Hispanic Health News

CDC Finds Many Public Pools Contaminated with Human Waste

2013-05-17T12:13:25+00:00

Agency offers clear advice to help you avoid infections. There are few things more inviting than a cool, clear pool on a hot summer day. But a new federal report will have you thinking twice before dipping a toe in the water. Fifty-eight percent of pool filter samples taken from Atlanta area pools last summer contained E. coli, a bacteria found in human feces. The report is a sign that swimmers often contaminate pool water when they have a “fecal incident” in the water, or when human waste washes off their bodies because they don’t shower thoroughly before hitting the water, according to the report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And while the study only focused on pools in the Atlanta region, the researchers said it’s likely that fecal contamination from swimmers is a problem in public pools throughout the country. The study did not look at water parks, residential pools or other types of recreational water. “Swimming is an excellent way to get the physical activity needed to stay healthy,” Michele Hlavsa, chief of the CDC’s Healthy Swimming Program, said in an agency news release. “However, pool users should be aware of how to prevent infections while swimming. “Remember,” she added, “chlorine and other disinfectants don’t kill germs instantly. That’s why it’s important for swimmers to protect themselves by not swallowing the water they swim in and to protect others by keeping feces and germs out of the pool by taking a pre-swim shower and not swimming when ill with diarrhea. The CDC says all swimmers should take the following steps to keep feces out of pools and to prevent infections: Don’t swim if you have diarrhea. Shower with soap before swimming. Take a rinse shower before getting back in the water. Go to the bathroom every 60 minutes. Wash your hands with soap after using the toilet or changing diapers. Don’t swallow the water you swim in. Parents of young children should take the following steps: Take children on bathroom breaks every 60 minutes or check diapers every 30 to 60 minutes. Change diapers in the bathroom or diaper-changing area and not at poolside where germs can rinse into the water. Dr. Robert Glatter, an emergency medicine physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, said the new study “highlights the importance of practicing good hygiene anytime we swim in a pool, since the potential for contamination with fecal organisms, which could lead to severe diarrheal illnesses, remains an ever present concern. “From a public health standpoint,” he added, “it is especially important for people to avoid swimming when they have diarrhea, as other swimmers could swallow germ-laden water and potentially become ill. The study reveals a “true public health concern, and reinforces the need to practice safe and effective swim hygiene as the summer approaches,” Glattner said. The study appears in the May 17 issue of the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Its release is timed in advance of Recreational Water Illness and Injury Prevention Week, May 20-26. The goal of the prevention week is to “raise awareness about healthy swimming, including ways to prevent recreational water illnesses (RWIs). Germs that cause RWIs are spread by swallowing, breathing in the mists or aerosols from, or having contact with contaminated water in swimming pools, water parks, hot tubs, interactive fountains, water play areas, lakes, rivers, or oceans,” according to the CDC. More information For more on healthy swimming visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Weight Gain in Both Men & Women Possibly Caused by Gene Variations

2013-05-16T12:13:01+00:00

People with specific ‘polymorphisms’ were more likely to put on pounds in 10-year study. Weight gain in men and women is predicted by two different genetic variations—so-called polymorphisms, according to a new study from the Netherlands. Men with a certain mutation of the FTO gene had an 87 percent greater risk for gaining weight over 10 years. Meanwhile, women with a different variation on the MMP2 gene had a two and a half times increased risk for weight gain over the course of a decade, the researchers found. The research involved two groups of people: The first group, which consisted of 259 people, maintained a stable weight; the second group consisted of 237 people who were considered weight gainers. These participants gained about 17 pounds over 10 years. Starting body-mass index—a measurement of body fat based on a person’s ratio of height to weight—for the participants ranged from normal to obese. Participants were between 20 and 45 years old when the study began. The research, led by Freek Bouwman, from Maastricht University, and Dr. Jolanda Boer, from the Netherlands’ National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, focused on several different polymorphisms associated with weight gain in previous studies. The genetic distribution of a particular FTO polymorphism in men was consistently different between the weight-stable group and the weigh-gainer group, the study revealed, according to a news release from the European Congress on Obesity. Similarly, among the women, the genetic distribution of the MMP2 polymorphism varied between those considered weight stable and those in the weight-gainer group. “We found that FTO in men and MMP2 in women are predictors for weight gain over a 10-year follow-up period,” the study authors wrote. They suggested that more research into these polymorphisms could help determine who is at greatest risk for weight gain and improve weight-control strategies. They said differences in male and female hormone levels also could play a role in weight regulation. The study was presented Tuesday at the European Congress on Obesity in Liverpool, England. Findings presented at medical meetings should be viewed as preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal. More information The U.S. National Library of Medicine provides more information on polymorphisms.

Living Near Heavy Traffic May Harm Kidney Function

2013-05-15T12:13:16+00:00

Polluted air can lower organ’s filtering ability, new research suggests. Living near a major road may result in reduced kidney function, which could, in turn, increase people’s risk for heart attack and stroke, according to a new study. The study, published online May 13 in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, involved more than 1,100 adults who were admitted to a Boston-area hospital after suffering a stroke between 1999 and 2004. Half of the participants lived within three-fifths of a mile of a major road. The rest lived up to six miles away. Each patient underwent two tests to measure how well their kidneys were working. First, a blood test assessed their level of creatinine, a byproduct of muscle metabolism. Their glomerular filtration rate, which shows how well creatinine is filtered out of the body by the kidneys, also was analyzed. A low filtration rate indicates worse kidney function. Patients who lived closest to a busy road had the lowest glomerular filtration rate, after their age, sex, race, smoking status, and previous treatment for heart disease or other underlying conditions were taken into account, according to a journal news release. Although the study tied living near heavy traffic to possible harm to kidney function, it did not establish a cause-and-effect relationship. “If causal, these results imply that exposures associated with living near a major roadway contribute to reduced renal function, an important risk factor for cardiovascular events,” wrote Dr. Murray Mittleman, of the cardiovascular epidemiology research unit at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, and colleagues. Pollution caused by traffic can lead to the accumulation of arterial plaque and changes to peripheral arteries, the researchers said. The kidneys are very susceptible to the build-up of arterial plaque, they added. Impaired kidney function is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Therefore, the researchers suggested, living near a roadway with heavy traffic could contribute to negative effects of air pollution on heart health. The authors estimated that living very close to a major road was associated with a 4 percent higher rate of cardiovascular death and a 1 percent greater risk of death from any cause compared to the risk of people living at least a few miles away. “There is growing evidence that living near major roadways contributes to the incidence of vascular disease, and adverse prognosis among patients with prevalent cardiovascular disease,” the researchers wrote. More information The World Health Organization has more about air quality and health.

