Natural Health News

Money: Who Gets Healthcare at What Cost

2012-01-18T12:01:00.001-08:00

5% of Americans Made Up 50% of U.S. Healthcare Spending

And the top 1%? They made up one fifth of medical expenditures.

from The Atlantic

"When it comes to America's spiraling health care costs, the country's problems begin with the 5%. In 2008 and 2009, 5% of Americans were responsible for nearly half of the country's medical spending.

Of course, healthcare has its own 1% crisis. In 2009, the top 1% of patients accounted for 21.8% of expenditures.

The figures are from a new study by the Department of Health and Human Services, which examined how different U.S. demographics contributed to medical costs. It looked at the $1.26 trillion spent by civilian, non-institutionalized Americans each year on health care.
The top 5% of spenders paid an annual average of $35,829 in doctors' bills. By comparison, the bottom half paid an average $232 and made up about 3% of total costs.
Aside from the fact that such a tiny fraction of the country was responsible for so much of our expenses, it also found that high spenders often repeated from year to year. Those chronically ill patients skewed white and old and were twice as likely to be on public healtcare as the general population.
The graph below looks at how many people remained in each tranche of healthcare spending in both 2008 and 2009. One fifth of the top 1% of healthcare spenders in 2008 also were in the top 1% a year later. More than a third of those in the top 5% stayed there both years.
According to this follow-up chart, elderly patients, aged 65 or older, made up 13.2% of the population in 2009. But they were 42.9 of the patients among the top 10% of spenders in both 2008 and 2009. Middle-aged Americans made up another 40.1% of that category.
America's healthcare spending crisis is a concentrated phenomenon. The challenge isn't just about making everybody's insurance cheaper (although that would be nice). It's about figuring out how to cut costs, wisely and fairly, for the disastrously ill and preventing diseases before they become chronic. This is America's 5% problem."

My view is that we have moved so far from prevention that it will take years before this urgently needed philosophy returns to US health care process.

Doctors Required to Report Payments from Drug and Device Firms

2012-01-18T11:52:00.002-08:00

UPDATE: 26 January
Dialing for Doctors -

Financial Ties Bind Medical Societies to Drug and Device Makers

18 January

To head off medical conflicts of interest, the Obama administration is poised to require drug companies to disclose the payments they make to doctors for research, consulting, speaking, travel and entertainment.

Many researchers have found evidence that such payments can influence doctors’ treatment decisions and contribute to higher costs by encouraging the use of more expensive drugs and medical devices.

Consumer advocates and members of Congress say patients may benefit from the new standards, being issued by the government under the new health care law. Officials said the disclosures increased the likelihood that doctors would make decisions in the best interests of patients, without regard to the doctors’ financial interests.

Read complete article

Energy Drinks

2012-01-17T10:50:00.000-08:00

UPDATE:15 January 2012

Once again energy drinks are in the news and it appears that it isn't good (no surprise!).
Agence France-Presse reports that "Australia experts call for energy drink warnings".

We encourage you to check out the almost two dozen articles we have posted on Natural Health News about this subject . We also invite you to consider our organic natural herbal blend, herbalYODA's sportZtea, in place of these drinks over loaded with caffeine, artificial flavoring, artificial coloring, and worst of all artificial sweeteners like aspartame, acesulfame K, and Splenda. The sports food bars are not far off with too much sugar and too many GMO ingredients.

Learn more here and here.

Researchers in Australia called for health warnings on caffeine-loaded energy drinks following a spike in the number of people reporting medical problems after drinking them.
Health professionals from the University of Sydney's Medical School and the New South Wales Poisons Information Centre said reports of adverse reactions to drinks like Red Bull and V jumped from just 12 in 2004 to 65 in 2010.
Over the seven years to 2010, 297 calls for assistance were recorded with at least 128 people hospitalised with symptoms including heart palpitations, agitation and stomach upsets.
Of these, 20 people had more serious issues, such as seizures and hallucinations.
The study, published in the Medical Journal of Australia on Monday, said the average person affected was 17 years old and that they often mixed energy drinks with alcohol.
"Our study demonstrates the extent of the growing problem in Australia with energy drink consumption and toxicity, particularly among adolescents," the study's authors wrote.
"Given the clear evidence of toxicity and the growing number of hospitalisations associated with consumption of energy drinks... health authorities should increase awareness of the problem, improve package labelling and regulate caffeine content."
They recommended that "labelling and any marketing of these products should include appropriate health warnings and the national poisons hotline number". A can of energy drink may contain up to 300 milligrams of caffeine -- compared to an average 65-120mg for a cup of drip coffee -- and Poisons Centre medical director Naren Gunja called for more thorough regulation.
"Things to look at would be... how much caffeine do these drinks contain, how many can you buy at once, what age should you be when you buy them, should there be an age limit to being sold the drinks," he said.

Originally posted September 2008

Five years ago I released one of my long used herbal formulas on two college campuses to try to provide help to reduce college binge drinking. My formula makes it so you just don't drink too much, and certainly not enough to get drunk.

Learning that many people mix energy drinks with alcohol is also a concern to me.

In addition to the herbs to help stem the tide of drinking, and in relation to developing my sports enhancement formula (ADVENTURX), I revived the sports drink herbal blend I used to mix up for my kids and others years ago.

You can use my organic, herbal 'sportZtea' blend as the basis for your sports drinks while saving money and avoiding stimulants and caffeine. Using the 'tea' with ADVENTURX makes a lot more sense.

Energy drinks: What you need to know
By David Liu, Ph.D.
Sep 28, 2008
Editor's note: Please note that the statement "Energy drinks are soft drinks (meaning with alcohol) that ---" is incorrect. The author meant to say "Energy drinks are soft drinks (meaning without alcohol) that ---." By definition, soft drinks are non-alcoholic beverages! We apologize for the error.
Common Questions and Answers about energy drinks

What are energy drinks?

Energy drinks are soft drinks (meaning without alcohol) that contain caffeine and other stimulants such as ephedrine, guarana, and ginseng. The beverages may not contain more calories than normal soft drinks, but they are often believed to help enhance performance and boost alertness as some studies showed. Energy drinks are often marketed to people under 30, particularly to college students.

Is it true that energy drinks boost alertness and enhance performance?

At least two studies showed significantly improvements in mental and cognitive performance and increase subjective alertness in those who drank an energy drink. In repeated cycling tests in young healthy adults, an energy drink drastically increased upper body muscle endurance.

Are there any dangers to drinking energy drinks?

High doses of caffeine are known to pose a range of short-term side effects. The problem with energy drinks is probably that there is no regulation in the US about caffeine, which is a natural stimulant. Energy drinks may contain caffeine at a level anywhere between from 50 mg to 505 mg per can or bottle, according to a recent Johns Hopkins study. Without paying attention, people may over-ingest caffeine leading to unintentional caffeine intoxication. Normal adverse reactions induced by high doses of caffeine, particularly in those who are sensitive to the compound, include increased heart rate and blood pressure, in severe cases dehydration, and inability of falling into sleep.

One study showed side effects associated with caffeine in energy drinks include insomnia, nervousness, headache, and tachycardia. Four caffeine-related deaths and four seizures have been reported.

When should energy drinks not be used?

Energy drinks should not be used when exercising as fluid loss from sweating and the diuretic activity of caffeine can cause severe dehydration. Energy drinks should not be used in an attempt to offset the effect of alcohol on one's capability of operating a vehicle.

What would happen when energy drinks are combined with alcoholic drinks?

The real danger of caffeine to someone who is drinking is that caffeine could mislead him to believe that he is drinking the right amount of alcohol without realizing that actually he could have been drinking too much.

It is true that caffeine provide alertness. But it does not change the level of alcohol in the blood. Once the stimulant disappears, the depressant effect of the blood alcohol at high concentration would manifest leading to vomiting in one's sleep or respiratory depression.

Both energy drinks and alcohol can be very dehydrating and thus inhibiting the body's ability to metabolize alcohol and boosting the toxicity of alcohol and the hangover.

How safe is it to use energy drinks?

Energy drinks in itself are relatively safe. Most ingredients including ginseng, maltodextrin, inositol, carnitine, creatine, ginkgo biloba, taurine, vitamins and herbs appear to be safe. The only concern is probably caffeine, which varies in its content greatly from brand to brand.

A recent report authored by Reissig CJ, Strain EC, and Griffiths RR at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and published in the Sep 20, 2008 issue of Drug and Alcohol Dependence calls for warning labels for energy drinks.

OJ? No Way

2012-01-10T09:55:00.002-08:00

In the past few months there has been more flurry over commercially prepared orange juice on the tails of Dr Oz raising the arsenic flag for apple juice.

In this article by Alyssa Hamilton from 2009 she makes the case against OJ in the box.

It’s orange juice season. More precisely, it’s the season of the Florida Valencia, considered the “Cadillac of oranges” within the orange juice industry for its deep orange color, high juice content and rich orange flavor.
We’re so used to getting orange juice 365 days of the year that it may come as news that even Tropicana Pure Premium has a season. But it does.From March until June the Valencia is in its prime in Florida, and even Californians will admit that Florida grows a superior Valencia. The state produces a few other varieties for juicing. The Hamlin, which peaks in late fall, is the most heavily planted. But anyone who has anything to do with the manufacture of commercial orange juice knows that nothing compares to Florida Valencia juice.
The leading orange juice companies such as Tropicana (owned by PepsiCo), Minute Maid and Simply Orange (owned by Coca-Cola), and Florida’s Natural tell us many stories about orange juice: it’s natural, it’s pure and simple, it’s squeezed from oranges grown on pristine looking trees in Florida. But they leave out the details about how most commercial orange juice is produced and processed. SOURCE

Now we have the FDA ringing in on this issue over their 'concern' for fungicide in OJ coming from Mexico, Central and South America. (We warned you years ago about the problems with CAFTA.)

