Shot Protects Against Chickenpox After Exposure

Shot Protects Against Chickenpox After Exposure
Vaccination within 5 days prevents or lessens illness in those at risk, study finds

TUESDAY, Jan. 26 (HealthDay News) -- There is good news for people who have never had chickenpox or received the vaccine but are exposed to the virus: vaccination within five days of exposure can significantly reduce the risk of illness, or at least make it less severe, Spanish researchers say.

The study, published in the January issue of the Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, found that out of 67 people who received the varicella zoster vaccine within five days of exposure to chickenpox, only 22 got sick. That's about 62 percent fewer than would be expected to become ill with the disease. Based on past studies, 58 out of the 67 would be estimated to develop chickenpox.

The patients who did get chickenpox developed mild to moderate cases, suggesting that the vaccine is 79 percent effective in preventing moderate to severe disease. It didn't matter if those vaccinated were children or adults: the vaccine appeared to have the same effectiveness, the study authors noted in a news release from the journal's publisher.

"Available varicella vaccines administered within five days after exposure to chickenpox are effective in preventing chickenpox and highly effective in attenuating the disease," Dr. Maria Brotons and colleagues of Hospital Universitario Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, stated in the news release.

Chickenpox often causes mild illness, but the virus can cause complications and scarring. Young children and teens are especially at risk of developing rare complications that can be serious.

More information

The Nemours Foundation has more on chickenpox.

-- Randy Dotinga

SOURCE: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, news release, January 2010

Last Updated: Jan. 26, 2010

With Autism, Diet Restrictions May Do More Harm Than Good

With Autism, Diet Restrictions May Do More Harm Than Good
Study finds no increase in gastrointestinal problems in kids with the disorder

By Amanda Gardner
HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, July 27 (HealthDay News) -- Children with autism do not have a higher incidence of gastrointestinal problems than other children, a new study has found.

However, autistic children do have a higher rate of constipation and eating issues, such as eating the same foods over and over, according to the study. But any number of factors, including medication, could cause these issues, the researchers said.

The findings appear in the August issue of Pediatrics.

Dr. Patricia Manning-Courtney, medical director of the Kelly O'Leary Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, said that the study is an important one because it was the first to scientifically compare the incidence of gastrointestinal (GI) problems in an autistic population with incidence in children who are developing normally.

Even so, it's unlikely to quell a controversy that has been raging for more than a decade.

"A couple of highly publicized cases of autism and loose stools in the late 1990s led to an impression that children with autism had a higher rate of GI dysfunction," she said. "It wasn't well characterized, but that got the story onto the national scene."

This, in turn, led to theories that diets free of gluten and the milk protein casein might help the problems, along with treatment with the hormone secretin. Some even proposed that problems with the gut might be the cause of autistic symptoms, giving the matter added urgency.

But the evidence in favor of these hypotheses was "fuzzy," Manning-Courtney said.

For the new study, researchers followed 124 children with autism and 248 children without autism until they turned 18.

Gastrointestinal diagnoses were classified into five groups: constipation; diarrhea; abdominal bloating, discomfort or irritability; gastroesophageal reflux or vomiting; and feeding issues or selectivity (people with autism often stick with the same food choices and have other "ritualistic tendencies" in eating).

The frequency of GI symptoms was about 77 percent in the autism group and 72 percent among the others, not considered a statistically significant difference.

However, almost 34 percent of the autistic children, compared with nearly 18 percent of the others, had constipation. Feeding issues were present in about 24 percent of the autistic children and 16 percent of those who weren't autistic, the study authors found.

Those differences could stem from what the researchers called neurobehavioral issues connected with autism, such as the ritualistic practices, they said.

"Many patients with autism insist on eating the same thing and might not consume enough fiber," said the study's lead author, Dr. Samar H. Ibrahim, a fellow in gastroenterology and instructor in pediatrics at the Mayo Clinic. "We think this may be contributing to the constipation."

Medications that autistic children take can also interfere with appetite and eating.

"In our study, around 50 percent of children were on stimulant medications, and those might affect appetite and might have something to do with issues with food," Ibrahim said.

Keith A. Young, vice chairman for research in the psychiatry and behavioral science department at Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, said he thought "the really interesting thing they found was that there wasn't any indication of celiac disease."

In the group studied, the researchers found just one case. A possible link between celiac disease and autism was proposed as far back as 1961.

"The only difference [between the two groups] was the constipation, which they kind of dismiss," Young said. "And I tend to agree with their conclusion that constipation might be related to the dietary habits of autistic kids."

The constipation and feeding difficulties identified in the study, though, are not the symptoms that people have been buzzing about, Manning-Courtney pointed out. It's mostly been about diarrhea and loose stools.

But the study was a small one and did not rely on rigorous, comprehensive diagnoses of autism for the participants, so it may just stir the pot for people on both sides of the debate.

The researchers, however, are urging parents away from restrictive diets.

"Patients with autism should be investigated the same way as normal patients when they have GI symptoms," Ibrahim said. "And doctors should do a thorough investigation before labeling them with any GI disorder because the overall incidence of any GI disorder did not differ from that of the overall population."

Manning-Courtney concurred. "For me, this study lends support to the recommendation I make to a lot of families that there is no evidence to support restricted diets," she said. "They're dangerous and risky. You have to think long and hard before you, as a parent, make that choice."

