</p> <p>The aims of the Johns Hopkins researchers were simple: to explore the neurological mechanisms and effects of the compound, as well as its potential as a therapeutic agent.</p> <p>Although psilocybin -- the hallucinogenic agent in the <i>Psilocybe</i> family of mushrooms -- first gained notoriety more than 40 years ago, it has rarely been studied because of the controversy surrounding its use.</p> <p>This latest finding, which sprang from a rigorously designed trial, moves the hallucinogen\'s effect closer to the hazy border separating hard science and religious mysticism.</p> <p>&quot;More than 60 percent of the volunteers reported effects of their psilocybin session that met the criteria for a \'full mystical experience\' as measured by well-established psychological scales,&quot; said lead researcher Roland Griffiths, a professor in the departments of neuroscience, psychiatry and behavioral biology at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.</p> <p>What\'s more, most of the 36 adult participants -- none of whom had taken psilocybin before -- counted their experience while under the influence of the drug as &quot;among the most meaningful and spiritually significant experiences of their lives,&quot; Griffiths said. Most said they became better, kinder, happier people in the weeks after the psilocybin session -- a fact corroborated by family and friends.</p> <p>The researchers also noted no permanent brain damage or negative long-term effects stemming from use of psilocybin.</p> <p>But the study, published in the July 11 online edition of <i>Psychopharmacology</i>, did not neglect the hallucinogen\'s &quot;dark side.&quot;</p> <p>Even though the candidates for the landmark study were carefully screened to reduce their vulnerability and closely monitored during the trial, &quot;We still had 30 percent of them reporting periods of very significant fear or anxiety which could easily escalate into panic and dangerous behavior if this were given in any other kind of circumstances,&quot; Griffiths said.</p> <p>&quot;We simply don\'t know what causes a \'bad trip,\' &quot; he added, &quot;and we can\'t forecast who\'ll have a difficult time and who won\'t.&quot;</p> <p>Still, many experts hailed the research, which was funded by the U.S. National Institute of Drug Abuse and the Council on Spiritual Practices, as long overdue.</p> <p>No less than Dr. Herbert Kleber -- former deputy director of the White House\'s Office of National Drug Control Policy under former President George H.W. Bush -- said these types of studies &quot;could shed light on various kinds of brain activity and lead to therapeutic uses for these categories of drugs.&quot; He authored a commentary on the Hopkins study.</p> <p>&quot;Over time, with appropriate research, maybe we can figure out ways to decrease [illicit drugs\'] bad effects,&quot; while retaining those effects beneficial to medical science, Kleber said.</p> <p>Scientific research into the effects of illegal, Schedule 1 drugs such as psilocybin <i>are</i> allowed by federal law. But the stigma surrounding their use has kept this type of research to a minimum. The taboo surrounding drugs such as psilocybin &quot;has some wisdom to it,&quot; Griffiths said, but &quot;it\'s unfortunate that as a culture we so demonized these drugs that we stopped doing research on them.&quot;</p> <p>Psilocybin appears to work primarily on the brain\'s serotonin receptors to alter states of consciousness. In their study, the Baltimore team sought to determine the exact nature of psilocybin\'s effects on humans, under strictly controlled conditions.</p> <p>To do so, they sought volunteers with no prior history of drug abuse or mental illness who also had a strong interest in spirituality, since the drug was reputed to trigger mystical states.</p> <p>The study included 36 college-educated participants averaging 46 years of age. It was also randomized and double-blinded, meaning that half of the participants received psilocybin, while the other half received a non-hallucinogenic stimulant, methylphenidate (Ritalin), but neither researchers nor the participants knew who got which drug in any given session. Each volunteer was brought in for two or three sessions in a &quot;crossover&quot; design that guaranteed that each participant used psilocybin at least once.</p> <p>During each eight-hour encounter, participants were carefully watched over in the lab by two trained monitors. The volunteers were instructed by the researchers to &quot;close their eyes and direct their attention inward.&quot;</p> <p>According to the Baltimore team, nearly two-thirds of the volunteers said they achieved a &quot;mystical experience&quot; with &quot;substantial personal meaning.&quot; One-third rated the psilocybin experience as &quot;the single most spiritually significant experience of his or her life,&quot; and another 38 percent placed the experience among their &quot;top five&quot; most spiritually significant moments.</p> <p>Most also said they became better, gentler people in the following two months. &quot;We don\'t think that\'s delusional, because we also interviewed family members and friends by telephone, and they confirmed these kinds of claims,&quot; Griffiths said.</p> <p>So, is this &quot;God in a pill&quot;? Griffiths said answering questions of religion or spirituality far exceeds the scope of studies like these.</p> <p>&quot;We know that there were brain changes that corresponded to a primary mystical experience,&quot; he said. &quot;But that finding -- as precise as it may get -- will in no way inform us about the metaphysical question of the existence of a higher power.&quot; </p> <p>He likened scientific attempts to seek God in the human brain to experiments where scientists watch the neurological activity of people eating ice cream.</p> <p>&quot;You could define exactly what brain areas lit up and how they interplay, but that shouldn\'t be used as an argument that chocolate ice cream does or doesn\'t exist,&quot; Griffiths said.</p> <p>Another expert said the study should give insights into human consciousness.</p> <p>&quot;We may gain a better understanding of how we biologically react to a spiritual state,&quot; said Dr. John Halpern, associate director for substance abuse research at McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School.</p> <p>Halpern, who\'s conducted his own research on the sacramental use of the hallucinogenic drug peyote by Native Americans, said he\'s encouraged that the Hopkins trial was organized in the first place. &quot;This study, by some of the top-tier people in the country, shows that it\'s possible for us to re-look at these substances and evaluate them safely in a research setting,&quot; he said.</p> <p>For his part, former deputy drug czar Kleber stressed that agents such as psilocybin &quot;carry a high likelihood of misuse as well as good use.&quot;</p> <p>Griffiths agreed the study should not been seen as encouragement for casual experimentation.</p> <p>&quot;I think it would be awful if this research prompted people to use the drug under recreational conditions,&quot; he said, &quot;because we really don\'t know that there aren\'t personality types or conditions under which you could take things like that and develop persisting harm.&quot;</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>There\'s more on hallucinogens and their dangers at the <a href=\"http://teens.drugabuse.gov/mom/mom_hal1.asp\" target=\"_new\">U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1108','1','	<p><p>TUESDAY, July 18 (HealthDay News) -- Nutritional supplements and other dietary changes may do little to help cancer patients alter the course of their illness, according to a major review of research on the subject.</p> <p>However, because of the limited number and quality of most of the trials studied, the British researchers also said it would be tough to draw definitive conclusions on the effectiveness of such interventions.</p> <p>&quot;The take-home point is that the field isn\'t mature enough for us to know if any intervention works,&quot; said Dr. John A. Baron, a Dartmouth Medical School professor who authored an accompanying editorial to the findings published in the July 19 issue of the <i>Journal of the National Cancer Institute</i>.</p> <p>The news about diet isn\'t all discouraging, added the study\'s lead author, Dr. Steven Thomas of the University of Bristol.</p> <p>&quot;There are some promising findings particularly for breast cancer, which suggest a reduction in cancer-specific mortality with healthy diet interventions, although the reviewed studies were small,&quot; he said. </p> <p>Thomas\' group of researchers reviewed data from 59 studies in what\'s known as a &quot;meta-analysis.&quot; The research included 25 studies involving patients with cancer and 34 with patients with pre-cancerous lesions. The studies covered dietary interventions including supplements of Vitamins A, C, B6, fiber, calcium, folate and beta-carotene, as well as weight loss, exercise, and calorie-reduction.</p> <p>Some studies did show some benefit. One study suggested that dietary changes might help reduce the risk for breast cancer recurrence. And two studies that focused on increased calcium intake each pointed to a reduced risk of recurrence of colorectal polyps, which can lead to colon cancer.</p> <p>Of course, eating well is always important for health, Thomas said. &quot;Encouraging a healthy diet is certainly important for general well-being because many patients with cancer will live for along time with increasingly effective medical treatments.&quot;</p> <p>Baron said the U.K. review included studies that are quite broad, involving people with cancer as well as people with benign lesions. While overall the studies failed to show any value for most supplements in reducing cancer recurrence, Baron agreed that there is some evidence that calcium -- which he has studied -- looks promising as a way of preventing the return of colorectal polyps.</p> <p>The U.K. report is a &quot;very good paper,&quot; said Dr. Dimitrios Trichopoulos, a cancer specialist at Harvard School of Public Health in Boston. But he stressed that trials that focus on disease prevention, such as those reviewed in the analysis, have inherent limitations.</p> <p>&quot;They can\'t last long enough [to obtain definitive answers],&quot; he said. It\'s also difficult to get study participants to comply with specific interventions over an extended period of time, he added.</p> <p>Still, the common-sense advice to eat right still holds.</p> <p>&quot;Diet still works,&quot; Trichopoulos said, although its effect on cancer recurrence and prevention may not be as great as experts once believed. &quot;My guess is, diet could reduce cancer by 10 to 15 percent,&quot; he said. Trichopoulos suggests a diet with little red meat and high amounts of fruits, vegetables and plant based foods.</p> <p>A second study, published in the same issue of the journal, found that garlic and vitamin supplements did not reduce the prevalence of precancerous stomach lesions or gastric cancer.</p> <p>In the study, researchers at the Beijing Institute for Cancer Research and the U.S. National Cancer Institute tracked more than 3,000 Chinese adults, ages 35 to 64, who were assigned to one of three treatment groups or a placebo group.</p> <p>The study did find that one-time use of an antibiotic to kill off the <i>Helicobacter pylori</i> stomach bacteria -- suspected of causing ulcers and stomach cancer-- did reduce the severity and progression of precancerous gastric lesions, however.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>For more on healthy eating, head to the <a href=\"http://www.eatright.org\" target=\"_new\">American Dietetic Association</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1109','1','	<p><p>MONDAY, July 24 (HealthDay News) -- Women who take the hormones estrogen and testosterone in tandem to treat symptoms of menopause appear to have an increased risk of breast cancer, researchers report.</p> <p>The finding are published in the July 24 issue of the <i>Archives of Internal Medicine</i>.</p> <p>Another report in the same journal issue finds that alternative therapies to hormone replacement therapy (HRT) don\'t seem to work.</p> <p>In the first report, Rulla M. Tamimi, of Brigham and Women\'s Hospital in Boston and Harvard Medical School, and her colleagues collected data on 121,700 women, who were part of the Nurses\' Health Study. The researchers looked at the long-term effects of estrogen-plus-testosterone therapy.</p> <p>&quot;Estrogen plus testosterone increases the risk of breast cancer,&quot; Tamimi said. &quot;There needs to be other studies to support these findings, but there does seem to be an increased risk, and women and their physicians should weigh the risks and benefits of estrogen-plus-testosterone therapy before starting,&quot; she said.</p> <p>There is some evidence that many of the symptoms of menopause --including decreased sex drive, mood swings and poorer quality of life, such as hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness and sleep problems -- are related to this decline in testosterone, the authors noted. Previous clinical trials had shown that testosterone in combination with estrogen may reduce these symptoms and promote bone health.</p> <p>The increased breast cancer risk associated with testosterone may be because enzymes in breast tissue convert testosterone to estradiol, an estrogen-like hormone that could contribute to the development of breast cancer, the authors said. Higher levels of testosterone alone have also been linked to increased breast-cancer risk in postmenopausal women.</p> <p>Currently in the United States, there is only one estrogen-plus-testosterone therapy available, but such treatments are expected to increase in coming years, according to the report.</p> <p>During 24 years of follow-up for the study, there were 4,610 cases of breast cancer. The 29 women who were taking estrogen plus testosterone had a 77 percent higher risk of developing breast cancer than those who never used hormone therapy, the researchers reported.</p> <p>The risk associated with this combination therapy was higher than the risk associated with estrogen therapy (15 percent) and of estrogen-plus-progestin therapy (58 percent), Tamimi said.</p> <p>Looking only at women who had gone through menopause naturally rather than those who had had a hysterectomy, Tamimi\'s group found that the 17 women who took estrogen plus testosterone had 2.5 times the risk of breast cancer compared with those who had never used hormones.</p> <p>One expert doesn\'t think that, in most cases, testosterone should be prescribed for women.</p> <p>&quot;We have always been careful about prescribing testosterone to women, based on unknown risks,&quot; said Dr. Hugh Taylor, an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Yale University School of Medicine. Testosterone doesn\'t appear to offer a benefit much beyond a placebo effect, he added.</p> <p>&quot;We have always been hesitant about using it, and this re-enforces it,&quot; Taylor said. &quot;The usual reason women request testosterone is for decreased libido. But for most women, decreased libido is not due to decreased testosterone. It\'s due to a myriad of other problems.&quot;</p> <p>Concerns about hormone-replacement therapy were first raised in 2002 by the Women\'s Health Initiative, the landmark study involving 27,000 participants that caused many women to discontinue their use of hormone therapy.</p> <p>In the second study in the journal, researchers who reviewed 70 previous studies of alternative and complementary therapies for menopause-related symptoms found there was insufficient evidence that these therapies relieve menopause-related symptoms.</p> <p>&quot;There is a significant placebo effect in almost anything that is used for the management of menopause,&quot; said study lead researcher Dr. Anne Nedrow, of the Oregon Evidence-based Practice Center and Oregon Health and Science University. &quot;There is a lack of any evidence that of the millions and millions of dollars spent on alternative therapies that anything really works.</p> <p>Nedrow\'s group looked at 48 studies that examined vitamins, proteins, complete diets or other biologically based treatments; nine studies that focused on mind-body therapies, including meditation and guided imagery; one study of osteopathic manipulation, a body-based therapy; two that looked at the energy-based treatments reflexology and magnet therapy; and 10 that assessed whole medical systems, such as traditional Chinese medicine or ayurvedic medicine, a traditional therapy from India.</p> <p>Nedrow said the study found there really aren\'t any good alternative or complementary choices for women going through menopause. &quot;The truly symptomatic women may need to reconsider estrogen,&quot; she said. &quot;Or we may want to take advantage of the placebo effect, which has shown a 50 percent reduction in symptoms in 12 weeks,&quot; she added.</p> <p>Nedrow said she doesn\'t think there\'s any harm in using alternative therapies. She recommended black cohosh or soy supplements, with the understanding that most of the effect would be a placebo effect.</p> <p>One expert agreed that the benefit of alternative therapy to relieve menopausal symptoms is largely a placebo effect.</p> <p>&quot;Currently, the best medication we have to remove menopausal symptoms is estrogen,&quot; said Dr. Jennifer Wu, an obstetrician/gynecologist at Lenox Hill Hospital, in New York City. But, she added, &quot;The associated risks make it less than desirable.&quot;</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>For more on menopause, visit the <a href=\"http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/menopause.html\" target=\"_new\">National Library of Medicine</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1110','1','	<p><p>(HealthDay News) -- Chiropractors usually treat musculoskeletal conditions, which include pain in the bones, joints, muscles, tendons or ligaments.</p> <p>According to the U.S. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, one of the most common conditions treated by chiropractors is chronic lower back pain. Other conditions that may be suited to chiropractic include headaches, neck pain, arthritis, sports-related injuries and muscle strains.</p> <p>Chiropractors typically treat patients with one or more &quot;adjustments&quot; -- by applying a controlled, sudden burst of force on a joint to increase mobility and decrease pain.</p> <p>Other forms of chiropractic therapy include use of heat, ice, therapeutic massage and rehabilitative exercise.</p> <p>Chiropractors are regulated by each state, and most require the practitioners to earn continuing education credits to maintain their licenses. Chiropractors are not licensed in any state to perform major surgery or prescribe drugs.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1111','1','	<p><p>SUNDAY, July 30 (HealthDay News) -- To believers, homeopathy is a natural approach to medicine, a holistic therapy that takes the entire patient into account. Homeopaths believe that &quot;like cures like&quot; -- in other words, when diluted to microscopically tiny levels in water, small quantities of substances that in bigger doses would <i>cause</i> symptoms can now cure them.</p> <p>But debate over homeopathy\'s effectiveness -- or lack thereof -- rages, with kinder critics calling homeopathy nothing but a placebo effect and harsher ones labeling it just plain fake.</p> <p>Few dispute that sales of homeopathic products are rising. Sales of homeopathic remedies are up 20 or 30 percent over the past year, said Peter Gold, a spokesperson for the National Center for Homeopathy (NCH) in Alexandria, Va. Solid statistics are hard to come by, but way back in 1995 U.S. retail sales of homeopathic products had already reached $230 million, according to data from Marketresearch.com.</p> <p>Homeopathic medicines are drug products made by specialty homeopathic pharmacies, as described in the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States. The practice dates back 200 years to an 18th-century doctor from Germany, Dr. Samuel Hahnemann, who first described homeopathy.</p> <p>According to advocates, the practice centers on an attempt to stimulate the body to recover itself, taking a very close look at the nature of symptoms and the &quot;whole person.&quot; For instance, if someone has a cough, a homeopathic practitioner will note whether the person with the cough gets worse when he breathes cold air or if it sounds like a deep bark. Those two different symptoms might require very different homeopathic substances to treat them, practitioners say.</p> <p>Homeopathic medicines are made from plants such as dandelion, minerals such as sodium chloride, animal products such as snake venom or even more familiar medicines, such as penicillin.</p> <p>&quot;Homeopathy addresses each person in his or her totality, as opposed to treating physical symptoms alone,&quot; said Sue Gelber, a homeopathic practitioner in Davis, Calif. She said each remedy is first &quot;proven&quot;: the method by which a homeopath discovers the primary and secondary actions of each remedy.</p> <p>First, she said, the remedy is administered to healthy people until symptoms appear. Then the subjective and objective symptoms of each of these &quot;provers&quot; are detailed and recorded. Then, a homeopathic practitioner &quot;listens&quot; to symptoms and matches them to those recorded in the library of provings.</p> <p>Janet Shultz, a homeopathic practitioner in El Segundo, Calif., offered up one example. She said that for a person with seasonal allergies, she picks from 15 or 16 remedies, based on symptom information provided to her by the person. &quot;There are over 3,000 remedies and over 12 popular potencies, so that is 36,000 possibilities. This is where it takes extreme knowledge and expertise in questioning,&quot; Shultz said.</p> <p>Well-known skeptics were contacted by <i>HealthDay</i> for their views on homeopathy, but declined to participate in the article. Their reasoning? Most said that any article that includes the viewpoint of homeopathy advocates is giving the practice more legitimacy than it deserves.</p> <p>Homeopathy\'s image did take a well-publicized hit last August with the publication of a major study in the prestigious medical journal <i>The Lancet</i>. That study found that, despite the fervent beliefs of practitioners, homeopathy\'s effect on patients is probably mostly placebo.</p> <p>In their study, researchers from the University of Bern, Switzerland, and elsewhere compared 110 placebo-controlled, randomized trials of homeopathic remedies against 110 conventional medicine trials. They also matched them for disorder and type of patient outcome. The trials included studies of treatments for respiratory infection, surgery and anesthesiology.</p> <p>The authors concluded that there was &quot;weak evidence&quot; for a specific effect of homeopathic remedies, but very strong evidence for effects of conventional treatment.</p> <p>To no one\'s surprise, the article triggered outrage in the homeopathic community. Many homeopaths claimed the study had fundamental flaws in its design.</p> <p>In any case, individuals who decide to try out homeopathy should seek out an experienced practitioner, according to the NCH\'s Gold.</p> <p>While stressing that the NCH is &quot;not a licensing body,&quot; he noted that the center\'s Web site does include a directory of practitioners. And he added that many homeopathic providers come from a wide variety of backgrounds -- some may be chiropractors by trade, others pharmacists, dentists or acupuncturists. That\'s why it\'s important to find out specifically what their training is in homeopathy, Gold said.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>Experts at the U.S. federal government\'s National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine offer their own perspective on <a href=\"http://nccam.nih.gov/health/homeopathy/\" target=\"_new\">homeopathy</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1112','1','	<p><p>WEDNESDAY, Aug. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Transcendental meditation may reduce the brain\'s reaction to pain, say researchers at the University of California, Irvine.</p> <p>They used neuroimaging to monitor the brains of 12 healthy people who\'d been practicing transcendental meditation for 30 years.</p> <p>These individuals had a 40 percent to 50 percent lower brain response to pain than 12 people in a control group who did not practice transcendental meditation.</p> <p>However, after the volunteers in the control group had learned and practiced transcendental meditation for five months, their brains\' responses to pain also decreased by 40 percent to 50 percent, the study said.</p> <p>The findings were published in the current issue of the journal <i>NeuroReport</i>.</p> <p>Transcendental meditation may produce a physiological state that\'s capable of modifying various kinds of pain, the researchers suggested.</p> <p>&quot;Prior research indicates that transcendental meditation creates a more balanced outlook on life and greater equanimity in reacting to stress. This study suggests that this is not just an attitudinal change, but a fundamental change in how the brain functions,&quot; study lead author David Orme-Johnson, a meditation researcher, said in a prepared statement.</p> <p>The study was supported by a grant from the U.S. National Institutes of Health.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>The U.S. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine has more about <a href=\"http://nccam.nih.gov/health/meditation/\" target=\"_new\">meditation for health</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1113','1','	<p><p>MONDAY, Aug. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Doctors are more likely to admit to medical errors that are apparent to patients, according to a new U.S. survey. </p> <p>The researchers also found that most doctors believe patients should be told about medical errors, but there was a wide range of opinions about when and how to inform them.</p> <p>In addition, the survey showed that doctors\' specialties affect their attitudes about disclosure, but the malpractice environment does not.</p> <p>A team at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle surveyed 2,637 doctors (1,233 in the United States and 1,404 in Canada). Among those surveyed, 49.7 percent were medical specialists, 40.3 percent were surgeons, 8.5 percent were family doctors, and 1.4 percent did not list their specialty.</p> <p>The survey, published Monday in the <i>Archives of Internal Medicine</i>, revealed that: </p> <ul> <li>64 percent of doctors agreed that errors were a serious problem. </li> <li>98 percent supported disclosing serious errors to patients, and 78 percent supported disclosing minor errors. </li> <li>58 percent had disclosed an error to a patient and 85 percent of those were satisfied with the disclosure. </li> <li>66 percent agreed that disclosing a serious error reduces malpractice risk. </li> <li>Doctors\' estimates of how likely they were to be sued didn\'t affect whether they believed that patients should be told about medical errors. </li> </ul> <p>&quot;The medical profession should consider whether the culture of medicine itself represents a more important barrier than the malpractice environment to the disclosure of harmful medical errors,&quot; the authors concluded.</p> <p>&quot;Patients justifiably expect that harmful medical errors will be disclosed to them. Increasing physician engagement in efforts to communicate openly with patients following errors and to enhance patient safety could provide a much-needed boost to patient\'s confidence in the quality and integrity of the health care system,&quot; they added.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>The American Academy of Family Physicians has more about <a href=\"http://familydoctor.org/736.xml\" target=\"_new\">medical errors</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1114','1','	<p><p>MONDAY, Aug. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Doctors are more likely to admit to medical errors that are apparent to patients, according to a new U.S. survey. </p> <p>The researchers also found that most doctors believe patients should be told about medical errors, but there was a wide range of opinions about when and how to inform them.</p> <p>In addition, the survey showed that doctors\' specialties affect their attitudes about disclosure, but the malpractice environment does not.</p> <p>A team at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle surveyed 2,637 doctors (1,233 in the United States and 1,404 in Canada). Among those surveyed, 49.7 percent were medical specialists, 40.3 percent were surgeons, 8.5 percent were family doctors, and 1.4 percent did not list their specialty.</p> <p>The survey, published Monday in the <i>Archives of Internal Medicine</i>, revealed that: </p> <ul> <li>64 percent of doctors agreed that errors were a serious problem. </li> <li>98 percent supported disclosing serious errors to patients, and 78 percent supported disclosing minor errors. </li> <li>58 percent had disclosed an error to a patient and 85 percent of those were satisfied with the disclosure. </li> <li>66 percent agreed that disclosing a serious error reduces malpractice risk. </li> <li>Doctors\' estimates of how likely they were to be sued didn\'t affect whether they believed that patients should be told about medical errors. </li> </ul> <p>&quot;The medical profession should consider whether the culture of medicine itself represents a more important barrier than the malpractice environment to the disclosure of harmful medical errors,&quot; the authors concluded.</p> <p>&quot;Patients justifiably expect that harmful medical errors will be disclosed to them. Increasing physician engagement in efforts to communicate openly with patients following errors and to enhance patient safety could provide a much-needed boost to patient\'s confidence in the quality and integrity of the health care system,&quot; they added.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>The American Academy of Family Physicians has more about <a href=\"http://familydoctor.org/736.xml\" target=\"_new\">medical errors</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1115','1','	<p><p>FRIDAY, Aug 18 (HealthDay News) -- Advocates for naturopathic remedies say their treatments may help fight menopausal symptoms, depression and even cancer.</p> <p>For example, &quot;bio-identical hormone therapy&quot; looks promising for relieving the symptoms of menopause, one study found, while an age-old herbal remedy for cancer is proving effective -- at least in the laboratory and in animals.</p> <p>That\'s according to naturopathic physicians presenting their research at the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians annual meeting, held earlier this month in Portland. Ore.</p> <p>Naturopathic physicians are trained in &quot;natural&quot; health care at accredited medical colleges, according to the AANP. Their approach is based on the belief that it is the nature of all things to return to balance. Treatments include dietary changes, counseling for lifestyle modification, herbal medicine, nutritional supplements and homeopathy.</p> <p>&quot;Bio-identical hormones,&quot; a natural alternative to synthetic hormone replacement therapy, were effective in reducing the symptoms of menopause and perimenopause, said lead researcher Dr. Jan M. Siebert, a naturopathic physician in Pleasant Prairie, Wis.</p> <p>She gave the hormone regimen, including estradiol/estriol via a skin cream or in drops, plus a progesterone cream and a multivitamin, to 50 women who were either menopausal or perimenopausal. Siebert\'s group then followed the women\'s progress for one year.</p> <p>&quot;Eighty-two percent of the women showed improvement in estrogen-related symptoms, such as hot flashes,&quot; she said. &quot;Seventy-four percent showed improvement in progesterone-related symptoms such as irritability and water retention.&quot;</p> <p>Siebert also looked at symptoms related to low thyroid functioning, which can affect women at menopause. &quot;When the thyroid starts to have problems, it can cause a state of depression and weight gain,&quot; she explained. In the study, &quot;44 percent showed improvement with thyroid-related symptoms and 8 percent got worse. The other 48 percent had no change.&quot;</p> <p>What is needed next, Seibert said, is a large, randomized trial of natural hormone therapy to see if it works as well as synthetic hormone therapy without the side effects. Long-term hormone replacement therapy (HRT) with synthetic estrogen and progesterone boosts risks for breast cancer and stroke, as the large-scale Women\'s Health Initiative study found. That study was stopped early in 2002, and its troubling results caused many older women to abandon HRT. </p> <p>&quot;This is a great start in terms of providing preliminary evidence of benefits for menopausal concerns,&quot; said Dr. Wendy Weber, a research assistant professor of naturopathic medicine at Bastyr University, Seattle, who was not involved with Siebert\'s study but is familiar with its findings.</p> <p>&quot;Based on this study, it seems there is likely to be benefits, but we are still lacking [data on] the efficacy and safety.&quot; And, she noted, the study did not have a control group, which would have allowed a direct head-to-head comparison of bio-identical and synthetic hormones.</p> <p>The study is &quot;interesting&quot; but not surprising, added Dr. Rick Frieder, a gynecologist at Santa Monica--UCLA Medical Center and a clinical instructor of obstetrics and gynecology at UCLA\'s David Geffen School of Medicine.</p> <p>&quot;It doesn\'t convey anything new,&quot; he said. Whether hormone replacement is synthetic or the more natural &quot;bio-identical&quot; compounds, he said, they are known to be effective in improving the symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes. One drawback to the study, he said, is that they studied several products and doses, rather than take a more scientific approach, such as comparing one dose of bio-identical hormones to the same dose of synthetic drugs.</p> <p>In another study presented at the meeting, the herbal formula Essiac -- used by cancer patients for decades -- was found to have some antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity as well as the ability to kill cancer cells in the laboratory, said Deborah Kennedy, the lead author of the laboratory study and a co-author of another study looking at the effect of the remedy in animals. The studies were funded by the maker of Essiac.</p> <p>Kennedy found that the formula, when used on ovarian and prostate cancer cell lines, did kill the cells. &quot;We were able to slow down and cause the ovarian and prostate cancer cell lines to die,&quot; she said.</p> <p>When the formula was used in animals, they found it protected the stomach but did not boost the immune system significantly.</p> <p>&quot;The <i>in vivo</i> [lab] study found antioxidant activity,&quot; noted Dr. Christine Girard, chief medical officer at the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Tempe, Ariz., who chaired the research committee for the meeting.</p> <p>She called the results &quot;encouraging,&quot; and noted that the formula also appeared to have an anti-inflammatory effect.</p> <p>&quot;It\'s a good first step,&quot; she said, but added that it\'s tough to translate animal results to humans. In the animal study, the formula did demonstrate gastric protection and protection to the liver, she said.</p> <p>Not everyone is convinced Essiac fights cancer. The American Cancer Society declined comment, noting that the study had not undergone peer review and was merely submitted for presentation at a meeting. On its Web site, however, the ACS cautions that, &quot;There have been no published clinical trials showing the effectiveness of Essiac in the treatment of cancer.&quot; While it notes that some of the herbs in the mixture have shown anti-cancer effect in lab studies, it notes that no scientific evidence exists to support its use in humans with cancer.</p> <p>Study after study, conducted in animals by researchers at the U.S. National Cancer Institute and other prestigious institutions, have concluded there is no evidence the formula works, according to the American Cancer Society.</p> <p>In other presentations at the meeting:</p> <ul> <li>A researcher at the University of Toronto warned that St. John\'s wort, a popular herb used to treat depression symptoms, should be used with caution by pregnant and breast-feeding women, as it can interact with some medications prescribed during pregnancy and may cause colic or drowsiness in babies. The study received no outside funding.</li> <li>Another Canadian study found that naturopathic care -- acupuncture, relaxation exercises and diet and lifestyle changes -- relieved low back pain better than standard care in a study of 80 Canadian postal workers. Low back pain declined by 20 percent in the naturopathic group after the 12-week study but increased 8.8 percent in a group receiving standard care. The study was sponsored by the Canadian government and the postal workers union.</li> <li>A team at the National College of Naturopathic Medicine found that three common herbs -- <i>Echinacea purpurea, Astragalus membranaceus</i> and <i>Glycyrrhiza glabra</i> -- helped boost key lymphocytes in the blood, which are the basic building blocks of the immune system. In the study, 16 healthy people were assigned to get an herb only, all three, or a placebo. Each got a 7.5 milliliter dose twice daily for seven days. Blood tests showed all three herbs boosted the immune system. The study was funded by a grant from the American Medical Association.</li></ul> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>For more on naturopathic medicine, head to the <a href=\"http://www.naturopathic.org\" target=\"_new\">American Association of Naturopathic Physicians</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1116','1','	<p><p>TUESDAY, Sept. 19 (HealthDay News) -- New studies are discovering just how vital sleep is to overall health.</p> <p>So, sleep habits should become a standard part of a complete check-up, researchers say.</p> <p>&quot;There is increasing evidence that there is a very strong relationship between sleep quality and physical and mental health,&quot; said Dr. Phyllis C. Zee, a professor of neurology at Northwestern University\'s Feinberg School of Medicine.</p> <p>&quot;If you have poor health, that is associated with poor sleep. Also, if you have poor sleep, there is an association between that and poor health,&quot; Zee said. &quot;What we don\'t have yet is the research to categorically say that if you improve sleep, you will improve conditions, such as diabetes or hypertension, or other medical conditions.&quot;</p> <p>Still, physicians should be asking their patients about the quality and quantity of their sleep, Zee said. &quot;Sleep should be another vital sign,&quot; she said.</p> <p>Zee wrote an editorial in the Sept. 18 issue of the <i>Archives of Internal Medicine</i>, a special, themed issue on sleep and its relationship to overall health.</p> <p>In one study, led by Richard L. Nahin, a senior advisor for scientific coordination and outreach at the U.S. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, looked at why people had trouble sleeping and how many were using alternative drugs to help them sleep.</p> <p>Insomnia and trouble sleeping are most often associated with high blood pressure, heart failure, anxiety and depression, according to a national survey of 31,044 adults. &quot;That\'s unusual. It had been most often thought that insomnia was quite prevalent on its own, but only 4 percent of the people who said they had insomnia said they had it without any of those conditions,&quot; Nahin said.</p> <p>The researchers also found that 1.6 million Americans are using alternative therapies, such as melatonin to treat their insomnia. &quot;That\'s quite high when you consider that there is very little reliable data on the efficacy and safety of using the products people are using,&quot; Nahin said.</p> <p>These findings have implications for treating sleep problems, Nahin said.</p> <p>&quot;Instead of treating the insomnia itself, a health-care provider might be better off treating one of these comorbidities,&quot; he said. &quot;In addition, a physician seeing a patient for insomnia should ask if the patient is using any alternative and complementary treatments, because they might upset the treatments the health-care provider wants to apply.&quot;</p> <p>Another study found that people who have sleep-related breathing disorder -- marked by frequent pauses in breathing, labored breathing, or reduced breathing during the night -- were two to 2.6 times more likely to develop depression. Moreover, the odds of depression increased as breathing disorders became more severe, according to researcher Paul E. Peppard and colleagues from the University of Wisconsin.</p> <p>And a study by French researchers found that people with allergic rhinitis, caused by hay fever and other allergies, have more difficulty sleeping and more sleep disorders than people without allergies. &quot;The results show a significant impact of allergic rhinitis on all dimensions of sleep quality and, consequently, a lower quality of life as reflected by more somnolence [sleepiness]; daytime fatigue and sleepiness; and impaired memory, mood and sexuality, with a significantly increased consumption of alcohol and sedatives in cases compared with the control group,&quot; the study authors wrote.</p> <p>One expert agrees that sleep problems shouldn\'t be ignored.</p> <p>&quot;If you think insomnia is an annoyance and merely something you should tough out, that may be a mistake,&quot; said Michael L. Perlis, director of the Sleep Research Laboratory at the University of Rochester, in New York. &quot;It may lead you down the path to other morbidities. It would also be a mistake because it\'s treatable.&quot;</p> <p>Other studies in the same journal issue found that:</p> <ul> <li>Fewer hours of sleep may contribute to poor health in young adults.</li> <li>Those in rural areas who sleep fewer hours appear to weigh more.</li> <li>The immune system may play a role in narcolepsy, a disorder characterized by an uncontrollable urge to sleep.</li> <li>The immune system may be affected by a lack of sleep that contributes to inflammation and a variety of diseases.</li> </ul> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>The National Sleep Foundation can tell you more about <a href=\"http://www.sleepfoundation.org/\" target=\"_new\">getting a good night\'s sleep</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1117','1','	<p>Rescued from a great flood while he was just a frozen embryo in liquid nitrogen, a baby boy entered the world Tuesday and was named after the most famous flood survivor of them all, Noah.<p/>\nNoah Benton Markham ? 8 pounds, 6 1/2 ounces ? was born to 32-year-old Rebekah Markham by Caesarean section after growing from an embryo that nearly defrosted in a sweltering hospital during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.<p/>\n\"All babies are miracles. But we have some special miracles,\" said Wanda Stogner, a cousin of Markham\'s.<p/>\nRelatives gathered around New Orleans police officer Glen Markham as the proud 42-year-old father carried the tiny blanket-wrapped bundle topped by a pink-and-blue cap out of the operating room at St. Tammany Parish Hospital. For a few seconds he tried to make them guess whether the baby was a boy or a girl.<p/>\nThen he announced, \"It\'s a boy!\" to an eruption of cheers and applause.<p/>\nTwo weeks after Katrina hit, law officers used flat-bottom boats to rescue the Markhams\' embryos and some 1,400 other ones stored in tanks of coolant at New Orleans\' Lakeland Hospital.<p/>\nThe tanks had been topped off with liquid nitrogen and moved from the first floor to the third as the storm drew near, but the hurricane swamped the hospital with 8 feet of water and knocked out the electricity.<p/>\nThe Markhams had decided that if their baby was girl, she would be named Hannah Mae, Hannah meaning \"God has favored us.\" A boy would be named after the biblical builder of the Ark ? an idea that came from Rebekah Markham\'s sister-in-law.<p/>\n\"That is the best name!\" said Ramon Pyrzak, lab director for the Fertility Institute of New Orleans, where the Markhams created embryos from their sperm and eggs after nearly a decade of inability to have a baby.<p/>\nNoah\'s older brother, 2-year-old Glen Witter \"Witt\" Markham Jr., whose embryo was created at the same time as Noah\'s but implanted immediately in 2003, stood on his mother\'s hospital bed and leaned forward to give the baby a gentle kiss.<p/>\n\"So soft!\" Witt said.<p/>\nIf the embryos had thawed, each woman who wanted another baby would have had to undergo another expensive round of fertility drugs, egg harvesting and in vitro fertilization. Rebekah Markham estimated her first pregnancy cost $12,000.<p/>\n\"It\'s amazing that he was frozen,\" Glen Markham said as he gazed through the nursery window at the squalling newborn. \"I thought the only thing you could freeze was a crab. You freeze a crab and defrost it, and it\'ll come back to life.\"<p/>\n</p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1118','1','	<p>Treatment with calcium\nsupplements for 4 years appears to provide protection against\nrecurrent colorectal adenomas -- the type of polyp that leads\nto cancer -- for up to 5 years after the supplements are\nstopped, new research shows. Beyond that point, however, no\napparent effect is seen.<p/>\n\"In the Calcium Polyp Prevention Study, we showed that\ndaily calcium supplementation was associated with a reduced\nrisk of colorectal adenomas\" in patients with a previous\nadenoma, study co-author Dr. John A. Baron, from Dartmouth\nMedical School in Lebanon, New Hampshire, told Reuters Health.\nThe current data from the Calcium Follow-up Study indicates\nthat the beneficial effect is prolonged, he added.<p/>\nBaron said that experimental studies have suggested calcium\nmay reduce the risk of colorectal adenomas (and colorectal\ncancer) by forming a complex with bile acids and preventing\npotential carcinogens from contact with the inner mucosal\nlining of the colon. He added that there is also evidence that\ncalcium may have a specific effect on blocking formation of\ncolon cells.<p/>\nThe Calcium Follow-up Study, which is reported in the\nJournal of the <span class=\"keyword\"><a href=\"http://us.rd.yahoo.com/DailyNews/manual/nm/hl_nm/calcium_dc/21600725/*http://news.search.yahoo.com/search/news?fr=news-storylinks&amp;p=%22National%20Cancer%20Institute%22&amp;c=&amp;n=20&amp;yn=c&amp;c=news&amp;cs=nw\">National Cancer Institute</a></span>, included an analysis\nof data for 597 subjects who underwent at least one colonoscopy\n(a guided endoscopic colon exam to detect cancer) after the\nconclusion of the earlier Calcium Polyp Prevention Study. The\naverage follow-up period after calcium supplementation stopped\nwas 7 years.<p/>\nIn the first 5 years of the study, the rate of any adenoma\nformation among former calcium users was 31.5 percent,\nsignificantly lower than that of a comparison group of\nuntreated patients at 43.2 percent.<p/>\nPrevious calcium use was also associated with a reduced\nrisk of advanced adenomas, but the association fell short of\nstatistical significance.<p/>\nAs noted, beyond 5 years, previous calcium use had no\napparent effect on the adenoma risk.<p/>\nBaron said he would like to see the current findings\nreplicated in other studies. He emphasized that it is too early\nto recommend calcium supplementation as a means of staving off\ncolorectal cancer and noted that there is some evidence that\nsuch use may actually increase the risk of prostate cancer.<p/>\nSOURCE\" Journal of the National Cancer Institute, January\n17, 2007.\n<p/>\n</p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1119','1','	<p>A portable device called\nA1cNow, which is designed to provide a long-term picture of\nblood sugar control, does not provide accurate or consistent\nresults in children with type 1 diabetes, researchers report in\nthe journal Diabetes Care.<p/>\n\"At present, the routine use of the A1cNow in children with\ntype 1 diabetes cannot be recommended,\" lead investigator Dr.\nLarry Fox told Reuters Health.<p/>\nThe monitor measures a component of blood called hemoglobin\nA1c, which indicates how well blood sugar levels have been\ncontrolled over several months. Standard blood sugar monitors\nonly indicate diabetes control over the last few hours.<p/>\nIn the current study, Dr. Fox of Nemours Children\'s Clinic,\nJacksonville, Florida and colleagues compared the results\nobtained with A1cNow with those of obtained using a\nclinic-based hemoglobin A1c tester, the DCA2000.<p/>\nThe researchers found that the DCA2000 was consistently\nmore accurate than the A1cNow. In all, 32 percent of A1cNow\nvalues differed from a reference standard by more than 0.5\npercent, while only 3 percent of DCA2000 readings were off to\nthat degree.<p/>\nThere were no clinically significant differences in\naccuracy regardless of whether readings were taken by patients,\nparents or staff.<p/>\nHowever, the team notes that when simultaneous measurements\nwere made using the A1cNow, either in the clinic or at home,\nthere were marked differences in values. This, they conclude,\nindicates problems inherent in the device.<p/>\nSOURCE: Diabetes Care, January 2007.\n<p/>\n</p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1120','1','	<p>Older adults with high-normal\nlevels of uric acid are significantly more likely than those\nwith low-moderate concentrations to experience mild cognitive\nimpairment (loss of memory), according to results of a study\npublished in the medical journal Neuropsychology.<p/>\n\"Among possible markers of age-related cognitive decline,\nuric acid is controversial,\" Dr. David J. Schretlen, of Johns\nHopkins University Hospital, Baltimore, and colleagues note. On\none hand, uric acid has antioxidant properties, which inhibits\ncell damage, while on the other hand, it is often elevated in\ndiseases that frequently lead to cognitive impairment.<p/>\nThe researchers studied 96 community-dwelling adults\nbetween the ages of 65 and 92 years who underwent physical and\nneurological examinations, psychiatric interviews, laboratory\nblood studies, MRI brain scans, and neuropsychological testing.<p/>\nBlood levels of uric acid among the women ranged from 1.5\nto 7.1 mg/dL. For men, levels ranged from 1.5 to 7.6 mg/dL.<p/>\nSubjects with mildly elevated (but normal) uric acid -\ngreater than 5.8 mg/dL for men or greater than 4.8 mg/dL for\nwomen -- were significantly more likely to have a below-average\nperformance on cognitive measures. This included having nearly\n6-times the likelihood impaired processing speed; 3.5-times for\nworking memory; and 2.7 times for verbal learning and memory.<p/>\nAfter the researchers corrected the data for possible\noverestimation by adding in the potential effects of age, sex,\nrace, years of education, and self-reported hypertension,\ndiabetes, smoking, and history of alcohol abuse or dependence,\nthey found that high blood levels of uric acid \"remained\nassociated with increased risk of below average performance on\nmeasures of working memory (4.25-times) and verbal\nlearning/memory (5.02-times),\" Schretlen\'s team reports.<p/>\nThey suggest these findings might justify a clinical trial\nof an agent that blocks xanthine oxidase, an enzyme involved in\nuric acid formation, to see if it improves cognitive\nperformance in elderly people with high uric acid levels.<p/>\nSOURCE: Neuropsychology, January 2007.\n<p/>\n</p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1121','1','	<p><!--Spanish ID:534772--> <p>TUESDAY, Sept. 5 (HealthDay News) -- Pregnant women who use methamphetamine are 3.5 times more likely than other mothers to have underweight babies, new research finds. </p> <p>The Brown Medical School-led study of 1,618 women from four medical centers in different parts of the United States is the first large-scale investigation of the prenatal effects of methamphetamine use. It found that 84 of the 1,534 babies born to the women were exposed to methamphetamine during pregnancy.</p> <p>Newborns exposed to the drug during pregnancy aren\'t at risk of being born prematurely, but they are much more likely to be smaller than normal. This is because methamphetamine appears to restrict the flow of nutrient-rich blood into the placenta, which increases the likelihood that a newborn will be &quot;small for gestational age,&quot; the researchers said.</p> <p>Growth-restricted babies born to women who used methamphetamine during pregnancy weighed less than five pounds. The long-term effects of this growth restriction include greater risk for type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome, a group of heart attack risk factors such as obesity and high blood pressure.</p> <p>Children who are born underweight also tend to have learning difficulties and behavior problems, such as short attention span and hyperactivity, the researchers said.</p> <p>They plan to track the infants in this study to assess the long-term effects of methamphetamine use during pregnancy.</p> <p>The National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Center for Research Resources funded the work.</p> <p>The findings were published in the September issue of <i>Pediatrics</i>.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>The U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy has more about <a href=\"http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/drugfact/methamphetamine/index.html\" target=\"_new\">methamphetamine</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1122','1','<!--startclickprintinclude--><script language=\"JavaScript\" type=\"text/javascript\">var clickExpire = \"02/16/2007\";</script> <div id=\"cnnSCFontButtons\" class=\"cnn0pxTMargin\"><!--startclickprintexclude--><div id=\"cnnSCFontLabel\">Adjust font size:</div>\n<div id=\"cnnSCFontMinusBtn\" onclick=\"setActiveStyleSheet(\'default\'); return false;\"><img src=\"http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/story/misc/icon.minus.dim.gif\" border=\"0\" height=\"12\" width=\"18\" alt=\"Decrease font\" title=\"Decrease font\" class=\"cnnIncreaseFont\"><img src=\"http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/story/misc/icon.minus.gif\" border=\"0\" height=\"12\" width=\"18\" alt=\"Decrease font\" title=\"Decrease font\" class=\"cnnDecreaseFont\"></div>\n<div id=\"cnnSCFontPlusBtn\" onclick=\"setActiveStyleSheet(\'LargeFont\'); return false;\"><img src=\"http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/story/misc/icon.plus.gif\" border=\"0\" height=\"12\" width=\"18\" alt=\"Enlarge font\" title=\"Enlarge font\" class=\"cnnIncreaseFont\"><img src=\"http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/story/misc/icon.plus.dim.gif\" border=\"0\" height=\"12\" width=\"18\" alt=\"Enlarge font\" title=\"Enlarge font\" class=\"cnnDecreaseFont\"></div><!--endclickprintexclude--></div><p><b>WASHINGTON</b> (AP)  -- Monkeys infected with a resurrected virus that was responsible for history\'s deadliest epidemic have given scientists a better idea of how the 1918 Spanish flu attacked so quickly and relentlessly: by turning victims\' bodies against them.</p><p>The research, which found that an over-stimulated immune system killed even as it tried to fight the flu, helps explain why many of the 50 million people who died in the epidemic were healthy young adults. Conventional flu usually claims mostly the very young and very old.</p><p>This new look at an old killer gives doctors ideas on how to fight the current bird flu if it develops the ability to spreads from human to human, as many scientists fear it will. The 1918 virus, which was reconstructed with reverse genetics, exists today only in two labs where scientists are studying it.</p><p>Scientists said they were struck by how suddenly and overwhelmingly the 1918 flu struck seven macaques that were tested in a high-level biosafety lab in Winnipeg, Canada. The virus spread faster than a normal flu bug and triggered a &quot;storm&quot; response in the animal\'s immune systems.</p><p>Their bodies\' defenses went haywire, not knowing when to stop, researchers said. The lungs became inflamed and filled with blood and other fluids.</p><p>The scientists believe the virus had the same effect on humans.</p><p>&quot;Essentially people are drowned by themselves,&quot; said University of Wisconsin virology professor Yoshihiro Kawaoka, lead author of a study published Thursday in the journal Nature.</p><p>The experiment was supposed to last 21 days, but after eight days the monkeys were so sick -- feverish, in pain and having difficulty breathing -- that ethical guidelines forced the researchers to euthanize them.</p><p>&quot;There was some surprise that it was that nasty,&quot; University of Washington virologist and study co-author Michael Katze said. &quot;It was the robustness of the immune system that helped victimize them.&quot;</p><a name=\"1\"></a><a name=\"rv1\"></a><h3>\'Simply overwhelming\'</h3><p>The virus was simply overwhelming, researchers said.</p><p>&quot;It\'s a very good replicating virus and therefore it can affect more of the immune system and thereby triggers what one refers to as a cytokine storm,&quot; said Peter Palese, chairman of the microbiology department at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, who wasn\'t part of the study but has worked on the resurrected virus before. Cytokines transmit messages among cells in the immune system.</p><p>No other flu virus is deadly to monkeys, and the speed in its spread and the overwhelming immune system response is only similar to those in the H5N1 bird flu, Kawaoka said.</p><p>The bird flu has spread around the world intermittently, but has yet to develop the ability to transmit person-to-person. If it does, scientists believe understanding the 1918 flu may give them clues about how to protect people from it.</p><p>The new work &quot;gives us another tool,&quot; said Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, who was not part of the research. Fauci praised the study and said what it found in the effects on the body are stunning: &quot;There aren\'t a lot of things that can induce that robust of an inflammatory response that quickly.&quot;</p><p>The 1918 flu research suggests that those fighting the bird flu in the future could try using drugs that reduce inflammation and control the body\'s immune response, Katze said.</p><p>In the Winnipeg research, the first-of-its-kind controlled introduction of the 1918 flu to primates, the monkeys were given extra high doses of the flu virus by nose, mouth, eye, and direct injection into the trachea to ensure infection.</p><p>The virus had been tested before on mice, but macaques provide better models of how viruses work on humans, the scientists said.</p><p>The virus was reconstructed from tissues of victims from 1918. Besides the Public Health Agency of Canada\'s lab in Winnipeg, it exists only at the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta.</p><p>The fate of the monkeys was sealed within hours of their infections, Katze theorized.</p><p>In normal flu, the immune system response wanes, but in the 1918 flu &quot;the innate response stayed up and didn\'t go down,&quot; Katze said. &quot;There was an uncontrolled or aberrant response.&quot;</p><p>Adolfo Garcia-Sastre, a Mount Sinai microbiology professor who conducted some of the earlier mouse work, said it may be a mistake to focus so heavily on immune system response. The 1918 flu virus &quot;induces an overwhelming and probably damaging immune response system&quot; but it is largely because the virus grows so much, he said.</p><p>In mice, when the overactive immune response was eliminated, mice died because of high viral levels.</p><p>&quot;It\'s like a vicious circle, you get more viruses, you get more immune response and this results in damage,&quot; Garcia-Sastre said.</p><p class=\"cnnSCAttribution\">Copyright 2007 The <a href=\"/interactive_legal.html#AP\">Associated Press</a>. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.</p><!--startclickprintexclude-->  ');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1123','1','<!--startclickprintinclude--><script language=\"JavaScript\" type=\"text/javascript\">var clickExpire = \"02/16/2007\";</script> <div id=\"cnnSCHighlightsBox\"><!----><h4><span>Story Highlights</span></h4>&#8226; U.S. cancer deaths dropped by 3,014 in 2003-2004<br> &#8226; Second straight year of declines, Cancer Society says<br> &#8226; Early detection and improved treatment credited for drop<br>  </div><script language=\"JavaScript\" type=\"text/javascript\">if ( location.hostname.toLowerCase().indexOf( \"edition.\" ) == -1 ) {document.write(\"<div id=\\\"cnnProgrammingNote\\\"><p><b>More on CNN TV:</b> Dr. Sanjay Gupta and Lance Armstrong join forces in a special town hall on the cancer, &quot;Saving Your Life.&quot; Watch Saturday 3 p.m. and Sunday 2 p.m ET. <\\/p><\\/div>\");}</script><div id=\"cnnSCFontButtons\" ><!--startclickprintexclude--><div id=\"cnnSCFontLabel\">Adjust font size:</div>\n<div id=\"cnnSCFontMinusBtn\" onclick=\"setActiveStyleSheet(\'default\'); return false;\"><img src=\"http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/story/misc/icon.minus.dim.gif\" border=\"0\" height=\"12\" width=\"18\" alt=\"Decrease font\" title=\"Decrease font\" class=\"cnnIncreaseFont\"><img src=\"http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/story/misc/icon.minus.gif\" border=\"0\" height=\"12\" width=\"18\" alt=\"Decrease font\" title=\"Decrease font\" class=\"cnnDecreaseFont\"></div>\n<div id=\"cnnSCFontPlusBtn\" onclick=\"setActiveStyleSheet(\'LargeFont\'); return false;\"><img src=\"http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/story/misc/icon.plus.gif\" border=\"0\" height=\"12\" width=\"18\" alt=\"Enlarge font\" title=\"Enlarge font\" class=\"cnnIncreaseFont\"><img src=\"http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/story/misc/icon.plus.dim.gif\" border=\"0\" height=\"12\" width=\"18\" alt=\"Enlarge font\" title=\"Enlarge font\" class=\"cnnDecreaseFont\"></div><!--endclickprintexclude--></div><p><b>ATLANTA, Georgia</b> (AP)  -- The tide has turned in the nation\'s battle against cancer.</p><p>Cancer deaths in the United States dropped for the second year in a row, health officials reported Wednesday, confirming that the trend is real and becoming more pronounced, too.</p><p>The news was cause for celebration among doctors and politicians.</p><p>&quot;It\'s very exciting,&quot; said Dr. Felice Schnoll-Sussman, a cancer physician at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. &quot;When we saw the first decline, the number wasn\'t that enormous. But once you start to see a trend like this, it obviously makes you feel like `We must be doing something right!&quot;\'</p><p>Cancer deaths in the United States in 2004 fell to 553,888 -- a drop of 3,014 deaths, or 0.5 percent, from the year before, according to a review of U.S. death certificates conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics and released by the American Cancer Society.</p><p>Cancer deaths also fell in 2003, the first drop seen since 1930. But that decline was so small -- just 369 deaths -- that experts were hesitant at the time to say whether it was a triumph of medicine or just a statistical fluke.</p><p>Now, it appears &quot;it\'s not only continuing; the decrease in the second year is much larger,&quot; said Ahmedin Jemal, an American Cancer Society researcher.</p><p>Experts are attributing the success to declines in smoking and to earlier detection and more effective treatment of tumors. Those have caused a fall in the death rates for breast, prostate and colorectal cancer -- three of the most common cancers. The lung cancer death rate in men has also been falling, but the female rate has reached a plateau. (<a href=\"javascript:cnnVideo(\'play\',\'/video/health/2007/01/17/gupta.cancer.access.to.care.ralp\',\'2007/02/15\');\">Watch a Harlem doctor\'s efforts to care for poor women.</a> <a href=\"javascript:cnnVideo(\'play\',\'/video/health/2007/01/17/gupta.cancer.access.to.care.ralp\',\'2007/02/15\');\"><img src=\"http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/main/icon_video.gif\" alt=\"Video\" width=\"19\" height=\"12\" vspace=\"1\" hspace=\"0\" border=\"0\" class=\"cnnVideoIcon\"></a> )</p><p>On a visit to the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, President Bush hailed the drop in cancer deaths as a signal that medicine -- especially federally funded research -- is making strides against a disease that still kills nearly 1,500 Americans a day.</p><p>The Cancer Society did not release cancer death data broken down by state, race or ethnicity. Those statistics are to be completed later this year.</p><p>The largest drop in deaths among the major cancers was in colorectal cancer. Colorectal cancer deaths dropped by 1,110 in men and by 1,094 in women. Experts said much of the credit goes to screening exams such as colonoscopies that detect polyps and allow doctors to remove them before they turn cancerous.</p><p>Some doctors say at least part of the success can be attributed to &quot;the Katie Couric effect.&quot; A 2003 study found colonoscopy rates jumped more than 20 percent in the months after the &quot;Today&quot; show host underwent a colonoscopy on national television in 2000, after her husband died of colon cancer.</p><p>Increased insurance coverage of colonoscopies has also led to more diagnostic screenings, said Dr. A. Mark Fendrick, the University of Michigan physician who led that study.</p><p>For more than a decade, health statisticians charted annual drops of about 1 percent in the cancer death rate -- that is, the number of deaths per 100,000 people. But the actual number of cancer deaths still rose each year because of the growing elderly population and the size of the population overall.</p><p>Then, in 2003 and 2004, the cancer death rate declined by about 2 percent each year, more than offsetting the effects of aging and population growth.</p><p>The American Cancer Society said it believes cancer deaths will continue to drop.</p><p>Others shared that optimism.</p><p>&quot;We\'re starting to see some real dividends&quot; from screening, prevention and treatment efforts, said Dr. Otis Brawley, an Emory University researcher specializing in cancer epidemiology.</p><p class=\"cnnSCAttribution\">Copyright 2007 The <a href=\"/interactive_legal.html#AP\">Associated Press</a>. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.</p><br clear=\"all\"> <!--startclickprintexclude-->  ');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1124','1','\n\n\n	 <p>PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 16 (AP)  ?The  <a href=\"http://www.nytimes.com/mem/MWredirect.html?MW=http://custom.marketwatch.com/custom/nyt-com/html-companyprofile.asp&symb=GHCI\" title=\"Genesis HealthCare  Corporation\">Genesis HealthCare  Corporation</a>, which runs long-term care centers, said Tuesday that it would go private in a $1.25 billion deal.</p>      <p>A joint venture formed by the private equity firms  <a href=\"http://www.nytimes.com/mem/MWredirect.html?MW=http://custom.marketwatch.com/custom/nyt-com/html-companyprofile.asp&symb=FCO\" title=\"Formation Capital\">Formation Capital</a> and JER Partners will acquire the company, based in Kennett Square, Pa. The buyers also will assume $450 million in debt.</p><p>The deal comes to $63 a share in cash, a 19 percent premium over the stock? closing price on Friday. The deal is expected to close in four to eight months, a spokeswoman said.</p><p>Shares of Genesis soared 16 percent, or $8.41, to $61.26.</p><p>The transaction requires  shareholder and regulatory approvals. Genesis would continue to do business under the same name.</p><p>Genesis HealthCare operates more than 200 skilled nursing centers and assisted living centers in 13 eastern states. It also provides contract rehabilitation therapy to over 600 health care providers in 20 states and Washington.</p><p>Formation Capital invests in the senior housing and long-term care industry. It is based in Alpharetta, Ga., and has an office in the Philadelphia suburb of Jenkintown. JER is a private equity and real estate management company in McLean, Va.</p><NYT_UPDATE_BOTTOM>\n</NYT_UPDATE_BOTTOM>\n');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1125','1','\n\n\n	 <p>Some countries are making progress in treating children with <a href=\"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/aids/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier\" title=\"Recent and archival health news about AIDS/HIV.\">AIDS</a> and preventing others from becoming infected, but the overall global response is ?ragically insufficient,?<a href=\"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/u/united_nations_childrens_fund/index.html?inline=nyt-org\" title=\"More articles about United Nations Children\'s Fund\">Unicef</a> said yesterday.</p> \n<div id=\"articleInline\">\n<div id=\"inlineBox\"><a href=\"#secondParagraph\" class=\"jumpLink\">Skip to next paragraph</a>\n  \n    \n<div id=\"sidebarArticles\">\n<h4>Related</h4>\n<h2><a href=\"http://www.unicef.org/media/files/FINAL_STOCKTAKING_REPORT.pdf\" target=\"new\">The Report: Children and AIDS: A Stocktaking</a> (PDF)</h2>\n</div>\n  \n</div>\n</div><a name=\"secondParagraph\"></a>\n <p>?hildren affected by AIDS are now more visible and are taken more seriously in global, regional and national forums where they had received little consideration before,?the <a href=\"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/u/united_nations/index.html?inline=nyt-org\" title=\"More articles about the United Nations.\">United Nations</a> agency said in a report. Better testing to find children with H.I.V., the virus that causes AIDS, and simpler formulations of the antiretroviral  drugs that combat the infection have increased the number of children under treatment, Unicef said. Additional factors were lower prices for the drugs and improved skills among health workers.</p><p>But the overall statistics for children are grim, Unicef found. It took stock of changes in 2005 and 2006, when the agency began a program to put what it called the ?issing face?of children at the center of the world effort to halt and reverse the spread of H.I.V. by 2015.</p><p>Central to that effort is testing pregnant women, providing short-term drug therapy to prevent them from transmitting the virus to their newborns, testing children and treating those infected.</p><p>About two years ago, Unicef was concerned that a number of factors stopped children from getting treatment. One was the ability to detect infected children. Two others were whether the available drugs were safe for children and affordable for poor countries.</p><p>The progress since then, though small, has exceeded Unicef? expectations, Peter McDermott, who runs Unicef? AIDS program, told reporters by telephone. ?hildren do very well on treatment,?he said.</p><p>Still, about 10 percent of pregnant women in capital cities in sub-Saharan Africa are infected with H.I.V. But the vast majority of pregnant African women do not have access to drugs that would prevent transmitting the virus to their infants. So about one-third of their children will become infected at or shortly after birth, Unicef said.</p><p>Progress in providing drugs to infected pregnant women to prevent transmission to their infants was small. The 9 percent of such women in low-  and middle-income countries worldwide who received antiretroviral drugs  in 2005 rose from 3 percent in 2003.</p><p>The data available for 2005 shows that only seven countries cited in the report provided drugs to at least 40 percent of infected pregnant women to prevent H.I.V. among newborns: Argentina (87 percent), Brazil (48 percent), Botswana (54 percent), Jamaica (86 percent), Russia (84 percent), Thailand (46 percent) and Ukraine (90 percent).</p><p>Of the estimated 2.3 million children under 15 who had H.I.V. in 2005, 780,000 needed antiretroviral therapy, Unicef said, and only 10 percent of them received it.</p><p>Untreated, about one-third of infected infants die in their first year, and half die by their second birthday. That translated into 380,000 children dying from AIDS last year, Unicef said.</p><p>Only seven countries identified in the report provided antiretroviral therapy to at least 20 percent of children needing it. They were Botswana (84 percent), Cape Verde (47 percent), the Dominican Republic (23 percent), Jamaica (47 percent), Namibia (52 percent), Rwanda (20 percent) and Thailand (95 percent).</p><p>Lack of prevention and treatment has left an estimated 15.2 million children as orphans. The number is expected to grow to 20 million by 2010.</p><p>The actual problem is worse, the report said, because ?any more children live with parents who are chronically ill, live in households that have taken in orphans due to AIDS or have lost teachers and other adult members of the community to AIDS.?/p><p>In issuing the report, Unicef said it was trying to establish a baseline for future monitoring. Because data from 2005 was the latest available, the agency said it could not provide statistical comparisons for changes in the year since it began its effort. Even so, it said it could make some determinations about progress, of the lack thereof, based on the work it has been doing in the field.</p><p>An additional problem is that national data on pediatric care and treatment is limited in most countries.</p><NYT_UPDATE_BOTTOM>\n</NYT_UPDATE_BOTTOM>\n');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1126','1','	<p><!--Spanish ID: 601077 --> <p>WEDNESDAY, Jan. 17 (HealthDay News) -- A new drug that blocks tumor blood supply shows promise in treating deadly glioblastoma brain cancers, new research suggests.</p> <p>The drug, an angiogenesis inhibitor called AZD2171 (brand name Recentin), suppresses the growth of blood vessels that feed tumors.</p> <p>In this phase II study, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center researchers found that AZD2171 could significantly reduce the size of glioblastoma tumors and can help reduce brain swelling (edema).</p> <p>The preliminary findings are published in the January issue of <i>Cancer Cell</i>.</p> <p>The study, which included 16 patients who took a daily oral dose of the drug, found that tumors began to shrink within 28 days of the initial dose of AZD2171. Overall, tumors shrank by at least 25 percent in 75 percent of the patients and by 50 percent or more in more than half the patients.</p> <p>The study was too preliminary to determine what impact the drug may have on overall patient survival, the researchers noted.</p> <p>\"Patients with recurrent glioblastomas desperately need new, effective treatment alternatives,\" study author Dr. Tracy Batchelor, chief of neuro-oncology, said in a prepared statement.</p> <p>\"While these are preliminary results of an initial trial, it\'s looking like these agents (angiogenesis inhibitors) may play an increasingly important role in the treatment of patients whose tumors have recurred, and perhaps in newly diagnosed patients as well,\" Batchelor said.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more about <a href=\"http://www.cancer.gov/cancerinfo/wyntk/brain\" target=\"_new\">brain tumors</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1127','1','	<p><p>WEDNESDAY, Jan. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Lialda, a drug designed to induce remission in people with active ulcerative colitis, has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, British maker Shire announced.</p> <p>It marked the first time the agency has approved the drug\'s active ingredient, mesalamine, in once-daily oral dose, the company said in a statement.</p> <p>Ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory bowel disease, produces sores (ulcers) inside the large intestine. Symptoms can include cramps, bloating, diarrhea, bleeding, fatigue and weight loss.</p> <p>The chronic autoimmune disease affects 500,000 Americans, Shire said.</p> <p>Lialda\'s safety and effectiveness were established in two Phase III clinical studies involving people with active, mild-to-moderate ulcerative colitis, compared to a non-medicinal placebo. Commonly reported side effects included headache and flatulence, the company said.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>To learn more about ulcerative colitis, visit the U.S. <a href=\"http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/colitis/\" target=\"_new\">National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1128','1','	<p><!--Spanish ID: 601078 --> <p>WEDNESDAY, Jan. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Parasitic infections may actually benefit people with multiple sclerosis (MS), suggests a study by researchers in Argentina.</p> <p>These infections may affect the body\'s immune response in a way that changes the course of the disease.</p> <p>Previous studies found that parasite infection could affect the course of autoimmune diseases in animals. This is the first study to examine the relationship between parasite infections and MS in humans.</p> <p>The study included 12 MS patients with a parasite infection and 12 MS patients who were parasite-free. The patients in both groups had a similar disease course. The patients were followed for an average of 4.6 years.</p> <p>During the study period, there were three clinical relapses of MS among patients infected with a parasite, compared to 56 relapses in the group of uninfected MS patients. Patients in the infected group were less likely to suffer increased disability due to MS.</p> <p>The researchers also found that infected patients had much higher numbers of cells that produce cytokine suppressants. MS involves an inflammatory response associated with the production of cytokines, which are regulatory proteins.</p> <p>The findings provide evidence to support the idea that an autoimmune response caused by a parasite infection can decrease the normal inflammatory response associated with MS, the study authors suggested.</p> <p>The study appears in the January issue of the <i>Annals of Neurology</i>.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>The American Medical Association has more about <a href=\"http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/296/23/2880\" target=\"_new\">MS</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1129','1','	<p><p>WEDNESDAY, Jan. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Anyone who has ever come home from a bad day at work to a tail-wagging, face-licking \"hello\" knows how easily pets can boost the spirit.</p> <p>In fact, for many Americans, \"today\'s pets are considered an important member of their family,\" said Lisa Peterson, a spokeswoman for the American Kennel Club (AKC). </p> <p>Clearly, America is deep in the embrace of love affairs with pets. There are currently 60 million dogs and 70 million cats living in U.S. homes. And Americans spend nearly $40 billion taking care of those and other pets every year, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.</p> <p>But the emotional return on that investment is worth it, experts say.</p> <p>\"Some of the research we\'ve done has been amazing. Very short interactions with an animal that\'s not even a pet can significantly reduce a patient\'s anxiety and fear before a serious medical procedure,\" said Sandra Barker, a professor of psychiatry and director of the Center for Human-Animal Interaction at the Virginia Commonwealth University\'s School of Medicine.</p> <p>\"I think one of the first positive effects on mental health comes from the sense of responsibility,\" said Peterson. \"You\'re caring for a living being, and you become like partners. It\'s a wonderful feeling to experience and can keep away feelings like loneliness.\" </p> <p>Some studies of animals have found these positive mental-health effects:</p> <ul> <li><b>More social contact</b>. Having a dog means you have to get out of the house to walk the dog, which puts you among other people. Also, dogs provide an immediate conversation-starter and encourage socialization with other people. A recent AKC survey found that almost half of women surveyed said they\'d talk to anyone with a cute puppy.</li> <li><b>Lowered anxiety</b>. Research has shown that when people who have been hospitalized for psychiatric illness spend time with therapy animals, their anxiety and fear are reduced. </li> <li><b>Better quality of life</b>. After brief interactions with dogs, blood levels of the stress hormone cortisol go down. Even watching tropical fish in a tank can provide a sense of relaxation. Pets also offer emotional support, similar to that of a close friend.</li> </ul> <p>Pets don\'t just affect adults\' mental health either -- children benefit greatly from these relationships as well. Some studies have suggested that children with pets have higher self-esteem and lower levels of fear than kids from pet-free homes. Like adults, children also enjoy having a non-judgmental confidant they can share their worries with. </p> <p>\"There\'s just a lifting of the spirit that all pet owners are familiar with,\" said Barker. </p> <p>As with other members of the family, however, emotional interactions aren\'t always positive. There can be a downside to owning a pet, too, experts say. </p> <p>\"The biggest downside of pet ownership is losing them. Their lifespan is not as long as ours,\" Barker said.</p> <p>Additionally, animals sometimes create stress in the home. Noisy dogs or birds can cause problems with neighbors. Spraying cats can destroy furniture. The habits of nocturnal rodents, such as hamsters, can keep you and your family from getting a good night\'s sleep. Sometimes, one family member doesn\'t want an animal but the others overrule that person, causing friction. Also, the cost of pet ownership -- particularly if an animal becomes ill -- can bring financial and emotional stress. </p> <p>But many of these negatives can be addressed, the experts say. For example, dogs can be trained to stop nuisance behaviors, such as barking or digging. And if one family member doesn\'t want an animal, it\'s important to make sure they don\'t get stuck with the responsibility of caring for that pet, since that could increase resentment. </p> <p>\"The canine human bond is a great boost for anyone\'s mental health. Animals teach you to slow down, observe and listen. It\'s great to experience the unconditional love they give,\" concluded Peterson. </p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>To learn more about the benefits and drawbacks to pet ownership, read this information from <a href=\"http://agexted.cas.psu.edu/docs/216001177.html\" target=\"_new\">Penn State University</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1130','1','	<p><p>(HealthDay News) -- Research has shown that excess abdominal fat is a good indicator that you\'re at higher risk for conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure, the National Dairy Council says.</p> <p>A waist circumference of greater than 40 for men and 35 for women is cause for concern, the council suggests.</p> <p>The organization offers these suggestions on how to measure your waist circumference:</p> <ul> <li>Find the upper hip bone and the top of the right iliac crest, the portion of the pelvic bone at the belt line.</li> <li>Wrap a measuring tape around your middle at the level of the belt area at the top of your pelvic bone.</li> <li>Breathe out -- don\'t hold your breath or suck in your stomach.</li> <li>Make sure the measuring tape is not too loose or too tight around your middle, and make sure you aren\'t holding the tape at an angle.</li> </ul> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1131','1','	<p><p>(HealthDay News) -- High blood pressure usually occurs when arteries narrow and make it more difficult for the heart to pump blood throughout the body. The condition increases a person\'s risk of cardiovascular disease.</p> <p>While it\'s most common in adults, the Texas Heart Institute says children also can develop high blood pressure -- especially if family members have the condition. Most of the time, high blood pressure in children is triggered by another condition, such as heart or kidney disease.</p> <p>If your child does have high blood pressure, the institute says he should get plenty of exercise and maintain a healthy body weight. He should also be on a diet low in salt, fat and sugar, and avoid smoking.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1132','1','	<p>An hour after speaking at a Crystal\nMeth Anonymous meeting about the benefits of sobriety to dozens\nof other recovering addicts, Charlie was alone in his Chelsea\napartment, logged onto the Web site Adam4Adam.com.<p/>\nHe cruised the site\'s profiles of muscular gay men who want\nto meet for sex while high on methamphetamine, and found his\nmatch: a 50-year-old man from Manhattan\'s Upper East Side who\nliked to \"slam\" the drug, or inject it directly into the\nbloodstream.<p/>\n\"I blew two-and-a-half years of sobriety in a few hours,\"\nsaid Charlie, who did not want to give his last name. \"All I\nhad to do was log on, and it just so happens that it was right\nthere.\"<p/>\nIn New York, thousands of gay men use the Web sites\nAdam4Adam.com, Manhunt.net and Craigslist.org as an easy way to\nmeet for sex marathons at underground orgies while high on the\naddictive stimulant.<p/>\nSimilar sites exists in other cities. The phenomenon --\nwhile affecting only a small part of the gay community --\nunderscores the spread of meth from the U.S. rural areas where\nit gained an early foothold.<p/>\nHealth officials worry that the ease in using the Web to\nfind meth -- which erases inhibitions and judgment and creates\na voracious sexual appetite -- and people to do it will fuel a\nresurgence among gays in infections of <span class=\"keyword\"><a href=\"http://us.rd.yahoo.com/DailyNews/manual/nm/hl_nm/life_meth_dc/21611918/*http://news.search.yahoo.com/search/news?fr=news-storylinks&amp;p=%22HIV%22&amp;c=&amp;n=20&amp;yn=c&amp;c=news&amp;cs=nw\">HIV</a></span>, the virus which\ncauses <span class=\"keyword\"><a href=\"http://us.rd.yahoo.com/DailyNews/manual/nm/hl_nm/life_meth_dc/21611918/*http://news.search.yahoo.com/search/news?fr=news-storylinks&amp;p=%22AIDS%22&amp;c=&amp;n=20&amp;yn=c&amp;c=news&amp;cs=nw\">AIDS</a></span>.<p/>\nAbout half of new patients diagnosed with HIV by counselors\nat Callen-Lorde Community Health Center, New York\'s largest\nprivate clinic for gay men, said that meth or alcohol was a\nfactor, said Gal Mayer, the center\'s medical director.<p/>\nMen who are high on meth are four times more likely to have\nunprotected sex than those who aren\'t, according to the Centers\nfor Disease Control and Prevention.<p/>\n\"These men use meth to escape and forget about their\npositive HIV status,\" said Michael Siever, director of San\nFrancisco\'s Stonewall Project, a counseling program for gay and\nbisexual men who use crystal meth. \"They assume everyone else\nis positive at these parties, which isn\'t the case, and it\nleads to more infections.\"<p/>\nAlso, Siever said, some long-term meth users have built up\ntolerance to the drug and must inject it to get high -- some\nusing dirty needles which lead to more HIV transmission.