Survey: Almost 1/2 of High Schoolers Text and Drive

2013-05-14T12:13:46+00:00

Those teens also more prone to drunk driving, results show. Close to half of U.S high school students text while driving, a habit that dramatically increases their risk of getting into a potentially fatal car crash, a new study shows. Teens who reported texting while driving were more likely to engage in other risky driving behaviors such as driving under the influence of alcohol or not wearing a seat belt, the study also found. The research was published online May 13 and in the June print issue of the journal Pediatrics. Researchers used responses from more than 8,500 high school students 16 and older who were asked if they had texted while driving during the past month, as part of a 2011 national survey on risky youth behavior. Overall, 44.5 percent of teens said they had done so on one or more days. One in four texted while driving on a daily basis, the study showed. The older the students, the more likely they were to text and drive. Male high school students texted while driving more often than female students. “The numbers are fairly concerning,” said study author Emily O’Malley Olsen, a health statistician in the department of adolescent and school health at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “It just takes a second of looking away from the road to get into trouble.” Some of the onus falls on parents and pediatricians to counsel teens on the dangers of texting while behind the wheel, she suggested. “Teens are pretty new drivers and less able to recognize hazardous driving situations and they tend to perceive risk a little bit differently than adults,” Olsen said. “Parents should monitor their kids and have frequent discussions about things that can come up while driving such as texting, playing with the radio or playing around with their buddies.” Other experts stressed the importance of making sure teens get the message that texting while driving can have deadly consequences. “It may not seem as bad as driving while using alcohol or drugs, but texting while driving can be very detrimental to a person’s health—killing them or causing severe injuries,” said Dr. Metee Comkornruecha, an adolescent medicine specialist at Miami Children’s Hospital. He said he plans to continue to bring up the dangers associated with texting behind the wheel with his teen patients, especially since this behavior is linked to other risky behaviors while driving. “Motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause of death in teens,” he said. Dr. Lee Beers, a pediatrician at Children’s National Medical Center, in Washington, D.C., said the findings are not surprising, but agreed that they are very concerning. “The association of texting while driving with other risk behaviors tells us that we probably need to approach this more globally,” she said. Getting through to teens who often feel like they are invincible can be challenging. “The most effective way is to make it real and immediate to teens is by citing an example of someone in the community or school who died or was seriously injured as a result of texting while driving,” Beers said. More information Learn more about how to encourage safe teen driving at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

STUDY: Eating Peppers Tied to Lower Parkinson’s Risk

2013-05-10T12:13:47+00:00

Vegetables that contain nicotine may offer some protection, research suggests. Eating vegetables that naturally contain nicotine, such as peppers and tomatoes, may reduce your risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, according to a new study. Previous research has found that smoking and other types of tobacco use are associated with a lower risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, and it is believed that nicotine provides the protective effect. Tobacco belongs to a plant family called Solanaceae and some plants in this family are edible sources of nicotine. This new study included nearly 500 people who were newly diagnosed with Parkinson’s and another 650 unrelated people who did not have the neurological disorder, which is typically marked by tremors and other movement problems. The study participants provided information about their tobacco use and diets. In general, vegetable consumption had no effect on Parkinson’s risk. The more vegetables from the Solanaceae plant family that people ate, however, the lower their risk of Parkinson’s disease. This association was strongest for peppers, according to the study, which was published May 9 in the journal Annals of Neurology. The apparent protection offered by Solanaceae vegetables occurred mainly in people with little or no prior use of tobacco, which contains much more nicotine than the foods included in the study. “Our study is the first to investigate dietary nicotine and risk of developing Parkinson’s disease,” Dr. Susan Searles Nielsen, of the University of Washington in Seattle, said in a journal news release. “Similar to the many studies that indicate tobacco use might reduce risk of Parkinson’s, our findings also suggest a protective effect from nicotine, or perhaps a similar but less toxic chemical in peppers and tobacco.” Nielsen and her colleagues recommended further studies to confirm and extend their findings, which could lead to ways to prevent Parkinson’s disease. Although the study found an association between consumption of certain nicotine-containing foods and lower risk of Parkinson’s, it could not prove a cause-and-effect relationship. Still, one Parkinson’s expert called the study “intriguing.” “It provides further evidence of how diet can influence our susceptibility to neurological disease—specifically Parkinson’s disease,” said Dr. Kelly Changizi, co-director of the Center for Neuromodulation at the Mount Sinai Parkinson and Movement Disorders Center in New York City. “Patients often ask what role nutrition plays in their disease, so it’s very interesting that nicotine in vegetables such as peppers may be neuroprotective.” Another expert said more research into the role of nicotine in Parkinson’s disease is already underway. “The observation that cigarette smokers have a reduced risk for Parkinson’s disease has long been known, and has raised the idea that nicotine may reduce the risk for [the illness],” said Dr. Andrew Feigin, who is investigating the illness at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research in Manhasset, N.Y. “A nicotine skin patch is currently being tested in patients with early Parkinson’s disease,” he said. The illness occurs due to a loss of brain cells that produce a chemical messenger called dopamine. The symptoms of the disease include loss of balance, slower movement and tremors and stiffness in the face and limbs. There is currently no cure for the disorder. Nearly 1 million Americans—and 10 million people worldwide—have Parkinson’s, according to the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation. More information The U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke has more about Parkinson’s disease.

Tips for a Safe Prom

2013-05-09T12:10:37+00:00

Avoid crash dieting, drinking Prom can be an unforgettable experience for many teens, who have been planning for the big night for months. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers these suggestions for enjoying a safe and healthy prom: - If you want to lose weight, leave enough time to lose it slowly by exercising regularly and eating well. - If you’re using new cosmetics or hair products, read labels and try them before prom night. - Wear comfortable shoes and clothes. - Don’t stress yourself out about the prom’s cost. - Don’t drink alcohol, and don’t get into a car with anyone who has been drinking. - Say “no” to smoking, sex and drugs. - Always wear a seat belt in the car. - Make sure your guardians know where you will be at all times on prom night.

Gov’t Honors Demi Lovato for Work as Youth Mentor

2013-05-08T15:13:28+00:00

Today, chart-dominating singer, songwriter, and actress Demi Lovato was recognized by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for her work as a mentor to young adults with mental health and substance use challenges. Lovato received the award from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius at the National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day press briefing, held at the University of the District of Columbia Community College in Washington, D.C. “Every young person faces challenges as they work toward becoming an independent adult, and for those with mental health challenges, it can be even more of a struggle,” said Lovato. “I want those young adults to know that your life has meaning and you can reach out to someone you trust for support and overcome any challenges in your life.” At the press briefing, Secretary Kathleen Sebelius discussed new data reports being released during Mental Health Awareness Month, including the first-ever Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report supplement on children’s mental health from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She also announced a State Informational Bulletin from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services describing effective services for children and youth with serious mental health conditions and encouraging the use of services such as respite care, parent support providers, and intensive wraparound care coordination. In celebration of Awareness Day, SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde announced the release of a new SAMHSA publication, Promoting Recovery and Independence for Older Adolescents and Young Adults Who Experience Serious Mental Health Challenges, which provides information about how community-based programs are improving the lives of youth and young adults with mental health and substance use challenges. “We applaud Ms. Lovato for her willingness to speak out about her experiences in support of youth and young adults with behavioral health challenges,” said Hyde. “This type of support, coupled with effective community-based programs for these youth and young adults can help them overcome any challenges and go on to live healthy, fulfilled lives.” The briefing served as a launch for SAMHSA’s Awareness Day that includes events and activities in more than 1,100 communities and more than 135 public and private organizations. As part of the launch activities, SAMHSA will premiere the Awareness Day virtual event today at 3 p.m. EDT on http://www.samhsa.gov/children as part of its Awareness Day celebrations. The virtual event features a message from Lovato to young adults, in addition to stories from young adults from across the country who have overcome challenges and demonstrated resilience after achieving social connectedness in housing, education, employment, or in accessing health care services. For more information about Awareness Day, new publications, and to view the Webcast of the press briefing and the virtual event, visit http://www.samhsa.gov/children.