FDA steps up testing for fungicide in orange juice

By Mary Clare Jalonick

WASHINGTON - The Food and Drug Administration says it will step up testing for a fungicide that has been found in low levels in orange juice.
FDA officials said they aren't concerned about the safety of the juice but will increase testing to make sure the contamination isn't a problem. In a letter to the juice industry Monday, the agency said that an unnamed juice company contacted FDA in late December and said it had detected low levels of the fungicide carbendazim in the company's own orange juice and also in its competitors' juice. Fungicides are used to control fungi or fungal spores in agriculture.
Carbendazim is not currently approved for use on citrus in the United States, but is used in Brazil, which exports orange juice to the United States. An FDA spokeswoman said the company's testing found levels up to 35 parts per billion of the fungicide, far below the European Union's maximum residue level of 200 parts per billion. The United States has not established a maximum residue level for carbendazim in oranges.
In the letter to the Juice Products Association, FDA official Nega Beru said the agency will begin testing shipments of orange juice at the border and will detain any that contain traces of the chemical. Because it is not approved for use in the United States, any amount found in food is illegal.
Beru said that because the FDA doesn't believe the levels of residue are harmful, the agency won't remove any juice currently on store shelves. But he asked the industry to ensure that suppliers in Brazil and elsewhere stop using the fungicide.
"If the agency identifies orange juice with carbendazim at levels that present a public health risk, it will alert the public and take the necessary action to ensure that the product is removed from the market," he said.
The discovery comes after the agency said it would also step up testing for arsenic in apple juice. FDA officials said last year that the agency is considering tightening restrictions for the levels of arsenic allowed in the juice after consumer groups pushed the agency to crack down on the contaminant.
Studies show that apple juice has generally low levels of arsenic, and the government says it is safe to drink. But consumer advocates say the FDA is allowing too much of the chemical, which is sometimes natural, sometimes man made, into apple juices favored by thirsty kids.
Patty Lovera of the consumer group Food and Water Watch said the federal government needs to rely on its own testing, not that of the companies.
"The federal government needs to set consistent, meaningful, enforceable standards for all toxins," she said.

Read more: http://www.philly.com/philly/wires/ap/news/nation/washington/20120109_ap_fdastepsuptestingforfungicideinorangejuice.html?c=r#ixzz1j4wTMrqo

If you go in the archives at www.leaflady.org, you'll note that we reported on fungicides in agriculture along with food wax and related topics well over a decade ago.

Little seems to change.

Just better to juice your own, my dears.

Selections from Natural Health News

Natural Health News: GMO Coming to your Liquid Sunshine: OJ Alert

Dec 04, 2010

As former beauty queen Anita Bryant chirped more than four decades ago, in what remains a fondly remembered tagline: "A day without orange juice is like a day without sunshine." She wasn't talking about green oranges or ...

http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/

Natural Health News: A Fun Food

Dec 13, 2008

And I am just lucky enough to have some fresh squeezed organic Valencia orange juice that makes it much more delightful, as are the strawberries, lecithin and hemp, et al. I hope you enjoy yours! And now if you'd like to try ...

http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/

Natural Health News: Selecting Fruits and Vegetables for Your Best ...

Apr 28, 2010

Carrots were the most common source of beta-carotene, oranges and orange juice the most common source of beta-cryptoxanthin, spinach the most common source of lutein/zeaxanthin, strawberries the most common source ...

http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/

Natural Health News: Yes, you do need more D

Aug 16, 2010

Vitamin D fortifies a lot of foods, including milk, cereal and orange juice. And it's naturally found in wild-caught oily fish such as salmon and tuna. That suggests that most people get plenty of Vitamin D. But that's wrong. ...

http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/

Study links statins to higher diabetes again

2012-01-10T04:34:00.000-08:00

For years, more than a dozen at least, I have been covering the statin drug issue. My focus has been to educate people about the serious risks of this drug class and to help them realize that what they are being told is not always correct.

Now, again, we have a new report on the fact that statins can raise your risk of getting diabetes.

In light of all the serious risks from this drug class perhaps you might wish to consider natural care approaches to the cholesterol conundrum.

Health Forensics

An increased risk of diabetes among statin users was first seen in 2008, in a randomized controlled trial of the drug Crestor, says Vivian Fonseca, the American Diabetes' Association's president for medicine and science. A 2011 analysis in the Journal of the American Medical Association and a 2010 analysis in The Lancet also found an increased risk of diabetes among statin users.Complete article

Related Article and good interview

Find over 20 articles on this topic here at Natural Health News

In a related Atlantic article the writer says: "Long prescribed to reduce levels of cholesterol in the blood, high doses of statins might even end plaque build-up, according to researchers."

Why would you want the risk and expense of a drug when natural health approaches will do the job for you. Remember that arteriosclerosis did not appear on the scene until the beginning of the use of homogenization of milk in the 1950s.

Selections from Natural Health News

Natural Health News: Statins appear to harm about as many people ...

Nov 11, 2011

In the past, statins have said to help prevent pneumonia (infection in the lung) on the basis of epidemiological studies. However, it is generally the case that frail, elderly individuals, with perhaps complicated health histories ...

http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/

Natural Health News: Statins 'without known benefit but with definite ...

Sep 30, 2011

If you want to balance out your cholesterol, first check your thyroid, then evaluate triglycerides that are the real danger to your health, and get nutritional and lifestyle support. Health Forensics can help. Posted by herbalYODA ...

http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/

Natural Health News: New-Onset Diabetes With Statins

Mar 28, 2011

Now more studies shoe increased risk of diabetes among other health problems from statins. And the cookie cutter medicine machine wants YOU to take this drug if you have diabetes. Its doing the same as aspartame. ...

http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/

Natural Health News: Again: Statins Not Effective

Nov 21, 2010

Again: Statins Not Effective. Statin drugs may be over-prescribed. So tell me what is new! Not only are they over-prescribed, they have heart-risky side effects and many more problems like kidney failure secondary to ...

http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/

Surgical Mesh: The Ten Year Window

2012-01-07T13:01:00.003-08:00

The Ten Year Window

I have spent many years in the health care industry. The outcome of the observations I have made tells me that most often it takes about 10 years for facts to catch up with drug, treatments, and device approvals.

Approvals in this arena come from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Commonly, because of the faster fast track system instituted now for a couple of decades, money buys the ticket to the train. When first instituted Fast Track cost a manufacturer about $330,000; now it is at least double.

This doesn’t end up doing too much for safety because, if you follow the news, you too frequently hear about a drug recall, an ineffective treatment, or medical device failures along with product liability law suits.

Surgical mesh offers no different scenario.

The FDA orders Johnson & Johnson, C.R. Bard and 31 other companies to take another look at complication rates associated with their transvaginal mesh implants.

Retropubic urethral suspension was first used in 1910. Since that time over 100 different surgical techniques for the treatment of genuine stress urinary incontinence (GSUI) have been described.

Procedures done through the abdomen have been referred to as "bladder lifts". These include procedures known as the Burch repair and Marshall-Marchetti (1949) procedure. Although these are very "old" surgical procedures, the results have proven durable over time.

Some surgeons believe that the sling surgery should be used only in certain special cases because of its higher rate of complications and because they have found the older surgery techniques to be effective.

Pubovaginal Sling Procedures

In instances where mesh may be contraindicated the procedures can be done with natural products such as bovine, or cadaver grafts.

Your physician should discuss all options with you for your situation to help you to decide which procedure is the correct one for you.

In the early 1990s, at the time use of surgical mesh began becoming popular there were no long term studies available on the differing types of products, and few long term studies of the surgical techniques.

Vaginal mesh repair has become popular, because of access to the areas involved in surgery, ease of application using the manufacturers' needles, variable mesh sizes that can be cut to size during surgery, laparotomy is not required, the option of achieving permanent tissue replacement after failure of tissue reconstruction, and experience with similar materials.

According to Dr. Saralyn Mark, a spokesperson for COOK in the capacity of Senior Scientific Policy Advisor, surgical mesh has been used for over a decade. COOK has provided biologically-derived grafts that are not cross-linked, including grafts for pelvic organ prolapse, for about 13 years. Dr. Mark’s statement was part of her presentation in September 2011 at the FDA conference covering the problems with this product.

There are several types of mesh or similar products and they are most often used in surgery involving hernia, uterine prolapse, bladder prolapse, rectocele, cystocele, and other applications.

Synthetic mesh is found in absorbable and non-absorbable forms. Biologically derived graft material is offered in cross-linked and non-crosslinked forms.

The type of material selected and the outcome of surgery is, according to Marks, best determined by “(1) assuring that the patient is a suitable candidate, (2) performing the procedure correctly, and (3) choosing the appropriate product”.

Based on the three criteria, Marks went on to state that she reviewed numerous articles where the studies referenced one of the four types of material for implant.

COOK’s findings show that most non-absorbable synthetic mesh is made of Type I polypropylene. Outcomes for this type material suggest that there is a strong bond with mesh and surrounding tissue encapsulation. In some cases the long term tissue response is more like a foreign body reactions that may include granulation tissue, limited neovascularization, eventual fibrosis, and encapsulation.

Foreign body reactions are similar to transplant surgeries where anti-rejection drugs are commonly prescribed in an effort to reduce risk of rejection.

Absorbable synthetic mesh can rapidly degrade and does not provide long term tissue support. For this reason this type of product is rarely used.

Cross-linked biologic grafts are made with chemical agents to bond or “cross-link” collagen fibers together in an effort to reduce degradation. The material seems not to support normal movement of body cells into the graft is significantly. Because of this inflammation occurs and over time leads to a foreign body reaction and encapsulation. The tissue response of chemically cross-linked graft material has been found to be very similar to the synthetic products.

Non-crosslinked biologic grafts are minimally processed to remove cells and leave no cross-linked collagen.

They offer both mechanical strength and a platform to promote “cellular infiltration, proliferation, and remodeling of the patient’s tissue”. Long term outcome with this type product aids repair and reinforcement as the graft is replaced by connective tissue and normal blood supply.

Review of 15 years of reports using different types of graft material evaluated these studies for incidence of “(1) erosion, (2) pain including dyspareunia, (3) graft-related infection, (4) persistence or recurrence of prolapse based on objective measures (such as the POP-Q score), and (5) symptomatic recurrence.”