<p/>\nAbout 45 percent of the men who sought treatment at\nStonewall in the last year admitted they had injected, Siever\nsaid.<p/>\nThe online code for mixing sex and meth is PNP, shorthand\nfor \"party \'n play.\"<p/>\nThe sites are free and allow members to search for partners\nbased on proximity, HIV status, preferences in appearance and\nsexual practices, whether or not they use condoms and which\ndrugs they use.<p/>\n\"You can literally do searches so that you\'re within a $5\ncab ride from someone,\" said Bill Stackhouse, director of the\nInstitute for Gay Men\'s Health at the Gay Men\'s Health Crisis,\na group that fights AIDS in New York City.<p/>\nSome men, like Charlie, use the sites because they are\nrelapsing after a period of sobriety and don\'t have a dealer.\nOthers do not want to risk buying drugs on the street or are\nhoping to parlay sex into free drugs.<p/>\n\"It\'s the fast-food version of sex and drugs,\" said Siever.\n\"You can order in.\"<p/>\nAlso logged on to the sites, silently waiting behind a\nprofile that includes a headless photo displaying his fit chest\nand abdominal muscles, was Terry Evans, an outreach worker for\nPositive Health Project, a nonprofit that seeks to stem the\nspread of HIV in New York.<p/>\nEvans was trying to convince meth users to have safe sex. A\nmessage quickly popped up in his inbox from user \"bkpdnyc,\" a\n32-year-old man from Manhattan who said he likes Evans\' body\nand soon admitted that he parties with \"Tina,\" a nickname for\nmeth.<p/>\nEvans tried to string the man along to coax him to come in\nfor one-on-one counseling. But before Evans could reveal his\nidentity, the man logged off. Evans sent him a message anyway\nwith the nonprofit\'s mission and phone number.<p/>\n\"Initially a lot of them feel it\'s a bait and switch and\nthey get kind of angry, but more than half come back and ask\nquestions, and after that a lot of them come in,\" said Evans,\nwho noted about a dozen men have come in over the last year.\n<p/>\n</p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1133','1','	<p>Cancer deaths in the United States have dropped for a second straight year, confirming that a corner has been turned in the war on cancer. After a decline of 369 deaths from 2002 to 2003, the decrease from 2003 to 2004 was 3,014 ? or more than eight times greater, according to a review of U.S. death certificates by the <span class=\"keyword\"><a href=\"http://us.rd.yahoo.com/DailyNews/manual/ap/ap_on_he_me/cancer_deaths/21611944/*http://news.search.yahoo.com/search/news?fr=news-storylinks&amp;p=%22American%20Cancer%20Society%22&amp;c=&amp;n=20&amp;yn=c&amp;c=news&amp;cs=nw\">American Cancer Society</a></span>.<p/>\nThe drop from 2002 to 2003 was the first annual decrease in total cancer deaths since 1930. But the decline was slight, and experts were hesitant to say whether it was a cause for celebration or just a statistical fluke.<p/>\nThe trend seems to be real, Cancer Society officials said.<p/>\n\"It\'s not only continuing. The decrease in the second year is much larger,\" said Ahmedin Jemal, a researcher at the organization.<p/>\nCancer deaths dropped to 553,888 in 2004, down from 556,902 in 2003 and 557,271 in 2002, the Cancer Society found.<p/>\nExperts are attributing the success to declines in smoking and to earlier detection and more effective treatment of tumors. Those have caused a fall in the death rates for breast, prostate and colorectal cancer ? three of the most common cancers.<p/>\nThe lung cancer death rate in men has also been falling, but the female rate has reached a plateau.<p/>\nThe largest drop in deaths among the major cancers was in colorectal cancer. Colorectal cancer deaths dropped by 1,110 in men and by 1,094 in women.<p/>\nCancer Society officials attributed the decline to early detection and improved treatment. Other experts agreed, saying much of the credit goes to screening exams that detect polyps and allow doctors to remove them before they develop into colon cancer.<p/>\n\"The biggest driver in colon cancer\'s decline in mortality is colon cancer screening, which has proven to save lives,\" said Dr. Otis Brawley, an Emory University researcher specializing in cancer epidemiology.<p/>\nFor more than a decade, health statisticians charted annual drops of about 1 percent in the cancer death rate ? the calculated number of deaths per 100,000 people. But the actual number of cancer deaths still rose each year because the growing elderly population ? and the size of the population overall ? outpaced falling death rates.<p/>\nIn 2003 and 2004, the cancer death rate declined by about 2 percent each year ? more than offsetting the effects of aging and population growth.<p/>\nThe Cancer Society also projected how many cancer cases and deaths will occur this year: more than 1.4 million new cases, and 559,650 deaths.<p/>\nThe incidence estimate is based on nine previous years of data. The death projection, based on about 35 years of data, suggests annual cancer deaths will rise again. But the data did not fully capture the trend in declining deaths, said Elizabeth Ward, the Cancer Society\'s director of surveillance research.<p/>\nDespite the estimate, Cancer Society officials now believe cancer deaths will continue to drop, Ward said.<p/>\n</p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1134','1','<p>Topaz Weis, 44, and Christie Allen, 27, two mothers in Burlington, Vt., met each other when Weis was looking for supplemental breast milk to feed her baby, and Allen had an oversupply to offer. Weis even gave Allen a key to her house so she could place the precious white bags directly in the freezer.</p><p>The practice of giving and receiving milk for a year made friends of the two families. \"It\'s a surreal experience watching our children play together and realizing both of them have gotten breast milk from me,\" says Allen. No money has exchanged hands. \"It\'s not the kind of thing I can sell,\" Allen says.</p><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" align=\"right\" width=\"238\"><tr><td width=\"10\"></td><td width=\"228\">\n<div class=\"media_photo\"><!--link rel=\"image_src\" href=\"http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/photo/2007/01/12/PH2007011201850.jpg\"/--><a href=\"javascript:void(popitup(\'http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/photo/2007/01/12/PH2007011201852.html\',650,850))\"><img src=\"http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/photo/largerPhoto/images/enlarge_tab.gif\" width=\"103\" height=\"12\" border=\"0\" align=\"bottom\" alt=\"\"></a><br/><a href=\"javascript:void(popitup(\'http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/photo/2007/01/12/PH2007011201852.html\',650,850))\"><img src=\"http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/photo/2007/01/12/PH2007011201850.jpg\" border=\"0\"  alt=\"\"  height=\"140\" width=\"228\" align=\"top\"></a></div>\n<link href=\"http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/css/sidebars.css\" rel=\"stylesheet\" media=\"all\" />\n<link href=\"http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/css/graphics.css\" rel=\"stylesheet\" media=\"all\"/>\n<div style=\"width:228px;\">\n<div class=\"sidebarhack\"><b></b></div>\n<div class=\"sidebar\">\n<h2>Donor Milk</h2>\n<div class=\"sidebarcontent\">\n<div class=\"sidebarbox\">\n<h3>Why use donor milk?</h3>\n<p>In the absence of the infant\'s own mother\'s milk, donor milk offers many benefits, including:</p>\n<ul>\n<li>Optimal nutrition</li>\n<li>Easy digestibility</li>\n<li>Immunologic protection against many organisms and diseases</li>\n</ul>\n<div class=\"clearboth\"></div>\n<h3 style=\"padding-bottom: 6px;\">Common reasons for prescribing milk</h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Prematurity</li>\n<li>Allergies</li>\n<li>Feeding/formula intolerance</li>\n<li>Immunologic deficiencies</li>\n<li>Post-operative nutrition needs</li>\n<li>Infectious diseases</li>\n<li>Inborn errors of metabolism</li>\n</ul>\n<div class=\"clearboth\"></div>\n<p class=\"creditGraphic\">SOURCE: Human Milk Banking Association of North America</p>\n</div>\n</div>\n</div>\n<div class=\"clearboth\"></div>\n</div>\n\n<div class=\"sidebarhack\"><b></b></div><div class=\"sidebar\"><div class=\"sidebarcontent\"><a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/12/AR2007011201912.html\" target=\"\">Group Sets Milk Standards</a><br/>Women who smoke, use illegal drugs or have traveled to certain countries such as Cameroon and Niger (where there is a form of HIV that is hard to detect) are not eligible to donate their milk to banks accredited by the Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA).<br/>\n<div style=\"clear:both;\"></div></div></div>\n<script src=\"http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/technorati/Technorati.js\"></script><script>\nvar technorati = new Technorati() ;\ntechnorati.setProperty(\'url\',\'http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/12/AR2007011201849_Technorati.html\') ;\ntechnorati.article = new item(\'Banking on Milk\',\'http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/12/AR2007011201849.html\',\'Topaz Weis, 44, and Christie Allen, 27, two mothers in Burlington, Vt., met each other when Weis was looking for supplemental breast milk to feed her baby, and Allen had an oversupply to offer. Weis even gave Allen a key to her house so she could place the precious white bags directly in the freezer....\',\'Shannon Henry\') ;\n</script><script src=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/12/AR2007011201849_Technorati.js\"></script><script>document.write( technorati.getDisplaySidebar() );</script>\n<link href=\"http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/css/bookmarking.css\" rel=\"stylesheet\" media=\"all\"/><div class=\"sidebarhack\"><b></b></div><div class=\"sidebar\"><h2><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"right\" border=\"0\" width=\"222\"><tr><td class=\"sb-left\" align=\"left\">Save &amp; Share Article</td><td class=\"sb-right\" align=\"right\"><a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/community/saveandshare.html\">What\'s This?</a></td></tr></table></h2><div class=\"sidebarcontent\"><div class=\"sidebarbox\"><div class=\"bookmark\"><div class=\"generic_bookmark digg_bookmark\"><div class=\"pad_bookmark\"><a href=\"http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/12/AR2007011201849.html%3Freferrer=digg&title=Banking on Milk&bodytext=Topaz Weis, 44, and Christie Allen, 27, two mothers in Burlington, Vt., met each other when Weis was looking for supplemental breast milk to feed her baby, and Allen had an oversupply to offer. Weis even gave Allen a key to her house so she could place the precious white bags directly in the freezer....\" target=\"new\">Digg</a></div></div><div class=\"generic_bookmark google_bookmark\"><div class=\"pad_bookmark\"><a href=\"http://www.google.com/bookmarks/mark?op=add&title=Banking on Milk&labels=&annotation=Topaz Weis, 44, and Christie Allen, 27, two mothers in Burlington, Vt., met each other when Weis was looking for supplemental breast milk to feed her baby, and Allen had an oversupply to offer. Weis even gave Allen a key to her house so she could place the precious white bags directly in the freezer....&bkmk=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/12/AR2007011201849.html%3Freferrer=google\" target=\"new\">Google</a></div></div><br clear=\"all\"/><div class=\"generic_bookmark delicious_bookmark\"><div class=\"pad_bookmark\"><a href=\"http://del.icio.us/post?v=4&partner=wpni&noui&jump=close&url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/12/AR2007011201849.html%3Freferrer=delicious&title=%22Banking on Milk: Options Are Growing for Women Who Can\'t Breast-Feed%22 By Shannon Henry&notes=Topaz Weis, 44, and Christie Allen, 27, two mothers in Burlington, Vt., met each other when Weis was looking for supplemental breast milk to feed her baby, and Allen had an oversupply to offer. Weis even gave Allen a key to her house so she could place the precious white bags directly in the freezer....\" target=\"new\">del.icio.us</a></div></div><div class=\"generic_bookmark yahoo_bookmark\"><div class=\"pad_bookmark\"><a href=\"http://myweb2.search.yahoo.com/myresults/bookmarklet?u=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/12/AR2007011201849.html%3Freferrer=yahoo&title=Banking on Milk&popup=true\" target=\"new\">Yahoo!</a></div></div><br clear=\"all\"/><div class=\"generic_bookmark reddit_bookmark\"><div class=\"pad_bookmark\"><a href=\"http://reddit.com/submit?url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/12/AR2007011201849.html%3Freferrer=reddit&title=Banking on Milk\" target=\"new\">Reddit</a></div></div><div class=\"generic_bookmark facebook_bookmark\"><div class=\"pad_bookmark\"><a href=\"javascript:void(0);\" onclick=\"void(window.open(\'http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=\'+encodeURIComponent(\'http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/12/AR2007011201849.html?referrer=facebook\')+\'&t=\'+encodeURIComponent(\'Banking on Milk\'),\'sharer\',\'toolbar=no,width=642,height=436\'));\">Facebook</a></div></div><br clear=\"all\"/></div></div></div>\n</td></tr></table>\n<p>Breast milk, touted by the government and even formula-makers as the best food for babies, is becoming a hot commodity. Ten nonprofit milk banks that match donors to those searching for milk are accredited members of the Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA). For-profit milk banks and wet nurses for hire are also available. Countless other private transactions go on, many facilitated by the Internet, creating a sisterhood among strangers. Some moms \"cross-nurse\" with babies of friends and relatives.</p><p>But the milk-sharing movement, still largely an underground network, brings up many questions. First, there is worry about the safety of unscreened milk, which can pass diseases such as HIV and syphilis to babies. Others debate ethical concerns, such as whether people should make money selling human milk and how such businesses should be regulated.</p><p>For a woman who can\'t breast-feed (perhaps because she is taking medication that would pass into her milk or because she produces insufficient quantities) but wants to give her child human milk, the first place to go, according to Katy Lebbing of La Leche League International, is a registered milk bank. The 10 HMBANA banks are in states including Delaware, Ohio and North Carolina and serve women across the country. The banks screen donors and then pasteurize, lab-test and freeze milk, all according to the association\'s specific standards.</p><p>If an arrangement with a milk bank isn\'t practical, Lebbing suggests working out a donation arrangement through a doctor who can test the donor and her milk. The group does not recommend cross-nursing because each woman has her own antibodies, which can affect babies differently. \"Breast milk is more than just food,\" says Lebbing. La Leche League, based in Schaumburg, Ill., comes out even more strongly against hiring a wet nurse. Lebbing worries that women might enter the arrangement motivated by financial gain -- and without concern for the potential impact on their own offspring. \"People do crazy things for money,\" she says.</p><p>But donors to nonprofit milk banks are not motivated by money. Parents often find the WakeMed Mothers\' Milk Bank and Lactation Center in Raleigh, N.C., through HMBANA, which is headquartered in the same city. Mothers\' Milk has about 100 active donors at any one time, according to the bank\'s Margie Mould. Each week, five to 12 individuals receive a regular supply from them and about 10 others call to get a one-time shipment. They have to have a prescription from a doctor to receive the processed, cultured milk, and they pay $2.90 per ounce, plus shipping. (Some banks charge more.) Hospitals help match donors and recipients.</p><p>Many milk banks shut down in the 1980s when AIDS was a new concern, but now more are being opened, both because of increased awareness of the benefits of mother\'s milk and because screening is more stringent. \"I hope to live to see the day where there\'s a bank in every state,\" Mould says.</p><p>The donation process often starts with a mom who has too much milk. She may have pumped so much that her freezer is brimming with more than her own baby will eat. Or she has lost a baby but is still lactating. Mould says it\'s particularly healing for grieving mothers to donate their milk, and it\'s gratifying for her to match donors with babies who have difficulty tolerating other food -- even infant formula.</p><p>Weis delivered a baby boy who died at birth. She pumped and froze milk for two months because she and her husband were also awaiting the arrival of an adopted daughter, Kiki. But it took Kiki a mere week to finish what it had taken Weis two months to produce. And Weis didn\'t want to supplement her own milk with formula. So she began to seek out other milk, from banks and individuals. \"I\'ve cooked for milk, paid for milk, did an astrology trade for breast milk,\" she says. (She has also sought supplemental milk for another baby.)</p><p>Allen, a pediatric nurse, had stockpiled 100 ounces of breast milk in her freezer for a cancer survivor while simultaneously feeding her own baby. That woman ended up getting enough milk from other donors, so when Allen -- who had been through a screening process and had her milk tested -- heard about Weis\'s predicament, she offered the milk to her.</p><p>While the Weis and Allen story is clearly one of a mom helping another mom, many of the for-profit exchanges could be scams, says Lebbing, warning that chalk mixed with water is a possible ploy. Such concerns may be overstated by strong advocates of breast-feeding, but a simple Google search reveals how easy it is to find women offering their milk for sale with only their own assurances of its quality.</p></div></div><br clear=\"all\">\n<div align=\"right\"><table width=\"100%\" cellpadding=\"2\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\"><tr><td align=\"right\"><font face=\"arial,sans-serif\" color=\"#CC0000\" size=\"-1\"><b>CONTINUED</b></font>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <b><font face=\"arial,sans-serif\" size=\"3\" color=\"#CC0000\">1</font> &nbsp;&nbsp; <font face=\"arial,sans-serif\" size=\"3\"><script>document.write(\'<a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/12/AR2007011201849_2.html\'+unescape(location.search)+\'\">2</a>\')</script><noscript><a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/12/AR2007011201849_2.html\">2</a></noscript></font></b> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<font face=\"arial, ms sans serif, sans-serif\" size=\"3\"><b><script>document.write(\'<a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/12/AR2007011201849_2.html\'+unescape(location.search)+\'\">Next</a>\')</script><noscript><a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/12/AR2007011201849_2.html\">Next</a></noscript> ></b></font></td></tr></table></div><br>\n');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1135','1','<p>Scientists have new evidence that gum disease may be linked to more serious health problems, in this case pancreatic cancer.</p><p>The researchers stressed that the findings need to be confirmed and explored by additional research, but it is not the first time that periodontal disease has been associated with other serious illness. Previous research suggested that people with infected gums may be more prone to heart disease.</p><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" align=\"right\" width=\"238\"><tr><td width=\"10\"></td><td width=\"228\">\n<script src=\"http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/technorati/Technorati.js\"></script><script>\nvar technorati = new Technorati() ;\ntechnorati.setProperty(\'url\',\'http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/16/AR2007011601401_Technorati.html\') ;\ntechnorati.article = new item(\'Gum Disease, Pancreatic Cancer May Be Linked\',\'http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/16/AR2007011601401.html\',\'Scientists have new evidence that gum disease may be linked to more serious health problems, in this case pancreatic cancer.\',\'\') ;\n</script><script src=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/16/AR2007011601401_Technorati.js\"></script><script>document.write( technorati.getDisplaySidebar() );</script>\n<link href=\"http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/css/bookmarking.css\" rel=\"stylesheet\" media=\"all\"/><div class=\"sidebarhack\"><b></b></div><div class=\"sidebar\"><h2><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"right\" border=\"0\" width=\"222\"><tr><td class=\"sb-left\" align=\"left\">Save &amp; Share Article</td><td class=\"sb-right\" align=\"right\"><a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/community/saveandshare.html\">What\'s This?</a></td></tr></table></h2><div class=\"sidebarcontent\"><div class=\"sidebarbox\"><div class=\"bookmark\"><div class=\"generic_bookmark digg_bookmark\"><div class=\"pad_bookmark\"><a href=\"http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/16/AR2007011601401.html%3Freferrer=digg&title=Gum Disease, Pancreatic Cancer May Be Linked&bodytext=Scientists have new evidence that gum disease may be linked to more serious health problems, in this case pancreatic cancer.\" target=\"new\">Digg</a></div></div><div class=\"generic_bookmark google_bookmark\"><div class=\"pad_bookmark\"><a href=\"http://www.google.com/bookmarks/mark?op=add&title=Gum Disease, Pancreatic Cancer May Be Linked&labels=&annotation=Scientists have new evidence that gum disease may be linked to more serious health problems, in this case pancreatic cancer.&bkmk=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/16/AR2007011601401.html%3Freferrer=google\" target=\"new\">Google</a></div></div><br clear=\"all\"/><div class=\"generic_bookmark delicious_bookmark\"><div class=\"pad_bookmark\"><a href=\"http://del.icio.us/post?v=4&partner=wpni&noui&jump=close&url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/16/AR2007011601401.html%3Freferrer=delicious&title=%22Gum Disease, Pancreatic Cancer May Be Linked%22&notes=Scientists have new evidence that gum disease may be linked to more serious health problems, in this case pancreatic cancer.\" target=\"new\">del.icio.us</a></div></div><div class=\"generic_bookmark yahoo_bookmark\"><div class=\"pad_bookmark\"><a href=\"http://myweb2.search.yahoo.com/myresults/bookmarklet?u=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/16/AR2007011601401.html%3Freferrer=yahoo&title=Gum Disease, Pancreatic Cancer May Be Linked&popup=true\" target=\"new\">Yahoo!</a></div></div><br clear=\"all\"/><div class=\"generic_bookmark reddit_bookmark\"><div class=\"pad_bookmark\"><a href=\"http://reddit.com/submit?url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/16/AR2007011601401.html%3Freferrer=reddit&title=Gum Disease, Pancreatic Cancer May Be Linked\" target=\"new\">Reddit</a></div></div><div class=\"generic_bookmark facebook_bookmark\"><div class=\"pad_bookmark\"><a href=\"javascript:void(0);\" onclick=\"void(window.open(\'http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=\'+encodeURIComponent(\'http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/16/AR2007011601401.html?referrer=facebook\')+\'&t=\'+encodeURIComponent(\'Gum Disease, Pancreatic Cancer May Be Linked\'),\'sharer\',\'toolbar=no,width=642,height=436\'));\">Facebook</a></div></div><br clear=\"all\"/></div></div></div>\n</td></tr></table>\n<p>Over time, the bacterial infection that causes gum disease can also cause loss of the bone that anchors the teeth, and the inflammation from the infection may set the stage for other serious diseases.</p><p>Pancreatic cancer strikes more than 33,000 Americans each year and kills more than 30,000, making it the fourth-leading cause of cancer death.</p><p>For the study, Dominique S. Michaud of the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston and colleagues analyzed data from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, which has gathered data about a wide range of health issues from 51,529 American men.</p><p>After taking other factors into consideration, such as age, smoking, diabetes and body mass index, the researchers found that the men with gum disease were 63 percent more likely to develop pancreatic cancer than those without gum disease. Non-smokers with gum disease were twice as likely to develop the hard-to-treat cancer as those with healthy gums.</p><p>\"Our study provides the first strong evidence that periodontal disease may increase the risk of pancreatic cancer,\" said Michaud, who reported the findings in today\'s issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.</p><p></p><p><b>-- Rob Stein</b></p></div></div><br clear=\"all\">\n');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1136','1','<p>Fewer people in America died of cancer in 2004 than in 2003, the second consecutive year that cancer deaths have dropped in the United States, the American Cancer Society reported today. Officials said the new, significant yearly decline means a trend has developed.</p><p>A review of U.S. death certificates by the American Cancer Society showed that 3,014 fewer Americans died of cancer from 2003 to 2004 -- a drop more than eight times greater than the decline from 2002 to 2003, which was 369 deaths.</p><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" align=\"right\" width=\"238\"><tr><td width=\"10\"></td><td width=\"228\">\n<div class=\"media_photo\"><!--link rel=\"image_src\" href=\"http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/photo/2007/01/17/PH2007011700824.jpg\"/--><a href=\"javascript:void(popitup(\'http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/photo/2007/01/17/PH2007011700826.html\',650,850))\"><img src=\"http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/photo/largerPhoto/images/enlarge_tab.gif\" width=\"103\" height=\"12\" border=\"0\" align=\"bottom\" alt=\"\"></a><br/><a href=\"javascript:void(popitup(\'http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/photo/2007/01/17/PH2007011700826.html\',650,850))\"><img src=\"http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/photo/2007/01/17/PH2007011700824.jpg\" border=\"0\"  alt=\"(AP Graphic)\"  height=\"172\" width=\"228\" align=\"top\"></a><div id=\"caption\">Graphic for Ameican Cancer Society. A review of death certificates by the Society shows that cancer deaths in the United States have dropped for the second straight year. (AP Graphic)</div></div>\n<div style=\"width:228px;\">\n<div class=\"sidebarhack\"><b></b></div>\n<div class=\"sidebar\">\n<h2>What Readers Are Saying</h2>\n<div class=\"sidebarcontent\" style=\"padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 10px;\">\n<div class=\"sidebarbox\" style=\"color: #333;\">\n <p style=\"margin-top: 0; padding-top: 0;\"> <span style=\"color: rgb(204, 0, 0);\"><strong>Your Comments On...</strong></span><br> <h1 style=\"color: rgb(0, 51, 153);\"><a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/19/AR2006121901431.html\" target=\"_blank\">Short Mental Workouts May Slow Decline of Aging Minds, Study Finds</a></h1></p> <p style=\"margin-top: 0; padding-top: 0;\"> \"It would be interesting to know if factors such as stress, or sleep disorders etc. were taken into account. They can be quite memory inhibiting and are more likely to be present in the control group, as a lack of mental stimulation can increase self doubt, decrease confidence and cause a form of panic. Could this have put the control group behind, at the same time the motivated groups were leaping ahead and would this not effect the measurement of the outcome? \" </p> <div style=\"text-align:right;\">-- <b>By smilesturner01 ;</b></div> <p style=\"border-top: 1px dashed rgb(204, 204, 204); margin-top: 5px; padding-top: 7px; font-weight: bold;\"> <strong><font face=\"arial,helvetica\" SIZE=\"-1\">&#149; </font> <span style=\"font-family:arial;font-size:11px;color:#000000;\"><a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/comments/display?contentID=AR2006121901431&start=1\"><b>View, Add More Comments</b></a></span><br> <font face=\"arial,helvetica\" SIZE=\"-1\">&#149; </font> <span style=\"font-family:arial;font-size:11px;color:#000000;\"><a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/19/AR2006121901431.html\"><b>Read the Story</b></a></span><br></strong> </p> \n</div>\n</div>\n</div>\n<div class=\"clearboth\"></div>\n</div>\n\n<script src=\"http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/technorati/Technorati.js\"></script><script>\nvar technorati = new Technorati() ;\ntechnorati.setProperty(\'url\',\'http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/17/AR2007011700702_Technorati.html\') ;\ntechnorati.article = new item(\'U.S. Cancer Deaths Decline for Second Straight Year\',\'http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/17/AR2007011700702.html\',\'Fewer people in America died of cancer in 2004 than in 2003, the second consecutive year that cancer deaths have dropped in the United States, the American Cancer Society reported today. Officials said the new, significant yearly decline means a trend has developed.\',\'Daniela Deane\') ;\n</script><script src=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/17/AR2007011700702_Technorati.js\"></script><script>document.write( technorati.getDisplaySidebar() );</script>\n<link href=\"http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/css/bookmarking.css\" rel=\"stylesheet\" media=\"all\"/><div class=\"sidebarhack\"><b></b></div><div class=\"sidebar\"><h2><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"right\" border=\"0\" width=\"222\"><tr><td class=\"sb-left\" align=\"left\">Save &amp; Share Article</td><td class=\"sb-right\" align=\"right\"><a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/community/saveandshare.html\">What\'s This?</a></td></tr></table></h2><div class=\"sidebarcontent\"><div class=\"sidebarbox\"><div class=\"bookmark\"><div class=\"generic_bookmark digg_bookmark\"><div class=\"pad_bookmark\"><a href=\"http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/17/AR2007011700702.html%3Freferrer=digg&title=U.S. Cancer Deaths Decline for Second Straight Year&bodytext=Fewer people in America died of cancer in 2004 than in 2003, the second consecutive year that cancer deaths have dropped in the United States, the American Cancer Society reported today. Officials said the new, significant yearly decline means a trend has developed.\" target=\"new\">Digg</a></div></div><div class=\"generic_bookmark google_bookmark\"><div class=\"pad_bookmark\"><a href=\"http://www.google.com/bookmarks/mark?op=add&title=U.S. Cancer Deaths Decline for Second Straight Year&labels=&annotation=Fewer people in America died of cancer in 2004 than in 2003, the second consecutive year that cancer deaths have dropped in the United States, the American Cancer Society reported today. Officials said the new, significant yearly decline means a trend has developed.&bkmk=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/17/AR2007011700702.html%3Freferrer=google\" target=\"new\">Google</a></div></div><br clear=\"all\"/><div class=\"generic_bookmark delicious_bookmark\"><div class=\"pad_bookmark\"><a href=\"http://del.icio.us/post?v=4&partner=wpni&noui&jump=close&url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/17/AR2007011700702.html%3Freferrer=delicious&title=%22U.S. Cancer Deaths Decline for Second Straight Year%22 By Daniela Deane&notes=Fewer people in America died of cancer in 2004 than in 2003, the second consecutive year that cancer deaths have dropped in the United States, the American Cancer Society reported today. Officials said the new, significant yearly decline means a trend has developed.\" target=\"new\">del.icio.us</a></div></div><div class=\"generic_bookmark yahoo_bookmark\"><div class=\"pad_bookmark\"><a href=\"http://myweb2.search.yahoo.com/myresults/bookmarklet?u=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/17/AR2007011700702.html%3Freferrer=yahoo&title=U.S. Cancer Deaths Decline for Second Straight Year&popup=true\" target=\"new\">Yahoo!</a></div></div><br clear=\"all\"/><div class=\"generic_bookmark reddit_bookmark\"><div class=\"pad_bookmark\"><a href=\"http://reddit.com/submit?url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/17/AR2007011700702.html%3Freferrer=reddit&title=U.S. Cancer Deaths Decline for Second Straight Year\" target=\"new\">Reddit</a></div></div><div class=\"generic_bookmark facebook_bookmark\"><div class=\"pad_bookmark\"><a href=\"javascript:void(0);\" onclick=\"void(window.open(\'http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=\'+encodeURIComponent(\'http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/17/AR2007011700702.html?referrer=facebook\')+\'&t=\'+encodeURIComponent(\'U.S. Cancer Deaths Decline for Second Straight Year\'),\'sharer\',\'toolbar=no,width=642,height=436\'));\">Facebook</a></div></div><br clear=\"all\"/></div></div></div>\n</td></tr></table>\n<p>The drop from 2002 to 2003 was the first annual decrease in total cancer deaths in the United States since 1930. But since the decline was slight, cancer experts were hesitant to proclaim a trend -- until now.</p><p>\"This second consecutive drop in the number of actual cancer deaths, much steeper than the first, shows last year\'s historic drop was no fluke,\" John R. Seffrin, chief executive of the American Cancer Society, said in an ACS release today. \"The hard work towards preventing cancer, catching it early and making treatment more effective is paying dramatic, lifesaving dividends.\"</p><p>In its annual report, Cancer Statistics 2007, the Cancer Society also estimated the number of cancer cases and deaths in America for the coming year. For 2007, an estimated 1,444,920 cases of cancer are expected in America, with 559,650 likely deaths from the disease.</p><p>In 2004, cancer deaths totaled 553,888, down from 556,902 in 2003 and 557, 271 in 2002, the Atlanta-based society reported.</p><p>The drops were attributed to declines in smoking, earlier detection of tumors and more effective treatments.</p><p>President Bush visited the Bethesda-based National Institutes of Health today, toured a cancer research lab and participated in a round-table discussion on advances in the fight against cancer, the White House said.</p><p>Scientists and cancer survivors briefed the president on two breakthroughs against cancer that have recently emerged from the NIH, the White House said -- the Cancer Genome Atlas and the HPV vaccine.</p><p>The human papillomavirus vaccine, the first vaccine against a cause of cervical cancer, is now available. The Cancer Genome Atlas is a three-year project involving the National Cancer Institute and the National Human Genome Research Institute aimed at understanding the genetic sources of cancer.</p><p>In his remarks at NIH, Bush urged Congress to pass legislation that makes \"genetic discrimination illegal.\"</p><p>\"In other words, if a person is willing to share his or her genetic information, it is important that that information not be exploited in improper ways,\" Bush said, \"and Congress can pass good legislation to prevent that from happening. We want medical research to go forward without an individual fearing of personal discrimination.\"</p><p>Death rates have fallen for breast, prostate and colorectal cancer, the American Cancer Society reported -- three of the most common cancers in the country.</p><p>The largest drop in deaths was in colorectal cancer; deaths from that type of cancer dropped by 1,110 in men and by 1,094 in women in 2004. Experts attributed the drop to screening exams that detect polyps, allowing doctors to remove them before they develop into cancer.</p><p>The lung cancer death rate has also been falling in men, the society reported, but the female death rate has leveled off.</p><p>Breast cancer death rates have been dropping steadily since 1990, the report says, because of earlier detection and better treatments. And the decades-long rise in the rate of new breast cancer cases in American women is also leveling off, another recent report showed, indicating that the nation may have reached a turning point in the battle against the feared malignancy.</p><p>Experts attributed the decline in breast cancer incidence rates to increased use of mammography; the plummeting use of hormones after menopause and a stabilizing of the number of women delaying childbearing.</p></div></div><br clear=\"all\">\n');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1137','1','<table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\"><tr><td width=\"10\"></td><td width=\"98%\"><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"98%\" valign=\"top\"><tr><td><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><font size=\"+2\" color=\"551E1B\">Egyptian woman tests positive for bird flu</font><br><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><b>27-year-old hospitalized since Jan. 13, health officials confirm</b><br></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"></td></tr></table><font size=\"-2\"><a href=\"http://www.reuters.com/\"><a href=\"http://www.reuters.com/\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://msnbcmedia3.msn.com/i/msnbc/Components/Sources/sourceReuters.gif\" height=\"20\" width=\"140\" vspace=\"0\" hspace=\"0\"></a></a><p></p></font><p>CAIRO - A 27-year-old Egyptian woman tested positive for the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus, a World Health Organization official said on Wednesday.</p><p>The virus has claimed 10 lives in Egypt while eight other positive cases recovered since it first surfaced in Egyptian poultry in February.</p><p>\"Unfortunately, yes there is a new case,\" said Hassan el-Bushra, regional adviser for communicable diseases surveillance for the World Health Organization.</p><p>He told Reuters tests carried out by Egyptian authorities were positive for the H5N1 virus and he was awaiting the results of a second set of tests.</p><p><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"460\"><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"10\" border=\"0\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr height=\"20\"><td width=\"98%\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><font size=\"-1\"><b color=\"#666666\">&nbsp;Click for related content</b></font></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"5\" cellpadding=\"0\" bordercolor=\"#cccccc\" border=\"0\" style=\"border-top:solid 1px #cccccc;border-bottom:solid 1px #cccccc;background-color:#ffffff;\" bgcolor=\"#ffffff\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellpadding=\"0\" class=\"headlineList2\"><tr></tr></table></td></tr><tr valign=\"top\"><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"8\"><tr><td style=\"padding:8px;\"><font class=\"bigRedLink\"><p><a href=\"/id/16635479/\">Bird flu spreading again in Asia</a></p></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"\" bordercolor=\"\" border=\"0\" style=\"background-color:#eeeeee;\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr><td style=\"\"><font class=\"textSmall\" color=\"#000000\"></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></p><p>The official Middle East News Agency (MENA) identified the woman as Warda Eid Ahmed from the province of Beni Suef south of the capital Cairo. The agency quoted an Egyptian Health Ministry official as saying she has been hospitalized since Jan. 13 with a serious pulmonary inflammation.</p><div class=\"textBodyBlack\" style=\"clear:both;\"><i><em>Copyright 2007 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters.</em></i></div><br>');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1138','1','<table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\"><tr><td width=\"10\"></td><td width=\"98%\"><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"98%\" valign=\"top\"><tr><td><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><font size=\"+2\" color=\"551E1B\">New tests reveal why 1918 flu was so deadly</font><br><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><b>Research on resurrected virus provides clues to preventing future pandemic</b><br></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"></td></tr></table><font size=\"-2\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://msnbcmedia1.msn.com/i/msnbc/Components/Sources/sourceAP.gif\" height=\"20\" width=\"140\" vspace=\"0\" hspace=\"0\"><p></p></font><p>WASHINGTON - Monkeys infected with a resurrected virus that was responsible for history\'s deadliest epidemic have given scientists a better idea of how the 1918 Spanish flu attacked so quickly and relentlessly: by turning victims\' bodies against them.</p><p>The research, which found that an over-stimulated immune system killed even as it tried to fight the flu, helps explain why many of the 50 million people who died in the epidemic were healthy young adults. Conventional flu usually claims mostly the very young and very old.</p><p>This new look at an old killer gives doctors ideas on how to fight the current bird flu if it develops the ability to spreads from human-to-human, as many scientists fear it will. The 1918 virus, which was reconstructed with reverse genetics, exists today only in two labs where scientists are studying it.</p><p>Scientists said they were struck by how suddenly and overwhelmingly the 1918 flu struck seven macaques that were tested in a high-level biosafety lab in Winnipeg, Canada. The virus spread faster than a normal flu bug and triggered a \"storm\" response in the animal\'s immune systems.</p><p>Their bodies\' defenses went haywire, not knowing when to stop, researchers said. The lungs became inflamed and filled with blood and other fluids.</p><p><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"460\"><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"10\" border=\"0\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr height=\"20\"><td width=\"98%\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><font size=\"-1\"><b color=\"#666666\">&nbsp;Click for related content</b></font></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"5\" cellpadding=\"0\" bordercolor=\"#cccccc\" border=\"0\" style=\"border-top:solid 1px #cccccc;border-bottom:solid 1px #cccccc;background-color:#ffffff;\" bgcolor=\"#ffffff\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellpadding=\"0\" class=\"headlineList2\"><tr></tr></table></td></tr><tr valign=\"top\"><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"8\"><tr><td style=\"padding:8px;\"><font class=\"bigRedLink\"><ul><li><a href=\"/id/16194254/\">Survivors remember 1918 flu</a></li><li><a href=\"/id/7488810/\">Fact file: Influenza epidemics throughout history</a></li><li><a href=\"javascript:msnvDwd(\'00\',\'c4b00ef9-5071-46b2-b7e4-4fa82a25cc59\',\'us\',\'hotvideo_m_edpicks\',\'\',\'msnbc\',\'\',\'16653435\',\'Cold, flu season hasn\\u2018t been so bad\')\">Video: Cold, flu season not that bad</a></li></ul></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"\" bordercolor=\"\" border=\"0\" style=\"background-color:#eeeeee;\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr><td style=\"\"><font class=\"textSmall\" color=\"#000000\"></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></p><p>The scientists believe the virus had the same effect on humans.</p><p><b><strong>Cytokine storm</strong></b><br>\"Essentially people are drowned by themselves,\" said University of Wisconsin virology professor Yoshihiro Kawaoka, lead author of a study published Thursday in the journal Nature.</p><p>The experiment was supposed to last 21 days, but after eight days the monkeys were so sick - feverish, in pain and having difficulty breathing - that ethical guidelines forced the researchers to euthanize them.</p><p>\"There was some surprise that it was that nasty,\" University of Washington virologist and study co-author Michael Katze said. \"It was the robustness of the immune system that helped victimize them.\"</p><p>The virus was simply overwhelming, researchers said.</p><p>\"It\'s a very good replicating virus and therefore it can affect more of the immune system and thereby triggers what one refers to as a cytokine storm,\" said Peter Palese, chairman of the microbiology department at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, who wasn\'t part of the study but has worked on the resurrected virus before. Cytokines transmit messages among cells in the immune system.</p><p>No other flu virus is deadly to monkeys, and the speed in its spread and the overwhelming immune system response is only similar to those in the H5N1 bird flu, Kawaoka said.</p><p>The bird flu has spread around the world intermittently, but has yet to develop the ability to transmit person-to-person. If it does, scientists believe understanding the 1918 flu may give them clues about how to protect people from it.</p><p>The new work \"gives us another tool,\" said Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, who was not part of the research. Fauci praised the study and said what it found in the effects on the body are stunning: \"There aren\'t a lot of things that can induce that robust of an inflammatory response that quickly.\"</p><p><b><strong>Vicious circle</strong></b><br>The 1918 flu research suggests that those fighting the bird flu in the future could try using drugs that reduce inflammation and control the body\'s immune response, Katze said.</p><p>In the Winnipeg research, the first-of-its-kind controlled introduction of the 1918 flu to primates, the monkeys were given extra high doses of the flu virus by nose, mouth, eye, and direct injection into the trachea to ensure infection.</p><p>The virus had been tested before on mice, but macaques provide better models of how viruses work on humans, the scientists said.</p><p>The virus was reconstructed from tissues of victims from 1918. Besides the Public Health Agency of Canada\'s lab in Winnipeg, it exists only at the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta.</p><p>The fate of the monkeys was sealed within hours of their infections, Katze theorized.</p><p>In normal flu, the immune system response wanes, but in the 1918 flu \"the innate response stayed up and didn\'t go down,\" Katze said. \"There was an uncontrolled or aberrant response.\"</p><p>Adolfo Garcia-Sastre, a Mount Sinai microbiology professor who conducted some of the earlier mouse work, said it may be a mistake to focus so heavily on immune system response. The 1918 flu virus \"induces an overwhelming and probably damaging immune response system\" but it is largely because the virus grows so much, he said.</p><p>In mice, when the overactive immune response was eliminated, mice died because of high viral levels.</p><p>\"It\'s like a vicious circle, you get more viruses, you get more immune response and this results in damage,\" Garcia-Sastre said.</p><div class=\"textBodyBlack\" style=\"clear:both;\"><i><em>?2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</em></i></div><br>');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1139','1','<table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\"><tr><td width=\"10\"></td><td width=\"98%\"><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"98%\" valign=\"top\"><tr><td><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><font size=\"+2\" color=\"551E1B\">Over 1,000 children infected with HIV daily</font><br><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><b>U.N: Up to 660,000 young people under age 15 contracted disease in 2006</b><br></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"></td></tr></table><font size=\"-2\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://msnbcmedia1.msn.com/i/msnbc/Components/Sources/sourceAP.gif\" height=\"20\" width=\"140\" vspace=\"0\" hspace=\"0\"><p></p></font><p>GENEVA - Despite progress in preventing HIV transmission from pregnant mothers to their babies, more than 1,000 children around the world were infected with the disease each day in 2006, according to a U.N. report.</p><p>Some sub-Saharan African countries - such as Namibia, Swaziland, South Africa and Rwanda - greatly increased access to treatment for vulnerable mothers between 2004 and 2005, said the report issued Tuesday by the New York-based U.N. children\'s fund.</p><p>But worldwide, 410,000 to 660,000 children under the age of 15 were infected with the disease last year - mostly during or immediately after birth - the report said. Half of them will die of AIDS-related diseases within two years if they do not receive appropriate medical treatment.</p><p>Only seven countries are on track to meet the target of providing access to treatment for 80 percent of women in need by 2010, UNICEF spokesman Patrick McCormick said. These countries are Argentina, Brazil, Botswana, Jamaica, Russia, Thailand and Ukraine.</p><p>Overall, only 9 percent of HIV-infected pregnant women in middle- to low-income countries were receiving anti-retroviral drugs to reduce the risk of mother-to-child transmission, the report said.</p><p>UNICEF said early diagnosis and treatment with cost-effective drugs were crucial to achieving a turnaround in the AIDS epidemic, which claims about 2.9 million lives worldwide each year, including some 380,000 children.</p><div class=\"textBodyBlack\" style=\"clear:both;\"><i><em>?2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</em></i></div><br>');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1140','1','<table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\"><tr><td width=\"10\"></td><td width=\"98%\"><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"98%\" valign=\"top\"><tr><td><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><font size=\"+2\" color=\"551E1B\">Drug makers purposely stall release of generics</font><br><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><b>FTC: American consumers are cheated out of billions of dollars in savings</b><br></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"></td></tr></table><font size=\"-2\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://msnbcmedia1.msn.com/i/msnbc/Components/Sources/sourceAP.gif\" height=\"20\" width=\"140\" vspace=\"0\" hspace=\"0\"><p></p></font><p>WASHINGTON - Drug companies increasingly are reaching legal settlements that delay the introduction of cheaper generic medicines and cheat Americans of billions of dollars a year in savings, federal regulators on Wednesday told lawmakers seeking to ban the agreements.</p><p>The Federal Trade Commission and others allege the settlements allow brand-name pharmaceutical companies to pay off would-be generic competitors, which then agree to delay introduction of their less costly but otherwise identical versions of the original medicines.</p><p>The FTC issued a report Wednesday, to coincide with a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the topic, that shows the settlements have become more common since two 2005 appeals court decisions upheld their legality.</p><p>In the 12-month period that ended Sept. 30, half of the 28 patent litigation settlements between brand-name and generic drug makers included such an agreement, according to the FTC. It tallied just three the previous fiscal year and none the year before that.</p><p><b><strong>\'Pay-for-delay settlement\'<br></strong></b>\"Sadly, the incentive to enter in such pernicious pay-for-delay settlements are substantial,\" FTC commissioner Jon Leibowitz told lawmakers.</p><p>In a typical settlement, the payment is still less than the potential loss in sales to a brand-name company once a generic competitor enters the market, said Michael Wroblewski, of Consumers Union. And the generic manufacturer makes more from the payment that it would from actually selling its version of a drug, he said.</p><p>\"The losers are American consumers, who pay high drug prices for years to come,\" said Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wis. Kohl, joined by Democratic and Republican colleagues, reintroduced legislation Wednesday to ban the agreements.</p><p><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"460\"><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"10\" border=\"0\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr height=\"20\"><td width=\"98%\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><font size=\"-1\"><b color=\"#666666\">&nbsp;Click for related content</b></font></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"5\" cellpadding=\"0\" bordercolor=\"#cccccc\" border=\"0\" style=\"border-top:solid 1px #cccccc;border-bottom:solid 1px #cccccc;background-color:#ffffff;\" bgcolor=\"#ffffff\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellpadding=\"0\" class=\"headlineList2\"><tr></tr></table></td></tr><tr valign=\"top\"><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"8\"><tr><td style=\"padding:8px;\"><font class=\"bigRedLink\"><ul><li><a href=\"/id/16668688/\">Cancer deaths decline for second straight year</a></li><li><a href=\"/id/16654912/\">Opinion: Promise of pregnancy raises series of what-ifs</a></li></ul></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"\" bordercolor=\"\" border=\"0\" style=\"background-color:#eeeeee;\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr><td style=\"\"><font class=\"textSmall\" color=\"#000000\"></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></p><p>The agreements settle legal challenges mounted by the generic manufacturers seeking to enter the market for a drug before its patent expires. In doing so, they thwart the intent of the 1984 law that made such challenges possible, said Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.</p><p><b><strong>Costs passed to the consumer<br></strong></b>The pharmaceutical industry maintains the settlements avoid or cut short prolonged and costly litigation. Those costs ultimately are passed to the consumer.</p><p>\"Courts and experts have stated unequivocally that settlement of litigation should be encouraged and that settlement of patent litigation can benefit consumers. Blanket prohibitions on certain types of settlements could force both sides to spend valuable resources litigating their patent dispute to judgment,\" said former Rep. Billy Tauzin, R-La., president and chief executive of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America.</p><p>One of the co-authors of the 1984 law, Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, suggested reviewing the settlement agreements on a case-by-case basis and not banning them outright.</p><p>And Bruce Downey, chairman and chief executive officer of Barr Pharmaceuticals Inc., a major generic drug maker, said the proposed law could discourage generic companies from challenging patents held by pharmaceutical companies - and settling those challenges.</p><p>Downey said settling challenges to the patents on the antidepressant Prozac and cancer drug tamoxifen allowed his company to introduce lower-price generic versions of the two medicines before they lost patent protection, saving consumers more than $1.5 billion.</p><div class=\"textBodyBlack\" style=\"clear:both;\"><i><em>?2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</em></i></div><br>');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1141','1','<table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\"><tr><td width=\"10\"></td><td width=\"98%\"><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"98%\" valign=\"top\"><tr><td><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><font size=\"+2\" color=\"551E1B\">Cancer deaths decline for 2nd straight year</font><br><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><b>Better detection, treatment behind steepest drop ever recorded</b><br></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"><table cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\"><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"10\" border=\"0\" bgcolor=\"#7788aa\"><tr height=\"20\"><td width=\"20\" bgcolor=\"#7788aa\"><img src=\"/images/icons/video.gif\" width=\"20\" height=\"14\"></td><td width=\"98%\" bgcolor=\"#7788aa\"><font size=\"-1\"><b color=\"#ffffff\">FREE VIDEO</b></font></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"5\" cellpadding=\"0\" bordercolor=\"#cccccc\" border=\"1\" style=\"border:solid 1px #cccccc;background-color:#eeeeee;background-image:url(\'/images/backgrounds/component_grey.gif\');\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellpadding=\"0\" class=\"headlineList2\"><tr></tr></table></td></tr><tr valign=\"top\"><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" border=\"0\" bgcolor=\"#cccccc\" background=\"/images/backgrounds/component_dkgrey.gif\" width=\"100%\"><tr valign=\"top\"><td align=\"middle\"><a href=\"javascript:msnvDwd(\'00\',\'3a2430a4-a798-4033-b011-ed54f1130e8a\',\'us\',\'hotvideo_m_edpicks\',\'\',\'msnbc\',\'\',\'16670487\',\'Cancer deaths drop for second year\')\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://msnbcmedia1.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Video/070117/a_brown_cancer_070117.300w.jpg\" vspace=\"0\" hspace=\"0\"></a></td></tr><tr valign=\"top\"><td align=\"middle\"><div class=\"scalAd\"><input type=\"button\" class=\"mbox w77\" value=\"Launch\" title=\"Launch\" onmouseover=\"swapbtn(this, 1)\" onmouseout=\"swapbtn(this, 0)\" onclick=\"javascript:msnvDwd(\'00\',\'3a2430a4-a798-4033-b011-ed54f1130e8a\',\'us\',\'hotvideo_m_edpicks\',\'\',\'msnbc\',\'\',\'16670487\',\'Cancer deaths drop for second year\')\"></div></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td style=\"padding:10px;\"><font color=\"#000000\"><font color=\"551E1B\">?/font><font class=\"textMedBlackBold\"><a href=\"javascript:msnvDwd(\'00\',\'3a2430a4-a798-4033-b011-ed54f1130e8a\',\'us\',\'hotvideo_m_edpicks\',\'\',\'msnbc\',\'\',\'16670487\',\'Cancer deaths drop for second year\')\">Cancer deaths drop for second year</a></font><br><font color=\"black\">Jan. 17: Cancer deaths in the United States fell for the second straight year. MSNBC.com\'s Dara Brown has the report.</font><p class=\"credit\">MSNBC.com</p></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"><font size=\"-2\"></font><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br></td></tr></table><font size=\"-2\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://msnbcmedia1.msn.com/i/msnbc/Components/Sources/sourceAP.gif\" height=\"20\" width=\"140\" vspace=\"0\" hspace=\"0\"><p></p></font><p>ATLANTA - Cancer deaths in the United States have dropped for a second straight year, confirming that a corner has been turned in the war on cancer.</p><p>After a decline of 369 deaths from 2002 to 2003, the decrease from 2003 to 2004 was 3,014 - or more than eight times greater, according to a review of U.S. death certificates by the American Cancer Society.</p><p>The drop from 2002 to 2003 was the first annual decrease in total cancer deaths since 1930. But the decline was slight, and experts were hesitant to say whether it was a cause for celebration or just a statistical fluke.</p><p>President Bush Wednesday hailed the downward trend in cancer deaths in the United States, a signal that medicine is making strides in the battling a disease that kills nearly 1,500 Americans a day.</p><p>\"This is the second consecutive year there was a drop in the number of cancer deaths in the United States,\" Bush said at the National Institutes of Health Laboratories. \"And the drop this year was the steepest ever recorded.\"</p><p>Bush, who participated in a round-table discussion of advances in cancer prevention, also urged Congress to pass legislation to protect the privacy of a person\'s genetic information - which can reveal a person\'s predisposition to disease. Employers or insurance companies, for instance, would not be able to use such information against individuals and their offspring.</p><p>\"If a person is willing to share his or her genetic information, it is important that that information not be exploited in improper ways, and Congress can pass good legislation to prevent that from happening,\" Bush said. \"In other words, we want medical research to go forward without an individual fearing of personal discrimination.\"</p><p><b><strong>Quitting smoking</strong></b><br>The downward trend in cancer deaths seems to be real, Cancer Society officials said.</p><p>\"It\'s not only continuing. The decrease in the second year is much larger,\" said Ahmedin Jemal, a researcher at the organization.</p><p>Cancer deaths dropped to 553,888 in 2004, down from 556,902 in 2003 and 557,271 in 2002, the Cancer Society found.</p><p>Experts are attributing the success to declines in smoking and to earlier detection and more effective treatment of tumors. Those have caused a fall in the death rates for breast, prostate and colorectal cancer - three of the most common cancers.</p><p><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"460\"><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"10\" border=\"0\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr height=\"20\"><td width=\"98%\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><font size=\"-1\"><b color=\"#666666\">&nbsp;Click for related content</b></font></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"5\" cellpadding=\"0\" bordercolor=\"#cccccc\" border=\"0\" style=\"border-top:solid 1px #cccccc;border-bottom:solid 1px #cccccc;background-color:#ffffff;\" bgcolor=\"#ffffff\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellpadding=\"0\" class=\"headlineList2\"><tr></tr></table></td></tr><tr valign=\"top\"><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"8\"><tr><td style=\"padding:8px;\"><font class=\"bigRedLink\"><ul><li><a href=\"/id/16441782/\">Fighting cancer costs billions in lost time</a></li><li><a href=\"/id/15642885/\">Slide show: Myself:?ogether again</a></li><li><a href=\"/id/16656433/\">Mystery of Napoleon\'s death solved?</a></li></ul></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"\" bordercolor=\"\" border=\"0\" style=\"background-color:#eeeeee;\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr><td style=\"\"><font class=\"textSmall\" color=\"#000000\"></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></p><p>The lung cancer death rate in men has also been falling, but the female rate has reached a plateau.</p><p><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"1%\"><tr><td><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://msnbcmedia3.msn.com/i/msnbc/Components/Art/HEALTH/070117/AP_CANCER.gif\" align=\"Right\" height=\"514\" width=\"325\" vspace=\"0\" hspace=\"0\"></td></tr></table>The largest drop in deaths among the major cancers was in colorectal cancer. Colorectal cancer deaths dropped by 1,110 in men and by 1,094 in women.</p><p>Cancer Society officials attributed the decline to early detection and improved treatment. Other experts agreed, saying much of the credit goes to screening exams that detect polyps and allow doctors to remove them before they develop into colon cancer.</p><p>\"The biggest driver in colon cancer\'s decline in mortality is colon cancer screening, which has proven to save lives,\" said Dr. Otis Brawley, an Emory University researcher specializing in cancer epidemiology.</p><p><b><strong>Decline to continue<br></strong></b>For more than a decade, health statisticians charted annual drops of about 1 percent in the cancer death rate - the calculated number of deaths per 100,000 people. But the actual number of cancer deaths still rose each year because the growing elderly population - and the size of the population overall - outpaced falling death rates.</p><p>In 2003 and 2004, the cancer death rate declined by about 2 percent each year - more than offsetting the effects of aging and population growth.</p><p>The Cancer Society also projected how many cancer cases and deaths will occur this year: more than 1.4 million new cases, and 559,650 deaths.</p><p>The incidence estimate is based on nine previous years of data. The death projection, based on about 35 years of data, suggests annual cancer deaths will rise again. But the data did not fully capture the trend in declining deaths, said Elizabeth Ward, the Cancer Society\'s director of surveillance research.</p><p>Despite the estimate, Cancer Society officials now believe cancer deaths will continue to drop, Ward said.</p><div class=\"textBodyBlack\" style=\"clear:both;\"><i><em>?2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</em></i></div><br>');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1142','2','	<p><p>MONDAY, June 26 (HealthDay News) -- Eating dairy products, especially low-fat ones, could help lower your blood pressure, a new study suggests.</p> <p>Scientists aren\'t clear where the beneficial effect comes from, but they said low-fat dairy might be a crucial component of a healthy diet.</p> <p>&quot;If you like to eat dairy products, you may be better off watching the fat content,&quot; said Dr. Luc Djousse, lead author of the study and associate epidemiologist at Brigham and Women\'s Hospital, in Boston. &quot;Low-fat dairy products may be better than full dairy products, where the saturated fat especially is high,&quot; Djousse said.</p> <p>For the new study, the investigators looked at a possible link between dairy consumption and blood pressure among 4,797 participants of the Family Heart Study, sponsored by the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. </p> <p>The researchers divided participants into four groups based on the amount of dairy consumed. Those consuming the most dairy said they ate more than three servings per day, while those consuming the least averaged less than half a serving per day. Dairy included, cheese, yogurt and milk. </p> <p>Systolic blood pressure was 2.6 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) lower, on average, for people eating the highest amount of dairy, compared with those eating the least amount of dairy. Systolic blood pressure is the first (higher) number in a blood-pressure reading, and it indicates the pressure in the arteries when the heart beats.</p> <p>But when saturated fat content was taken into account, the beneficial effect on blood pressure was only seen among those who ate lower amounts of saturated fat. In this group, participants who ate the most dairy had a systolic blood pressure that was 3.5 mm Hg lower than those who ate the least dairy. </p> <p>Among participants who ate lower amounts of saturated fat, those who also ate the most dairy had 54 percent lower odds of high blood pressure than those eating the least amount of dairy. </p> <p>The study was not able to identify those people who ate low-fat dairy, but it had data on total fat, polyunsaturated fat, and saturated fat.</p> <p>Samantha Heller, senior clinical nutritionist at New York University Medical Center in New York City, said: &quot;The association [in the study] was mainly among people with less saturated fat. We know this is a bad fat, and eat as little as possible.&quot;</p> <p>The findings appear in the August issue of the journal <i>Hypertension</i>.</p> <p>About one in three Americans suffers from high blood pressure, which is a major risk factor for stroke, heart attack as well as kidney and heart failure. </p> <p>Drugs can treat the condition, as can lifestyle changes such as diet. The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, which is low in salt and rich in fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products, has been shown to significantly lower blood pressure. </p> <p>But the secrets to the success of the DASH diet have remained elusive.</p> <p>&quot;There was such a combination of factors that we don\'t know whether the effect of DASH came from low sodium, low cholesterol or fruit and vegetables,&quot; explained Djousse, who\'s also an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. &quot;It has been hard to tell which part of that, or a combination of all, that were producing the effects,&quot; Djousse said. </p> <p>It\'s not clear where the benefit is coming from or even if it\'s cause-and-effect. It\'s unlikely to be calcium, Djousse said, although potassium and magnesium, which are also plentiful in the DASH diet, might be responsible. &quot;Our study showed that dietary potassium and magnesium were associated with a lower odds of high blood pressure,&quot; Djousse said.</p> <p>The bottom line? </p> <p>&quot;It would help to eat dairy products as long as you keep the saturated fats in check,&quot; Djousse said. </p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>Visit the <a href=\"http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=2114\" target=\"_new\">American Heart Association</a> for more on high blood pressure.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1143','2','	<p><p>SUNDAY, Sept. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Regular exercise is an important part of heart health, but experts say about 60 percent of American adults don\'t get the recommended level of physical activity.</p> <p>To help educate people and encourage them to get active, the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) has issued a new 44-page publication providing information about how exercise can benefit the heart and overall health.</p> <p><i>Your Guide to Physical Activity and Your Heart</i> outlines the kinds of activities that offer the most heart benefits and offers practical tips, including sample walking and jogging programs; how to find your target heart zone; ideas for getting the entire family involved in fitness.</p> <p>&quot;To maintain health, all adults should be moderately active for at least 30 minutes per day on most days of the week,&quot; Karen A. Donato, program coordinator of the NHLBI\'s Obesity Education Initiative, said in a prepared statement.</p> <p>&quot;To help manage body weight and prevent unhealthy weight gain, at least 60 minutes per day is recommended. Children and adolescents also need to be active for at least 60 minutes per day,&quot; Donato said.</p> <p>Here are some easy ways to incorporate physical activity into your daily routine:</p><ul> <li>Use the stairs instead of the elevator.</li> <li>Park your car a few blocks from the office or store and walk the rest of the way. If you take public transportation, get off a stop or two early and walk the remaining few blocks.</li> <li>While working, take frequent activity breaks. Get up and stretch or walk around.</li> <li>Instead of having that extra snack, take a brisk walk around the neighborhood or office building.</li> <li>Do your housework, gardening, or yard work at a more vigorous pace.</li> <li>When you travel, walk around the airport, train station or bus station, instead of sitting and waiting.</li></ul> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>Here\'s where you can find this new guide at the <a href=\"http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/phy_active.htm\" target=\"_new\">NHLBI</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1144','2','	<p><!--Spanish ID:534776--> <p>TUESDAY, Sept. 5 (HealthDay News) -- So-called &quot;baby fat&quot; in young children could be a predictor of weight problems much later on, researchers say.</p> <p>In fact, preschool-age children who are overweight before age 5 are five times more likely to be overweight at age 12 than those who were not overweight before age 5, a new study finds.</p> <p>&quot;The problem of obesity and overweight in kids is they don\'t outgrow it,&quot; said lead author Dr. Philip R. Nader, professor emeritus of pediatrics at the University of California, San Diego. &quot;A lot of people think that baby fat will go away and not to be too concerned, but this isn\'t the case,&quot; he said.</p> <p>In the study, the researchers collected data on over 1,000 children born in 1991. &quot;These kids grew up during the period when the obesity epidemic began,&quot; Nader said.</p> <p>Nader\'s team measured the height and weight of the children at seven points in their development: three times in the preschool age (at two, three, and four-and-a-half years of age); three times in the school-age period (seven, nine and 11 years of age); and finally at age 12.</p> <p>They found that the more times a child was overweight during preschool and elementary school, the greater the likelihood that he or she would be overweight at the age of 12.</p> <p>Compared to children who never measured as overweight, a school-age child who was overweight at one measurement had a 25-fold greater chance of being overweight at age 12, the researchers found. Those odds rose to 159-fold if the child was overweight at two measurements, 374-fold if they were overweight at three or more measurements.</p> <p>Overall, 60 percent of children who were overweight at any time during the preschool years, and 80 percent of children who were overweight at any time during elementary school, were still overweight at age 12.</p> <p>&quot;Something needs to be done with the environment that\'s helping all these kids become overweight,&quot; Nader said. &quot;As a society, we need to do something more to insure that kids have a safe place to play, get plenty of exercise and have a healthy diet,&quot; he said.</p> <p>One expert believes clinicians and parents must work together to recognize and fight the childhood obesity epidemic.</p> <p>&quot;We have long known that childhood obesity predicts adult obesity,&quot; said Dr. David L. Katz, an associate professor of public health and director of the Prevention Research Center at Yale University School of Medicine. &quot;These findings are of great concern, given the well-documented and relentless increases in childhood obesity rates,&quot; he added.</p> <p>There is a good reason why excessive weight gain early in life establishes a lifelong propensity to obesity, Katz said. &quot;In early childhood and at puberty, we are adept at turning excess calories into new fat cells,&quot; he said. Because fat cells shrink but do not disappear, &quot;we then tend to be stuck with an increased number of fat cells for life,&quot; Katz said.</p> <p>&quot;Nearly all children are vulnerable to epidemic obesity and the risk of diabetes,&quot; Katz said, so parents must be vigilant and make sure kids get healthy diets and plenty of exercise. &quot;We must do more than address these threats in the clinical setting,&quot; he said.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>There\'s more only helping kids eat right at the <a href=\"http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/wecan/\" target=\"_new\">U.S. National Institutes of Health</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1145','2','	<p><p>MONDAY, Sept. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Women who are physically active in the year before they receive a diagnosis of breast cancer are more likely to survive the disease, a new study finds.</p> <p>&quot;We found a beneficial effect on survival for exercise undertaken in the year before diagnosis, particularly among women who were overweight or obese near the time they were diagnosed with breast cancer,&quot; said study author Page Abrahamson, a postdoctoral researcher at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle.</p> <p>Abrahamson led the research while at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.</p> <p>The study is published in the Oct. 15 issue of <i>Cancer</i>.</p> <p>In the study, Abrahamson\'s team analyzed data on nearly 1,300 women ages 20 to 54 who were diagnosed with invasive breast cancer between 1990 and 1992. They asked the women about their average frequency of moderate and vigorous physical activity when they were age 13, 20 and during the year before their diagnosis.</p> <p>An abundance of regular exercise before diagnosis was associated with improved disease outcomes. The association was particularly strong for women with a body mass index (BMI) of more than 25 -- the statistical threshold for overweight -- who also reported the highest levels of physical activity in the one year before their diagnosis. (For reference, a woman 5 feet 5 inches tall who weighs 150 pounds has a BMI of 25.)</p> <p>Overall, women with rated in the highest 25 percent, in terms of their level of activity, were 21 percent more likely to survive than those rated in the bottom quarter. The benefits for women with BMIs above 25 who had high levels of activity rose; they were 30 percent less likely to die than those with BMIs above 25 who engaged in low levels of activity.</p> <p>Activity in the teen years or early adulthood did not have an impact on survival, the researchers said.</p> <p>&quot;We were not able to evaluate detailed, long-term exercise,&quot; Abrahamson said. &quot;However, exercise levels in the year before diagnosis is likely an indicator of a person\'s average adult exercise patterns.&quot;</p> <p>While much other research has suggested that exercising regularly reduces the risk of getting breast and other cancers, less is known about what effect activity has on a woman\'s prognosis if and when she gets breast cancer.</p> <p>One previous study found a beneficial effect of exercise for both ideal-weight women and overweight women diagnosed with breast cancer, Abrahamson pointed out.</p> <p>Exactly why this study did not show much benefit for normal-weight women isn\'t known, she said. &quot;This is difficult to explain. It is possible that our finding is a fluke and that improved survival would apply to all women with breast cancer.&quot;</p> <p>Another theory revolves around weight-linked differences in circulating estrogen.</p> <p>Exercise is known to lower estrogen levels, Abrahamson said. &quot;Once women receive radiation or chemotherapy after diagnosis, they no longer produce hormones from their ovaries. Therefore, lower-weight women wouldn\'t necessarily gain extra benefit from exercise,&quot; she said.</p> <p>&quot;However, for overweight women, they are still getting hormones from their excess fat tissue and are at a higher risk of dying. It is possible that overweight women who are exercising are lowering their hormone levels through exercise and increasing their odds of surviving,&quot; the Seattle researcher said. &quot;Previous studies have shown exercise to significantly decrease estrogen levels in overweight women.&quot;</p> <p>&quot;This study adds another piece to the puzzle,&quot; said Alpa Patel, director of the Cancer Prevention Study-3 for the American Cancer Society, in Atlanta. &quot;We know that lifelong physical activity reduces the risk of breast cancer, and some studies show even initiating the exercise in adulthood [reduces risk].&quot; </p> <p>Now, she added, this study shows that physical activity before a diagnosis of breast cancer may help women survive.</p> <p>Another expert said the study does have its flaws.</p> <p>Leslie Bernstein, professor and chair of cancer research at the University of Southern California\'s Keck School of Medicine, said &quot;the study suffers from the problem that the activity refers to only activity <i>prior</i> to diagnosis of beast cancer,&quot; she said, rather than lifetime activity.</p> <p>&quot;When we looked at this same issue in a similar design, but with measures of activity across the lifespan up to the date of diagnosis, we saw no impact of exercise activity on the risk of dying or overall mortality.&quot;</p> <p>Still, Bernstein said exercise certainly can\'t hurt, and may help.</p> <p>&quot;I would recommend that women with breast cancer begin to participate in an exercise program, one that is carefully considered by their physicians, considering any [other diseases] they might have,&quot; she said</p> <p>In the same issue of the journal, U.S. researchers say they\'ve developed a screening method that spots patients at risk for hereditary breast cancer.</p> <p>Called PAT, for &quot;pedigree assessment tool,&quot; it was designed by physicians at the OSF Saint Anthony Center for Cancer Care in Rockford, Ill. PAT is meant to be used by general-practice physicians. It collects data about family history and other information, then totals the score, with a score of 8 or more indicating a heightened risk for breast cancer.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>To learn more about breast cancer, visit the <a href=\" http://www.cancer.org/docroot/lrn/lrn_0.asp \" target=\"_new\">American Cancer Society</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1146','2','	<p><p>TUESDAY, Sept. 12 (HealthDay News) -- Amateur boxing can knock out precious brain cells, Swedish researchers report.</p> <p>Reporting in the September issue of the <i>Archives of Neurology</i>, researchers at Goteborg University analyzed the spinal fluids of 14 Swedish amateur boxers and compared them to samples from 10 healthy men.</p> <p>They were looking for certain chemicals that, when found in the spinal fluid, may signal damage to brain cells.</p> <p>According to the researchers, the boxers had higher levels of the chemicals seven to 10 days after their boxing match than they did three months later. This likely indicates damage to brain cells from blows to the head during the match, they said.</p> <p>Compared with the healthy men, the chemical levels were significantly higher in the boxers seven to 10 days <i>and</i> three months after the match.</p> <p>Having more than 15 hits to the head or experiencing grogginess during or after a bout was associated with significantly higher levels of the chemicals, the Swedish team noted.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>The Brain Injury Association of America has more about <a href=\"http://www.biausa.org/Pages/types_of_brain_injury.html\" target=\"_new\">brain injury</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1147','2','	<p><p>FRIDAY, Sept. 15 (HealthDay News) -- The drug Avandia, approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, may help prevent the disease from developing in high-risk individuals, Canadian researchers report.</p> <p>Use of Avandia (rosiglitazone) over three years cut the risk for type 2 diabetes by about two-thirds, the study found.</p> <p>&quot;Balancing both the benefits and risks suggests that for every 1,000 people treated with rosiglitazone for three years, about 144 cases of diabetes will be prevented,&quot; wrote a team from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.</p> <p>The Diabetes Reduction Assessment with Ramipril and Rosiglitazone Medications (DREAM) trial offered up less heartening results on the heart drug Altace (ramipril), however.</p> <p>Despite earlier trials suggesting the ACE inhibitor might help prevent type 2 diabetes, the DREAM investigators found it did not forestall the disease in at-risk patients, although it did have some modest effect in lowering blood sugar.</p> <p>The DREAM researchers announced their findings Friday at a meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes, in Copenhagen. The results of the Avandia arm of the study are also published in the Sept. 15 online edition of <i>The Lancet</i>. The results of the Altace arm of the study will appear in the Oct. 12 print edition of the <i>New England Journal of Medicine</i>; the findings were released Friday, to coincide with the presentation in Copenhagen.</p> <p>The DREAM trial received funding from the Canadian Institute for Health Research, as well as from drug makers GlaxoSmithKline, the maker of Avandia, and Sanofi-Aventis and King Pharmaceuticals, the makers of Altace.</p> <p>More than 90 percent of diabetics have the type 2 form of the disease. Type 2 diabetes generally begins in the adult years, and is often due to being overweight or obese. In type 2 diabetes, either the body does not produce enough insulin or the cells ignore the insulin, a hormone that converts blood sugar to energy for cells.</p> <p>According to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 20.8 million Americans have type 2 diabetes and 41 million are at risk of developing the condition, due in large part to the upsurge in obesity.</p> <p>The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Avandia to treat type 2 diabetes in 1999. The drug is part of the thiazolidinedione family of medications, which improve the body\'s sensitivity to insulin and lower blood sugar levels.</p> <p>But could the drug also prevent the disease in people at risk? In the DREAM trial, the Canadian team randomly assigned nearly 5,300 adults from clinics in 21 countries to get 8 milligrams of Avandia or a placebo daily for three years. All of the participants were at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes, having already shown signs of poor blood-sugar control.</p> <p>In addition, the researchers emphasized the importance of a healthy diet and lifestyle in preventing type 2 diabetes.</p> <p>Over the course of the trial, 280 people (12 percent) taking Avandia went on to develop type 2 diabetes compared with 658 people (26 percent) who received the placebo, the researchers report.</p> <p>The researchers did note a small increase in risk of nonfatal heart failure among those taking Avandia, compared with those receiving placebo, the investigators found. This increase in risk would amount to about four or five extra cases of congestive heart failure for every 1,000 people who took the drug.</p> <p>In the studies\' other arm, at-risk patients received up to 15 milligrams daily of Altace, a blood-pressure medication, or a placebo for three years. The researchers found no significant difference between the two groups in either deaths or incidence of diabetes.</p> <p>Patients who took Altace did tend to have better blood sugar control, but the &quot;absolute difference&quot; in blood sugar levels between the two groups was small, the researchers noted.</p> <p>Those results were a disappointment, experts said, since prior research had suggested Altace or other ACE inhibitors might help prevent diabetes.</p> <p>&quot;Given the primary findings of the DREAM trial, ramipril cannot be recommended for the prevention of type 2 diabetes,&quot; Drs. Julie Ingelfinger and Caren Solomon, both of Harvard Medical School, wrote in a related <i>NEJM</i> editorial. They noted, however, that patients who take the drug for other reasons may gain added benefit in terms of lowered blood sugar.</p> <p>Experts were more optimistic about Avandia, but offered up some caveats.</p> <p>&quot;Avandia works in preventing diabetes, but the downside is that it causes people to retain fluid and exacerbates heart failure,&quot; Dr. Stuart Weiss, an endocrinologist at New York University Medical Center, said in a prepared statement.</p> <p>Overall, however, Avandia did seem effective in lowering diabetes risk. &quot;The results of this study suggest that the addition of rosiglitazone to basic lifestyle recommendations substantially reduces the risk of developing diabetes by about two-thirds,&quot; the Canadian team wrote. They say the drug\'s preventive effect &quot;could be as, or more, effective and sustained than previously reported lifestyle approaches alone.&quot;</p> <p>But that worries one expert, who is concerned that at-risk individuals will forego healthy diets and exercise in favor of a pill.</p> <p>&quot;I am horrified with the diabetes exploding around us,&quot; said Dr. Larry C. Deeb, president for medicine and science of the American Diabetes Association.</p> <p>&quot;The question is whether diabetes prevention is becoming a pharmacological intervention rather than diet and exercise,&quot; Deeb said. &quot;I hope nobody believes that you replace one with the other. The other side is, it doesn\'t look like Americans, Europeans, Japanese or Indians are leaping off the couch with any abandon.&quot;</p> <p>&quot;Regrettably, we as a society would rather take pills rather than walk, run, play and eat healthy,&quot; Deeb said. &quot;But when you see the ravages the disease takes on people-- anything you can do to prevent it is worth doing,&quot; he said.