More information

Autism Speaks has more on autism.

SOURCES: Samar H. Ibrahim, M.B.Ch.B., fellow, gastroenterology, and instructor, pediatrics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.; Patricia Manning-Courtney, M.D., medical director, Kelly O'Leary Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati; Keith A. Young, Ph.D., vice chairman, research, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, College Station, Texas, and chairman, Tissue Advisory Board, Autism Speaks; August 2009 Pediatrics

Last Updated: July 27, 2009

Rotavirus Vaccine Could Save Millions of Children Worldwide

Rotavirus Vaccine Could Save Millions of Children Worldwide
Trials in Africa, Mexico show shot protects from the common diarrhea-causing disease

By Jennifer Thomas

HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 27 (HealthDay News) -- Vaccinating infants ag

ainst rotavirus could save the lives of millions of children in developing nations who would otherwise die from the diarrhea-causing disease, two new studies show.

A study conducted in Malawi and South Africa found vaccinations reduced the rate of severe, life-threatening rotavirus in infants by more than 61 percent.

A second study found deaths from diarrheal disease in Mexico fell by more than 66 percent in children 11 months and younger during the 2009 rotavirus season compared to 2003-2006. In 2006-2007, Mexico's Ministry of Health and other major health providers made the rotavirus vaccine part of its national vaccination programs.

"A disease that may be a nuisance in the U.S. can be a killer in a poorer country," said Dr. Kathleen Neuzil, senior author of the African study and a senior advisor for immunization at PATH, an international non-profit organization that seeks to bring affordable health care to all. "Death from diarrheal disease in general is the second-leading cause of death among kids in developing nations."

The studies are published in the Jan. 28 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

More than half a million children die each year from rotavirus infection, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Nearly half of those deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa. Though there are many gastrointestinal diseases that can cause life-threatening diarrhea, rotavirus is among the most common. Among children hospitalized for severe diarrhea, rotavirus is the culprit in about 40 percent of cases globally, according to background information in the study.

Rotavirus is also common in the United States, with most children having a bout of it before 3 years of age, Neuzil said. But few American children die, largely because of better access to medical care and treatments such as oral rehydration -- a mixture of water and electrolytes.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends that American children receive the rotavirus vaccine at 2, 4 and 6 months of age.

But before the WHO's Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization would recommend vaccinating children in developing nations, it wanted to see research that showed the vaccines would be effective in poorer nations, Neuzil said.

Both of the rotavirus vaccines available are live oral vaccine. Prior research on other live oral vaccines, including polio and cholera, has shown they don't work as well among very low-income populations. The reasons are unclear, but some suspect poorer nutrition or higher rates of the disease in those countries mean that children may already have some antibodies to the virus, perhaps through breast milk, so the vaccine may not fully "take," Neuzil said.

Prior to publication of the new studies, the results were shared with WHO, which has since recommended the rotavirus vaccine for infants in developing nations, with the first dose being given between 6 and 15 weeks of age.

The WHO's recommendation is critical, Neuzil said, not only for influencing health-policy decisions, but for starting the flow of aid and philanthropic dollars to pay for rotavirus vaccination programs.

In the study in Africa, researchers divided nearly 5,000 infants from Malawi and South Africa into three groups: one-third received three doses of the vaccine, one-third received two doses and one-third received a placebo. Researchers then followed-up with weekly home visits and took stool samples to confirm suspected rotavirus infections.

Children who had received either the three-dose or the two-dose regimen were 61 percent less likely to develop severe rotavirus infection. In Malawi, the effectiveness was 49 percent, compared to about 77 percent in South Africa.

In the study in Mexico, the effect was no less dramatic. During the 2009 rotavirus season, deaths among infants 11 months old and younger fell 66 percent.

In 2003-2006, about 1,793 children under age 5 died from diarrhea-related diseases each year in Mexico. In 2008, that dropped to 1,118, or nearly a 35 percent reduction. Among children between ages 1 and 2 years, deaths fell by about 29 percent in 2008, even though only 10 percent to 15 percent of the population was eligible for vaccination.

In an accompanying editorial, Dr. Mathuram Santosham, a professor of international health and pediatrics at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, said the studies provide powerful evidence for instituting rotavirus vaccination programs in developing nations throughout the world.

Malawi, South Africa and Mexico are countries with very different socio-economic patterns, Santosham said, with Malawi among the poorest in the world and South Africa relatively more affluent.

"The data from Mexico is representative of data that one would expect from Latin American countries," he said. "Therefore, I believe that these data can be extrapolated to the majority of developing countries."

Still, there are challenges. To protect children, WHO recommends infants receive the first dose between 6 and 15 weeks. In poorer nations, adherence to those guidelines can be spotty.

"Rotavirus vaccine is a very powerful tool to combat one of the leading causes of childhood deaths -- diarrhea," Santosham said. "The challenge now is to make sure that every poor child in the world has access to this life-saving intervention."

In a related study from the same journal, researchers cautioned that vaccinating immune-compromised children may make them sick. But the illness is likely to be mild even in children who are HIV-positive, Santosham said in his editorial.

More information

The World Health Organization has more on rotavirus vaccine.

