FOXNews.com: German drug firm makes first apology for thalidomide

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German drug firm makes first apology for thalidomide Aug 31st 2012, 18:12 The German manufacturer of a notorious drug that caused thousands of babies to be born with shortened arms and legs, or no limbs at all, issued its first ever apology Friday - 50 years after pulling the drug off the market. Gruenenthal Group's chief executive said the company wanted to apologize to mothers who took the drug during the 1950s and 1960s and to their children who suffered congenital birth defects as a result. "We ask for forgiveness that for nearly 50 years we didn't find a way of reaching out to you from human being to human being," said Harald Stock. "We ask that you regard our long silence as a sign of the shock that your fate caused in us." Stock spoke in the west German city of Stolberg, where the company is based, during the unveiling of a bronze statue symbolizing a child born without limbs because of thalidomide. The drug, which was sold under the brand name Contergan in Germany, was given to pregnant women to combat morning sickness but led to a wave of birth defects in Europe, Australia, Canada and Japan. Thalidomide was never approved for sale in the United States. Gruenenthal settled a lawsuit in Germany in 1972 - 11 years after stopping sales of the drug - and voiced its regret to the victims. But for decades the company refused to admit liability, saying it had conducted all necessary clinical trial required at the time. Stock reiterated that position Friday, insisting that "the suffering that occurred with Contergan 50 years ago happened in a world that is completely different from today" and the pharmaceutical industry had learned a valuable lesson from the incident. "When it developed Contergan Gruenenthal acted on the basis of the available scientific knowledge at the time and met all the industry standards for the testing of new drugs that were known in the 1950s and 1960s," he said. A German victims group rejected the company's apology as too little, too late. "The apology as such doesn't help us deal with our everyday life," said Ilonka Stebritz, a spokeswoman for the Association of Contergan Victims. "What we need are other things." Stebritz said that the 1972 settlement in Germany led to the creation of a (EURO)150 million fund for some 3,000 German victims, but that with a normal life expectancy of 85 years the money wasn't enough. In many other countries victims are still waiting for compensation from Gruenenthal or its local distributors. Thalidomide is still sold today, but as a treatment for multiple myeloma and leprosy.

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FOXNews.com: Current treatment options for multiple sclerosis

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Current treatment options for multiple sclerosis Aug 31st 2012, 17:13 Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease that affects approximately 400,000 people in the United States.  Caused by damage to the myelin sheath – the protective coating of the nerves in the brain – MS is marked by an array of symptoms, including muscle spasms, loss of vision and difficulty moving arms and legs. While there is no cure for MS, there are various treatments available for those suffering from the disease.  Dr. Michael Devereaux, a neurologist for University Hospitals Case Medical Center, spoke with FoxNews.com about the many options for MS patients looking for symptom relief.  According to him, there are two main goals when it comes to treating MS. "One is treating the acute attacks," Devereaux said.  "And then, what you're really interested in even more is reducing the frequency of attacks and reducing overall disability over time.  That's been a harder to question to answer from studies and the like, because all the drugs are promoting the idea that they can reduce frequency and overall disability, but there's been some debate about that." Modifying the disease During MS, white blood cells, called T-cells, become activated and cross the blood-brain barrier into the brain.  While there, they cause an inflammatory response, ultimately damaging the myelin sheath and destroying the axons of the nerves. Various drugs, called immunologeratory agents, have been developed to dampen the inflammatory response for those with relapsing-remitting MS.  The main injectable drugs include beta interferons (Avonex, Betaseron, Extavia), glatiramer acetate (Copaxone), and the somewhat controversial drug, natalizumab (Tysabri) "Tysabri has been in the news a lot because it led to breakouts of another condition – progressive multifocal encephalopathy (PML)," Devereaux said.  "It's a very small percentage of cases. It's often given to people not doing well.  It's highly effective, but it has this significant, but small, real risk." The last agent is an oral agent called fingolimod (Gilenya), and is the most convenient for patients, according to Devereaux. Treating MS attacks MS is marked by periods of remission, alternating with periods of mild to severe exacerbations.  While the agents are used to prevent these flare-ups, there are also treatment options for when exacerbations do occur.  The main treatment is to give patients a high dose of glucocorticosteroids "There are different protocols for giving it," Devereaux said.  "They're often given through IV. Most hospitals have an outpatient service, so you can have at home therapy.  We'll send a nurse out and actually administer the medication in the home.  That's done for three days in a row." According to the Mayo Clinic, severe symptoms of MS can be treated with plasmapheresis – or plasma exchange.  This procedure actually separates the blood from the plasma - the liquid part of the blood. Physical therapy and other medications Most treatment for MS involves managing symptoms. Because MS patients often suffer from muscle spasms and muscle pain, physical therapy can be a very useful tool to help strengthen muscle tissue. "Strengthening those muscles can be important," Devereaux said.  "There are various exercises.  For example, one I like a lot is water jogging for people with walking and gait problems." Along with physical therapy and exercise, there are a variety of medications patients can take to find relief from their symptoms. "Some of the common things we treat is spasticity, and there medications that loosen the muscles up so it makes it easier to walk," Dr. Fred Lublin, a professor of neurology at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, told FoxNews.com.  "There are medications to help bladders, because some have a neurogenic bladder – which makes them go too much or not enough." Both Lublin and Devereaux noted that depression is fairly common for those with MS, so medications for depression, along with emotional therapy, can be very beneficial. The future of MS treatment Many researchers across the world are working to find new approaches to treating MS, if not ultimately a cure.  A recent study published in the Journal of Neuroscience, revealed the potential for a 'one-size-fits-all' drug that could treat not just MS, but Alzheimer's, brain injury, and other neurological disorders as well.   "Our next big expansion is oral medications," Lublin said. "Much of what we use is injectable.  We have one pill that is available now.  We have two more pills that are in the hands of the FDA that we should be hearing about very soon.  And the pills are very effective and will be a nice substitute for injections." Lublin said researchers are hoping to go even further from developing more oral medications. "Our two main goals are medications for progressive forms of MS," the most severe forms of MS, Lublin said.  Right after that, I'm looking for agents that will repair the damaged nerve system, through stem cells and other repair mechanisms.  That's very exciting and important, because if we even stop all attacks, we still have individuals with damage to the nervous system.  That's not just for MS, but that's for all neurological disease." Devereaux said he is optimistic about the future of MS research, given the remarkable state of MS treatment today. "The future of MS, like all futures, is based on the past," Devereaux said. "There has been a very rapid evolution of understanding of what the condition is, which is ultimately going to lead to new treatment.  I do think that it is ultimately curable disease, if not at least a highly-effectively treatable disease.  It's just going to continue to improve."