</p> <p>Weiss agreed. While Avandia can help ward off type 2 diabetes, &quot;the drug will not absolutely prevent diabetes,&quot; he said. &quot;There is no drug that cannot be overwhelmed by a bad diet.&quot;</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>There\'s much more on type 2 diabetes at the <a href=\"http://www.diabetes.org\" target=\"_new\">American Diabetes Association</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1148','3','<table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\"><tr><td width=\"10\"></td><td width=\"98%\"><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"98%\" valign=\"top\"><tr><td><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><font size=\"+2\" color=\"551E1B\">Sexy people play the symmetry card</font><br><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><b>Balance, not body type, is key in fashion and attraction</b><br></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/070109/070109_symettry_hmed_2p.hmedium.jpg\" vspace=\"0\" hspace=\"0\" alt=\"Naomi Campbell\"></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"><font size=\"-2\">Czarek Sokolowski / AP file</font><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><font size=\"-1\">You don\'t have to look like supermodel Naomi Campbell to be sexy. The key, says fashion designer Bradley Bayou, is dressing to enhance symmetry.</font><br><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br></td></tr></table><font size=\"-2\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://msnbcmedia1.msn.com/i/msnbc/Components/Sources/sourceAP.gif\" height=\"20\" width=\"140\" vspace=\"0\" hspace=\"0\"><p></p></font><p>NEW YORK - To call sexiness an exact science is a stretch, but there is certainly a formula, says fashion designer Bradley Bayou.</p><p>Measurements have nothing to do with it. It\'s about symmetry.</p><p>\"What we are attracted to, what we find sexy, are things that are symmetrical. Research backs that up,\" says Bayou, who has written a new book called \"The Science of Sexy\" (Gotham Books).</p><p>\"Women try to force their figures into fads and trends, even if they\'re not flattering to them, because they think they\'re \'sexy.\' ... But it\'s really all about balancing the body.\"</p><p>Short hourglass shapes might consider jackets that fit snugly at the waist, perhaps adorned with a peplum, and skirts with either semicircles or A-lines. Tall boyish shapes would be better served by open necklines, such as a V or a scoop, and a pleated skirt or straight-leg pants with angled pockets, Bayou suggests.</p><p>\"Everywhere you look in nature, it\'s always balanced. A tree is balanced, even looking, even though it\'s not exactly the same on both sides. Yes, you\'ll have imperfections, but if you pull it all together, they\'ll be balanced.\"</p><p>That makes sense to Randy Thornhill, a biology professor at the University of New Mexico who has studied the link between symmetry and physical attraction.</p><p><b><strong>Health equals beauty<br></strong></b>\"The bottom line is developmental health. The general finding for animals - not just humans - is that as the individual begins development, optimal development is bilateral symmetry. Most don\'t achieve it,\" he says.</p><p>Symmetry, whether most of us realize it, may signal that an individual can be a strong, healthy mate capable of producing healthy offspring, Thornhill says. It indicates an ability to deal with any environmental problems encountered in the person\'s life.</p><p>Thornhill\'s original research focused on facial symmetry, but, he says, further research has found the same thing with breasts, buttocks and thighs.</p><p><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"460\"><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"10\" border=\"0\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr height=\"20\"><td width=\"98%\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><font size=\"-1\"><b color=\"#666666\">&nbsp;CLICK FOR RELATED CONTENT</b></font></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"5\" cellpadding=\"0\" bordercolor=\"#cccccc\" border=\"0\" style=\"border-top:solid 1px #cccccc;border-bottom:solid 1px #cccccc;background-color:#ffffff;\" bgcolor=\"#ffffff\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellpadding=\"0\" class=\"headlineList2\"><tr></tr></table></td></tr><tr valign=\"top\"><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"8\"><tr><td style=\"padding:8px;\"><font class=\"bigRedLink\"><ul><li><a href=\"/id/16444786/\">How women pick mates vs. flings</a> </li><li><a href=\"/id/16387963/\">7 resolutions for sensational sex in \'07</a></li></ul></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"\" bordercolor=\"\" border=\"0\" style=\"background-color:#eeeeee;\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr><td style=\"\"><font class=\"textSmall\" color=\"#000000\"></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></p><p>\"With women, bodily symmetry is conveyed in the face but also how she mobilizes - how she walks, a more attractive gait. When dancing, symmetrical people are more attractive when they dance. It comes out in the grace and movement,\" he says.</p><p>That means the structure of your genes are more important than the size of your jeans.<table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"1%\"><tr><td><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/070109/070109_fashionDesign_hmed_2p.standard.jpg\" align=\"Left\" vspace=\"0\" hspace=\"0\" alt=\"Bradley Bayou\"></td></tr><tr><td><div class=\"credit\" style=\"text-align:right;margin-bottom:5px;\">Diane Bondareff / AP</div><div class=\"credit\">\'Women try to force their figures into fads and trends, even if they\'re not flattering to them, because they think they\'re \"sexy,\" says Bayou.</div><hr noshade=\"true\" size=\"1\" color=\"#C0C0C0\"></td></tr></table></p><p>Bayou, formerly the creative director at Halston, is known as a source of red-carpet gowns for Oprah Winfrey, Queen Latifah, Salma Hayek and Eva Longoria - women of varying body types. \"All these women are sexy, and they\'re all different. The one thing in common, though, is that they\'re not emaciated. If that\'s what magazines say is sexy, they\'re wrong.\"</p><p>He adds: \"Every body is unique, and there are different pieces that will work on them.\"</p><p>Bayou\'s book aims to help women find the styles that work for them. He offers suggestions based on 12 basic body types, accounting for shape, height and weight. He tells you what to wear and what not to wear: Overt plunging necklines and micro minis usually fall into that second category.</p><p>The one thing that does look good on just about everyone is a wrap dress. \"Thank God for Diane von Furstenberg,\" says Bayou. (Von Furstenberg first introduced that silhouette to the fashion world in early 1970s, got it on the cover of Time magazine in 1976, and has included it in every variation imaginable in her collections ever since.)</p><p><b><strong>Accessorize with confidence<br></strong></b>How to accessorize it? With confidence.</p><p>\"I find that most women - 99 percent, I\'d say - are insecure about their bodies, and I\'m talking about drop-dead gorgeous women. What I find sexy is self-confidence. I\'m trying to give those women confidence about their body. You can\'t change your body overnight, but you can change the way you dress.\"</p><p>Other things to wear with pride are kindness and a sense of humor.</p><p>\"I think everybody agrees that sexy comes from within,\" Bayou adds. \"A runway model might not be sexy, but a size 10 or 12 shapely woman can be so sexy. She\'ll get more attention in the end if she\'s confident and funny.\"</p><p>Women spend too much time stressing about the little stuff, he says, not realizing that men can usually find something sexy about almost anyone. \"Women think you need it all, but you really only need one part and make the most of it. ... People aren\'t born perfect.\"</p><div class=\"textBodyBlack\" style=\"clear:both;\"><i><em>?2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</em></i></div><br>');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1149','3','	<p><p> (HealthDay News) -- Chlamydia is the most frequently reported bacterial sexually transmitted disease. It can be transmitted between sexual partners, or from an infected mother to a baby during childbirth, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.</p> <p>Many people never have symptoms, although some have fever, abdominal pain, nausea, abnormal vaginal or penile discharge, or discomfort while urinating.</p> <p>Left untreated, chlamydia can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, complications during pregnancy, or even infertility. Annual screening for sexually active people is recommended, and a positive diagnosis is typically treated with a round of antibiotics.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1150','6','	<p><p>SUNDAY, Sept. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Does your mouth get itchy after you eat fresh fruits or vegetables at this time of year? You may have oral allergy syndrome, say experts at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma &amp; Immunology (AAAAI).</p> <p>OAS, also called pollen-food syndrome, is caused by allergens such as ragweed, which begins to bloom in mid-August.</p> <p>&quot;The pollen released from ragweed is the airborne allergen most responsible for the onslaught of allergy symptoms at this time of year. In addition to sneezing and itchy, water eyes, and symptoms of OAS, ragweed allergies can take a heavy toll on the allergy sufferer\'s quality of life,&quot; Dr. Suzanne S. Teuber, chair of the AAAAI\'s Adverse Reactions to Foods Committee, said in a prepared statement.</p> <p>OAS symptoms are the result of a &quot;cross-reactivity reaction&quot; between allergy antibodies directed toward target pollen proteins with similar proteins found in other parts of plants. Common symptoms of OAS included an itchy mouth and throat with mild swelling immediately after eating fresh fruits or vegetables.</p> <p>People with ragweed allergies can experience OAS symptoms when they consume bananas, cucumbers, melon, zucchini, sunflower seeds, chamomile tea or echinacea.</p> <p>OAS can also occur in people with birch tree allergy symptoms when they eat peaches, apples, pears, cherries, carrots, hazelnuts, kiwis, and almonds, the AAAAI said.</p> <p>Generally, cooking foods will eliminate an OAS reaction, according to the AAAAI.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>The American Academy of Family Physicians has more about <a href=\"http://familydoctor.org/083.xml\" target=\"_new\">allergies</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1151','6','	<p><p>THURSDAY, Sept. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Rates of eczema and hay fever in the United Kingdom appear to have stabilized, after charting a steady rise over recent decades.</p> <p>However, the study also found that rates of systemic allergic reactions -- including the severe condition known as anaphylaxis -- have surged in the past 20 years.</p> <p>The researchers analyzed data gathered from numerous sources: national surveys, primary care doctors, prescription and hospital admission records, and death records.</p> <p>Over the past three decades, diagnoses of allergic rhinitis and eczema in children have tripled, but there appears to have been a recent decrease in the prevalence of symptoms. Hospital admissions for eczema have stabilized since 1995, the researchers found, while admissions for allergic rhinitis have decreased to about 40 percent of their 1990 levels.</p> <p> Between 1971 and 1991, the number of consultations with family doctors about hay fever increased by 260 percent and by 150 percent for eczema. However, these rates have stabilized in the past 10 years, the study said.</p> <p>Hospital admissions for anaphylaxis have soared by 700 percent, for food allergy by 500 percent, and for the skin allergy urticaria by 100 percent.</p> <p>Prescriptions for all types of allergies have increased since 1991.</p> <p>The researchers said that some of the trends could be related to changes in medical practice and care but could also be explained by changes in the sources of allergic disease.</p> <p>The study was published in the current issue of <i>Thorax</i>.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology has more about <a href=\"http://www.aaaai.org/patients/publicedmat/tips/whatisallergicreaction.stm\" target=\"_new\">allergic reactions</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1152','6','	<p><p>(HealthDay News) -- Most snakes are not poisonous, and don\'t typically bite unless provoked. But if you or a loved one is bitten and aren\'t sure if the snake is poisonous, the National Library of Medicine suggests:</p> <ul> <li>Seek medical help immediately. Stay calm and still, and keep the bite at a level below the heart. If the snake is venomous, this will reduce venom in the blood flow to the heart.</li> <li>Remove any jewelry such as rings or watches, as the area around the bite may begin to swell.</li> <li>Check vital signs, including pulse, temperature, breathing rate and blood pressure. If the bite begins to swell and change color, it could be a poisonous snake.</li> <li>Don\'t waste time looking for the snake. You don\'t want to risk another bite trying to trap it or kill it.</li> <li>Do not apply a tourniquet or a cold compress to the bite.</li> <li>Do not attempt to suck out the venom with your mouth, or cut into the wound with a knife or razor.</li> <li>Do not administer any medication without a doctor\'s instruction.</li> </ul> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1153','6','	<p><p>THURSDAY, Sept. 14 (HealthDay News) -- A now-banned pesticide that still lingers in the environment could be damaging human brain cells and prompting the onset of Parkinson\'s disease, a new study suggests.</p> <p>Animal and human cadaver studies appear to link exposure to dieldrin, an organochlorine pesticide, with Parkinson\'s disease, researchers say.</p> <p>&quot;We can\'t say at this point that pesticides cause Parkinson\'s disease, but we feel it accelerates the process,&quot; said Kurt Pennell, an associate professor at the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta.</p> <p>Pennell and his group report that levels of dieldrin in the autopsied brain tissue of 14 Parkinson\'s patients were more than three times those of 12 similarly aged people who didn\'t have the disease.</p> <p>The researchers also exposed mice to repeated low-level doses of dieldrin to simulate environmental exposure that humans might encounter. The mice\'s brain tissue showed significant reductions in the uptake of dopamine, a neurotransmitter. And, levels of carbonyls -- a marker of oxidative stress -- were increased substantially in the brain of dieldrin-treated mice, Pennell reported.</p> <p>&quot;Our research shows that elevated levels of dieldrin are associated with Parkinson\'s disease in humans, which is supported by an animal model study that correlates low-level exposure to dieldrin with early markers of Parkinson\'s disease,&quot; he explained.</p> <p>The researchers presented their findings Thursday at the American Chemical Society annual meeting, in San Francisco.</p> <p>Dieldrin was banned in the 1987 but, Pennell said, &quot;It\'s very persistent and remains in the ground. It accumulates in lipid tissues, including the brain.&quot;</p> <p>Parkinson\'s disease, a neurodegenerative disorder, affects an estimated 500,000 people in the United States, and about 50,000 new cases are reported annually. These numbers are expected to increase as the population ages. The disorder appears to be slightly more common in men than women, and the average age of onset is about 60, according to the U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.</p> <p>Prior epidemiological and laboratory studies have suggested a link between chronic exposure to persistent organic pollutants, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and Parkinson\'s disease.</p> <p>Dr. Rajesh Pahwa is director of the Parkinson Disease and Movement Disorder Center at the University of Kansas Medical Center, in Kansas City. He said that while the study isn\'t &quot;major news, it is interesting in that it shows postmortem Parkinson\'s disease patients\' brains had higher levels of pesticide compared to normal controls. And this study has confirmed other work correlating pesticide exposure with the illness.&quot;</p> <p>But, Pahwa added, &quot;This is a small [study] and questions remain. For example, were the Parkinson\'s brains more exposed to these chemicals or were the Parkinson\'s patients unable to clear or metabolize the dieldrin?&quot;</p> <p>Pahwa suggested that the causes of Parkinson\'s are most likely complex, and may be due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors. &quot;Maybe these studies could lead us to a biomarker for the disease or for people who are being exposed to the disease,&quot; he said.</p> <p>Pennell said, &quot;It is hard to say that exposure to dieldrin is causal, but as people live longer they\'re more likely to get Parkinson\'s.&quot; That means exposure becomes more relevant. &quot;Baby boomers could have been exposed to these chemicals before they were banned and now as they age, we could see more disease.&quot;</p> <p>Dieldrin and other banned pesticides should dissipate in the environment during the next few decades and become less of a factor in the development of Parkinson\'s disease, said study researcher Gary Miller, an associate professor of environmental and occupational health at Emory University.</p> <p>&quot;Today, people are being exposed to much lower levels of pesticides than people were 30 or 40 years ago,&quot; Miller said in a prepared statement. &quot;I would predict that over the course of the next several decades that we will see a decrease in the incidence of Parkinson\'s disease.&quot;</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>For more on the possible link between pesticides and Parkinson\'s disease, visit the <a href=\"http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/press/releases/press06262006.html\" target=\"_new\">Harvard School of Public Health</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1154','6','	<p><!--Spanish ID:535018--> <p>MONDAY, Sept. 18 (HealthDay News) -- A new procedure that uses tiny balloon catheters to prop open inflamed sinuses is easing the misery of chronic sinusitis sufferers.</p> <p>A report on the procedure was to be presented at the American Academy of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery Foundation annual meeting Sunday, in Toronto.</p> <p>&quot;This new technology presents what seems to be faster healing, less postoperative care, minimal pain and bleeding, and improved quality of life for many patients who suffer with chronic sinusitis,&quot; said study investigator Dr. Howard L. Levine, director of the Cleveland Nasal Sinus and Sleep Center.</p> <p>Chronic sinusitis, which can be due to infection, inflammation or anatomical obstructions, affects some 37 million Americans. Many people with the disorder are helped with antibiotics, but more severe cases call for surgery. In conventional endoscopic sinusotomy, an otolaryngologist uses an endoscope to examine the sinuses, and inserts micro-shavers and delicate instruments to remove diseased bone and soft tissue.</p> <p>&quot;This enlarges the sinus and returns it to function,&quot; Levine explained.</p> <p>From this concept, balloon catheterization was born. The investigators describe it as another technology that will augment the ability to preserve sinus function.</p> <p>Dr. David Sherris, chairman of otolaryngology at the University at Buffalo in New York, agreed. &quot;The study shows the balloon catheter is effective in opening some sinuses, and this may prove to be less invasive for certain aspects of sinus surgery,&quot; he explained.</p> <p>Even though it is performed in the operating room under general anesthesia, the new procedure is shorter, with a quicker recovery, the researchers say. Using fluoroscopic imaging, a small flexible wire is guided into the sinus. Over this guide wire, a 3-millimeter, 5-millimeter or 7-millimeter balloon is passed into the sinus cavity. Once positioned, the balloon is dilated, the catheter is removed, and the dilated opening is inspected, Levine said.</p> <p>The procedure takes from 30 minutes to two hours, depending on degree of pathology and the complexity of the patient\'s sinus anatomy. Depending on the disease, this procedure can be combined with traditional endoscopic sinus surgery.</p> <p>The multi-center landmark study analyzed six-month data from 115 patients (41 male, 74 female). Mean patient age was 47.8 years, and ranged from 21 to 76 years. Twenty-one patients (18.3 percent) had previous endoscopic sinus surgery. At 24 weeks, endoscopies showed that 82.1 percent (252 of 307 sinuses) were open. Patients showed consistent symptomatic improvement over baseline, the researchers reported.</p> <p>No serious adverse events occurred, and there were no complications. Narrowing of dilated openings occurred infrequently, and revision surgery was rarely necessary, the researchers reported.</p> <p>&quot;Realistically, we know sinusitis is caused by many things -- respiratory infections, allergies. And even with the best of surgical procedures, there are always ups and downs, with the possibility for recurrence,&quot; Levine said. &quot;The hope is that (balloon sinusotomy) will lessen disease severity and frequency and, hopefully, cure it.&quot;</p> <p>Patients who are not candidates are those with nasal polyps, previous sinus surgery with severe scarring, or those with previous surgery who have new abnormal bone growth, said Levine.</p> <p>In the end, people who live with the misery of chronic sinusitis now have a minimally invasive option that can preserve structure and function and allow return to normal activity faster, Levine said. He also speculated that the procedure could lower health-care costs because patients would be back to work and school sooner. &quot;It could reduce costs in the long run, with less postoperative care compared to conventional sinusotomy,&quot; he said.</p> <p>Although he is not currently trained in the procedure, Sherris said he &quot;would be interested in trying it in minor revision sinus surgery and some sinus surgery in children.&quot;</p> <p>&quot;Longer term studies and head-to-head comparisons with standard endoscopic sinus surgery techniques will be necessary to establish the place of balloon sinuplasty in the toolbox of endoscopic sinus surgeons,&quot; Sherris said.</p> <p>Because it is minimally invasive, the procedure could be &quot;ideal for children,&quot; Levine said, noting a prospective study is under way to evaluate its feasibility in pediatric cases. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the procedure for adults last year, he noted.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has more on <a href=\"http://www.niaid.nih.gov/factsheets/sinusitis.htm\" target=\"_new\">sinusitis</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1155','6','	<p><!--Spanish ID:535085--> <p>THURSDAY, Sept. 21 (HealthDay News) -- The pollution you breathe now may increase your risk of having a stroke within the next two hours, according to new research.</p> <p>In an article published online ahead of print in <i>Occupational and Environmental Medicine</i>, researchers assessed data on stroke deaths in people ages 65 and older that occurred between January 1990 and December 1994 in 13 major urban areas in Japan.</p> <p>The researchers tracked levels of air pollutants -- including nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter, and photochemical oxidants -- on an hourly basis in each of the 13 areas.</p> <p>They found that between the months of April and September, the risk of hemorrhagic stroke -- when a blood vessel bursts in the brain -- more than doubled two hours after high hourly rates of particulate matter (in excess of 200 micrograms per cubic meter) were observed.</p> <p>This effect was not found for ischemic stroke, when arteries in the brain become blocked. The researchers propose this may be because the time lag between the start of an ischemic stroke is longer than that for a hemorrhagic stroke.</p> <p>Previous research showed that the effects of air pollution act quickly on the body, the authors said, with inhaled particles detectable in the blood within 60 seconds.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>The National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke has more about <a href=\"http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/stroke/stroke.htm\" target=\"_new\">stroke</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1156','6','	<p><p>(HealthDay News) -- Air pollution impacts both healthy people and those with conditions such as heart disease, asthma, and other lung diseases.</p> <p>The American Academy of Family Physicians says air pollution can cause coughing and tightness in the chest. Some people may also experience burning or irritation of the eyes and throat.</p> <p>Exercising outdoors when pollution is severe may exacerbate symptoms. People with asthma, emphysema or angina may have more symptoms than healthier people.</p> <p>When air pollution levels are high, staying inside can help reduce symptoms. Exercise indoors to reduce the amount of polluted air you breathe. If you do go outside, try to limit outdoor activity to early in the morning or later in the evening when pollution levels are likely to be lower.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1157','6','	<p><p>WEDNESDAY, Sept. 13 (HealthDay News) -- Doctors now have new guidelines to spot and treat pneumonia bacteria in hospital patients.</p> <p>Researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C., created the guidelines after analyzing patient characteristics and pneumonia bacteria present in the hospital.</p> <p>&quot;We matched the best antibiotic combination to each patient\'s characteristics and the particular bugs that we have in our hospital. We learned that some of the commonly recommended drugs wouldn\'t have worked for many of our patients,&quot; study author James Beardsley said in a prepared statement.</p> <p>Antibiotic therapy based on the new guidelines will target the correct pneumonia bacteria in at least 90 percent of cases where there\'s a risk of treatment resistance, compared to about 70 percent if national guidelines were followed, the researchers said.</p> <p>The article was published in the September issue of <i>Chest</i>.</p> <p>It can typically take two to three days for laboratory tests to pinpoint the bacteria that has caused pneumonia in a hospital patient. But treatment must start immediately, so doctors generally use an antibiotic that\'s effective against bacteria that most commonly cause pneumonia. However, some patients may be infected with bacteria that are resistant to these drugs, the researchers noted.</p> <p>&quot;The choice of which antibiotics to start is very important. They need to cover the germs that are causing the pneumonia in that particular patient. If you\'re not right from the start, people are at higher risk of dying,&quot; Beardsley said.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>The U.S. National Library of Medicine has more about <a href=\"http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000146.htm\" target=\"_new\">hospital-acquired pneumonia</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1158','6','	<p><p>FRIDAY, Sept. 15 (HealthDay News) -- A simple walking test may help predict which lung transplant candidates are at greatest risk of dying, new research shows.</p> <p>In the Sept. 15 issue of the <i>American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine</i>, researchers from Columbia University examined the medical records of 454 people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), all of who were on a lung transplantation waiting list.</p> <p>IPF is a lung disease in which lung tissue is damaged by an unknown cause. It causes inflammation and scarring of the lungs, which eventually leads to respiratory failure. Lung transplantation is the only known way to improve survival in people with IPF.</p> <p>In this study, the researchers found that participants who could walk less than 680 feet during six minutes were four times as likely to die within six months as those who could cover more distance.</p> <p>The walk test is less costly than other tests, can be performed on patients who require continuous oxygen, and does not require any special equipment or expertise other than a long hallway.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>The American Lung Association has more about <a href=\"http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=35436\" target=\"_new\">pulmonary fibrosis</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1159','6','	<p><!--Spanish ID:535016--> <p>MONDAY, Sept. 18 (HealthDay News) -- Plastic surgery may boost airway function in people with severe nasal obstructions, a new study finds.</p> <p>Nasal obstructions include septal deviation, where the wall separating the nasal passages is off-center; valve insufficiency, which is caused by problems with cartilage; and turbinate hypertrophy, where air flow is blocked by swollen areas inside the nose.</p> <p>However, there\'s a form of nasal plastic surgery, called &quot;functional rhinoplasty,&quot; that treats problems such as nasal obstruction.</p> <p>The new study, appearing in the September/October issue of the <i>Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery</i>, evaluated 41 people with severe nasal obstructions who underwent functional rhinoplasty at the University of Washington School of Medicine\'s Cosmetic Surgery Center.</p> <p>The patients completed questionnaires about the severity of their nasal obstructions before and after having surgery. Based on their answers, the patients were given a severity score of zero to 100, with higher scores indicating more severe nasal obstructions.</p> <p>The researchers found that the severity scores decreased significantly after surgery -- from 58.4 to just 15.7 after an average of 227 days.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>The American Society of Plastic Surgeons has more about <a href=\"http://www.plasticsurgery.org/\" target=\"_new\">plastic surgery</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1160','6','	<p><p>(HealthDay News) -- Although bleach and bleach-based cleaners are an effective way to kill germs, the fumes can irritate the lungs. In poorly ventilated areas, cleaning with bleach can even cause lung damage.</p> <p>Here are suggestions on how to sanitize safely with bleach, courtesy of the Washington Toxics Coalition:</p> <ul> <li>Never mix bleach with ammonia, as the combination produces toxic fumes that can damage the lungs. Avoid mixing any bleach or bleach products with household ammonia, glass cleaner, dishwashing liquid, or metal cleaner -- all of which can contain ammonia.</li> <li>People with asthma, heart disease or lung problems should avoid cleaning with bleach, as the fumes can further irritate the lungs.</li> <li>If you are cleaning with bleach, be sure the area is well-ventilated. Open a window or turn on a fan.</li> <li>Be careful with products that have added fragrances -- the fumes are only masked and can still be toxic.</li> <li>Bleach should never be mixed with toilet bowl cleaner or rust remover, as these combinations can produce toxic fumes.</li> </ul> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1161','6','	<p><!--Spanish ID:534554--> <p>WEDNESDAY, Aug. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Teens are slightly more likely to use condoms when they have sex with a casual partner, compared to a partner they are more serious about, a new study finds.</p> <p>&quot;Unfortunately, this reveals that teens may overestimate the safety of using condoms most of the time with a casual partner and underestimate the risk of unprotected sex with a serious partner,&quot; study lead author Celia Lescano, of the Bradley Hasbro Children\'s Hospital Research Center and Brown Medical School, in Providence, R.I., said in a prepared statement.</p> <p>As reported in the September issue of the <i>Journal of Adolescent Health</i>, the study included more than 1,300 sexually active young people, ages 15 to 21, in Miami, Atlanta, and Providence. The participants were divided into two groups: 65 percent who said they\'d had sex with their main partner only in the previous 90 days and 35 percent who said they\'d had sex with at least one casual partner during that time.</p> <p>Among those in the casual-partner group, 21.5 percent said they had had unprotected sex within the previous 90 days, compared to 19.2 percent of those in the main-partner-only group.</p> <p>&quot;We can conclude that, given these high rates of unprotected sex, teens in both groups may be at risk for contracting HIV and sexually-transmitted diseases,&quot; Lescano said.</p> <p>Females were more likely to report main partners, while males were much more likely to report having casual partners. Those with casual partners reported greater substance abuse and riskier behaviors. Young people who said their main partners had negative reactions about condom use were less likely to use condoms, the study found.</p> <p>&quot;This study demonstrates the importance of understanding an adolescent\'s perception of partner types in order to design effective [HIV] interventions,&quot; Lescano said.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has more about <a href=\"http://www.fda.gov/oashi/aids/condom.html\" target=\"_new\">condoms and sexually transmitted diseases</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1162','6','	<p><p>MONDAY, Aug. 28 (HealthDay News) -- A new anthrax toxin inhibitor designed to fight antibiotic-resistant strains performed successfully in laboratory and animal tests, a new study says. </p> <p>This new inhibitor was developed by scientists at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y., and at the University of Toronto, and reported on in the Aug. 28 online edition of the <i>Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</i>. </p> <p>Anthrax bacteria secrete a toxin that harms a host organism. Most anthrax therapies target the anthrax bacteria or the toxin.</p> <p>This new inhibitor blocks the receptors where anthrax toxin attaches in the body. The inhibitor is able to bind to multiple sites on the host receptor, which makes it much more potent than an inhibitor that binds to a single site, the researchers said.</p> <p>They found that the new approach led to a 50,000-fold increase in potency in cell culture studies and the inhibitor protected six rats injected with anthrax toxin.</p> <p>Once it\'s fully developed, the new inhibitor could help reduce the number of deaths caused by inhalation anthrax, which has a death rate of 75 percent even after patients are given antibiotics.</p> <p>The scientists also said the general concept of this research could also be applied to designing inhibitors to protect against other diseases, including influenza, HIV/AIDS and SARS.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about <a href=\"http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/anthrax/faq/\" target=\"_new\">anthrax</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1163','6','	<p><p>FRIDAY, Sept. 8 (HealthDay News) -- HIV-suppressing protease inhibitor drugs are extending patients\' lives but can also speed hardening of the arteries. Now, U.S. researchers say a special drug combination may decrease that side effect.</p> <p>Researchers at the University of Kentucky found that giving mice HIV drugs called nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTI), along with a protease inhibitor, prevented the hardening of the arteries that occurs when a protease inhibitor is used alone.</p> <p>The mice received a common protease inhibitor called ritonavir and one of two NRTIs -- either d4T or didanosine.</p> <p>The findings were published in the current issue of the <i>American Journal of Physiology-Cell Physiology</i>.</p> <p>&quot;The combination prevented the negative cardiovascular effect, hardening of the arteries, of the protease inhibitors without reducing the effectiveness of the protease inhibitors on HIV,&quot; study senior author Eric J. Smart said in a prepared statement.</p> <p>&quot;To our knowledge, these are the first data that indicate that nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors can limit the atherogenic (tendency to form lipid deposits in the arteries) effects of ritonavir,&quot; he and his colleagues noted.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>The New Mexico AIDS Education and Training Center has more about <a href=\"http://www.aidsinfonet.org/factsheet_index.php?catnum=400&amp;newLang=en\" target=\"_new\">HIV/AIDS medications</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1164','6','	<p><!--Spanish ID:534930--> <p>WEDNESDAY, Sept. 13 (HealthDay News) -- An injection of a natural stress hormone may help decrease post-traumatic stress, a study in mice suggests.</p> <p>In the study, published in the Sept. 13 issue of the <i>Journal of Neuroscience</i>, researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas placed mice in a plastic box and subjected them to a mild electrical shock.</p> <p>A couple of days later, the mice were returned to the box, and the researchers gauged their fear, based on how long they &quot;froze&quot; in place. After a few minutes, the researchers injected the mice with corticosterone, a natural stress hormone produced by the body.</p> <p>When the mice were returned to the box again a day later, they showed significantly less fear, the researchers reported. The higher the dose of corticosterone the mice had been given, the less fear they showed.</p> <p>Giving the mice the injection before returning them to the box did not reduce their fear when they were tested again a day later. But when the injections were given over four days, whether before or after their second visit to the box, their fear was reduced one day later.</p> <p>The researchers believe the effect is due to a mechanism called <i>extinction</i>, in which the release of corticosterone causes a memory to gradually diminish.</p> <p>&quot;Corticosterone appears to enhance new memories that compete with the fearful memory thereby decreasing its negative emotional significance,&quot; study author Craig Powell, a professor of neurology and psychiatry at UT Southwestern, said in a prepared statement.</p> <p>&quot;The natural release of stress hormones during recall of a fearful memory may be a natural mechanism to decrease the negative emotional aspects of the memory,&quot; study co-author Jacqueline Blundell, a postdoctoral fellow in neurology at UT Southwestern, added in a prepared statement.</p> <p>&quot;Conversely, patients with post-traumatic stress disorder have blunted stress hormone responses and thus may not decrease fearful memories normally over time,&quot; Blundell said.</p> <p>Another UT Southwestern study is in progress to see if receiving a stress hormone while reliving memories can reduce fear responses in veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>The American Academy of Family Physicians has more about <a href=\"http://familydoctor.org/624.xml\" target=\"_new\">post-traumatic stress disorder</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1165','6','	<p><!--Spanish ID:534931--> <p>WEDNESDAY, Sept. 13 (HealthDay News) -- Young adolescent boys with a heart condition known as long-QT syndrome (LQTS) are four times more prone to cardiac arrest and sudden cardiac death than girls of similar age, a new study shows. </p> <p>Reporting in the Sept. 13 issue of the <i>Journal of the American Medical Association</i>, a team from the University of Rochester Medical Center tracked the health of nearly 2,800 adolescents with LQTS, an abnormality of the heart\'s electrical rhythm.</p> <p>During the study, 81 of the adolescents had an &quot;aborted cardiac arrest&quot; -- an abrupt loss of heart function that does not result in death because it is reversed, as with defibrillation. Forty-five experienced sudden cardiac death.</p> <p>The researchers found three factors to be associated with cardiac arrest or sudden cardiac death: a recent loss of consciousness, the duration of the QTc interval (an electrocardiogram measurement), and gender.</p> <p>Among the 10- to 12-year-olds, boys were four times more likely than the girls to have cardiac arrest or sudden cardiac death. Gender did not affect risk in 13- to 20-year-olds.</p> <p>Adolescents who had lost consciousness once during the last two years were nearly 12 times more likely than those who had not done so for the past 10 years to have a life-threatening event, the researchers said. Losing consciousness two or more times during the last two years boosted the risk 18-fold compared with those who had not lost consciousness.</p> <p>In the adolescents who had lost consciousness during the last two years, receiving beta-blocker therapy reduced their risk of life-threatening events by 64 percent.</p> <p>The authors of the study concluded that identifying these risk factors &quot;might serve as a useful guide for prophylactic treatment decisions to reduce the risk of sudden death in patients with LQTS during the high-risk teenage years.&quot;</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>The American Heart Association has more about <a href=\"http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=993\" target=\"_new\">long-QT syndrome</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1166','6','	<p><p>(HealthDay News) -- Salt that is added to foods or found naturally in many things can contribute to high blood pressure and other cardiovascular problems.</p> <p>You shouldn\'t consume more than 2,400 milligrams per day, the Henry Ford Health System says.</p> <p>Avoid foods that are high in salt (often called sodium on package labels), including chips, crackers, pickles and olives. Instead, choose fresh vegetables, meats and low-salt snacks to lower your salt intake. When buying prepackaged foods, look for foods that are low-sodium or sodium-free.</p> <p>Prepare foods at home using salt-free seasonings or a salt substitute, and skip adding salt when you can. Also avoid preparing foods such as pasta in salted water.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1167','6','	<p><p>THURSDAY, Sept. 14 (HealthDay News) -- When a protein called BAG3 is absent, muscle cells that should grow stronger with use self-destruct instead, says a Medical College of Georgia study.</p> <p>The finding demonstrates the importance of BAG3 in maintaining mature skeletal muscle. This information could help scientists find ways to prevent muscle atrophy experienced by people with diseases such as muscular dystrophy, heart failure and myofibril myopathy.</p> <p>The researchers found that mice that lacked BAG3 seemed fine at birth, but their muscle cells rapidly degenerated and were unable to regenerate when the mice started using their muscles to breathe and stand. The mice quickly died.</p> <p>The study was published in the September issue of the <i>American Journal of Pathology</i>.</p> <p>&quot;When a muscle contraction happens, cytoskeletal degeneration occurs naturally,&quot; study author Dr. Shinichi Takayama, a cell and molecular biologist, said in a prepared statement.</p> <p>Normally, this degeneration stimulates muscle cell regeneration. However, the muscle cells in the mice that lacked BAG3 couldn\'t regenerate. Since they couldn\'t be fixed, they chose to destroy themselves.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>The U.S. National Library of Medicine has more about <a href=\"http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003188.htm\" target=\"_new\">muscle atrophy</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1168','6','	<p><p>TUESDAY, Sept. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Women who have high levels of a little-known lipoprotein face a higher risk of heart attacks and strokes, a new study suggests.</p> <p>And when a high reading on what is called lipoprotein (a) is accompanied by high levels of &quot;bad&quot; cholesterol, women are in even more cardiovascular danger.</p> <p>&quot;Lipoprotein (a) is a protein that tends to be measured in hospital patients,&quot; said study author Dr. Jacqueline Suk Danik, whose report is published in the Sept. 20 issue of the <i>Journal of the American Medical Association</i>. It\'s not routinely measured, and so many people have never heard of it, explained Danik, a cardiologist at Brigham and Women\'s Hospital, in Boston. Like other lipoproteins, it carries fats through the blood.</p> <p>Studies on lipoprotein (a) and its value as a predictor of cardiovascular risk in both men and women have yielded conflicting results over the years. Part of the problem, Danik said, is that the protein is hard to measure partly because the size of the protein varies from person to person. Another challenge is that a variety of different tests to measure the protein exist, and there is no gold standard screen for it.</p> <p>But Danik and her colleagues took advantage of a new, more accurate test to measure it, evaluating nearly 28,000 initially healthy women who took part in the Women\'s Health Study. The women joined it between 1992 and 1995, donating blood specimens, and were followed up for 10 years to evaluate a number of health issues. Danik\'s team tested stored blood samples of all 28,000 for lipoprotein (a) to see if those with high levels were more likely to suffer cardiovascular problems. During the follow-up, there were 899 cardiovascular &quot;events,&quot; such as stroke or heart attack.</p> <p>They found women with high levels of lipoprotein (a) did indeed have a higher chance of suffering heart problems or strokes. &quot;Women who had levels greater than 30 (milligrams per deciliter), which is the standard for being high, did have a slightly higher risk of cardiovascular events during the 10 years we followed them,&quot; Danik said.</p> <p>If the levels were very high, the risk of stroke or heart attack was even greater, she said. &quot;Women with very high lipoprotein (a), in the top 10 percent, which in this case meant a reading above 65 milligrams per deciliter, was associated with a 67 percent higher risk of developing a heart attack or an ischemic stroke, requiring cardiovascular intervention such as surgery or angioplasty or dying from cardiovascular disease, compared to women who had low lipoprotein (a),&quot; she noted.</p> <p>If women also had high levels of LDL cholesterol, it was a double whammy, the researchers found. &quot;Women with lipoprotein (a) greater than 65 milligrams per deciliter and LDLs higher than the median value, around 120 milligrams per deciliter, had an 80 percent higher risk of developing the same events,&quot; Danik said.</p> <p>For the general population, LDL levels are considered optimal if below 100 by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.</p> <p>The new study is a valuable addition to research, said Dr. Karol Watson, an assistant professor of cardiology at the University of California, Los Angeles, David Geffen School of Medicine.</p> <p>&quot;Even in the world of preventive cardiology, we have not known what to do with lipoprotein (a),&quot; she said. &quot;Data about lipoprotein (a) as it correlates to heart disease is mixed. In African-Americans, for instance, some studies show it is not even a risk. And in women, the effects are not found to be as robust as in men.&quot;</p> <p>However, she said, &quot;Most of us have believed that lipoprotein (a) is an important risk factor. This is one more piece of compelling research that says, yes, it is a risk factor for certain individuals. One of the study\'s strengths is it\'s a huge population.&quot;</p> <p>But Watson and Danik agreed the study doesn\'t mean routine testing of lipoprotein (a) levels is warranted, at least not yet. The test is best reserved, they said, for those with a strong family history of cardiovascular disease, those diagnosed with cardiovascular disease without any obvious risk factors (such as high blood pressure), and those who keep having heart attacks and strokes even if they are receiving medical care to control their risk factors.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>To learn more about lipoprotein (a), visit the <a href=\"http://www.clevelandclinicmeded.com/ccjm/sept1999/ccjmoneminutesep99.htm\" target=\"_new\">Cleveland Clinic</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1169','6','	<p><p>WEDNESDAY, Sept. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Two German trials that used injected stem cells to strengthen the heart muscle after a heart attack got good results, while a small Norwegian trial showed no benefit.</p> <p>All three trials used stem cells derived from bone marrow. Perhaps the best results came from the largest trial, done at the University of Frankfurt, which enlisted 204 patients, half of whom had stem cells injected three to seven days after a heart attack. Four months later, the injection fraction -- a measure of the heart\'s ability to pump blood -- was significantly better in patients who got the stem cells.</p> <p>The injection fraction of the stem-cell recipients improved by 5.5 percent, compared to 3 percent for those who got conventional treatment, according to the report in the Sept. 21 <i>New England Journal of Medicine</i>.</p> <p>After a year, the stem-cell recipients had a significantly lower incidence of second heart attacks. Their death rate was lower and fewer of them needed treatment to reopen blocked blood vessels.</p> <p>A smaller trial, including 75 patients, by German researchers had some receiving either stem cells or injections of a molecule that stimulates stem-cell growth. The treatment produced moderate but significant improvement in the ejection fraction after three months, the researchers reported.</p> <p>In sharp contrast, the Norwegian study of 100 heart attack patients, half of whom got stem cells, showed no beneficial effect. There was no improvement in ejection fraction, the amount of heart muscle damage, and the incidence of adverse effects was the same for patients who did or did not get stem-cell therapy.</p> <p>&quot;I think this therapy has no place in medical practice at this moment,&quot; said Dr. Ketil Lunde, a research fellow at the Rikshospitalet University, and lead author of the Norwegian report. &quot;It should be applied only for research applications.&quot;</p> <p>That\'s the same opinion of Dr. Andreas Zeiher, professor of medicine at the University of Frankfurt and leader of the two German studies.</p> <p>&quot;For the time being, there is no recommendation for routine use in clinical practice,&quot; Zeiher said. &quot;We have to show in larger trials reduced endpoints such as second heart attacks, deaths and rehospitalizations.&quot;</p> <p>The Frankfurt group plans such an expanded study, which will include 200 or more heart-attack patients, Zeiher said. &quot;We hope to start it by the end of this year or early next year and have it complete in two years,&quot; he said.</p> <p>And Lunde said he hasn\'t given up hope that stem-cell therapy might prove effective. It\'s possible that the Norwegian trial was too small to detect a positive effect, he said, so &quot;larger trials are needed.&quot;</p> <p>Dr. Anthony Rosenzweig, director of cardiovascular research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, who wrote an accompanying editorial in the journal, said the German studies provide &quot;the best evidence yet for beneficial effects&quot; of stem-cell therapy after a heart attack.</p> <p>&quot;The bottom line is that two of the three studies showed benefit,&quot; Rosenzweig said. &quot;But the benefit was relatively modest. This approach remains experimental. Neither the long-term effect nor the long-term risk have been established.&quot;</p> <p>The best strategy for future trials would be to enroll the sickest patients, Rozenzweig said. </p> <p>&quot;We should guard against both premature declarations of victory and premature abandonment of a promising therapeutic strategy,&quot; he wrote.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>Basic facts about stem cell therapy are provided by the U.S. <a href=\"http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/basics/basics6.asp\" target=\"_new\">National Institutes of Health</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1170','6','	<p><p>FRIDAY, Sept. 22 (HealthDay News) -- Carbon monoxide (CO) -- the colorless, odorless gas often dubbed the &quot;silent killer&quot; -- shows promise in treating pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), according to new research.</p> <p>In a study published in the September issue of the <i>Journal of Experimental Medicine</i>, researchers from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston and the University of Pittsburgh tested the effects of treating PAH in mice with low, non-toxic doses of CO.</p> <p>PAH is a condition in which blood vessel walls thicken so much that blood can no longer be effectively pumped through them, resulting in serious cardiopulmonary complications and, in many cases, heart attacks. There is currently no cure for PAH. </p> <p>For the study, the researchers exposed mice with PAH to a short, daily regimen of CO.</p> <p>They found the gas reversed the PAH in the animals, resulting in the restoration of normal blood pressures and heart weights -- indicating imminent heart failure was reversed.</p> <p>Through further investigation, the researchers found that CO\'s benefits were due to the destruction of smooth muscle cells, which uncontrollably grow in the blood vessels of people with PAH. The CO dose destroyed the smooth muscle cells without affecting healthy cells.</p> <p>&quot;Our hope is that CO will find a place in the clinic as a therapeutic option for the treatment of disease,&quot; study author Leo Otterbein, an associate professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School, said in a prepared statement. &quot;CO has been around since before life began on earth and, in fact, it is thought to have contributed to the origin of life. Perhaps this was a sign of its necessary role in biology.&quot;</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute has more about <a href=\"http://www.nlm.nih.gov/cgi/medlineplus/leavemedplus.pl?theURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nhlbi.nih.gov%2Fhealth%2Fdci%2FDiseases%2Fpah%2Fpah_what.html\" target=\"_new\">pulmonary arterial hypertension</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1171','6','	<p><p>FRIDAY, Aug. 18 (HealthDay News) -- Truckers with severe sleep apnea or who sleep less than five hours a night when they\'re at home are more likely than other truckers to experience sleepiness and impaired ability while driving, a U.S. study finds.</p> <p>&quot;In the United States, approximately 5,600 people are killed annually in crashes involving commercial trucks,&quot; study author Allan L. Pack, of the University of Pennsylvania, noted in a prepared statement.</p> <p>&quot;Falling asleep while driving is an important factor in serious crashes involving commercial vehicles, prompting the question, why?&quot; he said.</p> <p>This study concluded that obstructive sleep apnea and chronically insufficient sleep are two main reasons.</p> <p>Pack and his colleagues tested hundreds of truck drivers for sleep apnea, sleepiness, and performance impairment.</p> <p>&quot;In this study, we showed that both subjective and objective sleepiness, as well as performance impairments, are common in our sample of commercial driver\'s license holders,&quot; Pack said.</p> <p>&quot;Chronic short sleep duration is a risk factor for subjective sleepiness, objectively measured sleepiness and performance impairments,&quot; he said. &quot;The results for sleep apnea are less clear.&quot;</p> <p>Among drivers with less than five hours of sleep, 49.5 percent had two or three performance impairments, Pack\'s team reported in the August issue of the <i>American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine</i>.</p> <p>The U.S. federal government needs to do more to reduce sleepiness in commercial truck drivers, the study authors said. This should include programs that identify &quot;sleep-impaired&quot; drivers through objective testing; pinpoint and treat drivers with severe sleep apnea and monitor their adherence to therapy; and promote increased sleep duration among truck drivers.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>The National Sleep Foundation has more about <a href=\"http://www.sleepfoundation.org/hottopics/index.php?secid=10\" target=\"_new\">drowsy driving</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1172','6','	<p><p>SUNDAY, Aug. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Along with getting new school supplies and clothing, re-establishing children\'s sleep habits should be on parents\' back-to-school to-do lists.</p> <p>Children tend to go to go to bed and wake up later during the summer, and altering this cycle can be difficult, note experts at the University of Florida, Gainesville. Parents should try to get their children back into a school-year sleeping schedule at least one or two weeks before classes start, said Dr. Anne-Marie Slinger, assistant professor of pediatrics, UF College of Medicine.</p> <p>If a child isn\'t properly prepared and doesn\'t get enough sleep, it can really affect their school performance.</p> <p>&quot;Sleep deprivation can have a pretty significant effect on concentration, memory and even mood. If a child is chronically sleep deprived, it\'s far more difficult for them to participate in classroom activities and learn new things. If they\'re tired, they won\'t be engaged,&quot; Slinger said in a prepared statement.</p> <p>In general, children require at least nine hours of uninterrupted sleep to be ready for learning.</p> <p>Establishing a regular sleep schedule also makes it easier to children to wake up in order to have enough time to have a healthy breakfast, another important factor in school performance.</p> <p>&quot;To help them prepare for a new school year, it\'s important to talk to kids so they know what to expect and to familiarize them with their daily schedule before the school year begins. There are a lot of things parents can do to ease that transition back to school,&quot; Slinger said. </p> <p>For example, parents can schedule activities -- such as brushing teeth, taking a bath, or reading a story -- that assist the transition to bedtime.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>The U.S. National Sleep Foundation has more about <a href=\"http://www.sleepfoundation.org/hottopics/index.php?secid=11\" target=\"_new\">children and sleep</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1173','6','	<p><p>MONDAY, Aug. 21 (HealthDay News) -- Constant exposure to the lights in neonatal intensive care units could upset the development of premature babies\' biological clocks, a new study suggests</p> <p>The study found that exposing baby mice to constant light prevented the master biological clock in their brains from developing properly. That could have long-term behavioral consequences, the U.S. researchers say.</p> <p>They noted that about 14 million low-weight babies are born worldwide each year and are exposed to artificial lighting in hospitals.</p> <p>&quot;We are interested in the effects of light on biological clocks, because they regulate our physiology extensively and also have an important effect on our mood. This study suggests that cycling the lights in NICUs may be better than constant lighting for premature babies from the perspective of developing their internal clocks,&quot; study head Douglas McMahon, professor of biological sciences at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., said in a prepared statement.</p> <p>The study was expected to be published Monday in the journal <i>Pediatric Research</i>.</p> <p>The findings in this study of baby mice help explain the results of several previous studies, the researchers said. One of those studies found that babies in neonatal units with day/night cyclic lighting tended to begin sleeping through the night more quickly than babies in units with constant lighting.</p> <p>Other studies found that babies in units with day/night cyclic lighting gained weight faster than babies in units with constant lighting.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>The U.S. National Institute of Mental Health has more about <a href=\"http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/bioclock.cfm\" target=\"_new\">biological clocks</a>.</p></p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1174','6','	<p><!--Spanish ID:534534--> <p>TUESDAY, Aug. 22 (HealthDay News) -- Children with untreated sleep apnea perform significantly worse on IQ tests and may have some brain impairment that could hinder their ability to learn new tasks, according to new research from Johns Hopkins University. </p> <p>&quot;This is paving new ground, scary new ground,&quot; said Dr. Ronald D. Chervin, the director of the University of Michigan Sleep Disorders Center, who was not associated with the study. &quot;The fact that children with sleep apnea would score worse on neurocognitive testing than normal children is not new. The new part is actually showing evidence of neurochemical changes in the brain.&quot;</p> <p>For the research, published in the Aug. 22 online issue of the journal <i>Public Library of Science Medicine</i>, Dr. Ann Halbower, medical director of the pediatric sleep disorders program at the Hopkins\' Children\'s Center in Baltimore, and colleagues looked at 31 children between the ages of 6 and 16. Nineteen of them had untreated severe sleep apnea, a condition associated with repeated nighttime awakenings and daytime grogginess.</p> <p>Using a special type of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the researchers found that those children with sleep apnea had significant changes in two brain regions associated with higher mental function: the hippocampus and the right frontal cortex. They also determined that the children had altered ratios of three brain chemicals -- N-aceytl aspartate, creatine and choline -- which are indicative of brain damage.</p> <p>The kids with sleep apnea had lower mean IQ test scores than the healthy children (85 compared to 101) and performed significantly worse on standardized tests that measure executive functions such as verbal working memory and verbal fluency.</p> <p>&quot;Executive function is the ability to take an old memory and put it to use in a new situation,&quot; Halbower explained. &quot;It\'s what makes smart people smart. The clinical implications are that doctors need to understand that sleep apnea is more of a problem that we thought it was. It\'s not just a disease of old people.&quot;</p> <p>Because untreated sleep apnea appears to impair brain chemistry, its effects could be permanent, Halbower added. </p> <p>&quot;We can only assume that it could turn an otherwise smart kid into a mediocre kid, which could mark him for life,&quot; she said.</p> <p>But it\'s also possible that these effects are reversible. Halbower\'s next study will try to determine whether sleep-apnea treatment can restore normal brain chemistry and cognitive function.</p> <p> The standard treatment for sleep apnea in children is surgical removal of enlarged tonsils and adenoids, which can obstruct breathing. Other treatments include removal of excess tissue in the back of the throat or nose and the use of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines to maintain normal airflow during sleep.</p> <p>Because untreated sleep apnea may have even more severe effects in children than in adults, the sooner it\'s detected, the better, Halbower said. </p> <p>So parents should be aware that one of the most important symptoms of sleep apnea is frequent pauses in breathing that result in arousal from sleep and stirrings in bed. Other symptoms include snoring, labored or loud breathing, coughing, choking, gasping, excessive nighttime sweating and, sometimes, bedwetting by children older than 6.</p> <p>&quot;If you\'re looking at an infant or young child, they may sleep in odd positions,&quot; Chervin said. &quot;They may sleep with their rear end up in the air and their head tilted back, which is probably an effort to open their airway.&quot; </p> <p>Daytime signs of sleep apnea include sleepiness, an inability to concentrate and poor performance in school. &quot;But it should be remembered that younger children with sleep apnea aren\'t just sleepy,&quot; Halbower pointed out. &quot;They also show signs of hyperactivity and irritability.&quot;</p> <p>Studies have also shown that some children with sleep apnea also have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). </p> <p> &quot;If you have a child who snores and has behavioral problems during the day associated with ADHD, conduct disorder or oppositional-defiant disorder, talk to your pediatrician about the possibility that there could be a relationship,&quot; Chervin said. &quot; I don\'t think that sleep apnea explains a majority of ADHD, but it may explain a minority of ADHD.&quot;</p> <p> While the prevalence of snoring in children is about 16 percent to 20 percent, the prevalence of true obstructive sleep apnea in children is only 2 percent to 3 percent, Halbower said. </p> <p>But, like the adult version, children\'s sleep apnea is usually unrecognized, and it\'s often difficult for doctors to diagnose because its effects may not be evident during a typical examination.</p> <p>However, Chervin cautioned that the Hopkins study, because of the small number of children studies, shouldn\'t be considered the last word on any possible link between sleep apnea and brain damage.</p> <p> &quot;I would describe it as preliminary news, because it opens up a whole area that needs further investigation,&quot; he said. &quot;It\'ll be fascinating to see if the neurochemical changes that were present before treatment are still present after treatment.&quot;</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>For more on sleep apnea, visit <a href=\"http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/sleep_apnea/sleep_apnea.htm\" target=\"_new\"> the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.</a></p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1175','6','	<p><p>FRIDAY, Sept. 1 (HealthDay News) -- Mayo Clinic researchers say they\'ve identified a new type of sleep apnea called &quot;complex sleep apnea&quot; that may be resistant to standard treatment such as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP).</p> <p>&quot;All of us in our sleep lab have observed for years that there are patients who appear to have obstructive sleep apnea, but the CPAP doesn\'t make them all that much better -- they still have moderate to severe sleep apnea even with our best treatment and subjectively don\'t feel they\'re doing very well,&quot; study lead investigator Dr. Timothy Morgenthaler, a sleep medicine specialist and pulmonologist, said in a prepared statement.</p> <p>Until now, obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea have been the two known types of apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea, which is most common, occurs when the throat muscles relax and the airway narrows, which momentarily cuts off breathing and causes loud snoring. In central sleep apnea, the brain fails to send the proper signals to the muscles that control breathing.</p> <p>Complex sleep apnea is a combination of both obstructive and central sleep apnea, according to the Mayo researchers. Their findings were published in the September issue of the journal <i>Sleep</i>.</p> <p>The study of 223 patients referred to the Mayo Clinic Sleep Disorder Center found that 15 percent of the patients had complex sleep apnea, 84 percent had obstructive sleep apnea and 0.4 percent had central sleep apnea. Males are more likely to have complex sleep apnea.</p> <p>At first, patients with complex sleep apnea appear to have obstructive sleep apnea and stop breathing 20 to 30 times per hour each night. However, unlike people with typical obstructive sleep apnea, the breathing problems in patients with complex sleep apnea aren\'t completely relieved by a CPAP machine, which keeps a patient\'s airway open during sleep.</p> <p>&quot;When they put on a CPAP machine, they start to look like central sleep apnea syndrome patients. This phenomenon has been observed for years, but this study is the first to attempt to categorize these people,&quot; he said.</p> <p>There are no known risk factors for complex sleep apnea, and an effective treatment for the condition has not yet been identified, Morgenthaler said.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>The American Academy of Family Physicians has more about <a href=\"http://familydoctor.org/212.xml\" target=\"_new\">sleep apnea</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1176','6','	<p><p>FRIDAY, Sept. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Sleep-related breathing and movement disorders in children are linked to attention-deficit and behavioral problems, researchers report.</p> <p>These problems can affect kids\' memory, academic performance, functioning and ability to socialize, say studies in the current issue of <i>Sleep</i>.</p> <p>One study analyzed previous research on the relationship between childhood sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) and neurobehavioral functioning. SDB is a group of disorders that includes obstructive sleep apnea and snoring.</p> <p>About 10 percent to 12 percent of children snore. While obstructive sleep apnea is more common in adults, it may be diagnosed in children with large tonsils.</p> <p>This University of Cincinnati study found strong evidence of an association between childhood SDB and deficits in behavior and emotion regulation, school performance, sustained attention, selective attention and alertness. It also found some evidence that SDB can affect a child\'s mood, expressive language skills, visual perception and working memory.</p> <p>A second study, by researchers at Drexel University in Philadelphia, found that many children with bruxism -- grinding or clenching of teeth during sleep -- also suffered disturbed sleep and were at increased risk for attention and behavior problems.</p> <p>This study of 10 children found that eight of them had bruxism. Of those, 66 percent experienced disturbed sleep and, in this subset, 40 percent had significant attention and behavior problems.</p> <p>About 14 percent to 17 percent of children have bruxism, and about a third of children with bruxism will still continue to have it as adults. The study authors recommended that children undergo early screening for bruxism.</p> <p>A third study found that, among people younger than age 40, &quot;periodic leg movements&quot; occur more often during the daytime. In people over age 40, they occur more often during sleep.</p> <p>Periodic leg movements refer to episodes of simple, repetitive uncontrollable muscle movements. It most often occurs in the lower legs. It can reach the level of a condition called &quot;periodic limb movement disorder,&quot; which may be a factor in depression, poor memory, short attention span, or fatigue.</p> <p>People whose sleep is severely disturbed by periodic leg movements can suffer extreme daytime tiredness, researchers said. It can also disrupt the lives of people who experience it during the daytime, the study authors said.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>The National Sleep Foundation has more about <a href=\"http://www.sleepfoundation.org/hottopics/index.php?secid=11\" target=\"_new\">children and sleep</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1177','6','	<p><p>SUNDAY, Sept. 10 (HealthDay News) -- If you suffer from severe jet leg, it may be because your body overshoots as it attempts to adjust to large leaps forward in time, new research shows.</p> <p>In order to help the body more easily adjust to time changes, travelers shouldn\'t advance more than four hours at a time, says a team from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst.</p> <p>Based on their study of the circadian rhythms of rats, they say this approach enables the body\'s clock to advance smoothly and nudges the entire system in the right time direction.</p> <p>&quot;Jet lag isn\'t a horrible thing that we have to conquer -- and our clock is a very important regulator at a basic level,&quot; researcher Hava Siegelmann said in a prepared statement. &quot;Medications to target the clock may be counter-productive if they affect future oscillatory behavior,&quot; she said.</p> <p>&quot;Instead, take a stopover if you are traveling for more than six hours -- relax for a day and then continue. Understand and go with your body\'s natural oscillations,&quot; Siegelmann advised.</p> <p>The research also has implications for rotational shift workers, such as airline attendants and nurses, because the body has more difficulty adjusting to some shifts than others.</p> <p>The study was published in the current issue of the <i>Journal of Biological Rhythms</i>.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>The National Sleep Foundation has more about <a href=\"http://sleepfoundation.org/sleeptionary/index.php?id=18\" target=\"_new\">jet lag</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1178','6','	<p><p>(HealthDay News) -- Sleep apnea is a disorder that causes a person to stop breathing while asleep, sometimes for up to 30 seconds at a time. The condition typically causes a person to wake up many times during the night when breathing stops, resulting in lack of sleep.</p> <p>Most people suffer from a type called obstructive sleep apnea, in which something in the throat blocks the airway and interrupts breathing. The American Academy of Family Physicians says most often the blockage is caused by the tonsils, tongue or uvula at the back of the throat. A less common type is called central sleep apnea, which is caused by an abnormality in the central nervous system that leads to inconsistent breathing.</p> <p>Symptoms of sleep apnea may include heavy snoring, fatigue, and even dangerous instances of falling asleep during the day -- such as while driving.</p> <p>Sleep apnea can be treated with lifestyle changes, including avoiding alcohol and smoking, and losing weight. Or special devices can be prescribed to help make breathing easier during sleep.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1179','6','	<p><p>MONDAY, Sept. 18 (HealthDay News) -- A minimally invasive surgical technique that involves the insertion of small polyester rods into the soft palate may be an effective, long-term treatment for mild-to-moderate obstructive sleep apnea.</p> <p>Dr. Regina P. Walker of the Hinsdale Medical Center in Hinsdale, Ill., and colleagues tested the Pillar procedure in 22 middle-aged patients, including 16 men and six women, with mild-to-moderate sleep apnea. Although some of the patients had previously tried a treatment called continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), none had undergone any earlier surgery for their sleep apnea.</p> <p>After 90 days, 17 of the subjects showed significant improvements in their snoring intensity, daytime sleepiness and apnea hypopnea index, a measure of breathing interruptions that occur during sleep. Most significantly, these results were sustained after 15 months, indicating that the improvements could be permanent, according to Walker.</p> <p>Overall, the patients\' apnea hypopnea index decreased from a mean of 19.5 to 13 events per hour after 90 days, and to 12.8 events per hour after 15 months.</p> <p>Walker was expected to present the study at the 110th annual meeting of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation, being held Sept. 17-20 in Toronto, Canada.</p> <p>&quot;This is an important study,&quot; said Dr. Michael Friedman, chairman of head and neck surgery at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke\'s Medical Center in Chicago. &quot;Sleep apnea is a huge problem affecting at least 12 million Americans. If you count very mild forms of sleep apnea, the number goes up to 50 million.&quot;</p> <p>In sleep apnea, breathing stops or gets very shallow during sleep. Each pause in breathing typically lasts 10 to 20 seconds or more. These pauses can occur 20 to 30 times or more an hour. The most common type of sleep apnea is obstructive sleep apnea, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health.</p> <p>Even mild forms of sleep apnea can increase a person\'s risk of cardiovascular disease by five times, Friedman said. The condition is also associated with an increased risk of high blood pressure, weight gain, memory problems, depression and impotence.</p> <p>Until the Pillar procedure was introduced about six years ago, patients with sleep apnea only had two treatment options: CPAP, a machine that keeps the airways open during sleep; and invasive surgery to remove excess tissue in the mouth and throat.</p> <p>Although both treatments are effective, they have drawbacks, Friedman said. Because many patients are unwilling or unable to use a CPAP machine, compliance is only about 40 percent. And the results of invasive surgery tend to diminish after a year as tissues loosen and symptoms return, he said.</p> <p>During the in-office Pillar procedure, patients receive a local anesthetic before several polyester rods are inserted into their soft palate. Pain is usually minimal and can be managed with over-the-counter medications.</p> <p>Most patients can resume full activity the same day and return to their usual diets after a day or two. They usually can\'t even feel the implants after a week or two. Rarely, implants work their way to the surface and must be re-implanted, Friedman said.</p> <p>It\'s not the rods themselves that tighten loose tissue and reduce symptoms of sleep apnea, but the scar tissue that forms around them. &quot;Scar tissue tends to become more effective over time,&quot; Friedman said. &quot;That\'s why this study is important, because it shows that the results are stable or even better after 15 months, whereas the results of invasive surgery drop off after a year.&quot;</p> <p>Although most of the patients in Walker\'s study were overweight or mildly obese, the Pillar procedure isn\'t recommended for patients who are morbidly obese. Friedman estimated that up to 50 percent of sleep-apnea patients are candidates for the procedure, but said it probably would be a stand-alone treatment for only about half of them.</p> <p>&quot;The nice thing about this procedure is it doesn\'t eliminate the possibility of other procedures,&quot; Walker said. &quot;Quite often, we can combine many treatments. Studies are now being done on implant patients who use CPAP machines to see if it\'s possible to reduce CPAP pressure.&quot;</p> <p>The Pillar procedure costs about $1,500, which insurance may cover in patients with diagnosed sleep apnea but not in patients who simply have snoring problems. &quot;It\'s still a fairly new procedure that doesn\'t have a specific CPT code,&quot; Walker said. &quot;I would say that about 25 to 30 percent of procedures in sleep-apnea patients are being paid for, although the number appears to be increasing.&quot;</p> <p>Some doctors are using the Pillar procedure to treat severe sleep apnea. &quot;But this hasn\'t been well-studied,&quot; Walker said. &quot;So, it\'s too early to say if the implants will be of benefit to such patients.&quot;</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>To learn more about sleep apnea, visit the <a href=\"http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/sleep_apnea/sleep_apnea.htm\" target=\"_new\">National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke</a>.</p></p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1180','7','	<p><p>THURSDAY, Feb. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Chemotherapy has traditionally not been recommended for older women -- roughly those over 65 or 70 -- after breast cancer surgery.</p> <p>&quot;Historically, there have been some biases against older women in terms of could they tolerate the [chemotherapy] treatment and whether they would benefit from it,&quot; said Dr. Arash Naeim, assistant professor of medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles\' David Geffen School of Medicine.</p> <p>The bias did have some rationale, however. &quot;The number of women over age 70 in clinical trials [testing chemotherapy regimens] is limited. And so it is difficult to draw inferences,&quot; added Naeim, who\'s also director of the geriatric oncology program at the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center in Los Angeles.</p> <p>About half of all new breast cancers in the United States are diagnosed in women 65 years or older. Older women are also at higher risk of cancer recurrence, for which chemotherapy is considered an effective treatment. Yet, these are the very women who are frequently not offered this type of therapy.</p> <p>But some recent studies have begun to suggest that chemotherapy should be considered for older women with breast cancer.</p> <p>One, led by Dr. Hyman Muss, a professor of medicine at the University of Vermont and Vermont Cancer Center in Burlington, concluded that age alone should not be a reason to rule out chemotherapy in older women who are in good general health.</p> <p>In the study, which appeared in the March 2, 2005, issue of the <i>Journal of the American Medical Association</i>, Muss and his colleagues analyzed data on nearly 6,500 women who took part in clinical trials between 1975 and 1999. The researchers compared less aggressive chemotherapy with more aggressive treatments. Eight percent of the women were 65 and older, and 2 percent were age 70 and above.</p> <p>The researchers found no association between age and disease-free survival. They did find that overall survival was worse for those women age 65 and older, but that was due to death from causes other than breast cancer. Also, older women were more likely to die of complications related to chemotherapy treatment (1.5 percent) vs. younger women (0.2 to 0.7 percent). But older and younger women derived similar decreases in death rates from breast cancer and in recurrence when they were on the regimens containing the more aggressive chemotherapy, the study found.</p> <p>&quot;The message, at least for healthy older women, is if you\'re considering chemotherapy and you feel that that\'s appropriate, then it would be perfectly reasonable to give it,&quot; Muss told <i>HealthDay</i>.</p> <p>No one is saying it\'s best to offer all older women chemotherapy, Naeim emphasized. &quot;It\'s a very complicated process, the pathway to the treatment decision,&quot; he said. &quot;There is no right answer to whether the chemotherapy is the right or the wrong treatment.&quot;</p> <p>Naeim, who has also published on the topic, said it\'s important to take the total patient into account when deciding whether to recommend chemotherapy.</p> <p>&quot;Take an older woman with arthritis, in a wheelchair, with coexisting disease [such as heart problems], who just had surgery for breast cancer,&quot; he said. &quot;The doctor is saying he can give you chemo, and this may help you not get breast cancer down the road. That person may not be interested in down the road. Their baseline quality of life may not be so good. And having a worse quality of life [during chemotherapy] is not worth it for them, perhaps.&quot;</p> <p>&quot;It\'s easy [for the doctor] to say something improves your survival or quality of life, but it might be that the amount it improves it is so small you may decide it is not worth doing it,&quot; Naeim said.</p> <p>For older women with breast cancer facing treatment decisions, Naeim offered this advice: &quot;Understand the goals and objectives of the treatment. Patients often don\'t understand why they are getting [a specific treatment], the purpose of the treatment.&quot;</p> <p>It\'s wise to ask.</p> <p>&quot;Ask for alternatives,&quot; Naeim said. &quot;There is no one right answer and there are multiple options.&quot;</p> <p>Making such decisions should be easier for older women in the future, he said. &quot;There are more and more researchers actively looking at the older population and the more studies that come out that focus on that, the more information we will have to make rational decisions.&quot;</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>To learn more about breast cancer, visit the <a href=\"http://www.cancer.org/docroot/lrn/lrn_0.asp\" target=\"_new\">American Cancer Society</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1181','7','	<p><p>TUESDAY, Feb. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Women who are successfully treated for ovarian cancer often have a relapse of the disease, which becomes resistant to the cisplatin chemotherapy that worked before.</p> <p>Now, researchers have discovered that the new drug NCX-4016, an aspirin derivative, re-sensitizes ovarian cancer cells to chemotherapy with cisplatin and also kills ovarian cancer cells.</p> <p>Although this work has only been done in ovarian cancer cells in the laboratory, the hope is that one day this treatment will defeat recurrent ovarian cancer.</p> <p>The finding appears in this week\'s edition of the <i>Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</i>.</p> <p>&quot;Ovarian cancer is usually diagnosed very late,&quot; said lead researcher Periannan Kuppusamy, a professor of internal medicine and biomedical engineering at the Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute at Ohio State University. &quot;After that, there are not many treatments available -- usually surgery to remove the tumor, then treatment with cisplatin.&quot;</p> <p>Within six to 12 months after treatment, however, the cancer often returns, Kuppusamy said. &quot;When this happens, you cannot give cisplatin. This time the drug will not work,&quot; he noted. &quot;Since it was treated with cisplatin before, it will develop some kind of resistance to the drug.&quot;</p> <p>In experiments with ovarian cancer cells, Kuppusamy\'s team has found that NCX-4016 releases nitric oxide, which in turn re-sensitizes the tumor to cisplatin. &quot;Now, cisplatin at the same usual dose can be used to kill tumor cells,&quot; Kuppusamy said. &quot;The drug also works to kill the cancer cells.&quot;</p> <p>In women with recurrent ovarian cancer, the combination of NCX-4016 and cisplatin will be more effective in treating these drug-resistant cancer cells, Kuppusamy said.</p> <p>&quot;The next step is to use this drug combination in animals,&quot; Kuppusamy said. &quot;The third step is clinical trials. One day patients can be treated using this drug. The drug is a modification of aspirin, so there may be no toxicity.&quot;</p> <p>One expert thinks that before this drug can be used in people, it needs to be tested to be sure it has no toxic side effects, especially to other body systems.</p> <p>&quot;This study does not show what happens to other compounds in cells,&quot; said S.K. Dey, director of the division of reproductive and developmental biology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.