Of these five parameters the final evaluation specifically looked at three objective measures for each type of material: (1) erosion, (2) infection, and (3) objective measurement of recurrence. Pain and other symptomatic complaints were excluded.

Overall findings with non-absorbable synthetic mesh products had a 10% erosion rate, while crosslinked biologics had 6.2% rate. Repairs with non-crosslinked biologic grafts had the lowest erosion rate at 1.2%.

Infection rates associated with material types were approximately 4.0%.

Of course and of great concern to patients are pain and other complaints, including but not limited to forced lifestyle change and quality of life concerns.

There is great consideration given to the need for follow-up sonography to evaluate the anterior and posterior mesh positions after prolapse surgery. Reported frequently is a considerable discrepancy between the implanted mesh size and its length measured after six weeks by postoperative ultrasound.

In consideration of economic cost, the recently reported direct cost of pelvic organ prolapse surgeries were between $1012 million and $1251 million dollars. Of this $494 million (49%) covered costs for vaginal hysterectomy; $279 million (28%) were costs for both cystocele and rectocele repair; and $135 million dollars (13%) were allocated for abdominal hysterectomy.

Physician services accounted for 29% ($298 million) of total costs, and hospitalization accounted for 71% ($714 million). Twenty-one percent of all reported pelvic organ prolapse operations included urinary incontinence procedures ($218 million). If all of the reported surgeries were reimbursed by non-Medicare sources, the annual estimated cost would increase by 52% to $1543 million.

Procedures using surgical mesh are permanent. There may be benefit in first understanding long term complications as these may include mesh erosion into the vagina, bladder or rectum; painful intercourse; infection or bleeding.

The FDA has received thousands of complaints about surgical mesh. Examples follow of manufacturer and complaints filed as of 2009 -

Manufacturer Product names and Number of MAUDE* reports

American Medical Systems SPARC 65

Bard Pelvicol, Pelvisoft 64, 1

Boston Scientific Scimed Prefyx PPS, Obtryx Curved Single, Obtryx Mesh Sling, Advantage Sling System, Prefyx System Mid U, Mesh Sling System23, 1, 62, 29, 23, 78

Caldera T-Sling 2

Ethicon Gynemesh PS (K013718) a/k/a/ Prolift Pelvic Floor, Prolene Polypropylene Mesh 123, 72

Gynecare Secur, Tension Free Vaginal Tape 1, 4

Johnson & Johnson – Switzerland K974098 495

Mentor ObTape (K031767) 236

Sofradim Uretex TO, Avaulta Biosynthetic, Uretex Pubovaginal Sling/support kit, Bard Posterior Biosynthetic Support System, Pelvetex Polypropylene Mesh 64, 0, 27, 3, 0

*MAUDE (Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience) data represents reports of adverse events involving medical devices received by the FDA.

Cases involving Kugel Mesh Hernia Patches involving hernia repair are also on the increase. Davol, Inc., a division of the C. R. Bard, Inc., in December 2005 issued a recall following reports that the patch memory recoil ring may not withstand stresses associated with specific surgical placement techniques. The recall extended into 2006 and a law suit was filed against this product in December 2006.

Expanded recalls into 2007 were related to memory recoil ring breaks that had caused bowel perforation, bowel obstruction, internal pain, internal fistulas, migration through the abdominal wall, and additional surgery for repair or removal of mesh, blood clots, and death caused by septic shock. A case of acute heart attack secondary to surgery for bowel fistula repair was caused by perforation from the broken memory recoil ring.

Infertility has been reported secondary to a fibrotic reaction to mesh used in surgery for repair of inguinal hernia.

Some studies report that there can be a systemic allergic reaction to polypropylene mesh used in surgical treatment. These studies found too that Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE - fluoride) coated mesh, DuPont’s synthetic fluoropolymer of tetrafluoroethylene, may cause a greater risk.

Many researchers determined that skin patch tests should be conducted on patients in a timely manner before undergoing any surgery using polypropylene materials.

Davol and Bard were later involved in an FDA criminal investigation related to the sale of counterfeit surgical mesh kits containing flat sheets of polypropylene.

Between 2002 and 2006 Davol sold approximately 32,000 kits worldwide. In 2005 mesh kit sales generated $11 million for this firm.

In September 2011 the FDA called for the Obstetrics & Gynecology Devices Advisory Committee to discuss the issues related to the use of surgical mesh for treatment of pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and stress urinary incontinence (SUI).

The panel discussed the use of surgical mesh and its risks and benefits based on the literature and adverse reporting data (MAUDE).

Comments were taken about proposed FDA premarket and post market regulatory strategies for surgical mesh use in POP and SUI, and reclassification from Class II into Class III.

The goal of the panel is to assist FDA in determining whether there is need for additional clinical studies (premarket and/or post market) on surgical mesh use, based on data from the published literature and the MAUDE database.

Perhaps as we move in to the future more careful consideration will be given to evaluation based on other than journal articles and adverse reporting data.

This article is part of a consumer health education series written by Gayle Eversole, DHom, PhD, MH, NP, ND, of Creating Health Institute, in collaboration with Chaffin Luhana LLP

The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author, Gayle Eversole.

Transvaginal Mesh 1

http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/2011/10/fda-slow-to-take-action-on-vaginal-mesh.html

http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/2009/03/transvaginal-mesh-and-womens-health.html

http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/p/womens-health-transvaginal-mesh.html

http://leaflady.org/mesh2.htm

FDA slow to take action on vaginal mesh

2012-01-06T10:30:00.000-08:00

UPDATE: 24 January 2012

Dems call for Lap-Band, mesh probes ahead of MDUFMA re-authorization

Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives are calling for a congressional probe into a pair of high-profile medical device products – Lap-Bands and vaginal mesh – as Congress gears up for hearings and a vote on re-authorizing the Medical Device User Fee & Modernization Act.

Democrats in the U.S. House, concerned about a pair of high-profile medical devices, want the Energy & Commerce Committee to open a probe into gastric band and vaginal mesh products. SOURCE

US House of Representatives recently has been visiting my series of articles on surgical mesh. Find them all using our search window.

5 January 2012

FDA wants new studies on surgical mesh

By Anna Yukhananov, Thu Jan 5, 2012

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. health regulators ordered new safety studies for surgical mesh implants that are used to hold pelvic organs in place, citing a spike in the number of complications seen for female patients, including erosion and infection.The Food and Drug Administration also said it may reclassify the devices in a higher-risk category that would require manufacturers, such as Boston Scientific and a unit of Johnson & Johnson, to conduct clinical trials in people before receiving approval for sale.
The companies could not be immediately reached for comment.
The devices, made of synthetic or biological material, are commonly implanted in women to repair weakened or damaged tissue and provide support in cases of pelvic organ prolapse (POP). They are also used to help those with a severe overactive bladder known as stress urinary incontinence.
The FDA said it received more than 1,500 reports of complications related to the repairs with mesh from 2008 to 2010, including cases in which the mesh eroded into the vagina or caused bleeding and infection. The rate of problems was five times the rate reported from 2005 to 2007.
The FDA sent letters this week to 35 manufacturers of transvaginal surgical mesh, requesting three-year studies of several hundred women each to study side effects, as well as the women's overall quality of life.
In July, the agency warned that complications with the mesh were "not rare" and that transvaginal organ repair using mesh may put patients at greater risk than other surgeries and treatments.
The FDA also said it was concerned about scientific studies that show a lack of clinical benefit from surgical mesh, compared to non-mesh repair.
About 75,000 women received mesh repairs for pelvic organ prolapse in 2010 and about 200,000 women received transvaginal repairs for stress urinary incontinence.
The agency is asking for more studies from companies that sell the mesh for POP surgery. In the case of mesh used to correct an overactive bladder, the FDA is seeking further study of use of a so-called "mini-sling," when strips of material are used around the bladder neck and the urethra.
During their lifetime, 30 percent to 50 percent of women may experience POP, with two percent developing symptoms. The condition happens when tissue that holds the pelvic organs in place becomes weak or stretched and bulges into the vagina.
Surgery to support prolapsing organs can be done through the abdomen or the vagina, either with stitches or also with surgical mesh for reinforcement.
Surgical mesh has been used since the 1950s to repair abdominal hernias, but doctors only started using the mesh for POP and stress urinary incontinence in the 1990s, a procedure that has grown in popularity.
Companies that wanted to make the mesh specifically for POP or urinary incontinence could submit their application under a 510(k) accelerated review application that did not require them to do clinical trials in people, as long as they could show their implants were similar to devices already on the market.
But during a panel meeting in September, outside advisers to the FDA recommended that the agency reclassify the devices for POP to require companies to submit additional studies. The FDA said it is considering their advice.
Jeffrey Grand, a lawyer at Bernstein Liebhard in New York, is representing women who are suing companies that make the transvaginal mesh, with a case going to trial later this year.
"These things were basically put on the market without any significant safety testing," Grand said. "I'm hoping that all of this brings about some regulatory changes."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In September 2011 the FDA convened a conference on the use of TV mesh and the consideration for changing its device classification to a more stringent one.

Now the FDA is calling for comments regarding its process of classifying its own process. You can read more about this here...