SOURCES: Kathleen Neuzil, M.D., M.P.H., senior advisor for immunization, PATH, Seattle; Mathuram Santosham, M.D., M.P.H., professor, international health and pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore; Jan. 28, 2010, New England Journal of Medicine

Last Updated: Jan. 27, 2010

Raising Co-Pays for Doctor Visits Raises Seniors' Hospital Use

Raising Co-Pays for Doctor Visits Raises Seniors' Hospital Use
Study suggests higher cost-sharing for outpatient visits may increase overall spending

By Karen Pallarito
HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 27 (HealthDay News) -- Boosting co-pays for doctor visits and other outpatient care reduces seniors' use of those services, but it also may have the unintended consequence of sharply increasing hospitalizations, a new study suggests.

That money-saving strategy could end up inflating overall health-care spending and put vulnerable elderly at risk of skimping on needed care, the study authors suggest in a paper published in the Jan. 28 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

"From our perspective, it looks like increasing ambulatory-care co-payments for elderly patients is a counterproductive cost-containment strategy," said study author Dr. Amal N. Trivedi, an assistant professor of community health at the Alpert Medical School of Brown University in Providence, R.I. "It's a lose-lose proposition for most health plans because our study suggests it results in more health-care spending, and it's likely to harm the health of enrollees."

The study, involving nearly 900,000 seniors in 36 Medicare managed-care plans, is one of the first large, national examinations of the consequences of raising seniors' co-payments for outpatient services, the authors said.

The new findings are consistent with research on cost-sharing for prescription drugs, which shows that failing to consider the value of the medication or a person's medical and economic status can harm health, the research team noted.

Marsha Gold, a senior fellow at Mathematica Policy Research Inc. in Washington, D.C., said the effect on inpatient care shown in the study "seems a little high." But she agreed that appropriate use of health-care services is always a concern as cost-sharing goes up.

"When you're putting cost-sharing requirements on patients, you need to be aware of the different kinds of effects that it can have, both positive and negative," she said.

From a sample of 172 Medicare managed-care plans, Trivedi and colleagues identified 18 plans that raised outpatient co-payments between December 2001 and January 2006. Eighteen plans that made no changes in co-payments served as controls.

In Medicare plans that raised co-payments, the average amount seniors had to shell out nearly doubled, to $14.38 from $7.38 for primary care and to $22.05 from $12.66 for specialty care. In control plans, the average co-payment for primary and specialty care held steady at $8.33 and $11.38, respectively.

Medicare managed-care plans that increased co-payments had 19.8 fewer annual outpatient visits per 100 enrollees in the year after the increase, compared with plans that made no changes.

However, plans that hiked co-payments also had 2.2 additional annual hospital admissions and 13.4 more annual inpatient days per 100 enrollees, and the percentage of hospitalized enrolled increased by 0.7 percentage points.

Use of inpatient care was even greater for low-income and little-educated enrollees, blacks and seniors with hypertension, diabetes or a history of heart attack.

Trivedi said the concern is that people with these medical conditions may not be properly managed if higher co-payments are discouraging them from obtaining treatment in the outpatient setting.

"Our study suggests that health plans should refrain from increasing co-payments among the elderly and perhaps give some serious thought to reducing them, particularly for enrollees with chronic disease and low income," he said.

The authors estimate that a Medicare plan might save $7,150 per 100 enrollees in the short-term by boosting outpatient co-payments, but inpatient spending would swell by $24,000 per 100 enrollees in the year after the co-payment increase.

Gold urges seniors to get help understanding the various Medicare options available to them and weighing their total financial risk, including the premium and out-of-pocket cost-sharing. "It's worth stepping back and looking at the big picture," she said.

More information

Learn more about Medicare's health plan options at Medicare.gov.

SOURCES: Amal N. Trivedi, M.D., M.P.H., assistant professor, community health, Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, R.I.; Marsha Gold, Sc.D., senior fellow, Mathematica Policy Research Inc., Washington, D.C.; Jan. 28, 2010, New England Journal of Medicine

Last Updated: Jan. 27, 2010

Wooden Toilet Seats Can Trigger Children's Rash

Wooden Toilet Seats Can Trigger Children's Rash
Harsh disinfectants can also prompt seat-linked skin woes, experts warn

MONDAY, Jan. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Harsh cleaning chemicals and wooden toilet seats -- especially those with varnishes and paints -- may be among the reasons why U.S. cases of toilet seat-related skin irritations among children appear to be increasing, researchers say.

Children can develop toilet seat dermatitis after repeated exposure to residue from harsh cleaning chemicals or after several uses of a wooden seat, said Dr. Bernard Cohen, director of pediatric dermatology at Johns Hopkins Children's Center, and colleagues.

The researchers analyzed five cases of toilet seat dermatitis among children in India and the United States, and report their findings in the February issue of the journal Pediatrics.

"Toilet seat dermatitis is one of those legendary conditions described in medical textbooks and seen in underdeveloped countries, but one that younger pediatricians have not come across in their daily practice," Cohen said in a Johns Hopkins news release. "If our small analysis is any indication of what's happening, we need to make sure the condition is on every pediatrician's radar."

The study found that missed and delayed diagnoses occurred in every case before a doctor made the correct diagnosis.

Any time a pediatrician sees a child with skin irritation around the buttocks or upper thighs, they should ask about toilet seats and cleansers used at home and at school, Cohen said.

Most cases of toilet seat dermatitis are mild and easy to treat with topical steroids. However, if not treated properly, the inflammation can persist and spread, causing painful and itchy skin eruptions and unnecessary discomfort for children and parents. Skin that's persistently irritated is vulnerable to bacteria and may lead to more serious infections that require treatment with oral antibiotics.