</p> <p>Dey believes that using the drug, combined with cisplatin, seems promising for treating ovarian cancer. &quot;However, we have been fooled in the past by relying only on cell cultures. In culture, many things happen that don\'t happen in vivo,&quot; he added.</p> <p>Dey also cautioned that a drug that releases nitric oxide can have other effects on body systems. &quot;Like cardiovascular effects,&quot; he said.</p> <p>Another expert thinks human trials need to be done as quickly as possible.</p> <p>&quot;This novel agent, NCX-4016, is now shown in the cell line experiments in this paper to have both intrinsic anti-tumor activity, as well as platinum-modulation activity,&quot; said Dr. Robert Morgan Jr., section head of medical gynecologic oncology at City of Hope Cancer Center, in Duarte, Calif. &quot;Furthermore, it appears to be quite nontoxic to patients.&quot;</p> <p>Given its safety and the now-proven ability to help in treating ovarian cancer, at least in a lab setting, Morgan wants to see it moved to human trials.</p> <p>&quot;It is important that the hypotheses generated by these experiments be tested in a clinical trial of platinum-resistant ovarian cancer patients as soon as possible to verify if there will be clinical utility in this approach,&quot; he said.</p> <p>Ovarian cancer is the eighth most common cancer -- not including skin cancer -- in women, and the fifth-leading cause of cancer death. The American Cancer Society estimates there will be about 20,180 new cases of ovarian cancer in 2006, and about 15,300 women will die of the disease.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>The American Cancer Society can tell you more about <a href=\"http://www.cancer.org/docroot/cri/content/cri_2_4_1x_what_is_ovarian_cancer_33.asp?sitearea=cri\" target=\"_new\">ovarian cancer</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1182','7','	<p><p>MONDAY, July 17 (HealthDay News) -- Not only is melanoma over-diagnosed, experts say, but there may be a more sensitive way to distinguish between this treacherous cancer and normal skin.</p> <p>A team of researchers from the Mayo Clinic and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, publishing in the July issue of <i>Archives of Dermatology</i>, have characterized the differences between melanocytes (pigment-producing cells) in normal, sun-exposed skin and those in diseased tissue. </p> <p>This information, they said, could be used to pinpoint actual cases of melanoma.</p> <p>The study\'s lead researcher believes a fear of malpractice lawsuits causes many doctors to become overcautious and over-diagnose skin cancer.</p> <p>&quot;We live in a very litigious society with a lot of defensive medicine,&quot; said Dr. Ali Hendi, an assistant professor of dermatology at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fl. &quot;If a pathologist is looking under microscope [with these new guidelines], he is not going to feel that urge to overcall it,&quot; he reasoned.</p> <p>Others are not so sure.</p> <p>&quot;It\'s interesting, but it\'s not something that will suddenly change practice,&quot; said Dr. Vijay Trisal, assistant professor of surgical oncology at City of Hope Cancer Center in Duarte, Calif. </p> <p>Melanoma, which arises from melanocytes, is a particularly virulent form of cancer. It makes up 4 percent of skin cancer diagnoses and yet accounts for almost all skin cancer deaths.</p> <p>According to the American Cancer Society, roughly 62,000 Americans will be diagnosed with melanoma this year, and more than 7,900 will die as a result. </p> <p>Melanoma appears to be a growing problem in the United States. Diagnoses are up by a factor of 15 over the last 50 years but there has been considerable controversy over whether these diagnoses represent &quot;true&quot; melanoma.</p> <p>The authors of this study wanted to distinguish early &quot;real&quot; melanoma or melanoma <i>in situ</i>, from normal sun-damaged skin by quantifying the characteristics of melanocytes in face and neck skin that had been subjected to chronic sun-exposure. </p> <p>&quot;Chronic sun exposure increases the number of melanocytes and there has been this gray zone where pathologists had a hard time differentiating chronically sun-exposed skin vs. very early melanoma,&quot; Hendi explained. &quot;That\'s been the quandary. We decided to define what is normal.&quot; </p> <p>To that end, Hendi and his colleagues looked at healthy tissue samples from 132 Caucasian patients who were undergoing Mohs surgery for non-melanoma skin cancers of the face and neck.</p> <p>Mohs surgery involves removing just the diseased areas of the skin and analyzing it under a microscope so as to be able to curtail surgery as soon as the edge of the diseased tissue is reached. </p> <p>The tissue samples were stained with MART-1 (melanoma antigen recognized by T cells 1 staining) immunostain, which stains only melanocytes. </p> <p>&quot;Surprisingly, when we did the study we found that a lot of the features that were previously attributed to early melanoma were actually found in normal skin,&quot; Hendi said. &quot;That includes having several melanocytes side by side, called confluence, and having melanocytes going down the hair follicle.&quot; </p> <p>&quot;Now there is an objective measure for pathologists or Mohs surgeons,&quot; Hendi added. &quot;We\'ve defined what is normal.&quot;</p> <p>Hendi said that he was already using these guidelines in his practice. </p> <p>But, for others, the proof is not quite there.</p> <p>Trisal contended, first of all, that, &quot;I don\'t think we\'re over-diagnosing melanoma. It depends on what your benchmark is.&quot; He added that, &quot;the main issue is whether these things that we over-diagnose behave like melanoma or like normal skin? It\'s not logical to be paranoid and chip off everything, everything, everything -- but missing a melanoma can be disastrous.&quot; </p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>For more on melanoma, visit the <a href=\"http://www.skincancer.org/melanoma/index.php\" target=\"_new\">Skin Cancer Foundation</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1183','7','	<p><p>THURSDAY, July 20 (HealthDay News) -- Simply asking patients to map their moles on a drawing of their back after a monthly skin self-exam is an easy, low-cost way of reducing melanoma deaths, researchers report.</p> <p>Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer. It has a 95 percent survival rate if it\'s detected early but only a 16 percent survival rate if it\'s detected after it has begun to spread.</p> <p>One of the best methods of detecting melanoma and other skin cancers is for patients to conduct monthly skin self-exams. However, it can be difficult for patients to accurately examine their skin without a method of remembering the location and size of existing moles, the study noted.</p> <p>&quot;Most melanomas are discovered by patients. So, we looked for a way to improve the accuracy of skin self-exams. Conducting the skin self-exam with the help of a diagram showing the location of moles, scars and other marks on the skin can help a person more easily notice any changes or new lesions, which are important warning signs for melanoma,&quot; study co-author Dr. Martin A. Weinstock, of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Providence, R.I., said in a prepared statement.</p> <p>The study, published in the August issue of the <i>Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology</i>, included 88 people who were educated about skin cancer and skin self-examination. The researchers took digital photos of the patients\' upper and lower backs and instructed the patients to perform a self-exam before their next visit.</p> <p>The patients were randomly selected to receive either a blank piece of paper (46 patients) or a &quot;mole-mapping diagram&quot; (42 patients). Those who received the diagram were told to draw their moles on it before their return appointment.</p> <p>Between the patients\' initial and return visits, the researchers randomly altered the photographs of the patients\' backs, adding the image of a lesion. On their return visit, the patients were asked to indicate any changes on their photos.</p> <p>Of the patients who received the mole-mapping diagrams, more than half were able to identify the changes made to their photos.</p> <p>&quot;The results suggest that asking the participants to create a mole-mapping diagram may improve the accuracy of skin self-exam, particularly identifying a new lesion,&quot; Weinstock said.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more about <a href=\"http://www.cancer.gov/cancerinfo/wyntk/skin\" target=\"_new\">skin cancer</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1184','7','	<p><p>MONDAY, July 24 (HealthDay News) -- Anthelios SX, an over-the-counter sunscreen that contains a new molecular ingredient designed to block the sun\'s harmful ultraviolet rays, has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.</p> <p>Available in Europe and Canada since 1993, ecamsule does a better job of blocking ultraviolet A (UVA) rays than other sunscreen ingredients sold in the United States, the <i>Associated Press</i> reported. Experts have noted a link between UVA exposure and certain skin cancers, including melanoma and basal and squamous cell cancers, the wire service said.</p> <p>With a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15, the safety and effectiveness of Anthelios SX was established in 28 studies involving more than 2,500 patients ranging from 6 months to 65 years old, the FDA said in a statement. Common side effects included acne, dermatitis, dry skin, eczema, skin redness, and itching.</p> <p>The product, made by the French cosmetics firm L\'Oreal, will be distributed in the United States by LaRoche-Posay, the FDA said.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>To learn more about the link between ultraviolet rays and skin cancer, visit the U.S. <a href=\"http://www.cdc.gov/ChooseYourCover/qanda.htm\" target=\"_new\">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1185','7','	<p><p>TUESDAY, July 25 (HealthDay News) -- A new sunscreen just approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration promises protection for the full range of both ultraviolet A and B rays.</p> <p>However, that doesn\'t mean people can disregard standard advice to avoid the sun and still protect their skin, experts stressed.</p> <p>Anthelios SX, made by L\'Oreal, is new in that it contains ecamsule (Mexoryl), an agent that shields skin from short-wave UVA rays -- something sunscreens currently available in the United States are unable to do. The product will be available to consumers this fall.</p> <p>&quot;There is nothing like this in the U.S.,&quot; said Dr. Darrell S. Rigel, a clinical professor of Dermatology at New York University and advisor to L\'Oreal. &quot;Basically, it lasts longer, and it gives better protection against UVA.&quot;</p> <p>But a better sunscreen doesn\'t change the basic rules of skin protection.</p> <p>&quot;No sunscreen completely protects people against UVA radiation,&quot; said FDA spokeswoman Kimberly A. Rawlings. &quot;This product and other sunscreens reducing UVA exposure should be used in conjunction with limiting time in the sun and wearing protective clothing. FDA has not compared this product with other sunscreens capable of reducing UVA exposure.&quot;</p> <p>According to experts, UVB causes sunburn and skin cancer, while UVA causes aging and some skin cancers. Most sunscreens currently contain two active ingredients: avobenzone and octocrylene. Anthelios SX, which has an SPF of 15, contains those compounds as well, but adds in Mexoryl. Sunscreens containing Mexoryl have been available in Europe, Asia and Canada since 1993.</p> <p>Why it has taken so long for the FDA to approve the product is not clear.</p> <p>Rigel noted that most UVA protections are not chemically stable and breakdown quickly. &quot;What Mexoryl does is stabilize them and make them last longer,&quot; he said.</p> <p>While the retail price of Anthelios SX is not known, four-ounce sunscreens containing the same ingredients sell elsewhere for about $40.</p> <p>One expert believes the best sun protection combines physical sun blocks with chemical ones.</p> <p>&quot;A lot of sunscreens break down in the sun. That\'s the dirty little secret that no one talks about,&quot; said Dr. Jeffrey C. Salomon, an assistant clinical professor of plastic surgery at Yale University School of Medicine. &quot;In most sunscreens, there are both chemical and physical sun blocks.&quot;</p> <p>Sun blocks such as zinc oxide and titanium physically block the sun from coming in, Salomon said. &quot;Chemical sun blocks break down rapidly in the sun,&quot; he said. &quot;You want a sunscreen that blocks both UVA and UVB, that has a high SPF, and that is waterproof.&quot;</p> <p>&quot;It\'s best to use a sunblock that contains both physical as well as chemical blockers,&quot; Salomon advised. Salomon recommends putting a shot-glass-size amount of sunblock on each arm and leg and on the chest and back. In addition, it should be put on at least 30 minutes before going into the sun and reapplied every two hours.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>For more on skin cancer, head to the <a href=\"http://www.cancer.gov/cancerinfo/wyntk/skin\" target=\"_new\">U.S. National Cancer Institute</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1186','7','	<p> <P>Around 60,000 people worldwide die each year from skin cancer caused by too much sun exposure, according to a new estimate by the World Health Organization (WHO). The agency released a report Thursday detailing 9 diseases and conditions caused by ultraviolet (UV) radiation, and estimating their impact on global health.</p> <P><a href=\"http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/CRI_2x.asp?sitearea=&dt=39\">Melanoma</a> is the deadliest disease caused by the sun, and the primary cause of UV-related disease in the Americas, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Brunei, Japan and Singapore. The WHO says 50%-90% of all melanomas are caused by too much sun exposure.</p> <P>Excess UV exposure also causes most cases of <a href=\"http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/CRI_2x.asp?sitearea=LRN&dt=51\">non-melanoma skin cancers</a>, the agency said. It estimates that 50%-90% of basal cell carcinomas and 50%-70% of squamous cell carcinomas are due to too much sun. The sun also causes a rare type of eye cancer called squamous cell carcinoma of the cornea or conjunctiva.</p> <P>Using data from the year 2000, the agency calculated that these deadly skin cancers killed between 41,000 and 71,000 people, with the most likely figure being around 60,000. </p> <div class=T8>Slip, Slop, Slap');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1187','7','	<p><p>FRIDAY, Aug. 18 (HealthDay News) -- Sunscreens have long been an ally in the battle against skin cancer, but experts say that people still overestimate just how much protection these products can provide.</p> <p>The bad news is that skin cancer rates have continued to creep upward, at about 3 percent a year, since the early 1980s, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That includes melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, which is estimated to kill nearly 8,000 people in the United States annually. </p> <p>Vigilant, proper sunscreen use can certainly help stem the skin cancer epidemic, so what are people doing wrong?</p> <p>One mistake is believing that sunscreen is all you need to ward off the sun, and another is that the higher the SPF, the longer you can stay in the sun, experts say. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has been trying to tackle that problem by allowing manufacturers to only market SPF 30-plus on their product labels, since they believe that any higher value is misleading to consumers.</p> <p>The Sun Protection Factor (SPF) is a laboratory measure scientists developed to measure the time it takes skin to burn under UV exposure, but you have to do some of your own math, since it\'s an individual thing. If you know how long it takes you to start burning without protection in the midday sun, say 10 minutes, multiply that by the SPF number. In theory, for someone who burns in 10 minutes without protection, a sunscreen with an SPF 30 would deliver 300 minutes of protection against burning -- that\'s five hours. But experts note that\'s not the reality.</p> <p>&quot;That\'s the theory, but the SPF physically wears off with rubbing, sweating and water. The protection you get is more likely one hour to 80 minutes,&quot; said Dr. Henry Lim, chairman of the Department of Dermatology at Henry Ford Hospital, in Detroit.</p> <p>Manufacturers aren\'t blatantly lying about protection, however. Lim explained that when sunscreens are tested, the amount applied to the skin is a lot more than what consumers typically use. &quot;So, the \'in use\' SPF is lower than the \'label\' SPF,&quot; he explained. In other words, you\'re not getting as much protection for as long as you think, because you\'re in the real outdoors, not an artificially controlled lab.</p> <p>So, what should you do? Still aim for SPF 15 or higher, said Lim, since the higher SPF does offer stronger protection, although not necessarily much longer protection. An SPF 15 blocks 94 percent of UVB rays, while SPF 30 blocks 97 percent of UVB rays.</p> <p>An even bigger problem is that scientists haven\'t developed a standardized way to measure UVA protection yet. So the SPF value on a bottle only guides you as far as UVB rays go. Moreover, scientists are still fine-tuning UVA sunscreen ingredients to try increasing protection against the aging, cancer-causing rays.</p> <p>&quot;The trouble is that we have very good UVB blockers, but we don\'t have perfect UVA blockers,&quot; said Dr. James Spencer, a clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. The best one is Parsol 1789 (avobenzone), but it starts to break down when exposed to the sun. So, it offers two hours of protection, and no more than four hours.</p> <p>Manufacturers are trying to deliver more foolproof sun protection. For example, last month the FDA approved a new product called Anthelios SX by L\'Oreal, which combines three active ingredients to increase UVA protection: a new molecule called ecamsule (marketed as Mexoryl SX), plus avobenzone (Parsol 1789) and octocrylene.</p> <p>Mexoryl SX is one of a new generation of UVA filters that doesn\'t break down in sunlight, so it extends protection time. &quot;It\'s just another option for sun protection available to consumers,&quot; Lim said.</p> <p>Other products are also achieving photostability, and therefore longer-lasting protection, by combining different ingredients in a certain way. For example, Neutrogena developed an ingredient called Helioplex, which stabilizes Parsol 1789, so it provides six hours of UVA protection.</p> <p>Scientists have also been looking at dietary nutrients to boost skin\'s defenses against UV damage, and some sunscreen products contain antioxidant vitamins C and E already. &quot;There\'s some scientific evidence of photo-protection, but they don\'t replace other sunscreen agents, they\'re adjunctive agents that help,&quot; Lim said. Since both UVA and UVB form free radicals, antioxidants may help prevent the damage they cause that potentially leads to skin cancer.</p> <p>The ultimate hope is for a sunscreen pill, which you could pop before heading to the beach, with no mess or reapplication required. Already available is Heliocare, a nutritional pill supplement made with a fern extract that offers three hours of UV protection, but it\'s not meant as standalone sunscreen product.</p> <p>&quot;It\'s not something you use in place of a sunscreen, but it\'s a baby step in the right direction, since increased compliance is what we want,&quot; Spencer said.</p> <p>Despite the advances in sunscreen products, the sun safety messages have failed, especially among young people. Findings from a recent CDC survey indicate that only one in seven (14.2 percent) high school students reported using sunscreen with a SPF 15 or higher when outside for more than one hour on a sunny day.</p> <p>&quot;People are tanning more, and using sunscreen less now,&quot; Spencer noted. &quot;It\'s hard for young people to worry about something 20 years from now.&quot;</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>Find out more about sunscreen use and sun safety from the <a href=\"http://www.epa.gov/sunwise/doc/sunscreen.pdf\" target=\"_new\">U.S. Environmental Protection Agency</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1188','7','	<p> <P>Researchers from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) say they have found a way to turn normal white blood cells into cancer fighters. What\'s more, their technique actually helped 2 patients overcome melanoma that had spread to distant parts of their bodies. If their method can be perfected, it holds promise for attacking other common types of cancer, they write in a paper published online today in <i>Science Express</I>.</p> <P>Cancer researchers have been trying for decades to find a way to make the body\'s immune system recognize cancer cells and attack them, the same way it attacks viruses or transplanted organs. This approach is known as immunotherapy, and researchers sometimes speak of cancer \"vaccines\" when describing these types of treatments. White blood cells are part of the immune system.</p> <P>The NCI researchers used gene therapy to make normal immune system cells deadly to metastatic melanoma, a particularly difficult form of cancer to treat. </p> <P>In lab work, they also created altered immune cells that would attack other types of cancer cells, hinting at wider uses for this treatment.</p> <P>\"These results represent the first time gene therapy has been used successfully to treat cancer,\" said Elias Zerhouni, MD, director of the National Institutes of Health, of which NCI is a part. \"Moreover, we hope it will be applicable not only to melanoma, but also for a broad range of common cancers, such as breast and lung cancer.\" </p> <P>Though the results are exciting, they\'re not ready for widespread use yet, said Len Lichtenfeld, MD, deputy chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society.</p> <P>\"It is probably going to take several years of further investigation before we fully understand the impact of this approach, \" he said.</p> <P>Nevertheless, \"We look forward to continued reports as this research enters its next phase in the treatment of patients with cancer,\" he added.</p> <div class=T8>Expanding on Earlier Work');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1189','7','	<p><p>THURSDAY, Aug. 31 (HealthDay News) -- U.S. scientists are pointing to the full, 18-month-long remission of two melanoma patients as the first evidence that gene therapy can work to beat back cancer.</p> <p>&quot;I\'m not aware of any other gene therapy that\'s gotten this far in cancer therapy,&quot; said Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, deputy chief medical officer at the American Cancer Society.</p> <p>Lichtenfeld said the study, which was conducted by a team at the National Cancer Institute, is the &quot;first real \'proof of concept\' that this type of approach could really work.&quot;</p> <p>The findings are reported in the Sept. 1 issue of <i>Science</i>.</p> <p>The notion that the targeted manipulation of genetic material might help fight cancer has long held a special allure for researchers. However, despite decades of dedicated research, real success -- in terms of effective, durable treatments -- has remained elusive.</p> <p>That era may now be over, experts say.</p> <p>In their research, the NCI team focused on boosting the immune system\'s ability to recognize and destroy cancer cells.</p> <p>To do so, the researchers focused on healthy white blood cells called T-lymphocytes. These cells are naturally designed to identify and destroy &quot;foreign&quot; cells, including those found in tumors. But for many patients with advanced cancer, T-lymphocytes simply aren\'t up to the job.</p> <p>The group at the NCI sought to give these T-cells an extra &quot;boost&quot; to help get the job done.</p> <p>&quot;In our work, we genetically modify normal lymphocytes to give them the capacity to fight a cancer -- then return them to the patient,&quot; explained lead researcher Dr. Steven Rosenberg, chief of surgery at the NCI.</p> <p>Working with 17 patients with advanced, metastatic melanoma skin cancers, Rosenberg\'s team first removed a small sample of normal T-cells from each patient. Next, the researchers genetically engineered the cells to carry a specific cell-surface receptor, one that would help them recognize melanoma cells.</p> <p>These &quot;re-armed&quot; cells were then introduced back into the patient\'s bloodstream, where it was hoped they would gradually replace less-able lymphocytes and mount a fierce, sustained attack against the cancer.</p> <p>That\'s exactly what happened for two of the 17 patients in the study, who quickly went into a sustained remission. &quot;These two patients were treated over a year ago and are now disease-free,&quot; Rosenberg said.</p> <p>That\'s a real breakthrough when it comes to gene therapy, Lichtenfeld said.</p> <p>&quot;This has real meaning in terms of cancer treatment,&quot; he said. &quot;It isn\'t as if the tumor just shrugged a bit and then a couple weeks later came back. These responses have been ongoing over a period of months, and that\'s significant.&quot;</p> <p>Although most of the other patients in the study didn\'t fare as well, tests showed that, for most of them, the engineered T-cells did &quot;persist&quot; in their immune systems. That means the new cells survived long enough to make up at least 10 percent of circulating lymphocytes for at least two months after treatment, the researchers said.</p> <p>So, why didn\'t the therapy beat back cancer in those patients? According to Rosenberg, the strategy is still in its rough form, and no one expected that every patient would experience even partial remission. &quot;This is the first time we have ever done this,&quot; he said, &quot;so the kinds of receptors that we are using, the way we are putting them into cells, the way we are changing them -- all of that is not optimal.&quot;</p> <p>Improvements on all of those fronts are underway, however. &quot;We also have better receptors that can recognize many common cancers -- lung, breast and colon. Those trials haven\'t started yet, but we plan on starting them within the next several months,&quot; Rosenberg said.</p> <p>Lichtenfeld cautioned that this research is still in its early stages. &quot;It\'s not something that\'s going to be available tomorrow,&quot; he said. &quot;It\'s going to take a substantial amount of work to refine this, find out how effective it truly is, and determine how many people it could help. It\'s clearly a first step.&quot;</p> <p>Still, the achievement is heartening after decades of struggle, he said.</p> <p>&quot;This is the culmination of a long process of research that\'s being going on for many years,&quot; Lichtenfeld said. &quot;And it\'s just the beginning of new research that could really hold out hope for patients.&quot;</p> <p><b>Moe information</b></p> <p>For more on gene therapy and cancer, visit the <a href=\"http://www.cancer.org/docroot/MBC/content/MBC_2_3x_Gene_Therapy.asp?sitearea=MBC\" target=\"_new\">American Cancer Society</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1190','7','	<p><p>WEDNESDAY, Sept. 20 (HealthDay News) -- In the not-too-distant future, you may be able to slather on a lotion that both protects your skin from cancer and gives you a tanned look at the same time. </p> <p>Researchers are reporting that they\'ve discovered a way to repair the pathway that keeps fair-skinned people from tanning. And, it looks like repairing that pathway can help prevent the development of skin cancer too, according to the study authors. </p> <p>&quot;A small molecule applied to the skin of red-haired, fair-skinned mice essentially rescued the pathway and allowed the mice to darken. The reactivation of that pathway was protective to the mice,&quot; said the study\'s lead author, Dr. David E. Fisher, director of the Melanoma Program at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. &quot;What we\'re learning will hopefully be leading us to new strategies for skin-cancer prevention.&quot;</p> <p>The findings were published in the Sept. 21 issue of <i>Nature</i>.</p> <p>But, not everyone is convinced the approach will work -- at least any time soon.</p> <p>&quot;I think it will be a while before we have a cream that can safely increase melanin in the skin,&quot; said Dr. Seth J. Orlow, chairman of the department of dermatology at New York University Medical Center in New York City. &quot;I think this study was carefully done, but we would be well advised to temper any enthusiasm.&quot; </p> <p>Orlow said the skin on mice is much thinner than it is on humans, so it would be harder for any potential medications to penetrate deep enough to be effective. He also said he\'d be concerned about potential side effects from such a medication. </p> <p>Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer. More than one million Americans will be diagnosed with skin cancer this year, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. Over 90 percent of skin cancers can be attributed to sun exposure. </p> <p>People with fair skin, light hair and/or light eyes tend to develop skin cancer at higher rates than people with darker skin. That\'s because people with darker skin produce more melanin, a pigment that protects against the development of deadly skin cancer, according to Fisher. </p> <p>To figure out what\'s going on under the skin, Fisher and his team studied red-haired, fair-skinned mice. Like people with red hair and light skin, these mice didn\'t tan, but instead burned when exposed to the sun and its ultraviolet rays.</p> <p>Melanin is manufactured when a chemical known as cyclic AMP (cAMP) stimulates melanocytes, the melanin-producing cells in the skin. Different people produce different levels of cAMP. People with red hair and fair skin tend to have low levels of cAMP. </p> <p>Levels of cAMP are controlled by a hormone called melanocyte stimulating hormone (MSH). The reason that fair-skinned, red-haired mice have low levels of cAMP is that the receptor for MSH, which is called MC1R, is shaped differently and can\'t be effectively stimulated by MSH. The result is fair skin, because less pigment is produced. </p> <p>Fisher and his colleagues believed that this pathway to melanin production could be repaired in the fair mice. To test this theory, the researchers used a compound known as forskolin on the mice because it\'s believed to raise cAMP levels. </p> <p>Indeed, after forskolin was rubbed on the skin of the mice, their skin darkened. According to Fisher, the tanning process appeared to be indistinguishable from the normal tanning process that skin goes through when exposed to sunlight. And, he said, the mice didn\'t have the same inflammatory response in their skin after being exposed to the sun. Additionally, the researchers didn\'t notice any ill effects from the treatment, he added. </p> <p>But, Fisher said, &quot;Long before this could be recommended for people, it has to be rigorously tested. We have to be sure what we\'re doing is safe. We don\'t want to cause problems in people who are otherwise healthy.&quot; </p> <p>Fisher said forskolin is only one potential drug, and that there are many others that can be tested. </p> <p>&quot;Skin cancer appears to be one of the most preventable cancers in man, yet its incidence is rising. We need to develop more strategies to help people prevent it,&quot; Fisher said. And, he added, if a lotion can tan the skin, such &quot;darkening may diminish sun-seeking behavior,&quot; which would also help prevent skin cancer. </p> <p>Fisher\'s group isn\'t the only team of researchers hoping to develop a product that can tan the skin and protect against skin cancer. A group of Australian researchers has already conducted Phase I and II clinical trials on an injectable medication called melanotan. Melanotan is a synthetic version of MSH. In a small trial involving 12 people, those who took the manufactured hormone had about a 20 percent increase in MSH levels. </p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>The Skin Cancer Foundation has more advice on <a href=\"http://www.skincancer.org/prevention/index.php\" target=\"_new\">preventing skin cancer</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1191','7','	<p> <P><b>Summary:</b> Women whose partners use condoms every time they have sex are less likely to become infected with HPV, the virus that can cause <a href=\"http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/CRI_2x.asp?sitearea=&dt=8\">cervical cancer</a> and genital warts, than women who only occasionally use them. Consistent condom use cut a woman\'s risk of infection by 70% and protected her from developing precancerous cervical changes, according to a University of Washington study published in the <i>New England Journal of Medicine</i>. </p> <P><b>Why it\'s important:</b> <a href=\"http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_6x_FAQ_HPV_Vaccines.asp\">HPV, or human papilloma virus</a>, is a very common virus. There are more than 30 strains that can be transmitted through sexual contact. Millions of Americans become infected with one of these strains every year, but most never know it because the virus usually causes no symptoms and the body gets rid of the infection on its own. Sometimes, though, the virus doesn\'t go away, and certain strains of the virus can eventually cause genital warts or cervical cancer. </p> <P>The Gardasil vaccine which was recently approved for use in young women and girls, can protect women against 4 strains of the virus that cause nearly all cases of genital warts and about 70% of cervical cancers. But the vaccine does not protect against the many other strains of HPV that can cause cancer or warts. This study shows that condoms are another tool women can use to protect themselves from HPV and the diseases it can cause.</p> <P><b>What\'s already known:</b> Aside from helping prevent unintended pregnancy, condoms have been shown to help reduce the risk of several sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. But there has been some controversy over just how much protection condoms might offer women from HPV. Studies done in the past did not show a great benefit for preventing HPV infection, although some large ones did find that condom use seemed to reduce the chances of women developing precancerous changes in the cervix. But those studies had many design flaws that made it difficult to rely on their findings. For instance, they were based on people\'s memories of how often they used condoms (always, sometimes, or never) over a long period of time in the past. </p> <P><b>How this study was done:</b> The new study was designed to address those shortcomings. The researchers studied only young women (college students age 18 and older) who had never had sex before, or who\'d had their first sexual encounter within 3 months of the study\'s start. By restricting participation in this way, the researchers lowered the chance of a woman having a previous HPV infection that might skew results by flaring up during the study, even though she didn\'t acquire it during the study. The researchers also asked the women to keep daily online diaries tracking how often they had sex, whether their partner used a condom, and whether they had a new partner. That gave the researchers a much more precise measure of condom usage. All the women had a Pap test and HPV test at the beginning of the study, and every 4 months for the next year. </p> <P>That careful design makes the study \"immensely important\" even though only 82 women took part, said gynecologist Tom Cox, MD. He is director of the women\'s health clinic at the University of California, Santa Barbara, Student Health Service and a member of the committee that developed the American Cancer Society\'s guidelines for cervical cancer detection. He was not involved in the University of Washington study.</p> <P>\"It\'s not a huge study, but it\'s people who were followed so intensely and had such strict parameters of entry into the study that it markedly increases the value of the results,\" he explained.</p> <P><b>What was found:</b> Women who reported using condoms 100% of the time had a dramatically lower rate of HPV infection than women who said they used condoms only 5% of the time or less. The consistent condom users were 70% less likely to become infected. Even inconsistent use helped; women who used condoms only half the time cut their risk of HPV infection by 50%. </p> <P>What\'s more, no cervical precancers were found among women who used condoms 100% of the time, but 14 precancers were detected in the women who used condoms 5% of the time or less.</p> <P>\"It certainly gives individuals one more reason to use condoms all the time, at least until they\'re in a relationship that they consider to be beyond the pale of being at risk for sexually transmitted diseases,\" said Cox.</p> <P>It\'s important to note, though, that condom use wasn\'t 100% effective in protecting against HPV. One reason is that the virus can be transmitted by skin-to-skin contact and may linger in areas that don\'t get covered by a condom. Another is that people don\'t always use condoms correctly. </p> <P><b>The bottom line:</b> Young women should use condoms every time they have sex and doctors should encourage them to do so, while also reminding them of other ways to protect themselves from HPV, said lead study researcher Rachel Winer, PhD.</p> <P>\"Using condoms can reduce your risk of [HPV] infection significantly,\" said Winer, an epidemiology instructor at the University of Washington. \"But given that it\'s not 100%, it\'s still important that women who are able to get vaccinated [against HPV] get vaccinated. And even if they use condoms and get vaccinated it\'s still important to get screened for cervical cancer.\"</p> <P>Cox agrees. Neither condoms nor the HPV vaccine offer complete protection against every HPV type that could cause cervical cancer, so regular screening with Pap tests is still crucial to preventing the disease.</p> <P>\"Cervical screening has to continue,\" he said. \"Women are still at risk.\" </p> <DIV align=center><IMG height=1 alt=\"\" src=\"/images/health/story/www_cancer_org/common/images/rule.gif\" width=440 vspace=10 name=rule></DIV> <P><b>Citation:</b> \"Condom Use and the Risk of Genital Human Papillomavirus Infection in Young Women.\" Published in the June 22, 2006 ,<i>New England Journal of Medicine</i> (Vol. 354, No. 25: 2645-2654). First author: Rachel Winer, PhD, University of Washington HPV Research Group. </p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1192','1','<!--startclickprintinclude--><script language=\"JavaScript\" type=\"text/javascript\">var clickExpire = \"02/1/2007\";</script> <div id=\"cnnSCHighlightsBox\"><!----><h4><span>Story Highlights</span></h4>&#8226; Amount of nicotine that smokers inhale rose by 11 percent from 1998 to 2005<br> &#8226; Nicotine yields rose in cigarettes from each of the four major manufacturers <br> &#8226; Harvard researchers analyzed cigarette makers\' data sent to state health officials<br>  </div><div id=\"cnnSCFontButtons\" ><!--startclickprintexclude--><div id=\"cnnSCFontLabel\">Adjust font size:</div>\n<div id=\"cnnSCFontMinusBtn\" onclick=\"setActiveStyleSheet(\'default\'); return false;\"><img src=\"http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/story/misc/icon.minus.dim.gif\" border=\"0\" height=\"12\" width=\"18\" alt=\"Decrease font\" title=\"Decrease font\" class=\"cnnIncreaseFont\"><img src=\"http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/story/misc/icon.minus.gif\" border=\"0\" height=\"12\" width=\"18\" alt=\"Decrease font\" title=\"Decrease font\" class=\"cnnDecreaseFont\"></div>\n<div id=\"cnnSCFontPlusBtn\" onclick=\"setActiveStyleSheet(\'LargeFont\'); return false;\"><img src=\"http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/story/misc/icon.plus.gif\" border=\"0\" height=\"12\" width=\"18\" alt=\"Enlarge font\" title=\"Enlarge font\" class=\"cnnIncreaseFont\"><img src=\"http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/story/misc/icon.plus.dim.gif\" border=\"0\" height=\"12\" width=\"18\" alt=\"Enlarge font\" title=\"Enlarge font\" class=\"cnnDecreaseFont\"></div><!--endclickprintexclude--></div><p><b>BOSTON, Massachusetts</b> (Reuters)  -- The amount of nicotine that smokers typically inhale per cigarette rose by 11 percent from 1998 to 2005, perpetuating a &quot;tobacco pandemic&quot; that makes it harder for smokers to quit, a Harvard study said on Thursday.</p><p>Harvard School of Public Health researchers analyzed data submitted by major cigarette brands to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, which in August released its own study showing nicotine levels steadily rising.</p><p>The amount of nicotine that smokers typically consume per cigarette regardless of brand per year rose by an average of 1.6 percent between 1998 and 2005, according to the Harvard analysis of the state\'s health records.</p><p>Massachusetts has required tobacco companies to submit annual reports on cigarette nicotine yields since 1997, longer than any U.S. state.</p><p>&quot;Cigarettes are finely tuned drug delivery devices designed to perpetuate a tobacco pandemic,&quot; said Howard Koh, the school\'s associate dean for public health practice and former Massachusetts commissioner of public health.</p><p>To boost amounts of nicotine inhaled by smokers, cigarette makers intensified the concentration of nicotine in their tobacco and modified cigarette designs to increase the number of puffs per cigarette, the Harvard researchers said.</p><p>&quot;The end result is a product that is potentially more addictive,&quot; the study said.</p><p>Nicotine yields rose in cigarettes of each of the four major manufacturers and across all major cigarette market categories -- from mentholated and non-mentholated to full-flavored, light and ultralight, the study said.</p><p>Phillip Morris, a unit of Altria Group Inc. and the largest cigarette maker, said in a statement its data reported to Massachusetts from 1997 to 2006 reflect &quot;random variations in cigarette nicotine yields, both upwards and downwards.&quot;</p><p>The nicotine yield in Marlboro cigarettes was the same in both 1997 and 2006 -- at 1.86 mg per cigarette, it added.</p><p>R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., makers of Camel and Kool cigarettes, said in a statement that it does not have a program to systematically increase the nicotine content or smoke nicotine yields of its products.</p><a name=\"1\"></a><a name=\"rv1\"></a><h3>Tougher scrutiny urged</h3><p>The most recent federal tobacco tax figures showed that the number of cigarettes sold in the United States fell in 2005 to the lowest level in 55 years, dropping 4.2 percent from 2004, the largest one-year percentage decrease since 1999.</p><p>That continued an eight-year decline in cigarette smoking since the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement between U.S. states and the tobacco industry that settled state lawsuits over the costs of treating smoking-related illnesses.</p><p>&quot;Our findings call into serious question whether the tobacco industry has changed at all in its pursuit of addicting smokers since signing the Master Settlement Agreement,&quot; said Gregory Connolly, director of the Harvard School of Public Health\'s Tobacco Control Research Program.</p><p>He said tobacco companies had failed to warn consumers about rising levels of nicotine since the 1998 settlement, urging U.S. states to step up scrutiny of the industry.</p><p>The major companies that signed the agreement are Philip Morris, a unit of Altria Group Inc.; R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Holdings Inc.; British American Tobacco Plc\'s Brown &amp; Williamson unit; and Lorillard, which trades as Carolina Group and is part of Loews Corp.</p><p>The study received funding from the American Legacy Foundation and the National Cancer Institute.</p><p>The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers cigarette smoking the leading preventable cause of death in the United States. About 440,000 people die each year from lung cancer and other diseases related to tobacco use.</p><p class=\"cnnSCAttribution\">Copyright 2007 <a href=\"/interactive_legal.html#Reuters\">Reuters</a>. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.</p><!--startclickprintexclude-->  ');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1193','1','<!--startclickprintinclude--><script language=\"JavaScript\" type=\"text/javascript\">var clickExpire = \"02/1/2007\";</script> <div id=\"cnnSCFontButtons\" class=\"cnn0pxTMargin\"><!--startclickprintexclude--><div id=\"cnnSCFontLabel\">Adjust font size:</div>\n<div id=\"cnnSCFontMinusBtn\" onclick=\"setActiveStyleSheet(\'default\'); return false;\"><img src=\"http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/story/misc/icon.minus.dim.gif\" border=\"0\" height=\"12\" width=\"18\" alt=\"Decrease font\" title=\"Decrease font\" class=\"cnnIncreaseFont\"><img src=\"http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/story/misc/icon.minus.gif\" border=\"0\" height=\"12\" width=\"18\" alt=\"Decrease font\" title=\"Decrease font\" class=\"cnnDecreaseFont\"></div>\n<div id=\"cnnSCFontPlusBtn\" onclick=\"setActiveStyleSheet(\'LargeFont\'); return false;\"><img src=\"http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/story/misc/icon.plus.gif\" border=\"0\" height=\"12\" width=\"18\" alt=\"Enlarge font\" title=\"Enlarge font\" class=\"cnnIncreaseFont\"><img src=\"http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/story/misc/icon.plus.dim.gif\" border=\"0\" height=\"12\" width=\"18\" alt=\"Enlarge font\" title=\"Enlarge font\" class=\"cnnDecreaseFont\"></div><!--endclickprintexclude--></div><p><b>WASHINGTON</b> (Reuters)  -- A nasty staph germ that circulates widely, including in some hospitals, produces a poison that can kill pneumonia patients within 72 hours, researchers said Thursday.</p><p>Staphylococcus aureus bacteria -- Staph for short -- can pass one another the gene for the toxin and are apparently swapping it more often, the researchers report in Friday\'s issue of the journal Science.</p><p>The toxin, called Panton Valentine leukocidin or PVL, can itself cause pneumonia and can kill healthy tissue.</p><p>Luckily, people infected with the bacteria quickly develop a high fever and astute doctors can identify it, said Gabriela Bowden of the Texas A&amp;M Health Science Center in Houston, who led the study.</p><p>&quot;This is a scary situation. We are trying to put the word out and to educate people about it,&quot; Bowden said in a telephone interview.</p><p>S. aureus is the most common cause of hospital-acquired infections, and can cause inflammation of the heart, toxic-shock syndrome and meningitis.</p><p>A new strain resists the antibiotic methicillin, but it can be treated with other antibiotics including doxycycline and vancomycin.</p><p>Methicillin-resistant Staph broke out in a British hospital in December and killed two patients with a new type of pneumonia called necrotizing pneumonia. This infection destroys lung tissue and also kills some of the immune system cells sent to battle it.</p><p>&quot;The pneumonia itself is very severe,&quot; Bowden said. &quot;There is massive inflammation and there is fluid in the lungs and there is damage to the tissue. It can progress very quickly and in 72 hours the patient can be in a severe condition, or it can even be lethal in 72 hours.&quot;</p><p>The bacteria, which commonly live on the skin anyway and cause pimples, boils and other minor infections, can cause a serious wound if the toxin-producing strains get into a cut.</p><a name=\"1\"></a><a name=\"rv1\"></a><h3>Wash your hands!</h3><p>Old-fashioned hygiene is the best line of defense, Bowden said.</p><p>&quot;This is a community-associated strain, which means that in schools, the kids can carry it. Anybody can be colonized with it,&quot; she said.</p><p>&quot;I tell my kids if you scrape your knee, go to the bathroom immediately and wash it with soap.&quot; Hospitals must impose strict hygiene to control it.</p><p>Any skin infection that appears to become serious quickly requires immediate attention, Bowden said. The strain is common in Houston, where she works, and researchers in Europe are also concerned about its spread.</p><p>Bowden\'s team tested the PVL-producing Staph on mice and found that two days after infection, their lungs were filled with immune cells and lung tissue was starting to bleed and die.</p><p>A stretch of DNA known as a cassette carries the code for the PVL toxin. Such a little segment is easily passed from one strain of bacteria to another, said Bowden, and viruses called bacteriophages can also carry them.</p><p>Understanding how this happens could provide a way to develop new drugs or vaccines and shed light on how bacteria acquire new and dangerous qualities.</p><p>Because bacteria swap genetic material so easily, the risk that this toxin could spread is real, Bowden said.</p><p>Penicillin once cured Staph infection but the bacteria quickly developed resistance. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that in 1972, only 2 percent of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria infections were drug-resistant, but by 2004, 63 percent were.</p><p>Some companies are working on staph vaccines but none is on the market.</p><p class=\"cnnSCAttribution\">Copyright 2007 <a href=\"/interactive_legal.html#Reuters\">Reuters</a>. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.</p><!--startclickprintexclude-->  ');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1194','1','<!--startclickprintinclude--><script language=\"JavaScript\" type=\"text/javascript\">var clickExpire = \"02/17/2007\";</script> <div id=\"cnnSCFontButtons\" class=\"cnn0pxTMargin\"><!--startclickprintexclude--><div id=\"cnnSCFontLabel\">Adjust font size:</div>\n<div id=\"cnnSCFontMinusBtn\" onclick=\"setActiveStyleSheet(\'default\'); return false;\"><img src=\"http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/story/misc/icon.minus.dim.gif\" border=\"0\" height=\"12\" width=\"18\" alt=\"Decrease font\" title=\"Decrease font\" class=\"cnnIncreaseFont\"><img src=\"http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/story/misc/icon.minus.gif\" border=\"0\" height=\"12\" width=\"18\" alt=\"Decrease font\" title=\"Decrease font\" class=\"cnnDecreaseFont\"></div>\n<div id=\"cnnSCFontPlusBtn\" onclick=\"setActiveStyleSheet(\'LargeFont\'); return false;\"><img src=\"http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/story/misc/icon.plus.gif\" border=\"0\" height=\"12\" width=\"18\" alt=\"Enlarge font\" title=\"Enlarge font\" class=\"cnnIncreaseFont\"><img src=\"http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/story/misc/icon.plus.dim.gif\" border=\"0\" height=\"12\" width=\"18\" alt=\"Enlarge font\" title=\"Enlarge font\" class=\"cnnDecreaseFont\"></div><!--endclickprintexclude--></div><p><b>ATLANTA, Georgia</b> (AP)  -- Birth defects lead to more than $2.5 billion a year in hospital costs alone, according to the first national studies to estimate their financial burden on U.S. families.</p><p>The reports are the most comprehensive to look at the costs of birth defects in at least 10 years, experts said.</p><p>They also will give many families their first real idea of the expense of a baby born with serious birth defects, said Dr. Nancy Green, medical director for the March of Dimes, which campaigns for birth defects prevention.</p><p>&quot;People who are pregnant don\'t want to think about adverse outcomes, but these are unhappy realities,&quot; Green said. &quot;Getting the word out about their presence and impact helps people understand better about these risks.&quot;</p><p>The risk of having a child with a birth defect is 3 to 4 out of every 100 babies born, according to March of Dimes officials.</p><p>The first study, released Thursday, was done by researchers at the University of Arkansas and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and used 2003 data from 36 states.</p><p>They looked at what hospitals charged patients -- not the actual cost of care, which is just a fraction of hospital charges. They did not include physicians\' bills or other medical charges related to birth defect care.</p><p>The researchers looked at cases in which a child had one of 35 obvious and serious birth defects, and was under 10 days old at the time the baby was admitted to a hospital for care for that defect.</p><a name=\"1\"></a><a name=\"rv1\"></a><h3>Deadly defect</h3><p>Certain birth defects were particularly deadly: For example, about 85 percent of babies born with anencephaly -- that is, born without all or most of their brain and skull -- died in the hospital. Most died within two days of birth.</p><p>Because of their brief life span and the limited options for care, the average hospital bill for one of these cases was $3,800.</p><p>The longest hospital stays were for children with surgically repaired gastroschisis, a defect involving an opening in the abdomen through which intestines stick out. The condition kept children in hospitals for 41 days, on average. The average bill was one of the highest among birth defects -- about $156,000.</p><p>The most expensive condition was hypoplastic left heart, in which an infant is almost or completely missing the two left chambers of the heart. Treatment is a heart transplant or a series of reconstructive surgeries, and the condition required a 29-day stay in the hospital that cost about $200,000, on average.</p><p>&quot;It (the bill) is almost always a function of how long they were in the hospital because of the surgeries that were done,&quot; said James Robbins, the Arkansas researcher who led the study.</p><p>Some defects can be detected during pregnancy through tests like amniocentesis and ultrasound, including anencephaly, spina bifida and chromosomal abnormalities. But some heart problems are more subtle and go unrecognized until after birth, Robbins said.</p><p>A second study released this week, by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, looked at 2004 data from 37 states.</p><p>Those researchers measured something different. They estimated what it cost hospitals to care for birth defects, which they reasoned was about 40 percent of what the hospitals charged.</p><p>And they looked not only at newborns, but at a sample of people of all ages who had hospital stays primarily for the treatment of birth defects.</p><p>They found the average age of patients was about 171/2 years, the average hospital stay about six days, and the average per-stay cost was $18,600. The aggregated cost for all these hospital visits was nearly more than $2.5 billion, the researchers found.</p><p>&quot;These (birth defects) are expensive -- many of them are surgically treated -- and the impact on society becomes large when you add this up,&quot; Green said.</p><p>The March of Dimes is planning to petition the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to increase requirements that food be enriched with folic acid, which lowers the risk for spina bifida and certain other birth defects.</p><p class=\"cnnSCAttribution\">Copyright 2007 The <a href=\"/interactive_legal.html#AP\">Associated Press</a>. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.</p><!--startclickprintexclude-->  ');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1195','1','<!--startclickprintinclude--><script language=\"JavaScript\" type=\"text/javascript\">var clickExpire = \"02/16/2007\";</script> <div id=\"cnnSCFontButtons\" class=\"cnn0pxTMargin\"><!--startclickprintexclude--><div id=\"cnnSCFontLabel\">Adjust font size:</div>\n<div id=\"cnnSCFontMinusBtn\" onclick=\"setActiveStyleSheet(\'default\'); return false;\"><img src=\"http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/story/misc/icon.minus.dim.gif\" border=\"0\" height=\"12\" width=\"18\" alt=\"Decrease font\" title=\"Decrease font\" class=\"cnnIncreaseFont\"><img src=\"http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/story/misc/icon.minus.gif\" border=\"0\" height=\"12\" width=\"18\" alt=\"Decrease font\" title=\"Decrease font\" class=\"cnnDecreaseFont\"></div>\n<div id=\"cnnSCFontPlusBtn\" onclick=\"setActiveStyleSheet(\'LargeFont\'); return false;\"><img src=\"http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/story/misc/icon.plus.gif\" border=\"0\" height=\"12\" width=\"18\" alt=\"Enlarge font\" title=\"Enlarge font\" class=\"cnnIncreaseFont\"><img src=\"http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/story/misc/icon.plus.dim.gif\" border=\"0\" height=\"12\" width=\"18\" alt=\"Enlarge font\" title=\"Enlarge font\" class=\"cnnDecreaseFont\"></div><!--endclickprintexclude--></div><p><b>BOSTON, Massachusetts</b> (AP)  -- Cancer turns up five times more often in women with extremely dense breasts than in those with the most fatty tissue, a study shows, signaling the importance of a risk factor rarely discussed with patients.</p><p>On mammograms, fat looks dark, but dense tissue is light, like tumors, so it can hide the cancers. But this study confirms that cancers are also more frequent -- not just hidden -- in women with dense breasts.</p><p>That means that density is a true risk factor, along with other strong predictors such as age and the genes BRCA1 and 2. Yet specialists say that breast density is rarely considered with other risk factors in discussions between doctors and patients.</p><p>&quot;It\'s been ignored to an absolutely unbelievable degree,&quot; said study leader Dr. Norman Boyd at Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto, Canada.</p><p>The Canadian study by cancer centers in Toronto and Vancouver focuses on how and when cancers were found over eight years in existing records of 1,112 women collected between 1981 and last year. It is being reported in Thursday\'s New England Journal of Medicine.</p><p>Breast density comes from the presence of more connective, duct-lining and milk-gland tissue than fat. But a woman can\'t judge her own density; it is routinely evaluated from a mammogram.</p><p>Previous studies had linked breast density to a higher rate of cancer, pointing to both masking and a separate biological risk.</p><p>In this study, women with at least 75 percent dense breasts showed five times more likelihood of cancer than women with less than 10 percent density.</p><p>The researchers went further by calculating just how many more cancers were found at screening, within the next year, and in the years afterward. Cancers found within a year were considered likely to have been present, but masked, during the earlier mammogram. But a true biological risk was seen in cancers discovered by mammogram or long afterward.</p><p>In this study, cancers were 18 times more likely in women with the densest breasts within the first year after mammograms -- the masking effect.</p><p>However, cancers in women with the densest breasts were also more than three times more likely to turn up at the time of screening and after the first year following a mammogram. That confirms and helps quantify the true biological link between density and cancer.</p><a name=\"1\"></a><a name=\"rv1\"></a><h3>\'An incredible risk factor\'</h3><p>&quot;I think the masking thing is important, and it does happen, but the most important thing is that this is an incredible risk factor,&quot; said Dr. Karla Kerlikowske, of the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in San Francisco, California, who wrote an accompanying editorial. &quot;This probably counts for a large percentage of the cancer that\'s occurring.&quot;</p><p>Breast cancers are the second most lethal kind after lung cancers in women. About 41,000 U.S. women died of breast cancer last year. Worldwide, it kills about 370,000 women each year.</p><p>In this study, density of more than 50 percent accounted for 16 percent of all cancers and a quarter in women under age 56.</p><p>Robert Smith, a screening expert at the American Cancer Society, said this study and its predecessors will encourage a rethinking of cancer screening.</p><p>For now, women can ask their doctor about their breast density based on a mammogram and how it might affect their risk. However, experts say it\'s too soon for doctors to provide solid advice to individual patients.</p><p>For one thing, quicker, more accurate tools are needed to measure density. Some experts believe that ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging or computerized mammograms may ultimately prove better at finding tumors in very dense breasts, but it\'s still unclear how much value each might yield for its cost.</p><p>&quot;In a perfect world, I would have my wife do an ultrasound, MRI, and a digital mammogram,&quot; said Dr. Gary J. Whitman, a radiologist at University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. He was not involved in the study.</p><p>Some believe lifestyle changes or even preventive drugs may one day be recommended to women with this risk factor.</p><p>Meanwhile, specialists hope to identify genes that promote density, because they might act as targets for cancer drugs.</p><p>In another study in the same journal, a research team at the University of Michigan described a newly identified set of 186 genes that appears to predict whether a breast tumor will spread.</p><p>Other so-called gene signatures have been discovered for breast cancer, but this one is also linked to survival in lung, prostate and brain cancers.</p><p class=\"cnnSCAttribution\">Copyright 2007 The <a href=\"/interactive_legal.html#AP\">Associated Press</a>. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.</p><br clear=\"all\"> <!--startclickprintexclude-->  ');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1196','1','<!--startclickprintinclude--><script language=\"JavaScript\" type=\"text/javascript\">var clickExpire = \"02/1/2007\";</script> <div id=\"cnnSCFontButtons\" class=\"cnn0pxTMargin\"><!--startclickprintexclude--><div id=\"cnnSCFontLabel\">Adjust font size:</div>\n<div id=\"cnnSCFontMinusBtn\" onclick=\"setActiveStyleSheet(\'default\'); return false;\"><img src=\"http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/story/misc/icon.minus.dim.gif\" border=\"0\" height=\"12\" width=\"18\" alt=\"Decrease font\" title=\"Decrease font\" class=\"cnnIncreaseFont\"><img src=\"http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/story/misc/icon.minus.gif\" border=\"0\" height=\"12\" width=\"18\" alt=\"Decrease font\" title=\"Decrease font\" class=\"cnnDecreaseFont\"></div>\n<div id=\"cnnSCFontPlusBtn\" onclick=\"setActiveStyleSheet(\'LargeFont\'); return false;\"><img src=\"http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/story/misc/icon.plus.gif\" border=\"0\" height=\"12\" width=\"18\" alt=\"Enlarge font\" title=\"Enlarge font\" class=\"cnnIncreaseFont\"><img src=\"http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/story/misc/icon.plus.dim.gif\" border=\"0\" height=\"12\" width=\"18\" alt=\"Enlarge font\" title=\"Enlarge font\" class=\"cnnDecreaseFont\"></div><!--endclickprintexclude--></div><p><b>NEW YORK</b> (Reuters) -- Higher doses of Viagra (sildenafil) may impair the ability to smell, which is possibly related to an increase in nasal congestion, German researchers report in The Journal of Urology.</p><p>A team led by Dr. V. Gudziol at the University of Dresden Medical School studied 20 healthy, young male volunteers who received Viagra, at a 50- or 100-mg dose, or inactive &quot;placebo&quot; and then were exposed to an odor-dispensing device.</p><p>The researchers tested the subjects\' odor detection threshold, odor discrimination and odor identification ability.</p><p>They found that the 100-mg dose caused a drop in smelling or &quot;olfactory&quot; ability, specifically odor discrimination and odor threshold, compared with placebo. The 50-mg dose, by contrast, had no effect on olfactory function.</p><p>&quot;In our subjects, the most likely reason for impaired...olfactory function was nasal congestion&quot; brought on by Viagra, the authors write. They note that, while it was not evaluated in this study, previous reports have linked Viagra with a drop in nasal airflow.</p><p class=\"cnnSCAttribution\">Copyright 2007 <a href=\"/interactive_legal.html#Reuters\">Reuters</a>. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.</p><!--startclickprintexclude-->  ');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1197','1','<!--startclickprintinclude--><script language=\"JavaScript\" type=\"text/javascript\">var clickExpire = \"-1\";</script> <div id=\"cnnSCHighlightsBox\"><!----><h4><span>Story Highlights</span></h4>&#8226; Worldwide measles deaths down 60 percent since 1999<br> &#8226; Drop attributed largely to a 75 percent decline in measles deaths in Africa<br> &#8226; Numbers exceed U.N. goal to cut measles deaths in half between 1999 and 2005<br>  </div><div id=\"cnnSCFontButtons\" ><div id=\"cnnSCByLine\">(CNN)</div><!--startclickprintexclude--><div id=\"cnnSCFontLabel\">Adjust font size:</div>\n<div id=\"cnnSCFontMinusBtn\" onclick=\"setActiveStyleSheet(\'default\'); return false;\"><img src=\"http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/story/misc/icon.minus.dim.gif\" border=\"0\" height=\"12\" width=\"18\" alt=\"Decrease font\" title=\"Decrease font\" class=\"cnnIncreaseFont\"><img src=\"http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/story/misc/icon.minus.gif\" border=\"0\" height=\"12\" width=\"18\" alt=\"Decrease font\" title=\"Decrease font\" class=\"cnnDecreaseFont\"></div>\n<div id=\"cnnSCFontPlusBtn\" onclick=\"setActiveStyleSheet(\'LargeFont\'); return false;\"><img src=\"http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/story/misc/icon.plus.gif\" border=\"0\" height=\"12\" width=\"18\" alt=\"Enlarge font\" title=\"Enlarge font\" class=\"cnnIncreaseFont\"><img src=\"http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/story/misc/icon.plus.dim.gif\" border=\"0\" height=\"12\" width=\"18\" alt=\"Enlarge font\" title=\"Enlarge font\" class=\"cnnDecreaseFont\"></div><!--endclickprintexclude--></div><p><b>WASHINGTON</b> (CNN)  -- The number of people who died worldwide from measles has fallen 60 percent since 1999, a decrease being called an incredible achievement in global public health.</p><p>The partners in the Measles Initiative immunization program -- including the World Health Organization, the American Red Cross, UNICEF, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the United Nations Foundation -- noted Thursday that the numbers exceed the U.N. goal to cut measles deaths in half between 1999 and 2005.</p><p>The group said the drop is largely due to an unprecedented decline in measles deaths in Africa, which has the highest measles burden in the world. Rates there declined by 75 percent.</p><p>&quot;Our promise to cut measles deaths by half and save hundreds of thousands of lives has not only been fulfilled, it has been surpassed in just six years, with Africa leading the way,&quot; said Dr. Margaret Chan, WHO\'s director-general. &quot;This is a historic victory for global public health, for the power of partnership and for commitment by countries to fight a terrible disease.&quot;</p><p>According to WHO, global deaths fell from an estimated 873,000 in 1999 to 345,000 in 2005. About 90 percent of the deaths in both years were of children under the age of 5. For them, deaths dropped from 791,000 in 1999 to 311,000 in 2005.</p><p>&quot;Immunizing children is clearly saving lives and contributing to the achievement of the millennium development goals,&quot; said Ann Veneman, UNICEF\'s executive director. &quot;We must urgently build on this momentum with integrated community-based programs to help save the lives of the over 10 million children who die of preventable causes every year.&quot;</p><p>According to Veneman, half of those 10 million children are in Africa, even though the continent makes up only 11 percent of the world\'s population, making the 75 percent reduction on that continent quite an achievement.</p><p>&quot;We are winning the fight against measles, which has long killed, sickened and disabled our children,&quot; said U Olanguena Awono, minister of public health for Cameroon. &quot;Our determination is stronger than ever to make measles history by further strengthening our measles control activities.&quot;</p><p>The partnership estimates accelerated immunization efforts have averted more than 2 million deaths, in part because they have contributed to a reduction in child deaths from other causes, since measles immunization campaigns often are conducted along with other life-saving interventions such as polio vaccination, providing bed nets to protect against malaria, offering deworming medicine and giving vitamin A supplements.</p><p>In the wake of this success, the partnership has announced a new goal -- a 90 percent reduction in global measles death by the year 2010. It hopes to start campaigns in countries such as India and Pakistan, which have high numbers of measles deaths but no immunization programs.</p><!--startclickprintexclude-->  ');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1198','1','<!--startclickprintinclude--><script language=\"JavaScript\" type=\"text/javascript\">var clickExpire = \"02/18/2007\";</script> <div id=\"cnnSCHighlightsBox\"><!----><h4><span>Story Highlights</span></h4>&#8226; Hilton near Dulles airport closed after 120 people are sickened by norovirus<br> &#8226; Guests, events being relocated to other hotels<br> &#8226; Top-to-bottom scrubbing under way; reopening expected Tuesday<br>  </div><div id=\"cnnSCFontButtons\" ><!--startclickprintexclude--><div id=\"cnnSCFontLabel\">Adjust font size:</div>\n<div id=\"cnnSCFontMinusBtn\" onclick=\"setActiveStyleSheet(\'default\'); return false;\"><img src=\"http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/story/misc/icon.minus.dim.gif\" border=\"0\" height=\"12\" width=\"18\" alt=\"Decrease font\" title=\"Decrease font\" class=\"cnnIncreaseFont\"><img src=\"http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/story/misc/icon.minus.gif\" border=\"0\" height=\"12\" width=\"18\" alt=\"Decrease font\" title=\"Decrease font\" class=\"cnnDecreaseFont\"></div>\n<div id=\"cnnSCFontPlusBtn\" onclick=\"setActiveStyleSheet(\'LargeFont\'); return false;\"><img src=\"http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/story/misc/icon.plus.gif\" border=\"0\" height=\"12\" width=\"18\" alt=\"Enlarge font\" title=\"Enlarge font\" class=\"cnnIncreaseFont\"><img src=\"http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/story/misc/icon.plus.dim.gif\" border=\"0\" height=\"12\" width=\"18\" alt=\"Enlarge font\" title=\"Enlarge font\" class=\"cnnDecreaseFont\"></div><!--endclickprintexclude--></div><p><b>HERNDON, Virginia</b> (AP)  -- A Hilton hotel outside Washington has been closed for a top-to-bottom scrubbing after 15 employees and more than 100 guests were sickened by the highly contagious norovirus, a hotel spokesman said Friday.</p><p>Hotel officials first heard reports of sick guests Wednesday and contacted Fairfax County health authorities, said Jim Cree, the director of sales and marketing at the hotel near Dulles International Airport. Officials confirmed Thursday night that it was norovirus, he said.</p><p>&quot;Yesterday we stopped taking reservations,&quot; Cree said. &quot;Today we\'re actually relocating guests, and we\'ve relocated all of our events to other hotels.&quot;</p><p>Outbreaks of norovirus, which causes vomiting and diarrhea, are common on cruise ships and in places like hotels, prisons and nursing homes.</p><p>Cree said the hotel would reopen Tuesday at noon.</p><p class=\"cnnSCAttribution\">Copyright 2007 The <a href=\"/interactive_legal.html#AP\">Associated Press</a>. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.</p><!--startclickprintexclude-->  ');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1199','1','<!--startclickprintinclude--><script language=\"JavaScript\" type=\"text/javascript\">var clickExpire = \"02/2/2007\";</script> <div id=\"cnnSCHighlightsBox\"><!----><h4><span>Story Highlights</span></h4>&#8226; Specific brain regions become active during down time<br> &#8226; Researchers not sure why this activity occurs<br> &#8226; There may be no reason for daydreaming </div><div id=\"cnnSCFontButtons\" ><!--startclickprintexclude--><div id=\"cnnSCFontLabel\">Adjust font size:</div>\n<div id=\"cnnSCFontMinusBtn\" onclick=\"setActiveStyleSheet(\'default\'); return false;\"><img src=\"http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/story/misc/icon.minus.dim.gif\" border=\"0\" height=\"12\" width=\"18\" alt=\"Decrease font\" title=\"Decrease font\" class=\"cnnIncreaseFont\"><img src=\"http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/story/misc/icon.minus.gif\" border=\"0\" height=\"12\" width=\"18\" alt=\"Decrease font\" title=\"Decrease font\" class=\"cnnDecreaseFont\"></div>\n<div id=\"cnnSCFontPlusBtn\" onclick=\"setActiveStyleSheet(\'LargeFont\'); return false;\"><img src=\"http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/story/misc/icon.plus.gif\" border=\"0\" height=\"12\" width=\"18\" alt=\"Enlarge font\" title=\"Enlarge font\" class=\"cnnIncreaseFont\"><img src=\"http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/story/misc/icon.plus.dim.gif\" border=\"0\" height=\"12\" width=\"18\" alt=\"Enlarge font\" title=\"Enlarge font\" class=\"cnnDecreaseFont\"></div><!--endclickprintexclude--></div><p><b>WASHINGTON</b> (Reuters)  -- Daydreaming seems to be the default setting of the human mind and certain brain regions are devoted to it, U.S. researchers reported Friday.</p><p>When people are given a specific task to do, they focus on that task but then other brain regions get busy during down time, the researchers report in Friday\'s issue of the journal Science.</p><p>&quot;There is this network of regions that always seems to be active when you don\'t give people something to do,&quot; psychologist Malia Mason of Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital said in a telephone interview.</p><p>When Mason asked people what was happening during this down time, the answer was clear.</p><p>&quot;It\'s daydreaming,&quot; she said. &quot;But I find that the vast majority of time, people aren\'t having fanciful thoughts. People are thinking about what they have to do later today.&quot;</p><p>Her team has chosen to call it stimulus-independent thought or mind wandering.</p><p>Neurologists and psychologists have debated what goes on when people are not specifically thinking about or doing something, and there had been general agreement that the mind does not simply go blank.</p><p>Mason\'s team set up an experiment using the relatively new technology of functional magnetic resonance imaging or fMRI to see what is going on.</p><p>FMRI allows scientists to take real-time images of the brain, showing which areas are active and when. They can do this while talking to the person being imaged, so they can see the effects of an activity as it happens.</p><p>Mason\'s team recruited 19 volunteers and scanned them as they did a variety of tasks. &quot;The verbal working memory task involved remembering and manipulating four four-letter sequences (e.g., \'R H V X\'),&quot; they wrote.</p><p>The volunteers were also imaged when they were sitting there, waiting between tasks.</p><a name=\"1\"></a><a name=\"rv1\"></a><h3>Wandering and flitting</h3><p>&quot;In the absence of a task that requires deliberative processing, the mind generally tends to wander, flitting from one thought to the next with fluidity and ease,&quot; the researchers wrote.</p><p>Now they know what that looks like.</p><p>Active regions include the superior frontal gyrus, which is one of the main bumps on the front part of the human brain, the insula, which is on the side of the brain, and parts of the temporal lobe, at the back of the brain.</p><p>Mason is not sure why this activity occurs, but believes it underlies some of the basic mind functions that define people -- although her team has not imaged any animals.</p><p>One possibility, her team said, is that the brain always does something so that it is in an active state when quick thoughts or reactions are needed.</p><p>&quot;A second possibility is that as a kind of spontaneous mental time travel (stimulus-independent thought) lends a sense of coherence to one\'s past, present, and future experiences,&quot; the researchers wrote.</p><p>&quot;We are not stuck in the here and now. We can be stuck in our car in traffic and we are not (mentally) stuck there,&quot; Mason added.</p><p>Or there could be no reason at all for daydreaming.</p><p>&quot;Although the thoughts the mind produces when wandering are at times useful, such instances do not prove that the mind wanders because these thoughts are adaptive; on the contrary the mind may wander simply because it can,&quot; they concluded.</p><p class=\"cnnSCAttribution\">Copyright 2007 <a href=\"/interactive_legal.html#Reuters\">Reuters</a>. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.</p><!--startclickprintexclude-->  ');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1200','1','<!--startclickprintinclude--><script language=\"JavaScript\" type=\"text/javascript\">var clickExpire = \"-1\";</script> <div id=\"cnnSCFontButtons\" class=\"cnn0pxTMargin\"><div id=\"cnnSCByLine\">By  Melody Warnick<br> Parenting.com</div><!--startclickprintexclude--><div id=\"cnnSCFontLabel\">Adjust font size:</div>\n<div id=\"cnnSCFontMinusBtn\" onclick=\"setActiveStyleSheet(\'default\'); return false;\"><img src=\"http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/story/misc/icon.minus.dim.gif\" border=\"0\" height=\"12\" width=\"18\" alt=\"Decrease font\" title=\"Decrease font\" class=\"cnnIncreaseFont\"><img src=\"http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/story/misc/icon.minus.gif\" border=\"0\" height=\"12\" width=\"18\" alt=\"Decrease font\" title=\"Decrease font\" class=\"cnnDecreaseFont\"></div>\n<div id=\"cnnSCFontPlusBtn\" onclick=\"setActiveStyleSheet(\'LargeFont\'); return false;\"><img src=\"http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/story/misc/icon.plus.gif\" border=\"0\" height=\"12\" width=\"18\" alt=\"Enlarge font\" title=\"Enlarge font\" class=\"cnnIncreaseFont\"><img src=\"http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/story/misc/icon.plus.dim.gif\" border=\"0\" height=\"12\" width=\"18\" alt=\"Enlarge font\" title=\"Enlarge font\" class=\"cnnDecreaseFont\"></div><!--endclickprintexclude--></div><p>Snuggling under her blankets at bedtime, Ella, 3, gazed up at me and announced longingly, &quot;I want a new mommy.&quot; Not even four years into my tenure as Mom and I was already being edged out of the job. Even worse, Ella started announcing &quot;I want a new mom&quot; frequently, like whenever I failed to buy her a ring pop at the grocery-store checkout. Some days, it was all I could do not to retort, &quot;Yeah? Well, I want a new kid!&quot; </p><p>Developing the knack to verbally push your buttons is just part of your child\'s linguistic and behavioral development. The challenge is to teach her to be courteous while allowing her to assert herself ? and do it without responding like you\'re 3 years old. What to say (and what to skip) in response to these gems:</p><p><b>&quot;Mine!&quot;</b> </p><p>Whatever 18-month-old Weston Congdon has, his 3-year-old brother, Addison, wants, even if it\'s something that\'s collected dust in the toy box for the past six months. &quot;What drives me crazy is that usually it\'s a baby toy, like a teething ring,&quot; says their mom, Sarah, of Ames, Iowa. &quot;I think, \'What are you gonna do with it other than take it away from your brother?\'&quot; Now Weston, a beginning talker, walks around the house repeating &quot;Mine, mine, mine&quot; ad nauseam. His frustrated mom has been known to retort, &quot;Well, then, the couch is mine and you can\'t sit on it.&quot; </p><p><b>A better way to respond:</b> As tempting as it is to give little ones a dose of their own medicine, it won\'t help them see the error of their ways, and it may confuse them. Yet keeping your cool in the face of &quot;Mine!&quot; can tax even the most Zen-minded mom. &quot;Ignoring the behavior is best, but even as a clinical psychologist, I can\'t,&quot; admits Ray Levy, Ph.D., a dad of one and the coauthor of &quot;Try and Make Me!&quot; &quot;I\'d rather have something to say in response that I can depend on.&quot; His solution: Toss out a &quot;brain-dead phrase&quot; -- a short-and-sweet sound bite that lets a persistent child know he won\'t get his way. With a child who insists that everything is his, simply keep repeating, &quot;Sorry&quot; or &quot;It\'s nice to want things.&quot; End of story. Even if the empty phrase doesn\'t completely shut down the whining, having something -- anything -- to say will keep you from saying something that you shouldn\'t.</p><p><b>&quot;It\'s not fair.&quot;</b> </p><p>Attempts to pry her 4-year-old son away from one last episode of his favorite show usually turn into major bedtime battles for Anne Eide of Columbus, Mississippi. &quot;William will say, \'But it\'s not fair!\' Then he\'ll cross his arms and stomp down the hall, come back again, and repeat, \'Mom, it\'s not fair.\'&quot; That\'s when Eide sometimes can\'t help but let loose with &quot;Listen here, Mister, you either turn off the TV now or you won\'t watch it for a week!&quot; </p><p><b>A better way to respond:</b> On nights when she\'s a tad more patient, Eide uses a kid-friendly example to explain why he doesn\'t always get his way. &quot;I say, \'Daddy doesn\'t want to be in school all the time, but right now he needs to.\'&quot; Translation: Even adults don\'t get everything they want. The approach usually works. &quot;He looks at me kind of like, \'Oookay.\' Then he goes and gets ready for bed,&quot; says Eide. Mary Sheedy Kurcinka, a mom of two and author of &quot;Kids, Parents, and Power Struggles,&quot; recommends asking your child to start over and try again with less irritating words, such as &quot;Can we please talk about this?&quot; or &quot;Mom, I don\'t like that rule.&quot; Next time he complains that something\'s not fair, you can say, &quot;Remember, we talked about this before. What words are you supposed to use instead?&quot; Giving your child new ways to express himself makes him more likely to abandon the annoying ones.</p><p><b>&quot;You\'re not the boss of me.&quot;</b> </p><p>Eleanor Petersen of St. Louis, Missouri, wants to do everything herself. So when her mom, Amy, was in a rush and buckled the car seat for her, Eleanor, 3, declared, &quot;You\'re not the boss of me.&quot; Petersen had to bite her tongue to keep from answering, &quot;You wanna bet?&quot;</p><p><b>A better way to respond:</b> &quot;As a mom, you have to try not to get caught up in the words and instead connect with the feeling underneath them,&quot; says Kurcinka. &quot;You can ask, \'What\'s going on here? What\'s the need she\'s trying to express, and how can I help her do it more appropriately?\'&quot; In a calmer moment, Petersen realized that what her daughter really wanted was control. When her mom gave her options (like &quot;Do you want to do the top buckle or the bottom buckle?&quot;), Eleanor was far more likely to cooperate. You can even head off &quot;You\'re not the boss of me&quot; by teaching your child to say, &quot;I\'d like a choice,&quot; instead.</p><p><b>&quot;I want it now!&quot;</b> As I was starting to make dinner, my daughter asked for a cookie, and when I said she could have one for dessert, she launched a major whinefest. &quot;But I want a cookie right now!&quot; Ella demanded. None of my attempts at reason dissuaded her. She just kept insisting again and again and again. Desperate for the &quot;I want it now!&quot; noise to stop, I broke down and gave her the cookie. </p><p><b>A better way to respond:</b> Though I usually stand my ground, giving in once can set you back light-years when it comes to nagging, says Paul Coleman, a dad of three and author of &quot;How to Say It to Your Kids.&quot; &quot;That\'s how slot machines work: Every tenth pull you get a reward. It\'s not a big reward, but it\'s enough to keep you putting more money in the machine.&quot; Instead, he says, I should tell my daughter no once or twice, then ignore future requests and get her mind on something else, like a silly dance or a knock-knock joke. The good news: Such dogged persistence can be a plus in the real world. &quot;You can step back and say, \'When they grow up, at least they\'re not going to be pushovers,\'&quot; says Coleman.</p><p><b>&quot;You never let me do anything.&quot;</b> </p><p>Carl Mowry, 10, has been known to whine that he never gets to do what he wants. His mom, Carla, has a take-no-prisoners response: &quot;You know what?&quot; says the Omaha, Nebraska, mom. &quot;You\'re right! I will leave your life alone. But I want $800 for the house payment, $200 for food....&quot; Carl gets a full list, and he has to write it all down. </p><p><b>A better way to respond:</b> Lecturing may shut down the grumbling, but it doesn\'t get at the problem. Find out what\'s behind the whine by saying, &quot;Is something wrong? I get the feeling you\'re upset about more than just not getting to play at Brad\'s house.&quot; Whether or not your child wants to confide in you, at least you\'re opening the door to the conversation -- on his level.</p><p><b>&quot;I don\'t like you.&quot;</b></p><p> I\'m certainly not the only mom whose feelings have been bruised by a kid who demands a mom swap or says, &quot;I hate you!&quot; Greyson Kreis, 6, of Fairfax Station, Virginia, put in a request for a new mom when his mother, Kim, made him drop the latest Captain Underpants book to clean up his room and turn in early. Unlike me, she had a quick comeback. &quot;I told him that he had better enjoy that night in his bed because the next day I would find him a new mom, and he could go live in her house -- but without his toys,&quot; she says.</p><p><b>A better way to respond:</b> The unanimous chorus from experts: Don\'t take it personally. Kids say these things when they\'re frustrated or angry. It doesn\'t mean you\'re a bad parent. Of course, distancing yourself when your kid seems to be dissing your mothering skills isn\'t easy, but letting your child think that you\'re all too happy to get rid of him -- or worse, that you hate him, too -- isn\'t okay. Since the under-9 set are literal thinkers, they won\'t detect the reverse psychology at work, and you might end up undermining your child\'s trust. </p><p>To stay calm, try to pinpoint the real reason your kid is lashing out: For 7-year-old Shaun Herock of De Pere, Wisconsin, it was frustration and fatigue. He snapped, &quot;I don\'t like you! You\'re not my friend!&quot; when his mom, Mia, refused to grab hamburgers on the way home from a two-hour football practice. Her measured response: &quot;That\'s fine. You\'re entitled to feel that way.&quot; Shaun stewed for a while, but by the time they got home, the whole thing had blown over. Herock recognized that her son only said &quot;I don\'t like you&quot; when he was overtired, and that helped her keep her temper. Easier said than done, of course, but if you\'re upset, wait until you\'ve calmed down to say anything. &quot;When you get emotional, you lose 50 IQ points,&quot; says Ray Levy. &quot;But later on you can say, \'It hurts my feelings when you tell me you hate me.