FDA Public Health Notification: Official 2008 warning from the FDA

Serious Complications Associated with Placement of Surgical Mesh

in Repair of Pelvic Organ Prolapse and Stress Urinary Incontinence

http://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/Safety/AlertsandNotices/PublicHealthNotifications/ucm061976.htm

READ MORE: TRANSVAGINAL MESH AND WOMEN'S HEALTH

What to consider before choosing surgery -

Alternatives to the laparoscopic Burch and/or paravaginal repair procedures include the following:

do nothing and continue to experience the loss of urine

medical (non-surgical) treatment

lifestyle modification: quit smoking, lose weight, allergy treatment

Kegel’s exercise: regular contraction of the muscles that allow you to stop urine in mid-stream may reduce or eliminate incontinence

pessary use: usually a donut-shaped rubber or plastic device inserted into the vagina to support the bladder

hormonal (estrogen) replacement therapy

treatment with medication helps certain types of incontinence

other surgical procedures including

the so-called anterior repair (performed from a vaginal approach),

other procedures performed in the space between the bladder and pubic bone (may be done at laparoscopy or through a large incision at laparotomy),

sling procedures usually done with an incision in the vagina and a 1-2" incision at the pubic hairline,

collagen injection (injection of a natural glue-like substance into the bladder neck), and

InterStim® - a nerve stimulator is surgically placed to reduce bladder irritability

Many times using a combination of several forms of treatment results in the best treatment for incontinence and paravaginal defects (such as losing weight, stopping smoking, taking estrogen replacement, performing Kegel’s exercise, and having the Burch procedure). If you have any questions regarding the above or any aspect of the proposed surgery, be sure to discuss them with your physician. SOURCE

Request our prevention article

Read more -
http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/2009/03/transvaginal-mesh-and-womens-health.html

http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/p/womens-health-transvaginal-mesh.html

How FDA Approved Mesh

Graphic Courtesy of Patrick

Latest News on Device Approval from Congress, 13 December, 2011

Transvaginal Mesh and Women’s Health

2012-01-05T16:30:00.000-08:00

Please go to our new page for Transvaginal Mesh and More Updates

5 January, 2012 - NEW ARTICLE

19 December: High Costs Associated with Urogenital Surgery

Cost of surgery for certain urogenital conditions can range from $4000 to $6000 for your doctor with additional costs related to hospital care.

--------------------------------------------

C.R. Bard (NYSE:BCR) may have beaten The Street with its third-quarter results, but Wall Street investors are beating it back today, sending shares down nearly 4 percent.

The medical device maker reported its Q3 earnings and its $250 million acquisition of Medivance after the market closed yesterday. Bard posted profits of $130.1 million, or $1.46 per diluted share, on sales of $719.2 million for the three months ended Sept. 30.

That's 2.0 percent more profit and 6.0 percent more revenues than during the same period last year, when Murray Hill, N.J.-based Bard reported profits of $127.5 million, or $1.34 diluted EPS, on sales of $678.4 million. October 26, 2011 by MassDevice

FDA Safety Communication: UPDATE on Serious Complications Associated with

Transvaginal Placement of Surgical Mesh for Pelvic Organ Prolapse

Boston Scientific and other transvaginal mesh makers defend their devices amid FDA probe

Boston Scientific urges the FDA to maintain a class II device status on transvaginal mesh amid calls from public advocates for product recalls and FDA warnings that the devices may do more harm than good.

Johnson & Johnson vaginal mesh lawsuits another blow to the FDA's device review process

October 20, 2011 by Arezu Sarvestani

With high profile recalls in hip implants and defibrillators in the recent past, the FDA's medical device review process takes another hit it doesn't need as health care giant Johnson & Johnson weathers a storm of transvaginal mesh complaints.

FDA's medical device review process is again under scrutiny as lawsuits pile up against health care leviathan Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) for transvaginal mesh devices that may do more harm than good.

Lawsuits claiming negligence against mesh-makers have also implicated the FDA's review system for continuing to clear new mesh products under the 510(k) system, despite the predicate device being pulled from U.S. shelves.

Boston Scientific Corp.'s (NYSE:BSX) ProteGen mesh, cleared in 1996 and pulled from the shelves a year later, was used as a predicate device for clearing subsequent mesh products, despite more than 120 adverse event reports on the original design at the time, Bloomberg reported.

from Bloomberg By Alex Nussbaum and David Voreacos - Oct 20, 2011 J&J Vaginal Mesh Approved by FDA Based on Similar Device Recalled in 1999

More from the FDA

September 29, 2011

I am excited to report that I will be doing some follow up stories for an old friend, Eric Chaffin, of Chaffin Luhana LLP about prolapse and vaginal mesh complications. Eric is the one who originally approached me about doing the below vaginal mesh series a couple of years ago when he was with his old law firm. Eric and his now law partner, Roopal Luhana, have their own firm in NYC, Chaffin Luhana LLP. Eric and Roopal were some of the first attorneys in the country to represent women in the Bard Avaulta mesh litigation and in Gynecare mesh lawsuits. They continue to represent women in these medical device cases, as well as in other vaginal mesh litigations, including representing women in cases against Boston Scientific and American Medical Systems regarding allegedly defective vaginal mesh. You can learn more about the vaginal mesh cases Chaffin Luhana is handling through the vaginal mesh information website that Chaffin Luhana sponsors. I also hope that you will visit us soon here at Natural Health News to read the first of what I anticipate will be a multiple part follow up series regarding vaginal mesh.

Original and complete article from 2009 about TV Mesh Has Moved in order to bring you more updates on this important health issue.

UPDATE: 19 June, 2011

Several years ago I was commissioned by a consumer injury law firm to write a series of articles. One of those articles, http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/2009/03/transvaginal-mesh-and-womens-health.html addressed issues with the transvaginal mesh device. This article is also found on our other websites, simply4health.org and leaflady.org.

In the past several months I have noticed an increasing number of TV ads for this device from consumer injury law firms. I have also noticed a viral spread of this article which has booted the reader ship of my blog, Natural Health News, by thousands of readers daily.

This tells me that many women must be very interested in this topic, either because they have had this surgery and are facing problems, or they have been advised to have this operation.

Alternatives to the surgery are available options. I hope to educate you about an important one that can do a great deal to prevent and correct this condition.

Should you wish a copy of this new article please email us and request it.

Please consider a donation to help us continue this important work.

As originally written in 2009, in cooperation with Eric Chaffin, this article has created an internet storm -

Originally posted March 2009 -

Transvaginal Surgical Mesh Origins

Polypropylene was first developed in the 1950s as a thermoplastic polymer resin of propylene and is made from petroleum. Polypropylene may be molded or extruded into many forms, including fibers for suture material, specially produced mesh and nonwoven sheet applications. Nonwoven polypropylene fabric later began to be extruded from polymer melts rather than from fibers.

New MESH page has the complete article and much more information.

Quaternary ammonium biocides are used as a disinfectant and germ killing substance because they disrupt the cell membrane and proteins. QUATS may not, however, be fully effective against Pseudomonas bacteria. Also, researchers have found in laboratory experiments that oleamide, which interacts with neurotransmitters, may leak out of polypropylene plastics.

Polypropylene Knitted Mesh (PPKM) fabrics are comprised of monofilament yarns, which are engineered for the manufacturing of textile fabrics. The polymer and manufacturing processes that are used produce fabrics with properties that are ideally suited for the manufacturing of medical device applications. Medical applications include hernia mesh patches, stress urinary incontinence (SUI) slings, and vaginal prolapse suspenders.

Nonwoven polypropylene fabric has been used for similar applications.

Problems with polypropylene fabrics have led to warnings being issued for various products made from nonwoven material and in some cases, the manufacturers have stopped marketing the products

According to adverse reports submitted to the FDA from nine different manufacturers, more than 1,000 people have suffered severe complications from surgical mesh implants. The reports include infection, pain, urinary problems and bowel, bladder or blood-vessel perforations. The repaired prolapse may have recurred or incontinence increased. Additional surgeries to remove mesh have been required because of vaginal erosion.

Transvaginal Surgical Mesh to Treat SUI

Sudden Urinary Incontinence (SUI) is estimated to affect as many as 11 million women in the United States. It is generally defined as the sudden, involuntary loss of urine when a patient is laughing, sneezing, coughing or exercising. SUI is caused by anything that may have led to serious pelvic muscle strain or weakness such as vaginal childbirth. It can be exacerbated by estrogen and other hormonal imbalance accompanying menopause.

Nearly 40% of all adult American women will experience various degrees of SUI during their lifetime. Symptoms can range from occasional leakage of a few drops of urine to complete loss of urine under certain conditions of stress. Although nonsurgical methods such as dietary changes, bladder retraining, Kegel exercises, biofeedback, pessaries, electrostimulation, and drug therapies have been used successfully to treat these women, many patients eventually require surgical repair to relieve their symptoms.

Historically, and for many decades, the Kelley plication or the Marshall-Marchetti (Krantz) procedures have been the main hospital based surgical treatments for reinforcing the bladder neck in order to prevent unintentional urine loss.

Other surgical techniques have been used to correct pelvic organ prolapse (POP), a related condition.

Transvaginal Surgical Mesh to Treat POP

The problem of incontinence for women from various causes becomes more common after pregnancy and in menopause, when surgery can be recommended after other non-intrusive treatments are not found effective.

These conditions are referred to as Pelvic Organ Prolapse(POP).

POP is the term that describes a condition when a pelvic organ drops from its normal location and pushes against the walls of the vagina. This generally occurs when muscles that hold pelvic organs in place are weakened or stretched by childbirth or surgery. POP can lead to symptoms that include pain, discomfort, loss of bladder control and constipation.

Mentor Sling

One popular product, known as the transobturator vaginal sling, was made by Mentor Corporation. This product was more commonly called “OB Tape.”

Mentor manufactured an OB Tape vaginal sling that was not recalled, but the company stopped marketing it in the spring of 2006. The product used a nonwoven material which made it different in design than most other mesh devices. The nonwoven fabric is alleged to have blocked oxygen and nutrients, substantially increasing the risk of problems such as infection. This impedance potentially can cause serious problems with the device that may not appear for months, or even years following implantation surgery.

The complication rate could very easily reach 20% of all patients who used the Mentor sling.

At least 35,000 women may have been treated with the OB Tape vaginal sling between 2003 and 2006 to treat female stress urinary incontinence (SUI). The bladder sling is designed to prevent involuntary leakage that occurs when pelvic muscles supporting the bladder and urethra are stressed or weakened. A number of women have filed Mentor sling lawsuits.

A study published in the Journal of Urology in October 2006 highlighted the risk of complications associated with the OB Tape sling. More than 13% of the women who received the Mentor Sling for incontinence allegedly have suffered vaginal extrusions. Many more cases reported women who suffered chronic vaginal discharge and abscesses.