Cohen and his colleagues offered tips on how to prevent toilet seat dermatitis:

• Use paper toilet seat covers in public restrooms.
• Replace wooden toilet seats with plastic ones.
• Clean toilet seats and bowls daily.
• Don't use harsh cleansers, which often contain skin-irritating chemicals. Instead, use rubbing alcohol and hydrogen peroxide, which is effective and gentler on the skin.

More information

The U.S. National Library of Medicine has more about contact dermatitis.

-- Robert Preidt

SOURCE: Johns Hopkins Children's Center, news release, Jan. 25, 2010

Last Updated: Jan. 25, 2010

Copyright © 2010 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Female Teachers Pass on Math Anxieties

Female Teachers Pass on Math Anxieties
Girls in their classes performed worse and had stereotypical notions about boys' math prowess, study found

By Jennifer Thomas
HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, Jan. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Female elementary school teachers who are anxious about their math skills seem to pass on that lack of confidence to their female students, new research suggests. Girls in their classes more likely to believe that boys were better than girls at math. And at the end of the school year, girls in the classrooms of math-anxious teachers had lower achievement in math than boys. "The more anxious a teacher was, the more likely a girl was to believe boys are good at math and girls are good at reading, and the more likely she was to perform worse at math relative to boys and to girls who don't endorse the stereotype," said study author Sian Beilock, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Chicago. About 90 percent of the nation's elementary school teachers are female, according to the study in this week's issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Beilock and her colleagues assessed 17 first- and second-grade teachers' anxiety about math at the beginning of the school year. To gauge stereotypical notions, the students, including 52 boys and 65 girls, were told gender-neutral stories about students who were good at math or good at reading and asked to draw a picture of the student. At the beginning of the year, there was no relationship between teacher anxiety and the students' math abilities. In fact, there was no difference in math abilities between boys and girls. But toward the end of the school year, the higher a teacher's math anxiety, the lower the girls' math achievement. Teacher anxieties did not affect boys similarly. The study also found that the more anxious female teachers were about math, the more likely girls were to ascribe to the stereotype that "boys are good at math and girls are good at reading." Girls who believed that stereotype performed worse in math than boys overall -- and worse than girls who didn't ascribe to stereotype. Until recently, it was widely suspected that gender gaps in achievement in math and science had a biological basis, said Janet Shibley Hyde, a professor of psychology and women's studies at University of Wisconsin-Madison. Those notions have since been discredited. Research shows that on standardized tests, including state assessments required by the No Child Left Behind Act, female students do as well as males, Hyde said. One exception is the SAT used in college admissions, though the reasons for that are still being debated. Today, women receive 48 percent of bachelor's degrees in math, although only 30 percent of doctorates in mathematics go to women. Women are also still underrepresented in math-intensive occupations such as physics and engineering, Hyde said. Despite the narrowing achievement gap, research still indicates that girls remain less confident about their math abilities. "In general, gender differences are larger in math self-confidence than in math performance," Hyde said. The study authors said further research is needed to determine what's going on in elementary-school classrooms to cause girls to absorb their female teachers' fears about math, while boys don't. The teachers who were anxious about math didn't necessarily have any worse math skills than teachers who felt more comfortable with math, Beilock said. One possibility is that girls look up to and emulate the attitudes of their female elementary school teachers. Other research has shown that simply being aware of a stereotype can influence performance, Beilock said. Another possibility, though this study did not look for any evidence of it, is that teachers call on boys more for math problems or pay more attention to them during math lessons. Requiring would-be elementary school teachers to take higher level math courses while in college could help counteract the anxiety, Beilock said. Research has shown that elementary education majors have the highest rate of mathematics anxiety of any college major. No matter the underlying cause, teachers should be aware of how they present math lessons and interact with their female students, Beilock said. Girls' futures as engineers or physicists may depend on it. "If girls are getting teachers who are high in math anxiety, it may start to affect those girls' ability," Beilock said. "One could imagine this could have a snowball effect, making them feel less confident, less interested and less likely to pursue schooling in math or related areas." More information The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics has another perspective on the math gender gap. SOURCES: Sian Beilock, Ph.D., associate professor, psychology, University of Chicago; Janet Shibley Hyde, Ph.D., professor, psychology and women's studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Jan. 25-29, 2010, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Last Updated: Jan. 25, 2010 Copyright © 2010 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

olecule Discovery Might Help ALS Patients

Molecule Discovery Might Help ALS Patients
Finding in mouse study could lead to treatment for the disease, researchers say