\' Usually when kids are calm, they\'re pretty remorseful.&quot;</p><p>My daughter\'s requests for a new mom have died down recently, but now she likes to say, &quot;You hurt my feelings,&quot; when I refuse yet another visit to her bedroom at night. While most of the time I manage a response like, &quot;Thanks for sharing,&quot; I\'m not always as calm as I\'d like. &quot;We all lose it and say the wrong thing,&quot; says Levy. &quot;But it\'s good for parents to apologize or change their behavior, instead of thinking they have to be right or perfect all the time.&quot; In other words, it\'s always okay to say &quot;I\'m sorry&quot; to your kids.</p><p class=\"cnnSCAttribution\">Melody Warnick is expecting her second daughter, who will no doubt want a new mom someday, too.</p><br clear=\"all\"><p class=\"cnnSCAttribution\"><a href=\"https://subs.timeinc.net/PA/pa_keepsake.jhtml;jsessionid=0VYG4ASLZ12GGQHMGASBHOQ?experience_id=126742&source_id=62&_requestid=56496\" target=\"new\">Try a FREE TRIAL issue of Parenting Magazine - CLICK HERE</a></p>\n\n\n<p class=\"cnnSCAttribution\">Copyright 2006 <a href=\"/linkto/parenting.html\" target=\"new\">PARENTING magazine</a>. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.</p>\n <!--startclickprintexclude-->  ');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1201','1','<p>A Frankenstein version of the \"Spanish flu\" virus, assembled from parts in the laboratory, has shed new light on how the microbe killed tens of millions of people worldwide in 1918 and 1919.</p><p>Experiments in monkeys reveal that the 1918 virus came with the pre-packaged capacity to limit the immune system\'s ability to fight back in the first few days after infection. As the virus grows unchecked, the body attacks it with increasing quantities of highly toxic substances, which over time do as much harm to the host as to the invader. The result is often lethal damage to the lungs, where most influenza virus growth occurs.</p><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" align=\"right\" width=\"238\"><tr><td width=\"10\"></td><td width=\"228\">\n<div class=\"media_photo\"><!--link rel=\"image_src\" href=\"http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/photo/2007/01/17/PH2007011701587.jpg\"/--><a href=\"javascript:void(popitup(\'http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/photo/postphotos/orb/asection/2007-01-18/index.html?imgId=PH2007011701589&imgUrl=/photo/2007/01/17/PH2007011701589.html\',650,850))\"><img src=\"http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/photo/largerPhoto/images/enlarge_tab.gif\" width=\"103\" height=\"12\" border=\"0\" align=\"bottom\" alt=\"\"></a><br/><a href=\"javascript:void(popitup(\'http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/photo/postphotos/orb/asection/2007-01-18/index.html?imgId=PH2007011701589&imgUrl=/photo/2007/01/17/PH2007011701589.html\',650,850))\"><img src=\"http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/photo/2007/01/17/PH2007011701587.jpg\" border=\"0\"  alt=\"This 2006 photo provided by the Public Health Agency of Canada shows scientist Lisa Fernando working at a Biosafety Cabinet in the Public Health Agency of Canada\'s Level 4 containment laboratory in Winnipeg. Scientists at the laboratory said they were struck by how suddenly and overwhelmingly the 1918 flu struck seven macaques monkeys, intentionally infected with the resurrected virus and tested in the high-level biosafety lab. The virus spread faster than a normal flu bug and triggered a \"storm\" response in the animal\'s immune systems. Biosafety Cabinets provide primary containment, even in a Level 4 laboratory. (AP Photo/Public Health Agency of Canada)\"  height=\"152\" width=\"228\" align=\"top\"></a><div id=\"caption\">This 2006 photo provided by the Public Health Agency of Canada shows scientist Lisa Fernando working at a Biosafety Cabinet in the Public Health Agency of Canada\'s Level 4 containment laboratory in Winnipeg. Scientists at the laboratory said they were struck by how suddenly and overwhelmingly the 1918 flu struck seven macaques monkeys, intentionally infected with the resurrected virus and tested in the high-level biosafety lab. The virus spread faster than a normal flu bug and triggered a \"storm\" response in the animal\'s immune systems. Biosafety Cabinets provide primary containment, even in a Level 4 laboratory. (AP Photo/Public Health Agency of Canada)<span id=\"credit\"> (AP) </span></div></div>\n<div style=\"width:228px;\">\n<div class=\"sidebarhack\"><b></b></div>\n<div class=\"sidebar\">\n<h2>What Readers Are Saying</h2>\n<div class=\"sidebarcontent\" style=\"padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 10px;\">\n<div class=\"sidebarbox\" style=\"color: #333;\">\n <p style=\"margin-top: 0; padding-top: 0;\"> <span style=\"color: rgb(204, 0, 0);\"><strong>Your Comments On...</strong></span><br> <h1 style=\"color: rgb(0, 51, 153);\"><a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/19/AR2006121901431.html\" target=\"_blank\">Short Mental Workouts May Slow Decline of Aging Minds, Study Finds</a></h1></p> <p style=\"margin-top: 0; padding-top: 0;\"> \"It would be interesting to know if factors such as stress, or sleep disorders etc. were taken into account. They can be quite memory inhibiting and are more likely to be present in the control group, as a lack of mental stimulation can increase self doubt, decrease confidence and cause a form of panic. Could this have put the control group behind, at the same time the motivated groups were leaping ahead and would this not effect the measurement of the outcome? \" </p> <div style=\"text-align:right;\">-- <b>By smilesturner01 ;</b></div> <p style=\"border-top: 1px dashed rgb(204, 204, 204); margin-top: 5px; padding-top: 7px; font-weight: bold;\"> <strong><font face=\"arial,helvetica\" SIZE=\"-1\">&#149; </font> <span style=\"font-family:arial;font-size:11px;color:#000000;\"><a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/comments/display?contentID=AR2006121901431&start=1\"><b>View, Add More Comments</b></a></span><br> <font face=\"arial,helvetica\" SIZE=\"-1\">&#149; </font> <span style=\"font-family:arial;font-size:11px;color:#000000;\"><a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/19/AR2006121901431.html\"><b>Read the Story</b></a></span><br></strong> </p> \n</div>\n</div>\n</div>\n<div class=\"clearboth\"></div>\n</div>\n\n<script src=\"http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/technorati/Technorati.js\"></script><script>\nvar technorati = new Technorati() ;\ntechnorati.setProperty(\'url\',\'http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/17/AR2007011701113_Technorati.html\') ;\ntechnorati.article = new item(\'1918 Flu Virus Limited The Immune System\',\'http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/17/AR2007011701113.html\',\'A Frankenstein version of the \"Spanish flu\" virus, assembled from parts in the laboratory, has shed new light on how the microbe killed tens of millions of people worldwide in 1918 and 1919.\',\'David Brown\') ;\n</script><script src=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/17/AR2007011701113_Technorati.js\"></script><script>document.write( technorati.getDisplaySidebar() );</script>\n<link href=\"http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/css/bookmarking.css\" rel=\"stylesheet\" media=\"all\"/><div class=\"sidebarhack\"><b></b></div><div class=\"sidebar\"><h2><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"right\" border=\"0\" width=\"222\"><tr><td class=\"sb-left\" align=\"left\">Save &amp; Share Article</td><td class=\"sb-right\" align=\"right\"><a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/community/saveandshare.html\">What\'s This?</a></td></tr></table></h2><div class=\"sidebarcontent\"><div class=\"sidebarbox\"><div class=\"bookmark\"><div class=\"generic_bookmark digg_bookmark\"><div class=\"pad_bookmark\"><a href=\"http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/17/AR2007011701113.html%3Freferrer=digg&title=1918 Flu Virus Limited The Immune System&bodytext=A Frankenstein version of the \'Spanish flu\' virus, assembled from parts in the laboratory, has shed new light on how the microbe killed tens of millions of people worldwide in 1918 and 1919.\" target=\"new\">Digg</a></div></div><div class=\"generic_bookmark google_bookmark\"><div class=\"pad_bookmark\"><a href=\"http://www.google.com/bookmarks/mark?op=add&title=1918 Flu Virus Limited The Immune System&labels=&annotation=A Frankenstein version of the \'Spanish flu\' virus, assembled from parts in the laboratory, has shed new light on how the microbe killed tens of millions of people worldwide in 1918 and 1919.&bkmk=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/17/AR2007011701113.html%3Freferrer=google\" target=\"new\">Google</a></div></div><br clear=\"all\"/><div class=\"generic_bookmark delicious_bookmark\"><div class=\"pad_bookmark\"><a href=\"http://del.icio.us/post?v=4&partner=wpni&noui&jump=close&url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/17/AR2007011701113.html%3Freferrer=delicious&title=%221918 Flu Virus Limited The Immune System: Body\'s Effort to Fight Was Often Deadly%22 By David Brown&notes=A Frankenstein version of the \'Spanish flu\' virus, assembled from parts in the laboratory, has shed new light on how the microbe killed tens of millions of people worldwide in 1918 and 1919.\" target=\"new\">del.icio.us</a></div></div><div class=\"generic_bookmark yahoo_bookmark\"><div class=\"pad_bookmark\"><a href=\"http://myweb2.search.yahoo.com/myresults/bookmarklet?u=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/17/AR2007011701113.html%3Freferrer=yahoo&title=1918 Flu Virus Limited The Immune System&popup=true\" target=\"new\">Yahoo!</a></div></div><br clear=\"all\"/><div class=\"generic_bookmark reddit_bookmark\"><div class=\"pad_bookmark\"><a href=\"http://reddit.com/submit?url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/17/AR2007011701113.html%3Freferrer=reddit&title=1918 Flu Virus Limited The Immune System\" target=\"new\">Reddit</a></div></div><div class=\"generic_bookmark facebook_bookmark\"><div class=\"pad_bookmark\"><a href=\"javascript:void(0);\" onclick=\"void(window.open(\'http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=\'+encodeURIComponent(\'http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/17/AR2007011701113.html?referrer=facebook\')+\'&t=\'+encodeURIComponent(\'1918 Flu Virus Limited The Immune System\'),\'sharer\',\'toolbar=no,width=642,height=436\'));\">Facebook</a></div></div><br clear=\"all\"/></div></div></div>\n</td></tr></table>\n<p>The research provides further evidence that the 1918 virus had traits not found in other flu viruses and that it was the body\'s frantic effort to fight it that ultimately killed many victims.</p><p>\"We know that the virus itself is different, and we know that the host response is different,\" said Yoshihiro Kawaoka, a virologist at the University of Wisconsin who headed the international research team.</p><p>\"The virus is really a bad actor,\" said Anthony S. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.</p><p>The virulence of the 1918 virus has always been a mystery.</p><p>It was most lethal in young adults, the segment of the population usually most able to fight off severe infections. Many died a week or more after falling ill, with autopsies showing they had pneumonia caused by bacteria that had opportunistically infected virus-damaged lungs.</p><p>There were many reports, however, of people who died more quickly, occasionally even with a day of first symptoms. They presumably succumbed to the viral infection alone, and at autopsy their lungs were flooded with bloody fluid.</p><p>While many of the victims of bacterial pneumonia would be saved today with antibiotics, which didn\'t exist in 1918, there are still few treatments for the overwhelming viral pneumonia seen in Spanish flu. Consequently, understanding how it occurs on a molecular level is a high priority. That is especially true now, because the H5N1 \"bird flu\" strain of virus circulating in Southeast Asia has killed some of its 267 victims with viral pneumonia reminiscent of Spanish flu.</p><p>The experiment was done in a Canadian biosafety Level 4 lab, where researchers work in the equivalent of space suits. Kawaoka\'s team does not have permission to experiment with the virus in the United States.</p><p>Because of its extreme hazard, only a single group of U.S. researchers, at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, is currently allowed to use whole, living reconstructed versions of the pathogen that killed at least 50 million people nearly a century ago.</p><p>The new research, being published in the journal Nature, is possible because in 2005 American researchers successfully completed the laborious work of copying the 1918 virus\'s genetic blueprint, or genome, using fragments of tissue from three victims of the pandemic. That permits scientists to synthesize the microbe using a process called \"reverse genetics,\" which Kawaoka developed in the 1990s.</p><p>In the new experiment, Darwyn Kobasa, a scientist in a Canadian government microbiology lab in Winnipeg, Manitoba, synthesized the 1918 virus from scratch and infected seven macaque monkeys with it. Three other animals were infected with a modern, far less virulent strain from the same large family of influenza A/H1N1 viruses.</p><p>The monkeys infected with the 1918 virus were so sick within eight days that they had to be euthanized. \"Profuse watery and bloody liquid\" filled 60 to 90 percent of the their lung tissue, \"greatly reducing lung function,\" the researchers reported.</p><p>The scientists compared the amount of immune-system hormones, called cytokines and chemokines, produced by the two groups of monkeys.</p><p>The animals infected with the 1918 virus produced less interferon, a type of cytokine that suppresses virus growth by limiting the microbe\'s ability to infect new cells. The virus continued to replicate and spread, reaching in one case 5,000 times the levels seen in the tissue of the monkeys infected with the modern virus. The ability to selectively limit interferon production is seen in other microbes, including respiratory syncytial virus, Ebola virus and parainfluenza virus, Fauci said.</p><p>In response to the virus\'s unchecked growth, the monkeys\' immune systems produced large amounts of inflammatory substances aimed at killing it and the cells already infected. That ultimately did lethal damage to the lungs of the animals.</p><p>In contrast, the animals infected with modern flu virus produced the full array of interferon compounds. The amount of virus in their tissues peaked and then declined rapidly. None died.</p><p>One theory for why Spanish flu preferentially killed young adults is that they are the age group with the most robust and reactive immune systems -- and therefore were most likely to mount a self-destructive response. Kawaoka, however, said his recent experiments do not directly address that idea.</p><p>One of the flu virus\'s eight gene segments, called NS1, appears to affect interferon activity and has also been implicated as one reason for H5N1 bird flu\'s lethality. It is an obvious target for further research, Kawaoka said.</p></div></div><br clear=\"all\">\n');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1202','1','<p>Prince George\'s County Executive Jack B. Johnson yesterday blamed some of the financial problems at the privately run county hospital system on inefficiencies in management.</p><p>At a state legislative hearing in Annapolis, Johnson noted millions of dollars in yearly losses at Laurel Regional Hospital, one of three county facilities that the private Dimensions Healthcare System operates in addition to Prince George\'s Hospital Center, based in Cheverly. He blamed losses at the Laurel hospital \"solely on inefficiencies.\"</p><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" align=\"right\" width=\"238\"><tr><td width=\"10\"></td><td width=\"228\">\n<title></title><div class=\"sidebarhack\"><b></b></div>\n<div class=\"sidebar\">\n<h2>Online Resources</h2>\n<div class=\"sidebarcontent\" style=\"padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 10px;\">\n<div class=\"sidebarbox\" style=\"color: #333;\">\n<a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/metro/special/2/index.html\"><img src=\"http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/metro/graphics/mdPolitics_header.gif\" border=\"0\" alt=\"2006 Elections\"></a>\n<p style=\"padding-top: 7px; margin-top: 5px; border-top: 1px #ccc dashed;\">\n<a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/custom/2007/01/09/CU2007010901193.html\"><img src=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/interactives/campaign06/keyrace_14x15.gif\" border=\"0\"></a>\nWhat\'s Hot?<br><a style=\"padding-left: 20px; font-weight: bold;\" a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/custom/2007/01/09/CU2007010901193.html\">Key Issues for 2007</a>\n</p>\n<p style=\"padding-top: 7px; margin-top: 5px; border-top: 1px #ccc dashed;\">\n<a href=\"http://blog.washingtonpost.com/annapolis/\"><img src=\"http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/interactives/campaign06/images/chat_25x18.gif\" border=\"0\"></a>\nLocal Politics Blog <br>\n<a style=\"padding-left: 20px; font-weight: bold;\" a href=\"http://blog.washingtonpost.com/annapolis/\">Maryland Moment</a>\n</p>\n<p style=\"padding-top: 7px; margin-top: 5px; border-top: 1px #ccc dashed;\">\n<a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/metro/special/2/index.html\"><img src=\"http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/interactives/campaign06/images/mostViewed_14x15.gif\" border=\"0\"></a>\nLatest Headlines <br>\n<a style=\"padding-left: 20px; font-weight: bold;\" a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/metro/special/2/index.html\">Maryland Politics Coverage</a>\n</p>\n<p style=\"padding-top: 7px; margin-top: 5px; border-top: 1px #ccc dashed;\">\n<img src=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/interactives/campaign06/keyrace_14x15.gif\" border=\"0\">\nGeneral Assembly Members<br>\n<span style=\"padding-left: 20px; font-weight: bold;\"> <form name=\"myform\" style=\"display: inline;\" id=\"myform\"> <select name=\"dest\" onchange=\" window.location.href=this[selectedIndex].value;\" style=\" width:170px; font-family:arial;font-size:1.00em;\"> <option value=\"nope\" selected=\"selected\">Pick Your County</option> <option value=\" http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/metro/politics/maryland/aa_assembly.html\">Anne Arundel County</option> <option value=\" http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/metro/politics/maryland/ca_assembly.html\">Calvert County</option> <option value=\" http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/metro/politics/maryland/ch_assembly.html\">Charles County</option>    <option value=\" http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/metro/politics/maryland/fr_assembly.html\">Frederick County</option> <option value=\" http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/metro/politics/maryland/hx_assembly.html\">Howard County</option>  <option value=\" http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/metro/politics/maryland/mx_assembly.html\">Montgomery County</option> <option value=\" http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/metro/politics/maryland/pg_assembly.html\">Pr. George\'s County</option>   <option value=\" http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/metro/politics/maryland/sm_assembly.html\">St. Mary\'s County</option>  </select></form> </span>\n</p>\n<p style=\"padding-top: 7px; margin-top: 5px; border-top: 1px #ccc dashed;\">\n<img src=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/interactives/campaign06/keyrace_14x15.gif\" border=\"0\">\nFind Your District<br>\n<span style=\"padding-left: 20px; font-weight: bold;\"> <form name=\"myform\" style=\"display: inline;\" id=\"myform\"> <select name=\"dest\" onchange=\" window.location.href=this[selectedIndex].value;\" style=\" width:170px; font-family:arial;font-size:1.00em;\"> <option value=\"nope\" selected=\"selected\">Pick Your County</option> <option value=\" http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graphic/2006/08/30/GR2006083001427.html\">Anne Arundel County</option> <option value=\" http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/metro/politics/maryland/ch_assembly.html\">Charles County</option>    <option value=\" http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graphic/2006/08/30/GR2006083002736.html\">Frederick County</option> <option value=\" http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graphic/2006/08/30/GR2006083002489.html\">Howard County</option>  <option value=\" http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graphic/2006/08/30/GR2006083002495.html\">Montgomery County</option> <option value=\" http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graphic/2006/08/30/GR2006083001441.html\">Pr. George\'s County</option>   <option value=\" http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graphic/2006/08/30/GR2006083002696.html\">Southern Maryland</option>  </select></form> </span>\n</p>\n</div>\n</div>\n</div>\n<div class=\"clearboth\"></div>\n</div>\n\n<div class=\"sidebarhack\"><b></b></div><div class=\"sidebar\"><h2>Blog</h2><div class=\"sidebarcontent\"><div class=\"sidebarbox\">\n<div class=\"columnist\">\n<div class=\"blurb\">\n<h3><a href=\"http://blog.washingtonpost.com/annapolis/\">Maryland Moment</a></h3>\n<p>News and notes on Maryland politics.</p>\n<div style=\"line-height:16px;\">\n<strong>  \n                        &#149; <a href=\"http://blog.washingtonpost.com/annapolis/2007/01/the_cabinet_was_bare.html?nav=rss_blog\">The Cabinet Was Bare</a>\n<br>\n                        &#149; <a href=\"http://blog.washingtonpost.com/annapolis/2007/01/scenes_from_an_inauguration.html?nav=rss_blog\">Scenes from an Inauguration</a>\n<br>\n                        &#149; <a href=\"http://blog.washingtonpost.com/annapolis/2007/01/saw_doctors.html?nav=rss_blog\">Direct from Ireland...</a>\n\n</strong>     </div>\n<p class=\"readmore\" style=\"border-top: 1px #ccc dashed; margin: 5px 5px 5px 5px;\">&#8226; <a href=\"http://blog.washingtonpost.com/annapolis/\">Read more</a> | <img src=\"http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/article/pieces/articleIcon_rss_25x13.gif\" alt=\"XML\" border=\"0\" class=\"xmlfeed\" /> <a href=\"http://blog.washingtonpost.com/annapolis/index.xml\">RSS Feed</a></p>\n<div class=\"clearboth\"></div>\n</div>\n</div>\n<div class=\"clearboth\"></div></div></div></div>\n\n<script src=\"http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/technorati/Technorati.js\"></script><script>\nvar technorati = new Technorati() ;\ntechnorati.setProperty(\'url\',\'http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/18/AR2007011801783_Technorati.html\') ;\ntechnorati.article = new item(\'Inefficiencies Caused Losses, Johnson Tells Delegates\',\'http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/18/AR2007011801783.html\',\'Prince George\\\'s County Executive Jack B. Johnson yesterday blamed some of the financial problems at the privately run county hospital system on inefficiencies in management.\',\'Rosalind S. Helderman\') ;\n</script><script src=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/18/AR2007011801783_Technorati.js\"></script><script>document.write( technorati.getDisplaySidebar() );</script>\n<link href=\"http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/css/bookmarking.css\" rel=\"stylesheet\" media=\"all\"/><div class=\"sidebarhack\"><b></b></div><div class=\"sidebar\"><h2><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"right\" border=\"0\" width=\"222\"><tr><td class=\"sb-left\" align=\"left\">Save &amp; Share Article</td><td class=\"sb-right\" align=\"right\"><a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/community/saveandshare.html\">What\'s This?</a></td></tr></table></h2><div class=\"sidebarcontent\"><div class=\"sidebarbox\"><div class=\"bookmark\"><div class=\"generic_bookmark digg_bookmark\"><div class=\"pad_bookmark\"><a href=\"http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/18/AR2007011801783.html%3Freferrer=digg&title=Inefficiencies Caused Losses, Johnson Tells Delegates&bodytext=Prince George\'s County Executive Jack B. Johnson yesterday blamed some of the financial problems at the privately run county hospital system on inefficiencies in management.\" target=\"new\">Digg</a></div></div><div class=\"generic_bookmark google_bookmark\"><div class=\"pad_bookmark\"><a href=\"http://www.google.com/bookmarks/mark?op=add&title=Inefficiencies Caused Losses, Johnson Tells Delegates&labels=&annotation=Prince George\'s County Executive Jack B. Johnson yesterday blamed some of the financial problems at the privately run county hospital system on inefficiencies in management.&bkmk=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/18/AR2007011801783.html%3Freferrer=google\" target=\"new\">Google</a></div></div><br clear=\"all\"/><div class=\"generic_bookmark delicious_bookmark\"><div class=\"pad_bookmark\"><a href=\"http://del.icio.us/post?v=4&partner=wpni&noui&jump=close&url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/18/AR2007011801783.html%3Freferrer=delicious&title=%22Inefficiencies Caused Losses, Johnson Tells Delegates%22 By Rosalind S. Helderman&notes=Prince George\'s County Executive Jack B. Johnson yesterday blamed some of the financial problems at the privately run county hospital system on inefficiencies in management.\" target=\"new\">del.icio.us</a></div></div><div class=\"generic_bookmark yahoo_bookmark\"><div class=\"pad_bookmark\"><a href=\"http://myweb2.search.yahoo.com/myresults/bookmarklet?u=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/18/AR2007011801783.html%3Freferrer=yahoo&title=Inefficiencies Caused Losses, Johnson Tells Delegates&popup=true\" target=\"new\">Yahoo!</a></div></div><br clear=\"all\"/><div class=\"generic_bookmark reddit_bookmark\"><div class=\"pad_bookmark\"><a href=\"http://reddit.com/submit?url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/18/AR2007011801783.html%3Freferrer=reddit&title=Inefficiencies Caused Losses, Johnson Tells Delegates\" target=\"new\">Reddit</a></div></div><div class=\"generic_bookmark facebook_bookmark\"><div class=\"pad_bookmark\"><a href=\"javascript:void(0);\" onclick=\"void(window.open(\'http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=\'+encodeURIComponent(\'http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/18/AR2007011801783.html?referrer=facebook\')+\'&t=\'+encodeURIComponent(\'Inefficiencies Caused Losses, Johnson Tells Delegates\'),\'sharer\',\'toolbar=no,width=642,height=436\'));\">Facebook</a></div></div><br clear=\"all\"/></div></div></div>\n</td></tr></table>\n<p>Johnson (D) said the county is considering a request from Dimensions officials for a $5 million infusion they say is needed immediately to keep its hospitals open. He said the county will attach conditions to how the money can be spent.</p><p>Johnson did not specify those conditions yesterday but said in an interview after testifying before a House of Delegates subcommittee that the county will \"give money, but there are going to be changes.\"</p><p>He said the county needs \"more than a voice\" on the Dimensions board of directors, which makes decisions about the health facilities. Currently, Johnson appoints one of the 11 board members.</p><p>Johnson seems headed toward a showdown with the Dimensions board, which is scheduled to consider the county\'s conditions next week. Calvin Brown, chairman of the board, said yesterday that any attempt to use the $5 million to extract more control over the board would be like \"putting a gun to the head of a private corporation\'s board.\"</p><p>\"If it ain\'t blackmail, it\'s pretty close,\" he said in an interview.</p><p>Dimensions President G.T. Dunlop Ecker and county officials came to Annapolis to ask state lawmakers for their help to resolve the seemingly endless financial problems of the hospital system, which annually treats 180,000 patients, many of them poor and uninsured.</p><p>Ecker said the losses at the Laurel hospital have occurred as older doctors have retired, the number of patients has dipped and the proportion of uninsured patients has increased.</p><p>Ecker told delegates that if the system does not receive the $5 million by next Friday, the board would be forced to tell employees that the system\'s facilities would close 60 days later. Once the notice was issued, he said, the system would start to \"ramp down\" operations. He said he has scheduled meetings with leaders of other regional hospitals to alert them that they might have to take on thousands of patients.</p><p>\"Without question, our financial situation is critical,\" he said at the hearing, noting that $9 million on top of the $5 million payment will be needed quickly to keep the hospital open through June.</p><p>The 63-year-old Prince George\'s Hospital Center has operated on the edge of financial ruin for years. Over the past four years, the county has pumped $50 million into the system. Since March, the state has also paid $10 million.</p><p>In their comments to the House Appropriations Committee\'s Health and Human Resources Subcommittee, Johnson and County Council Chairman Camille Exum (D-Seat Pleasant) noted the county\'s contributions to Dimensions and said it is time for the state to do more.</p><p>\"We believe it is unfair to the taxpayers of Prince George\'s County to continue to bear this burden that is a state obligation,\" Exum said.</p><p>After the hearing, Ecker said the system is regularly short of money because many of its patients are uninsured and because it faces long-term debt and pension obligations.</p><p>\"Quite honestly, I don\'t believe the board structure or management is part of the problem,\" he said.</p><p>But accountant Shailender K. Gupta, hired by Johnson to review the system, recently concluded that the county might need to exert \"oversight\" over the corporation\'s board. In a letter submitted Nov. 29 to Johnson and obtained yesterday by The Washington Post, Gupta wrote that the Laurel hospital, in particular, is being mismanaged.</p><p>\"I believe Laurel is the most (or one of the most) inefficient hospitals when compared with similar hospitals in Maryland,\" wrote Gupta, treasurer of Johnson\'s campaign.</p><p>In spring, a committee of state and local officials headed by Johnson began meeting to find new hospital owners to take over for Dimensions. Johnson said yesterday that the process continues. \"We\'re still having discussions,\" he said.</p></div></div><br clear=\"all\">\n');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1203','1','<p>Nearly half of the Maryland Senate has signed onto legislation introduced yesterday to mandate that middle school girls receive a new vaccine for cervical cancer.</p><p>Maryland would help lead a nationwide effort to require that young adolescents receive the vaccine, which guards against the common, sexually transmitted virus at the root of one of the deadliest cancers to afflict women. The federal government approved the vaccine for human papillomavirus, or HPV, seven months ago.</p><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" align=\"right\" width=\"238\"><tr><td width=\"10\"></td><td width=\"228\">\n<div class=\"sidebarhack\"><b></b></div><div class=\"sidebar\"><h2>Transcript</h2><div class=\"sidebarcontent\"><a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2007/01/16/DI2007011600929.html\" target=\"\">HPV Vaccine</a><br/>Dr. Richard Schlegel\'s research helped lead to the development of Gardasil, a vaccine for human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted virus that can cause genital warts and cervical cancer. The D.C. Council is considering a bill that would require girls to be vaccinated for HPV before the start of sixth grade.<br/>\n<div style=\"clear:both;\"></div></div></div>\n<title></title><div class=\"sidebarhack\"><b></b></div>\n<div class=\"sidebar\">\n<h2>Online Resources</h2>\n<div class=\"sidebarcontent\" style=\"padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 10px;\">\n<div class=\"sidebarbox\" style=\"color: #333;\">\n<a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/metro/special/2/index.html\"><img src=\"http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/metro/graphics/mdPolitics_header.gif\" border=\"0\" alt=\"2006 Elections\"></a>\n<p style=\"padding-top: 7px; margin-top: 5px; border-top: 1px #ccc dashed;\">\n<a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/custom/2007/01/09/CU2007010901193.html\"><img src=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/interactives/campaign06/keyrace_14x15.gif\" border=\"0\"></a>\nWhat\'s Hot?<br><a style=\"padding-left: 20px; font-weight: bold;\" a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/custom/2007/01/09/CU2007010901193.html\">Key Issues for 2007</a>\n</p>\n<p style=\"padding-top: 7px; margin-top: 5px; border-top: 1px #ccc dashed;\">\n<a href=\"http://blog.washingtonpost.com/annapolis/\"><img src=\"http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/interactives/campaign06/images/chat_25x18.gif\" border=\"0\"></a>\nLocal Politics Blog <br>\n<a style=\"padding-left: 20px; font-weight: bold;\" a href=\"http://blog.washingtonpost.com/annapolis/\">Maryland Moment</a>\n</p>\n<p style=\"padding-top: 7px; margin-top: 5px; border-top: 1px #ccc dashed;\">\n<a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/metro/special/2/index.html\"><img src=\"http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/interactives/campaign06/images/mostViewed_14x15.gif\" border=\"0\"></a>\nLatest Headlines <br>\n<a style=\"padding-left: 20px; font-weight: bold;\" a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/metro/special/2/index.html\">Maryland Politics Coverage</a>\n</p>\n<p style=\"padding-top: 7px; margin-top: 5px; border-top: 1px #ccc dashed;\">\n<img src=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/interactives/campaign06/keyrace_14x15.gif\" border=\"0\">\nGeneral Assembly Members<br>\n<span style=\"padding-left: 20px; font-weight: bold;\"> <form name=\"myform\" style=\"display: inline;\" id=\"myform\"> <select name=\"dest\" onchange=\" window.location.href=this[selectedIndex].value;\" style=\" width:170px; font-family:arial;font-size:1.00em;\"> <option value=\"nope\" selected=\"selected\">Pick Your County</option> <option value=\" http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/metro/politics/maryland/aa_assembly.html\">Anne Arundel County</option> <option value=\" http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/metro/politics/maryland/ca_assembly.html\">Calvert County</option> <option value=\" http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/metro/politics/maryland/ch_assembly.html\">Charles County</option>    <option value=\" http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/metro/politics/maryland/fr_assembly.html\">Frederick County</option> <option value=\" http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/metro/politics/maryland/hx_assembly.html\">Howard County</option>  <option value=\" http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/metro/politics/maryland/mx_assembly.html\">Montgomery County</option> <option value=\" http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/metro/politics/maryland/pg_assembly.html\">Pr. George\'s County</option>   <option value=\" http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/metro/politics/maryland/sm_assembly.html\">St. Mary\'s County</option>  </select></form> </span>\n</p>\n<p style=\"padding-top: 7px; margin-top: 5px; border-top: 1px #ccc dashed;\">\n<img src=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/interactives/campaign06/keyrace_14x15.gif\" border=\"0\">\nFind Your District<br>\n<span style=\"padding-left: 20px; font-weight: bold;\"> <form name=\"myform\" style=\"display: inline;\" id=\"myform\"> <select name=\"dest\" onchange=\" window.location.href=this[selectedIndex].value;\" style=\" width:170px; font-family:arial;font-size:1.00em;\"> <option value=\"nope\" selected=\"selected\">Pick Your County</option> <option value=\" http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graphic/2006/08/30/GR2006083001427.html\">Anne Arundel County</option> <option value=\" http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/metro/politics/maryland/ch_assembly.html\">Charles County</option>    <option value=\" http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graphic/2006/08/30/GR2006083002736.html\">Frederick County</option> <option value=\" http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graphic/2006/08/30/GR2006083002489.html\">Howard County</option>  <option value=\" http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graphic/2006/08/30/GR2006083002495.html\">Montgomery County</option> <option value=\" http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graphic/2006/08/30/GR2006083001441.html\">Pr. George\'s County</option>   <option value=\" http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graphic/2006/08/30/GR2006083002696.html\">Southern Maryland</option>  </select></form> </span>\n</p>\n</div>\n</div>\n</div>\n<div class=\"clearboth\"></div>\n</div>\n\n<div class=\"sidebarhack\"><b></b></div><div class=\"sidebar\"><h2>Blog</h2><div class=\"sidebarcontent\"><div class=\"sidebarbox\">\n<div class=\"columnist\">\n<div class=\"blurb\">\n<h3><a href=\"http://blog.washingtonpost.com/annapolis/\">Maryland Moment</a></h3>\n<p>News and notes on Maryland politics.</p>\n<div style=\"line-height:16px;\">\n<strong>  \n                        &#149; <a href=\"http://blog.washingtonpost.com/annapolis/2007/01/the_cabinet_was_bare.html?nav=rss_blog\">The Cabinet Was Bare</a>\n<br>\n                        &#149; <a href=\"http://blog.washingtonpost.com/annapolis/2007/01/scenes_from_an_inauguration.html?nav=rss_blog\">Scenes from an Inauguration</a>\n<br>\n                        &#149; <a href=\"http://blog.washingtonpost.com/annapolis/2007/01/saw_doctors.html?nav=rss_blog\">Direct from Ireland...</a>\n\n</strong>     </div>\n<p class=\"readmore\" style=\"border-top: 1px #ccc dashed; margin: 5px 5px 5px 5px;\">&#8226; <a href=\"http://blog.washingtonpost.com/annapolis/\">Read more</a> | <img src=\"http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/article/pieces/articleIcon_rss_25x13.gif\" alt=\"XML\" border=\"0\" class=\"xmlfeed\" /> <a href=\"http://blog.washingtonpost.com/annapolis/index.xml\">RSS Feed</a></p>\n<div class=\"clearboth\"></div>\n</div>\n</div>\n<div class=\"clearboth\"></div></div></div></div>\n\n<script src=\"http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/technorati/Technorati.js\"></script><script>\nvar technorati = new Technorati() ;\ntechnorati.setProperty(\'url\',\'http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/18/AR2007011801772_Technorati.html\') ;\ntechnorati.article = new item(\'Many in Senate Back Mandatory HPV Vaccination\',\'http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/18/AR2007011801772.html\',\'Nearly half of the Maryland Senate has signed onto legislation introduced yesterday to mandate that middle school girls receive a new vaccine for cervical cancer.\',\'Lisa Rein and Ovetta Wiggins\') ;\n</script><script src=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/18/AR2007011801772_Technorati.js\"></script><script>document.write( technorati.getDisplaySidebar() );</script>\n<link href=\"http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/css/bookmarking.css\" rel=\"stylesheet\" media=\"all\"/><div class=\"sidebarhack\"><b></b></div><div class=\"sidebar\"><h2><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"right\" border=\"0\" width=\"222\"><tr><td class=\"sb-left\" align=\"left\">Save &amp; Share Article</td><td class=\"sb-right\" align=\"right\"><a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/community/saveandshare.html\">What\'s This?</a></td></tr></table></h2><div class=\"sidebarcontent\"><div class=\"sidebarbox\"><div class=\"bookmark\"><div class=\"generic_bookmark digg_bookmark\"><div class=\"pad_bookmark\"><a href=\"http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/18/AR2007011801772.html%3Freferrer=digg&title=Many in Senate Back Mandatory HPV Vaccination&bodytext=Nearly half of the Maryland Senate has signed onto legislation introduced yesterday to mandate that middle school girls receive a new vaccine for cervical cancer.\" target=\"new\">Digg</a></div></div><div class=\"generic_bookmark google_bookmark\"><div class=\"pad_bookmark\"><a href=\"http://www.google.com/bookmarks/mark?op=add&title=Many in Senate Back Mandatory HPV Vaccination&labels=&annotation=Nearly half of the Maryland Senate has signed onto legislation introduced yesterday to mandate that middle school girls receive a new vaccine for cervical cancer.&bkmk=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/18/AR2007011801772.html%3Freferrer=google\" target=\"new\">Google</a></div></div><br clear=\"all\"/><div class=\"generic_bookmark delicious_bookmark\"><div class=\"pad_bookmark\"><a href=\"http://del.icio.us/post?v=4&partner=wpni&noui&jump=close&url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/18/AR2007011801772.html%3Freferrer=delicious&title=%22Many in Senate Back Mandatory HPV Vaccination: Legislation Part of Growing Effort to Combat Cervical Cancer by Inoculating Middle School Girls%22 By Lisa Rein and Ovetta Wiggins&notes=Nearly half of the Maryland Senate has signed onto legislation introduced yesterday to mandate that middle school girls receive a new vaccine for cervical cancer.\" target=\"new\">del.icio.us</a></div></div><div class=\"generic_bookmark yahoo_bookmark\"><div class=\"pad_bookmark\"><a href=\"http://myweb2.search.yahoo.com/myresults/bookmarklet?u=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/18/AR2007011801772.html%3Freferrer=yahoo&title=Many in Senate Back Mandatory HPV Vaccination&popup=true\" target=\"new\">Yahoo!</a></div></div><br clear=\"all\"/><div class=\"generic_bookmark reddit_bookmark\"><div class=\"pad_bookmark\"><a href=\"http://reddit.com/submit?url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/18/AR2007011801772.html%3Freferrer=reddit&title=Many in Senate Back Mandatory HPV Vaccination\" target=\"new\">Reddit</a></div></div><div class=\"generic_bookmark facebook_bookmark\"><div class=\"pad_bookmark\"><a href=\"javascript:void(0);\" onclick=\"void(window.open(\'http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=\'+encodeURIComponent(\'http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/18/AR2007011801772.html?referrer=facebook\')+\'&t=\'+encodeURIComponent(\'Many in Senate Back Mandatory HPV Vaccination\'),\'sharer\',\'toolbar=no,width=642,height=436\'));\">Facebook</a></div></div><br clear=\"all\"/></div></div></div>\n</td></tr></table>\n<p>\"Having the ability to eliminate a disease is something that cannot and should not be overlooked and should be made available to young girls,\" said Sen. Gwendolyn T. Britt (D-Prince George\'s), one of 21 senators who have signed onto the bill, sponsored by state Sen. Dolores G. Kelley (D-Baltimore County.)</p><p>House leaders said it is too early to determine the bill\'s chances for passage.</p><p>Senate Bill 54 follows similar measures introduced in the District and in the Virginia General Assembly last week. The American Cancer Society, adding its voice to those of health experts pushing the vaccine, is releasing guidelines this morning in support of routine HPV vaccination for 11- and 12-year-old girls.</p><p>Several Maryland lawmakers said the vaccine would affect their families directly. \"I have two teenage daughters,\" said Sen. Brian E. Frosh (D-Montgomery), a co-sponsor. \"I don\'t want them to get cancer.\"</p><p>New Jersey, California, Georgia, Texas and Kentucky are considering similar measures.</p><p>Attempts to make vaccination mandatory have been criticized by groups concerned about encouraging promiscuity or infringing on parents\' authority over their daughters\' health care. Some oppose such efforts because of health worries about vaccines in general. But many health advocates, among others, support the idea.</p><p>Legislation in other states has offered exemptions for religious, medical or philosophical reasons.</p><p>Cervical cancer afflicts almost 10,000 women a year in the United States, killing more than a third of them. Minority and low-income women are most affected; African Americans die at a rate more than double that of white women.</p><p>Some, but not all, private insurers offer coverage of the vaccine, called Gardasil. Most girls from low-income, uninsured or under-insured families will be covered through public programs.</p><p>HPV affects 20 million Americans ages 15 to 49. Most people fight it off without even knowing they had it. Cervical cancer is caused by high-risk types of the virus that trigger abnormal cell growth. Gardasil has proved 100 percent effective against two of the most prevalent high-risk types, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.</p><p><i>Staff writer Susan Levine contributed to this report.</i></p><p><i></i></p></div></div><br clear=\"all\">\n');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1204','1','\n\n\n	 <p>The number of <a href=\"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/cancer/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier\" title=\"Recent and archival health news about cancer.\">cancer</a> deaths in the United States has dropped for the second year in a row, the <a href=\"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/a/american_cancer_society/index.html?inline=nyt-org\" title=\"More articles about American Cancer Society\">American Cancer Society</a> reported yesterday. The finding suggests that the small drop reported last year ?the first in more than 70 years ?was real, possibly the start of a continuing decrease and not merely a statistical fluke, researchers said. </p> \n<div id=\"articleInline\">\n<div id=\"inlineBox\"><a href=\"#secondParagraph\" class=\"jumpLink\">Skip to next paragraph</a>\n  \n   \n<div class=\"image\">\n<IMG src=\"http://graphics.nytimes.com/images/2007/01/18/washington/0118-nat-CANCERa1.gif\" width=\"190\" height=\"235\" alt=\"\" border=\"0\">\n<div class=\"credit\"></div>\n<p class=\"caption\">\n</p>\n</div>\n  \n  \n<div class=\"image\">\n<IMG src=\"http://graphics.nytimes.com/images/2007/01/18/washington/0118-nat-webCANCER2.gif\" width=\"190\" height=\"783\" alt=\"\" border=\"0\">\n<div class=\"credit\"></div>\n<p class=\"caption\">\n</p>\n</div>\n   \n</div>\n</div><a name=\"secondParagraph\"></a>\n <p>Much of the decrease is due to <a href=\"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/smoking/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier\" title=\"Recent and archival health news about smoking.\">smoking</a> cessation and improved detection and treatment of colorectal, breast and prostate cancers. But it has taken enormous efforts and ingenuity to produce relatively small gains. </p><p>From 2003 to 2004, cancer deaths fell by 3,014, considerably more than the previous year? decline, 369. (These are the latest years for which figures are available.) Although the drop is notable, it still pales in comparison with the number of cancer deaths, 553,888 in 2004. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States, after <a href=\"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/heartdisease/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier\" title=\"Recent and archival health news about heart disease.\">heart disease</a>. </p><p>By far the greatest decreases in mortality have been in colorectal cancer ?1,110 fewer deaths in men, 1,094 fewer in women.</p><p>Dr. Elizabeth Ward, a managing director in epidemiology and surveillance at the cancer society, said the most important factor in the decrease was screening for colorectal cancer, which can detect the disease early when it is most treatable, or even prevent it entirely by finding precancerous polyps, which can be removed before they turn malignant. Progress has been significant even though only about half the adults who should be screened have been. If more people were screened, there would be even steeper declines in death and the incidence of the disease. </p><p>The screening methods include stool tests; colonoscopy, which examines the entire large intestine; and sigmoidoscopy, which examines the lower part of it. </p><p>Dr. Alfred I. Neugut, the director of cancer prevention and control at <a href=\"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/c/columbia_university/index.html?inline=nyt-org\" title=\"More articles about Columbia University.\">Columbia University Medical Center</a>, said colorectal screening was comparable to the Pap test, which led to an 85 percent decrease in the incidence of cervical cancer in this country.</p><p>Improved treatment has also played a part in lowering the death rate from colorectal cancer, Dr. Neugut said. ?here was a revolution in treatment between 1998 and 2000, and revolution is a mild word,?he said. ?e went from having one drug to having six or seven good drugs. The cure and survival rates have increased dramatically as a result. The cost of care has also gone up, but you get what you pay for.?</p><p>The death rate from cancer has been falling by slightly less than 1 percent a year since 1991, but until 2003 the actual number of deaths kept rising because the population was growing and aging. Then, in 2003, the cumulative drop in death rates finally became large enough to outpace aging and population growth. </p><p>?he decline in the cancer death rates, which has ultimately resulted in a decline in the total number of deaths, really reflects the years of effort and investment in tobacco control, programs for early detection and screening, and programs in clinical and basic research,?Dr. Ward said. ?e?e made a great deal of progress, but we still have a long way to go.?</p><p>One great concern, Dr. Ward said, is that African-Americans have markedly higher death rates than whites from nearly every type of cancer. Researchers do not fully understand why. Having less income, education and access to health care account for much of the difference, but not all of it, researchers say. </p><p>?f we really want to continue to make progress by applying what we know,?Dr. Ward said, ?e have to figure out a way to make sure to reach all populations with the information they need to prevent cancer, and make sure that all populations have access to early detection and treatment ?quality treatment ?so that 10 to 20 years from now we don? see the same big differences.?/p><p>The report also notes differences with other racial groups. American Indians and Alaska natives have the highest incidence and death rates from kidney cancer, but the reason is not known. Compared with whites, Pacific Islanders and Asian-Americans have a higher incidence and death rate from stomach and liver cancers. The main reason is that they are more likely to be exposed to the <a href=\"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/hepatitis/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier\" title=\"Recent and archival health news about hepatitis.\">hepatitis</a> B virus, which can cause a chronic liver infection that leads to cancer, and to the bacterium Helicobacter pylori, which can lead to <a href=\"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/ulcers/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier\" title=\"Recent and archival health news about ulcers.\">ulcers</a> and stomach cancer. </p><p>Hepatitis B can be prevented by a vaccine. There is no vaccine for Helicobacter, but infections can be treated with <a href=\"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/antibiotics/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier\" title=\"Recent and archival health news about antibiotics.\">antibiotics</a>. </p><p>Originally, the new statistics were to be made public on Friday, but the cancer society changed the release date to Wednesday at the request of the director of the <a href=\"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/n/national_cancer_institute/index.html?inline=nyt-org\" title=\"More articles about National Cancer Institute\">National Cancer Institute</a>, who wanted the announcement to coincide with President Bush? visit to the institute. </p><p>Lung cancer is still the leading cause of cancer mortality in the United States, with 160,390 deaths expected in 2007. In men, deaths have been decreasing, but in women they are still increasing slightly, because women quit smoking later. </p><p>Now, the lung cancer epidemic may be starting to plateau in women just as it did in men about 15 years ago, Dr. Ward said. </p><p> Another cancer is likely to increase, not in rates, but in numbers as the population ages. ? think prostate cancer is going to be the bane of the next century,?Dr. Neugut said.</p><p>The incidence of the disease probably will not change, he said, but the number of cases will increase. About 219,000 new cases are expected in 2007, and 27,000 deaths. </p><p>?s the baby boom generation reaches the age where everyone? getting prostate cancer, it? going to absolutely go through the roof in the next decade or two,?Dr. Neugut said. ?t? going to be a good time to be a urologist. We?l hit 300,000 cases in the next 10 to 20 years. From a public health perspective, it means we?l be doing more surgery and spending more on prostate cancer.?</p><p>Screening is controversial, because not all prostate cancers are deadly, yet once they are found many men feel they must have surgery to remove the entire prostate gland. </p><p>?e?e overdiagnosing it,?Dr. Neugut said, adding that although he is a cancer specialist, he does not endorse screening for prostate cancer, not even for himself. ?y wife gets mad at me and screams,?he said.</p><p><a href=\"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/breastcancer/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier\" title=\"Recent and archival health news about breast cancer.\">Breast cancer</a> incidence, which had been climbing steadily for decades, has leveled off. One reason may be that many women abandoned menopausal hormone treatment after a major study in 2002 found that it increased the risk of breast cancer. Another reason may be that rates of <a href=\"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/mammography/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier\" title=\"Recent and archival health news about mammography.\">mammography</a> ?and therefore of new diagnoses ?have also leveled off. Death rates have been decreasing, but in women ages 20 to 59, breast cancer is still the leading cause of cancer death. </p><p>Death rates from a few other cancers have increased. </p><p>One is esophageal cancer in men, an increase Dr. Ward said was probably linked to <a href=\"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/obesity/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier\" title=\"Recent and archival health news about obesity.\">obesity</a>. Being overweight increases the risk of acid reflux, in which stomach acid backs up into the esophagus, causing a chronic inflammation that can eventually lead to cancer. </p><p>Liver cancer has also increased in both men and women, almost certainly because of hepatitis viruses; about 3 million people in the United States have chronic hepatitis C infections, and 1.25 million have chronic hepatitis B. Hepatitis B is especially common among Asian immigrants, many of whom were infected at birth. But obesity may also raise liver cancer rates, Dr. Ward said. </p><NYT_UPDATE_BOTTOM>\n</NYT_UPDATE_BOTTOM>\n');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1205','1','\n\n\n	 <p>Vaccinators scaled Himalayan peaks in Nepal, waded through Cambodian paddy fields, canoed up the Congo River and rode camels across Somalia? hinterlands in an effort to immunize children against <a href=\"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/measles/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier\" title=\"Recent and archival health news about measles.\">measles</a>. New data released yesterday documents the scale of their success: the global campaign against measles has saved 2.3 million lives since 1999, mostly in Africa.</p>      <p><a href=\"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/u/united_nations_childrens_fund/index.html?inline=nyt-org\" title=\"More articles about United Nations Children\'s Fund\">Unicef</a> and  the <a href=\"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/w/world_health_organization/index.html?inline=nyt-org\" title=\"More articles about World Health Organization\">World Health Organization</a> reported that the goal of halving measles deaths worldwide by 2005 has been surpassed. Deaths fell 60 percent to 345,000 a year in 2005 from 873,000 in 1999. </p><p>The most comprehensive push against measles unfurled across Africa. Measles deaths there plunged even more steeply, by 75 percent, saving the lives of more than 1.6 million children. </p><p>?t was the Africans themselves who did this magnificent job,?said Dr. Edward J. Hoekstra, who leads Unicef? global measles program. ?e just gave them the tools.?/p><p>The results of the international measles undertaking will be laid out in an article by Unicef and W.H.O. doctors appearing online today  in the British medical journal The Lancet.</p><p>The $300 million assault on measles was mainly financed by the <a href=\"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/c/centers_for_disease_control_and_prevention/index.html?inline=nyt-org\" title=\"More articles about the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.\">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a>,  Canada? International Development Agency, the <a href=\"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/a/american_red_cross/index.html?inline=nyt-org\" title=\"More articles about American Red Cross\">American Red Cross</a>, <a href=\"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/t/ted_turner/index.html?inline=nyt-per\" title=\"More articles about Ted Turner.\">Ted Turner</a>? United Nations Foundation and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and <a href=\"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/vaccinationandimmunization/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier\" title=\"Recent and archival health news about vaccination and immunization.\">Immunization</a>, which includes countries and the <a href=\"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/g/gates_bill_and_melinda_foundation/index.html?inline=nyt-org\" title=\"More articles about Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation\">Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation</a>.</p><p>The world has come a long way since the measles vaccine was licensed in 1963. In the early 1960s, an estimated six  million children died each year from measles, a highly infectious disease spread by an airborne virus. Since then, measles has been largely brought under control in many wealthy nations, but millions of children in poor countries have continued to die for want of a vaccine that costs 16 cents per dose.</p><p>In recent years, as countries and charitable groups sought to bridge the gap between the children in rich and poor countries, more than 360 million children were vaccinated in vast, intricate campaigns that typically sought to reach every eligible child during a short, widely publicized span of days. These took place in more than 40 countries in Africa and Asia. The percentage of children vaccinated for measles through routine medical care also rose to 77 percent from 71 percent. The new goal, endorsed in 2005 at a W.H.O. assembly in Geneva, is a 90 percent cut in measles deaths by 2010. </p><p>The greatest remaining challenge lies in Asia, where most measles deaths are in India, Pakistan and Indonesia. Indonesia? drive against measles is well under way. Pakistan? is expected to start this year. But India has yet to adopt the strategy promoted by Unicef and the W.H.O., which calls for a second dose of measles vaccine for children during routine checkups or campaigns. </p><p>Experts estimate that more than 100,000 children die each year from the complications of measles in India, more than in any other nation.</p><p>In Africa, to keep measles deaths low, national health systems too poor to provide high levels of immunization through routine health care must carry out immunization campaigns every three to four years. </p><p>Last year, nine African countries ran campaigns that offered not only measles shots, but also distributed free mosquito nets that cost $5 to $6 to prevent <a href=\"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/malaria/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier\" title=\"Recent and archival health news about malaria.\">malaria</a>, which kills 800,000 children a year in Africa.</p><p> Public health doctors say the measles-malaria strategy has the potential to strengthen the appeal of drives to slash child mortality.</p><NYT_UPDATE_BOTTOM>\n</NYT_UPDATE_BOTTOM>\n');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1206','1','\n\n\n	 <p>WASHINGTON, Jan. 18 &#151; A <a href=\"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/h/harvard_university/index.html?inline=nyt-org\" title=\"More articles about Harvard University.\">Harvard</a> study concluding that cigarette makers have for years deliberately increased nicotine levels in cigarettes to make them more addictive led to renewed calls Thursday for greater federal oversight of the industry.</p>      <p>&#8220;Given the harm that tobacco causes, it shouldn&#8217;t be a game of cat-and-mouse to figure out what the industry is doing to cigarettes,&#8221; said Dr. Josh Sharfstein, commissioner of health for the City of Baltimore.</p><p>Senator <a href=\"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/k/edward_m_kennedy/index.html?inline=nyt-per\" title=\"More articles about Edward M. Kennedy.\">Edward M. Kennedy</a>, the Massachusetts Democrat who is now chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, promised to reintroduce within weeks a bill that would allow the <a href=\"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/f/food_and_drug_administration/index.html?inline=nyt-org\" title=\"More articles about the U.S. Food And Drug Administration.\">Food and Drug Administration</a> to regulate cigarettes.</p><p>Mr. Kennedy said the Harvard study, which was released this week, &#8220;is dramatic new proof that Big Tobacco is addicted to addicting millions of young smokers.&#8221;</p><p>Mr. Kennedy&#8217;s bill passed the Senate in 2004 but failed in the House. With Democrats now in control of both houses, public health advocates said they had new hope that the legislation &#151; debated for more than a decade &#151; could pass.</p><p>Philip Morris, the nation&#8217;s largest cigarette maker, released a statement Wednesday taking issue with the Harvard study but saying the company supported Mr. Kennedy&#8217;s bill.</p><p>The company, which is owned by the Altria Group, said its own reports showed that nicotine yields for its top-selling Marlboro brand were the same in 2006 as they were in 1997. Changes between those years, it said, &#8220;reflect that there are random variations in cigarette nicotine yields.&#8221;</p><p>The Harvard researchers analyzed data only  through 2005, although they promised to include 2006 figures in future analyses. </p><p>Dr. Gregory Connolly, a professor at the Harvard School of Public Health who was a leader of the study, said there was nothing random about the growth in nicotine yields, which occurred across all cigarette brands and makers.</p><p>&#8220;We know from our data that there are intentional design changes that result in more nicotine in smoke that increases the capacity for the cigarette to cause and maintain addiction,&#8221; Dr. Connolly said. </p><p>Company representatives at Lorillard Tobacco, owned by Loews, and R. J. Reynolds Tobacco, owned by Reynolds American, did not respond to phone messages. </p><p>Cigarette makers have for decades denounced scientific efforts to measure the byproducts and effects of cigarette <a href=\"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/smoking/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier\" title=\"Recent and archival health news about smoking.\">smoking</a>. And for decades, experts have been arguing over the best ways to measure smoke from smoking. </p><p>One common way has been to use machines to mimic smoking. For years, these tests were done at the Federal Trade Commission.</p><p>In recent years, however, government regulators have asked cigarette makers to do these machine tests themselves. And beginning in 1997, Massachusetts regulations required cigarette makers to file an annual report with health regulators on the results of these tests.</p><p>In August, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health issued a study showing that according to the industry&#8217;s own reports, the amount of nicotine that could be inhaled from cigarettes had increased an average of 10 percent from 1998 through 2004. The report was immediately criticized by cigarette makers.</p><p>So Dr. Connolly and colleagues decided to undertake a far more sophisticated analysis of the underlying data provided by cigarette makers. The Harvard group found that nicotine yields from smoking had increased  each year from 1998 through 2005, by  about 11 percent altogether.</p><p>A sophisticated mathematical analysis of the data demonstrated that the increase could not be due to random variations, Dr. Connolly said. </p><p>In August, in a racketeering suit brought by the Justice Department against the tobacco industry, a federal judge found that tobacco companies had for decades &#8220;manipulated the use of nicotine so as to increase and perpetuate addiction.&#8221; </p><p> In ordering strict new limitations on tobacco marketing, the judge, Gladys Kessler of Federal District Court for the District of Columbia, also said that for decades, tobacco companies had &#8220;lied, misrepresented and deceived the American public.&#8221;</p><p>Julie Brill, an assistant attorney general in Vermont, said she did not think the latest study would do anything to alter a deal reached in 1998 in which the tobacco industry agreed to pay states $246 billion. The money was to settle lawsuits seeking to recover expenses related to the treatment of tobacco-related illnesses. </p><p>Ms. Brill said she was &#8220;disappointed but not surprised&#8221; by the Harvard study. </p><p>&#8220;It leads one to question how long this industry can continue to be as unregulated as it is,&#8221; she said.</p><p>Dr. Richard Hurt, director of the <a href=\"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/m/mayo_clinic/index.html?inline=nyt-org\" title=\"More articles about Mayo Clinic\">Mayo Clinic</a>&#8217;s nicotine dependence program, said he had reviewed the Harvard analysis and found it credible. And Dr. Hurt said documents disclosed in litigation against the industry showed that cigarette makers closely controlled the nicotine content of their products.</p><p>&#8220;If anyone thinks that tobacco companies have changed for the better and are now reformed, I have some beachfront property in Nebraska I&#8217;d like to sell them,&#8221; he said.</p><p>Dr. David Kessler, who as commissioner of the F.D.A. during the Clinton administration sought to impose regulatory authority over cigarette makers, said cigarette makers had been manipulating nicotine levels for decades.</p><p>&#8220;Tobacco makers still have not answered some fundamental questions about why this is happening,&#8221; said Dr. Kessler, now dean of the <a href=\"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/u/university_of_california/index.html?inline=nyt-org\" title=\"More articles about the University of California.\">University of California</a>, San Francisco,  School of Medicine. </p><NYT_UPDATE_BOTTOM>\n</NYT_UPDATE_BOTTOM>\n');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1207','1','\n\n\n	 <p>WASHINGTON, Jan. 18 &#151; A broad coalition of business and consumer groups, doctors, hospitals and drug companies laid out a major proposal on Thursday to provide health coverage to more than half of the nation&#8217;s 47 million uninsured by expanding federal benefit programs and offering new  tax credits to individuals and families.</p>      <p>&#8220;This is a proposal not for mandates but for incentives,&#8221; said Dr. Reed V. Tuckson, senior vice president of UnitedHealth Group, one of the nation&#8217;s largest insurers. &#8220;It&#8217;s a careful balance of public and private solutions.&#8221;</p><p>The proposal, unveiled Thursday after more than two years of work, was endorsed by 16 groups including <a href=\"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/a/aarp/index.html?inline=nyt-org\" title=\"More articles about AARP\">AARP</a>, the American Hospital Association, the <a href=\"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/a/american_medical_association/index.html?inline=nyt-org\" title=\"More articles about American Medical Association\">American Medical Association</a>, the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, Johnson &#38; Johnson, Kaiser Permanente, Pfizer and the Chamber of Commerce of the United States. </p><p>Other coalition members endorsing the proposal were Families USA, a liberal-leaning consumer group, and America&#8217;s Health Insurance Plans, a trade group for insurers.</p><p>The proposal comes at a possible turning point in the debate over national health insurance, which has been an elusive goal for Democrats since the New Deal. In the past few years, businesses of all sizes have said that health costs are cutting their profits and hurting their ability to compete. Politicians of both parties predict that the health care issue will figure prominently in the 2008 presidential campaign. </p><p>Without waiting for Congress, states like Massachusetts and California are expanding coverage, but want help from Washington. </p><p>As a first step, the 16-member group, known as the Health Coverage Coalition for the Uninsured, urged Congress to put more money into the Children&#8217;s Health Insurance Program and create tax breaks for the purchase of private insurance covering children. Money for the program is running low, and many children are eligible but not enrolled.</p><p>Members of the coalition said their proposal would cost $45 billion in the first five years. They did not estimate the cost of insuring millions of adults in later years, nor did they suggest how to pay the costs. Dr. Tuckson said that &#8220;the cost of inaction is higher than the cost of action.&#8221;</p><p>Ronald F. Pollack, the executive director of Families USA, said, &#8220;Our agreement transcends political and ideological boundaries.&#8221; </p><p>But tensions bubbled below the surface, showing how difficult it could be to translate the recommendations into law. The <a href=\"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/a/american_federation_of_laborcongress_of_industrial_organizations/index.html?inline=nyt-org\" title=\"More articles about American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO)\">A.F.L.-C.I.O.</a>, the <a href=\"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/s/service_employees_international_union/index.html?inline=nyt-org\" title=\"More articles about Service Employees International Union\">Service Employees International Union</a> and the <a href=\"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/n/national_assn_of_manufacturers/index.html?inline=nyt-org\" title=\"More articles about National Association of Manufacturers\">National Association of Manufacturers</a> participated in the coalition for more than a year but did not endorse the final report.  The deepest divisions came over how to pay for expanded coverage and who should foot the bill.</p><p>Andrew L. Stern, president of the service employees&#8217; union, supports health insurance for all but has said that  the &#8220;employer-based system of health coverage is over&#8221; and that it &#8220;is collapsing, crushed by out-of-control costs.&#8221; By contrast, members of the coalition said they wanted to preserve and build on that system.</p><p>E. Neil Trautwein, former assistant vice president of the National Association of Manufacturers, said the proposal had &#8220;little reference to fiscal realities.&#8221; </p><p>JoAnn C. Volk, a  policy analyst at the A.F.L.-C.I.O., said she favored expanding government  programs. &#8220;But tax credits would not guarantee access to comprehensive coverage and could leave consumers with high out-of-pocket costs,&#8221; Ms. Volk said.</p><p>Suzanne DeFrancis, a spokeswoman for the <a href=\"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/h/health_and_human_services_department/index.html?inline=nyt-org\" title=\"More articles about Health and Human Services Department, U.S.\">Department of Health and Human Services</a>, said: &#8220;We all share the goal of helping people get health insurance. The administration believes this can be done best by helping people buy their own insurance, rather than creating a new government entitlement to health care or raising taxes.&#8221;</p><p>More than eight million children are uninsured. At least two-thirds are eligible for Medicaid or the Children&#8217;s Health Insurance Program. One way to cover these children would be to enroll them automatically in Medicaid or the children&#8217;s insurance program if they qualified for food stamps or reduced-price school lunches, the coalition said.</p><p>In general, Medicaid is available to children under 19 in families with incomes below the poverty level, about $16,600 for a family of three. The coalition said Congress should provide tax credits to families with incomes from 100 percent to 300 percent of the poverty level, to help them buy coverage for children.</p><p>The coalition offered longer-term recommendations, saying that states should have the option to expand Medicaid to cover all adults with incomes below the poverty level. </p><p> &#8220;Day after day, there is debate and discussion,&#8221; Dr. Tuckson said. &#8220;Day after day, people die. We are sick and tired of the debate. We are focusing on what is achievable.&#8221;</p><NYT_UPDATE_BOTTOM>\n</NYT_UPDATE_BOTTOM>\n');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1208','1','<table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\"><tr><td width=\"10\"></td><td width=\"98%\"><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"98%\" valign=\"top\"><tr><td><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><font size=\"+2\" color=\"551E1B\">What\'s the top medical milestone in 150 years?</font><br><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><b>Sanitation beats discovery of DNA, anesthesia in worldwide survey</b><br></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"></td></tr></table><font size=\"-2\"><a href=\"http://www.reuters.com/\"><a href=\"http://www.reuters.com/\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://msnbcmedia3.msn.com/i/msnbc/Components/Sources/sourceReuters.gif\" height=\"20\" width=\"140\" vspace=\"0\" hspace=\"0\"></a></a><p></p></font><p>LONDON - Sanitation was voted the most important medical milestone in the past century and a half on Thursday in a poll conducted by a leading medical journal.</p><p>Improved sewage disposal and clean water supply systems, which have reduced diseases such as cholera, was the overwhelming favorite of 11,341 people worldwide who voted in the survey conducted by the British Medical Journal.</p><p>It surpassed antibiotics, the discovery of DNA, and anesthesia, which were among the top five milestones in the poll. Participants were asked what they thought was the biggest medical advance since the journal was established in 1840.</p><p>\"I\'m delighted that sanitation is recognized by so many people as such an important milestone,\" said Professor Johan Mackenbach, of Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam who championed the sanitation choice.</p><p><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"460\"><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"10\" border=\"0\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr height=\"20\"><td width=\"98%\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><font size=\"-1\"><b color=\"#666666\">&nbsp;Click for related content</b></font></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"5\" cellpadding=\"0\" bordercolor=\"#cccccc\" border=\"0\" style=\"border-top:solid 1px #cccccc;border-bottom:solid 1px #cccccc;background-color:#ffffff;\" bgcolor=\"#ffffff\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellpadding=\"0\" class=\"headlineList2\"><tr></tr></table></td></tr><tr valign=\"top\"><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"8\"><tr><td style=\"padding:8px;\"><font class=\"bigRedLink\"><ul><li><a href=\"http://boards.msn.com/MSNBCboards/thread.aspx?BoardID=476&amp;ThreadID=172719\">Discuss: Do you agree?</a></li><li><a href=\"/id/16543370/\">DNA-tailored medicine moves into mainstream</a></li><li><a href=\"/id/16194254/\">Survivors remember 1918 flu pandemic</a></li><li><a href=\"/id/11025380/\">Podcast: The Body Odd</a></li></ul></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"\" bordercolor=\"\" border=\"0\" style=\"background-color:#eeeeee;\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr><td style=\"\"><font class=\"textSmall\" color=\"#000000\"></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></p><p>\"The general lesson which still holds is that passive protection against health hazards is often the best way to improve population health,\" he added.</p><p>\"Clearly, sanitation still plays a vital role in improving public health now and in the future,\" he said.</p><p>Other important milestones recommended for the top prize included the development of imaging techniques, the contraceptive pill, immunology and computers.</p><p>London was one of first cities of modern times to seriously tackle the problem of poor sanitation after a British doctor, John Snow, discovered in 1854 that cholera was water-borne and not air-borne as had previously being thought.</p><div class=\"textBodyBlack\" style=\"clear:both;\"><i><em>Copyright 2007 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters.</em></i></div><br>');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1209','1','<table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\"><tr><td width=\"10\"></td><td width=\"98%\"><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"98%\" valign=\"top\"><tr><td><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><font size=\"+2\" color=\"551E1B\">Study: Nicotine increasing in cigarettes</font><br><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><b>Levels jumped 11 percent over a seven-year period, researchers confirm</b><br></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"></td></tr></table><font size=\"-2\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://msnbcmedia1.msn.com/i/msnbc/Components/Sources/sourceAP.gif\" height=\"20\" width=\"140\" vspace=\"0\" hspace=\"0\"><p></p></font><p>BOSTON - Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health say they have confirmed a study by the state that found nicotine levels in cigarettes increased from 1997 until 2005.</p><p>The analysis, based on data submitted to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health by cigarette manufacturers, found that increases in smoke nicotine yield per cigarette averaged 1.6 percent each year, for a total of about 11 percent over a seven-year period.</p><p>\"Cigarettes are finely tuned drug delivery devices, designed to perpetuate a tobacco pandemic,\" said Howard Koh, an associate dean for public health practice who worked on the analysis. \"Yet precise information about these products remains shrouded in secrecy, hidden from the public.\"</p><p>The health department study released last October examined nicotine levels in more than 100 brands over a six-year period. The study showed a steady climb in the amount of nicotine delivered to the lungs of smokers.</p><p>Gregory Connolly, head of the Tobacco Control Research Program at the Harvard School of Public Health, said the increase found in Harvard\'s study is due primarily to an increase in nicotine in the raw tobacco used in the cigarettes.</p><p>\"There\'s something going on either with the type of tobacco they\'re using or the addition of more nicotine to the reconstituted tobacco. We just don\'t know,\" Connolly said.</p><p><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"460\"><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"10\" border=\"0\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr height=\"20\"><td width=\"98%\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><font size=\"-1\"><b color=\"#666666\">&nbsp;Click for related content</b></font></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"5\" cellpadding=\"0\" bordercolor=\"#cccccc\" border=\"0\" style=\"border-top:solid 1px #cccccc;border-bottom:solid 1px #cccccc;background-color:#ffffff;\" bgcolor=\"#ffffff\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellpadding=\"0\" class=\"headlineList2\"><tr></tr></table></td></tr><tr valign=\"top\"><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"8\"><tr><td style=\"padding:8px;\"><font class=\"bigRedLink\"><ul><li><a href=\"/id/15654251/\">Interactive: Want to quit smoking?</a></li><li><a href=\"/id/16072698/\">Gene linked to heavy smoking found</a></li><li><a href=\"/id/16369578/\">Young smokers often try to quit on their own</a></li></ul></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"\" bordercolor=\"\" border=\"0\" style=\"background-color:#eeeeee;\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr><td style=\"\"><font class=\"textSmall\" color=\"#000000\"></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></p><p>He also said the findings call into question whether the tobacco industry is living up to its 1998 agreement with states that it would launch a campaign to reduce smoking by young people.</p><p>\"If that same industry turns around and advances the availability of nicotine in the product, you may not get fewer kids smoking,\" he said.</p><p>Cigarette manufacturers disputed the findings of both studies. Cigarette manufacturer Philip Morris USA said data reported to the state by the company shows nicotine yields for the Marlboro cigarettes were the same in 2006 and 1997.</p><p>The company said that the data reflect random variations in cigarette nicotine yields, both upward and downwards, and that variations are not consistent.</p><p>Health department officials have defended the report, which said that the higher nicotine levels made it easier to get hooked on cigarettes and harder to quit.</p><p>Massachusetts is one of three states to require tobacco companies to submit information about nicotine testing according to its specifications and the only state with data going back to 1997.</p><p>Harvard did a more in-depth analysis of the state\'s data and looked at one additional year. Work on the report was supported by funds from the anti-smoking advocacy group The American Legacy Foundation and the National Cancer Institute.</p><div class=\"textBodyBlack\" style=\"clear:both;\"><i><em>?2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</em></i></div><br>');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1210','1','<table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\"><tr><td width=\"10\"></td><td width=\"98%\"><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"98%\" valign=\"top\"><tr><td><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><font size=\"+2\" color=\"551E1B\">Pittsburgh students bite for \'mystery fat\'</font><br><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><b>The plant-based fat substitute aims to reduce fat and calories, not taste</b><br></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"></td></tr></table><font size=\"-2\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://msnbcmedia1.msn.com/i/msnbc/Components/Sources/sourceAP.gif\" height=\"20\" width=\"140\" vspace=\"0\" hspace=\"0\"><p></p></font><p>PITTSBURGH - It isn\'t mystery meat - it\'s more like mystery fat. And the kids in the Plum Borough School District have been eating it and liking it.</p><p>The secret ingredient is a plant-based fat substitute called Z Trim. It\'s been in the school\'s popular ranch dressing for months, quietly reducing the fat and calories students are getting when they load up their salads and chicken with it.</p><p>\"It\'s really good. Better than my ranch at home,\" says 16-year-old Juliann Sheldon, who used the dressing to top off her salad of lettuce, baby spinach, chunks of chicken and croutons.</p><p>The Plum Borough district in suburban Pittsburgh is believed to be the first school district in the country to use the fat substitute. School officials say the dressing\'s flavor is preserved, even though fat and calories are cut.</p><p>\"Sometimes getting healthy foods into (students) isn\'t always the easiest thing to do, if they know about it,\" said Maryann Lazzaro, the district\'s food service manager and a registered dietitian.</p><p>The district began using the product 10 months ago, but just told the students about the switch Thursday.</p><p>\"I think it tastes the same as it did before,\" said Tina DeLuca, 16.</p><p><b><strong>No safety concerns</strong></b><br>Z Trim, which has no fat, is made from the hulls of corn, oats, soy, rice and barley. It was developed by a scientists at a U.S. Department of Agriculture lab in Illinois in the mid-1990s.</p><p>The Center for Science in the Public Interest, a consumer advocacy group that often speaks out on unhealthy food, said it has no safety concerns about Z Trim.</p><p>It\'s taken several years to get the product into production and on the market. In 1998, FiberGel Technologies of Mundelein, Ill., acquired the license for Z Trim and built a manufacturing plant with plans to market and sell it to both food manufacturers and consumers.</p><p>Sold as a gel or powder, it can be used in dressings, dips, sauces, baked goods, processed meats, snack foods, cookies, pies and other foods. Unfortunately, it cannot be fried.</p><p>The company believes Z Trim could play a crucial role in fighting the obesity epidemic.</p><p>Rick Harris, FiberGel\'s vice president for sales and marketing, said Z Trim can be used to replace about 50 percent of the fat - such as oil or lard - in recipes without changing the taste or texture. In Z Trim mayonnaise, for example, there are 2 grams of fat and 25 calories per 1 tablespoon serving, compared with 4.5 grams of fat and 45 calories in a serving of an average light mayonnaise.</p><p>\"This is a true plant fiber. It\'s something people have been eating,\" Harris said. \"If anyone\'s had popcorn, they\'ve had Z Trim. That\'s basically what it is.\"</p><p>Many products on the market use a variety of fat substitutes, including olestra. But unlike fat replacers like olestra, a substance used in potato chips that raised concerns about diarrhea and stomach cramping, Z Trim has no side effects, the company said.