Measles, a forgotten scourge, makes a comeback in Europe | Empowered News: "Measles, a viral infection thought to be largely eradicated in the developed world, has staged a dangerous comeback in France and other parts of Europe.
A report by the World Health Organization confirmed a measles outbreak in France of about 4,937 cases from January to March 2011 alone compared to 5,090 cases in all 12 months of last year. Other European countries have also reported a spike in measles. The overall total so far was about 6,500 cases according to WHO officials.
Health experts said that the figures reflect the slide in vaccination efforts in many European countries. Partly to blame for that is the bogus study made in 1998 that falsely linked an MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine to autism in children. Some parents who were fearful that their children can get sick chose to forego vaccination for their children."
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Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Wellness Update: North America: Medical News: HIV Infection Ups Heart Failure Risk - in Clinical Context, HIV/AIDS from MedPage Today
Medical News: HIV Infection Ups Heart Failure Risk - in Clinical Context, HIV/AIDS from MedPage Today: "All participants were eligible, but the investigators excluded subjects with coronary heart disease, angina, heart failure, or cancer at baseline. Because there were only 276 of them, women were also excluded from the analysis, leaving 8,486 patients, including 2,391 men with HIV (or 28.2%).
The median duration of follow-up was 7.3 years, during which there were 286 incident cases of heart failure and 1,096 deaths, Butt and colleagues reported.
After adjusting for age, race, and ethnicity, Butt and colleagues found the rate of incident heart failure was 7.12 per 1,000 person-years among those with HIV and 4.82 per 1,000 person-years in the rest of the cohort.
After adjusting for traditional risk factors, the hazard ratio for heart failure among those with HIV was 1.81, with a 95% confidence interval from 1.39 to 2.36, they reported.
The usual suspects were also independent risk factors, Butt and colleagues found: increasing age, African-American race, current smoking, body mass index greater than 30, hypertension, diabetes, and a diagnosis of alcohol abuse or dependence"
The median duration of follow-up was 7.3 years, during which there were 286 incident cases of heart failure and 1,096 deaths, Butt and colleagues reported.
After adjusting for age, race, and ethnicity, Butt and colleagues found the rate of incident heart failure was 7.12 per 1,000 person-years among those with HIV and 4.82 per 1,000 person-years in the rest of the cohort.
After adjusting for traditional risk factors, the hazard ratio for heart failure among those with HIV was 1.81, with a 95% confidence interval from 1.39 to 2.36, they reported.
The usual suspects were also independent risk factors, Butt and colleagues found: increasing age, African-American race, current smoking, body mass index greater than 30, hypertension, diabetes, and a diagnosis of alcohol abuse or dependence"
HIV & AIDS Information :: Study examines transmitted HIV drug resistance in Asia
HIV & AIDS Information :: Study examines transmitted HIV drug resistance in Asia: "Prevalence of transmitted drug resistance among patients starting HIV therapy in Asia stands at 14%, investigators report in the April 15th edition of Clinical Infectious Diseases.
The study was conducted at eight sites in Hong Kong, Malaysia and Thailand between 2007 and 2009 and involved 682 patients.
“Primary HIV drug resistance is emerging in Asia after rapid scale-up of ART [antiretroviral therapy] use”, comment the investigators.
However, the author of an accompanying editorial believes that some patients may have been infected with resistant strains of HIV when sub-optimal therapy was being used in the era before low-cost generic antiretrovirals became available, or were exposed to one or two-drug regimens during this period. He also notes that a large proportion of the cases identified in the study involved virus that was resistant due to a natural mutation. He therefore does not believe that routine resistance testing in the region would be the best use of limited resources.
It is estimated that there are 4.7 million HIV infections in Asia."
The study was conducted at eight sites in Hong Kong, Malaysia and Thailand between 2007 and 2009 and involved 682 patients.
“Primary HIV drug resistance is emerging in Asia after rapid scale-up of ART [antiretroviral therapy] use”, comment the investigators.
However, the author of an accompanying editorial believes that some patients may have been infected with resistant strains of HIV when sub-optimal therapy was being used in the era before low-cost generic antiretrovirals became available, or were exposed to one or two-drug regimens during this period. He also notes that a large proportion of the cases identified in the study involved virus that was resistant due to a natural mutation. He therefore does not believe that routine resistance testing in the region would be the best use of limited resources.
It is estimated that there are 4.7 million HIV infections in Asia."