THURSDAY, Dec. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers have identified a molecule that can reduce symptoms and prolong the life of mice with a type of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The molecule, called microRNA-206 (miR-206), is produced naturally by skeletal muscles in response to nerve damage caused by ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. The molecule acts as a chemical signal to guide new nerve endings and maintain their interactions with muscles. However, this research in mice suggests that miR-206 only works for a limited period of time. As nerves continue to die because of ALS, eventually surviving nerves can no longer compensate and symptoms such as muscle weakness begin to develop. "While miR-206 initially prompts nearby surviving nerves to send new branches to the muscles, it only delays the inevitable," study senior author Eric Olson, chairman of molecular biology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, said in a university news release. "Our findings correlate with the observation in ALS patients that the disease is nearly asymptomatic until a large fraction of motor neurons has died, at which point the few remaining ones can't compensate sufficiently," he explained. "These results provide a new perspective on the mechanisms of ALS. MiR-206 seems to sense nerve injury and promote regeneration." These findings may help in efforts to develop drugs to treat ALS. Currently there is no cure or treatment to slow progression of the disease, which causes muscle weakness, paralysis and death. "Because miR-206 only exists in skeletal muscle, a drug based on it might not affect other tissues. That limits its risk of side effects and is a key part of its appeal as a potential therapy," Olson added. The study appears in the Dec. 11 issue of the journal Science. More information The ALS Association has more about amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. -- Robert Preidt SOURCE: University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, news release, Dec. 10, 2009 Last Updated: Dec. 10, 2009 Copyright © 2009 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.

Small Cuts in Salt Intake Spur Big Drops in Heart Trouble

Small Cuts in Salt Intake Spur Big Drops in Heart Trouble
U.S. study found just 3 fewer grams a day slashed heart disease, death rates

By Amanda Gardner

HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Slashing salt intake by just 3 grams a day -- the equivalent of half a teaspoon -- could dramatically cut the incidence of heart disease and death in U.S. adults, researchers claim.

According to the authors of a study in the Jan. 20 online edition of the New England Journal of Medicine, the projected reductions would be similar to the benefits accruing from a 50 percent drop in the smoking rate and a 5 percent decline in body mass index among obese adults.

"There's no question that Americans eat too much salt," said Dr. Robert Eckel, a professor of medicine at the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine. "The idea of salt restriction and reducing blood pressure-related outcomes such as heart disease and stroke has been under consideration for some time. This group just simply took a map to it. The study certainly has scientific validity in terms of the importance of salt reduction for quality of life and longevity."

"Is everyone going to make the same change? Maybe not," said Karen Congro, director of the Wellness for Life Program at Brooklyn Hospital Center in New York City. "But even a small change would reduce the total number of strokes and heart attacks over time because the situation is so dire. It would also be beneficial to immediate health."

U.S. health agencies recommend that most adults limit their daily consumption of salt to less than 5.8 grams (2,300 milligrams [mg] of sodium), with 3.7 grams a day preferable.

The American Heart Association urges the average American to eat less than 2,300 mg of sodium daily, but also notes that older people, blacks and people with high blood pressure need to go even lower -- to under 1,500 mg per day.

Despite these recommendations, the average daily intake of salt is on the increase.

In 2005-2006, the study authors stated, men in the United States took in an average of 10.4 grams of salt a day and women consumed 7.3 grams a day, far more than the suggested limit.

Excess salt can cause or worsen high blood pressure and raises the risk for cardiovascular disease.

This is not the first time Americans' favorite dietary supplement has hit the news in recent days.

The New York City Health Department, under Mayor Michael Bloomberg, has announced that it is spearheading the "National Salt Reduction Initiative," which aims for a 20 percent reduction in salt consumption over five years.

The initiative is targeted primarily at restaurants and food manufacturers, which supply the gross majority of sodium in American diets.

Only about one-quarter of the salt in the U.S. diet comes directly from the kitchen table salt shaker.

The researchers, from the University of California, San Francisco, fed previously published data on heart disease in U.S. adults aged 35 to 84 into a computer model.

The model then predicted that the reduction of 3 grams of salt a day would cut the number of new cases of coronary heart disease each year by 60,000 to 120,000; stroke by 32,000 to 66,000 cases; and heart attacks by 54,000 to 99,000.

The annual number of deaths from any cause would be reduced by 44,000 to 92,000.

Limiting salt intake would be good for the fiscal diet as well, saving an estimated $10 billion to $24 billion in health care costs yearly, the paper found.

But if Americans cut even a mere 1 gram of salt from their meals and snacks every day, the effects would still be stunning, the authors stated: 20,000 to 40,000 fewer cases of coronary heart disease; 18,000 to 35,000 fewer heart attacks; 11,000 to 23,000 fewer strokes; and 15,000 to 32,000 fewer deaths.

Given that so much sodium comes from processed food, the authors urged a public health initiative to curb consumption.

More information

The American Heart Association has more on shaking your salt habit.

SOURCES: Robert Eckel, M.D., professor, medicine, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine; Karen Congro, R.D., director, Wellness for Life Program, The Brooklyn Hospital Center, New York City; Robert Frankel, M.D., director, interventional cardiology, Maimonides Medical Center, New York City; Jan. 20, 2010, New England Journal of Medicine, online

Last Updated: Jan. 20, 2010

HEALTHY LIFESTYLE TIPS

HEALTHY LIFESTYLE TIPS

Our approach to medicine is to treat disease rather than prevent it.

We focus on early detection in this country, rather than prevention.

A mammogram tells you that you have breast cancer. It doesn’t prevent it!

We Practice Reactionary Healthcare!

When we are sick, we then pay attention to our health.

When we get a toothache, we then go to the Dentist.

When our back hurts, we then go to the Chiropractor.

When we feel sick, we then go to the Doctor.

We want a quick fix, usually a pharmaceutical drug to reduce our symptoms. We continue our poor lifestyle habits until we get sick again and we return to the Doctor. Then we get more medicine until we have a shoebox filled with prescription drugs.