</p><p><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"460\"><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"10\" border=\"0\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr height=\"20\"><td width=\"98%\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><font size=\"-1\"><b color=\"#666666\">&nbsp;Click for related content</b></font></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"5\" cellpadding=\"0\" bordercolor=\"#cccccc\" border=\"0\" style=\"border-top:solid 1px #cccccc;border-bottom:solid 1px #cccccc;background-color:#ffffff;\" bgcolor=\"#ffffff\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellpadding=\"0\" class=\"headlineList2\"><tr></tr></table></td></tr><tr valign=\"top\"><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"8\"><tr><td style=\"padding:8px;\"><font class=\"bigRedLink\"><ul><li><a href=\"/id/16566208/\">For weight loss that really counts, count calories</a></li><li><a href=\"/id/16523298/\">Dieting is more than what you eat</a></li></ul></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"\" bordercolor=\"\" border=\"0\" style=\"background-color:#eeeeee;\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr><td style=\"\"><font class=\"textSmall\" color=\"#000000\"></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></p><p><b><strong>Taste matters</strong></b><br>Nancy Perrott, a nutritionist at Children\'s Hospital of Pittsburgh, said the best way to get kids to eating healthier is to offer healthy choices and limit unhealthy ones. Though she had never heard of Z Trim, Perrott raised concerns that children would get used to eating the lower-cal school foods with Z Trim and forget that most of those foods outside school have more calories.</p><p>\"It is the right idea. Whether or not that\'s a practical solution, I\'m not sure,\" Perrott said.</p><p>In the Plum Borough school district, Lazzaro had already added some healthy, lower-fat options to the $1.85 lunch for her 1,000 daily customers. But when she started using a low-fat ranch dressing more than a year ago, students didn\'t like the taste and stopped eating the veggies, she said.</p><p>FiberGel officials contacted her after reading about her efforts to improve school lunches.</p><p>Lazzaro and FiberGel experimented with the school\'s ranch dressing recipe, trying to mimic the taste of it while using Z Trim. The result was a Z Trim mayonnaise that is used to make ranch dressing and chicken, tuna and egg salads. Lazzaro said the price is comparable to buying low-fat mayo wholesale.</p><p>Company officials said now they are talking with Chicago school officials about using Z Trim, as well as discussions with food companies.</p><p>For the students at Plum High School, though, what matters most is the taste.</p><p>\"It tastes the same,\" said R.J. Fazio, a 15-year-old sophomore feasting on ravioli and a side salad topped with white globs of ranch dressing. \"It doesn\'t bother me.\"</p><div class=\"textBodyBlack\" style=\"clear:both;\"><i><em>?2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</em></i></div><br>');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1211','1','	<p><p>FRIDAY, Jan. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Newer antipsychotic medications are being used widely for a variety of psychiatric disorders for which they were not initially approved.</p> <p>This \"off label\" use comes without strong evidence that the drugs are effective for these conditions and with a risk for serious side effects, said a report issued this week by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). </p> <p>The medications were approved to treat conditions such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, but are now being prescribed to millions of Americans for depression, dementia, and other psychiatric disorders without strong evidence that such off-label uses are effective, the report stated.</p> <p>\"The issue of off-label indications is a problem across medications, but I think it\'s particularly of concern with drugs that affect mental-health issues,\" said Dr. David Atkins, chief medical officer at AHRQ\'s Center for Outcomes and Evidence. </p> <p>The revelation, contained in an AHRQ report titled <i>Efficacy and Comparative Effectiveness of Off-Label Use of Atypical Antipsychotics</i>, was not startling to clinicians. </p> <p>\"The surprise is that people have not been more adamant about this earlier,\" said Dr. Julio Licinio, chairman of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. </p> <p>The report comes on the heels of another study that found that antipsychotic drugs, commonly prescribed to treat psychosis, agitation and aggression in Alzheimer\'s patients, are essentially no more effective than a sugar pill. </p> <p>Atypical antipsychotics such as aripiprazole (Abilify), olanzapine (Zyprexa), quetiapine (Seroquel), risperidone (Risperdal) and ziprasidone (Geodon) are designed to cause fewer neurological complications than older antipsychotics. They are approved to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder but are increasingly used to treat dementia, geriatric aggression, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and personality disorders. </p> <p>Using the drugs \"off label\' for conditions other than their original approval is perfectly legal but causes concern among some experts. A 2001 report by the AHRQ concluded that about 21 percent of prescribed drug use was for conditions not indicated on the label. </p> <p>Atypical antipsychotics have also been studied for treating Tourette syndrome and autism in children. </p> <p>\"Off-label use isn\'t necessarily bad,\" Atkins said. \"To say it\'s not an approved indication doesn\'t mean there\'s no evidence.\" </p> <p>But after reviewing 84 published studies on atypical antipsychotics, the authors of the new study concluded there can be problems. Not only is quality evidence lacking to support off-label use of the drugs, there is evidence of severe side effects, including weight gain, tremors and stroke.</p> <p>\"These drugs have a lot of side effects,\" Licinio confirmed. \"They also tend to be very expensive.\" </p> <p>Although some patients can benefit from the off-label use, many can be treated with a different drug without the side effects, he added. </p> <p>The drugs are also used widely in children for off-label purposes, said Dr. Cheryl Corcoran, assistant professor of psychiatry at Columbia University and a researcher in schizophrenia at the New York State Psychiatric Institute in New York City.</p> <p>\"There are very few clinical trials in children, but there\'s enough information from other sources to show that these medications can be very problematic for children, with side effects such as weight gain, insulin resistance and changes in cholesterol,\" she said. </p> <p>Licinio added there are few studies that looked at the drugs in \"real-world\" settings, which often means in combination with other drugs. \"It\'s not only that people are getting anti-psychotics, they are being added to what they are already taking,\" he said. \"They are being added, and they have not been tested in combinations, and I think it\'s a problem.\" </p> <p>The study authors called for more head-to-head trials of the drugs.</p> <p>\"The clearest finding was that the quality of evidence for the most common uses was not very clear-cut, which doesn\'t prove the case that these aren\'t appropriate to consider in individual patients. But it does say that given the amount of use they\'re getting, we need some better research to try to clarify how to identify the right patients to get these drugs,\" Atkins said.</p> <p>But Corcoran and others called for a different approach. </p> <p>\"Our sense is not more head-to-head trials but the need to develop other kinds of treatments for disorders other than psychosis, drugs that are safer, more appropriate, using rationale drug design,\" she said. </p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>View the full report at <a href=\"http://effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/synthesize/reports/final.cfm?Doc ument=14&amp;Topic=34\" target=\"_new\">AHRQ</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1212','1','<table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\"><tr><td width=\"10\"></td><td width=\"98%\"><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"98%\" valign=\"top\"><tr><td><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><font size=\"+2\" color=\"551E1B\">Eating trans fats may increase infertility risk</font><br><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><b>Hydrogenated oils hinder cell receptor tied to fertility, study finds</b><br></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"></td></tr></table><font size=\"-2\"><a href=\"http://www.reuters.com/\"><a href=\"http://www.reuters.com/\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://msnbcmedia3.msn.com/i/msnbc/Components/Sources/sourceReuters.gif\" height=\"20\" width=\"140\" vspace=\"0\" hspace=\"0\"></a></a><p></p></font><p>NEW YORK - Women who want to get pregnant may want to stay away from fast food french fries not just to avoid putting on some extra pounds, a new study shows.</p><p>The more trans fats a woman eats, the more likely she is to be infertile, Dr. Jorge E. Chavarro of the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston and colleagues found.</p><p>Trans fats are found in fried foods, packaged snacks, commercial baked goods and other sources, and are known to increase the risk of heart disease and diabetes. \"Even for somebody who\'s not trying to get pregnant, it is a very good idea to stay away from them,\" Chavarro told Reuters Health.</p><p>Trans fats can interfere with the activity of a cell receptor involved in inflammation, glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity, Chavarro and his team note in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Drugs that activate the receptor have been shown to improve fertility in women with a condition known as polycystic ovary syndrome.</p><p>To investigate how trans fat consumption might affect fertility, the researchers analyzed data from 18,555 healthy women participating in the Nurses\' Health Study. All were married and trying to get pregnant between 1991 and 1999.</p><p>For every 2 percent increase in the amount of calories a woman got from trans fats instead of carbohydrates, the researchers found, her risk of infertility increased by 73 percent. The risk rose by 79 percent for every 2 percent of energy in trans fats if they replaced omega-6 polyunsaturated fats. And for every 2 percent of calories derived from trans fats instead of monounsaturated fats, the risk of infertility more than doubled.</p><p>For a woman eating 1,800 calories a day, 2 percent of energy intake in trans fats equals 4 grams, Chavarro noted. \"It\'s not very hard to get 4 grams of trans fatty acids every day,\" he said. \"It\'s really a small amount of trans fatty acids that we observe having a significant effect on infertility.\"</p><p>The Food and Drug Administration now requires manufacturers to state on their label if a food contains a half gram of trans fat per serving or more, Chavarro noted, but foods with less than a half gram are allowed to claim that they have zero grams of trans fat. To cut trans fats out of the diet completely, he added, people should avoid all foods that list hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils in their ingredients.</p><div class=\"textBodyBlack\" style=\"clear:both;\"><i>(c) Reuters 2007. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by caching, framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks and trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world.</i></div><br><table width=\"100%\" style=\"background-color:#ffffee\" cellPadding=\"2\" cellSpacing=\"0\"><tr><td width=\"50%\"><font size=\"1\"><img src=\"/images/msnbc/print02.gif\" width=\"25\" height=\"20\" align=\"absmiddle\"> <a href=\"javascript:printThis(\'16695792\')\" class=\"linkBlack\">Print this</a></font></td><td><font size=\"1\"><img src=\"/images/msnbc/email02.gif\" width=\"25\" height=\"20\" align=\"absmiddle\"> <a href=\"javascript:emThis(\'16695792\')\" class=\"linkBlack\">Email this</a></font></td></tr></table></td><td width=\"10\"></td></tr></table><table cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\"><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"10\" border=\"0\" bgcolor=\"#7788aa\"><tr height=\"20\"><td width=\"98%\" bgcolor=\"#7788aa\"><font size=\"-1\"><b color=\"#ffffff\">&nbsp;MORE FROM WOMEN\'S HEALTH</b></font></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"5\" cellpadding=\"0\" bordercolor=\"#cccccc\" border=\"1\" style=\"border:solid 1px #cccccc;background-color:#eeeeee;\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellpadding=\"0\" class=\"headlineList2\"><tr></tr></table></td></tr><tr valign=\"top\"><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\"><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" bgcolor=\"#ffffff\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"10\" border=\"0\"><tr valign=\"bottom\"><td style=\"padding:10px;\" width=\"15%\"><a onmouseover=\"swapImage(\'next_links\',\'/images/buttons/next/buttonNextOver.gif\')\" onmouseout=\"swapImage(\'next_links\',\'/images/buttons/next/buttonNext.gif\')\" onmousedown=\"swapImage(\'next_links\',\'/images/buttons/next/buttonNextDown.gif\')\" href=\"/id/16637583/\"><img src=\"/images/buttons/next/buttonNext.gif\" border=\"0\" width=\"53\" height=\"19\" 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INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1213','1','	<p><p>FRIDAY, Jan. 19 (HealthDay News) -- In the future, hospital patients may have a new weapon to fight infection after surgery: powerful antibiotic coatings attached to implants, catheters, surgical instruments and other medical devices.</p> <p>Researchers at the University of Southern Mississippi say they\'ve developed a way to attach penicillin, and potentially other antibiotics, to these types of devices.</p> <p>Almost 2 million patients in the United States get an infection in the hospital each year, and about 90,000 of those patients die each year as a result of their infection, according the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).</p> <p>Many of these infections are linked to medical devices. But, \"modifying [device] surfaces to adhere penicillin kills bacteria,\" explained lead researcher and professor of polymer science Marek W. Urban. \"The penicillin is able to destroy the colony of bacteria,\" he said.</p> <p>Urban\'s team has found a way to modify the surface of poly(tetrafluoroethylene), a material similar to Teflon, so that penicillin sticks to it and remains highly active. This polymer is used in medical procedures ranging from blood vessel grafting to plastic and reconstructive surgery.</p> <p>The trick was to modify the surface of poly(tetrafluoroethylene) so that arms would stick out from the surface, which the penicillin could stick to, and that would, in turn, surround bacteria and kill it, Urban said.</p> <p>In their experiments, expected to be published in the Feb. 12 issue of the journal <i>Biomacromolecules</i>, the researchers showed that these penicillin-coated surfaces could effectively kill <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>, a bacterium responsible for many serious infections.</p> <p>However, since more than 70 percent of the bacteria that cause hospital-acquired infections are resistant to at least one of the antibiotics most commonly used to treat them, Urban\'s group is hoping to find other antibiotics that are able to coat the surfaces of medical devices.</p> <p>In addition, the researchers are also working on modifying other types of surfaces to hold on to antibiotics.</p> <p>\"We want to develop coatings that can be applied to any surfaces to kill bacteria, Urban said. \"This is the first step. The trick is to make the antibiotic remain active after it is attached,\" he said.</p> <p>One expert believes this may be a breakthrough in reducing the number of hospital-acquired infections.</p> <p>\"It is a very good idea to affect surfaces not only to have an antimicrobial in place there, but also to disrupt bacterial activity,\" said Dr. Philip Tierno, the director of clinical microbiology and immunology at New York University Medical Center and author of <i>The Secret Life of Germs</i>. \"Most artificial materials, when they are placed in or on the body, serve as a platform for the growth and proliferation of bacteria,\" he said.</p> <p>This is a big problem with catheters, Tierno noted. \"It seems that this method could cut down on infections, but you really have to test the hypothesis,\" he said. \"However, based on this paper, it appears that you can disrupt the growth of bacteria by coating the surface of devices.\"</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>There\'s more on hospital infections at the <a href=\"http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/healthDis.html\" target=\"_new\">U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1214','1','<table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\"><tr><td width=\"10\"></td><td width=\"98%\"><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"98%\" valign=\"top\"><tr><td><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><font size=\"+2\" color=\"551E1B\">Staph germ causes quick, deadly pneumonia</font><br><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><b>Drug-resistant infection can kill in 72 hours, researchers say</b><br></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"><table cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\"><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"10\" border=\"0\" bgcolor=\"#7788aa\"><tr height=\"20\"><td width=\"20\" bgcolor=\"#7788aa\"><img src=\"/images/icons/video.gif\" width=\"20\" height=\"14\"></td><td width=\"98%\" bgcolor=\"#7788aa\"><font size=\"-1\"><b color=\"#ffffff\">NBC VIDEO</b></font></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"5\" cellpadding=\"0\" bordercolor=\"#cccccc\" border=\"1\" style=\"border:solid 1px #cccccc;background-color:#eeeeee;background-image:url(\'/images/backgrounds/component_grey.gif\');\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellpadding=\"0\" class=\"headlineList2\"><tr></tr></table></td></tr><tr valign=\"top\"><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" border=\"0\" bgcolor=\"#cccccc\" background=\"/images/backgrounds/component_dkgrey.gif\" width=\"100%\"><tr valign=\"top\"><td align=\"middle\"><a href=\"javascript:msnvDwd(\'00\',\'2a685ea4-4156-4217-aab8-d00661ac312c\',\'us\',\'hotvideo_m_edpicks\',\'\',\'msnbc\',\'\',\'16692343\',\'Deadly staph infection warning\')\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Video/070118/n_deadly_staph_070118.300w.jpg\" vspace=\"0\" hspace=\"0\"></a></td></tr><tr valign=\"top\"><td align=\"middle\"><div class=\"scalAd\"><input type=\"button\" class=\"mbox w77\" value=\"Launch\" title=\"Launch\" onmouseover=\"swapbtn(this, 1)\" onmouseout=\"swapbtn(this, 0)\" onclick=\"javascript:msnvDwd(\'00\',\'2a685ea4-4156-4217-aab8-d00661ac312c\',\'us\',\'hotvideo_m_edpicks\',\'\',\'msnbc\',\'\',\'16692343\',\'Deadly staph infection warning\')\"></div></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td style=\"padding:10px;\"><font color=\"#000000\"><font color=\"551E1B\">?/font><font class=\"textMedBlackBold\"><a href=\"javascript:msnvDwd(\'00\',\'2a685ea4-4156-4217-aab8-d00661ac312c\',\'us\',\'hotvideo_m_edpicks\',\'\',\'msnbc\',\'\',\'16692343\',\'Deadly staph infection warning\')\">Deadly staph infection warning</a></font><br><font color=\"black\">Jan. 18: A deadly staph germ has the medical community issuing a health warning. NYU Medical Center\'s Dr. Marc Siegel talks to MSNBC-TV\'s Alex Witt about the warning. </font><p class=\"credit\">MSNBC</p></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"><font size=\"-2\"></font><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br></td></tr></table><font size=\"-2\"><a href=\"http://www.reuters.com/\"><a href=\"http://www.reuters.com/\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://msnbcmedia3.msn.com/i/msnbc/Components/Sources/sourceReuters.gif\" height=\"20\" width=\"140\" vspace=\"0\" hspace=\"0\"></a></a><p></p></font><p>WASHINGTON - A nasty staph germ circulating in the community and some hospitals produces a poison that can kill pneumonia patients within 72 hours, researchers said Thursday.</p><p>Staphylococcus aureus bacteria - Staph for short - can pass one another the gene for the toxin and are apparently swapping it more often, the researchers report in Friday\'s issue of the journal Science.</p><p>The toxin, called Panton Valentine leukocidin or PVL, can itself cause pneumonia and can kill healthy tissue.</p><p>Luckily, people infected with the bacteria quickly develop a high fever and astute doctors can identify it, said Gabriela Bowden of the Texas A&amp;M Health Science Center in Houston, who led the study.</p><p>\"This is a scary situation. We are trying to put the word out and to educate people about it,\" Bowden said in a telephone interview.</p><p>S. aureus is the most common cause of hospital-acquired infections, and can cause inflammation of the heart, toxic-shock syndrome and meningitis.</p><p><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"460\"><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"10\" border=\"0\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr height=\"20\"><td width=\"98%\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><font size=\"-1\"><b color=\"#666666\">&nbsp;Click for related content</b></font></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"5\" cellpadding=\"0\" bordercolor=\"#cccccc\" border=\"0\" style=\"border-top:solid 1px #cccccc;border-bottom:solid 1px #cccccc;background-color:#ffffff;\" bgcolor=\"#ffffff\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellpadding=\"0\" class=\"headlineList2\"><tr></tr></table></td></tr><tr valign=\"top\"><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"8\"><tr><td style=\"padding:8px;\"><font class=\"bigRedLink\"><ul><li><a href=\"/id/14378409/\">Drug-resistant staph infections rising fast</a></li><li><a href=\"/id/15994167/site/newsweek/\">Old bug learns some new tricks</a></li></ul></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"\" bordercolor=\"\" border=\"0\" style=\"background-color:#eeeeee;\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr><td style=\"\"><font class=\"textSmall\" color=\"#000000\"></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></p><p>A new strain resists the antibiotic methicillin, but it can be treated with other antibiotics like doxycycline and vancomycin.</p><p>Methicillin-resistant Staph broke out in a British hospital in December and killed two patients with a new type of pneumonia called necrotizing pneumonia. This infection destroys lung tissue and also kills some of the immune system cells sent to battle it.</p><p>\"The pneumonia itself is very severe,\" Bowden said. \"There is massive inflammation and there is fluid in the lungs and there is damage to the tissue. It can progress very quickly and in 72 hours the patient can be in a severe condition, or it can even be lethal in 72 hours.\"</p><p>The bacteria, which commonly live on the skin anyway and cause pimples, boils and other minor infections, can cause a serious wound if the toxin-producing strains get into a cut.</p><p><b><strong>Wash your hands</strong></b><br>Old-fashioned hygiene is the best line of defense, Bowden said.</p><p>\"This is a community-associated strain, which means that in schools, the kids can carry it. Anybody can be colonized with it,\" she said.</p><p>\"I tell my kids if you scrape your knee, go to the bathroom immediately and wash it with soap.\" Hospitals must impose strict hygiene to control it.</p><p>Any skin infection that appears to become serious quickly requires immediate attention, Bowden said. The strain is common in Houston, where she works, and researchers in Europe are also concerned about its spread.</p><p>Bowden\'s team tested the PVL-producing Staph on mice and found that two days after infection, their lungs were filled with immune cells and lung tissue was starting to bleed and die.</p><p>A stretch of DNA known as a cassette carries the code for the PVL toxin. Such a little segment is easily passed from one strain of bacteria to another, said Bowden, and viruses called bacteriophages can also carry them.</p><p>Understanding how this happens could provide a way to develop new drugs or vaccines and shed light on how bacteria acquire new and dangerous qualities.</p><p>Because bacteria swap genetic material so easily, the risk that this toxin could spread is real, Bowden said.</p><p>Penicillin once cured Staph infection but the bacteria quickly developed resistance. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that in 1972, only 2 percent of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria infections were drug-resistant, but by 2004, 63 percent were.</p><p>Some companies are working on staph vaccines but none is on the market.</p><div class=\"textBodyBlack\" style=\"clear:both;\"><i><em>Copyright 2007 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters.</em></i></div><br>');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1215','1','	<p><p>FRIDAY, Jan. 19 (HealthDay News) -- An immune system gene called interferon stimulated gene 15 (ISG15) helps fight viruses that cause both flu and herpes, U.S. researchers report.</p> <p>The gene also combats Sindbis virus, prevalent in Africa and Asia, which causes brief colds, fevers and muscle aches, according to a team from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.</p> <p>The findings were published online this week in the <i>Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</i>.</p> <p>Earlier tests found that ISG15 was not effective against two kinds of viruses commonly used in research, <i>vesicular stomatitis</i> and <i>lymphocytic choriomeningitis</i>.</p> <p>In this new study, researchers exposed mice that lacked ISG15 to different kinds of viruses. They found that mice that lacked the gene were more likely than normal mice to be killed by the influenza A and B, herpes simplex and Sindbis viruses.</p> <p>For example, influenza type A killed 70 percent of the mice that lacked ISG15, compared to 23 percent of mice that had the gene.</p> <p>Lead author Dr. Deborah Lenschow, an assistant professor of medicine at the school, said of the new findings that \"ISG15\'s first tryout as an antiviral just hadn\'t tested it against the right opponents.\"</p> <p>The gene\'s ability to fight only certain viruses may be due to a highly specialized approach to combating infection or the result of adaptations by some viruses that enable them to avoid the effects of ISG15, the study authors said.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>The American Society for Microbiology has more about <a href=\"http://www.microbeworld.org/microbes/virus/\" target=\"_new\">viruses</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1216','1','<table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\"><tr><td width=\"10\"></td><td width=\"98%\"><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"98%\" valign=\"top\"><tr><td><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><font size=\"+2\" color=\"551E1B\">Measles deaths drop 60 percent around globe</font><br><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><b>Rise in vaccinations credited with saving 7.5 million children\'s lives</b><br></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"></td></tr></table><font size=\"-2\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://msnbcmedia1.msn.com/i/msnbc/Components/Sources/sourceAP.gif\" height=\"20\" width=\"140\" vspace=\"0\" hspace=\"0\"><p></p></font><p>LONDON - Global measles deaths have dropped by 60 percent, health authorities announced in a report Friday, and one senior official called it a \"historic victory\" for public health.</p><p>Nearly 7.5 million children were saved from dying of measles between 1999 and 2005, thanks to increased immunization campaigns, the World Health Organization said. More than 360 million children aged 9 months to 15 years were vaccinated against measles during that period.</p><p>Measles is one of the most infectious diseases that exists. Though it is no longer a major problem in the West, in poor countries, the disease can kill as many as 30 percent of the children it infects, particularly in those with weakened immune systems.</p><p>\"This is a historic victory for global public health,\" said Dr. Margaret Chan, WHO\'s director-general. Health authorities had hoped to cut measles mortality rates in half by 2005, but found that they had exceeded that goal by 10 percent. In Africa, the results were even more striking: measles deaths fell by 75 percent on the continent.</p><p><b><strong>New goal for 2010<br></strong></b>\"It\'s not very often that global health initiatives not only achieve their goals, but actually exceed their goals faster than expected,\" said Dr. Julie Gerberding, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The measles success achieved to date, Gerberding said, has encouraged the global community to aim even higher, as they set a new goal of reducing measles deaths by 90 percent by 2010.</p><p>According to Geneva-based WHO, the next phase of this initiative is projected to cost about $500 million, of which $150 million has already been committed.</p><p><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"1%\"><tr><td><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/msnbc/Components/Art/HEALTH/070118/MEASLES.gif\" align=\"Right\" height=\"504\" width=\"211\" vspace=\"0\" hspace=\"0\" alt=\"Image: Graph showing drop in measles deaths\"></td></tr></table>In a study published Friday in the British medical journal The Lancet, WHO scientists estimated that the number of measles deaths fell from 873,000 in 1999 to 345,000 in 2005.</p><p>Because surveillance figures from countries are not available, WHO based its figures on a modeling system that estimates the number of measles cases based on coverage rates achieved during vaccination campaigns. Experts said the numbers should be reasonably accurate.</p><p><b><strong>Eradicate measles?<br></strong></b>If the 2010 goal is met, health officials may then start considering whether it might be feasible to eradicate measles. Like smallpox and polio, an effective vaccine exists, making it a potential candidate for eradication.</p><p>Still, the problems plaguing polio, which was originally supposed to be eradicated by 2000, may undermine any proposed measles campaign.</p><p>\"The continuing failure to meet the polio eradication goals will cast much skepticism and pessimism on any similar global venture for measles,\" said Dr. Samuel Katz, co-inventor of the measles vaccine. Katz is also an infectious diseases specialist at Duke University.</p><p>\"Donor and participant fatigue take their toll,\" he said.</p><p>To date, the effort to eradicate polio has cost $4 billion. And while health officials are tantalizingly close to the finish line - polio incidence has been cut by 99 percent - it remains stubbornly endemic in Afghanistan, India, Nigeria and Pakistan.</p><p><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"460\"><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"10\" border=\"0\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr height=\"20\"><td width=\"98%\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><font size=\"-1\"><b color=\"#666666\">&nbsp;Click for related content</b></font></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"5\" cellpadding=\"0\" bordercolor=\"#cccccc\" border=\"0\" style=\"border-top:solid 1px #cccccc;border-bottom:solid 1px #cccccc;background-color:#ffffff;\" bgcolor=\"#ffffff\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellpadding=\"0\" class=\"headlineList2\"><tr></tr></table></td></tr><tr valign=\"top\"><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"8\"><tr><td style=\"padding:8px;\"><font class=\"bigRedLink\"><ul><li><a href=\"/id/16691062/\">Staph germ causes quick, deadly pneumonia</a></li><li><a href=\"/id/16670768/\">New tests reveal why 1918 flu was so deadly</a></li></ul></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"\" bordercolor=\"\" border=\"0\" style=\"background-color:#eeeeee;\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr><td style=\"\"><font class=\"textSmall\" color=\"#000000\"></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></p><p>Whether or not measles eradication will be attempted will depend largely on if the 2010 goal can be met.</p><p>\"That will be another milestone to measure if elimination is possible,\" said Dr. Vance Dietz, chief of the global measles department at the CDC.</p><p>\"It may be that by then, we are so far ahead that regardless of what\'s happened with polio, people will want to move ahead,\" he said.</p><p>The Measles Initiative was launched in 2001 to reduce measles deaths worldwide. Its major partners are the American Red Cross, the CDC, the U.N. Foundation, UNICEF and WHO.</p><div class=\"textBodyBlack\" style=\"clear:both;\"><i><em>?2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</em></i></div><br>');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1217','1','	<p><p>(HealthDay News) -- Here are the latest clinical trials, courtesy of <b>Thomson CenterWatch</b>:</p> <p><span class=\"subhead\"><b>Endometriosis </b></span></p><p> This study will evaluate an investigational medication to manage endometriosis. Volunteers 18-46 who have been diagnosed with endometriosis by laparoscopy and have recurring pain associated with the condition may qualify.</p><p>The research site is in Tucson, Ariz. </p><p><b>More information</b></p><p>Please see <a href=\" http://www.centerwatch.com/patient/studies/cat60.html\" target=\"_new\"> http://www.centerwatch.com/patient/studies/cat60.html</a>.</p> <p>-----</p> <p><span class=\"subhead\"><b>Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML) </b></span></p><p> This study will evaluate the effectiveness of AZD1152 in people with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) that has relapsed following an initial response to standard chemotherapy. Candidates 18 and older may be included who have AML in first relapse, relapse occurring between 3-12 months post completion of a full course of induction and consolidation chemotherapy (this can not include autologous and allogeneic stem cell transplantation), and who have not had radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or major surgery in the four weeks prior to study entry. </p><p>The research site is in Sherman Oaks, Calif. </p><p><b>More information</b></p><p>Please see <a href=\"http://www.centerwatch.com/patient/studies/cat660.html\" target=\"_new\">http://www.centerwatch.com/patient/studies/cat660.html</a>.< /p> <p>-----</p> <p><span class=\"subhead\"><b>Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer </b></span></p><p> This clinical study will assess if a new investigational drug is effective in treating non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), when added to the chemotherapy agent Alimta. Patients at least 18 may be eligible who have been diagnosed with NSCLC, have been treated with only one course of therapy for lung cancer, have no previous treatment with Alimta, and have had no serious heart problems within the prior three months.</p><p>The research site is in Boston, Mass. </p><p><b>More information</b></p><p>Please see <a href=\"http://www.centerwatch.com/patient/studies/cat683.html\" target=\"_new\">http://www.centerwatch.com/patient/studies/cat683.html</a>.< /p> <p>-----</p> <p>Copyright 2007 <a href=\"http://www.centerwatch.com/patient/trials.html\" target=\"_new\">Thomson CenterWatch</a>. All rights reserved.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1218','1','<table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\"><tr><td width=\"10\"></td><td width=\"98%\"><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"98%\" valign=\"top\"><tr><td><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><font size=\"+2\" color=\"551E1B\">Texas study links pollution, child cancer</font><br><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><b>Living near petrochemical complex increases leukemia risk by 56 percent</b><br></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"></td></tr></table><font size=\"-2\"><a href=\"http://www.reuters.com/\"><a href=\"http://www.reuters.com/\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://msnbcmedia3.msn.com/i/msnbc/Components/Sources/sourceReuters.gif\" height=\"20\" width=\"140\" vspace=\"0\" hspace=\"0\"></a></a><p></p></font><p>HOUSTON - A University of Texas study found a possible link between childhood leukemia and living close to the city\'s refinery row along the Houston Ship Channel, one of the study\'s co-authors said Thursday.</p><p>The study found that living within two miles of elevated levels of 1,3-butadiene around the ship channel\'s petrochemical complex was associated with a 56 percent increased incidence of childhood acute lymphocytic leukemia compared with those living more than 10 miles away, according to a statement from the city of Houston, which financed the study.</p><p>\"When we looked at distance from the ship channel we find data that suggests there is an association with chemicals in the air and childhood leukemia,\" said Ann Coker, professor of epidemiology at the University of Texas School of Public Health in Houston.</p><p>Houston Mayor Bill White said the city would use the study to support efforts to reduce pollution from petrochemical plants.</p><p>\"The science supports our claim that reducing hazardous air pollutants must be a high priority for Houston,\" White said in a statement.</p><p>White has used the threat of tougher enforcement of anti-pollution laws to win agreements from petrochemical plants to reduce pollution.</p><p>The substance 1,3-butadiene is used to make petrochemicalslike ethylene.</p><div class=\"textBodyBlack\" style=\"clear:both;\"><i><em>Copyright 2007 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters.</em></i></div><br>');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1219','1','	<p><p>Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of <i>HealthDay:</i></p> <p><span class=\"subhead\"><b>Global Fund Would Subsidize Malaria Drugs for Africans</b></span></p> <p>Delegates to an international forum sponsored by the World Bank have proposed a global fund to subsidize the purchase of a new generation of anti-malaria drugs for people in Africa, where malaria kills about 1 million people a year.</p> <p>The new drugs -- artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) -- are needed to replace chloroquine and other older drugs that have become ineffective. Currently, ACTs are too expensive for most Africans.</p> <p>The proposed fund would require about $80 million to $100 million from donor countries in the first year, increasing to about $250 million per year after that, the <i>Associated Press</i> reported.</p> <p>The malaria drugs would be distributed by government health officials and by local stores.</p> <p>ACTs are based on Chinese herbal medicine for malaria, but contain a combination of ingredients meant to make it difficult for the malaria parasite to develop resistance to the new drugs, as happened with the older generation drugs, the <i>AP</i> reported.</p> <p>-----</p> <p><span class=\"subhead\"><b>Chlorinated Water Increases Bladder Cancer Risk: Study</b></span></p> <p>People who drink or bathe, shower and swim in chlorinated water may be at increased risk for bladder cancer, says a Spanish study in the <i>American Journal of Epidemiology</i>.</p> <p>The researchers compared 1,200 people who were exposed to chlorination byproducts known as trihalomethanes (THM) to a similar number of people who weren\'t exposed, <i>The Australian</i> reported.</p> <p>People who lived in areas where THM concentrations in the water were more than 49 micrograms per liter were twice as likely to develop bladder cancer than people who lived in areas where concentrations were less than 8 mcg per liter.</p> <p>The study also found that people who were exposed to more than 35 mcg of THM a day through drinking water had a 35 percent increased risk of bladder cancer, <i>The Australian</i> reported.</p> <p>People who showered or bathed in chlorinated water were 83 percent more likely to develop bladder cancer, and people who swam in chlorinated pools were 57 percent more likely to develop the disease.</p> <p>-----</p> <p><span class=\"subhead\"><b>World\'s Oldest Woman Dies at 115</b></span></p> <p>A Canadian citizen believed to be the world\'s oldest woman died Thursday at the age 115, <i>CBC News</i> reported.</p> <p>Julie Winnefred Bertrand, who was born Sept. 16, 1891, died in her sleep at a Montreal nursing home where she\'d lived for the past 35 years. Bertrand, the eldest of six children, never married.</p> <p>In the past two years, she had never left the sixth floor of the nursing home. On Wednesday, she asked to be pushed in her wheelchair to visit the front lobby, dining room and chapel, <i>CBC News</i> reported.</p> <p>Bertrand became the world\'s oldest woman when 116-year-old Elizabeth Bolden of Tennessee died on Dec. 11, 2006. The world\'s oldest living person is Emiliano Mercado del Toro of Puerto Rico, who was born 26 days before Bertrand.</p> <p>-----</p> <p><span class=\"subhead\"><b>Global Measles Death Toll Cut by 60 Percent</b></span></p> <p>The number of children killed by measles around the world decreased by 60 percent from 1999 to 2005, thanks to a massive global vaccination campaign, according to a report in <i>The Lancet</i> journal.</p> <p>In 1999, there were 875,000 deaths (the majority in Africa) and in 2005 there were 345,000 deaths caused by measles, <i>BBC News</i> reported.</p> <p>In Africa, the death toll was reduced by about 75 percent through the efforts of national governments and health agencies, the study found.</p> <p>In 2001, a joint campaign to fight measles was launched by a number of organizations, including the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and the American Red Cross, <i>BBC News</i> reported.</p> <p>\"Immunizing children is clearly saving lives. Reducing measles deaths by 60 percent in just six years is an incredible achievement,\" said UNICEF Executive Director Ann Veneman.</p> <p>The study authors said the results of the vaccination program suggest that it may be possible to eradicate measles around the world.</p> <p>-----</p> <p><span class=\"subhead\"><b>Hospital Treatment of Birth Defects Costs Billions a Year</b></span></p> <p>Each year in the United States, hospitals spend more than $2.5 billion to treat people with birth defects, according to a U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality study released this week.</p> <p>The study, which included 2004 data from 37 states, looked at people of all ages who had hospital stays primarily for the treatment of birth defects, the <i>Associated Press</i> reported.</p> <p>The average age of the patients in the study was 17.5 years. Their average hospital stay was about six days and the average cost of each hospital stay was $18,600.</p> <p>Another study released this week looked at what hospitals charge for taking care of patients with birth defects. This study, by researchers at the University of Arkansas and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, looked at 2003 data on babies who were less than 10 days old when they were admitted to hospital for care of a birth defect.</p> <p>Depending on the type of birth defect, the average hospital bills for these children ranged from $3,800 to $200,000, the <i>AP</i> reported.</p> <p>\"It (the bill) is almost always a function of how long they were in the hospital because of the surgeries that were done,\" said study leader James Robbins of the University of Arkansas.</p> <p>March of Dimes officials estimate about 3 to 4 out of every 100 babies born in the U.S. are at risk of having a birth defect, the <i>AP</i> reported.</p> <p>-----</p> <p><span class=\"subhead\"><b>Stress Management Sessions Effective: Study</b></span></p> <p>Weekly, one-hour stress-management sessions can reduce worker stress, improve heart health and lower blood pressure, an Italian study finds.</p> <p>University of Milan researchers studied 91 office workers who faced layoffs. The workers were divided into two groups.</p> <p>Those in the treatment group took part in a year-long program of muscle relaxation, simple respiration, guided imagery, and cognitive exercises. They showed a small but significant improvement in heart rate variability and blood pressure, along with a reduction in their levels of perceived stress, the <i>Los Angeles Times</i> reported.</p> <p>Workers in the control group received only occasional articles and monthly emails with information about stress management. This group did not show a reduction in stress levels, the study found.</p> <p>The study is currently available online in the journal <i>Hypertension</i> and will appear in the February print issue.</p> <p>\"This type of training could easily be incorporated into regular outplacement services for displaced workers,\" American Heart Association spokesman Dr. Richard Stein, director of preventive cardiology at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City, told the <i>Times</i>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1220','1','<table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\"><tr><td width=\"10\"></td><td width=\"98%\"><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"98%\" valign=\"top\"><tr><td><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><font size=\"+2\" color=\"551E1B\">Birth defects cost billions in yearly hospital fees </font><br><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><b>Reports aim to give families realistic idea of price of caring for ailing babies</b><br></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"></td></tr></table><font size=\"-2\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://msnbcmedia1.msn.com/i/msnbc/Components/Sources/sourceAP.gif\" height=\"20\" width=\"140\" vspace=\"0\" hspace=\"0\"><p></p></font><p>ATLANTA - Birth defects lead to more than $2.5 billion a year in hospital costs alone, according to the first national studies to estimate their financial burden on U.S. families.</p><p>The reports are the most comprehensive to look at the costs of birth defects in at least 10 years, experts said.</p><p>They also will give many families their first real idea of the expense of a baby born with serious birth defects, said Dr. Nancy Green, medical director for the March of Dimes, which campaigns for birth defects prevention.</p><p>\"People who are pregnant don\'t want to think about adverse outcomes, but these are unhappy realities,\" Green said. \"Getting the word out about their presence and impact helps people understand better about these risks.\"</p><p>The risk of having a child with a birth defect is 3 to 4 out of every 100 babies born, according to March of Dimes officials.</p><p>The first study, released Thursday, was done by researchers at the University of Arkansas and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and used 2003 data from 36 states.</p><p>They looked at what hospitals charged patients - not the actual cost of care, which is just a fraction of hospital charges. They did not include physicians\' bills or other medical charges related to birth defect care.</p><p>The researchers looked at cases in which a child had one of 35 obvious and serious birth defects, and was under 10 days old at the time the baby was admitted to a hospital for care for that defect.</p><p><b><strong>Price per birth defect<br></strong></b>Certain birth defects were particularly deadly: For example, about 85 percent of babies born with anencephaly - that is, born without all or most of their brain and skull - died in the hospital. Most died within two days of birth.</p><p>Because of their brief life span and the limited options for care, the average hospital bill for one of these cases was $3,800.</p><p>The longest hospital stays were for children with surgically repaired gastroschisis, a defect involving an opening in the abdomen through which intestines stick out. The condition kept children in hospitals for 41 days, on average. The average bill was one of the highest among birth defects - about $156,000.</p><p>The most expensive condition was hypoplastic left heart, in which an infant is almost or completely missing the two left chambers of the heart. Treatment is a heart transplant or a series of reconstructive surgeries, and the condition required a 29-day stay in the hospital that cost about $200,000, on average.</p><p><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"460\"><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"10\" border=\"0\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr height=\"20\"><td width=\"98%\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><font size=\"-1\"><b color=\"#666666\">&nbsp;Click for related content</b></font></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"5\" cellpadding=\"0\" bordercolor=\"#cccccc\" border=\"0\" style=\"border-top:solid 1px #cccccc;border-bottom:solid 1px #cccccc;background-color:#ffffff;\" bgcolor=\"#ffffff\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellpadding=\"0\" class=\"headlineList2\"><tr></tr></table></td></tr><tr valign=\"top\"><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"8\"><tr><td style=\"padding:8px;\"><font class=\"bigRedLink\"><ul><li><a href=\"http://boards.msn.com/MSNBCboards/thread.aspx?ThreadID=173118\">Discuss: Would the hospital cost influence your decision to continue with a pregnancy?</a></li><li><a href=\"/id/16473471/\">Surgery to stunt girl\'s growth sparks debate</a></li><li><a href=\"/id/16472931/\">Commentary: Is \'Peter Pan\' treatment a moral choice?</a></li><li><a href=\"/id/16599217/\">FDA investigates \'embryo bank\' in Texas home</a></li></ul></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"\" bordercolor=\"\" border=\"0\" style=\"background-color:#eeeeee;\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr><td style=\"\"><font class=\"textSmall\" color=\"#000000\"></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></p><p>\"It (the bill) is almost always a function of how long they were in the hospital because of the surgeries that were done,\" said James Robbins, the Arkansas researcher who led the study.</p><p>Some defects can be detected during pregnancy through tests like amniocentesis and ultrasound, including anencephaly, spina bifida and chromosomal abnormalities. But some heart problems are more subtle and go unrecognized until after birth, Robbins said.</p><p>A second study released this week, by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, looked at 2004 data from 37 states.</p><p><b><strong>Cost to the hospitals<br></strong></b>Those researchers measured something different. They estimated what it cost hospitals to care for birth defects, which they reasoned was about 40 percent of what the hospitals charged.</p><p>And they looked not only at newborns, but at a sample of people of all ages who had hospital stays primarily for the treatment of birth defects.</p><p>They found the average age of patients was about 17 1/2 years, the average hospital stay about six days, and the average per-stay cost was $18,600. The aggregated cost for all these hospital visits was nearly more than $2.5 billion, the researchers found.</p><p>\"These (birth defects) are expensive - many of them are surgically treated - and the impact on society becomes large when you add this up,\" Green said.</p><p>The March of Dimes is planning to petition the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to increase requirements that food be enriched with folic acid, which lowers the risk for spina bifida and certain other birth defects.<table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"1%\"><tr><td><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/msnbc/Components/Art/HEALTH/070118/BIRTHDEFECTS.gif\" height=\"377\" width=\"370\" vspace=\"0\" hspace=\"0\" alt=\"Image: Graph of hospital stays for birth defects\"></td></tr></table></p><div class=\"textBodyBlack\" style=\"clear:both;\"><i>Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. 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INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1221','1','	<p><!--Spanish ID: 601170 --> <p>FRIDAY, Jan. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Almost 10 percent of babies who die of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) have gene variations or mutations associated with potentially deadly heart rhythms (arrhythmias), according to two new studies. </p> <p> Publishing their work online this week in the journal <i>Circulation</i>, researchers in Italy, Norway and the United States looked at genes from 201 SIDS victims and found that 9.5 percent of them had mutations in genes associated with inherited forms of arrhythmia.</p> <p>Among the mutated genes identified by the researchers was a gene (SCN5A) that encodes the cardiac sodium channel -- a protein that regulates the electrical properties of heart cells.</p> <p>The same researchers also concluded that mutations in heart potassium channels also contribute to SIDS.</p> <p>The findings raise the possibility of identifying infants who have these genetic mutations.</p> <p>\"We are not recommending that a population-wide genetic screening be done, but there may be simpler, cost-effective measures that should be investigated further, perhaps performing ECG (electrocardiogram) screening of infants, although this idea is controversial,\" Dr. Alfred L. George Jr., professor of medicine and director of the division of genetic medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn., said in a prepared statement.</p> <p>George, who was senior author of one of the studies, noted that inherited arrhythmias can be managed with medications or implantable cardiac devices.</p> <p>\"There\'s potentially an infant death every other day in the U.S. due to this problem. Exactly how best to identify this risk and prevent arrhythmia-related death during infancy needs to be determined,\" George said.</p> <p>Each year in the United States, about 2,200 infant deaths are attributed to SIDS, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>The Nemours Foundation has more about <a href=\"http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/sleep/sids.html\" target=\"_new\">SIDS</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1222','1','<table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\"><tr><td width=\"10\"></td><td width=\"98%\"><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"98%\" valign=\"top\"><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"><font size=\"-2\"></font><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br></td></tr></table><font size=\"-2\"><div class=\"textMedBlackBold\" style=\"padding-top:10px;\">By By Peggy Peck, Managing Editor, MedPage Today</div><p></p></font><p>From encouraging news in the war against cancer to disappointing - but not surprising - news about a popular anti-aging treatment, important health news from the week of Jan. 15:</p><p><b><strong>Cancer deaths inch down</strong></b><br>For the second year in a row, cancer mortality declined in the United States, a finding that the American Cancer Society heralded as excellent news that indicated a welcome trend. This was particularly so because the population rose while cancer deaths dropped.<table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"1%\"><tr><td><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://msnbcmedia1.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/070118/070118_chemotherapy_hmed_4p.standard.jpg\" align=\"Right\" vspace=\"0\" hspace=\"0\" alt=\"Image: Cancer patient getting chemo\"></td></tr><tr><td><div class=\"credit\" style=\"text-align:right;margin-bottom:5px;\">Justin Sullivan / Getty Images</div><div class=\"credit\">Cancer patient Terry Meyer reads a book while receiving chemotherapy treatment.</div><hr noshade=\"true\" size=\"1\" color=\"#C0C0C0\"></td></tr></table></p><p>But cancer remains a dreadful problem. The stark reality is that in 2004, the most recent year for which cancer death statistics are available, there were 553,888 cancer deaths in the U.S., which were 3,014 fewer deaths than in 2003. In 2003, there were 369 fewer deaths than in 2002.</p><p>That means that cancer deaths declined by about one half of one percent in 2004. </p><p>And this year the ACS expects about 1.4 million Americans to be diagnosed with cancer and more than half a million cancer deaths. </p><p>Moreover, cancer remained a major killer of blacks, who have a higher mortality rate than whites for most major cancer sites - colorectal, male lung, female breast and prostate - and a higher incidence for all cancers except female breast. The cancer mortality rate for black men was 38 percent higher than for white men and for black women the cancer mortality rate was about 17 percent higher than for white women.</p><p><a href=\"http://www.medpagetoday.com/HematologyOncology/OtherCancers/msnbc/4871\" target=\"_blank\">Full story from MedPage</a></p><p><b><strong>No need to hurry ear tube surgery<br></strong></b>The buildup of fluid in the middle ear as a result of frequent ear infections is a common condition in young children - a vexing dilemma for parents and doctors who must decide what to do about it.?</p><p>A major worry has been that the fluid would impair hearing, which would slow speech and language development and lead to behavioral problems. </p><p>The best-known treatment involves inserting tiny tubes into the ear to help drainage. At one time doctors routinely recommended that this procedure, known as tympanostomy tube insertion, be done early - often when children are still in diapers - to reduce the number of ear infections and to help in the development of speech and behavioral skills. </p><p>But recent studies found that the tubes didn\'t reduce the risk of recurrent infections and they didn\'t seem to improve language or behavioral skills in toddlers, although it wasn\'t clear whether there would be a long-term effect.</p><p>This week researchers at Children\'s Hospital of Pittsburgh said that children ages 9 to 11 who had the tubes inserted at the first sign of fluid retention had no better or worse development than same-age children who had tubes inserted six to nine months after diagnosis. </p><p>As a result, the researchers recommended that physicians delay the ear tube surgery for at least six months when both ears are involved and for nine months when only one ear is affected.</p><p><a href=\"http://www.medpagetoday.com/Surgery/Otolaryngology/msnbc/4877\" target=\"_blank\">Full story from MedPage</a></p><p><b><strong>Uterus transplant possible<br></strong></b>When Louise Brown was born in 1978 she made headlines as the world\'s first test-tube baby, from a process now known as in vitro fertilization. This week she was in the headlines again with the news that she became a mom with the birth of her son. </p><p>To illustrate the advancement in fertility treatments since her birth, the latest chapter in Brown\'s story shared this week\'s front pages with the news that surgeons in New York are ready to perform the first uterus transplant.</p><p>Giuseppe Del Priore, M.D., of New York Downtown Hospital said he and his colleagues have completed the groundwork to demonstrate that a uterus transplant is feasible. </p><p>Working with transplant teams, they retrieved the uterus from eight organ donors who had agreed to multi-organ donations. </p><p>The eight women, ages 30 to 45 at time of death, died from a variety of causes including stroke, cardiac arrest and traumatic brain injury. All the women had previously given birth to healthy children. </p><p>Dr. Del Priore said that removing the uterus adds about 15 minutes to operating time of the donor retrieval team. He said that once removed, the uterus was cooled, and in all cases the organs appeared to remain suitable for transplantation for up to 12 hours. By comparison, the maximum cold storage time for a donor heart is four to six hours before transplantation.</p><p>That suggests that the transplant would be possible, but it remains to be seen if this will be the case when the procedure is actually attempted. And even if a transplant were successful, it is still not known whether a transplanted uterus would actually restore fertility. But first things first. Dr. Del Priore said his team is ready to attempt the transplant.</p><p><a href=\"http://www.medpagetoday.com/Endocrinology/Infertility/msnbc/4783\" target=\"_blank\">Full story from MedPage</a></p><p><b><strong>Anti-clotting drugs a must for drug-coated stents<br></strong></b>Five major medical societies agreed this week that all patients who are treated with drug-coated coronary stents to open clogged vessels in their hearts must get a double-dose of anti-clotting drugs for at least a year. </p><p>If the drugs - Plavix (clopidogrel) and aspirin - are stopped sooner, the result could be catastrophic, warned the American Heart Association, the American College of Cardiology, the Society of Cardiac Angiography and Interventions, the American College of Surgeons and the American Dental Association. <table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"1%\"><tr><td><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/070118/070118_topfive_plavix.standard.jpg\" align=\"Right\" vspace=\"0\" hspace=\"0\" alt=\"Image: Plavix\"></td></tr><tr><td><div class=\"credit\" style=\"text-align:right;margin-bottom:5px;\">Mark Lennihan / AP file</div><div class=\"credit\"></div><hr noshade=\"true\" size=\"1\" color=\"#C0C0C0\"></td></tr></table></p><p>The catastrophe, the groups said, involved a significantly increased risk that a clot would form in the stent, which could abruptly cut off the blood supply to the heart. That could mean a heart attack or death. </p><p>An estimated six million of the drug-coated stents, tiny flexible wire tubes that open arteries, have been implanted in patients worldwide, usually for treatment of chest pain called angina. </p><p>The heart doctors invited surgeons and dentists to help draft the new statement because both surgeons and dentists are often behind the decision to stop the anti-clotting drugs. Plavix and aspirin increase the risk of bleeding, so dentists warn patients to stop the drugs before dental procedures and surgeons ask patients to stop the drugs before surgery.</p><p>The new statement recommended that elective surgical and dental procedures be delayed for at least 13 months after drug-coated stents are placed. When delay is just not possible, the statement said patients should be told to stop Plavix but keep taking aspirin. Plavix should then be resumed as soon as possible.</p><p><a href=\"http://www.medpagetoday.com/Cardiology/PCI/msnbc/4867\" target=\"_blank\">Full story from MedPage</a></p><p><b><strong>Toothsome cancer theory<br></strong></b>A humble toothbrush could be a powerful weapon against cancer of the pancreas, according to Harvard researchers. </p><p>They analyzed data collected from more than 51,000 men who worked as doctors, nurses and medical technicians. The men who had gum disease or tooth loss, or both, had an overall 64 percent greater risk of cancer of the pancreas than men who had good oral health.</p><p>The strength of the association was underlined by the finding that men with periodontal disease who never smoked cigarettes - one of the few known risk factors for pancreatic cancer - had a more than two-fold greater risk for the malignancy, said epidemiologist Dominique Michaud, Sc.D., of the Harvard School of Public Health. Dr. Michaud, who reported the findings in the <em>Journal of the National Cancer Institute</em>, said the study may help researchers understand the mechanism of pancreatic cancer, which is expected to kill more than 33,000 Americans this year.</p><p><a href=\"http://www.medpagetoday.com/HematologyOncology/OtherCancers/msnbc/4865\" target=\"_blank\">Full story from MedPage</a></p><p><b><strong>No fountain of youth<br></strong></b>Finally, another bubble burst this week. Human growth hormone cannot turn back the ravages of time. </p><p>And to add injury to insult, this would-be fountain of youth is not only ineffective, it is potentially harmful.</p><p>So said researchers from Stanford University who reviewed published research and concluded that there are \"no data out there to suggest that giving growth hormone to an otherwise healthy person will make him or her live longer.\"</p><p>Instead, said Dr. Hau Liu, the evidence suggests that the hormone will leave users with swollen joints, possibly increase the risk of diabetes and give men enlarged breasts. </p><p>And for this an estimated 30,000 Americans are paying $1,000 a month.</p><p><a href=\"http://www.medpagetoday.com/PrimaryCare/Geriatrics/msnbc/4859\" target=\"_blank\">Full story from MedPage</a></p><p><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\"><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" 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INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1223','1','	<p><!--Spanish ID: 601175 --> <p>FRIDAY, Jan. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Dutch researchers have added another chapter to the continuing debate over whether folic acid supplements can sharpen the aging mind. Their conclusion: The nutrient does improve cognitive function in older adults.</p> <p>Previous studies on the subject have been split, although most have suggested that folic acid supplementation in people with high levels of the amino acid homocysteine in the blood helps with cognitive function. Higher homocysteine levels are associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease and stroke and possibly also Alzheimer\'s disease. </p> <p>The new study, published in the Jan. 20 issue of <i>The Lancet</i>, adds to the growing impression that adding folic acid can help brain functioning, at least in certain groups of people. </p> <p>\"We can certainly take away that folate is going to be beneficial for cognitive improvement when you have high homocysteine levels,\" said Maria Carrillo, director of medical and scientific relations at the Alzheimer\'s Association. </p> <p>\"This underscores the importance of B vitamins,\" added Richard Finnell, Regents Professor in the Center for Environmental and Genetic Medicine at Texas A&amp;M\'s Health Science Center Institute of Biosciences and Technology at Houston. \"They do more than protect babies against birth defects.\" </p> <p>Folic acid, or folate, is a B vitamin probably best known for its role in helping to prevent neural-tube defects in newborns. </p> <p>But folic acid also has several other functions: It helps the body digest and utilize proteins and to synthesize new proteins when they are needed; it\'s essential for the production of red blood cells and the synthesis of DNA; it helps with tissue growth and cell function; it helps to increase appetite when needed; and it stimulates the formation of digestive acids.</p> <p>Food sources of folate include beans and legumes; citrus fruits and juices; wheat bran and other whole grains; dark, green leafy vegetables; poultry; pork; shellfish and liver, according to the National Institutes of Health.</p> <p>Cognitive function, especially areas such as information processing speed and memory, decline with age. These cognitive changes have been linked to a risk of dementia. </p> <p>For this study, first reported at the Alzheimer\'s Association\'s 2005 prevention conference, researchers randomly assigned 818 older adults in Holland, aged 50 to 70 years old, to receive 800 micrograms of folic acid supplementation daily or a placebo for three years. </p> <p>All participants had low folate levels, as evidenced by elevated homocysteine concentrations. </p> <p>Adults who received the folic acid supplementation had improved cognitive functioning, especially in the areas of memory and information processing speed. What\'s more, folate concentration increased 576 percent in those getting the supplements, and homocysteine levels fell 26 percent.</p> <p>\"Folate can help people with high homocysteine levels,\" Carrillo confirmed. \"This is in line with what we have been thinking.\" </p> <p>The same Dutch researchers, reporting in the Jan. 2 issue of the <i>Annals of Internal Medicine</i>, found that people who took a folic acid supplement had less decline in hearing low-frequency sounds over time, compared with people who didn\'t take the supplement.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>The <a href=\"http://www.niapublications.org/agepages/supplements.asp\" target=\"_new\">National Institute on Aging</a> has more on aging and dietary supplements, including vitamins and minerals. </p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1224','1','<table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\"><tr><td width=\"10\"></td><td width=\"98%\"><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"98%\" valign=\"top\"><tr><td><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><font size=\"+2\" color=\"551E1B\">Obese breast cancer patients get undertreated</font><br><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><b>Poorly educated women also get shorted on chemotherapy doses</b><br></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"><table cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\"><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"10\" border=\"0\" bgcolor=\"#7788aa\"><tr height=\"20\"><td width=\"20\" bgcolor=\"#7788aa\"><img src=\"/images/icons/video.gif\" width=\"20\" height=\"14\"></td><td width=\"98%\" bgcolor=\"#7788aa\"><font size=\"-1\"><b color=\"#ffffff\">NBC VIDEO</b></font></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"5\" cellpadding=\"0\" bordercolor=\"#cccccc\" border=\"1\" style=\"border:solid 1px #cccccc;background-color:#eeeeee;background-image:url(\'/images/backgrounds/component_grey.gif\');\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellpadding=\"0\" class=\"headlineList2\"><tr></tr></table></td></tr><tr valign=\"top\"><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" border=\"0\" bgcolor=\"#cccccc\" background=\"/images/backgrounds/component_dkgrey.gif\" width=\"100%\"><tr valign=\"top\"><td align=\"middle\"><a href=\"javascript:msnvDwd(\'00\',\'e3f0fde1-5fd4-4bd0-97b3-39a47ebf0052\',\'us\',\'hotvideo_m_edpicks\',\'c24\',\'msnbc\',\'\',\'16693859\',\'Cancer patients not treated equally, study says\')\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Video/070118/nn_snyderman_cancer_070118.300w.jpg\" vspace=\"0\" hspace=\"0\"></a></td></tr><tr valign=\"top\"><td align=\"middle\"><div class=\"scalAd\"><input type=\"button\" class=\"mbox w77\" value=\"Launch\" title=\"Launch\" onmouseover=\"swapbtn(this, 1)\" onmouseout=\"swapbtn(this, 0)\" onclick=\"javascript:msnvDwd(\'00\',\'e3f0fde1-5fd4-4bd0-97b3-39a47ebf0052\',\'us\',\'hotvideo_m_edpicks\',\'c24\',\'msnbc\',\'\',\'16693859\',\'Cancer patients not treated equally, study says\')\"></div></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td style=\"padding:10px;\"><font color=\"#000000\"><font color=\"551E1B\">?/font><font class=\"textMedBlackBold\"><a href=\"javascript:msnvDwd(\'00\',\'e3f0fde1-5fd4-4bd0-97b3-39a47ebf0052\',\'us\',\'hotvideo_m_edpicks\',\'c24\',\'msnbc\',\'\',\'16693859\',\'Cancer patients not treated equally, study says\')\">Cancer patients not treated equally, study says</a></font><br><font color=\"black\">Jan. 18: This year, 215,000 cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed, but a startling study now says they won\'t all be treated equally. NBC\'s Nancy Snyderman reports.</font><p class=\"credit\">Nightly News</p></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"><font size=\"-2\"></font><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br></td></tr></table><font size=\"-2\"><div class=\"textMedBlack\">NBC News and news services</div><p></p></font><p>Breast cancer patients who are either obese or poorly educated are more likely to get lower-than-optimal doses of chemotherapy, U.S. researchers reported on Thursday.</p><p>The finding, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, may help explain why some women relapse and others do not, despite the availability of good treatments for the disease.</p><p>The problem appears to be with doctors who mean well and want to avoid causing side effects in their patients, the team at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York found.</p><p>The researchers suggest that doctors are underdosing obese patients, for instance, out of concern that a larger dose based on their weight would mean worse side effects. But there\'s no evidence that\'s true. </p><p>And when it comes to socioeconomic status, researchers suggest that doctors are making assumptions that a less-educated patient might be less willing to stick with a tough course of treatment </p><p>\"Simply put, this evidence shows that doctors are likely to reduce the chemotherapy levels for these women, even though there is no solid medical basis to do it,\" said Dr. Gary Lyman, who led the study.</p><p>They looked at the records of 764 women treated for breast cancer between 2002 and 2005 at 115 randomly selected, private oncology practices around the country.</p><p>They found that severely obese women were four times more likely to get less chemotherapy than they need. Women with less than a high-school education were three times more likely to be underdosed. And women who live in the South were almost six times more likely to get shorted on the life-saving drugs. <table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\"><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"10\" border=\"0\" bgcolor=\"#7788aa\"><tr height=\"20\"><td width=\"20\" bgcolor=\"#7788aa\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://msnbcmedia3.msn.com/i/msnbc/Components/ColorBoxes/Styles/ColorBoxImages_GlobalOnlyPlease/interactive_icon.gif\" height=\"14\" width=\"24\" vspace=\"0\" hspace=\"0\"></td><td width=\"98%\" bgcolor=\"#7788aa\"><font size=\"-1\"><b color=\"#FFFFFF\">Test yourself </b></font></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"5\" cellpadding=\"0\" bordercolor=\"#a4abc1\" border=\"0\" style=\"border-right:solid 1px #a4abc1;border-bottom:solid 1px #a4abc1;border-left:solid 1px #a4abc1;background-color:#f3f3f6;\" bgcolor=\"#f3f3f6\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellpadding=\"0\" class=\"headlineList2\"><tr></tr></table></td></tr><tr valign=\"top\"><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\"><tr valign=\"top\"><td><a href=\"/id/3296963/\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://msnbcmedia1.msn.com/i/msnbc/Components/Art/HEALTH/031107/Quiz_TZ152.jpg\" height=\"110\" width=\"150\" vspace=\"0\" hspace=\"0\"></a></td><td style=\"padding:10px;\"><font color=\"#000000\"><table><tr><td rowspan=\"2\" width=\"15\"><font color=\"551E1B\">?/font></td><td><b><a href=\"/id/3296963/\">Breast cancer</a></b></td></tr><tr><td><p class=\"textMed\">How much do you know?\n</p></td></tr></table></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></p><p>Bioethicist Dr. Annette Dula says this type of health care disparity is a big problem. </p><p>\"I don\'t know how doctors can put themselves in the shoes of some of their patients that aren\'t like them and I think that\'s part of what needs to happen,\" she said. </p><p><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"460\"><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"10\" border=\"0\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr height=\"20\"><td width=\"98%\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><font size=\"-1\"><b color=\"#666666\">&nbsp;Click for related content</b></font></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"5\" cellpadding=\"0\" bordercolor=\"#cccccc\" border=\"0\" style=\"border-top:solid 1px #cccccc;border-bottom:solid 1px #cccccc;background-color:#ffffff;\" bgcolor=\"#ffffff\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellpadding=\"0\" class=\"headlineList2\"><tr></tr></table></td></tr><tr valign=\"top\"><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"8\"><tr><td style=\"padding:8px;\"><font class=\"bigRedLink\"><ul><li><a href=\"/id/16673818/\">Dense breasts hike cancer risk</a></li><li><a href=\"/id/16668688/\">Cancer deaths decline for 2nd straight year</a></li></ul></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"\" bordercolor=\"\" border=\"0\" style=\"background-color:#eeeeee;\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr><td style=\"\"><font class=\"textSmall\" color=\"#000000\"></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></p><p>\"We have new therapies and cures out there for many forms of cancer and sadly, sometimes we\'re not curing people because they are not getting the full doses that should be standard,\" Lyman said in a statement.</p><p><b><strong>Handpicked docs do better<br></strong></b>A second study in the same journal found women who carefully chose their own breast cancer surgeon tended to get more experienced surgeons and care at specialized centers, compared to women referred by another doctor or their health plan.</p><p>The team at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center examined the cases of 1,844 women recently diagnosed with breast cancer in Detroit and Los Angeles.</p><p>More than 60 percent of the patients said they were referred to their surgeon by another doctor, and 15 percent were referred by their health plans. About 25 percent chose their surgeon based on reputation.</p><p>Women with more education and higher incomes were more likely to have chosen their own surgeon.</p><p>Evidence shows that patients who choose any type of doctor based on their experience tend to do better. For surgery, patients recover better if they choose a hospital or clinic where the operation is performed frequently.</p><p>\"Women with breast cancer should be aware that referrals from another doctor or their health plan may not connect them with the most experienced surgeons or the most comprehensive practice settings in their community,\" said Dr. Steven Katz, who led the Michigan study.</p><p>\"Patients might consider seeking a second opinion, especially if they are advised to undergo a particular treatment without a full discussion of the options.\"</p><p><em>NBC Chief Medical Editor Nancy Synderman and Reuters contributed to this report.</em></p><p><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\"><tr><td><SCRIPT language=javascript src=http://www.msnbc.com/modules/getdata.asp?id=breast_cancer_facts&retfmt=js></SCRIPT><SCRIPT language=javascript src=http://www.msnbc.com/modules/poptext/poptext_codeV2.js></SCRIPT><SCRIPT>if (window.breast_cancer_facts) { displayApp(breast_cancer_facts); }</SCRIPT></td></tr></table></p><div class=\"textBodyBlack\" style=\"clear:both;\"><i><em>?2007 MSNBC Interactive</em></i></div><br>');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1225','1','	<p><!--Spanish ID: 601171 --> <p>FRIDAY, Jan. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Females should be vaccinated against human papillomavirus (HPV) when they\'re 11 to 12 years old in order to prevent cervical cancer, new American Cancer Society guidelines recommend.</p> <p>Other major health groups have also called for widespread vaccination in this age group.</p> <p>In 2007, an estimated 11,150 cervical cancer cases will be diagnosed in the United States, and about 3,670 women will die from the disease, the society noted. Almost all cervical cancers are causally related to HPV.</p> <p>The new guidelines emphasize that the full potential of the HPV vaccine will be reached only if widespread vaccination is achieved in groups of women who don\'t get regular cervical screenings. The guidelines are published in the January/February issue of <i>CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians</i>.</p> <p>\"The vaccine holds remarkable potential, but unless the same populations of women who right now do not have access to or do not seek regular Pap tests gets this vaccine, it will have limited impact,\" Dr. Harmon J. Eyre, lead author of the guidelines and chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society, said in a prepared statement.</p> <p>\"Also, as HPV vaccination for the prevention of cervical cancer is introduced and promoted, it remains critical that women undergo regular screening even if they have been vaccinated,\" Eyre said.</p> <p>The guidelines state that:</p><ul> <li>Routine HPV vaccination is recommended for females ages 11 to 12 years.</li> <li>Females as young as 9 years may receive HPV vaccination.</li> <li>HPV vaccination is also recommended for females ages 13 to 18 years to catch up on a missed vaccine or to complete the vaccination series.</li> <li>HPV vaccine is not currently recommended for women over age 26 or for males.</li> <li>There is not enough data to recommend for or against HPV vaccination for women ages 19 to 26.</li> <li>Screening for cervical cancer and pre-cancers should continue in both vaccinated and unvaccinated women.</li></ul> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more about <a href=\"http://newscenter.cancer.gov/newscenter/benchmarks-vol2-issue4/page2 \" target=\"_new\">HPV</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1226','1','<table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\"><tr><td width=\"10\"></td><td width=\"98%\"><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"98%\" valign=\"top\"><tr><td><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><font size=\"+2\" color=\"551E1B\">Apples pack a big antioxidant punch</font><br><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><b>Flavonoids in the fruit can help lower the risk of disease</b><br></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"></td></tr></table><font size=\"-2\"><div class=\"textMedBlackBold\" style=\"padding-top:10px;\">Karen Collins, R.D.</div><div class=\"textMedBlack\">MSNBC contributor</div><p></p></font><p><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"102\"><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"10\" border=\"0\" bgcolor=\"#7788aa\"><tr height=\"20\"><td width=\"20\" bgcolor=\"#7788aa\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://msnbcmedia2.msn.com/i/msnbc/Test-Dev/donna/msnbc10/Launch%20images/byline_msnbc.gif\" height=\"20\" width=\"100\" vspace=\"0\" hspace=\"0\"></td><td width=\"98%\" bgcolor=\"#7788aa\"><font size=\"-1\"><b color=\"#000000\"></b></font></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"5\" cellpadding=\"0\" bordercolor=\"#666666\" border=\"0\" style=\"border-top:solid 1px #666666;border-bottom:solid 1px #666666;background-color:#ffffff;\" bgcolor=\"#ffffff\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellpadding=\"0\" class=\"headlineList2\"><tr></tr></table></td></tr><tr valign=\"top\"><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\"><tr><td><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://msnbcmedia1.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Bylines/mugs/MSNBC%20Interactive/msnbc_collins_karen.thumb.jpg\" vspace=\"0\" hspace=\"0\"></td></tr><tr><td style=\"padding:4px;\"><font color=\"#000000\"><table cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" border=\"0\"><tr><td><font color=\"black\"><b>Karen Collins, R.D.</b></font></td></tr></table></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"\" bordercolor=\"\" border=\"0\" style=\"background-color:#eeeeee;\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr><td style=\"\"><font class=\"textSmall\" color=\"#000000\"></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></p><p>If you look only at lists of fruits highest in vitamin C or read about the super health-promoting powers of the latest popular fruit, you might wonder if Grandma\'s advice \"An apple a day keeps the doctor away,\" still merits consideration.</p><p>Yet as research moves further into the study of the thousands of natural compounds we get from fruits, vegetables, whole grains and other plant foods, apples do shine.</p><p>Antioxidants are well-established as an important part of how healthful eating can lower our risk of heart disease and cancer, and possibly other conditions that can develop as we age. They\'re also frequently discussed in relation to vitamins C and E, and perhaps other plant compounds such as beta-carotene. However, fruits and vegetables also provide flavonoids, a large group of compounds that are all antioxidants.</p><p>The antioxidant power of flavonoids is one reason that apples are again in the spotlight. Apples contain only modest amounts of vitamin C. A medium apple averages about 6 milligrams of vitamin C, not much compared to the recommended daily intake of 75 to 90 milligrams for adults. But scientists have now calculated the antioxidant power of that apple is equal to more than 1,500 milligrams of vitamin C. The vast majority of its antioxidants come from flavonoids.</p><p><b><strong>A weapon against cancer and cholesterol<br></strong></b>Antioxidants are key elements in preventing cancer, because they stabilize highly reactive free radicals that can otherwise damage our DNA and begin the process of cancer development. Antioxidants are also considered a key step in heart health because they protect blood vessels. They also keep LDL cholesterol in a less damaging form. </p><p>Along with antioxidant protection, apples contain pectin, a soluble fiber that helps lower blood cholesterol. Higher blood cholesterol is associated with a greater incidence of heart disease. In the Women\'s Health Study of about 40,000 U.S. women, researchers analyzed apple consumption and heart health. After controlling for other fruits along with vegetables, fiber and other nutrients, the study found that women who ate at least one apple a day developed 22 percent less heart disease than women who ate no apples.</p><p>Cancer prevention benefits appear to stem from more than antioxidants, too. Laboratory studies show that apple extracts concentrated apple compounds can reduce growth and reproduction of colon and lung cancer cells. Among more than 77,000 women in the Nurses\' Health Study, daily apple consumption was linked to 37 percent lower risk of lung cancer, after controlling for smoking and other risk factors. Results of a study from Finland showed that highest flavonoid consumption, of which apples were an important part, was linked with a 20 percent lower risk of cancer overall and a 46 percent lower risk of lung cancer.