Docs Should Ask Heart Patients About Quality of Life

2013-05-08T12:12:59+00:00

Surveys reveal how well people are doing mentally, physically, experts say. Completing quality-of-life surveys at a doctor’s office could help heart disease patients live longer and have better lives, according to a new statement from the American Heart Association. The statement urged doctors to use these surveys to assess patients’ heart health. The surveys reveal the impact of heart disease on patients, including their symptoms, quality of life, and ability to function physically and mentally. Quality-of-life surveys can also help predict future events such as heart attack, hospitalization, costs of care and death, according to the statement published May 6 in the journal Circulation. “Ultimately, efforts to improve the health care system will only be successful if they translate into better patient outcomes—not just longevity, but also how well patients live,” statement lead author Dr. John Rumsfeld said in an AHA news release. “This statement recommends increasing the standardized measurement of patient health status—so we can better understand, monitor and minimize the burden of disease on patients’ lives,” he explained. Researchers have successfully used patient surveys in clinical trials and other studies, they but aren’t used enough in routine health care, according to Rumsfeld, national director of cardiology for the U.S. Veterans Health Administration and a professor of medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, in Denver. He suggested that doctors should have patients complete health status surveys during their routine visits in order to assess their heart health. Along with changes in physical health that might indicate an increased risk for serious problems or death, surveys can help reveal depression, which is common among heart disease patients and can significantly worsen their heart health. “Identification and treatment of depression in cardiovascular patients can improve their quality of life,” Rumsfeld said in the news release. More information The U.S. National Institutes of Health outlines steps you can take to reduce heart risks.

Blacks May Have Higher Risk of MS Than Whites, Hispanics Lower

2013-05-07T12:13:34+00:00

Study finding contradicts common belief that the opposite is true. Black Americans may be at higher risk for multiple sclerosis than whites, according to study findings that contradict a widely held belief that blacks are less likely to develop the neurological disease. The theory that blacks are less likely to develop multiple sclerosis (MS) than whites was based on faulty evidence, the study authors said. For the new study, the researchers examined three years of data from more than 3.5 million members of the Kaiser Permanente Southern California health plan and identified 496 people who were diagnosed with MS during that time. The investigators found that blacks had a 47 percent increased risk of MS compared with whites, while Hispanics and Asians had a 58 percent and 80 percent lower risk than whites. The higher risk in blacks was seen only in women, while the lower risk for Hispanics and Asians was seen in both sexes. Black women had triple the risk of MS that black men did, the findings showed. Blacks accounted for 21 percent of the patients diagnosed with MS, but made up only 10 percent of the total number of patients in the study. Among the other groups: whites made up 52 percent of those with MS and 38 percent of the study population; Hispanics made up 23 percent of those with MS, and 40 percent of the study population; Asians accounted for 3 percent of those with MS, and 9 percent of the study population, according to the study in the May 7 issue of the journal Neurology. “One explanation for our findings is that people with darker skin tones have lower vitamin D levels and, ultimately, an increased risk, but this would not explain why Hispanics and Asians have a lower risk than [whites],” study author Dr. Annette Langer-Gould, of the Kaiser Permanente Southern California department of research & evaluation, said in a journal news release. “About 19,000 people per year, or 250 people per week, will be diagnosed with MS in the U.S. alone. These numbers highlight the need for more minorities to be included in MS studies, so that we can fully understand how race may play a role in developing the disease,” she added. More information The U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke has more about multiple sclerosis.

Testicular Cancer on Rise in U.S., Especially Among Hispanic Men

2013-05-04T12:13:54+00:00

Study finds slow, steady increase, but experts say condition remains uncommon. The number of testicular cancer cases continues to climb slowly but steadily in the United States, according to new research. While the cancer is still most common among white males, the greatest increase is among Hispanic men, according to Dr. Scott Eggener, an associate professor of surgery at the University of Chicago. Eggener tracked the statistics on testicular cancer from 1992 through 2009, looking at data from a nationwide epidemiology database. “The incidence of testicular cancer appears to be increasing very slowly but steadily among virtually all groups that we studied,” he said. “The novel finding is that the most dramatic increase is in Hispanic men.” Eggener can’t explain the increase. He is due to present his findings Monday at the annual meeting of the American Urological Association, in San Diego. The data and conclusions should be viewed as preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal. The U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases supported the study. Testicular cancer is known as a young man’s cancer, as half of the cases affect men aged 20 to 34, according to the American Cancer Society. However, older men can also be affected. This year, the American Cancer Society expects 7,920 new cases of testicular cancer in the United States. About 370 men are expected to die of it. “It still remains an uncommon cancer,” said Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, deputy chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society. He reviewed the new findings. “It’s important that we become aware of the situation [of rising numbers of cases], but not become alarmed by it.” Hispanic men, he noted, still have a lower rate of the cancer than do white men. In his study, Eggener found that the incidence of testicular cancer rose from 1992 through 2009. In 1992, for instance, 5.7 of every 100,000 men had testicular cancer. By 2009, that number had risen to 6.8 men for every 100,000. Hispanic men had the largest annual percentage increase. In 1992, four of every 100,000 Hispanic men were affected. By 2009, it was 6.3 men of every 100,000, the investigators found. For men affected, the outlook is generally good, experts agreed. “It has the highest survival rate of any solid tumor,” Eggener said. The overall five-year survival rate, he noted, is 95 percent or higher. Symptoms can include a painless lump on a testicle, an enlarged testicle or an achy feeling in the lower belly. Few risk factors have been identified. One known risk factor is having an undescended testicle—one that does not move down into the scrotum at birth. In the United States, those born with an undescended testicle commonly have corrective surgery, Eggener said. Currently, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, a national panel of experts, does not recommend routine testicular self-exams. It concludes that screenings performed by health care providers or men ‘‘are unlikely to provide meaningful health benefits because of the low incidence and high survival rate of testicular cancer, even when it is detected at symptomatic stages.” Nor does the cancer society recommend routine monthly self-exams, Lichtenfeld said. “Clearly the task force has looked at this very carefully and they recommend not doing testicular self-exam or any form of screening for testicular cancer.’‘ According to the cancer society, testicular exam should be part of a routine exam by a health care provider, Lichtenfeld said. It’s important for men to pay attention to any changes in their testicles, he said. “If a man notices a lump or a change, he should go see his doctor,” Lichtenfeld said. “We have had a significant improvement in the treatment of this cancer.” More information To learn more about testicular cancer, visit the American Cancer Society.