Every drug has a side effect. The fourth leading cause of death in this country last year was from improper use of medication. Most drugs do not cure disease; they treat the symptoms. Blood pressure medication controls blood pressure; it does not cure it.

We pay for these habits with poor health. The good news is that you can make changes that positively impact your health! You can prevent disease and even reverse existing damage by changing your behavior!

REDUCE STRESSFUL LIFESTYLES

Daily stress causes free-radical damage to your cells.

Be good to yourself. Slow down. Stop saying yes to everything. Set priorities. Get enough sleep. Have fun! Laugh! Take vacations. Read a book. Meditate. Get a massage.

Get your life in balance – family, good nutrition, exercise, work, home.

Remember: If you die prematurely, who will take care of your family?

BENEFITS OF EXERCISING

· Lowers blood pressure.

· Lowers cholesterol.

· Lowers resting heart rate and improves circulation.

· Lowers insulin requirements.

· Improves sense of well-being (mood).

· Improves quality of sleep.

· Improves appetite control.

· Improves calcium storage and bone density.

· Increases energy, endurance, flexibility, and muscle strength.

· Reduces the risk of the severity of chronic illness.

· Strengthens the immune system reducing the risk of illness.

· Burns excess calories and makes for a trimmer physique

JAMA, Feb 1; 273950 402-404; Consumer Reports on Health, July 1993, p69; Shepard, R.J., Sheck P.N. 1995; Tufts Univ., 1995, p4-5

MAKE DRINKING WATER A PRIORITY

60-70% of your total body weight is made up of water.

Water is the liquid that the body needs to hydrate itself and eliminate its own cellular waste.

Water cleanses the body and reduces constipation. (Laxative sales exceed $4 billion annually.) Everyone should consume a little less than half his or her body weight in pounds, in ounces of filtered water. (A 120 lb. Woman should drink approximately 50 ounces of filtered water daily.) Suggestion: carry a bottle of filtered water with you everywhere. Keep a bottle on your desk, next to your bed, in your car, and by your side while you exercise!

Filtered water should be our first beverage of choice. Our municipals do an excellent job of removing bacteria from our water, but they have to use Chlorine. Chlorine is not good for our bodies. Chlorine is a known carcinogen that kills the good bacteria in your intestines. Chlorine has been linked to cancer and miscarriages. NSA, the company that makes Juice Plus+, also makes excellent, economical water filters.

REDUCE AIR POLLUTION IN YOUR HOME OR OFFICE

· We suffer from indoor air pollution, because our homes and offices are so well insulated.

· The average adult breathes in one tablespoon of dust daily!

Solution: NSA makes excellent Air Filtration Systems.

REDUCE CONSUMPTION OF THE FIVE (5) WHITE POISONS

(1) MILK/DAIRY

Is it truly good for you? Famous Actors and Athletes say it is. BUT IS IT REALLY? YOU need to decide, based on the following facts and your common sense (Milk- Is it Truly Good for You? By Neal Barnard, M.D, taken from the Physicians Committee for responsible Health: Printed November, 1998 Bottomline/Health).

Humans are the only mammals who drink milk after infancy.

We are the only creatures that drink from another animal.

Pasteurizing destroys 95% of the protein in milk turning it to glue called Casein (that’s why there is a picture of a cow on a bottle of Elmer’s Glue). Casein is the GLUE used to hold furniture together.

Dr. Frank Oski, former Chief of Pediatrics at Johns Hopkins University Hospital called Casein the etiology of violent allergic reactions in greater than 50% of ALL children. For more info on why not to drink milk, click www.notmilk.com.

Cancer:

Galactose, a sugar found in milk has been linked to Ovarian Cancer:

Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) is found in milk and has been linked to breast, kidney and prostate cancer. In a study published recently in the journal Science, Harvard researchers found that men with high levels of IGF-1 in their blood were four times more likely than men with low levels to develop Prostrate Cancer. The possibility that IGF-1 is carcinogenic is especially alarming, because many dairy cattle are now being treated with Bovine Growth Hormone (BGH) to boost their milk production. Milk from BGH-treated cattle has twice as much IGF-1 as milk from untreated cattle. Bovine Growth Hormone is banned in Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. TRAP: Milk producers are not required to indicate on package labels whether the cows were treated with BGH.

Osteoporosis:

Many women drink milk because they think the calcium it contains will reduce their risk for Osteoporosis, but there is growing doubt that milk really does protect the bones. We consume more milk and Calcium supplements (most are made from oyster shells) than any other country in the world, because we think the calcium it contains will reduce the risk of Osteoporosis.

If this were true, why do we have the highest rate of Osteoporosis in the world?

The ongoing Harvard Nurses’ Health Study of 78,000 women has found that women who drink three glasses of milk per day are no less likely to develop Osteoporosis than women who drank no milk at all.

Diabetes:

More than 90 studies have implicated milk as a major cause in juvenile (Type 1) Diabetes. This disease strikes one in every 500 children. It is life-long and life threatening. In a 1992 study published in The New England Journal of Medicine, University of Toronto researchers found that diabetic children had six times more antibodies to bovine albumin (a milk protein) in their blood than non-diabetic children did.

Conclusion: Cow's milk is for baby cows.

Going Milk-Free

Given the potential health risks associated with milk, it may be prudent to get your calcium from beans and green leafy vegetables like broccoli, kale, collard greens, mustard greens, spinach.