</p><p><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"460\"><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"10\" border=\"0\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr height=\"20\"><td width=\"98%\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><font size=\"-1\"><b color=\"#666666\">&nbsp;Click for related content</b></font></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"5\" cellpadding=\"0\" bordercolor=\"#cccccc\" border=\"0\" style=\"border-top:solid 1px #cccccc;border-bottom:solid 1px #cccccc;background-color:#ffffff;\" bgcolor=\"#ffffff\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellpadding=\"0\" class=\"headlineList2\"><tr></tr></table></td></tr><tr valign=\"top\"><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"8\"><tr><td style=\"padding:8px;\"><font class=\"bigRedLink\"><ul><li><a href=\"/id/16651652/\">\'Cloudy\' apple juice packs more antioxidants</a></li><li><a href=\"/id/16382518/\">Nine healthy foods that may surprise you</a></li><li><a href=\"/id/16692785/\">Pittsburgh students bite for \'mystery fat\'</a></li><li><a href=\"/id/3035439/\">More Nutrition Notes columns</a></li></ul></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"\" bordercolor=\"\" border=\"0\" style=\"background-color:#eeeeee;\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr><td style=\"\"><font class=\"textSmall\" color=\"#000000\"></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></p><p><b><strong>Fill up on apples<br></strong></b>Many studies have found that increased fruit consumption is linked with lower weight. Studies show that people are most successful at limiting calories when they include foods that contain relatively few calories in relation to their portions. Apples are high in a type of fiber that creates a \"full\" sensation. The calories from one medium apple are about equal to one-and-a-half Oreo cookies and are far more filling. (It\'s important to remember that for overall health, a variety of fruit is a smarter move than sticking with multiple daily servings of apples or any fruit.) </p><p>Apples go out of season in the Northern Hemisphere by early winter and are often stored so they can be sold throughout the winter. Prolonged storage of fruits and vegetables often means loss of nutritional value, but apples retain virtually all of their flavonoid content for five to six months in cold storage. Processing, however, does lower the amount of flavonoid, so apples themselves contain more antioxidants than apple juice or applesauce. Besides snacking on apples out of hand, try them in green and fruit salads and cooked with vegetables such as carrots, winter squash and sweet potatoes.</p><p><em>Nutrition Notes is provided by the </em><a href=\"http://www.aicr.org/\"><em>American Institute for Cancer Research</em></a><em> in Washington, D.C</em>.</p><p><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\"><tr><td><SCRIPT language=javascript src=http://www.msnbc.com/d/ip/mealsheal/data.js></SCRIPT><SCRIPT language=javascript src=http://www.msnbc.com/modules/poptext/poptext_codeV2.js></SCRIPT><SCRIPT>if (window.mealsheal) { displayApp(mealsheal); }</SCRIPT></td></tr></table></p><div class=\"textBodyBlack\" style=\"clear:both;\"><i><em>?2007 MSNBC Interactive</em></i></div><br>');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1227','1','	<p><p>(HealthDay News) -- Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted bacterial infection. It can be passed from person to person via contact with infected genitals, or by mouth.</p> <p>Antibiotics are prescribed to treat gonorrhea, the National Women\'s Health Information Center says. Without treatment, the infection can cause serious complications such as pelvic inflammatory disease, an increased risk of contracting HIV, and infection that spreads to other parts of the body.</p> <p>Symptoms of gonorrhea in women include painful urination or intercourse, vaginal discharge or irregular bleeding, and heavy periods. Many women have no symptoms.</p> <p>You should speak to your doctor about being tested for the disease if you think your partner may have it.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1228','1','<table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\"><tr><td width=\"10\"></td><td width=\"98%\"><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"98%\" valign=\"top\"><tr><td><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><font size=\"+2\" color=\"551E1B\">Cholesterol levels may predict dementia</font><br><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><b>A decline can precede diagnosis of the mental condition by 15 years</b><br></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"></td></tr></table><font size=\"-2\"><a href=\"http://www.reuters.com/\"><a href=\"http://www.reuters.com/\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://msnbcmedia3.msn.com/i/msnbc/Components/Sources/sourceReuters.gif\" height=\"20\" width=\"140\" vspace=\"0\" hspace=\"0\"></a></a><p></p></font><p>A decline in total cholesterol levels may precede the diagnosis of dementia by at least 15 years, according to a study reported in the Archives of Neurology.</p><p>\"Studies like this are extremely valuable because they can provide a \'window\' on to processes going on early in dementia, allowing researchers to look back in time at people\'s health and other characteristics and compare these between people who develop dementia and those who do not,\" Dr. Robert Stewart from King\'s College London, told Reuters Health.</p><p>Stewart and colleagues used data from the Honolulu-Asia Aging Study to compare the natural history of changes in cholesterol levels over a 26-year period among 56 men who had dementia at examination three years after the last cholesterol measurement, and 971 men who did not have dementia.</p><p>Total cholesterol levels at the beginning of the study did not differ by later dementia status, the authors report, but the decline in subsequent cholesterol levels was significantly steeper among men who went on to develop dementia.</p><p>Adjustment for potential confounding factors strengthened the association between cholesterol level decline and the development of dementia, the results indicate.</p><p><b><strong>General health might decline with cholesterol levels<br></strong></b>The cholesterol level decline was most marked in men with dementia and the APOE gene mutation - a marker of Alzheimer\'s syndrome - and in those with dementia and worse self-reported general health at the final cholesterol measurement, the researchers note.</p><p>\"The observed associations may not represent direct causal pathways,\" the investigators say. \"Hypocholesterolemia (low cholesterol) is recognized to be associated with frailty and poor general health. It also has been found to be specifically associated with inflammatory markers and poor nutritional status.\"</p><p>Rather, they suggest, \"It is possible that the decline in cholesterol levels is a marker for early processes that reflect neurodegenerative changes and also lead to a decline in general health status.\"</p><p><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"460\"><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"10\" border=\"0\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr height=\"20\"><td width=\"98%\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><font size=\"-1\"><b color=\"#666666\">&nbsp;Click for related content</b></font></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"5\" cellpadding=\"0\" bordercolor=\"#cccccc\" border=\"0\" style=\"border-top:solid 1px #cccccc;border-bottom:solid 1px #cccccc;background-color:#ffffff;\" bgcolor=\"#ffffff\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellpadding=\"0\" class=\"headlineList2\"><tr></tr></table></td></tr><tr valign=\"top\"><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"8\"><tr><td style=\"padding:8px;\"><font class=\"bigRedLink\"><ul><li><a href=\"/id/16611042/\">Bilingualism can stall dementia</a></li><li><a href=\"/id/16636470/\">Significance of Alzheimer\'s gene far from clear</a></li></ul></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"\" bordercolor=\"\" border=\"0\" style=\"background-color:#eeeeee;\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr><td style=\"\"><font class=\"textSmall\" color=\"#000000\"></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></p><p>The drop in cholesterol was not a result of medication. \"Very few of the participants in this study were receiving cholesterol-lowering treatment at the time the decline in cholesterol levels was observed (there were few cholesterol lowering medications around at that time in the 1970s), so medication was not responsible for this,\" Stewart explained.</p><p>\"The drop in cholesterol was instead probably caused by some other event and was a \'marker\' of risk rather than actually increasing the risk itself,\" he concluded.</p><div class=\"textBodyBlack\" style=\"clear:both;\"><i><em>Copyright 2007 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters.</em></i></div><br>');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1229','1','	<p><p>(HealthDay News) -- Snoring is more than just an annoyance for people within hearing distance of where you sleep.</p> <p>Snoring can also deprive you of restful sleep, and can indicate a serious medical problem called sleep apnea. This occurs when airflow to the lungs is obstructed, and it can lead heart problems and other health concerns.</p> <p>If you\'re a habitual snorer, talk to your doctor about potential causes. The American Academy of Otolaryngology -- Head and Neck Surgery offers this partial list:</p> <ul> <li>Nasal deformities, including deviated septum.</li> <li>Weak muscles in the tongue and throat.</li> <li>Excess tissue in the neck, which can be caused by obesity.</li> <li>A long soft palate and/or uvula.</li> <li>A stuffed-up nose.</li> </ul> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1230','1','<table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\"><tr><td width=\"10\"></td><td width=\"98%\"><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"98%\" valign=\"top\"><tr><td><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><font size=\"+2\" color=\"551E1B\">Caught daydreaming? Blame brain\'s settings</font><br><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><b>Certain regions of the brain stay active by wandering, study finds</b><br></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"></td></tr></table><font size=\"-2\"><a href=\"http://www.reuters.com/\"><a href=\"http://www.reuters.com/\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://msnbcmedia3.msn.com/i/msnbc/Components/Sources/sourceReuters.gif\" height=\"20\" width=\"140\" vspace=\"0\" hspace=\"0\"></a></a><p></p></font><p>Daydreaming seems to be the default setting of the human mind, and certain brain regions are devoted to it, U.S. researchers reported on Friday.</p><p>When people are given a specific task to do, they focus on that task, but then other brain regions get busy during down time, the researchers report in Friday\'s issue of the journal <em>Science</em>.</p><p>\"There is this network of regions that always seems to be active when you don\'t give people something to do,\" psychologist Malia Mason of Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital said in a telephone interview.</p><p><b><strong>Nothing fancy</strong></b><br>When Mason asked people what was happening during this down time, the answer was clear.</p><p>\"It\'s daydreaming,\" she said. \"But I find that the vast majority of time, people aren\'t having fanciful thoughts. People are thinking about what they have to do later today.\"</p><p>Her team has chosen to call it stimulus-independent thought or mind wandering.</p><p>Neurologists and psychologists have debated what goes on when people are not specifically thinking about or doing something, and there had been general agreement that the mind does not simply go blank.</p><p>Mason\'s team set up an experiment using the relatively new technology of functional magnetic resonance imaging or fMRI to see what is going on.</p><p>FMRI allows scientists to take real-time images of the brain, showing which areas are active and when. They can do this while talking to the person being imaged, so they can see the effects of an activity as it happens.</p><p>Mason\'s team recruited 19 volunteers and scanned them as they did a variety of tasks. \"The verbal working memory task involved remembering and manipulating four four-letter sequences (e.g., \'R H V X\'),\" they wrote.</p><p>The volunteers were also imaged when they were sitting there, waiting between tasks.</p><p><b><strong>Wandering and flitting</strong></b><br>\"In the absence of a task that requires deliberative processing, the mind generally tends to wander, flitting from one thought to the next with fluidity and ease,\" the researchers wrote.</p><p>Now they know what that looks like.</p><p>Active regions include the superior frontal gyrus, which is one of the main bumps on the front part of the human brain, the insula, which is on the side of the brain, and parts of the temporal lobe, at the back of the brain.</p><p>Mason is not sure why this activity occurs, but believes it underlies some of the basic mind functions that define people - although her team has not imaged any animals.</p><p>One possibility, her team said, is that the brain always does something so that it is in an active state when quick thoughts or reactions are needed.</p><p><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"460\"><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"10\" border=\"0\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr height=\"20\"><td width=\"98%\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><font size=\"-1\"><b color=\"#666666\">&nbsp;Click for related content</b></font></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"5\" cellpadding=\"0\" bordercolor=\"#cccccc\" border=\"0\" style=\"border-top:solid 1px #cccccc;border-bottom:solid 1px #cccccc;background-color:#ffffff;\" bgcolor=\"#ffffff\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellpadding=\"0\" class=\"headlineList2\"><tr></tr></table></td></tr><tr valign=\"top\"><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"8\"><tr><td style=\"padding:8px;\"><font class=\"bigRedLink\"><ul><li><a href=\"/id/16580741/\">If you procrastinate, don\'t put off reading this</a></li><li><a href=\"/id/16671368/\">Downsizing hurts employees\' mental health</a></li></ul></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"\" bordercolor=\"\" border=\"0\" style=\"background-color:#eeeeee;\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr><td style=\"\"><font class=\"textSmall\" color=\"#000000\"></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></p><p>\"A second possibility is that as a kind of spontaneous mental time travel (stimulus-independent thought) lends a sense of coherence to one\'s past, present and future experiences,\" the researchers wrote.</p><p>\"We are not stuck in the here and now. We can be stuck in our car in traffic and we are not (mentally) stuck there,\" Mason added.</p><p>Or there could be no reason at all for daydreaming.</p><p>\"Although the thoughts the mind produces when wandering are at times useful, such instances do not prove that the mind wanders because these thoughts are adaptive; on the contrary the mind may wander simply because it can,\" they concluded.</p><div class=\"textBodyBlack\" style=\"clear:both;\"><i><em>Copyright 2007 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters.</em></i></div><br>');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1231','1','<table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\"><tr><td width=\"10\"></td><td width=\"98%\"><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"98%\" valign=\"top\"><tr><td><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><font size=\"+2\" color=\"551E1B\">Breast-feeding moms may need more calcium </font><br><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><b>Daily requirements rise to keep gums and bones healthy, study says</b><br></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"></td></tr></table><font size=\"-2\"><a href=\"http://www.reuters.com/\"><a href=\"http://www.reuters.com/\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://msnbcmedia3.msn.com/i/msnbc/Components/Sources/sourceReuters.gif\" height=\"20\" width=\"140\" vspace=\"0\" hspace=\"0\"></a></a><p></p></font><p>Women who breast-feed may need to be careful about getting enough calcium to keep their teeth and gums healthy, new animal research suggests.</p><p>In experiments with rats, researchers found that lactating rodents were particularly susceptible to the effects of low calcium intake on the bones that support the teeth. Such bone-density loss can speed the progression of any existing gum disease.</p><p>Though the findings come from animals, they do suggest it\'s important for breast-feeding mothers to include enough calcium in their diets, lead researcher Dr. Kanako Shoji told Reuters Health.</p><p>Shoji and colleagues at Tohoku University Graduate School of Dentistry in Japan report the findings in the <em>Journal of Periodontology</em>.</p><p><b><strong>Calcium requirements increase<br></strong></b>During breast-feeding, a woman\'s calcium demands go up to meet her growing baby\'s needs, the researchers point out. In addition, certain hormonal changes during breast-feeding may contribute to bone-density loss.</p><p>So adequate calcium intake - from foods like milk, cheese and fortified cereals and juice - may become particularly important. The recommended calcium intake for women ages 19 to 50, breast-feeding or not, is 1,000 milligrams a day.</p><p>If a woman doesn\'t get adequate calcium from food, Shoji noted, supplements are an alternative.</p><p>For their study, the researchers fed lactating and non-lactating rats a diet with either adequate or low calcium levels. Periodontitis (a gum disease) was induced on one side of the animals\' mouth.</p><p><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"460\"><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"10\" border=\"0\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr height=\"20\"><td width=\"98%\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><font size=\"-1\"><b color=\"#666666\">&nbsp;Click for related content</b></font></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"5\" cellpadding=\"0\" bordercolor=\"#cccccc\" border=\"0\" style=\"border-top:solid 1px #cccccc;border-bottom:solid 1px #cccccc;background-color:#ffffff;\" bgcolor=\"#ffffff\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellpadding=\"0\" class=\"headlineList2\"><tr></tr></table></td></tr><tr valign=\"top\"><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"8\"><tr><td style=\"padding:8px;\"><font class=\"bigRedLink\"><ul><li><a href=\"/id/16655168/\">A vitamin a day may do more harm than good</a></li><li><a href=\"/id/16474800/\">Could low-carb diets lead to birth defects?</a></li></ul></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"\" bordercolor=\"\" border=\"0\" style=\"background-color:#eeeeee;\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr><td style=\"\"><font class=\"textSmall\" color=\"#000000\"></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></p><p>The researchers found that all of the animals on the low-calcium diet lost bone density on the periodontitis-affected side of the mouth. However, the extent of the loss was greater in the lactating group.</p><p>In contrast, lactating rats that were fed enough calcium showed no such effects.</p><p>This, according to the researchers, suggests that if a woman gets enough calcium, breast-feeding may not be a risk factor for dental bone loss.</p><div class=\"textBodyBlack\" style=\"clear:both;\"><i>(c) Reuters 2007. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by caching, framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks and trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world.</i></div><br><table width=\"100%\" style=\"background-color:#ffffee\" cellPadding=\"2\" cellSpacing=\"0\"><tr><td width=\"50%\"><font size=\"1\"><img src=\"/images/msnbc/print02.gif\" width=\"25\" height=\"20\" align=\"absmiddle\"> <a href=\"javascript:printThis(\'16710688\')\" class=\"linkBlack\">Print this</a></font></td><td><font size=\"1\"><img src=\"/images/msnbc/email02.gif\" width=\"25\" height=\"20\" align=\"absmiddle\"> <a href=\"javascript:emThis(\'16710688\')\" class=\"linkBlack\">Email this</a></font></td></tr></table></td><td width=\"10\"></td></tr></table><table cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\"><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"10\" border=\"0\" bgcolor=\"#7788aa\"><tr height=\"20\"><td width=\"98%\" bgcolor=\"#7788aa\"><font size=\"-1\"><b color=\"#ffffff\">&nbsp;MORE FROM WOMEN\'S 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INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1232','1','<table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\"><tr><td width=\"10\"></td><td width=\"98%\"><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"98%\" valign=\"top\"><tr><td><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><font size=\"+2\" color=\"551E1B\">A vitamin a day may do more harm than good</font><br><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><b>ConsumerLab.com report finds unexpected nutrient levels, contamination</b><br></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"><table cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\"><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"10\" border=\"0\" bgcolor=\"#7788aa\"><tr height=\"20\"><td width=\"20\" bgcolor=\"#7788aa\"><img src=\"/images/icons/video.gif\" width=\"20\" height=\"14\"></td><td width=\"98%\" bgcolor=\"#7788aa\"><font size=\"-1\"><b color=\"#ffffff\">NBC VIDEO</b></font></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"5\" cellpadding=\"0\" bordercolor=\"#cccccc\" border=\"1\" style=\"border:solid 1px #cccccc;background-color:#eeeeee;background-image:url(\'/images/backgrounds/component_grey.gif\');\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellpadding=\"0\" class=\"headlineList2\"><tr></tr></table></td></tr><tr valign=\"top\"><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" border=\"0\" bgcolor=\"#cccccc\" background=\"/images/backgrounds/component_dkgrey.gif\" width=\"100%\"><tr valign=\"top\"><td align=\"middle\"><a href=\"javascript:msnvDwd(\'00\',\'84b0b0d4-4501-4f62-867f-c4f585a27bb7\',\'us\',\'hotvideo_m_edpicks\',\'\',\'msnbc\',\'\',\'16702662\',\'Harmful vitamins?\')\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://msnbcmedia2.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Video/070119/tdy_lauer_vitamin_070119.300w.jpg\" vspace=\"0\" hspace=\"0\"></a></td></tr><tr valign=\"top\"><td align=\"middle\"><div class=\"scalAd\"><input type=\"button\" class=\"mbox w77\" value=\"Launch\" title=\"Launch\" onmouseover=\"swapbtn(this, 1)\" onmouseout=\"swapbtn(this, 0)\" onclick=\"javascript:msnvDwd(\'00\',\'84b0b0d4-4501-4f62-867f-c4f585a27bb7\',\'us\',\'hotvideo_m_edpicks\',\'\',\'msnbc\',\'\',\'16702662\',\'Harmful vitamins?\')\"></div></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td style=\"padding:10px;\"><font color=\"#000000\"><font color=\"551E1B\">?/font><font class=\"textMedBlackBold\"><a href=\"javascript:msnvDwd(\'00\',\'84b0b0d4-4501-4f62-867f-c4f585a27bb7\',\'us\',\'hotvideo_m_edpicks\',\'\',\'msnbc\',\'\',\'16702662\',\'Harmful vitamins?\')\">Harmful vitamins?</a></font><br><font color=\"black\">Jan. 19: Tod Cooperman of ConsumerLab.com talks with TODAY host Matt Lauer about his company\'s report, which finds that some vitamins may actually be hazardous to your health.</font><p class=\"credit\">Today show</p></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"><font size=\"-2\"></font><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br></td></tr></table><font size=\"-2\"><div class=\"textMedBlackBold\" style=\"padding-top:10px;\">Jacqueline Stenson</div><div class=\"textMedBlack\">Contributing editor</div><div class=\"textMedBlack\">MSNBC</div><p></p></font><p><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"102\"><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"10\" border=\"0\" bgcolor=\"#7788aa\"><tr height=\"20\"><td width=\"20\" bgcolor=\"#7788aa\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://msnbcmedia2.msn.com/i/msnbc/Test-Dev/donna/msnbc10/Launch%20images/byline_msnbc.gif\" height=\"20\" width=\"100\" vspace=\"0\" hspace=\"0\"></td><td width=\"98%\" bgcolor=\"#7788aa\"><font size=\"-1\"><b color=\"#000000\"></b></font></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"5\" cellpadding=\"0\" bordercolor=\"#666666\" border=\"0\" style=\"border-top:solid 1px #666666;border-bottom:solid 1px #666666;background-color:#ffffff;\" bgcolor=\"#ffffff\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellpadding=\"0\" class=\"headlineList2\"><tr></tr></table></td></tr><tr valign=\"top\"><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\"><tr><td><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://msnbcmedia2.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Bylines/mugs/MSNBC%20Interactive/msnbc_stenson_jackie.thumb.jpg\" vspace=\"0\" hspace=\"0\"></td></tr><tr><td style=\"padding:4px;\"><font color=\"#000000\"><table cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" border=\"0\"><tr><td><font color=\"black\"><b>Jacqueline Stenson</b></font></td></tr><tr><td><font class=\"credit\">Contributing editor</font></td></tr><tr><td><hr size=\"1\" width=\"85%\" color=\"#cccccc\" noshade=\"1\" align=\"center\"></td></tr><tr><td><font color=\"551E1B\">?/font><font color=\"black\"><a href=\"/id/10913169/\">Profile</a></font></td></tr><tr><td><font color=\"551E1B\">?/font><font color=\"black\"><script language=\"javascript\">document.write(\'<a href=\"mailto:\'+\'JacquelineStenson\'+\'@\'+\'FEEDBACK.MSNBC.COM\">\')</script>E-mail<script language=\"javascript\">document.write(\'</a>\');</script></font></td></tr></table></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"\" bordercolor=\"\" border=\"0\" style=\"background-color:#eeeeee;\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr><td style=\"\"><font class=\"textSmall\" color=\"#000000\"></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></p><p>If you\'re banking on a daily vitamin to make up for any deficiencies in your diet, you may be getting a whole lot more - or less - than you bargained for.</p><p>Of 21 brands of multivitamins on the market in the United States and Canada selected \nby ConsumerLab.com and tested by independent laboratories, just 10 met the stated claims on their labels or satisfied other quality standards.</p><p>Most worrisome, according to ConsumerLab.com president Dr. Tod Cooperman, is that one product, The Vitamin Shoppe Multivitamins Especially for Women, was contaminated with lead.</p><p>\"I was definitely shocked by the amount of lead in [this] woman\'s product,\" he said. \"We\'ve never seen that much lead in a multivitamin before.\"</p><p>Other products contained more or less of a particular vitamin than listed on the label. And some did not dissolve in the correct amount of time, meaning they could potentially pass through the body without being fully absorbed. </p><p>\"Half the products were fine, half were not,\" \nsaid Cooperman. \n</p><p>ConsumerLab.com is a Westchester, N.Y.-based company that independently evaluates hundreds of health and nutrition products and periodically publishes reviews. In the new report, released to MSNBC.com, the company purchased a selection of the popular multivitamins on the market as well as some smaller brands and sent them, without labels, to two independent laboratories to be tested. </p><p>On a positive note, several of the most popular multivitamins on the market did pass muster, said David Schardt, a senior nutritionist at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a nonprofit consumer advocacy group in Washington, D.C. </p><p>These included Centrum Silver, Member\'s Mark Complete Multi (distributed by Sam\'s Club), One A Day Women\'s and Flintstones Complete.</p><p>\"I think this confirms the advice often given: You\'re safer choosing a well-known brand sold by some company or store that you have confidence in,\" Schardt said. \"There are no guarantees but that\'s your best bet.\"</p><p>\n<table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\"><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"10\" border=\"0\" bgcolor=\"#7788aa\"><tr height=\"20\"><td width=\"98%\" bgcolor=\"#7788aa\"><font size=\"-1\"><b color=\"#FFFFFF\">&nbsp;Tips for picking a multivitamin</b></font></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"5\" cellpadding=\"0\" bordercolor=\"#a4abc1\" border=\"0\" style=\"border-right:solid 1px #a4abc1;border-bottom:solid 1px #a4abc1;border-left:solid 1px #a4abc1;background-color:#f3f3f6;\" bgcolor=\"#f3f3f6\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellpadding=\"0\" class=\"headlineList2\"><tr></tr></table></td></tr><tr valign=\"top\"><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\"><tr valign=\"top\"><td><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://msnbcmedia3.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Art/HEALTH/070118/tz100_070118_vitamins_10a.thumb.jpg\" vspace=\"0\" hspace=\"0\"></td><td style=\"padding:10px;\"><font color=\"#000000\"><table><tr><td><p class=\"textMed\">Vitamins and other dietary supplements aren\'t required to undergo the same testing as medicines, so it\'s buyer beware. But there are some steps you can take to help you pick a better product, says David Schardt, a senior nutritionist at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a nonprofit consumer advocacy group in Washington, D.C. He recommends:</p><table cellspacing=\"3\" cellpadding=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" ID=\"Table1\"><tr><td><font color=\"black\">-</font></td><td><font color=\"black\">Choosing well-known mainstream brands by companies that have a lot at stake.</font></td></tr><tr><td><font color=\"black\">-</font></td><td><font color=\"black\">Buying from large, trusted retailers, not unknown sellers on the Internet.</font></td></tr><tr><td><font color=\"black\">-</font></td><td><font color=\"black\">Looking on the bottle for a stamp from USP, NSF or ConsumerLab.com. While the stamp doesn\'t guarantee the product is safe and effective, it does indicate that the manufacturer has submitted the product for testing to show that it contains what is stated on the label.</font></td></tr><tr><td><font color=\"black\">-</font></td><td><font color=\"black\">Not spending a fortune on vitamins. Pricey products toting all sorts of \"extras\" aren\'t necessary and may be trouble.</font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr></table></td></tr></table>Random vitamin testing isn\'t foolproof. For instance, because ConsumerLab.com tested several bottles from a particular lot number of each vitamin, it\'s not a given that products produced at a different time would have the exact same contents. But detectable problems are a red flag that there could be problems with a company\'s production process. </p><p>In the report, tests showed that The Vitamin Shoppe women\'s product contained 15.3 micrograms of lead per daily serving of two tablets.</p><p>This amount of lead is more than 10 times the amount permitted without a warning in California, the only state that regulates lead in supplements, Cooperman said. On average, most American adults are exposed to about 3 micrograms of lead through food, wine and other sources, he said, and while 15.3 micrograms of lead per day may not be immediately toxic, the mineral is stored in the body and could build up to dangerous levels with time.</p><p>\"I would be concerned about a woman taking a multivitamin that contains 15.3 micrograms of lead per daily serving,\" said Judy Simon, a dietitian at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle. Among other effects, she said, lead can contribute to high blood pressure. </p><p>The same product also contained just 54 percent of the 200 milligrams of calcium stated on the label.</p><p>The analysis also showed that Hero Nutritionals Yummi Bears, a multivitamin for children, had 216 percent of the labeled amount of vitamin A in the retinol form, delivering 5,400 International Units (IU) in a daily serving. That\'s substantially more than the upper tolerable level set by the Institute of Medicine of 2,000 IU for kids ages 1 to 3 and 3,000 IU for those 4 to 8.</p><p>Because too much vitamin A can cause bone weakening and liver abnormalities, the Yummi Bears \"could be potentially doing more harm than good,\" Cooperman said. \"Vitamin A is one of those vitamins where you really don\'t want to get too much.\"</p><p><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"460\"><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"10\" border=\"0\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr height=\"20\"><td width=\"98%\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><font size=\"-1\"><b color=\"#666666\">&nbsp;Click for related content</b></font></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"5\" cellpadding=\"0\" bordercolor=\"#cccccc\" border=\"0\" style=\"border-top:solid 1px #cccccc;border-bottom:solid 1px #cccccc;background-color:#ffffff;\" bgcolor=\"#ffffff\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellpadding=\"0\" class=\"headlineList2\"><tr></tr></table></td></tr><tr valign=\"top\"><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"8\"><tr><td style=\"padding:8px;\"><font class=\"bigRedLink\"><ul><li><a href=\"/id/16677182/\">Survey: Do you take a daily multivitamin?</a></li><li><a href=\"http://boards.msn.com/MSNBCboards/board.aspx?BoardID=490\">Discuss: Share your thoughts on the safety and effectiveness of dietary supplements</a></li><li><a href=\"http://www.consumerlab.com/results/multivit.asp\" target=\"_blank\">Read the full report at ConsumerLab.com (subscription required)</a></li></ul></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"\" bordercolor=\"\" border=\"0\" style=\"background-color:#eeeeee;\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr><td style=\"\"><font class=\"textSmall\" color=\"#000000\"></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></p><p>Schardt said the lead and vitamin A findings are worrisome because vitamins are generally taken every day, potentially building up to toxic levels and leading to problems down the line. In particular, he noted, women with high levels of lead in their bodies who become pregnant could pass on problems to a fetus. </p><p>David Morrison, vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs at The Vitamin Shoppe, said his company\'s products are all tested more than once, including screening for lead, and he questioned the new results. \"It would be very surprising to me if this were actually true,\" he said. </p><p>Hero Nutritionals did not respond to calls seeking comment. \n</p><p>Steve Mister, president and CEO of the Council for Responsible Nutrition, a trade group in Washington, D.C., that represents supplement manufacturers, said that if the findings on lead and vitamin A are, in fact, accurate, \"that is not acceptable for the industry.\" \n</p><p>\n<table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"1%\"><tr><td><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://msnbcmedia1.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/070117/070117_yummibears_hmed_8p.standard.jpg\" align=\"Right\" vspace=\"0\" hspace=\"0\" alt=\"Image: Yummi Bears\"></td></tr><tr><td><div class=\"credit\" style=\"text-align:right;margin-bottom:5px;\"></div><div class=\"credit\">Hero Nutritionals Yummi Bears, a multivitamin for children, had 216 percent of the labeled amount of vitamin A.</div><hr noshade=\"true\" size=\"1\" color=\"#C0C0C0\"></td></tr></table>But he also said that top manufacturers consistently produce quality products and that with 150 million Americans taking vitamins or other dietary supplements annually, few problems surface. </p><p>\"If we had a serious issue of safety, we\'d be hearing concerns from consumers in large numbers and we\'re not,\" he said. </p><p>The ConsumerLab.com report also found that some vitamins didn\'t break apart within the 30-minute standard set by the United States Pharmacopeia. Nature\'s Plus Especially Yours for women required more than an hour to disintegrate, while AARP Maturity Formula took 50 minutes.</p><p>These products \"could potentially go through your body without releasing all the nutrients,\" Cooperman said.</p><p>Mark Kitchens, an AARP spokesperson, said the Maturity Formula undergoes routine testing, and that during testing in November \"among the attributes tested was dissolution and it met FDA requirements.\" Still, \"as precautionary measures to protect our members\" AARP is pulling the product from the market and offering refunds to anyone who has purchased it, he said. <table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\"><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"10\" border=\"0\" bgcolor=\"#7788aa\"><tr height=\"20\"><td width=\"98%\" bgcolor=\"#7788aa\"><font size=\"-1\"><b color=\"#FFFFFF\">&nbsp;How some multivitamins measured up</b></font></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"5\" cellpadding=\"0\" bordercolor=\"#a4abc1\" border=\"0\" style=\"border-right:solid 1px #a4abc1;border-bottom:solid 1px #a4abc1;border-left:solid 1px #a4abc1;background-color:#f3f3f6;\" bgcolor=\"#f3f3f6\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellpadding=\"0\" class=\"headlineList2\"><tr></tr></table></td></tr><tr valign=\"top\"><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"10\"><tr><td style=\"padding:10px;\"><font color=\"#000000\"><table><tr><td><p class=\"textMed\">ConsumerLab.com selected more than 20 brands of multivitamins to be tested by independent laboratories. Here\'s a partial list of how some of them fared:</p><p class=\"textMed\">Multivitamins that met standards:</p><table cellspacing=\"3\" cellpadding=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" ID=\"Table1\"><tr><td><font color=\"black\">-</font></td><td><font color=\"black\">Centrum Silver</font></td></tr><tr><td><font color=\"black\">-</font></td><td><font color=\"black\">Member\'s Mark Complete Multi</font></td></tr><tr><td><font color=\"black\">-</font></td><td><font color=\"black\">One A Day Women\'s</font></td></tr><tr><td><font color=\"black\">-</font></td><td><font color=\"black\">Flinstones Complete</font></td></tr></table><p class=\"textMed\">Those that failed:</p><table cellspacing=\"3\" cellpadding=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" ID=\"Table1\"><tr><td><font color=\"black\">-</font></td><td><font color=\"black\">The Vitamin Shoppe Multivitamins Especially for women: Contaminated with lead</font></td></tr><tr><td><font color=\"black\">-</font></td><td><font color=\"black\">Hero Nutritionals Yummi Bears: Had twice the labeled amount of vitamin A</font></td></tr><tr><td><font color=\"black\">-</font></td><td><font color=\"black\">Nature\'s Plus Especially Yours for Women: Took twice as long as allowed to disintegrate</font></td></tr><tr><td><font color=\"black\">-</font></td><td><font color=\"black\">AARP Maturity Formula: Took nearly twice as long as allowed to disintegrate</font></td></tr><tr><td><font color=\"black\">-</font></td><td><font color=\"black\">Eniva VIBE: Had only 54 percent of claimed vitamin A</font></td></tr><tr><td><font color=\"black\">-</font></td><td><font color=\"black\">Pet-Tabs Complete Daily Vitamin-Mineral Supplement for Dogs: Contained lead</font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></p><p>In other findings, Eniva VIBE, a multivitamin liquid sold in packets, had only 54 percent of the claimed vitamin A. \n</p><p>ConsumerLab.com also tested a vitamin marketed for dogs called Pet-Tabs Complete Daily Vitamin-Mineral Supplement for Dogs and found the product was contaminated with 1.4 micrograms of lead per tablet. \n</p><p>Whether most people \n- or dogs, for that matter - really need to take a multivitamin is a subject of debate. </p><p>Experts agree that prenatal vitamins are important for women who are pregnant or may become pregnant, and that people with very poor diets can benefit from nutrients in a pill.</p><p>Schardt says multivitamins offer everyone \"an inexpensive insurance policy.\" But Cooperman and many dietitians note that it\'s better to get your nutrition from a well-balanced diet.</p><p>\"In many cases, you don\'t need a multivitamin,\" Cooperman said.</p><div class=\"textBodyBlack\" style=\"clear:both;\"><i><em>?2007 MSNBC Interactive</em></i></div><br>');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1233','4','	<p><p>FRIDAY, Sept. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Call it Extreme Makeover, Baby Boomer Edition.</p> <p>Turning back the clock by turning to a smorgasbord of cosmetic and surgical procedures continues to be a growing obsession with middle-aged Americans. And experts say there\'s no indication the trend has peaked.</p> <p>Very aware that head-to-toe rejuvenation is possible, boomers -- female and male -- are opting for procedures that include liposuction, tummy tucks, breast augmentation, Botox injections, eye lifts, nose reshaping, laser hair removal, and chemical peels.</p> <p>In 2005, nearly 11.5 million surgical and non-surgical cosmetic procedures were performed in the United States, according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. While non-surgical procedures (such as Botox for wrinkles) dipped by 3.6 percent, the number of surgical procedures (such as facelifts) rose 1 percent.</p> <p>People between the ages of 35 and 50 had 42 percent of the surgical procedures and 47 percent of the non-surgical treatments. And those 51 to 64 had 20 percent of the surgical and 24 percent of the non-surgical procedures.</p> <p>While vanity plays a role in many age-defying decisions, it\'s not always the driving force, said Dr. Richard Fleming, a plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, Calif.</p> <p>&quot;A lot of the motivation is professional,&quot; Fleming said. &quot;I hear stories every day -- I have patients who come in who say they did not advance when they were up for promotion, and they thought it was due to their appearance. It\'s a tough, competitive business world.&quot; </p> <p>Another factor spurring some boomers into doctors\' offices is a wish to have their face keep up with the rest of their body, Fleming said. &quot;Boomers who are physically fit are going to continue to be physically fit,&quot; he said. &quot;They don\'t want to look like they have had a bad night.&quot;</p> <p>The trend among many middle-aged adults is toward noninvasive procedures such as Botox, laser hair removal and soft-tissue fillers such as Restylane to smooth out wrinkles and plump up lips and other body parts showing their age. But that might have more to do with time constraints than desires, said Dr. Laurie A. Casas, a spokeswoman for the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery and an associate professor of surgery at Northwestern University\'s Feinberg School of Medicine.</p> <p>&quot;My typical boomer patients, from 40 to 50, often have kids in grade school,&quot; she said. &quot;The women don\'t have the time for major surgical procedures [requiring more recovery time]. They would probably opt for them if they had the time.&quot;</p> <p>Often, she finds, &quot;they aren\'t opting for surgery but are in my office trying to have their facial aging suppressed.&quot;</p> <p>Subtle is better, she tells them. &quot;My motto is, \'We don\'t want you to reinvent yourself.\' If you are interested, we can tell you the options for turning back time.&quot;</p> <p>To look younger, patients must do their part as well, Casas said. &quot;Our first focus is to make your skin look as youthful as possible,&quot; she said. &quot;We address sun damage, with a combination of good skin care products, laser resurfacing, micro-dermabrasion, laser resurfacing, and peels, either chemical or herbal.&quot;</p> <p>&quot;Then we simultaneously do other things, because boomers are very impatient,&quot; Casas said with a laugh. &quot;That might include Botox and good fillers to smooth out such problem areas as the nasolabial folds,&quot; the lines that form with age from the nose to the mouth.</p> <p>Patients who follow her skin-care instructions -- and her advice to exercise regularly, drink eight glasses of water a day to keep the skin hydrated, and eat a healthful diet -- can expect to turn back the clock five to 10 years, she said.</p> <p>&quot;I don\'t believe cosmetic surgery should be a moment in time,&quot; said Casas, who has opened a medical spa called, appropriately enough, Turn Back Time. &quot;It should be tied in with a healthy lifestyle.&quot;</p> <p>While the less-invasive techniques require less down time, &quot;people have to understand exactly what they are getting,&quot; Fleming said. &quot;It comes up all the time. Should I get a facelift or a mini-facelift? The mini has less recovery time but achieves less.&quot;</p> <p>Whatever procedure -- or procedures -- are selected, consumers should choose their physician wisely, Fleming and Casas agree. And they should be aware that inadequately trained health professionals often offer cosmetic procedures.</p> <p>So, check your physician\'s credentials. Ask if he or she is board-certified; if so, in which specialty (such as plastic surgery, dermatology or otolaryngology). Ask how many times he does the procedure you\'re having done. If you\'re interested in an eyelid lift, for instance, choose someone who concentrates much of his or her practice in that area, not someone who only does them occasionally.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>To learn more about cosmetic surgery, visit the <a href=\"http://www.surgery.org\" target=\"_new\">America Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1234','4','	<p><p>(HealthDay News) -- Ringworm is a fungal skin infection. It can appear almost anywhere on the body, including the hands, feet, groin and scalp. While the condition is most prevalent in children, the fungus can affect people of any age.</p> <p>The National Library of Medicine says ringworm usually appears as raised, red, scaly patches. They may blister or secrete fluid, may be itchy, and are usually surrounded by a brighter red edge that looks like a ring. If the fungus spreads to the hair, it may yield bald patches. Fungus on the nails may cause them to become thick and discolored, and to disintegrate.</p> <p>Ringworm spreads in areas that are damp and warm. Highly contagious, it can be passed from person to person via direct skin contact or by sharing items like combs, towels, clothing, public showers, or pool surfaces. Pets, especially cats, may pass the fungus to people.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1235','6','\n\n\n	 <p>Since the former National Football League player Andre Waters killed himself in November, an explanation for his <a href=\"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/suicidesandsuicideattempts/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier\" title=\"Recent and archival health news about suicide.\">suicide</a> has remained a mystery. But after examining remains of Mr. Waters? brain, a neuropathologist in Pittsburgh is claiming that Mr. Waters had sustained brain damage from playing football and he says that led to his <a href=\"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/depression/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier\" title=\"Recent and archival health news about depression.\">depression</a> and ultimate death.</p> \n<div id=\"articleInline\">\n<div id=\"inlineBox\"><a href=\"#secondParagraph\" class=\"jumpLink\">Skip to next paragraph</a>\n  \n  \n<div id=\"sectionPromo\">\n<!--begin comments promo -->\r\n<a href=\"http://news.blogs.nytimes.com/?p=130\">\r\n<h3 class=\"promo\">Readers\' Opinions </h3></a><div class=\"story\"><h5><a href=\"http://news.blogs.nytimes.com/?p=130\">Share Your Thoughts</a></h5><p class=\"summary\">How do you think the N.F.L. should address the issue of players continuing to play after multiple brain traumas?</p>\r\n<ul class=\"refer\"><li style=\"background-image:none;padding-left:0;\"><IMG src=\"http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/section/opinion/comment_icon.gif\" border=\"0\" alt=\"Comment\" style=\"vertica-align:middle;margin-right:3px;padding-top:3px\"><a href=\"http://news.blogs.nytimes.com/?p=130\">Read  Comments</a></li><!--<li><a href=\"http://news.blogs.nytimes.com/?p=130\">Read Comments</a>--></li></ul></div>\r\n<!--end comments promo -->\n</div>\n<div id=\"inlineMultimedia\">\n<h4>Multimedia</h4>\n<div class=\"story first\">\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<a href=\"javascript:pop_me_up2(\'http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2007/01/17/sports/20070118_WATERS_GRAPHIC.html\', \'482_674\', \'width=482,height=674,location=no,scrollbars=yes,toolbars=no,resizable=yes\')\">\n<IMG src=\"http://graphics.nytimes.com/images/2007/01/17/sports/18waters_GFX.thumb.jpg\" height=\"126\" width=\"190\" alt=\"Cost of Concussions\" border=\"0\"><span class=\"mediaType graphic\">Graphic</span>\n</a>\n\n\n<h2>\n\n<a href=\"javascript:pop_me_up2(\'http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2007/01/17/sports/20070118_WATERS_GRAPHIC.html\', \'482_674\', \'width=482,height=674,location=no,scrollbars=yes,toolbars=no,resizable=yes\')\" >Cost of Concussions</a>\n\n</h2>\n<div class=\"clear\"></div>\n</div>\n</div>\n<div class=\"doubleRule\"></div>\r\n<div class=\"story\">\r\n<h4>N.F.L.</h4>\r\n<ul>\r\n<!--<li><a href=\"http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=nytimes&page=nfl/scores/live/scoreboard.aspx?season=\">Preseason Schedule/Scores</a></li> -->\r\n<li><a href=\"http://sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=nytimes&page=nfl/scores/live/scoreboard.aspx?date=\">Scores/Schedule</a><br>\r\n<li>Schedules: <a href=\"http://www.sportsnetwork.com/default.asp?c=nytimes&page=nfl/stat/afc-yearly.htm\">A.F.C.</a> | \r\n<a href=\"http://www.sportsnetwork.com/default.asp?c=nytimes&page=nfl/stat/nfc-yearly.htm\">N.F.C.</a></li> \r\n<li>Standings: <a href=\"http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=nytimes&page=nfl/stand/standings.aspx?conf=AFC\">A.F.C.</a> | \r\n<a href=\"http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=nytimes&page=nfl/stand/standings.aspx?conf=NFC\">N.F.C.</a></li>\r\n<li><a href=\"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/sports/profootball/nationalfootballleague/index.html\">Teams</a> | \r\n<a href=\"http://sportsnetwork.com/default.asp?c=nytimes&page=nfl/stat/stats2.htm\">Statistics</a></li>\r\n<li><a href=\"http://www.sportsnetwork.com/default.asp?c=nytimes&page=nfl/news/FATES-FORTUNES.htm\">Transactions</a></li>\r\n<li>Injuries: <a href=\"http://sportsnetwork.com/default.asp?c=nytimes&page=nfl/injury/afc-hurts.htm\">A.F.C. </a> | \r\n<a href=\"http://sportsnetwork.com/default.asp?c=nytimes&page=nfl/injury/nfc-hurts.htm\">N.F.C.</a></li>\r\n<li><a href=\"http://forums.nytimes.com/top/opinion/readersopinions/forums/sports/football/thenfl/index.html\">Discuss the N.F.L.</a></li>\r\n</ul></div>\r\n<div class=\"story\">\r\n<h4><a href=\"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/sports/profootball/nationalfootballleague/newyorkgiants/index.html\">Giants</a></h4>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li><a href=\"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/sports/profootball/nationalfootballleague/newyorkgiants/index.html\">Team Page</a></li>    \r\n<li><a href=\"http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=nytimes&page=nfl/teams/079/Sched.aspx?id=079\">Schedule/Results</a></li>\r\n<li><a href=\"http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=nytimes&page=nfl/teams/079/teamstat.aspx?id=079\">Statistics</a> | <a href=\"http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=nytimes&page=nfl/teams/079/roster.aspx?id=079\">Roster</a> | <a href=\"http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=nytimes&page=nfl/teams/079/team.aspx?id=079\">Injuries</a>\r\n<li><a href=\"http://www.sportsnetwork.com/default.asp?c=nytimes&page=nfl/teams/depth079.htm\">Depth Chart</a> | <a href=\"http://sportsnetwork.com/default.asp?c=nytimes&page=nfl/teams/DIRECT079.htm\">History</a></li>\r\n<li><a href=\"http://forums.nytimes.com/top/opinion/readersopinions/forums/sports/football/thegiants/index.html\">Discuss the Giants</a></li>\r\n</ul></div>\r\n<div class=\"story\">\r\n<h4><a href=\"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/sports/profootball/nationalfootballleague/newyorkjets/index.html\">Jets</a></h4>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li><a href=\"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/sports/profootball/nationalfootballleague/newyorkjets/index.html\">Team Page</a></li>\r\n<li><a href=\"http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=nytimes&page=nfl/teams/080/Sched.aspx?id=080\">Schedule/Results</a></li>\r\n<li><a href=\"http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=nytimes&page=nfl/teams/080/teamstat.aspx?id=080\">Statistics</a> | <a href=\"http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=nytimes&page=nfl/teams/080/roster.aspx?id=080\">Roster</a> | <a href=\"http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=nytimes&page=nfl/teams/080/team.aspx?id=080\">Injuries</a>\r\n<li><a href=\"http://www.sportsnetwork.com/default.asp?c=nytimes&page=nfl/teams/depth080.htm\">Depth Chart</a> | <a href=\"http://sportsnetwork.com/default.asp?c=nytimes&page=nfl/teams/DIRECT080.htm\">History</a></li>\r\n<li><a href=\"http://forums.nytimes.com/top/opinion/readersopinions/forums/sports/football/thejets/index.html\">Discuss the Jets</a></li>\r\n</ul></div>\n   \n<div class=\"image\">\n<IMG src=\"http://graphics.nytimes.com/images/2007/01/18/sports/18waters.2.190.jpg\" width=\"190\" height=\"240\" alt=\"\" border=\"0\">\n<div class=\"credit\">Jodi Hilton for The New York Times</div>\n<p class=\"caption\">\nChris Nowinski, a former Harvard football player and professional wrestler, contacted Dr. Bennet Omalu after he read about Mr. Waters&#146;s suicide. \n</p>\n</div>\n  \n</div>\n</div><a name=\"secondParagraph\"></a>\n <p>The neuropathologist, Dr. Bennet Omalu of the <a href=\"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/u/university_of_pittsburgh/index.html?inline=nyt-org\" title=\"More articles about University of Pittsburgh\">University of Pittsburgh</a>, a leading expert in forensic pathology, determined that Mr. Waters? brain tissue had degenerated into that of an 85-year-old man with similar characteristics as those of early-stage <a href=\"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/alzheimers/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier\" title=\"Recent and archival health news about Alzheimer\'s.\">Alzheimer?</a> victims. Dr. Omalu said he believed that the damage was either caused or drastically expedited by successive concussions Mr. Waters, 44, had sustained playing football.</p><p>In a telephone interview, Dr. Omalu said that brain trauma ?s the significant contributory factor?to Mr. Waters? brain damage, ?o matter how you look at it, distort it, bend it. It? the significant forensic factor given the global scenario.?/p><p> He added that although he planned further investigation, the depression that family members recalled Mr. Waters exhibiting in his final years was almost certainly exacerbated, if not caused, by the state of his brain ?and that if he had lived, within 10 or 15 years ?ndre Waters would have been fully incapacitated.?/p><p>Dr. Omalu? claims of Mr. Waters? brain deterioration ?which have not been corroborated or reviewed ?add to the mounting scientific debate over whether victims of multiple concussions, and specifically longtime N.F.L. players who may or may not know their full history of brain trauma, are at  heightened risk of depression, dementia and suicide as early as midlife.</p><p>The N.F.L. declined to comment on Mr. Waters? case specifically. A member of the league? mild traumatic brain injury committee, Dr. Andrew Tucker, said that the N.F.L. was beginning a study of retired players later this year to examine the more general issue of football concussions and subsequent depression. </p><p>?he picture is not really complete until we have the opportunity to look at the same group of people over time,?said Dr. Tucker, also team physician of the <a href=\"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/sports/profootball/nationalfootballleague/baltimoreravens/index.html?inline=nyt-org\" title=\"Recent news and scores about the Baltimore Ravens.\">Baltimore Ravens</a>.</p><p>The Waters discovery began solely on the hunch of Chris Nowinski, a former <a href=\"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/h/harvard_university/index.html?inline=nyt-org\" title=\"More articles about Harvard University.\">Harvard</a> football player and professional wrestler whose repeated concussions ended his career, left him with severe <a href=\"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/migraineheadaches/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier\" title=\"Recent and archival health news about migraine headaches.\">migraines</a> and depression, and compelled him to expose the effects of contact-sport brain trauma. After hearing of the suicide, Mr. Nowinski phoned Mr. Waters? sister Sandra Pinkney  with a ghoulish request: to borrow the remains of her brother? brain.</p><p>The condition that Mr. Nowinski suspected might be found in Mr. Waters? brain cannot be revealed by a scan of a living person; brain tissue must be examined under a microscope. ?ou don? usually get brains to examine of 44-year-old ex-football players who likely had depression and who have committed suicide,?Mr. Nowinski said. ?t? extremely rare.?</p><p>As Ms. Pinkney listened to Mr. Nowinski explain his rationale, she realized that the request was less creepy than credible. Her family wondered why Mr. Waters, a hard-hitting N.F.L. safety from 1984 to 1995 known as a generally gregarious and giving man, spiraled down to the point of killing himself.   </p><p>Ms. Pinkney signed the release forms in mid-December, allowing Mr. Nowinski to have four pieces of Mr. Waters? brain shipped overnight in formaldehyde from the Hillsborough County, Fla.,  medical examiner? office to Dr. Omalu in Pittsburgh for examination.</p><p>He chose Dr. Omalu both for his expertise in the field of neuropathology and for his rare experience in the football industry. Because he was coincidentally situated in Pittsburgh, he had examined the brains of two former <a href=\"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/sports/profootball/nationalfootballleague/pittsburghsteelers/index.html?inline=nyt-org\" title=\"Recent news and scores about the Pittsburgh Steelers.\">Pittsburgh Steelers</a>  players who were discovered to have had postconcussive brain dysfunction: Mike Webster, who became homeless and cognitively impaired before dying of heart failure in 2002; and Terry Long, who committed suicide in 2005.</p><p>Mr. Nowinski, a former World Wrestling Entertainment star working in Boston as a pharmaceutical consultant, and the Waters family have spent the last six weeks becoming unlikely friends and allies. Each wants to sound an alarm to athletes and their families that repeated concussions can, some 20 years after the fact, have devastating consequences if left unrecognized and untreated ?a stance already taken in some scientific journals. </p><p>?he young kids need to understand; the parents need to be taught,?said Kwana Pittman, 31, Mr. Waters? niece and an administrator at the water company near her home in Pahokee, Fla. ? just want there to be more teaching and for them to take the proper steps as far as treating them.</p><p> ?on? send them back out on these fields. They boost it up in their heads that, you know, ?ou tough, you tough.??/p><p>Mr. Nowinski was one of those tough kids. As an all-<a href=\"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/i/ivy_league/index.html?inline=nyt-org\" title=\"More articles about Ivy League\">Ivy League</a> defensive tackle at Harvard in the late 1990s, he sustained two concussions, though like many athletes he did not report them to his coaches because he neither understood their severity nor wanted to appear weak. As a professional wrestler he sustained four more, forcing him to retire in 2004. After he developed severe migraines and depression, he wanted to learn more about concussions and their effects.</p><div id=\"pageLinks\"><ul id=\"pageNumbers\"><li> 1 </li><li> <a onClick=\"s_code_linktrack(\'Article-MultiPagePageNum2\');\" title=\"Page 2\" href=\"?pagewanted=2&_r=5\">2</a> </li><li> <a onClick=\"s_code_linktrack(\'Article-MultiPagePageNum3\');\" title=\"Page 3\" href=\"?pagewanted=3&_r=5\">3</a> </li></ul><a class=\"next\" onClick=\"s_code_linktrack(\'Article-MultiPage-Next\');\" \n             title=\"Next Page\"\n             href=\"?pagewanted=2&_r=5\">Next Page &#x00bb;</a></div><NYT_UPDATE_BOTTOM>\n</NYT_UPDATE_BOTTOM>\n');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1236','6','<table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\"><tr><td width=\"10\"></td><td width=\"98%\"><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"98%\" valign=\"top\"><tr><td><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><font size=\"+2\" color=\"551E1B\">Downsizing hurts employees\' mental health</font><br><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><b>Remaining staff more likely to suffer from insomnia, depression, study says</b><br></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"></td></tr></table><font size=\"-2\"><a href=\"http://www.reuters.com/\"><a href=\"http://www.reuters.com/\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://msnbcmedia3.msn.com/i/msnbc/Components/Sources/sourceReuters.gif\" height=\"20\" width=\"140\" vspace=\"0\" hspace=\"0\"></a></a><p></p></font><p>LONDON - Workers who survive downsizing measures and hold on to their jobs may consider themselves lucky but they have a higher risk of suffering from mental health problem, Finnish scientists said on Thursday.</p><p>After studying the impact of downsizing on municipal employees they found men who kept their jobs were 50 percent more likely to be given a prescription for an antidepressant or sleeping pill than people where there had been no enforced layoffs.</p><p>\"This quasi-experimental outcome study of 26,653 city employees suggests that downsizing is a mental health risk, not only for employees who lose their jobs, but also for those who remain in employment,\" said Professor Mika Kivimaki, of University College London.</p><p>Women in the study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health were 12 times more likely to use a prescription drug after downsizing.</p><p>Sleeping pills were the most commonly used drug for men while women were more often prescribed anti-anxiety drugs.</p><p>Kivimaki and his team said employers, policy makers and occupational health experts should recognize that downsizing poses mental health problems.</p><p><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"460\"><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"10\" border=\"0\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr height=\"20\"><td width=\"98%\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><font size=\"-1\"><b color=\"#666666\">&nbsp;Click for related content</b></font></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"5\" cellpadding=\"0\" bordercolor=\"#cccccc\" border=\"0\" style=\"border-top:solid 1px #cccccc;border-bottom:solid 1px #cccccc;background-color:#ffffff;\" bgcolor=\"#ffffff\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellpadding=\"0\" class=\"headlineList2\"><tr></tr></table></td></tr><tr valign=\"top\"><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"8\"><tr><td style=\"padding:8px;\"><font class=\"bigRedLink\"><p><a href=\"/id/16675307/\">Mental hospital tries to reunite patients\' ashes with family</a></p></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"\" bordercolor=\"\" border=\"0\" style=\"background-color:#eeeeee;\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr><td style=\"\"><font class=\"textSmall\" color=\"#000000\"></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></p><div class=\"textBodyBlack\" style=\"clear:both;\"><i><em>Copyright 2007 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters.</em></i></div><br>');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1237','6','<table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\"><tr><td width=\"10\"></td><td width=\"98%\"><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"98%\" valign=\"top\"><tr><td><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><font size=\"+2\" color=\"551E1B\">Hospital aims to match patient remains, family</font><br><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><b>Proposed Ore. bill would ease privacy laws on 3,600 cremains in canisters</b><br></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://msnbcmedia1.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/070117/070117_ORstatehospital_hmed_4p.vmedium.jpg\" vspace=\"0\" hspace=\"0\" alt=\"IMAGE: Unclaimed urn\"></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"><font size=\"-2\">Greg Wahl Stephens / AP</font><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><font size=\"-1\">Joni De Trant, director of medical records at the Oregon State Hospital, examines one of the more than 3,000 urns containing the unclaimed ashes of deceased patients. </font><br><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br></td></tr></table><font size=\"-2\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://msnbcmedia1.msn.com/i/msnbc/Components/Sources/sourceAP.gif\" height=\"20\" width=\"140\" vspace=\"0\" hspace=\"0\"><p></p></font><p>Oregon\'s state-run mental hospital is famous as the place where \"One Flew Over the Cuckoo\'s Nest\" was filmed. But there is another sad side to the crumbling old hospital, one that\'s fact, not fiction.</p><p>From the early 1900s to the 1970s, the unclaimed bodies of 3,600 mental patients were cremated, and the remains were put in copper canisters and placed in storage.</p><p>Deciding that the remains deserve more dignified treatment, state officials have been trying to find relatives of the patients. But they have been hindered by privacy laws that protect patients\' rights, even after they are long dead.</p><p>On Wednesday, a state Senate committee endorsed a bill aimed at removing that obstacle. If it becomes law, as expected, state officials will be required to disclose the names and dates of birth and death to anyone who thinks a relative might be among those whose remains are in the canisters.</p><p>Currently, people making such inquiries have to prove a relationship with a patient with hard evidence such as a death certificate or other genealogical documents before the state can help them.</p><p><b><strong>Making amends<br></strong></b>About 60 people have tried to reclaim their relatives\' remains in the past two years. But Senate President Peter Courtney and other backers of the bill said the state needs to do more to help people obtain their loved ones\' remains for a proper burial.</p><p>Courtney called the bill a chance for the state to make amends for the disrespectful treatment of the 3,600 patients.</p><p>\"This is about unfinished business,\" he said. \"We\'re trying to make up for something that happened in the past.\"</p><p>That so many of the remains went unclaimed underscores the stigma that was attached to mental illness during the 20th century. Many families were ashamed of having a relative in the state hospital and made no attempt to claim the ashes.</p><p>But now, people are coming forward.</p><p>\"That\'s symbolic of changing public attitudes about mental illness,\" Courtney said.</p><p><b><strong>From black plastic boxes to proper burial</strong></b><br>Until the early 1900s, the unclaimed bodies of patients were buried in a cemetery. In 1913, the Legislature decided it needed the land and ordered the hospital to build a crematorium, exhume all bodies from the cemetery and incinerate them.</p><p>The remains were placed in the welded copper cans and stored in a hospital basement for more than six decades. They were moved to an underground vault in 1976, then transferred four years ago to the abandoned storage building.</p><p>Because many of the canisters have corroded over the years, they have been placed in black plastic boxes and stacked on shelves at the hospital.</p><p>Legislators, mental health advocates and others are working to find a proper burial place and possibly a memorial for those patients whose ashes go unclaimed.</p><p><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"460\"><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"10\" border=\"0\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr height=\"20\"><td width=\"98%\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><font size=\"-1\"><b color=\"#666666\">&nbsp;Click for related content</b></font></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"5\" cellpadding=\"0\" bordercolor=\"#cccccc\" border=\"0\" style=\"border-top:solid 1px #cccccc;border-bottom:solid 1px #cccccc;background-color:#ffffff;\" bgcolor=\"#ffffff\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellpadding=\"0\" class=\"headlineList2\"><tr></tr></table></td></tr><tr valign=\"top\"><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"8\"><tr><td style=\"padding:8px;\"><font class=\"bigRedLink\"><ul><li><a href=\"/id/16671368/\">Downsizing hurts remaining staff\'s mental health</a></li><li><a href=\"/id/16437574/\">Physical abuse leads to adult depression</a></li><li><a href=\"/id/16300182/\">Schizophrenia drug wins federal approval</a></li></ul></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"\" bordercolor=\"\" border=\"0\" style=\"background-color:#eeeeee;\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr><td style=\"\"><font class=\"textSmall\" color=\"#000000\"></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></p><p>There are no names on the urns, only numbers that correspond to names in the hospital\'s records. But as many as a quarter of the 3,600 sets of remains cannot be identified, hospital officials said.</p><p>The cremation policy at the hospital was halted in the 1970s. Unclaimed bodies are now sent to funeral homes for burial.</p><p>Gina Nikkel, a mental health activist, called the bill a \"great stigma buster.\"</p><p>\"It used to be that people put their family members away in the state hospital, and didn\'t want to talk a lot about where they had gone,\" said Nikkel, head of the Association of Oregon Community Mental Health Programs.</p><p>\"This bill is part of an effort to get the patients\' dignity back, and to shine a light on the fact that mental illness is a brain disease. It\'s nothing to be ashamed of.\"</p><div class=\"textBodyBlack\" style=\"clear:both;\"><i><em>?2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</em></i></div><br>');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1238','7','<table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\"><tr><td width=\"10\"></td><td width=\"98%\"><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"98%\" valign=\"top\"><tr><td><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><font size=\"+2\" color=\"551E1B\">Dense breast tissue hikes risk of cancer</font><br><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><b>Strong predictor \'ignored to an absolutely unbelievable degree\'</b><br></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/070117/070117_mammogram_hmed_2p.hmedium.jpg\" vspace=\"0\" hspace=\"0\" alt=\"Image: Mammogram\"></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"><font size=\"-2\">Getty Images Stock</font><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><font size=\"-1\">Cancers are more frequent - not just hidden - in women with dense breasts, a new study finds.</font><br><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br></td></tr></table><font size=\"-2\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://msnbcmedia1.msn.com/i/msnbc/Components/Sources/sourceAP.gif\" height=\"20\" width=\"140\" vspace=\"0\" hspace=\"0\"><p></p></font><p>Cancer turns up five times more often in women with extremely dense breasts than in those with the most fatty tissue, a study shows, signaling the importance of a risk factor rarely discussed with patients.</p><p>On mammograms, fat looks dark, but dense tissue is light, like tumors, so it can hide the cancers. But this study confirms that cancers are also more frequent - not just hidden - in women with dense breasts.</p><p>That means that density is a true risk factor, along with other strong predictors like age and the genes BRCA1 and 2. Yet specialists say that breast density is rarely considered with other risk factors in discussions between doctors and patients.</p><p>\"It\'s been ignored to an absolutely unbelievable degree,\" said study leader Dr. Norman Boyd at Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto.</p><p>The Canadian study by cancer centers in Toronto and Vancouver focuses on how and when cancers were found over eight years in existing records of 1,112 women collected between 1981 and last year. It is being reported in Thursday\'s New England Journal of Medicine.</p><p>Breast density comes from the presence of more connective, duct-lining and milk-gland tissue than fat. But a woman can\'t judge her own density; it is routinely evaluated from a mammogram.</p><p>Previous studies had linked breast density to a higher rate of cancer, pointing to both masking and a separate biological risk.</p><p><b><strong>Cancers may be masked during mammograms<br></strong></b>In this study, women with at least 75 percent dense breasts showed five times more likelihood of cancer than women with less than 10 percent density.</p><p>The researchers went further by calculating just how many more cancers were found at screening, within the next year, and in the years afterward. Cancers found within a year were considered likely to be present, but masked, during the earlier mammogram. But a true biological risk was seen in cancers discovered by mammogram or long afterward.</p><p>In this study, cancers were 18 times more likely in women with the densest breasts within the first year after mammograms - the masking effect.</p><p><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"460\"><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"10\" border=\"0\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr height=\"20\"><td width=\"98%\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><font size=\"-1\"><b color=\"#666666\">&nbsp;Click for related content</b></font></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"5\" cellpadding=\"0\" bordercolor=\"#cccccc\" border=\"0\" style=\"border-top:solid 1px #cccccc;border-bottom:solid 1px #cccccc;background-color:#ffffff;\" bgcolor=\"#ffffff\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellpadding=\"0\" class=\"headlineList2\"><tr></tr></table></td></tr><tr valign=\"top\"><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"8\"><tr><td style=\"padding:8px;\"><font class=\"bigRedLink\"><ul><li><a href=\"/id/16668688/\">Cancer deaths drop for 2nd straight year</a></li><li><a href=\"/id/16657516/\">Unhealthy gums linked to cancer</a></li></ul></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"\" bordercolor=\"\" border=\"0\" style=\"background-color:#eeeeee;\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr><td style=\"\"><font class=\"textSmall\" color=\"#000000\"></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></p><p>However, cancers in women with the densest breasts were also more than three times more likely to turn up at the time of screening and after the first year following a mammogram. That confirms and helps quantify the true biological link between density and cancer.</p><p>\"I think the masking thing is important, and it does happen, but the most important thing is that this is an incredible risk factor,\" said Dr. Karla Kerlikowske, of the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in San Francisco, who wrote an accompanying editorial. \"This probably counts for a large percentage of the cancer that\'s occurring.\"</p><p>Breast cancers are the second most lethal kind after lung cancers in women. About one in eight women will get invasive breast cancer during her lifetime, according to the American Cancer Society. Last year, roughly 41,000 U.S. women died of it. Worldwide, it kills about 370,000 women each year.</p><p>In this study, density of more than 50 percent accounted for 16 percent of all cancers and a quarter in women under age 56.</p><p><b><strong>Rethinking cancer screening<br></strong></b>Robert Smith, a screening expert at the American Cancer Society, said this study and its predecessors will encourage a rethinking of cancer screening.<table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\"><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"10\" border=\"0\" bgcolor=\"#7788aa\"><tr height=\"20\"><td width=\"20\" bgcolor=\"#7788aa\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://msnbcmedia3.msn.com/i/msnbc/Components/ColorBoxes/Styles/ColorBoxImages_GlobalOnlyPlease/interactive_icon.gif\" height=\"14\" width=\"24\" vspace=\"0\" hspace=\"0\"></td><td width=\"98%\" bgcolor=\"#7788aa\"><font size=\"-1\"><b color=\"#FFFFFF\">Test yourself </b></font></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"5\" cellpadding=\"0\" bordercolor=\"#a4abc1\" border=\"0\" style=\"border-right:solid 1px #a4abc1;border-bottom:solid 1px #a4abc1;border-left:solid 1px #a4abc1;background-color:#f3f3f6;\" bgcolor=\"#f3f3f6\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellpadding=\"0\" class=\"headlineList2\"><tr></tr></table></td></tr><tr valign=\"top\"><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\"><tr valign=\"top\"><td><a href=\"/id/3296963/\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://msnbcmedia1.msn.com/i/msnbc/Components/Art/HEALTH/031107/Quiz_TZ152.jpg\" height=\"110\" width=\"150\" vspace=\"0\" hspace=\"0\"></a></td><td style=\"padding:10px;\"><font color=\"#000000\"><table><tr><td rowspan=\"2\" width=\"15\"><font color=\"551E1B\">?/font></td><td><b><a href=\"/id/3296963/\">Breast cancer</a></b></td></tr><tr><td><p class=\"textMed\">How much do you know?\n</p></td></tr></table></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></p><p>For now, women can ask their doctor about their breast density based on a mammogram and how it might affect their risk. However, experts say it\'s too soon for doctors to provide solid advice to individual patients.</p><p>For one thing, quicker, more accurate tools are needed to measure density. Some experts believe that ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging or computerized mammograms may ultimately prove better at finding tumors in very dense breasts, but it\'s still unclear how much value each might yield for its cost.</p><p>\"In a perfect world, I would have my wife do an ultrasound, MRI, and a digital mammogram,\" said Dr. Gary J. Whitman, a radiologist at University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. He was not involved in the study.</p><p>Some believe lifestyle changes or even preventive drugs may one day be recommended to women with this risk factor.</p><p>Meanwhile, specialists hope to identify genes that promote density, because they might act as targets for cancer drugs.</p><p>In another study in the same journal, a research team at the University of Michigan described a newly identified set of 186 genes that appears to predict whether a breast tumor will spread.</p><p>Other so-called gene signatures have been discovered for breast cancer, but this one is also linked to survival in lung, prostate and brain cancers.</p><p><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\"><tr><td><SCRIPT language=javascript src=http://www.msnbc.com/modules/getdata.asp?id=breast_cancer_facts&retfmt=js></SCRIPT><SCRIPT language=javascript src=http://www.msnbc.com/modules/poptext/poptext_codeV2.js></SCRIPT><SCRIPT>if (window.breast_cancer_facts) { displayApp(breast_cancer_facts); }</SCRIPT></td></tr></table></p><div class=\"textBodyBlack\" style=\"clear:both;\"><i><em>?2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</em></i></div><br>');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1239','1','<!--startclickprintinclude--><script language=\"JavaScript\" type=\"text/javascript\">var clickExpire = \"02/17/2007\";</script> <div id=\"cnnSCFontButtons\" class=\"cnn0pxTMargin\"><!--startclickprintexclude--><div id=\"cnnSCFontLabel\">Adjust font size:</div>\n<div id=\"cnnSCFontMinusBtn\" onclick=\"setActiveStyleSheet(\'default\'); return false;\"><img src=\"http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/story/misc/icon.minus.dim.gif\" border=\"0\" height=\"12\" width=\"18\" alt=\"Decrease font\" title=\"Decrease font\" class=\"cnnIncreaseFont\"><img src=\"http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/story/misc/icon.minus.gif\" border=\"0\" height=\"12\" width=\"18\" alt=\"Decrease font\" title=\"Decrease font\" class=\"cnnDecreaseFont\"></div>\n<div id=\"cnnSCFontPlusBtn\" onclick=\"setActiveStyleSheet(\'LargeFont\'); return false;\"><img src=\"http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/story/misc/icon.plus.gif\" border=\"0\" height=\"12\" width=\"18\" alt=\"Enlarge font\" title=\"Enlarge font\" class=\"cnnIncreaseFont\"><img src=\"http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/story/misc/icon.plus.dim.gif\" border=\"0\" height=\"12\" width=\"18\" alt=\"Enlarge font\" title=\"Enlarge font\" class=\"cnnDecreaseFont\"></div><!--endclickprintexclude--></div><p><b>CHICAGO, Illinois</b> (AP)  -- The power to create &quot;perfect&quot; designer babies looms over the world of prenatal testing.</p><p>But what if doctors started doing the opposite?</p><p>Creating made-to-order babies with genetic defects would seem to be an ethical minefield, but to some parents with disabilities -- say, deafness or dwarfism -- it just means making babies like them.</p><p>And a recent survey of U.S. clinics that offer embryo screening suggests it\'s already happening.</p><p>Three percent, or four clinics surveyed, said they have provided the costly, complicated procedure to help families create children with a disability.</p><p>Some doctors have denounced the practice. Others question whether it\'s true. Blogs are abuzz with the news, with armchair critics saying the phenomenon, if real, is taking the concept of designer babies way too far.</p><p>&quot;Old fear: designer babies. New fear: deformer babies,&quot; the online magazine Slate wrote, calling it &quot;the deliberate crippling of children.&quot;</p><p>But the survey also has led to a debate about the definition of &quot;normal&quot; and inspires a glimpse into deaf and dwarf cultures where many people do not consider themselves disabled.</p><a name=\"1\"></a><a name=\"rv1\"></a><h3>\'Playing God\'</h3><p>Cara Reynolds of Collingswood, New Jersey, who considered embryo screening but now plans to adopt a dwarf baby, is outraged by the criticism.</p><p>&quot;You cannot tell me that I cannot have a child who\'s going to look like me,&quot; Reynolds said. &quot;It\'s just unbelievably presumptuous and they\'re playing God.&quot;</p><p>Embryo screening, formally called preimplantation genetic diagnosis, or PGD, is done with in vitro fertilization, when eggs and sperm are mixed in a lab dish and then implanted into the womb. In PGD, before implantation, a cell from a days-old embryo is removed to allow doctors to examine it for genetic defects.</p><p>The entire procedure can cost more than $15,000 per try.</p><p>The survey asked 415 clinics to participate, 190 responded and 137 said they have provided embryo screening. The most common reason was to detect and discard embryos with abnormalities involving a missing or extra chromosome, which can result in miscarriage or severe and usually fatal birth defects.</p><p>The survey is being published in an upcoming print edition of the medical journal Fertility and Sterility. It appeared in the online edition in September. Clinics were asked many questions about PGD, including whether they\'d provided it to families &quot;seeking to select an embryo for the presence of a disability.&quot;</p><p>&quot;We asked the question because this is an issue that has been raised primarily by bioethicists as something that could happen,&quot; said Susannah Baruch of Johns Hopkins University\'s Genetics and Public Policy Center.</p><p>&quot;It\'s sparking a lot of conversations,&quot; she said. &quot;These are difficult issues for everybody.&quot;</p><p>While it\'s technologically possible, whether any deaf or dwarf babies have been born as a result of PGD is uncertain. The survey didn\'t ask. Participating clinics were promised anonymity, and seven major PGD programs contacted by The Associated Press all said they had never been asked to use the procedure for that purpose.</p><p>PGD pioneer Dr. Mark Hughes, who runs a Detroit laboratory that does the screening for many fertility programs nationwide, said he hadn\'t heard of the technology being used to select an abnormal embryo until the survey.</p><p>&quot;It\'s total nonsense,&quot; Hughes said. &quot;It couldn\'t possibly be 3 percent of the clinics&quot; doing PGD for this purpose &quot;because we work with them all.&quot;</p><p>He said he wouldn\'t do the procedure if asked.</p><p>&quot;To create a child with a disability because a parent wanted such a thing ... where would you draw the line?&quot; Hughes wondered.</p><p>University of Minnesota bioethicist Jeffrey Kahn has a provocative response.</p><p>&quot;It\'s an ethically challenging question and certainly it will trouble people, but I think there are good, thoughtful reasons why people who are deaf or ... dwarves could say, \'I want a child like me,&quot;\' Kahn said.</p><p class=\"cnnSCAttribution\">Copyright 2007 The <a href=\"/interactive_legal.html#AP\">Associated Press</a>. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.</p><!--startclickprintexclude-->  ');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1240','1','\n\n\n	 <p>Stepping up government investigations into  <a href=\"http://www.nytimes.com/mem/MWredirect.html?MW=http://custom.marketwatch.com/custom/nyt-com/html-companyprofile.asp&symb=LLY\" title=\"Eli Lilly\">Eli Lilly</a>&#8217;s marketing of its best-selling drug Zyprexa, state prosecutors in Illinois and Vermont have demanded that the company turn over information about the way it promoted the medication. </p>      <p>On Thursday,  lawyers from the consumer protection division of the Illinois attorney general&#8217;s office demanded that Lilly hand over marketing materials, e-mail messages, and other documents with information about promotion of Zyprexa. Vermont investigators issued a similar order yesterday morning.</p><p>The orders are the civil equivalents of criminal subpoenas, according to Deborah Hagan, the chief of the Illinois consumer protection division.</p><p>Illinois and Vermont are now part of a coordinated five-state civil investigation into the way Lilly promoted Zyprexa, a treatment for <a href=\"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/schizophrenia/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier\" title=\"Recent and archival health news about schizophrenia.\">schizophrenia</a> and <a href=\"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/bipolardisorder/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier\" title=\"Recent and archival health news about bipolar disorder.\">bipolar disorder</a>. The states are investigating whether Lilly tried to hide Zyprexa&#8217;s risk of causing weight gain and other risks associated with <a href=\"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/diabetes/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier\" title=\"Recent and archival health news about diabetes.\">diabetes</a> and whether the company promoted Zyprexa for use in patients who do not have schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. </p><p>Federal laws prohibit such so-called &#8220;off label&#8221; marketing, although doctors may prescribe any drug for any disease that they believe the drug will help.</p><p>The orders on Thursday and yesterday  are  the first formal demands for Lilly documents from state  attorneys  and they  indicate an escalation of the investigation, according to  Ms. Hagan and Julie Brill, who is an assistant attorney general in Vermont.