Toxic Metals Found in Lipsticks and Glosses

2013-05-03T12:13:04+00:00

Children should not play with these products, researcher says. Lipsticks and lip glosses apparently give you more than colorful kissers, according to a new study by California scientists that contends the products contain lead, cadmium, chromium, aluminum and five other toxic metals. The research team tested 32 different lip glosses and lipsticks commonly sold at drug and department stores. Some metals were detected at levels that could raise potential health concerns, the researchers said. “Lipsticks and lip glosses often have levels of toxic metals which approach or exceed acceptable daily doses based on public health guidelines,” said researcher Katharine Hammond, a professor of environmental health sciences at the University of California, Berkeley. Hammond declined to name brands tested. “I would treat these results as applicable to all lipsticks,” she said. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, however, does list the lead content of many lipsticks by brand on its website. In the new study, lead was found in 24 of the 32 products, but at a concentration usually lower than the acceptable daily intake levels. “At an average level of use, it’s not likely to be an issue,” Hammond said. She added that she’s concerned, however, about children playing with makeup, as no level of lead exposure is considered safe for them. Heavy adult users might consider cutting down, she added. In the study, certain colors were not more likely than others to have the toxic metals, Hammond said. Nor were glosses more likely to have them than lipsticks, or vice versa. The study was published online May 2 in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives. The new report isn’t the first to focus on toxins in lipsticks. In 2007, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics tested 33 lip products and found that 61 percent contained lead, some with levels high enough to cause concern. The current study went further than measuring the levels of lead and eight other metals. Researchers estimated risk based on the concentration of the metals detected and the users’ potential daily intake—average or high. They compared that information with existing public health guidelines about acceptable intake levels. The researchers focused on lipstick and lip gloss, they said, because those who wear them absorb or eat them, bit by bit. High use was defined as ingesting 87 milligrams of the product a day. That would involve repeated reapplying, Hammond said. Average use was about 24 milligrams a day. When used at an average daily rate, the estimated intake of chromium from 10 products exceeded acceptable daily intake, the researchers found. Chromium has been linked to stomach tumors. High use of the products, they found, also could result in overexposure to aluminum, cadmium and manganese. High manganese levels have been linked to nervous system problems. The findings do signal a need for more public oversight, the researchers said. The FDA regulates cosmetics safety under the authority of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. Cosmetics must be safe when used as the label directs or under ordinary conditions. The FDA does not, however, require cosmetics to get pre-market approval. Color additives must get pre-market approval, in most cases. No limits for lead in cosmetics have been set by the FDA. The FDA, however, has set specifications for lead in the color additives that are used in cosmetics. The Personal Care Products Council, a trade association representing the cosmetics industry, said in a statement Wednesday that the lead content of lipsticks has already been studied by the FDA and that the agency decided the amounts involved were not a threat to public safety. “Trace amounts of metals in lip products need to be put into context,” Linda Loretz, chief toxicologist for the council, said in the statement. “Food is a primary source for many of these naturally present metals, and exposure from lip products is minimal in comparison. For example, daily trace amounts of chromium or cadmium from lip products based on the results in this report are less than 1 percent of daily exposures one would get from their diet. In the case of manganese, typical daily intake from food is more than 1000-fold greater than the amount from lip products.” “Cosmetic companies are required by law to substantiate the safety of their products before they are marketed. Nothing matters more to cosmetic companies than the safety and the well-being of the people who use and enjoy them,” Loretz added. The findings are not surprising, said Dr. Luz Fonacier, head of the allergy and training program at Winthrop University Hospital in Mineola, N.Y. Many lip products are packaged in metal containers, she said, “and this may affect the amount detected by investigators.” “I agree with the authors that there should be U.S. standards for metal content in cosmetics and that monitoring of metals in cosmetics, especially those with a higher likelihood of ingestion or absorption, should be done,” Fonacier said. Dr. Ken Spaeth is director of occupational and environmental medicine at North Shore-LIJ Health System in New Hyde Park, N.Y. He reviewed the findings and has written a book for doctors on detecting heavy metal exposure problems. He said, “The findings should certainly raise concern about the use of the products.” Certain people should be especially careful about exposure, he said, including pregnant women and teens. “The fetus is particularly susceptible,” he said. “And brain development continues throughout adolescence.” More information To learn more about cosmetic regulation, including lipstick and lead, visit the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Financial and Mental Well-Being Improve with Medicaid Expansion

2013-05-02T12:13:24+00:00

Yet no clear evidence the program improves diabetes, high-blood pressure, other ills, at least in early years of enrollment. As states prepare to expand Medicaid in 2014, a new study provides insight into how that health insurance coverage might affect low-income adults and what it means for access to care and the cost of care. The study found that having Medicaid—the U.S. public health insurance program for lower-income Americans—reduced financial strain related to out-of-pocket health care costs and improved mental health during the first two years of enrollment. Medicaid also increased prescription drug use and office visits, according to the study, which is based on data from Oregon’s 2008 Medicaid expansion. People with Medicaid spent $1,172 a year more—about 35 percent more—on medical care than a comparable group of adults not enrolled in the program. Yet there’s no clear evidence that having Medicaid improved control of diabetes, high-blood pressure and high cholesterol, at least in the early years of enrollment. “One thing it doesn’t tell us is what happens three, four, five and six years later, and that’s important because so many of the benefits of health care accumulate over time,” said Dr. David Meltzer, associate professor of medicine, economics and public policy studies at the University of Chicago, who was not involved in the study. Expanding Medicaid to millions of uninsured adults is one of the goals of the 2010 health reform law known as the Affordable Care Act. Oregon’s experience offers a rare opportunity to examine the effects of Medicaid coverage by comparing people who made it into a health care lottery program with those who did not. Unable to cover everyone who wanted to enroll in Medicaid, Oregon held lottery drawings, pulling names from a waiting list of nearly 90,000 uninsured people to fill 10,000 openings. For the study, published online May 2 in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health and Massachusetts Institute of Technology conducted more than 12,000 in-person interviews and health exams of lottery participants in the Portland, Ore., area about two years after the lottery. “It’s not just another study on Medicaid; it’s the first randomized, controlled study of Medicaid,” said lead author Katherine Baicker, professor of health economics in the department of health policy and management at the Harvard School of Public Health. When comparing outcomes of the people selected to apply for Medicaid with those who were not selected, the researchers found that: - Use of health services increased among Medicaid enrollees. “People go to the doctor more, they use more prescription drugs, they go to the hospital more, they get more preventive care,” Baicker said. - Medicaid enrollment improved access to care, sharply increasing some preventive health screenings, including mammography for women and PSA testing for men. - Medicaid nearly eliminated “catastrophic” expenditures—out-of-pocket medical expenses exceeding 30 percent of income. “It’s important to remember that Medicaid is not just about access to health care,” Baicker added. “Like any insurance product, it’s also supposed to protect you from financial ruin if you have a high medical expense.” - The rate of depression dropped by 30 percent among people with Medicaid versus people without insurance who screened positive for depression. The authors don’t offer an explanation for this, but the study noted that having Medicaid led to an increase in the probability of receiving a diagnosis of depression. “The suggestion is that there were people walking around with undiagnosed depression who were then treated,” Baicker said. - Medicaid’s impact on physical health—specifically high blood pressure, high cholesterol and high blood-sugar levels (indicating diabetes)—was less clear-cut. The research team chose those health outcomes because they are widespread and serious, yet treatable. The authors of an accompanying editorial offered a possible explanation. Richard Kronick, of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and Dr. Andrew Bindman, at the University of California, San Francisco, said Medicaid’s minimal effects on physical health “are not entirely surprising given the many steps that are needed between the availability of insurance coverage and the delivery of appropriate care.” What’s more, they said, the short follow-up period and small number of people with chronic conditions in the study sample may have skewed the results. It is also possible, Meltzer said, that small improvements did occur but didn’t show up as statistically significant. “A [slight] decline in blood pressure could be really important, and we can’t say that didn’t happen,” he said. Lessons learned from the Oregon experience could be instructive as half of the states in the nation proceed with plans to broaden Medicaid enrollment in 2014, while others remain opposed or undecided. Results of this study and findings from earlier research on the Oregon experiment should dispel any notion that expanding Medicaid will save money, Baicker said, because “the program costs money; people consume more health care.” On the other hand, the results demonstrate clear benefits to the people who are enrolled. “Policymakers have to weigh how much they value those benefits to enrollees against alternative uses of the resources that go into the program,” she said. More information Go to Medicaid.gov to learn more about your state’s Medicaid program.