Note: 3.5 ounces of raw almonds has 234 mg. of calcium. Three or four daily servings of beans and/or leafy greens provide more than enough calcium for most people. To ensure you get enough, you can add calcium-fortified orange juice to your diet.

If you love milk and cannot imagine giving it up, consider switching to calcium-fortified soymilk or rice milk. Neither tastes exactly like cow’s milk, but many people like it. Try different brands until you find one you like best. Use it in cereal, coffee and in your Juice PLUS+ Complete smoothie.

(2) SUGAR (including all refined sweeteners such as corn syrup, sucrose, etc.)

6 teaspoons of sugar will decrease your immune function by 25%

10 teaspoons of sugar will decrease your immune function by 50%

24 teaspoons of sugar decreases your immune function by 92%

The amount of sugar in an average candy bar and a soft drink is enough to suppress the immune system for up to six hours.

The average American child consumes approximately ¾ lb. (340 grams) of sugar daily! That equals 5lbs a week!

When you reward your children with sweets, you are loving them to death.

Sugar goes from your lips to your hips! Have you ever seen what 5lbs of fat looks like?

Cancer thrives on sugar. At the University of Buffalo, researchers have discovered that excess sugar in the bloodstream can cause free-radicals to form.

What’s in a can of Coke? Club soda, caramel color, 35mg of sodium, caffeine, phosphoric acid, citric acid, 41 grams of sugar (approximately 12 packets of sugar). The phosphoric acid in a coke has a Ph of 2.8; that’s enough to dissolve a nail or a t-bone steak in four to five days!

(3) ASPARTAME (or any artificial sweetener)

Nutrasweet, Equal, and Sweet-n-Low are potentially harmful sugar substitutes. Diet soda, sugar-free gum, and mints contain some form of Aspartame. When the temperature of Aspartame reaches 86°F, the wood alcohol in Aspartame converts to Formaldehyde and then to Formic Acid, which in turn causes metabolic acidosis.

According to Russell Blaylock, M.D. consumption of artificial sweeteners has been linked to neurological diseases such as Huntington's, ALS, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Multiple Sclerosis, and Systemic Lupus.

(4) WHITE FLOUR

White Flour is bleached. All of the nutrients are destroyed in the bleaching process. There is no fiber in white flour. All foods made with white flour are refined carbohydrates that have no nutritional value. Some examples of refined carbohydrates are: white bread, pasta, white rice, cookies, and cakes.

Better food choices are Complex Carbohydrates

Some examples of complex carbohydrates are: Fruits, vegetables, beans, oatmeal, sprouted whole grain breads, whole-wheat pasta and brown rice.

(5) SALT

Most salt is mined and refined, removing the more than 70 different naturally occurring minerals like iodine. Natural Sea Salt contains all of these minerals as they occur in seawater. Commercially refined salt uses chemicals and extremely high temperatures to remove the naturally occurring minerals in salt. This process reduces it to pure sodium chloride. 75% of the sodium we consume comes from processed foods.

To reduce sodium in your diet, try to eat more foods that are not processed like: Fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, and raw nuts. If you have to buy some processed foods, please read the label for sodium content.

Note: a cup of a popular brand of chicken noodle soup contains 1,169mg of sodium. MSG is another harmful excitotoxin, which is added to processed foods. An excitotoxin is a food additive that in excess can cause nerve cells to fire up so rapidly that they self-destruct.

CHOOSE GOOD FATS OVER BAD FATS

There are good fats and bad fats. Some examples of bad fats are: soybean oil, sunflower oil, corn oil, safflower oil, and most animal fats. Hydrogenated oils are found in almost al cookies, crackers, pastries, cakes, potato chips and flavored coffee creamers. These bad fats are omega 6 fats. Americans have way too many of them in their diets. Omega 6 fats suppress your immune system and clog your arteries.

GOOD FATS

Ground flaxseeds are high in Omega 3 fats. Our body does not produce these fats so we have to get them from our diet. Omega 3 fats enhance our immune system. Other foods containing Omega 3 fats are: Sea vegetables, raw walnuts, mangos, raw pumpkin seeds, avocados, free-range chickens, and organic free-range eggs.

Free-range eggs have a ratio of 1 Omega 6 fat to 1 Omega 3 fat. This is the perfect ratio. Store bought eggs have a ratio of 17 Omega 6 fats to 1 Omega 3 fats. It is strongly suggested to buy organic free-range eggs.

Note: Juice Plus+ Complete Shake contains sea vegetables and it takes delicious! You can add ground flaxseeds to your shake!

*Cold Pressed Olive Oil and Canola Oil can be used on your food. Keep these refrigerated. Pour oil on food after it is cooked. Heating any oil destroys its good properties.

Do you know what the most consumed foods in the U.S. are?

1. White Bread 2. Coffee 3. Hot Dogs (25 million per year)

People eat a total of 4 lbs of food per day - 16 teaspoons of fat - 32 teaspoons of sugar.

CONSUME WHOLE FOODS

Many foods contain pesticides, herbicides, chemicals, food additives, food coloring, preservatives, salt and sugar. These all put oxidative stress on your cells. The only way to neutralize them is to incorporate antioxidants into your diet. The only place to get them is from raw fruits and vegetables. It's called the Rainbow Diet. Fruits and vegetables contain phytochemicals. These are plant compounds from which they derive vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

Each color in fruits and vegetables represents a different phytochemical. This is why it is so important to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables everyday!