Symptoms of OB Tape Sling injury may include but are not be limited to:

· High fever

· Vaginal Pain

· Pelvic Pain

· Pain During Sex

· Chronic Infections

· Perineal Cellulitis

· Severe Pain in the Back, Hips and Legs

If you have had this surgery and are experiencing any of these or other symptoms not listed here, immediately contact your health care provider.

If you have suffered an injury or Mentor sling side effects from surgery involving the use of a Mentor sling, and would like to learn about your legal rights and pursuing a Mentor sling lawsuit, you can find information at Consumer Injury Lawyers.

Other Transvaginal Surgical Meshes

Another product, Gynecare’s Prolift Sling, created serious problems that required additional surgery that has caused permanent injury. The Avaulta Bard surgical mesh, which is used to treat POP and SUI have also been the subject of Avaulta transvaginal mesh lawsuits. It has led some consumer advocates to call for an Avaulta transvaginal mesh recall.

If you have had a prolene mesh pelvic floor repair system and have suffered complications, you may have a viable product liability claim. In October 2008 the FDA transvaginal mesh alertwas issued for at least nine manufacturers of vaginal sling products.

Overall use of these surgical mesh products has been associated with severe and debilitating injuries including vaginal extrusions, urinary tract erosions, infection and nerve pain. Other known complications include, but are not limited to, mesh erosion, mesh shrinkage, granuloma from tissue injury or dyspareunia (pain with sexual relations).

Product and procedure failure with the tape sling products have required additional surgeries to remove the mesh, along with an increased risk of more injury.

If you have suffered an injury from any surgery involving the use of the surgical meshes referred to in the above article and would like to learn about your legal rights, you can find information from Consumer Injury Lawyers, a consumer advocacy legal website that provides helpful information to consumers about various drugs and medical devices, including for example information about the recent reports of zinc poisoning caused by denture cream, including information about denture cream lawsuits such as how to file a Fixodent lawsuit orPoligrip lawsuit.

This article is part of a consumer health education series written by Gayle Eversole, DHom, PhD, MH, NP, ND, of Creating Health Institute, in collaboration with Bernstein Liebhard, LLP.

The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author, Gayle Eversole.

Natural Lubrication for Metal Implants

2012-01-03T09:23:00.001-08:00

"Natural" graphite lubricant reduces wear on metal-on-metal implants

January 2, 2012 by Emily Greenhalgh

A newly discovered lubricating layer of graphite could be the key to longer-lasting metal-on-metal hip implants, according to researchers.

A study funded by the National Institutes of Health found that lubrication in metal-on-metal hip implants has more in common with the lubrication in a combustion engine than a natural joint.

The study, conducted by U.S. and German researchers, found that a lubrication layer that forms in metal-on-metal hip replacement devices is actually graphite carbon, not proteins as researchers previously suspected.

"Graphite has been used as a lubricant for over a century," study co-author Laurence Marks told Reuters. " It is a classic lubricant, and it appears to form naturally."

When they discovered the graphite lubricant, researchers from Northwestern, Rush University Medical Center and the University of Duisburg-Essen were analyzing 7 retrieved implants to find a way to stop erosion between their metal surfaces.

"This finding opens new avenues of investigation to help scientists understand how joint implants function, and to develop strategies to make them function better," Dr. Stephen Katz, director of the National Institute of Arthritis & Musculoskeletal & Skin Diseases, said in prepared remarks. "The results of such research could have important implications for several 100 thousand Americans who undergo hip replacement each year – as well as those who could benefit from the procedure, but have been advised by their doctors to delay surgery until they are older."

Hip replacements are one of the most common orthopedic surgeries in the U.S. More than 500,000 metal-on-metal implants have been performed so far, according to the FDA.

All-metal joints were designed to be more sturdy and accommodate larger femoral heads than the metal-polyethylene implants they replaced, but several studies found that patients who received the metal-on-metal implants were more likely to need repeat surgeries.

Due to the natural friction of the hip's movement, metal particles can wear off the implants and enter patients' bloodstreams, according to the federal watchdog agency.

"Problematic devices have tended to release more metal debris through wear and corrosion than devices that have performed well," lead investigator Dr. Joshua Jacobs said in prepared remarks. "This debris can cause a local tissue response involving the bone, ligaments, tendons and muscles around the hip."

Lawsuits over the implants have skyrocketed in recent months, topping 5,000 in 2011 – more than in the past 4 years combined.

The NIH researchers seemed optimistic about the lubricant discovery.

"Nowadays we can design new alloys to go in racing cars, so we should be able to do this for implants that go into human beings," Northwestern University professor Laurence Marks said in a prepared statement.

If the research doesn't pan out, growing concern could put the devices on track to be the biggest and most expensive medical implant quagmire since Medtronic (NYSE: MDT) recalled its Sprint Fidelis lead in 2007.

And the high-profile recall of Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) subsidiary DePuy Orthopaedics' metal-on-metal ASR implant could cost $1 billion on its own.

All-metal joint replacements haven't just been a target for the federal watchdog agency. The implant woes have garnered the attention of lawmakers as well.

Three U.S. senators are calling for increased safety measures for medical devices, spurred by the attention given to the recalls. Their proposed legislation would beef up the FDA's safety regulations, allowing the federal watchdog agency to conduct safety studies of devices after they've been approved and to grant conditional approvals contingent on further trials.

SOURCE: http://www.massdevice.com/news/natural-graphite-lubricant-reduces-wear-metal-metal-implants

From Natural Health News

Natural Health News: Manufactured Parts and Hip Replacements

Aug 23, 2011 Hip Implant Complaints Surge, Even as the Dangers Are Studied. Originally posted 2009. Total Hip Arthroplasty Every year approximately 200000 hip replacement surgeries are performed in the United States and the success ...

Avoid Toxic Sweeteners for Weight Loss Goals

2012-01-02T10:49:00.002-08:00

Aspartame Warning Flyer for distribution: http://www.mpwhi.com/warning_flyer_on_aspartame.htm

The Lethal Science of Splenda: http://www.wnho.net/splenda_chlorocarbon.htm

Studies have shown that sucralose can:

* Cause the thymus to shrink by as much as 40% (the thymus is your immune powerhouse - it produces T cells)
* Cause enlargement of the liver and kidneys
* Reduce growth rate as much as 20%
* Cause enlargement of the large bowel area
* Reduce the amount of good bacteria in the intestines by 50%
* Increase the pH level in the intestines (a risk factor for colon cancer)
* Contribute to weight gain
* Cause aborted pregnancy low fetal body weight
* Reduce red blood cell count

Particular warning to diabetics: Researchers found that diabetic patients using sucralose showed a statistically significant increase in glycosylated hemoglobin, a marker that is used to assess glycemic control in diabetic patients. According to the FDA, "increases in glycosolation in hemoglobin imply lessening of control of diabetes."

Here is how Splenda is made: http://www.wnho.net/chemical_processing_of_splenda.htm

Ajinomoto just announced a new name for aspartame called AminoSweet. Be warned. It goes under many names; NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, Naturataste, Canderel, Benevia, E951, etc. Because the patent has expired it can be used in anything. You must read labels. Many times it’s hidden in artificial and natural flavors. Remember that aspartame has a synergistic and additive effect with MSG. Stuart Pape of the National Yogurt Assn has petitioned the FDA to allow aspartame unlabeled in yogurt and dairy products.

Special warning for diabetics: Aspartame can precipitate diabetes, simulates and aggravates diabetic retinopathy and neuropathy, destroys the optic nerve, causes diabetics to go into convulsions, and even interacts with insulin. The free methyl alcohol causes diabetics to lose limbs. Jeanette Soto, Mission Possible Brookville, Fla, who wrote “Blinded Sight” when her husband lost his sight from aspartame was unable to get her father-in-law, diabetic off aspartame because of the addiction. The free methyl alcohol is classified as a narcotic. It causes chronic methanol poisoning which affects the dopamine system of the brain and causes the addiction. When Jeanette’s father-in-law, Santiago Echiverria died it had to be a closed casket, the formaldehyde from the free methyl alcohol was oozing out of his skin. The American Diabetes Assn was sued in 2004 for racketeering for pushing aspartame on diabetics, but because of their power got out of it.

Today people are dying of the methanol poisoning. Dr. James Bowen explains:
"Only after longer aspartame usage does liver damage cause blood methanol levels to measurably rise because the liver mitochondria are so damaged that the liver no longer quickly processes either methyl or ethyl (drink) alcohol. Then the acute methanol poisoning is directly measurable from lab results, as the blood methanol level elevates. This entire sequence or "toxic axis" begins with your very first dose of aspartame. Both acute and chronic poisonings from this methanol toxic axis, and other additive and synergistic aspartame poisonings, steadily accumulate in the aspartame consumer.” We continue to get reports of people dying of methanol poisoning. Charles Fleming died and his wife, a Sunday School teacher, remains in a prison in Virginia. The detective on the case said, “Diane is innocent but because I was promoted I could not stop the indictment.” Be warned no diabetic should ever consume wood alcohol. The FDA did no NOAEL on methanol. Without it you cannot set an ADI, allowable daily intake. It’s 44% too high.

Just Like Sugar is a safe natural sweetener, see link in right column.

Hormone Disruption: Fluoride and Your Wireless Device

2011-12-31T07:11:00.000-08:00

Wireless radiation and Fluoridation

RE - http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0009912011027330

It shows that long term exposure (six years) to both cellphones and their base stations can alter human hormone profiles.

The most significant (which the authors describe as highly significant in the text) are their effects on the thyroid hormones, which show a marked reduction over this period. Although the authors do not say it (I suspect that they dare not if they want to get their work published) this would result in hypothyroidism, the most important symptoms of which are fatigue and obesity.

Contents of Hydroflurosilicic acid

Iodine

WEEP reader comments:

If cellphone exposure is combined with a fluoridated water supply, the low thyroid outcome is even more likely.