School Programs Do Keep Some Kids From Smoking

2013-04-30T22:13:00+00:00

Large evidence review found less success among children who had already started. Smoking prevention programs in schools do work, reducing the number of children and teens who later become smokers, a large new review found. Investigators analyzed data from 134 studies that included a total of more than 428,000 participants, aged 5 to 18, in 25 countries. Some types of programs were more effective than others and, overall, kids who had already started smoking didn’t seem to benefit. Among youngsters who had never smoked, anti-smoking programs in schools did not have significant effects within the first year. However, over a longer period of time the number of smokers was significantly lower among those who had smoking prevention programs than those who did not. When the review authors focused on a mixed group of youngsters who had never smoked, had experimented with smoking and had smoked and quit, they found that anti-smoking programs in schools had no long-term effect. Some of the anti-smoking programs helped students develop social skills or taught them to resist social pressure to smoke. In the long term, programs that promoted social skills or taught social skills in combination with tips on how to resist pressure to smoke had a significant effect on preventing smoking in youngsters who had never smoked. No benefit was seen in programs that focused solely on resisting pressure to smoke or on those that used information only or that combined tobacco education with wider school and community initiatives, the review authors said. Anti-smoking program booster sessions had no effect on the number of young people who later took up smoking, according to the findings published April 29 in The Cochrane Library. “This review is important because there are no other comprehensive reviews of world literature on school-based smoking prevention programs,” review co-author Julie McLellan, from the department of primary care health sciences at the University of Oxford in England, said in a journal news release. “The main strength of the review is that it includes a large number of trials and participants. However, over half were from the U.S., so we need to see studies across all areas of the world, as well as further studies analyzing the effects of interventions by gender,” she added. More information The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about youth and tobacco.

Protect Your Kids From Pollen Allergies

2013-04-29T22:23:03+00:00

Tips for keeping allergens away from their skin, out of air in your home. Many children suffer allergies at this time of year as trees and other plants start releasing pollens into the air. So parents need to monitor their youngsters for symptoms, an expert says. “There are different types of allergies, but if you notice that your child has more symptoms and reactions during the spring it’s a clue that they have a pollen allergy,” Dr. Joyce Rabbat, a pediatric allergist at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, said in a Loyola news release. Symptoms of pollen allergies—which are most likely to be worse on dry, windy days—include itchy eyes, sneezing, stuffy/runny nose, coughing and asthma. “If your child’s allergy symptoms are interfering with his or her daily life, there is no reason to let the child suffer. Allergy symptoms are very treatable. Some people think it’s just something they need to ‘live with’ but that’s not the case,” Rabbat said. She said parents can take the following steps to help reduce children’s allergy symptoms: - Check pollen counts and limit children’s time outside when the counts are high. - Keep windows and doors closed, especially on high-count days. This will help limit the amount of pollen that lands on furniture and carpets. Turn on your air conditioner to filter pollen from the air within your house. - Have children wash their face and hands when they come in from outdoors. A shower and change of clothes can take pollen off the body. “If your child is active outdoors or in sports, make sure he or she takes allergy medication before heading outside,” Rabbat said. Parents also need to watch for asthma symptoms because many children with allergies also have allergic asthma. Symptoms of allergic asthma include coughing, shortness of breath, rapid breathing, wheezing and a feeling of tightness in the chest. “Often treating children’s allergies helps to control their asthma as well. Kids may need to take an allergy medicine before going outside, or they may need daily allergy medication. It’s also important to get ahead of your allergy symptoms. Once allergies are flaring, they become more difficult to treat. If you are on a good medication regimen before the pollens peak, it makes for a much more enjoyable season,” Rabbat said. More information The Nemours Foundation has more about seasonal allergies in children.

Could Facebook Assist Public Health Efforts to Track Obesity?

2013-04-29T12:17:27+00:00

Study tied users’ online interests in U.S. regions to obesity rates. Analyzing Facebook users’ interests could help public health researchers predict, track and map obesity rates in specific cities, towns and neighborhoods across the United States, a new study says. This type of information could be used to design targeted online programs meant to reduce obesity rates in specific locations, the researchers said. They analyzed data about the interests of Facebook users nationally and in New York City and compared that with data from a national health survey and another survey conducted in New York City. Areas with higher percentages of people with interests linked to a healthy, active lifestyle tend to have lower obesity rates, while areas with greater percentages of people with TV-related interests tend to have higher rates of obesity, according to the study, which was published April 24 in the journal PLoS ONE. Among the specific findings were the following: Nationally, the obesity rate was 12 percent lower in the location with the highest percentage of Facebook users with activity-related interests (Coeur d’Alene, Idaho) than in the location with the lowest percentage (Kansas City, in both Missouri and Kansas). The obesity rate was nearly 4 percent higher in the location with the highest percentage of Facebook users with TV-related interests (the Myrtle Beach/Conway/North Myrtle Beach area of South Carolina) than in the location with the lowest percentage (Eugene/Springfield, Oregon). In New York City, the obesity rate was about 7 percent lower in the neighborhood with the highest percentage of Facebook users with activity-related interests (Coney Island, in Brooklyn) than the one with the lowest percentage (southwest Queens). The obesity rate in the New York City neighborhood with the highest percentage of Facebook users with TV-related interests (northeast Bronx) was 28 percent higher than in the neighborhood with the lowest percentage (Greenpoint, in Brooklyn). “Online social networks like Facebook represent a new high-value, low-cost data stream for looking at health at a population level,” study co-leader John Brownstein, who runs the computational epidemiology group at Boston Children’s Hospital’s informatics program, said in a hospital news release. “The tight correlation between Facebook users’ interests and obesity data suggest that this kind of social-network analysis could help generate real-time estimates of obesity levels in an area, help target public health campaigns that would promote healthy behavior change and assess the success of those campaigns,” he said. More information The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explains how to achieve and maintain a healthy weight.