Monday, April 25, 2011
Farm to School program brings locally grown produce to the lunchroom | Family | Kentucky.com
Farm to School program brings locally grown produce to the lunchroom | Family | Kentucky.com: "Even in a state as rural as Kentucky, a lot of students have no exposure to agricultural life, said Dr. Jayaram Srinivasan, chief resident in the preventive medicine department at the University of Kentucky and an advocate of the program.
'A lot of these kids don't even know where their food comes from,' he said.
Farm to School is a cooperative effort among a number of local groups, including the UK College of Public Health, the Lexington- Fayette County Health Department and Lexington Farmers Market.
The program at Lansdowne is a pilot for a program that Srinivasan hopes will be offered eventually in all Fayette County public schools. The goal is to not only let kids understand where food comes from and why eating healthy food is important, but also to connect local farmers to the school system so that fresh, locally grown produce can become a standard part of a school menu.
Taste tests, like the one conducted last week, are merged with classroom lessons about food groups and making healthy choices."
'A lot of these kids don't even know where their food comes from,' he said.
Farm to School is a cooperative effort among a number of local groups, including the UK College of Public Health, the Lexington- Fayette County Health Department and Lexington Farmers Market.
The program at Lansdowne is a pilot for a program that Srinivasan hopes will be offered eventually in all Fayette County public schools. The goal is to not only let kids understand where food comes from and why eating healthy food is important, but also to connect local farmers to the school system so that fresh, locally grown produce can become a standard part of a school menu.
Taste tests, like the one conducted last week, are merged with classroom lessons about food groups and making healthy choices."
Man's Health Problems Inspire Holistic Business - Bakersfield News Story - KERO Bakersfield
Man's Health Problems Inspire Holistic Business - Bakersfield News Story - KERO Bakersfield: "Neal was treated with anti-fungal medicine that seemed to have done the trick. But the more serious cases of valley fever usually take a toll on its victims, leaving them fatigued and worn out for several years.
'It was pretty painful. I was weak all the time. I could not even walk across the room without resting. I didn't want to live like that, and I wanted to get well. So I started reading health food books,' said Neal.
Neal said his research taught him how to keep the bad fungus in check using nutritional supplements.
'Actually we need fungus for digestion. The problem with valley fever; the bad fungus starts controlling the body,' said Neal.
It was the nearly fatal brush with the disease that birthed the health food store Neal started in mid-life.
'Before I got valley fever, I was in my 40s and could care less about vitamins. Then I learned the only way I was going to get well was through the natural way,' said Neal."
'It was pretty painful. I was weak all the time. I could not even walk across the room without resting. I didn't want to live like that, and I wanted to get well. So I started reading health food books,' said Neal.
Neal said his research taught him how to keep the bad fungus in check using nutritional supplements.
'Actually we need fungus for digestion. The problem with valley fever; the bad fungus starts controlling the body,' said Neal.
It was the nearly fatal brush with the disease that birthed the health food store Neal started in mid-life.
'Before I got valley fever, I was in my 40s and could care less about vitamins. Then I learned the only way I was going to get well was through the natural way,' said Neal."
Hopeful Perspective Aids Healthy Diet | Psych Central News
Hopeful Perspective Aids Healthy Diet | Psych Central News: "The question remained as to why an individual who feels positive would be more likely to eat a candy bar rather than a piece of fruit. According to the authors, the difference is that positive feelings come from that thinking about the past or the present (pride and happiness) while hope is a projection to the future.
In the authors’ first study, hopeful participants consumed fewer M&Ms than people who experienced happiness.
In a second study, the authors found that consumers who were more focused on the past chose unhealthy snacks, even if they felt hope.
In the third study, the researchers shifted the time frame of the positive emotion (having participants feel hopeful about the past or having them experience pride in the future). “That is, if someone is anticipating feeling proud, she prefers fewer unhealthy snacks than someone experiencing pride,” the authors wrote.
Finally, the authors compared future-focused positive emotions (hopefulness, anticipated pride) to future-focused negative emotions (fear, anticipated shame). They found that the combination of positivity and future focus enhanced self-control."
In the authors’ first study, hopeful participants consumed fewer M&Ms than people who experienced happiness.
In a second study, the authors found that consumers who were more focused on the past chose unhealthy snacks, even if they felt hope.
In the third study, the researchers shifted the time frame of the positive emotion (having participants feel hopeful about the past or having them experience pride in the future). “That is, if someone is anticipating feeling proud, she prefers fewer unhealthy snacks than someone experiencing pride,” the authors wrote.
Finally, the authors compared future-focused positive emotions (hopefulness, anticipated pride) to future-focused negative emotions (fear, anticipated shame). They found that the combination of positivity and future focus enhanced self-control."
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