See this history of the fluorine/iodine antagonism connection, and the use of fluorine-based drugs to treat overactive thyroid.

http://poisonfluoride.com/pfpc/html/thyroid_history.html

Please join the spreading campaign to remove fluoride (from toxic-waste source) out of drinking water.

http://cof-cof.ca/hydrofluorosilicic-acid-origins/

'This water-based “wet scrubber” hydrofluorosilicic acid, containing the contaminants, is then taken out of the chimneys and stored in open-air cooling lakes, further exposed to airborne contaminants. Industry produces millions of gallons of this liquid hazardous waste. It costs thousands of dollars per ton to properly neutralize and dispose of hydrofluorosilicic acid, therefore, industry would rather just sell it to you as “product”.'

http://cof-cof.ca/top-ten-arguments-against-fluoridation/

And then if you are exposed to mercury too... and then the EMF shuts down detox, well we have got to do something about the use of these toxic substances. Martin Weatherall, WEEP.

The New View for 2012

2011-12-31T06:43:00.000-08:00

For about two decades I have been writing and education about thermography as a better and safer screening method for breast cancer.

The two best reasons are that it does not expose you to unnecessary radiation and it detects 10 years earlier than x-ray.

This article may help you have a better view and also worth getting a copy to your health care provider.

Sadly I have learned that in some radiology practices they will not allow ultrasound unless you have had a prior mammogram.

Get the facts and take a stand for your best health.

Excerpt from a clinical article highlighting the facts about thermography -

Breast thermography has undergone extensive research since the late 1950's.

Over 800 peer-reviewed studies on breast thermography exist in the index-medicus literature.

In this database, well over 300,000 women have been included as study participants.

The numbers of participants in many studies are very large -- 10K, 37K, 60K, 85K …

Some of these studies have followed patients up to 12 years.

Strict standardized interpretation protocols have been established for over 20 years.

Breast thermography has an average sensitivity and specificity of 90%.

An abnormal thermogram is 10 times more significant as a future risk indicator for breast cancer than a first order family history of the disease.

A persistent abnormal thermogram caries with it a 22x higher risk of future breast cancer.

An abnormal infrared image is the single most important marker of high risk for developing breast cancer.

Breast thermography has the ability to detect the first signs that a cancer may be forming up to 10 years before any other procedure can detect it.

Research has shown that breast thermography significantly augments the long-term survival rates of its recipients by as much as 61%.

When used as part of a multimodal approach (clinical examination + mammography + thermography) 95% of early stage cancers will be detected.

If you would like a complete copy of the article please contact us.

Women

Breast Thermography

Mammography Risk

Not so pretty in pink

Selections from Natural Health News

Natural Health News: Thermography Validated

Jun 12, 2011

Now - even though thermography has received FDA approval, it stands on its platform of mammography as the only approved screening system. And at the same time blocks any information that has been scientifically ...

http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/

Natural Health News: Thermography 90, Mammogram 50

May 21, 2010

A great boost for the benefits of thermography over breast-cancer-causing mammogram. It is more effective and better for women under 50. Yes! Thermography's accuracy rate is 90% versus mammogram's 50%. It is well past ...

http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/

Natural Health News: Better to Screen You with Thermography, My ...

Oct 23, 2009

Better to Screen You with Thermography, My Dear... "Rethink" of Cancer Screening Triggers Comments and Controversy By Nick Mulcahy October 23, 2009 — In a comment that has triggered widespread media coverage, the ...

http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/

Natural Health News: Women kept in the dark when it comes to their ...

Mar 02, 2009

I just know I have to drive 75 minutes to get thermography. With the 3 day Race and March coming soon (Women's Health Month) perhaps you'll like to send along your donation to get our report on mammography that we've ...

A Most Sensible Resolution for 2012

2011-12-30T12:46:00.002-08:00

Water!

Yes, you've heard this cry many times I am sure. But even in today's world it is extremely important to your health. Its also not the truth, as so many in mainstream medicine tell you, that those 8 glasses a days aren't necessary.

Well, I certainly agree that the 8 glasses are needed, and I have my surgeon father to thank for that. When he was in med school in the 1920s this was the rule.

The "Cool Morning Draught" was also a very popular and health promoting traditional naturopathic therapy, and my mother always started her day this way. One of her favorite songs was "Cool Water" as sung by the Sons of the Pioneers. She was lucky enough to have come from the place that supplies artesian wells drinking water to New Orleans.

Seems too that forward thinking and health supporting doctors agree - one who I think offers trustworthy and practical advice about all aspects of healthy living.

DEHYDRATION CHECK: If your tongue feels at all raspy

or like sandpaper then you too aren't getting enough water.

from Dr. John Briffa -

I sat down two days ago with some ambition to write a blog post (or two). In the end I did not write a word. Why? As I explained to my girlfriend, ‘my brain wasn’t working’. Try as I might, I found the whole idea of writing anything cogent too much. I did a quick scan of things that might have caused this state. I was not short on sleep. Neither had I eaten any wheat (I’ve found from experience this tends to turn my brain off).
Then I wondered if I might be dehydrated. It was about 4.00 in the afternoon, and I could only remember passing water twice all day – not a good sign. Plus, there was no doubt in my mind that I had drunk only a small proportion of the water I would normally consume when, say, in my own home. I stepped up my water intake and felt quite quickly revived. It might have been a placebo response, but maybe not.
This morning I decided to see if there was any recent evidence on the impact of dehydration on mental functioning, and did indeed come across a relevant study [1]. In this research, 25 women were subjected to a variety of assessments of mood, mental functioning and wellbeing in a normally hydrated state, as well as a dehydrated state. On one occasion, dehydration was induced with intermittent exercise but not heat. On another occasion, dehydration was induced not just with exercise, but by administration of the diuretic drug frusemide (furosemide).
Overall, dehydration with or without frusemide led to an average of 1.36 per cent of body mass. Just to put this into perspective, for someone weighing 70 kg, this would equate to about 1 kg (or 1 litre) of dehydration. In other words, this extent of dehydration would be described as ‘mild’.
At this level of dehydration, basic cognitive (brain) function was not significantly affected. But other functions were, including the amount of perceived effort used by women to complete a task. My experience yesterday meant that I could totally relate to this.
In addition, the concentration and mood of the women were also adversely affected. The women were more fatigued too, and were more prone to headaches. All this, remember, was the result of relatively mild dehydration.
None of this actually proves my inertia yesterday was caused by something as simple and rectifiable as dehydration, but it is at least consistent with it. I’d say as far a New Year resolutions go, many of us could do a lot worse than just to ensure we’re decently hydrated. How much should we drink? I suggest enough to ensure our urine stays pale yellow in colour throughout the day.
References: 1. Armstrong LE, et al. Mild Dehydration Affects Mood in Healthy Young Women J Nutr January 1, 2012 jn.111.142000

Advanced Care Chiropractic offers this short report -

Just because it is winter and it is cold and rainy, doesn’t mean you can’t get dehydrated! During these months we are inside more, with heaters going, and we don’t have that natural thirst mechanism. So most of the patients I see ARE dehydrated.

Water is your body’s principal chemical component, comprising 60-70% of your weight. Every system in your body depends on water. Even mild dehydration can sap your energy and make you tired.

Lack of water increases fibrosis and cross-linking in collagen, resulting in advanced wrinkling, stiff and easily injured joints, and degeneration of joints and discs.

It also makes chiropractic adjustments more difficult, more painful, and less effective.

Every day you lose water through your breath, perspiration, urine and bowel movements. For your body to function properly, you must replenish its water supply by consuming beverages and foods that contain water.

1) How Much? The US National Research Council recommends 1 mL of water for every Calorie you eat. So if you eat 2000 Calories you should be drinking 2000 mL (2 liters or 2.1 quarts). My guideline is ½ oz of water for every pound of weight. So for a 150 lb man or woman, you need 75 oz of water (over 2 quarts).

You may need to modify your total fluid intake depending on how active you are, the environment or weather you are in, your health status, and if you’re pregnant or breast-feeding.

Exercise. The more you exercise, the more fluid you’ll need to keep your body hydrated. An extra 1 or 2 cups of water should suffice for short bouts of exercise, but intense exercise lasting more than an hour (for example, running a marathon) requires additional fluid. During long bouts of intense exercise, it’s best to use a sports drink that contains sodium and electrolytes to help replace sodium lost in sweat. Fluid also should be replaced after exercise.
Environment. Hot or humid weather can make you sweat and requires additional intake of fluid. Heated indoor air also can cause your skin to lose moisture during wintertime. Further, high altitudes may trigger increased urination and more rapid breathing, which use up more of your fluid reserves.
Illnesses or health conditions. Fever, vomiting and diarrhea cause your body to lose additional fluids. In these cases you should drink more water and may even need oral rehydration solutions, such as Gatorade. Certain conditions such as heart failure and some types of kidney, liver and adrenal diseases may impair excretion of water and even require that you limit your fluid intake.
Pregnancy or breast-feeding. Women who are expecting or breast-feeding need additional fluids to stay hydrated. Large amounts of fluid are lost especially when nursing. It is recommended that pregnant women drink 2.4 liters (about 10 cups) of fluids daily and women who breast-feed 3.0 liters (about 12.5 cups).

2) Don’t wait until you are thirsty! It’s generally not a good idea to use thirst alone as a guide for when to drink. By the time you becomes thirsty, it is possible to be already dehydrated. Be aware that as you get older your body is less able to sense dehydration and send your brain signals of thirst.

3) Avoid drinking at night! Don’t try to catch up for not drinking during the day by drinking too much in the evening. Avoid drinking 2 hours before bedtime. Unless you LIKE waking up in the middle of the night!

4) Water filters, spring water, bottled waterIf you drink water from a bottle, thoroughly clean or replace the bottle often. Refill only bottles that are designed for reuse. In general spring water from a tested source is best, then filtered water. Don’t drink distilled water.

5) Drink Warm or Room Temperature Water You wouldn’t put ice water in a baby’s water bottle, a pet dish or a house plant would you? Then avoid it for yourself too. Traditional Chinese Medicine declares that cold drinks “shock” the body and blocks the normal flow of energy.