80% of Rapes in Mexico Go Unpunished

2013-04-27T14:34:31+00:00

With more than 14, 000 reported rapes in Mexico last year, a whopping 80 percent remain unpunished. These statistics do not take into account the fantastic number of cases that go unreported. The Commission on Gender Equality and Chamber of Deputies legislative body reported these statistics today with disdain. There are several high profile cases involving foreign women, such as the Spanish in Acapulco, and there are even more reportedly committed by members of police forces. In recent days there have been violations reported of foreign women and countrymen, committed by members of the municipal police in Cajeme, Sonora, Solidaridad, Quintana Roo, and Chimalhuacán, State of Mexico. There is another case of sexual abuse reported by a commander and two officers of the Municipal Public Security Solidaridad in Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, against a woman of Italian nationality. In the State of Mexico, on February 23 it was reported that three policemen in Chimalhuacán, were charged with violating a minor and of murdering her boyfriend. Given this situation, the Commission on Gender Equality and passed a motion that strongly condemns rape and sexual abuse of foreign women as well as compatriots and minors. While insisting that those public officials charged in these cases will be punished.

Health Tip: Watch for Signs of Elder Abuse

2013-04-27T12:13:01+00:00

Including taking drugs or drinking Caring for an elderly person can be a stressful challenge, and sometimes that can lead to abuse. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says potential signs of elder abuse among caregivers include: - Drinking too much alcohol or abusing drugs. - Showing high levels of stress. - Lacking social support. - Becoming dependent on the elder, either financially or emotionally. - Showing signs of depression.

Poor Parenting May Lead to Kids Who Bully

2013-04-26T22:13:42+00:00

Being overprotective may be just as bad as being neglectful for spurring bully and victim roles. Parents may think they can keep their kids safe by hovering over them, but a new study finds that children of overprotective parents are more likely to be bullied. And on the other end of the spectrum, having abusive or neglectful parents also seems to make kids a target for bullies, according to an analysis of 70 studies that included more than 200,000 children. The effects of these types of poor parenting were stronger among children who were bullied and also bullied others (bully-victims) than among those who were bullied but did not bully others. The review also found that negative or harsh parenting was associated with a moderate increase in the risk of children being bully-victims and a small increase in their risk of being a victim of bullying. Warm but firm parenting reduced children’s risk of being bullied, the investigators noted. The findings of the review, led by researchers at the University of Warwick in England, are published in the April 25 issue of the journal Child Abuse & Neglect. “Although parental involvement, support and high supervision decrease the chances of children being involved in bullying, for victims overprotection increased this risk,” Dieter Wolke, one of the review authors, said in a university news release. “Children need support but some parents try to buffer their children from all negative experiences,” he said. “In the process, they prevent their children from learning ways of dealing with bullies and make them more vulnerable. “It could be that children with overprotective parents may not develop qualities such as autonomy and assertion, and therefore may be easy targets for bullies,” Wolke said. “But it could also be that parents of victims become overprotective of their children. In either case, parents cannot sit on the school bench with their children.” Children of parents who establish clear rules about behavior but are also supportive and emotionally warm are least likely to be bullied, the study authors said. “These parents allow children to have some conflicts with peers to learn how to solve them rather than intervene at the smallest argument,” Wolke said. “People often assume bullying is a problem for schools alone but it’s clear from this study that parents also have a very important role to play,” he said. “We should therefore target intervention programs not just in schools but also in families to encourage positive parenting practices such as warmth, affection, communication and support.” More information The American Academy of Pediatrics has more about bullying.

POLL: Majority of Americans Oppose Taxes on Candy, Soda

2013-04-26T12:13:25+00:00

They say it’s not government’s role to try to influence what people eat, drink, Harris Interactive/HealthDay poll finds. Most U.S. adults aren’t sweet on the idea of soda and candy taxes, and many doubt the bigger price tags would trim the national waistline. That’s the finding of a new Harris Interactive/HealthDay poll released Thursday. In the online survey of more than 2,100 adults, respondents were opposed to government taxes on sugary drinks and candy by a more than 2-to-1 margin. Between 56 percent and 58 percent said no to such taxes, while only 21 to 23 percent were in favor. “This is a strong vote against the ‘nanny state,’” said Humphrey Taylor, chairman of The Harris Poll. “The idea of taxing calorie-rich candies and sodas may be popular with some public health advocates, who see them as major causes of the nation’s obesity epidemic, but it is very unpopular with the public,” Taylor said. The poll results come at a time of rising debate over the potential health impact of taxing “junk food.” Many U.S. states do have sales taxes on soda, but they are small—and not aimed at driving down Americans’ thirst for sugary drinks, said Kelly Brownell, a professor of psychology at Yale University and co-founder of the school’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity. “Sales taxes were intentionally kept small so they wouldn’t affect consumption,” said Brownell, a long-time advocate of a bigger tax that would make consumers think twice about that sugary drink. For several years, Brownell and his colleagues have pushed for a penny-per-ounce excise tax on sweetened beverages (not just soda). That would ultimately boost the cost of sweet drinks by about 20 percent. And unlike sales taxes, which consumers do not see until they get to the cash register, excise taxes show up on the sticker price—when people are making the decision to buy or not. In a 2011 study, Brownell’s team estimated that a national penny-per-ounce tax would cut Americans’ sugary drink intake by one-quarter. The researchers also projected that the tax could generate $79 billion in revenue over five years. A number of states and local governments have proposed such a tax, but they’ve gone nowhere. The proposals have popped up in states like Vermont and Texas, big cities like New York and Philadelphia, and in smaller communities. Last year, voters in two California cities, Richmond and El Monte, rejected ballot initiatives that would have levied sugary-drink taxes. The respondents in the Harris Interactive/HealthDay poll echoed those voters. Besides disliking the taxes, many doubted the potential health benefits—51 percent disagreed with the statement, “Sales taxes on candies and sodas would help to reduce obesity.” Only 26 percent agreed. A bigger percentage seemed to have a philosophical opposition to such taxes: Two-thirds agreed with the statement, “It should not be the role of government to influence what we eat and drink to make healthier choices.” Justin Wilson, senior research analyst for the Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF), argued that “people prefer incentives to penalties.” The Washington, D.C.-based CCF opposes soda taxes and other “sin” taxes, saying there’s no evidence they would actually help curb the U.S. obesity problem—and that no single food can be pinpointed as a cause of obesity. The group gets funding from the food industry and “individual consumers,” according to its website. Wilson said government “incentives” could include building more sidewalks and “green spaces” so that Americans, especially kids, can get outside and exercise. “Creating more green spaces is a perfect role for government,” he said. Wilson was also skeptical that any funds from a soda tax would go to obesity prevention or similar health programs, as advocates like Brownell would like. “The idea that the money would be earmarked like that is ridiculous, because that’s not how government works,” Wilson said. Lisa Powell, a professor of health policy and administration at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health, said there’s “robust” evidence that higher prices on sugary drinks mean less consumption. In a recent research review, Powell and her colleagues found that a 20 percent price hike—roughly equivalent to the penny-per-ounce tax proposal—correlated with a 24 percent decline in people’s sugary drink intake, on average. “Where I think more research is needed is on the net effect on body weight,” Powell said. If people replace their sweet-drink calories with other, non-taxed drinks or food, then there could be little, if any, effect on weight. Powell and Brownell both stressed that no single measure is the answer to the nation’s obesity problem. Powell said it’s also important to make healthy choices easier—through, for example, subsidies that help low-income Americans buy fresh fruits and vegetables, and ensuring all households have clean, palatable tap water. As for the idea that government shouldn’t interfere with people’s diets, Powell noted that the food industry uses ads to sway consumers—and that kids are particularly vulnerable to that. “It would be interesting to ask parents, ‘Should food companies be allowed to influence what your children eat and drink?’ and see how they respond,” Powell said. The Harris Interactive/HealthDay poll was conducted online within the United States between March 28 and April 1, 2013, and it included 2,132 adults aged 18 and over surveyed by Harris Interactive. Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was used to adjust for respondents’ propensity to be online. More information Learn more about sugary drinks and health from the Harvard School of Public Health.