</p><p>  &#8220;We can ask for documents; we can ask for answers to questions; and we can ask for people to come in and testify under oath,&#8221; Ms. Hagan said.  Federal prosecutors in Philadelphia have also recently accelerated their own investigation into Lilly&#8217;s marketing of Zyprexa.</p><p>In a statement yesterday, Lilly said it would cooperate with the investigations and had done nothing wrong. &#8220;We intend to cooperate with the Illinois attorney general&#8217;s civil investigative demand relating to Zyprexa,&#8221; the company said. &#8220;We cannot comment further about this or other ongoing investigations.&#8221;</p><p>While the investigation being led by Illinois is civil, other investigations into Lilly&#8217;s conduct are both civil and criminal. Attorneys general in California and Florida may seek to recover Medicaid payments that the states made for Zyprexa. Medicaid represents a sizable percentage of the drug&#8217;s overall sales because many people who take the medicine are disabled and do not work.</p><p>Any fine or cost recovery could be sizable, because  Zyprexa has been a commercial success.  The drug is by far Eli Lilly&#8217;s largest-selling product, with sales of $4.2 billion last year and about $30 billion since its introduction in 1996.  More than 20 million people have taken Zyprexa since Lilly began selling the drug. </p><p>The investigations could  continue for months or possibly years, people involved in the cases say,  as investigators sift through tens of thousands of documents from the company and talk to current and former employees. </p><p>Zyprexa, whose generic name is olanzapine, is a potent chemical that binds with receptors in the brain to reduce the symptoms of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. But Zyprexa also causes severe weight gain and changes in blood sugar and <a href=\"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/cholesterol/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier\" title=\"Recent and archival health news about cholesterol.\">cholesterol</a> in many patients who take it.</p><p> Internal Lilly documents provided to The New York Times last month by a lawyer in Alaska who represents people with <a href=\"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/mentalhealthanddisorders/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier\" title=\"Recent and archival health news about mental health and disorders.\">mental illness</a> indicate that Lilly has engaged in a decade-long campaign to play down the seriousness of the side effects of Zyprexa.</p><p>Lilly did not disclose to doctors that its own data showed that 16 percent of people taking Zyprexa for a year gained more than 66 pounds, according to the documents.</p><p> The documents also indicate that the company  told its drug representatives to promote Zyprexa to doctors for the treatment of conditions other than bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. </p><p>Lilly has said it did not market Zyprexa off-label and said so again in its statement yesterday.</p><p>&#8220;Lilly is committed to the highest ethical standards and to promoting our medications only for approved uses,&#8221; the company said.</p><p>But its marketing materials have repeated references to promoting the drug for other uses.  And some sales  representatives and doctors have also said they believed that the company was marketing off-label.</p><p>Still, any criminal prosecution of the company could face a high burden. While settlements of off-label marketing cases have led to large fines, such cases so far have fizzled if they reach juries.  </p><p>And as long as drug makers  comply with federal requirements to provide data about their products to the <a href=\"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/f/food_and_drug_administration/index.html?inline=nyt-org\" title=\"More articles about the U.S. Food And Drug Administration.\">Food and Drug Administration</a>, companies  have a relatively strong defense against criminal prosecution, according to lawyers who are experts in drug marketing. </p><NYT_UPDATE_BOTTOM>\n</NYT_UPDATE_BOTTOM>\n');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1241','1','\n\n\n	 <p>PITTSBURGH, Jan. 19 ?Gov. <a href=\"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/r/edward_g_rendell/index.html?inline=nyt-per\" title=\"More articles about Edward G. Rendell.\">Edward G. Rendell</a> arrived here Friday to rally support for his  plan not only to extend health insurance coverage to the state? 760,000 uninsured adults, but also to cut billions of dollars in heath care costs and ban smoking in restaurants, bars and workplaces.</p>      <p> Mr. Rendell  said the plan would require 47 changes to state law and regulations. It follows efforts in several other states to offer some version of universal health coverage. </p><p> Though <a href=\"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/national/usstatesterritoriesandpossessions/pennsylvania/index.html?inline=nyt-geo\" title=\"More news and information about Pennsylvania.\">Pennsylvania</a> has one of the lowest uninsured rates in the nation ?about 7 percent, compared with 20 percent in California ?Mr. Rendell said the proposal was crucial because ?he system is near collapse.?/p><p> At a meeting with  business and civic leaders at the private Duquesne Club downtown, Mr. Rendell pointed to a  chart  indicating that health care costs grew 75 percent in the state over the past seven years, while wages rose 13 percent and inflation increased 17 percent.</p><p> ?e can? go through another seven years of that,?he said.</p><p> Mr. Rendell did not provide any cost estimates for the plan, but said that it relied on federal money, some redirected state money and a group of new taxes, including a 10-cent-per-pack increase in the cigarette tax and a fee on businesses that do not offer insurance to their employees. (A law approved last year is intended to extend health insurance to the state? 150,000 uninsured children.)</p><p>The governor? proposal also contains measures intended to make health care more efficient. One is an effort to reduce hospital-acquired infections, estimated to cost billions of dollars every year.</p><p>Though Mr. Rendell had previously said he would sign a bill authorizing a ?ingle-payer system?whereby the state would be the insurer for the uninsured, nothing like that is in his proposal.</p><p> During his other stop Friday, at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, he said such a plan would be ?nordinately expensive?and ultimately ?ntenable to the legislature.?/p><p> Mr. Rendell? proposal differs in significant ways from recent state-sponsored health care packages in California and Massachusetts.</p><p> Both those states require individual participation, but, under Mr. Rendell? plan, Pennsylvania would not. </p><p>In California, Gov. <a href=\"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/s/arnold_schwarzenegger/index.html?inline=nyt-per\" title=\"More articles about Arnold Schwarzenegger.\">Arnold Schwarzenegger</a>, <a href=\"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/r/republican_party/index.html?inline=nyt-org\" title=\"More articles about Republican Party\">a Republican</a>, wants the Legislature to approve health insurance coverage for illegal immigrants. But Mr. Rendell, a Democrat, said he did not try to provide coverage for Pennsylvania? estimated 150,000 illegal immigrants because Republicans in the legislature had said they would not back  it.</p><p> Lawmakers of both parties have expressed support for some parts of Mr. Rendell? proposal,  but passage of the entire plan is likely to be difficult. Among the reasons are that Republicans control the State Senate.</p><NYT_UPDATE_BOTTOM>\n</NYT_UPDATE_BOTTOM>\n');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1242','1','	<p>South Korean quarantine officials are set to slaughter 273,000 poultry after an outbreak of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu, the Agriculture Ministry and health officials said Saturday.<p/>\nThe outbreak occurred at a chicken farm in Cheonan, about 60 miles south of Seoul, earlier this week, the fifth such outbreak since November, said Lee Joo-won, a ministry official.<p/>\n\"We plan to start slaughtering 273,000 poultry within a 500-meter radius of the outbreak site and destroying eggs as early as Saturday evening,\" Lee said.<p/>\nThe ministry also said it will make a decision whether to kill another 386,000 poultry on Sunday while limiting the movement of about 2.16 million chickens and ducks from 90 farms within a six-mile radius of the outbreak.<p/>\n<span class=\"keyword\"><a href=\"http://us.rd.yahoo.com/DailyNews/manual/ap/ap_on_he_me/skorea_bird_flu/21640053/*http://news.search.yahoo.com/search/news?fr=news-storylinks&amp;p=%22South%20Korea%22&amp;c=&amp;n=20&amp;yn=c&amp;c=news&amp;cs=nw\">South Korea</a></span> culled 5.3 million birds during the last known outbreak of bird flu in 2003. The H5N1 virus began ravaging Asian poultry stocks in late 2003 and has killed more than 160 people worldwide.<p/>\nMost human cases have resulted from contact with infected birds. Scientists fear the virus could mutate into a form that is more easily transmitted between people, possibly creating a pandemic that could kill millions.<p/>\n\"People can be infected with H5N1 virus at any time but the disease is curable if people take the antiviral drug Tamiflu within 48 hours after the infection,\" said Kwon Jun-wook, an official at the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.<p/>\nKwon, the KCDC\'s director of the communicable disease control team, also called for thorough preparations against the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu.<p/>\nEarlier this month, South Korean officials said that the deadly H5N1 strain of the virus had been transmitted to a human during a recent outbreak among poultry, but the person showed no symptoms of the disease as the poultry farm worker developed natural immunity to the disease.<p/>\n</p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1243','1','	<p>Thirty years after it began as just another quirky movement in Berkeley, Calif., the push to ban smoking in restaurants, bars and other public places has reached a national milestone.<p/>\nFor the first time in the nation\'s history, more than half of Americans live in a city or state with laws mandating that workplaces, restaurants or bars be smoke-free, according to Americans for Nonsmokers\' Rights.<p/>\n\"The movement for smoke-free air has gone from being a California oddity to the nationwide norm,\" said Bronson Frick, the group\'s associate director. \"We think 100 percent of Americans will live in smoke-free jurisdictions within a few years.\"<p/>\nSeven states and 116 communities enacted tough smoke-free laws last year, bringing the total number to 22 states and 577 municipalities, according to the group. Nevada\'s ban, which went into effect Dec. 8, increased the total U.S. population covered by any type of smokefree law to 50.2 percent.<p/>\nIt was the most successful year for anti-smoking advocates in the U.S., said Frick, and advocates are now working with local and state officials from across the nation on how to bring the other half of the country around.<p/>\nIn a sign of the changing climate, new U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (<a href=\"http://us.rd.yahoo.com/DailyNews/politics/news/ap/ap_on_he_me/smoke_free_america/21640897/*http://news.search.yahoo.com/search/news?fr=news-storylinks&amp;p=%22Nancy%20Pelosi%22&amp;c=&amp;n=20&amp;yn=c&amp;c=news&amp;cs=nw\">news</a>, <a href=\"http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/capadv/bio/ap/ap_on_he_me/smoke_free_america/21640897/SIG=117oqqabu/*http://yahoo.capwiz.com/y/bio/?id=447\">bio</a>, <a href=\"http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/capadv/vote/ap/ap_on_he_me/smoke_free_america/21640897/SIG=11g9ra9e6/*http://yahoo.capwiz.com/y/bio/keyvotes/?id=447\">voting record</a>) banned smoking in the ornate Speaker\'s Lobby just off the House floor this month, and the District of Columbia recently barred it in public areas. Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Louisiana and New Jersey also passed sweeping anti-smoking measures last year.<p/>\n\"That\'s how life is now. They\'re banning smoking everywhere,\" said Rep. Devin Nunes (<a href=\"http://us.rd.yahoo.com/DailyNews/politics/news/ap/ap_on_he_me/smoke_free_america/21640897/*http://news.search.yahoo.com/search/news?fr=news-storylinks&amp;p=%22Devin%20Nunes%22&amp;c=&amp;n=20&amp;yn=c&amp;c=news&amp;cs=nw\">news</a>, <a href=\"http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/capadv/bio/ap/ap_on_he_me/smoke_free_america/21640897/SIG=11adpguce/*http://yahoo.capwiz.com/y/bio/?id=129325\">bio</a>, <a href=\"http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/capadv/vote/ap/ap_on_he_me/smoke_free_america/21640897/SIG=11jqgr2ne/*http://yahoo.capwiz.com/y/bio/keyvotes/?id=129325\">voting record</a>), R-Calif., an occasional smoker.<p/>\nSusan Burgess, the mayor pro tem of Charlotte, N.C., said what\'s fueling the push is a U.S. Surgeon General\'s report released last June that found just a few minutes inhaling someone else\'s smoke harms nonsmokers, and separate smoking sections don\'t offer enough protection.<p/>\nShe said the report gave momentum to the anti-smoking front even in North Carolina ? the nation\'s No. 1 tobacco state ? and influenced Nevada voters to approve a ballot measure banning smoking at restaurants, bars that serve food, and around slot machines at supermarkets, gas stations and convenience stores. Nevada, where gambling and smoking had been assumed to go hand in hand, previously had one of the nation\'s least restrictive smoking laws.<p/>\n\"The Nevada vote shows that when people are given accurate information about the dangers of secondhand smoke, it\'s almost a no-brainer\" they\'ll support smoking controls, said Burgess, founder of the anti-smoking group Smokefree Charlotte.<p/>\nNot all elected officials and business owners embrace the cause. They maintain such laws drive away smoking customers and cut profits.<p/>\n\"There\'s a fear that we would lose restaurant business to nearby towns if we passed a smoking ordinance,\" Moline, Ill., Mayor Don Walvaert said. \"Before acting, we would need real proof that cities have not experienced business losses because of smoking regulations.\"<p/>\nNevada\'s smoking restrictions have been challenged in state court by a coalition of businesses. Opponents say the ban, which does not apply to the gambling floors of casinos on and off the Las Vegas Strip, is unconstitutional, vague and unenforceable.<p/>\nIn Columbia, Mo., one business owner displayed his displeasure at a new local ordinance banning smoking with a sign: \"Smoking allowed until Jan. 9, City Council banning beer next, and hopefully, karaoke!\"<p/>\nR.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. plans to continue to fight smoking bans at adult-only businesses because it thinks such restrictions infringe on the rights of owners and adversely affect business, spokesman David Howard said from the company\'s headquarters in Winston-Salem, N.C.<p/>\nBut Columbia Mayor Darwin Hindman said studies show bans will not force smoking customers to go elsewhere. The Surgeon General\'s report reached a similar conclusion.<p/>\n\"I don\'t think it\'s a legitimate fear that bars and restaurants will lose business,\" Hindman said. \"From what I\'ve read, smokers keep going to bars and restaurants even after smoking is banned. Smoking restrictions should be based on health issues anyway.\"<p/>\nAmy Winterfeld, health policy analyst for the National Conference of State Legislatures based in Washington, D.C., said smoke-free legislation is pending in at least seven states.<p/>\n\"When you see an issue like this passing in a number of states it does give it momentum in other states,\" Winterfeld said. \"It\'s certainly possible that a number of states will take it up this year.\"<p/>\n___<p/>\nOn the Net:<p/>\nAmericans for Nonsmokers\' Rights: <a href=\"http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/ap/ap_on_he_me/storytext/smoke_free_america/21640897/SIG=10p8vcvhs/*http://www.no-smoke.org\">http://www.no-smoke.org</a><p/>\nR.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.: <a href=\"http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/ap/ap_on_he_me/storytext/smoke_free_america/21640897/SIG=10l28368r/*http://www.rjrt.com\">http://www.rjrt.com</a><p/>\n</p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1244','1','	<p><span class=\"keyword\"><a href=\"http://us.rd.yahoo.com/DailyNews/manual/nm/hl_nm/bush_healthcare_dc/21643508/*http://news.search.yahoo.com/search/news?fr=news-storylinks&amp;p=%22President%20George%20W.%20Bush%22&amp;c=&amp;n=20&amp;yn=c&amp;c=news&amp;cs=nw\">President George W. Bush</a></span> unveiled a\nplan on Saturday to use tax-code changes to encourage more\nAmericans to buy health insurance as he previewed an initiative\nfor his State of the Union address.<p/>\nWeighing in on the debate about how to provide health-care\ncoverage to the more than 46 million Americans who lack it,\nBush said his approach would emphasize private health insurance\ncoverage rather than expand government-provided programs, as\nsome Democrats advocate.<p/>\nHealth care is emerging in opinion polls as a top concern\namong many Americans as the costs of private insurance soar,\nputting a burden on both workers and companies.<p/>\n\"Our challenge is clear,\" Bush said in his weekly radio\naddress. \"We must address these rising costs, so that more\nAmericans can afford basic health insurance. And we need to do\nit without creating a new federal entitlement program or\nraising taxes.\"<p/>\nThe president, who delivers his State of the Union address\non Tuesday, is eager to avoid having his domestic agenda\novershadowed by discontent over the <span class=\"keyword\"><a href=\"http://us.rd.yahoo.com/DailyNews/manual/nm/hl_nm/bush_healthcare_dc/21643508/*http://news.search.yahoo.com/search/news?fr=news-storylinks&amp;p=%22Iraq%22&amp;c=&amp;n=20&amp;yn=c&amp;c=news&amp;cs=nw\">Iraq</a></span> war.<p/>\nBush\'s health-care proposal would use tax breaks to make it\neasier for people who do not have employer-provided health\ninsurance to buy coverage on their own. The tax incentives\nwould be similar to deductions used by homeowners for the\ninterest on their mortgages, Bush said.<p/>\nBut the program is intended to have no effect on government\nrevenues because the cost of the tax breaks would be offset by\nchanging the way health insurance is treated in the tax code,\naccording to a senior administration official who described the\nproposal to reporters.<p/>\nThe current health system relies primarily on employers to\nprovide health-care coverage as a fringe benefit. Employees are\nnot taxed on the benefits but the Bush plan would set a cap on\nthe amount of coverage that could be offered tax-free.<p/>\nAnything above that would be taxed as income, the\nadministration official on condition of anonymity.<p/>\nTAX DEDUCTIONS<p/>\nWhile some people would get hit with higher taxes as a\nresult, there would be a windfall for those who opted for\nlow-cost plans because they be given tax deductions up to a\ncertain limit, even if their insurance cost less than that.<p/>\nBush said the tax code unfairly penalized people who want\nto buy health insurance on their own while offering incentives\nfor people to use expensive, \"gold-plated\" coverage.<p/>\nBush\'s builds on other initiatives he has pushed, including\nthe expansion of health savings accounts that allow people to\nsave tax-free for routine health-care expenses, while relying\non low-cost insurance for catastrophic illnesses.<p/>\nDemocrats have criticized some of Bush\'s past health\ninitiatives, saying they risk eroding employer-based health\ncoverage. They might raise similar concerns about the new\nproposal. Some labor unions also might be concerned about a\nweakening of job-based health insurance.<p/>\nBush\'s health-care push comes as a number of states have\nbeen trying out their own proposals to extend coverage to the\nuninsured. California Gov. <span class=\"keyword\"><a href=\"http://us.rd.yahoo.com/DailyNews/manual/nm/hl_nm/bush_healthcare_dc/21643508/*http://news.search.yahoo.com/search/news?fr=news-storylinks&amp;p=%22Arnold%20Schwarzenegger%22&amp;c=&amp;n=20&amp;yn=c&amp;c=news&amp;cs=nw\">Arnold Schwarzenegger</a></span>, a Republican,\nrecently launched such a plan. Massachusetts last year enacted\na law requiring all adults to have health insurance.<p/>\nNationally, Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden (<a href=\"http://us.rd.yahoo.com/DailyNews/politics/news/nm/hl_nm/bush_healthcare_dc/21643508/*http://news.search.yahoo.com/search/news?fr=news-storylinks&amp;p=%22Ron%20Wyden%22&amp;c=&amp;n=20&amp;yn=c&amp;c=news&amp;cs=nw\">news</a>, <a href=\"http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/capadv/bio/nm/hl_nm/bush_healthcare_dc/21643508/SIG=1170c3m6m/*http://yahoo.capwiz.com/y/bio/?id=488\">bio</a>, <a href=\"http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/capadv/vote/nm/hl_nm/bush_healthcare_dc/21643508/SIG=11grg4h59/*http://yahoo.capwiz.com/y/bio/keyvotes/?id=488\">voting record</a>) has offered a universal\nhealth-care proposal and Democratic 2008 presidential candidate\n<span class=\"keyword\"><a href=\"http://us.rd.yahoo.com/DailyNews/manual/nm/hl_nm/bush_healthcare_dc/21643508/*http://news.search.yahoo.com/search/news?fr=news-storylinks&amp;p=%22John%20Edwards%22&amp;c=&amp;n=20&amp;yn=c&amp;c=news&amp;cs=nw\">John Edwards</a></span> is making health care a top campaign theme.\n<p/>\n</p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1245','1','	<p>Health care for all ? an elusive goal that has tantalized presidents and governors for decades ? is roaring back this year with ambitious proposals in a handful of prominent states.<p/>\nThe promise: Cover millions of uninsured adults and children. Improve the quality of care at hospitals and doctor\'s offices. Rein in rising costs that are eating up workers\' wages, company profits and state budgets.<p/>\nThe problem: Someone\'s got to pay. And getting those with a stake in health care ? doctors, insurers, hospitals, workers, employers, government ? to agree on who and how much won\'t be easy.<p/>\nThe most influential effort is undoubtedly in California, the nation\'s most populous state, where GOP Gov. <span class=\"keyword\"><a href=\"http://us.rd.yahoo.com/DailyNews/manual/ap/ap_on_he_me/health_care_returns/21644635/*http://news.search.yahoo.com/search/news?fr=news-storylinks&amp;p=%22Arnold%20Schwarzenegger%22&amp;c=&amp;n=20&amp;yn=c&amp;c=news&amp;cs=nw\">Arnold Schwarzenegger</a></span> this month introduced a bold plan that would provide health care coverage for 6.5 million residents without insurance.<p/>\nWith less fanfare, Pennsylvania has proposed a similar step and a half-dozen more states are actively debating the idea. All are building on a Massachusetts program that began this year ? it likens health insurance to car insurance, making it a requirement for everyone.<p/>\nIf successful, the states could carve out a long-sought path for universal health care, a goal that\'s been politically dead since the Clinton administration. But that\'s a big \"if\" ? passage won\'t be easy and the programs aren\'t cheap.<p/>\nThe Associated Press looked at proposals in front of state legislatures to break down the contentious issue.<p/>\n___<p/>\nWHY HEALTH CARE IS HOT NOW: It\'s been talked about and debated for years, but wide agreement is emerging over the problem of health care\'s rising costs, which swallow wage increases and have threatened to overtake state spending on primary education. Businesses say they\'re at a disadvantage with global competitors.<p/>\nThe system can\'t survive another few years on the same track without collapsing, said Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, a Democrat.<p/>\n\"If California, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts prove it\'s doable ? and Maine has already to some extent ? it will create an unstoppable momentum,\" he said.<p/>\nMaine brought the issue back in 2003, with a law seeking to provide universal coverage.<p/>\nMassachusetts\' law last year ? guaranteeing universal coverage ? jump-started the action in state capitols.<p/>\nIn the last month, governors, legislative leaders and blue-ribbon commissions have declared universal coverage an attainable goal in Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington state and Wisconsin. Massachusetts and Vermont are to put their programs into effect this year, while Maine is tweaking its existing system. Many more are considering significant expansions.<p/>\n___<p/>\nHOW UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE COVERAGE WOULD WORK: The overall goal is to get everyone, or nearly everyone, health insurance. The plans also aim to cut costs by improving efficiency, and to improve the quality of care. The plans being discussed would accomplish that in the following ways.<p/>\n??All would build on the existing public and private insurance system to provide insurance and health care access to most or all the uninsured in their states ? now some 46 million people nationwide.<p/>\n??All aim to expand existing Medicaid programs to cover more of the poor and working poor who don\'t have insurance. They would require employers who don\'t provide insurance to do so. They seek some financial contributions or savings from doctors and insurers.<p/>\n??They would establish a state mechanism that creates an insurance product, or sets up a marketplace, so that small businesses and individuals can get reasonably priced insurance.<p/>\n??Some plans mandate that every individual must have insurance ? not unlike mandatory auto insurance for every driver ? with financial help for those too poor to buy it outright.<p/>\n___<p/>\nTHE BIGGEST BARRIER: The biggest stumbling block is money. Who pays?<p/>\nIn California, doctors and hospitals are already unhappy with Schwarzenegger\'s plan to levy a 2 percent fee on doctors and a 4 percent fee on hospitals. He would cap profits for insurers by requiring that 85 percent of revenue be devoted to treating patients: That idea alone sent the stock of health insurer Wellpoint Inc., with 34 million members, down 3.5 percent.<p/>\n\"He made enemies of every doctor and hospital in California when he did that,\" said Helen Darling, president of the National Business Group on Health, a consortium of companies trying to lower health costs.<p/>\nIn California, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Maine, state leaders said they were spreading the pain to every player, so every critic should stay on board.<p/>\n\"That\'s always been the biggest challenge in health care reform. There is no pain-free solution,\" said Drew Altman, president of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, a Washington-based health group.<p/>\n___<p/>\nCHANCE OF SUCCESS: The next few months will determine whether enthusiasts like Rendell or Schwarzenegger win the argument.<p/>\nIn Minnesota, GOP Gov. Tim Pawlenty warns that simply focusing on getting everyone insurance ignores deeper problems, even as some leaders of the Legislature\'s new Democratic majority say this is the year for universal health care.<p/>\n\"Many policymakers around the country are so fixated on more access, they\'re losing sight of the need to simultaneously focus on cost and quality,\" Pawlenty said. \"Expanding access to a broken system is no solution. ... In the long run, that will be a failure.\"<p/>\nHe wants universal coverage, he insisted, but warns that government can\'t end up with the bill. His plan would broaden coverage to more uninsured children and have the state create a marketplace where insurers can provide a more affordable product. It wouldn\'t mandate that everyone get coverage.<p/>\nThere are even deeper philosophical differences in other parts of the country, particularly more conservative states which have emphasized cutting Medicaid costs rather than expanding coverage.<p/>\nBut the new ideas are even getting an airing there.<p/>\nIn Florida, where the biggest health care change under former Gov. <span class=\"keyword\"><a href=\"http://us.rd.yahoo.com/DailyNews/manual/ap/ap_on_he_me/health_care_returns/21644635/*http://news.search.yahoo.com/search/news?fr=news-storylinks&amp;p=%22Jeb%20Bush%22&amp;c=&amp;n=20&amp;yn=c&amp;c=news&amp;cs=nw\">Jeb Bush</a></span> emphasized cutting costs of Medicaid, the new surgeon general talked enthusiastically of Massachusetts\' universal health coverage law ? and new GOP Gov. Charlie Crist said he wouldn\'t rule out considering something along those lines.<p/>\n___<p/>\nFLASH IN THE PAN? How the Massachusetts program and high-profile proposals do also will decide the staying power of health care as a political issue. After <span class=\"keyword\"><a href=\"http://us.rd.yahoo.com/DailyNews/manual/ap/ap_on_he_me/health_care_returns/21644635/*http://news.search.yahoo.com/search/news?fr=news-storylinks&amp;p=%22President%20Clinton%22&amp;c=&amp;n=20&amp;yn=c&amp;c=news&amp;cs=nw\">President Clinton</a></span>\'s health care reform attempt failed in the 1990s, the issue went dormant for years.<p/>\n\"Once you pass these programs and start the implementing, it only gets harder,\" said Maine Gov. John Baldacci, a Democrat. \"Because then you\'re talking about real dollars and real decisions.\"<p/>\nMaine hasn\'t met its ambitious goals, with fewer businesses signing on to the state program. But Baldacci and state leaders are trying to fix the flaws.<p/>\n\"Hopefully,\" he said, \"the chambers of commerce, the unions, the businesses will recognize we need a solution.\"<p/>\n</p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1246','1','	<p><span class=\"keyword\"><a href=\"http://us.rd.yahoo.com/DailyNews/manual/nm/hl_nm/bush_healthcare_dc/21645259/*http://news.search.yahoo.com/search/news?fr=news-storylinks&amp;p=%22President%20George%20W.%20Bush%22&amp;c=&amp;n=20&amp;yn=c&amp;c=news&amp;cs=nw\">President George W. Bush</a></span> on Saturday\nproposed tax breaks to make health insurance more affordable to\nthe nearly 47 million Americans who lack it, while removing\nsome tax benefits for the most expensive employer-provided\nhealth care plans.<p/>\nHealth care is emerging in opinion polls as a top concern\namong many Americans as private health insurance costs soar,\nputting a burden on workers and companies.<p/>\nThe president, looking to gain momentum for his domestic\nagenda amid concerns it will be overshadowed by the <span class=\"keyword\"><a href=\"http://us.rd.yahoo.com/DailyNews/manual/nm/hl_nm/bush_healthcare_dc/21645259/*http://news.search.yahoo.com/search/news?fr=news-storylinks&amp;p=%22Iraq%22&amp;c=&amp;n=20&amp;yn=c&amp;c=news&amp;cs=nw\">Iraq</a></span> war,\nwill include the health proposal in his State of the Union\naddress on Tuesday.<p/>\n\"We must address these rising costs, so that more Americans\ncan afford basic health insurance. And we need to do it without\ncreating a new federal entitlement program or raising taxes,\"\nBush said in his weekly radio address.<p/>\nMost Americans who have coverage get it through their\nemployers, but others receive it through government programs\nsuch as those for the elderly, the disabled and low-income\nchildren. Some people also buy it on their own.<p/>\nBush\'s proposal would for the first time allow people to\ntake a tax deduction -- similar to the one used by homeowners\nfor their mortgage costs -- when they buy health coverage on\ntheir own instead of through an employer.<p/>\nThe program is intended to have no effect on government\nrevenues because the cost of the tax breaks would be offset\nwith other tax changes, according to a senior administration\nofficial who described the proposal to reporters.<p/>\nCurrently, employees who receive health coverage through\ntheir jobs do not pay taxes on the benefit. Bush would set a\ncap on the amount of coverage that would be considered\ntax-free. Anything above that would be taxed as income.<p/>\nThe limit for deductions would be $15,000 for families and\n$7,500 for individual, one administration official said. The\naverage cost of family health coverage is $11,500.<p/>\nTAX DEDUCTIONS<p/>\nWhile some people would get hit with higher taxes, there\nwould be a windfall for those who opted for low-cost plans.<p/>\nFor example, a family who purchased a plan costing $10,000\ncould still take the full $15,000 deduction and pocket the\nextra money.<p/>\n\"This is essentially a standard deduction for health care,\nand the size of the deduction will be significantly higher than\nthe cost of an average policy,\" said a senior White House\nofficial. \"Because of this, about 80 percent of people with\nemployer-based plans will see their tax liability fall because\ntheir insurance policies cost less than the deduction.\"<p/>\nBush said the tax code unfairly penalized people who want\nto buy health insurance on their own while offering incentives\nfor people to use expensive, \"gold-plated\" coverage.<p/>\nAt least one senior lawmaker in the new Democratic Congress\nraised objections to Bush\'s proposal.<p/>\n\"This is a dangerous policy that ultimately shifts cost and\nrisk from employers to employees and could result in a higher\nnumber of uninsured,\" said New York Democratic Rep. Charles\nRangel (<a href=\"http://us.rd.yahoo.com/DailyNews/politics/news/nm/hl_nm/bush_healthcare_dc/21645259/*http://news.search.yahoo.com/search/news?fr=news-storylinks&amp;p=%22Charles%20%0ARangel%22&amp;c=&amp;n=20&amp;yn=c&amp;c=news&amp;cs=nw\">news</a>, <a href=\"http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/capadv/bio/nm/hl_nm/bush_healthcare_dc/21645259/SIG=117ua6sek/*http://yahoo.capwiz.com/y/bio/?id=419\">bio</a>, <a href=\"http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/capadv/vote/nm/hl_nm/bush_healthcare_dc/21645259/SIG=11gf8kqr9/*http://yahoo.capwiz.com/y/bio/keyvotes/?id=419\">voting record</a>), chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.<p/>\nRangel said the Bush plan would increase the tax burden on\nworking families.<p/>\nA few states are experimenting with ways to extend coverage\nto the uninsured, including California and Massachusetts.\nNationally, Oregon Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden (<a href=\"http://us.rd.yahoo.com/DailyNews/politics/news/nm/hl_nm/bush_healthcare_dc/21645259/*http://news.search.yahoo.com/search/news?fr=news-storylinks&amp;p=%22Ron%20Wyden%22&amp;c=&amp;n=20&amp;yn=c&amp;c=news&amp;cs=nw\">news</a>, <a href=\"http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/capadv/bio/nm/hl_nm/bush_healthcare_dc/21645259/SIG=1170c3m6m/*http://yahoo.capwiz.com/y/bio/?id=488\">bio</a>, <a href=\"http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/capadv/vote/nm/hl_nm/bush_healthcare_dc/21645259/SIG=11grg4h59/*http://yahoo.capwiz.com/y/bio/keyvotes/?id=488\">voting record</a>) has offered a\nuniversal health-care proposal and Democratic 2008 presidential\ncandidate <span class=\"keyword\"><a href=\"http://us.rd.yahoo.com/DailyNews/manual/nm/hl_nm/bush_healthcare_dc/21645259/*http://news.search.yahoo.com/search/news?fr=news-storylinks&amp;p=%22John%20Edwards%22&amp;c=&amp;n=20&amp;yn=c&amp;c=news&amp;cs=nw\">John Edwards</a></span> is making health care a top campaign\ntheme.\n<p/>\n</p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1247','1','	<p><p>SATURDAY, Jan. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Treatment with radiation and chemotherapy after surgery to remove invasive pancreatic cancer may improve overall patient survival rates, a Mayo Clinic Cancer Center study finds. </p> <p>Researchers examined the records of 454 patients who had surgery with negative margins (some healthy tissue cut out around the cancerous cells) to remove pancreatic adenocarcinoma.</p> <p>The study did not include patients who had metastatic cancer, tumors that could not be removed, tumors that were not entirely removed (positive surgical margins), or slow-growing tumors.</p> <p>Of the 454 patients in the study, more than half (274) received concurrent radiation and chemotherapy after their surgery. Of those patients, 50 percent survived two years, and 28 percent survived at least five years.</p> <p>Patients who did not receive any additional treatment after surgery had survival rates of 39 percent at two years and 17 percent at five years.</p> <p>\"While long-term outcomes with pancreatic cancer are generally poor, our findings show that including both chemotherapy and radiation following surgery may significantly improve patient survival rates,\" study lead author Dr. Michele Corsini, a radiation oncology resident, said in a prepared statement.</p> <p>The findings were expected to be presented Saturday at the Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium, in Orlando, Fla.</p> <p>A German study published this week concluded that using chemotherapy after surgical removal of a pancreatic tumor may help extend disease-free survival.</p> <p>The study found that patients who took the chemotherapy drug gemcitabine following pancreatic cancer surgery lived disease-free an average of six months longer than those who had only the surgery. Their study was published in the Jan. 17 issue of the <i>Journal of the American Medical Association</i>.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>The American Cancer Society has more about <a href=\"http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_1X_What_is_pancrea tic_cancer_34.asp?rnav=cri\" target=\"_new\">pancreatic cancer</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1248','1','	<p><p>Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of <i>HealthDay:</i></p> <p><span class=\"subhead\"><b>More Than Half of All Americans Now Living With Non-Smoking Laws</b></span></p> <p>More than half of the American population now live in states that have at least one law restricting where a person can smoke.</p> <p>The <i>Associated Press</i> reports that with the passing of a Nevada law in December 2006, 50.2 percent of all Americans live where smoking has been banned in public places, such as office buildings, bars or restaurants.</p> <p>\"We think 100 percent of Americans will live in smoke-free jurisdictions within a few years,\" the wire service quotes Bronson Frick, associate director of Americans for Nonsmokers\' Rights as saying.</p> <p>In all, the <i>A.P.</i> says 22 states and 577 municipalities have some sort of smoking restriction law.</p> <p>-----</p> <p><span class=\"subhead\"><b>Global Fund Would Subsidize Malaria Drugs for Africans</b></span></p> <p>Delegates to an international forum sponsored by the World Bank have proposed a global fund to subsidize the purchase of a new generation of anti-malaria drugs for people in Africa, where malaria kills about 1 million people a year.</p> <p>The new drugs -- artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) -- are needed to replace chloroquine and other older drugs that have become ineffective. Currently, ACTs are too expensive for most Africans.</p> <p>The proposed fund would require about $80 million to $100 million from donor countries in the first year, increasing to about $250 million per year after that, the <i>Associated Press</i> reported.</p> <p>The malaria drugs would be distributed by government health officials and by local stores.</p> <p>ACTs are based on Chinese herbal medicine for malaria, but contain a combination of ingredients meant to make it difficult for the malaria parasite to develop resistance to the new drugs, as happened with the older generation drugs, the <i>AP</i> reported.</p> <p>-----</p> <p><span class=\"subhead\"><b>Chlorinated Water Increases Bladder Cancer Risk: Study</b></span></p> <p>People who drink or bathe, shower and swim in chlorinated water may be at increased risk for bladder cancer, says a Spanish study in the <i>American Journal of Epidemiology</i>.</p> <p>The researchers compared 1,200 people who were exposed to chlorination byproducts known as trihalomethanes (THM) to a similar number of people who weren\'t exposed, <i>The Australian</i> reported.</p> <p>People who lived in areas where THM concentrations in the water were more than 49 micrograms per liter were twice as likely to develop bladder cancer than people who lived in areas where concentrations were less than 8 mcg per liter.</p> <p>The study also found that people who were exposed to more than 35 mcg of THM a day through drinking water had a 35 percent increased risk of bladder cancer, <i>The Australian</i> reported.</p> <p>People who showered or bathed in chlorinated water were 83 percent more likely to develop bladder cancer, and people who swam in chlorinated pools were 57 percent more likely to develop the disease.</p> <p>-----</p> <p><span class=\"subhead\"><b>World\'s Oldest Woman Dies at 115</b></span></p> <p>A Canadian citizen believed to be the world\'s oldest woman died Thursday at the age 115, <i>CBC News</i> reported.</p> <p>Julie Winnefred Bertrand, who was born Sept. 16, 1891, died in her sleep at a Montreal nursing home where she\'d lived for the past 35 years. Bertrand, the eldest of six children, never married.</p> <p>In the past two years, she had never left the sixth floor of the nursing home. On Wednesday, she asked to be pushed in her wheelchair to visit the front lobby, dining room and chapel, <i>CBC News</i> reported.</p> <p>Bertrand became the world\'s oldest woman when 116-year-old Elizabeth Bolden of Tennessee died on Dec. 11, 2006. The world\'s oldest living person is Emiliano Mercado del Toro of Puerto Rico, who was born 26 days before Bertrand.</p> <p>-----</p> <p><span class=\"subhead\"><b>Global Measles Death Toll Cut by 60 Percent</b></span></p> <p>The number of children killed by measles around the world decreased by 60 percent from 1999 to 2005, thanks to a massive global vaccination campaign, according to a report in <i>The Lancet</i> journal.</p> <p>In 1999, there were 875,000 deaths (the majority in Africa) and in 2005 there were 345,000 deaths caused by measles, <i>BBC News</i> reported.</p> <p>In Africa, the death toll was reduced by about 75 percent through the efforts of national governments and health agencies, the study found.</p> <p>In 2001, a joint campaign to fight measles was launched by a number of organizations, including the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and the American Red Cross, <i>BBC News</i> reported.</p> <p>\"Immunizing children is clearly saving lives. Reducing measles deaths by 60 percent in just six years is an incredible achievement,\" said UNICEF Executive Director Ann Veneman.</p> <p>The study authors said the results of the vaccination program suggest that it may be possible to eradicate measles around the world.</p> <p>-----</p> <p><span class=\"subhead\"><b>Hospital Treatment of Birth Defects Costs Billions a Year</b></span></p> <p>Each year in the United States, hospitals spend more than $2.5 billion to treat people with birth defects, according to a U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality study released this week.</p> <p>The study, which included 2004 data from 37 states, looked at people of all ages who had hospital stays primarily for the treatment of birth defects, the <i>Associated Press</i> reported.</p> <p>The average age of the patients in the study was 17.5 years. Their average hospital stay was about six days and the average cost of each hospital stay was $18,600.</p> <p>Another study released this week looked at what hospitals charge for taking care of patients with birth defects. This study, by researchers at the University of Arkansas and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, looked at 2003 data on babies who were less than 10 days old when they were admitted to hospital for care of a birth defect.</p> <p>Depending on the type of birth defect, the average hospital bills for these children ranged from $3,800 to $200,000, the <i>AP</i> reported.</p> <p>\"It (the bill) is almost always a function of how long they were in the hospital because of the surgeries that were done,\" said study leader James Robbins of the University of Arkansas.</p> <p>March of Dimes officials estimate about 3 to 4 out of every 100 babies born in the U.S. are at risk of having a birth defect, the <i>AP</i> reported.</p> <p>-----</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1249','1','	<p><p>SATURDAY, Jan. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Exposure to heavy metals -- arsenic, lead and mercury -- can occur in the home through common items such as glazed pottery, herbal supplements, food, and garden pesticides/herbicides, notes an article in the January issue of the <i>Mayo Clinic Health Letter</i>. </p> <p>Potential household sources of lead include: old painted surfaces; tableware such as leaded crystal, pewter and some glazed pottery; fumes when soldering stained glass projects; and pottery glazes with white or yellow finishes. Dietary supplements, especially those from China, can also be a source of lead exposure. And some jewelry from China may be made from lead.</p> <p>Certain kinds of fish or shellfish may contain high levels of mercury, including shark, swordfish, tuna, pike, walleye, bass, and Atlantic salmon. While concerns have been raised about mercury in dental fillings, no firm link has been established between metal dental fillings and changes in the central nervous system, the article said.</p> <p>Some garden herbicides and pesticides contain arsenic. People who use these products should always read and follow instructions on the labels. Until recently, arsenic was used in pressure-treated lumber. If you\'re working with older, treated lumber, wear gloves and a dust mask and do your work outdoors.</p> <p>There is no government oversight on what\'s in homeopathic, herbal or complementary health products, and it\'s possible that they could contain heavy metals.</p> <p>Limited exposure to heavy metals isn\'t likely to cause any harm to your health, the article said. Some general symptoms of heavy metal toxicity include hearing loss, impaired concentration, personality changes, and loss of feeling, especially in the fingertips. People who are concerned about exposure to heavy metals should talk to their doctor. Blood tests and other methods can be used to determine if a person has toxic levels of heavy metals.</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>The U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences offers a <a href=\"http://www.niehs.nih.gov/oc/factsheets/scene/adult/\" target=\"_new\">family guide to personal environmental health</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1250','1','<p>President Bush today offered a peek into next week\'s State of the Union address, saying he will propose a tax incentive to make private health insurance more affordable.</p><p>Bush\'s proposed change to the federal tax code comes as state governments have been making health insurance a greater priority as the ranks of the uninsured grow larger.</p><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" align=\"right\" width=\"238\"><tr><td width=\"10\"></td><td width=\"228\">\n<script src=\"http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/technorati/Technorati.js\"></script><script>\nvar technorati = new Technorati() ;\ntechnorati.setProperty(\'url\',\'http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/20/AR2007012000468_Technorati.html\') ;\ntechnorati.article = new item(\'Bush to Propose New Tax Incentives for Health Insurance\',\'http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/20/AR2007012000468.html\',\'President Bush today offered a peek into next week\\\'s State of the Union address, saying he will propose a tax incentive to make private health insurance more affordable.\',\'Bill Brubaker\') ;\n</script><script src=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/20/AR2007012000468_Technorati.js\"></script><script>document.write( technorati.getDisplaySidebar() );</script>\n<link href=\"http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/css/bookmarking.css\" rel=\"stylesheet\" media=\"all\"/><div class=\"sidebarhack\"><b></b></div><div class=\"sidebar\"><h2><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"right\" border=\"0\" width=\"222\"><tr><td class=\"sb-left\" align=\"left\">Save &amp; Share Article</td><td class=\"sb-right\" align=\"right\"><a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/community/saveandshare.html\">What\'s This?</a></td></tr></table></h2><div class=\"sidebarcontent\"><div class=\"sidebarbox\"><div class=\"bookmark\"><div class=\"generic_bookmark digg_bookmark\"><div class=\"pad_bookmark\"><a href=\"http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/20/AR2007012000468.html%3Freferrer=digg&title=Bush to Propose New Tax Incentives for Health Insurance&bodytext=President Bush today offered a peek into next week\'s State of the Union address, saying he will propose a tax incentive to make private health insurance more affordable.\" target=\"new\">Digg</a></div></div><div class=\"generic_bookmark google_bookmark\"><div class=\"pad_bookmark\"><a href=\"http://www.google.com/bookmarks/mark?op=add&title=Bush to Propose New Tax Incentives for Health Insurance&labels=&annotation=President Bush today offered a peek into next week\'s State of the Union address, saying he will propose a tax incentive to make private health insurance more affordable.&bkmk=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/20/AR2007012000468.html%3Freferrer=google\" target=\"new\">Google</a></div></div><br clear=\"all\"/><div class=\"generic_bookmark delicious_bookmark\"><div class=\"pad_bookmark\"><a href=\"http://del.icio.us/post?v=4&partner=wpni&noui&jump=close&url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/20/AR2007012000468.html%3Freferrer=delicious&title=%22Bush to Propose New Tax Incentives for Health Insurance%22 By Bill Brubaker&notes=President Bush today offered a peek into next week\'s State of the Union address, saying he will propose a tax incentive to make private health insurance more affordable.\" target=\"new\">del.icio.us</a></div></div><div class=\"generic_bookmark yahoo_bookmark\"><div class=\"pad_bookmark\"><a href=\"http://myweb2.search.yahoo.com/myresults/bookmarklet?u=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/20/AR2007012000468.html%3Freferrer=yahoo&title=Bush to Propose New Tax Incentives for Health Insurance&popup=true\" target=\"new\">Yahoo!</a></div></div><br clear=\"all\"/><div class=\"generic_bookmark reddit_bookmark\"><div class=\"pad_bookmark\"><a href=\"http://reddit.com/submit?url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/20/AR2007012000468.html%3Freferrer=reddit&title=Bush to Propose New Tax Incentives for Health Insurance\" target=\"new\">Reddit</a></div></div><div class=\"generic_bookmark facebook_bookmark\"><div class=\"pad_bookmark\"><a href=\"javascript:void(0);\" onclick=\"void(window.open(\'http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=\'+encodeURIComponent(\'http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/20/AR2007012000468.html?referrer=facebook\')+\'&t=\'+encodeURIComponent(\'Bush to Propose New Tax Incentives for Health Insurance\'),\'sharer\',\'toolbar=no,width=642,height=436\'));\">Facebook</a></div></div><br clear=\"all\"/></div></div></div>\n</td></tr></table>\n<p>A record 46.6 million Americans, including 8.3 million children, had no health insurance in 2005, up from 45.3 million in 2004, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.</p><p>Noting that many Americans cannot afford health insurance premiums, Bush said in his weekly radio address today: \"We need to fix these problems, and one way to do so is to treat health insurance more like home ownership. The current tax code encourages home ownership by allowing you to deduct the interest on your mortgage from your taxes. We can reform the tax code, so that it provides a similar incentive for you to buy health insurance.\"</p><p>Bush did not offer specifics about his plan. But the Associated Press reported he will propose a tax deduction of $7,500 for individuals and $15,000 for families regardless of whether they buy their own health insurance or receive medical coverage at work. Bush also will propose that some employer-provided health care benefits be taxed for the first time, the AP said, quoting an unnamed administration official.</p><p>Critics of Bush\'s proposal began weighing in yesterday afternoon after the White House released a transcript of today\'s radio address.</p><p>\"Tax deductions do little or nothing for those people who are uninsured and devastated by high health care costs,\" said Bill Vaughan, senior policy analyst for Consumers Union, a Washington-based advocacy group.</p><p>In his State of the Union address Tuesday night, Bush said he also will announce a new effort--led by Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt -- to help governors reduce the number of people in their states who do not have private health insurance. Bush did not elaborate on this plan.</p><p>Last week, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) proposed a system of universal health insurance for Californians. In the past year, Massachusetts has passed a law requiring all its residents to obtain health insurance, with help from the state if necessary. A Vermont law passed last year seeks to expand coverage so that at least 96 percent of the state\'s residents have health insurance by 2010.</p><p>\"Prices for health care and insurance are rising twice as fast as inflation, twice as fast as wages. That is a terrible drain on everyone, and it is a drain on our economy,\" Schwarzenegger said. \"My solution is that everyone in California must have insurance. If you can\'t afford it, the state will help you buy it, but you must be insured.\"</p><p>Bush said today the government is meeting its \"obligation\" and \"responsibility\" to many elderly, disabled and poor Americans who are covered by Medicare, Medicaid and the State Children\'s Health Insurance Program. But for many other Americans rising health care costs are making private health insurance unaffordable, Bush said.</p><p>\"Our challenge is clear: We must address these rising costs, so that more Americans can afford basic health insurance,\" he said. \"And we need to do it without creating a new federal entitlement program or raising taxes,\" as some Democrats have proposed.</p><p>Vaughan, the Consumers Union analyst, said Bush promised last year to make health care reform a key part of his agenda \"and we\'re still looking at record numbers of uninsured Americans.\"</p><p>\"If the President really wants to take the lead on skyrocketing health care costs . . . he must put forth comprehensive strategies that truly help consumers,\" Vaughan said in a statement.</p></div></div><br clear=\"all\">\n');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1251','1','<p>The Hilton Washington Dulles Airport hotel closed yesterday for the weekend so crews could scrub and sanitize every surface after about 120 employees and guests were sickened by the highly contagious norovirus, which officials say is particularly severe this year.</p><p>As the last guests filtered out early in the afternoon, workers from a professional cleaning company prepared to scrub every nightstand and counter twice with a chlorine bleach solution. The crew  will also clean carpets and drapes and mist each room with a disinfectant.</p><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" align=\"right\" width=\"238\"><tr><td width=\"10\"></td><td width=\"228\">\n<!--<div style=\"width:228px;\">\n<div class=\"sidebarhack\"><b></b></div>\n<div class=\"sidebar\">\n<h2>What Readers Are Saying</h2>\n<div class=\"sidebarcontent\" style=\"padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 10px;\">\n<div class=\"sidebarbox\" style=\"color: #333;\">\n#include virtual=\"/wp-srv/metro/metro_comments.html\"\n</div>\n</div>\n</div>\n<div class=\"clearboth\"></div>\n</div>\n-->\n\n<script src=\"http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/technorati/Technorati.js\"></script><script>\nvar technorati = new Technorati() ;\ntechnorati.setProperty(\'url\',\'http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/19/AR2007011901617_Technorati.html\') ;\ntechnorati.article = new item(\'Norovirus Cleaning Begins at Dulles Hotel\',\'http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/19/AR2007011901617.html\',\'The Hilton Washington Dulles Airport hotel closed yesterday for the weekend so crews could scrub and sanitize every surface after about 120 employees and guests were sickened by the highly contagious norovirus, which officials say is particularly severe this year.\',\'David Brown  and Maria Glod\') ;\n</script><script src=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/19/AR2007011901617_Technorati.js\"></script><script>document.write( technorati.getDisplaySidebar() );</script>\n<link href=\"http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/css/bookmarking.css\" rel=\"stylesheet\" media=\"all\"/><div class=\"sidebarhack\"><b></b></div><div class=\"sidebar\"><h2><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"right\" border=\"0\" width=\"222\"><tr><td class=\"sb-left\" align=\"left\">Save &amp; Share Article</td><td class=\"sb-right\" align=\"right\"><a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/community/saveandshare.html\">What\'s This?</a></td></tr></table></h2><div class=\"sidebarcontent\"><div class=\"sidebarbox\"><div class=\"bookmark\"><div class=\"generic_bookmark digg_bookmark\"><div class=\"pad_bookmark\"><a href=\"http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/19/AR2007011901617.html%3Freferrer=digg&title=Norovirus Cleaning Begins at Dulles Hotel&bodytext=The Hilton Washington Dulles Airport hotel closed yesterday for the weekend so crews could scrub and sanitize every surface after about 120 employees and guests were sickened by the highly contagious norovirus, which officials say is particularly severe this year.\" target=\"new\">Digg</a></div></div><div class=\"generic_bookmark google_bookmark\"><div class=\"pad_bookmark\"><a href=\"http://www.google.com/bookmarks/mark?op=add&title=Norovirus Cleaning Begins at Dulles Hotel&labels=&annotation=The Hilton Washington Dulles Airport hotel closed yesterday for the weekend so crews could scrub and sanitize every surface after about 120 employees and guests were sickened by the highly contagious norovirus, which officials say is particularly severe this year.&bkmk=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/19/AR2007011901617.html%3Freferrer=google\" target=\"new\">Google</a></div></div><br clear=\"all\"/><div class=\"generic_bookmark delicious_bookmark\"><div class=\"pad_bookmark\"><a href=\"http://del.icio.us/post?v=4&partner=wpni&noui&jump=close&url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/19/AR2007011901617.html%3Freferrer=delicious&title=%22Norovirus Cleaning Begins at Dulles Hotel%22 By David Brown  and Maria Glod&notes=The Hilton Washington Dulles Airport hotel closed yesterday for the weekend so crews could scrub and sanitize every surface after about 120 employees and guests were sickened by the highly contagious norovirus, which officials say is particularly severe this year.\" target=\"new\">del.icio.us</a></div></div><div class=\"generic_bookmark yahoo_bookmark\"><div class=\"pad_bookmark\"><a href=\"http://myweb2.search.yahoo.com/myresults/bookmarklet?u=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/19/AR2007011901617.html%3Freferrer=yahoo&title=Norovirus Cleaning Begins at Dulles Hotel&popup=true\" target=\"new\">Yahoo!</a></div></div><br clear=\"all\"/><div class=\"generic_bookmark reddit_bookmark\"><div class=\"pad_bookmark\"><a href=\"http://reddit.com/submit?url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/19/AR2007011901617.html%3Freferrer=reddit&title=Norovirus Cleaning Begins at Dulles Hotel\" target=\"new\">Reddit</a></div></div><div class=\"generic_bookmark facebook_bookmark\"><div class=\"pad_bookmark\"><a href=\"javascript:void(0);\" onclick=\"void(window.open(\'http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=\'+encodeURIComponent(\'http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/19/AR2007011901617.html?referrer=facebook\')+\'&t=\'+encodeURIComponent(\'Norovirus Cleaning Begins at Dulles Hotel\'),\'sharer\',\'toolbar=no,width=642,height=436\'));\">Facebook</a></div></div><br clear=\"all\"/></div></div></div>\n</td></tr></table>\n<p>\"It\'s a floor-by-floor, room-by-room, surface-by-surface process,\" said Jim Cree, the hotel\'s director of sales and marketing, who was washing his hands more than hourly yesterday to avoid the bug. \"This will be the most sanitized building in the country.\"</p><p>This season is shaping up to be a particularly severe one for the illness sometimes known as \"winter vomiting disease,\" said an expert at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which helps track some of the 23 million cases of norovirus infection that occur each year.</p><p>First identified in 1972 but only routinely tested for in the past decade, norovirus is perfectly suited for causing dramatic outbreaks in crowded settings, including cruise ships, hospitals, nursing homes and hotels.</p><p>Even a very small amount of the virus can cause infection. It survives prolonged periods on such surfaces as counters and door handles, and it can become airborne under some circumstances. Some common disinfectants --  such as alcohol-based waterless hand scrubs -- won\'t kill it.</p><p>The chief mystery about the microbe, to both scientists and the public, is whether norovirus infections are becoming more common or just better publicized.</p><p>\"That is the key question, and I don\'t think we really have an answer to it,\" said Robert L. Atmar, a norovirus researcher at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.</p><p>\"We certainly have better tools to diagnose the infection now, and they are being applied more frequently. That said, it seems that in the last year, there has been an increase in the number of norovirus outbreaks that have been reported,\" he said.</p><p>Marc-Alain Widdowson, a medical epidemiologist at CDC, said that \"this winter season seems to be worse than previous winter seasons. The last time we had things this bad was 2002-03.\"</p><p>The severity of outbreaks may vary year to year, as is the case with influenza, even if the long-term incidence is not rising, he said.</p><p>Current estimates are that at least half of the more than 75 million annual cases of food-borne illness in the United States are caused by norovirus. About 20 percent of people who go to a doctor because of acute diarrhea are infected with it. The virus is believed to cause 10 times as many cases of diarrhea-and-vomiting illness as the next-most commonly implicated microbe.</p></div></div><br clear=\"all\">\n<div align=\"right\"><table width=\"100%\" cellpadding=\"2\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\"><tr><td align=\"right\"><font face=\"arial,sans-serif\" color=\"#CC0000\" size=\"-1\"><b>CONTINUED</b></font>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <b><font face=\"arial,sans-serif\" size=\"3\" color=\"#CC0000\">1</font> &nbsp;&nbsp; <font face=\"arial,sans-serif\" size=\"3\"><script>document.write(\'<a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/19/AR2007011901617_2.html\'+unescape(location.search)+\'\">2</a>\')</script><noscript><a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/19/AR2007011901617_2.html\">2</a></noscript></font></b> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<font face=\"arial, ms sans serif, sans-serif\" size=\"3\"><b><script>document.write(\'<a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/19/AR2007011901617_2.html\'+unescape(location.search)+\'\">Next</a>\')</script><noscript><a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/19/AR2007011901617_2.html\">Next</a></noscript> ></b></font></td></tr></table></div><br>\n');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1252','1','<p>The National Institutes of Health official overseeing the implementation of President Bush\'s embryonic stem cell policy yesterday suggested that the controversial program is delaying cures, an unusually blunt assessment for an executive branch official.</p><p>In prepared Senate testimony, Story Landis, director of the NIH\'s National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and interim chair of the agency\'s stem cell task force, closely mirrored previous testimony from other NIH officials, who have for years been careful not to criticize the Bush policy directly, even though that policy has infuriated many scientists because of the limits it places on embryo cell work.</p><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" align=\"right\" width=\"238\"><tr><td width=\"10\"></td><td width=\"228\">\n<div style=\"width:228px;\">\n<div class=\"sidebarhack\"><b></b></div>\n<div class=\"sidebar\">\n<h2>What Readers Are Saying</h2>\n<div class=\"sidebarcontent\" style=\"padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 10px;\">\n<div class=\"sidebarbox\" style=\"color: #333;\">\n <p style=\"margin-top: 0; padding-top: 0;\"> <span style=\"color: rgb(204, 0, 0);\"><strong>Your Comments On...</strong></span><br> <h1 style=\"color: rgb(0, 51, 153);\"><a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/19/AR2006121901431.html\" target=\"_blank\">Short Mental Workouts May Slow Decline of Aging Minds, Study Finds</a></h1></p> <p style=\"margin-top: 0; padding-top: 0;\"> \"It would be interesting to know if factors such as stress, or sleep disorders etc. were taken into account. They can be quite memory inhibiting and are more likely to be present in the control group, as a lack of mental stimulation can increase self doubt, decrease confidence and cause a form of panic. Could this have put the control group behind, at the same time the motivated groups were leaping ahead and would this not effect the measurement of the outcome? \" </p> <div style=\"text-align:right;\">-- <b>By smilesturner01 ;</b></div> <p style=\"border-top: 1px dashed rgb(204, 204, 204); margin-top: 5px; padding-top: 7px; font-weight: bold;\"> <strong><font face=\"arial,helvetica\" SIZE=\"-1\">&#149; </font> <span style=\"font-family:arial;font-size:11px;color:#000000;\"><a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/comments/display?contentID=AR2006121901431&start=1\"><b>View, Add More Comments</b></a></span><br> <font face=\"arial,helvetica\" SIZE=\"-1\">&#149; </font> <span style=\"font-family:arial;font-size:11px;color:#000000;\"><a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/19/AR2006121901431.html\"><b>Read the Story</b></a></span><br></strong> </p> \n</div>\n</div>\n</div>\n<div class=\"clearboth\"></div>\n</div>\n\n<script src=\"http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/technorati/Technorati.js\"></script><script>\nvar technorati = new Technorati() ;\ntechnorati.setProperty(\'url\',\'http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/19/AR2007011901503_Technorati.html\') ;\ntechnorati.article = new item(\'Stem Cell Policy Hampering Research, NIH Official Says\',\'http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/19/AR2007011901503.html\',\'The National Institutes of Health official overseeing the implementation of President Bush\\\'s embryonic stem cell policy yesterday suggested that the controversial program is delaying cures, an unusually blunt assessment for an executive branch official.\',\'Rick Weiss\') ;\n</script><script src=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/19/AR2007011901503_Technorati.js\"></script><script>document.write( technorati.getDisplaySidebar() );</script>\n<link href=\"http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/css/bookmarking.css\" rel=\"stylesheet\" media=\"all\"/><div class=\"sidebarhack\"><b></b></div><div class=\"sidebar\"><h2><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"right\" border=\"0\" width=\"222\"><tr><td class=\"sb-left\" align=\"left\">Save &amp; Share Article</td><td class=\"sb-right\" align=\"right\"><a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/community/saveandshare.html\">What\'s This?</a></td></tr></table></h2><div class=\"sidebarcontent\"><div class=\"sidebarbox\"><div class=\"bookmark\"><div class=\"generic_bookmark digg_bookmark\"><div class=\"pad_bookmark\"><a href=\"http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/19/AR2007011901503.html%3Freferrer=digg&title=Stem Cell Policy Hampering Research, NIH Official Says&bodytext=The National Institutes of Health official overseeing the implementation of President Bush\'s embryonic stem cell policy yesterday suggested that the controversial program is delaying cures, an unusually blunt assessment for an executive branch official.\" target=\"new\">Digg</a></div></div><div class=\"generic_bookmark google_bookmark\"><div class=\"pad_bookmark\"><a href=\"http://www.google.com/bookmarks/mark?op=add&title=Stem Cell Policy Hampering Research, NIH Official Says&labels=&annotation=The National Institutes of Health official overseeing the implementation of President Bush\'s embryonic stem cell policy yesterday suggested that the controversial program is delaying cures, an unusually blunt assessment for an executive branch official.&bkmk=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/19/AR2007011901503.html%3Freferrer=google\" target=\"new\">Google</a></div></div><br clear=\"all\"/><div class=\"generic_bookmark delicious_bookmark\"><div class=\"pad_bookmark\"><a href=\"http://del.icio.us/post?v=4&partner=wpni&noui&jump=close&url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/19/AR2007011901503.html%3Freferrer=delicious&title=%22Stem Cell Policy Hampering Research, NIH Official Says%22 By Rick Weiss&notes=The National Institutes of Health official overseeing the implementation of President Bush\'s embryonic stem cell policy yesterday suggested that the controversial program is delaying cures, an unusually blunt assessment for an executive branch official.\" target=\"new\">del.icio.us</a></div></div><div class=\"generic_bookmark yahoo_bookmark\"><div class=\"pad_bookmark\"><a href=\"http://myweb2.search.yahoo.com/myresults/bookmarklet?u=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/19/AR2007011901503.html%3Freferrer=yahoo&title=Stem Cell Policy Hampering Research, NIH Official Says&popup=true\" target=\"new\">Yahoo!</a></div></div><br clear=\"all\"/><div class=\"generic_bookmark reddit_bookmark\"><div class=\"pad_bookmark\"><a href=\"http://reddit.com/submit?url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/19/AR2007011901503.html%3Freferrer=reddit&title=Stem Cell Policy Hampering Research, NIH Official Says\" target=\"new\">Reddit</a></div></div><div class=\"generic_bookmark facebook_bookmark\"><div class=\"pad_bookmark\"><a href=\"javascript:void(0);\" onclick=\"void(window.open(\'http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=\'+encodeURIComponent(\'http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/19/AR2007011901503.html?referrer=facebook\')+\'&t=\'+encodeURIComponent(\'Stem Cell Policy Hampering Research, NIH Official Says\'),\'sharer\',\'toolbar=no,width=642,height=436\'));\">Facebook</a></div></div><br clear=\"all\"/></div></div></div>\n</td></tr></table>\n<p>But under questioning, Landis spoke more plainly. When Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) asked her how the policy was affecting medical research, she said, \"We are missing out on possible breakthroughs.\" The ability to work on newly derived stem cell colonies -- precluded from federal funding under the Bush plan -- \"would be incredibly important,\" she added.</p><p>Landis also declared that \"science works best when scientists can pursue all avenues of research. If the cure for Parkinson\'s disease or juvenile diabetes lay behind one of four doors, wouldn\'t you want the option to open all four doors at once instead of one door?\"</p><p>Those and related comments left at least some at the hearing wondering whether a Democratic majority in Congress had emboldened the NIH.</p><p>But NIH spokesman John Burklow denied that the agency is getting uppity. Landis\'s testimony \"reflects her scientific opinion,\" he said.</p><p>The House  passed a bill this month that would loosen Bush\'s restrictions, and the Senate is poised to do so in February. Bush has promised to veto the bill.</p></div></div><br clear=\"all\">\n');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1253','6','<table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\"><tr><td width=\"10\"></td><td width=\"98%\"><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"98%\" valign=\"top\"><tr><td><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><font size=\"+2\" color=\"551E1B\">Soldiers may not get needed mental help </font><br><spacer type=\"block\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"></spacer><br><b>Returning vets aren\'t screened unless they say they need aid, officer says</b><br></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"></td></tr><tr><td valign=\"top\"></td></tr></table><font size=\"-2\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"http://msnbcmedia1.msn.com/i/msnbc/Components/Sources/sourceAP.gif\" height=\"20\" width=\"140\" vspace=\"0\" hspace=\"0\"><p></p></font><p>Mental health screening isn\'t consistent for U.S. troops returning from war, and if they don\'t say they need help, they often don\'t get it, the Army\'s top medical officer said Friday.</p><p>\"If an individual checks nothing, \'I have no mental health issues,\' they\'re not necessarily being sent to mental health counseling,\" said Army Surgeon General Kevin Kiley, speaking at a hearing on military medical readiness before the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee.</p><p>It is estimated that about 17 percent of returning war fighters have post-traumatic stress disorder or severe anxiety and depression, compared with about 6 percent or 7 percent of the general population, Kiley said.</p><p><b><strong>Fear of stigma, lost time with family</strong></b><br>Studies show some troops fear being stigmatized if they acknowledge they have problems such as nightmares, hypervigilance or anxiety. Or, some want to spend time with their families instead of getting mental health help.</p><p>To help catch them, Navy Surgeon General Donald Arthur said some of the mental health screening has been delayed a couple of months so that troops can first spend time with their families.</p><p>Kiley said the amount of face-to-face counseling of returning troops is increasing, and those who seek help are getting it. In recent years, the military has implemented programs that encourage troops to seek mental help if they need it.</p><p><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"460\"><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"10\" border=\"0\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr height=\"20\"><td width=\"98%\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><font size=\"-1\"><b color=\"#666666\">&nbsp;Click for related content</b></font></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"5\" cellpadding=\"0\" bordercolor=\"#cccccc\" border=\"0\" style=\"border-top:solid 1px #cccccc;border-bottom:solid 1px #cccccc;background-color:#ffffff;\" bgcolor=\"#ffffff\"><tr><td><table cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellpadding=\"0\" class=\"headlineList2\"><tr></tr></table></td></tr><tr valign=\"top\"><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"8\"><tr><td style=\"padding:8px;\"><font class=\"bigRedLink\"><ul><li><a href=\"http://boards.msn.com/MSNBCboards/thread.aspx?ThreadID=83484\">Join the ongoing discussion: Does the Gulf War Syndrome exist?</a></li><li><a href=\"/id/16671368/\">Downsizing hurts employees\' mental health</a></li></ul></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"\" bordercolor=\"\" border=\"0\" style=\"background-color:#eeeeee;\" bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\"><tr><td style=\"\"><font class=\"textSmall\" color=\"#000000\"></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></p><p>Subcommittee Chairman John Murtha, D-Pa., asked if shortening deployment lengths could help. Many troops spend more than a year deployed in a war zone.</p><p>Arthur said deployment length and the effect it has on a soldier\'s health is under review, but the consensus is that the effect varies with the intensity of the deployment.</p><p>\"If you are on the front lines going door to door in Fallujah ... perhaps three months is an appropriate time,\" Arthur said. \"If you are in Kuwait or Djibouti as many of our folks are, then perhaps a year is all right, so we\'re trying to tailor those deployment lengths to the length of the threat.\"</p><p><b><strong>Screening brains for issues<br></strong></b>Charles Marmar, chief of staff for mental health at the San Francisco VA Medical Center, recommended that federal money be used to develop a brain screening that would help identify when a returning soldier potentially has mental health issues.</p><p>After the hearing, Murtha said he supports that recommendation. While things have improved, it will be a long time before the stigma in the military associated with seeking mental health help goes away, said Murtha, a decorated Vietnam war veteran and retired Marine colonel.</p><p>For troops today, \"unless you want to be helped, they aren\'t going to get help is what it amounts to,\" Murtha said.</p><div class=\"textBodyBlack\" style=\"clear:both;\"><i><em>?2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</em></i></div><br>');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1254','6','	<p><!--Spanish ID:534530--> <p>TUESDAY, Aug. 22 (HealthDay News) -- The epidemic of obesity sweeping America is the prime culprit behind recent sharp increases in Medicare spending, researchers report.</p> <p>The reason: Older, heavier people are much more likely to enter the program with pre-existing medical issues, the experts say.</p> <p>&quot;The rise in Medicare spending is largely traced to the doubling of obesity among the elderly and obesity-related conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, bad cholesterol and so on,&quot; said lead author Kenneth E. Thorpe, the Robert W. Woodruff Professor and Chair of the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, Atlanta.</p> <p>However, policy makers are not taking the burden of obesity and its related illnesses into account as they look at ways to reduce costs to preserve Medicare, experts say.</p> <p>While increases in the program\'s cost have been attributed to causes such as medication costs, hospital and doctors fees, 90 percent of the increases can be attributed to people entering the program with diabetes, metabolic syndrome and other diseases associated with obesity, concluded a report published in the Aug. 22 online issue of <i>Health Affairs</i>.</p> <p>The researchers analyzed data from two major federal studies -- published in 1987 and 2002 -- to assess trends for disease prevalence and Medicare expenditures.</p> <p>They found that the number of obese Medicare recipients nearly doubled during that time period, while the cost of treating these patients nearly tripled -- from 9.4 percent of Medicare spending in 1987 to 25 percent of expenditures by 2002.</p> <p>The number of patients receiving treatment for five or more medical conditions also rose -- from 31 percent in 1987 to more than half of recipients in 2002. These patients used up more than three-quarters of Medicare spending by 2002, compared to 52 percent of expenditures in 1987.</p> <p>In addition, Thorpe said, almost half the Medicare population meets the clinical definition of &quot;metabolic syndrome&quot; -- a collection of unhealthy factors, including hypertension, cholesterol abnormalities, a waist circumference greater than 40 inches in men and 35 inches in women, and hyperglycemia. Studies have shown that people with metabolic syndrome have a 1.5 times increased risk for coronary heart disease.</p> <p>&quot;Physicians are [also] much more aggressively treating patients today compared to even five to 10 years ago,&quot; Thorpe pointed out.</p> <p>That\'s true even for non-obese patients. In their study, Thorpe and his colleague David Howard found the number of normal-weight Medicare patients being treated for five or more conditions rose from 11.5 percent in 1987 to 16 percent in 2002. The portion of Medicare costs earmarked for these patients rose from 19.6 percent in 1987 to 24.1 percent in 2002, the study found.</p> <p>More aggressive treatment does help patients, of course. In 2002, almost 60 percent of Medicare patients being treated for five or more conditions said they were in excellent or good health, compared with 33 percent of similar patients in 1987, Thorpe and Howard found.</p> <p>But as a larger number of unhealthy Medicare recipients live longer, costs rise.</p> <p>Many of the factors driving these trends are being ignored, Thorpe said.</p> <p>&quot;Most of the debate about how to deal with the growth in entitlements really is ignoring these key facts,&quot; he said. &quot;Most of the reforms on the table have nothing to do with what\'s driving the growth of Medicare spending up in the first place,&quot; he added.</p> <p>Real efforts to stop the obesity epidemic could put the brakes on this trend, Thorpe said. &quot;We need to recognize that we need to do much more in terms of primary prevention -- diet, exercise and nutrition -- not only among the existing Medicare beneficiaries, but among the near-elderly, those 55 to 64,&quot; he said. &quot;These people will be entering Medicare with rates of chronic disease disability that we have never seen.&quot;</p> <p>According to the researcher, heightened awareness of the dangers of smoking has cut the number of people smoking from 30 percent to 20 percent since the 1950s. Similar programs might curb obesity, too.</p> <p>One expert agreed that people need to make significant lifestyle changes to bring down Medicare costs and improve their health.</p> <p>&quot;There is a great need to get to people before they even enter Medicare,&quot; said Mary R. Grealy, chair of Medicare Today and president, Healthcare Leadership Council, a medical industry lobbing group. &quot;But, at any age, there are things people can do to make lifestyle changes and reduce the incidence of disease and the need for a variety of medications,&quot; she added.</p> <p>Grealy believes that, in addition to government programs, private employers and health insurers need to concentrate on obesity, diabetes and other conditions linked with being overweight to curb health care costs. &quot;We really have to focus on prevention,&quot; she said.</p> <p>Another expert thinks that extending Medicare to <i>younger</i> people -- those aged 55 to 64 -- would bring a lot of healthier people into the program before chronic illness appears. That could save dollars, said Robert M. Hayes, the president of the Medicare Rights Center, a consumer watchdog group.</p> <p>&quot;It\'s common sense,&quot; said Hayes. &quot;If we give people better care, they will be healthier and live longer,&quot; he added.</p> <p>&quot;A lot of us think that extending Medicare eligibility to people 55 to 64 would be a good idea,&quot; Hayes said. &quot;Because a lot of folks in the decade before eligibility lose their employment, lose their health coverage and are effectively uninsured. They hit Medicare coverage in pretty bad shape. It would be a humanitarian and cost-effective measure to figure out how to bring people into Medicare before age 65.&quot;</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>There\'s much more on obesity at the <a href=\"http://www.obesity.org/subs/fastfacts/aoafactsheets.shtml\" target=\"_new\">American Obesity Association</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
INSERT INTO `dede_addonarticle` VALUES('1255','6','	<p><p>WEDNESDAY, Aug. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Everyone knows that obesity is unhealthy, but now a new study shows that being obese in midlife dramatically increases your risk of dying early.</p> <p>&quot;People who are overweight have a moderately increased risk of premature death, and people who are obese have a greatly increased risk of premature death,&quot; said lead researcher Dr. Michael Leitzmann, an investigator at the National Cancer Institute.</p> <p>His report is published in the Aug. 24 issue of <i>The New England Journal of Medicine</i>.</p> <p>In the study, Leitzmann\'s group collected data on 527,265 men and women who were 50 to 71 years old in 1995 and 1996. Over 10 years of follow-up, the researchers looked at the relationship of weight to the risk of dying.</p> <p>Through 2005, there were 61,317 deaths among those in the study. Leitzmann\'s team found that people who were overweight when they were 50 had a 20 percent to 40 percent increased risk of dying prematurely. For those who were obese, the risk of premature death was two to three times that of normal-weight people. &quot;That translates into a 200 to 300 percent increase in the risk of premature death,&quot; Leitzmann said.</p> <p>The researchers did not look at specific causes of death, but Leitzmann said the primary causes of premature death in this group were heart disease and cancer.</p> <p>The advice to reduce the risk of premature death is obvious. &quot;People need to maintain a normal weight throughout adulthood and avoid developing excess weight,&quot; Leitzmann said. &quot;And if you are overweight or obese, lose the excess weight.&quot;</p> <p>One expert thinks this study highlights the risk of death from any weight gain.</p> <p>&quot;This study adds good and compelling evidence to our previous suspicion that being overweight is a risk factor for early death, not just being obese,&quot; said Dr. Tim E. Byers, a professor of preventive medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and author of an accompanying commentary in the journal.</p> <p>The advice is nothing new, Byers said. &quot;Let\'s watch our weight, especially for us baby boomers who have seen our weight creep up by a pound or two a year,&quot; he said. &quot;Let\'s turn that around, and take small steps to start losing weight.&quot;</p> <p>Another expert agreed that most diseases that shorten life can be laid at obesity\'s door.</p> <p>&quot;We should not need another word to recognize obesity as one of the great public health threats of our time,&quot; said Dr. David L. Katz, director of the Prevention Research Center at Yale University School of Medicine. &quot;While uncertainty may persist about exactly how many years obesity takes out of life, there is overwhelming consensus about the life obesity can take out of years.&quot;</p> <p>Most diabetes is due to overweight, as is much cardiovascular disease. And obesity is a major contributor to cancer risk as well, Katz said.</p> <p>Another expert has a simple message to extend your life.</p> <p>&quot;The bottom line is watch your waistline if longevity is what you seek,&quot; said Lona Sandon, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. &quot;Just because you do not have high blood pressure, diabetes or high cholesterol, does not mean you get a free pass on carrying extra pounds. Adopting a healthy diet and adding physical activity to drop those extra pounds just may extend your life.&quot;</p> <p><b>More information</b></p> <p>Nutrition.gov can tell you more about <a href=\"http://www.nutrition.gov/index.php?mode=subject&subject=ng_recommendations&d_subject=Smart%20Nutrition%20101\" target=\"_new\"> healthy eating</a>.</p> </p>\n		');