An easy way to increase your variety of fresh, raw, fruits and vegetables is to take Juice Plus+ capsules. There are also Juice Plus+ chewables and gummies for children. Juice Plus+ contains: 17 fruits and vegetables, barley, and oats. Fruits and vegetables contain all of the nutrients known and unknown to man in the balanced form that nature intended.

The National Cancer Institute

The American Medical Association

The American Cancer Society

The American Diabetes Association

All of these medical organizations state… the risk of Cancer, Heart Disease, and Stroke are reduced by 50% or more by consuming 7-9 servings of fruits, vegetables, and grains everyday.

Tip for washing Fruits and Vegetables

Soak fruits and vegetables in a sink of water to which 1 tablespoon of sodium chloride (non-iodized table salt) has been added for a couple of minutes. This will remove surface bacteria and pesticides. Rinse with water.

Sources: Food Smart: A Nutritional Atlas by: Dr. Laura Pawlak

Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills by: Russell Blaylock, M.D.

I Haven't Got Time for the Pain (audiotape) by: Russell Blaylock, M.D.

The Basic Nutrition Textbook by: Dr. Pam Popper

Breast Cancer: The Diet Connection (video) by: Susan Silberstein, Ph.D. Director of the Center for Advancement in Cancer Education

The Dairy Education Board: Robert Cohen (see other references on pages 2)

Milk: Is it truly good for you? By Dr. Neal Barnard

The Recipe for Better Health is Simple (Juice Plus+ pamphlet)

If you have any questions, you can reach me at:

Best of Health!

50 Ideas for a Healthy Lifestyle that take 10 Minutes or Less

What is a Healthy Lifestyle?

According to a study by Michigan State University, a healthy lifestyle is defined by four basic criteria:

• Not smoking


• Holding weight down
  


• Eating right
  


• Exercising

Of the 153,000 respondents, only 3% participated in all four of what are termed healthy lifestyle characteristics.

“We have millions of people now going through adult life leading unhealthy lifestyles and a medical system that can treat illnesses and keep you alive longer than ever before,” said Mathew Reeves, a Michigan State University epidemiologist. “If we don’t turn this around, the costs to society are going to be crippling.”

What can be done to help people change?

Everyone talks about achieving it, but most people have plenty of excuses as to why they can’t, won’t, or don’t want to change their current status. The most common excuse people make for not trying to have a healthy lifestyle is “a lack of time.” Have you ever said to yourself, “Oh, I’m tired, I don’t have time to exercise?” or “I don’t feel like cooking dinner tonight; let’s just get some fast food.”

Yes Dorothy, excuses are real and they are contagious.

Time and health always seem to be at odds with each other. We have time to work, time to commute, time for our business associates, but very little time to spend on ourselves, people we love, or even random people who deserve our attention.

What can you do in 10 minutes or less?

More than you think. In a brief 10 minute window you can release tension, prevent future frustrations, get your blood flowing, etc. In fact, here are 50 things you can do. With time out as an excuse, what are you going to begin doing differently tomorrow? I don't care what it is, the point is, just do something!

Here are some ideas. If you have other thoughts, leave them in the comments!

1. Brush your teeth


2. Do 15 sit-ups


3. Read the health news headlines of the day


4. Straighten your posture


5. Eat an apple


6. Stand up and stretch


7. Send a friendly email to a friend


8. Resist the impulse purchase of a candy bar


9. Post an inspirational quote on Twitter


10. Do 10 lunges


11. Drink a glass of water


12. Smile


13. Put a package of oatmeal in your pocket or purse for a healthy breakfast or snack


14. Throw a bottle of water in there as well


15. Plug your cell phone into the charger


16. Pay a bill online


17. Ask to have your salad dressing on the side


18. Start a dollar jar to be added to once per day


19. Open a window


20. Say thank you to someone who deserves it


21. Take a deep breath


22. Put on your seat belt


23. Wake up 10 minutes earlier


24. Post a comment on a blog


25. Turn off the lights when you’re the last one out


26. Put on your make-up (this usually pertains to the ladies, but hey, whatever makes you happy)


27. Share a healthy recipe


28. Give your mother a call


29. Wash your hands


30. Put on hand lotion


31. Check your blood pressure


32. Jog in place for 9 minutes


33. Throw away that pen that doesn’t work


34. Take a canvas tote bag to the grocery store


35. Ask a friend to join you for a healthy dinner


36. Put down the remote control and get up to change the TV channel


37. Hug your kids


38. Replace your next cup of coffee with a cup of tea


39. Lay out your clothes for the next day


40. Put your car keys in the same place everyday


41. Take a 10 minute break


42. Suck on a breath mint


43. Add a little pepper to your salad


44. Load the dishwasher


45. Play FreeRice for 5 minutes


46. Take a quick walk


47. Prepare your coffee maker the night before


48. Skip your late evening grocery store run


49. While watching TV, do 5 push-ups during the commercial


50. Read this list over again and count how many things pertain to you

These things take no time at all but they all could ensure a positive day and a healthier lifestyle. How many of these do you or can you do in a day? What other things can you add to the list?

Whatever you choose to do, make your day healthier and happier. If you can, do the same for someone else too, because, after all, it’s about a healthy lifestyle!