6) Can You Drink Too Much? Though rare, it is possible to drink too much water. When your kidneys are unable to excrete the excess water, the electrolyte content of the blood is diluted, resulting in a condition called hyponatremia. Endurance athletes such as marathon runners who drink large amounts of water are at higher risk of hyponatremia. In general, though, drinking too much water is rare in healthy adults who consume an average American diet.

Water

Selections from Natural Health News

Natural Health News: Weight Loss Promise for a new year

Dec 26, 2007

Lose weight with water. Water is essential for everybody - it is also the key to losing weight. If you haven't been drinking enough water, your body has developed a pattern of storing water. This water retention equals extra ...

Natural Health News: Words on Water

Apr 03, 2008

The hot topic in current news seems to be water, and how much you don't need. This topic has made the news several times in the past few years, sometimes to the chagrin of health advocates who believe water is life giving.

Natural Health News: Less Calories, More Water

Aug 24, 2010

Drinking water with meals has always been a point of discussion in natural health care. We have learned, and educate others about water and how important it is for health. We also always have suggested to drink water ...

How big is the bang from osteoporosis drugs?

2011-12-27T08:57:00.000-08:00

From Susan Brown, PhD

Answering the question “how big is the bang from osteoporosis drugs?” can be quite challenging.
One reason is that the statistical calculations are complex and highly manipulated making them difficult to understand. Another is that the subjects included in the drug studies are generally highly-selected and may not represent “real-world” populations.
Recently scientists took an important step to help us separate hype from reality in regard to the benefits of bone drugs.
Researchers asked if “real-world” patients taking bone drugs received the same fracture-reduction benefits seen in the clinical trials. After analysis of hundreds of studies, they found that highly compliant, “real world” patients on osteoporosis drugs experienced a 21% reduction in all clinical fractures. This compares to the 24% overall clinical fracture reduction experienced by subjects in osteoporosis drug clinical trials.
What a different messages than we often hear — such as how bone drugs reduce your chance of fracture by 50%! Or have you ever been told that the fracture reduction on bone drugs is really more like 21-24%? That is — if you use the drug faithfully.
Now compare this 21-24% fracture-reduction benefit from bone drugs to the studies documenting that those taking vitamin D in any dose (much less a therapeutic dose) experience a 23-26% reduction in fractures. It seems to me that the bang from osteoporosis drugs isn’t quite as big as we’ve been led to believe.
As your bone health advocate, I congratulate these researchers on the enormous effort to analyze and synthesize data from hundreds of studies. I also congratulate the drug company which funded this study for clarifying the real fracture/reduction benefit of today’s bone drugs.

References:
Wilkes, et al. 2010. “Bisphosphonates and osteoporotic fractures: a cross-design synthesis of results among compliant/persistent postmenopausal women in clinical practice versus randomized controlled trials.” Osteoporosis International 21:679-688
Bischoff-Ferrari, HA et al. 2005. Fracture prevention with vitamin D supplementation: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. JAMA, 293(18): 2257-2264

The Week in Bone Health | How big is the bang from osteoporosis drugs?

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Selections from Natural Health News

Natural Health News: More about risky drugs and Osteoporosis

Sep 06, 2011

The osteoporosis drug zoledronic acid (Reclast) should not be used in patients with significant renal impairment, and physicians should screen patients for kidney dysfunction before starting them on the drug, the FDA said. ...

http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/

Natural Health News: The Dangers of Osteoporosis Drugs

Aug 16, 2009

Another Big PhARMA fiasco, as all the current osteoporosis drugs seem to be. Of course you don't hear too much about their fluoride content and how this damages the thyroid and bone health, but then how would they mask ...

http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/

Natural Health News: Osteoporosis drug Forteo linked with bone ...

Oct 02, 2009

Osteoporosis drug Forteo linked with bone cancer. BLACK BOX WARNING FOR FORTEO, a gentically engineered pharmaceutical. POTENTIAL RISK OF OSTEOSARCOMA: In male and female rats, teriparatide caused an ...

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Natural Health News: Focus on Bone Health Naturally

Jan 24, 2009

***Just remember that as bone density leads to brittle bones and fracture, so do the prescription osteoporosis drugs. ... Part of this missing link is the bone-damaging impact from many non-osteoporosis drugs. Another is that ...

Creeping Diseases

2011-12-22T10:33:00.004-08:00

How we're fooled into using more medicine than we need.

This is a guest post from independent medical investigative journalist Jeanne Lenzer. She is a former Knight Science Journalism Fellow and a frequent contributor to BMJ, and has published works in The Atlantic, The New York Times Magazine, Discover, The New Republic, and other outlets.

When doctors recommend tests, drugs or surgeries to prevent bad outcomes (think cholesterol-lowering agents to prevent strokes or cardiac stents to prevent heart attacks) they tap into our deepest sense of what constitutes commonsense: An ounce of prevention. Catch it early. A stitch in time.

It can’t be a bad thing to catch problems early, can it?

Unfortunately, one of the toughest things to explain is why detecting some illnesses at their earliest stages can cause more harm than good. Take this example: Since elevated cholesterol is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, doctors often prescribe drugs known as statins to people with elevated cholesterol levels in the hopes of reducing their risk of a heart attack or stroke.

Here comes the part that’s tough to explain – because it is so counterintuitive: Statins only help individuals who already have had a heart attack or stroke (with a few exceptions, and more on that later).

Of course, this makes no sense to most people. Isn’t the whole point of taking cholesterol-lowering agents to prevent a heart attack? Why should anyone wait until after a heart attack or stroke to begin taking a drug designed to prevent a heart attack or stroke?

The answer rests with disease creep and the simple statistical quirks that come with it. In the past, doctors treated diseases that caused symptoms. But now we have tests and imaging machines that can detect risk factors and illnesses in their earliest stages. Like cholesterol. Elevated cholesterol is not a disease. It doesn’t cause symptoms. It is a risk factor. People with high cholesterol levels are somewhat more likely to develop a heart attack or stroke, but they are at far less risk than individuals who already have cardiovascular disease. This is the definition of disease creep: when pre-conditions or risk factors are treated as if they are the same as the actual disease state.

Here’s a thought experiment (with purposefully exaggerated numbers) to help understand this puzzle: Imagine a group of people who have the rare but awful Disease A, which is so terrible that all of its victims will die. Now imagine the discovery of Wonder Drug X, which cures half of the patients with Disease A. Unfortunately, Wonder Drug X does have a pretty bad side effect profile – it’s a very powerful drug, after all – and 10 percent of people who take it will die from liver failure. Despite this worrisome side effect, Wonder Drug X is truly an advance for patients with Disease A: For every 200 patients with the disease who are treated, 100 will now survive and only 10 of the 100 survivors will die of the drug’s side effects. That means 90 more people out of 200 will survive thanks to Wonder Drug X.

But now imagine a different group of 200 people, who don’t actually have disease A, but instead have a genetic marker which “is associated with” Disease A. In this scenario only 1 in a million people in the general population will get disease A. If you have the genetic marker, the risk ismuch higher, such that 2 of these 200 people will develop the disease at some time in the future. The genetic test gets highly promoted – “find out your risk early, because we now have a treatment that works, and the sooner you’re treated, the better!” There is a tiny grain of truth to this – of the 2 people identified by the genetic test, 1 (50%) will now be saved by Wonder Drug A. This might sound just as good as before; here’s a group of people with 10,000 times (!) the risk of the general population to develop a uniformly fatal disease. Surely it’s worth taking a drug that can cure that disease in half the cases, isn’t it?

Read the complete article here

Support for Healthy Fats

2011-12-22T10:13:00.002-08:00

For years I have been educating about the need for healthy fat in your diet, and for the sake of your health.

I haven't been alone in this effort as you may know if you follow Weston A. Price and others who know the real benefits of fat. And yes, lard counts.

And remember that canola is not considered a healthy fat and it is a trans fat, even if the following article suggests it is not. Canola is also toxic to your liver and too monounsaturated for health as well as being for the most part a GMO substance. Please read our articles about canola or request the mot recent issue of our newsletter fmi.