STUDY: Just One Can of Sugary Pop a Day Raises Diabetes Risk

2013-04-25T22:13:55+00:00

European researchers found odds rose by up to 22 percent at this level of consumption. Drinking just one 12-ounce sugar-sweetened soft drink a day can increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by up to 22 percent, a European study contends. The finding is based on an analysis of data collected from more than 28,000 people in Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. The increased risk of developing diabetes associated with having one sugar-sweetened soft drink a day fell to 18 percent when the investigators took into account people’s total calorie intake and body-mass index (BMI), a measurement of body fat based on height and weight. Both total calorie intake and BMI are believed to play a role in the link between sugar-sweetened soft drinks and diabetes risk. The fact that diabetes risk fell only slightly when these two factors were taken into account could indicate that the effect of sugar-sweetened soft drinks on diabetes goes beyond their impact on body weight, said Dora Romaguera, of the Imperial College London, and colleagues. The findings are published in the April 24 issue of the journal Diabetologia. The study found an association between consumption of sugar-sweetened soft drinks and heightened risk of type 2 diabetes. It did not prove a cause-and-effect relationship. Consumption of pure or diluted fruit juice was not significantly associated with diabetes risk, according to the report. The 22 percent increased risk of diabetes among Europeans who drink sugar-sweetened soft drinks is similar to previous research showing that North Americans who consume these types of beverages have a 25 percent increased risk of diabetes, the researchers said in a journal news release. “Given the increase in sweet beverage consumption in Europe, clear messages on the unhealthy effect of these drinks should be given to the population,” Romaguera said. More information The U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases has more about diabetes.

Report Finds Motorcycle Deaths Still Rising

2013-04-25T12:13:39+00:00

Researchers note that improving economy, better weather mean more riders on the road. An estimated 5,000 motorcyclists were killed on U.S. roads in 2012, an increase of about 9 percent from the previous year, a new report shows. Last year’s number of motorcyclist deaths is near an all-time high, and motorcyclists remain one of the few roadway user groups where no progress has been seen over the past decade, the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) report noted. “In my state [Oregon], an improving economy and a longer window of nice weather meant there were more riders and riding days. The fatality increase is disheartening. Every motorcyclist deserves to arrive at their destination safely. These numbers represent real people—they are family, friends and neighbors,” Troy Costales, GHSA’s immediate past chairman and head of Oregon’s highway safety program, said in a GHSA news release. The projected number of motorcyclist deaths for 2012 is based on state-by-state data for the first nine months of the year. Similar projections in previous years mirrored the final numbers. Comparing the first nine months of 2011 and 2012, the report found that motorcyclist deaths increased in 34 states last year, decreased in 16 states and remained the same in the District of Columbia. Increases were seen in every region of the country and were quite high in many states. For example, motorcyclist deaths rose 32 percent in Oregon and 29 percent in Indiana. With the economy improving, more people have disposable income for buying and riding motorcycles, the report noted. At the same time, high gas prices lead to more people buying fuel-efficient vehicles such as motorcycles. The report also found a decrease in the number of states with laws that require all riders to wear helmets. That number is currently 19, down from 26 in 1997. “All of the trends with motorcyclist deaths are really going in the wrong direction. This report is an urgent reminder that we must do more to address a problem that will only get worse with increased ridership. We are talking about 5,000 tragedies a year with no sign of progress,” GHSA chairman Kendell Poole, director of Tennessee’s highway safety program, said in the news release. “The good news is that we know how to prevent crashes and the resulting injuries and fatalities involving motorcycle riders and their passengers. There are effective strategies that, when implemented, can make a difference,” he added. The report outlined a number of ways to reduce motorcyclist deaths. These include: increasing helmet use; reducing speeding and impaired riding; providing rider training to all who need or want it; ensuring proper licensing of riders; and encouraging all drivers to share the road with motorcyclists. More information The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers a motorcycle safety guide.

Health Tip: Safely Store Food in the Fridge

2013-04-24T22:13:48+00:00

Use a plastic container Storing foods properly inside your refrigerator can help prevent juices from seeping out and contaminating other foods. The FoodSafety.gov website offers this food-storage advice: - Store raw meat, seafood and poultry inside a plastic or glass container, or a plastic bag. - Freeze raw meat, seafood or poultry that you won’t be using in the next couple of days. - Store eggs in their original cartons. - Place eggs inside the main part of the refrigerator, rather than inside the door.