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FOXNews.com: Health officials warn fair attendees not to pet pigs due to swine flu fears

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Health officials warn fair attendees not to pet pigs due to swine flu fears Aug 31st 2012, 18:54 Don't pet the pigs. It's the season for state and county fairs, and health officials have issued warning to fairgoers to be careful around pigs because of the 'new' swine flu spreading from the animals to people. The first death associated with this new flu, otherwise known as H3N2v influenza virus, is a 61-year-old Ohio woman, according to the Ohio Department of Health. She was not identified but lived in Madison County. She became ill after contact with hogs at the Ross County Fair. Federal health authorities have reported 288 cases of the strain this summer. The state health director said most of Ohio's cases have been mild; however, he still urges people to be cautious - especially children, pregnant women and those with weakened immune systems. Pigs get the flu, too, and can spread it to people. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been tracking sporadic cases since last year, when the new strain was first seen in people. A concern: the new strain has a gene from the 2009 pandemic strain that might let it spread more easily than pig viruses normally do. So far, that seems to be the case for pigs to people, but it hasn't been spreading easily from person to person - which is the greater concern. But even regular flu can be a serious illness, so people should be careful if they're going be around pigs, said Dr. Joseph Bresee, the CDC's chief of influenza epidemiology. Fairgoers are advised to wash their hands and avoid taking food and drinks into livestock barns. With summer and fall fairs, "we're likely to see additional cases," Bresee told reporters during a teleconference earlier this month. He said work has begun on a vaccine for the new strain in case it ever becomes more of a threat. The Associated Press contributed to this article.

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FOXNews.com: FDA approves prostate cancer drug

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FDA approves prostate cancer drug Aug 31st 2012, 18:03 Published August 31, 2012 Reuters A prostate cancer drug developed by Medivation Inc and Astellas Pharma Inc has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for treating men whose cancer has stopped responding to hormone therapy and chemotherapy, the agency said on Friday. The approval of the drug, to be sold under the brand name Xtandi, comes three months ahead of the agency's late-November decision deadline. Xtandi, or enzalutamide, is one of a new class of drugs known as androgen inhibitors, designed to interfere with the ability of testosterone to bind to prostate cancer cells.

