Health & WellnessS


Bell

'Second Thoughts about Fluoride,' Reports Scientific American

"Some recent studies suggest that over-consumption of fluoride can raise the risks of disorders affecting teeth, bones, the brain and the thyroid gland," reports Scientific American editors (January 2008). "Scientific attitudes toward fluoridation may be starting to shift," writes author Dan Fagin.

"Fluoride, the most consumed drug in the USA, is deliberately added to 2/3 of public water supplies theoretically to reduce tooth decay, but with no scientifically-valid evidence proving safety or effectiveness," says lawyer Paul Beeber, President, New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation.

Fagin, award-wining environmental reporter and Director of New York
University's Science, Health and Environmental Reporting Program, writes,
"There is no universally accepted optimal level for daily intake of fluoride."
Some researchers even wonder whether the 1 mg/L added into drinking water is too much, reports Fagin.

Gear

Israel: Deadly strain of bird flu found in Binyamina

Health Ministry makes positive ID of H5N1 bird flu virus in Binyamina kindergarten. Agriculture Ministry quarantines all chicken coops, hatcheries within six-mile radius pending further testing.

The Haifa District Physician, Prof. Shmuel Rishpon, confirmed Thursday that a deadly strain of the bird flu virus has infected chickens at a petting zoo in a Binyamina kindergarten.

Earlier Thursday morning 18 of the 25 chickens in the kindergarten's petting zoo, were found dead.

©Ido Ezer
Health Ministry workers at the kindergarten

"The virus was identified as H5N1 bird flue," said Rishpon, adding that humans that contract this strain have only a 50% survival rate.

Rishpon commended the kindergarten teacher for her decision not to discard the dead chickens but rather to call a veterinarian, who sent samples of the poultry's blood to the Health Ministry for further testing.

Health

Elderly at risk of memory trouble after surgery

People 60 and older who undergo elective surgery may be at higher risk of lasting memory problems, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday.

They said people 60 and older who have major surgeries such as joint replacements or hysterectomies are more likely to have cognitive problems after surgery.

Pills

Free drug samples go to wealthy, insured - as usual



©REUTERS/File

Insured and wealthy Americans were more likely than the poor to get billions of dollars in free drug samples distributed by pharmaceutical companies to win patient and doctor loyalty, a study released on Wednesday showed.

Health

U.S. team identifies possible Parkinson's trigger

A glitch in the way cells clear damaged proteins could be the trigger for the symptoms of Parkinson's disease, researchers said in a finding that could lead to new treatments for the incurable condition.

The U.S. team focused on a process called autophagy in which cells digest and recycle damaged molecules, including proteins, that develop as cells grow older. This system essentially renews cells to keep them functioning properly.

Ambulance

The other victims: Kids Of Abused Moms Have Greater Health Needs

Children whose mothers have a history of abuse by intimate partners have higher health care needs than children whose mothers have no history of abuse, according to a study conducted at Group Health, a Seattle-based health plan.

©Family Violence Prevention Fund

Star

La dolce vita: Cooking Can Preserve, Boost Nutrient Content Of Vegetables

In a finding that defies conventional culinary wisdom, researchers in Italy report that cooking vegetables can preserve or even boost their nutritional value in comparison to their raw counterparts, depending on the cooking method used. Their study is scheduled for the Dec. 26 issue of ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, a bi-weekly publication.


Attention

Jolt Delayed in Third of Cardiac Arrests

NEW YORK - Just because you're in the hospital doesn't mean you'll quickly get treated if your heart stops beating. About one-third of patients don't get a potentially live-saving shock within the recommended two minutes, a new study found.

Ambulance

CDC Tries To Find Those Who Were Near TB Infected Women On Flight 293

On December 13th a woman who was sick with TB (tuberculosis) flew on American Airlines Flight 293 from New Delhi, India, to Chicago, USA. She then took another plane from Chicago to San Francisco.

Health

Listeria Warning To Massachusetts Milk Consumers

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health on 27th December issued a warning to consumers who bought Whittier Farms dairy foods not to consume any of their milk products for the time being because there is a risk they could be contaminated with listeria bacteria.

©Chestnut Labs
Listeria