HISPANIC HEALTH: Sun Exposure Amongst Latinos Varies by Language They Speak

2013-04-24T17:06:42+00:00

English-speaking Hispanics in the United States are less likely to take measures to protect themselves from skin cancer than Spanish-speaking Hispanics, a new study finds. The findings suggest that language needs to be considered when developing skin cancer prevention strategies for Hispanic Americans, according to Elliot Coups and colleagues at the Cancer Institute of New Jersey. Their study included 788 Hispanic adults in Arizona, California, Florida, New Mexico and Texas. Of the participants, nearly 36 percent were Spanish-speaking, 19.5 percent were English-speaking and about 45 percent spoke both languages. English-speaking Hispanics were more likely than Spanish-speaking Hispanics to do things that put them at increased risk for skin cancer (sunbathing and indoor tanning) and less likely to protect themselves from the sun by seeking shade and wearing protective clothing. However, language had no bearing on sunscreen use, according to the study, published in the current issue of the journal JAMA Dermatology. Bilingual Hispanics were more likely than English-speaking Hispanics to take skin cancer prevention measures, but less likely than Spanish-speaking Hispanics.

Study Finds Mammograms Can Measure How Breast Cancer Drug Is Working

2013-04-24T12:13:43+00:00

Those on tamoxifen who showed reduction in breast density had 50 percent lower risk of death within 15 years. Mammograms can be used to see how well breast cancer patients are responding to treatment with the drug tamoxifen, a new study suggests. Researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden report that women who saw a 20 percent or more reduction in breast density during tamoxifen treatment had a 50 percent lower risk of dying from breast cancer over an average of 15 years, compared with women who had little or no change in breast tissue density during treatment. The study uncovered a link between reductions in breast density while on tamoxifen and a lowered risk of death. However, it didn’t find a cause-and-effect relationship. Using mammograms to determine if a patient is responding to tamoxifen can be done at an early stage of treatment, the researchers added. The Swedish team looked at nearly 1,000 postmenopausal women who had been treated for breast cancer. About half of them had been treated with tamoxifen, according to the study, which was published online April 22 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Tamoxifen is a common hormone-therapy drug typically given over five years to prevent relapse in women who have completed their primary breast cancer treatment. However, there has been no way to assess which patients are most likely to respond to tamoxifen treatment. These findings suggest a possible method for doing so, the researchers said. “What’s needed is accurate measurement of mammographic density, which isn’t currently routine,” Per Hall, a professor in the department of medical epidemiology and biostatistics, said in a Karolinska Institute news release. “Measuring changes in density can be a simple and cheap means of assessing the effect of the treatment. If a patient is not responding to tamoxifen, maybe they should be given a different drug.” More information The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more about breast cancer treatment.

Prescription Drug Abuse Up Among U.S. Teens: Survey

2013-04-23T22:13:43+00:00

More than 5 million, nearly 25 percent, said they had abused these medications. The United States appears to be in the throes of a prescription drug abuse crisis among teens, with a new survey showing that 24 percent of high school students—more than 5 million kids—have abused these medications. That’s a 33 percent increase from 2008, the survey authors noted. They said that 13 percent of teens acknowledged having experimented at least once with either Ritalin or Adderall (normally prescribed for the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD) that was not prescribed for them. What’s more, 20 percent of teens who admit they have abused prescription drugs said their first experience doing so was before the age of 14, with 27 percent mistakenly believing that prescription drug abuse is safer than “street drugs,” such as cocaine or ecstasy. Compounding the problem: The parents surveyed seemed to share in this misperception, with almost one-third buying into the notion that Ritalin or Adderall can boost a child’s school performance even if the child is not diagnosed with ADHD. The findings stem from a nationally representative poll launched in 2012 by The Partnership at Drugfree.org, in conjunction with the MetLife Foundation. The survey involved nearly 3,900 teens currently enrolled in grades 9 through 12 at public, private and parochial schools, along with more than 800 parents who participated in at-home interviews. “From my perspective, one way to look at this is that we’ve got a real public health crisis,” said Steve Pasierb, president and CEO at the Partnership organization. “And it’s not getting better. In fact, it’s getting deeper and more complex,” he said. “The key here is that kids and often their parents are buying into the myth and misunderstanding that prescription drug abuse is a safer way to get high, a safer alternative to street drugs, and that they can control it,” Pasierb continued. “And it’s very important to note that, on this, kids and parents are in the same place. Kids say that they don’t think that their parents are going to be upset if they know about this, and parents are essentially saying the same thing,” he pointed out. “Now, if cocaine or heroin use was going up the way prescription drug use is parents would certainly be freaking out,” Pasierb added. “And they should be now, because prescription drug abuse is no better.” Among the findings: one-third of teens think there’s nothing particularly wrong with the notion of using prescription medications that were never prescribed for them to tackle a specific injury or illness, with almost one-quarter believing that their parents are more concerned about street drug use than the misuse of prescription drugs. Sixteen percent of parents also said they think prescription drugs are less dangerous than street drugs. Perhaps this explains another survey finding: While about four in five teens said they had discussed both alcohol and marijuana use with their parents and almost one-third said they had talked with them about crack/cocaine, only between 14 percent and 16 percent said that the topic of painkiller/prescription drug abuse had ever come up. This was true despite the fact that a parent’s medicine cabinet is the repository for 56 percent of the prescription meds teens say they are abusing, the poll found, with nearly half of parents acknowledging that there are no barriers to access at home. Indeed, 20 percent of parents actually admitted to willfully giving their teen a prescription med that they had on hand, for which their child had no prescription. That said, Pasierb stressed that the goal of the survey was to draw needed attention to the misconceptions that are at the heart of a rapidly growing problem. “We know that kids who start abusing when they are very young are much more likely to have an addiction problem as adults,” he said. “So, parents need to intervene. They need to control supply and demand by locking up their medicine cabinets and throwing out old expired drugs. And they need to constantly weigh in, starting at very young age, even if they think they have the greatest kid in the world. They need to tell their child about the risks, and make clear how upset they will be if their child abuses these drugs.” One parent speaks from experience. “I had to learn to set real rules for our home,” acknowledged Kat Carnes, a single mom from Houston who has been helping her teenage daughter struggle with an addiction problem that involved a mix of alcohol, street drugs (such as ketamine, ecstasy and cocaine), and prescription meds (including antidepressants). “She was in 8th grade when all this happened,” Carnes recalled. “[But] as I learned more, I discovered that she had been using for a couple of years already, especially during her 7th-grade year, when I was battling breast cancer and not able to focus as closely on her as I probably should have.” Yet, Carnes said the mistakes she made as a parent who initially overlooked her child’s growing addiction problem were “pretty common,” despite the fact that she is well-versed in medicine and health issues, through her work as a scientific editor and a manager at a major local cancer center. “I just sort of counted on her to do the right things,” Carnes added, “and when she didn’t I either tried to minimize it or just hid from it because I didn’t know what to do.” Carnes explained that her daughter has now been sober for almost 22 months, with the assistance of a local drug abuse 12-step program and the camaraderie of other families struggling with teen drug abuse. Although careful to describe her daughter’s recovery as an ongoing “process,” she suggests that much of the progress has been rooted in open and honest communications. “We hold each other accountable,” said Carnes, “for our words and actions.” More information The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration will host National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day this Saturday, where residents can drop off unused or expired prescription drugs at collection sites around the country.