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FOXNews.com: First death linked to new swine flu is Ohio woman, 61

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First death linked to new swine flu is Ohio woman, 61 Aug 31st 2012, 18:05 Published August 31, 2012 Associated Press COLUMBUS, Ohio –  Health officials say the death of a 61-year-old Ohio woman is the first associated with a new swine flu strain. The Ohio Department of Health says the woman died this week. It says that she had other medical conditions but that the H3N2v influenza virus may have contributed to her death. She was not identified but lived in Madison County. She became ill after contact with hogs at the Ross County Fair. Federal health authorities report 288 cases of the strain this summer. The state health director says most of Ohio's cases have been mild. He's urging at-risk groups to avoid swine exhibits and take other precautions. Those groups include young children, older residents, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems or other medical conditions.

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FOXNews.com: 3 things you need to know about eating protein

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3 things you need to know about eating protein Aug 31st 2012, 16:31 Protein is an essential part of the human diet, and most Americans eat plenty of it.  Adults should eat a minimum of 0.8 grams of protein for every kilogram of body weight daily — that's about 58 grams for a 160-pound adult, according to recommendations from the Institute of Medicine. "We're a meat-, poultry-, fish-focused society," said Julie Metos, a dietitian at the University of Utah. "When we think of a meal, it's usually some form of meat, surrounded by starches or veggies on a plate." At any meal, consuming 2 to 3 ounces of cooked lean meat, poultry or fish, or half of a cup of cooked beans, is what's suggested. Portion sizes in the U.S. are often bigger than that, Metos said. Three ounces of protein is a serving about the size of the palm of your hand, she said. "But a hamburger at a fast food place is usually 4 ounces. And if you get a double burger, it's 8 ounces." While eating more protein than what's recommended is not necessarily bad for you, if the excess protein in a diet is contributing to excess calories, it can contribute to weight gain. Here are three more things you should know about protein. A high-protein diet may help with weight loss — but only for a little while. Although there is some evidence to suggest that high-protein, low-carb diets help people lose weight more quickly than low-fat, high-carb diets, it remains unclear if high-protein diets can work for the long term. In a 2007 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers looked at 311 overweight and obese women, and divided them into four groups. Each group followed either the Zone diet (which roughly balances protein, carbohydrates and fat intake), the Atkins diet (high protein, low carb), the LEARN diet (low fat), or Ornish diet (low fat) for one year. At the end of the study, they found that women on the Atkins diet, who ate the most high-protein meals, lost about 10 pounds, while women in the other groups who lost between three and six pounds.  But experts have said that not all the women in the study stuck with their assigned diets.  Metos said that current research suggests focusing weight-loss efforts on reducing the number calories you eat. "The protein, fat and carbohydrate content is not a factor, as long as the calories are reduced." "Some people report they feel more full with a higher-protein diet, so it could help them indirectly to lower their calorie intake, but over time it is not shown to be better," she said.  Adding more protein to your diet doesn't promote muscle growth. In a 2004 study, researchers looked at whether adding more protein to an athlete's diet would affect performance and muscle build. They found that while athletes — especially those involved with sports that require a lot of endurance and muscle power, such as long-distance runners or football players — may benefit from increased protein intake, most athletes in the study get enough protein from their regular diets. Even body builders need only a little bit of extra protein to support muscle growth, which they can get by eating more food, reports the National Institutes of Health. "People who are trying to get into shape think they need more protein, so they drink protein shakes," Metos said, "but they probably don't need that at all." Eating too much protein can be bad for your health. The health risks of eating too much protein greatly depend on what kind of protein you eat, but some high-protein foods are also rich in saturated fat, which can raise the risk of heart disease. "It's OK to eat a little extra protein, as long as you keep your calories in check," Metos said. "Protein has calories, so if you eat a little too much, and don't exercise, it can get stored as fat." In a large study published in the June issue of the British Medical Journal, researchers looked at nearly 44,000 women in Sweden, who were in their 30s and 40s at the study's start, who completed dietary questionnaires. After 15 years, the study group experienced 1,270 cardiac events, such as heart attacks and strokes. The researchers found that for every 20 fewer grams of carbohydrates that study participants ate daily, and 5 more grams of protein eaten daily, the risk of heart disease increased by 5 percent. In addition to heart disease, studies suggest that eating high amounts of protein can contribute to high cholesterol levels, gout and may put a strain on the kidneys, especially those who suffer from kidney disease.   9 Meal Schedules: When to Eat to Lose Weight 7 Embarrassing Health Problems 7 Ways Alcohol Affects Your Health

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FOXNews.com: New hope for 7-foot woman suffering from gigantism