submitted by Emily Main - Olive oil is sooooo five minutes ago. People who are into healthy cooking oils and fats have moved on to duck fat, real lard, goose renderings, and coconut oil, according to a new report published by the market research firm Packaged Facts and the food trend spotters at the Center for Culinary Development.
Interest in these long-forgotten, more traditional fats is all part of the back-to-the-land movement that has triggered the growth of farmer's markets and reconnected people to whole fruits and vegetables, grass-fed dairy products, and pasture-raised meats, the report's authors note. It's no longer enough for top-line chefs and adventurous home cooks to eat grass-fed steaks; those steaks need to be finished with duck fat or real butter.
And it's not just the fact that these fats are traditional or come with a sense of nostalgia. Nutrition science is beginning to turn the idea that all fat is bad for you on its head, with high-profile nutritionists like Walter Willett, professor of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health and a professor of medicine at the Harvard Medical School, working to debunk the idea that low-fat diets are healthier. Many of the recommendations that we all follow regarding fat, he's found, are based on rather weak science that has been repeatedly questioned over the decades. That type of diet is also depriving people of a variety of nutrients found only in the animal fats and other cooking oils that have been demonized under the assumption that saturated fat is bad for you.
As a general rule, whatever kinds of fat you buy, keep your chemical exposures to a minimum by buying certified-organic plant oils and pastured or grass-fed animal fats.
Olive oil remains one of the healthiest oils you can drizzle over a plate of veggies, but if you're interested in branching out, here are 6 other healthy varieties of cooking oil now gaining traction in the culinary world:• Ghee. Also known as "Indian clarified butter" or "drawn butter," ghee is butter that has been melted over a low temperature so that all the water content has boiled away and the milk fats have been skimmed off (check out our instructions on how to make your own ghee). What remains is a nutty, intensely flavored fat that withstands higher cooking temperatures than butter and can even be stored in your cabinets, rather than in the fridge (it won't go rancid). Indians believe it has healing qualities. And it's even more nutritious than butter: The process of creating ghee concentrates the conjugated linoleic acid—a healthy cancer-fighter that also prevents atherosclerosis (hardening of the heart's arteries)—found in the butter.
• Rice bran oil. Rice bran oil is quickly becoming the "go-to oil for fried food," the report found, particularly in high-end, independent, and ethnic restaurants. It tolerates a much higher cooking heat than canola or peanut oil, and like both of those, it's trans fat free. Health-wise, animal studies have shown that rice bran oil (which is made from the inner husks and germ of rice) can lower LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels, but it contains high levels of polyunsaturated fat, which go rancid quickly and need to be refrigerated to maintain shelf life.
• Lard & schmaltz. The prime example of fats we all thought were bad for us, lard and schmaltz (rendered chicken, pork, or goose fat) may have been wrongly demonized for years. The main fat in lard—oleic acid—is a monounsaturated fat linked to decreased risk of depression, says Drew Ramsey, MD, coauthor of The Happiness Diet (Rodale, 2010). Those same monounsaturated fats, which make up 45 percent of the fat in lard, are responsible for lowering LDL levels while leaving HDL ("good") cholesterol levels alone. Lard and schmaltz also tolerate high cooking temperatures—they're often recommended for frying—and have long shelf lives.
• Duck fat. Like lard, duck fat is high in monounsaturated fats, which make up 50 percent of its total fat content, with saturated fat making up just 14 percent (less than butter). Most of that fat is healthy linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid that keeps cells healthy, boosts calcium absorption, and aids in kidney function. Though it's still used mostly in high-end restaurants, it's showing up on specialty food store shelves and even some bigger retailers, such as Williams Sonoma. It can tolerate high cooking temperatures and has a long shelf life, but, like ghee, it has an intense flavor, so it's not a great all-purpose fat (and, considering the prices it goes for, you wouldn't want to use it every day, anyway!).
• Coconut oil. As with the other fats here, coconut oil's high saturated fat content (92 percent) has earned it an—undeserved—bad reputation over the years. "But there are a lot of health benefits that go beyond just what kind of fat it is," says Trevor Holly Cates, ND, a naturopathic physician with a practice in the Golden Door Spa at the Waldorf Astoria in Park City, Utah, and a board member of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians. For instance, coconut oil is high in lauric acid, a nutrient our bodies need to help our immune systems. One of the only other major dietary sources for lauric acid is breast milk. Coconut oils are very common now in regular and specialty grocery stores, so keep an eye out for them.
• Nut & seed oils. Rounding out the report's trendy fats are nut and seed oils, such as walnut, avocado, pecan, and pumpkin seed oils, which are showing up not just in regular grocery stores, but in chain and fast-food restaurants, as well. Each different nut or seed oil has its own unique chemical makeup, but most of them, with the exception of avocado oil, have high levels of polyunsaturated fats compared to the healthier monounsaturated fats. They're good for salad dressings, but they do go rancid quickly and shouldn't be used for cooking.
Source: Sustainable Food News (16 Dec. 2011).

from Rodale News

Communication Key in Health Care

2011-12-22T10:03:00.000-08:00

DURHAM, N.H., Dec. 22 (UPI) -- Efforts to increase physician-nurse communication and build teamwork help reduce surgery-related complications such as blood clots, U.S. researchers say.
Implementation of the Medical Team Training Program and Surgical Morbidity involved the surgical team taking a cue from aviation and having the surgical team use a checklist before surgery, as well as debriefings afterward, as pilots and co-pilots do.
The study, published in the journal Archives of Surgery, said the communication-boosting program resulted in 15 percent fewer complications such as blood clots and infections.
Yinong Young-Xu of EpiPatterns, a New Hampshire data analysis firm, and colleagues at the National Center for Patient Safety, Department of Veterans Affairs, White River Junction, Dartmouth Medical School, Baylor College of Medicine, Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center and the University of Michigan used data from the Veterans Health Administration Surgical Quality Improvement Program.
The analysis involved 119,383 sampled procedures from 74 Veterans Health Administration facilities that provide care to veterans.

Long Term Mobile Exposure and Hormones

2011-12-22T10:00:00.002-08:00

How does long term exposure to base stations and mobile phones affect human hormone profiles?

Emad F. Eskander^,^a^,, Selim F. Estefan^a, Ahmed A. Abd-Rabou^a

^a	Hormones Department, Medical Research Division, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt

Received 9 December 2010; revised 2 November 2011; Accepted 6 November 2011. Available online 26 November 2011.

Abstract

Objectives

This study is concerned with assessing the role of exposure to radio frequency radiation (RFR) emitted either from mobiles or base stations and its relations with human's hormone profiles.

Design and methods

All volunteers' samples were collected for hormonal analysis.

Results

This study showed significant decrease in volunteers' ACTH, cortisol, thyroid hormones, prolactin for young females, and testosterone levels.

Conclusion

The present study revealed that high RFR effects on pituitary–adrenal axis.

Highlights

► This study is concerned with assessing the role of long-term exposure to high radio frequency radiation emitted either from mobile phones or from base stations and its relations with human's hormone profiles. ► All volunteers are followed for 6 years and blood samples were collected regularly every 3 years for time intervals of 1 year, 3 years and 6 years for hormonal analysis and the blood samples were taken at 8.0 a.m. ► This study showed reduction in volunteers' plasma ACTH, serum cortisol levels. Also, they showed decrease in the release of the thyroid hormones especially T₃. In addition, each of their serum prolactin in young females (14–22 years), and testosterone levels significantly dropped due to long-term exposure to radio frequency radiation. Conversely, serum prolactin levels for adult females (25–60 years) significantly rose with increasing exposure time. ► In conclusion, the present study revealed that high radio frequency radiation effects on pituitary–adrenal axis represented in the reduction of ACTH, cortisol, thyroid hormones, prolactin in young females, and testosterone levels.

Keywords: Mobiles; Base stations; Radio frequency radiation; Hormone profiles

Article Outline

Corresponding author at: Hormones Department, Medical Research Division, National Research Centre, Cairo, 12622, Egypt. Fax: + 20 2 33370931.

Settlement in Chinese Drywall Case

2011-12-16T13:46:00.003-08:00

Chinese drywall manufacturer reaches settlement

Knauf Plasterboard Tianjin, a major manufacturer of problem drywall from China, has agreed to pay hundreds of millions of dollars to repair 4500 mostly Gulf Coast area homes ruined with its product.

Chris Granger, The Times-Picayune archiveA sample of the Chinese-made drywall ripped out of the Chalmette home of Thomas and Lauren Stone in June 2009.

The settlement, announced Thursday by U.S. District Court Judge Eldon Fallon, ends a nightmare for about 1,575 Louisiana families which began when many rebuilt their homes after Hurricane Katrina or purchased new ones with corrosive wallboard, prolonging the agony of the storm. With their properties unfit for residence or sale, many have lost their homes to foreclosure or been devastated financially as they were forced to rent apartments while continuing to make their mortgage payments.

The deal is likely worth $800 million to $1 billion based on the number of homes, average size and repair cost, plaintiff liaison counsel Russ Herman said. That means that some $280 million to $350 million could flow to Louisiana, which is believed to have about 35 percent of all homes with Knauf-brand drywall.

Knauf attorneys said the amount of the settlement ultimately depends on how many homeowners can prove that they have drywall produced by their client.

The settlement will pay the full cost of repairing homes and sets aside money to cover losses such as foreclosures or short sales. Although money has also been set aside to cover health problems, Knauf attorney Steven Glickstein said that from Knauf's point of view, there is no evidence that problem drywall is responsible for personal injuries. Continue reading

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Natural Health News: TVA Coal Sludge and Health Risks

Dec 15, 2010

For the thousands of U.S. homeowners who are grappling with the financial and emotional trauma caused by defective Chinese drywall, one thing is now clear: The federal government is woefully unequipped to help them ...

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Natural Health News: Fungus Following Joplin Tornado

Aug 18, 2011

See also: Mold problems and flooding: Lessons to be learned from Katrina UPDATE: 9 April, 2010 - Judge Awards Families $2.6M Over Chinese Drywall UPDATE: 3 April, 2010 - Feds: Homes with Chinese drywall must be ...

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Natural Health News: Mold problems and flooding: Lessons to be ...

May 03, 2010

Clothes can be washed or dry cleaned, but most furniture is a loss. Ditto for carpeting, insulation, wallpaper and drywall, which no longer lives up to its name. Mattresses that didn't get wet probably have mold if they were in a ...

DAILY ASPIRIN LINKED TO 'WET' AMD

2011-12-16T13:38:00.001-08:00

Daily use of aspirin over the long term, as with coumadin, eventually causes the cell wall membrane to fail and bleeding is the end result, and it can be uncontrollable in a large number of cases.

There are so many safe and effective natural supplements and remedies that will help with maintaining "thinned" blood it is puzzling why people subject themselves to these risks.

"Regular aspirin users at higher risk of sight problems, research suggests" Martin Evans, The Telegraph, 10/3/11, telegraph.co. uk

Study after study has shown that daily aspirin use increases the risk of intestinal bleeding and a potentially fatal haemorrhage. Also, a recent study showed some disturbing news for anyone who values their eyesight.
Dutch researchers examined more than 4,000 elderly patients. Among these patients, 840 took a daily low-dose aspirin. When the researchers compared records, they found that those who used aspirin were TWO TIMES more likely to develop "wet" advanced macular degeneration (AMD) - the advanced form of the disease that sharply increases risk of blindness.

This does not prove that aspirin promotes wet AMD... but there is a significant link and a very alarming risk that should be taken seriously.

Researchers continued to say that the heart health benefits of aspirin outweigh the AMD risks.

But in a 2005 New England Journal of Medicine study, some 20,000 middle-aged women took 100mg of aspirin daily for 10 years. Another group of nearly the same size took a placebo.

Results showed that aspirin provided no protection from heart attack, but did slightly reduce risk of ischemic stroke.

Meanwhile, women in the aspirin group were found to have a 40% increased risk of gastrointestinal bleeding severe enough to require transfusions!

Add to that wet AMD and this "wonder drug" may not be worth the risk.