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New hope for 7-foot woman suffering from gigantism Aug 31st 2012, 16:50 A Las Vegas woman suffering from gigantism received some good news this week: Her diseases' blood levels have reached normal range, KTNV reported. Tanya Angus, 33, has acromegaly, a condition that causes an overproduction of growth hormone in her body. She is nearly 7-feet tall and weighs 400 pounds. Doctors discovered she had a tumor pushing on her pituitary gland and hoped that would lead to treatment, but after three brain surgeries, radiation and a plethora of experimental medications, Angus and her family started to lose hope. Related: Woman who can't stop growing  "I'm in constant pain," she  told KTNV. "I'm only 33 years old, but I can't walk. It's incredibly difficult." Angus' mother, Karin Strutynski, told the news station, "For the first time ever, Tanya's blood level for her disease fits in the normal range. If we can keep her in the normal range, she may be able to stop growing. That means doctors could better manage her pain and possibly prolong her life. We can't reverse the damage, but we can stop it." Click here for more on this story from KTNV. Click here to visit Angus' website.

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FOXNews.com: Coming soon: Pot chewing gum?

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Coming soon: Pot chewing gum? Aug 31st 2012, 14:24 Maybe it just had to happen. This October, a cannabis-based chewing gum will hit marijuana dispensaries in Colorado, California, Arizona and Washington, D.C. This roll-out will follow on the heels of a dizzying array of home-made pot-based candies, baked goods, honeys, and elixirs – most of which are produced in the local areas where the cannabis shops conduct business.  The gum, called Can Chew, is a collaboration of San Diego-based Medical Marijuana Inc., and Can Chew Technologies, a San Diego chewing gum technology company headquartered in the Netherlands.   Can Chew has developed a cannabis chewing gum containing Dronabinol, or THC, for people suffering from Alzheimer's, appetite loss, multiple sclerosis and nausea. Through their technology, they are able to produce a gum that when chewed, releases fine particles of THC into the oral mucosa – the lining of the mouth – allowing for rapid absorption of the cannabis compound. According to the company, this allows for speedy relief from pain, nausea, tension and loss of appetite. According to Dr. Philip Van Damme of Can Chew, chronic pain sufferers, early and late-stage cancer patients and even anorexics can experience relief with the gum. Cannabis has steadily emerged as a medicine for the treatment of nausea, glaucoma, pain, and a variety of neurodegenerative disorders. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, cannabis contains potent antioxidant compounds that demonstrate benefits in cases of cardiovascular disease, autoimmune disorders, inflammation, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, HIV and dementia. Medical Marijuana Inc., the first publicly held company (MJNA) devoted to cannabis, is positioning itself as the leading corporate innovator in the burgeoning cannabis product marketplace. The alliance with Can Chew is one of five strategic partnerships with entities in the cannabis medicine category.  The company is also involved with cannabis cultivation, cannabis-based elixirs, cannabis dispensary retail stores, and additional cannabis medicines in other forms. However, cannabis is illegal, and even in states where medical marijuana is state-approved, it flies in the face of federal laws regulating pot.  Stepping around federal regulations with a mass-market, publicly traded product could prove very tricky. Also, cannabis is not suitable for everybody. Psychotic episodes have been reported among some cannabis users. And a recent study shows that adolescents who smoke pot and continue to do so throughout adulthood actually lose IQ points. So how do you keep Can Chew gum away from minors?   Over time, the public will have access to a broader array of cannabis-based products for various health needs. As with alcohol and prescription drugs, there are thorny issues to sort out about who should, and should not, be chewing pot gum. As local and state enforcement of anti-cannabis laws potentially continue to soften, more numbers of cannabis retail stores and more types of cannabis-based products will hit the U.S. market.  Can Chew is the first retail pot product that isn't home-grown. Who knows what's next after cannabis chewing gum. Could Cannabis Cola be far behind? Chris Kilham is a medicine hunter who researches natural remedies all over the world, from the Amazon to Siberia. He teaches ethnobotany at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he is Explorer In Residence. Chris advises herbal, cosmetic and pharmaceutical companies and is a regular guest on radio and TV programs worldwide.  His field research is largely sponsored by Naturex of Avignon, France. Read more at www.MedicineHunter.com.

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FOXNews.com: FDA questions Novartis cystic fibrosis drug

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FDA questions Novartis cystic fibrosis drug Aug 31st 2012, 13:45 U.S. drug reviewers questioned whether Novartis AG's inhaled antibiotic treatment truly helped cystic fibrosis patients breathe better, according to documents posted online by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday. Staff from the FDA released their review of Novartis's tobramycin inhaled powder ahead of a vote next Wednesday by an advisory committee of outside experts on whether to recommend the drug. Novartis is seeking approval of the inhaled antibiotic powder as a more convenient alternative to its older, nebulized version of tobramycin called Tobi, saying a powder taken with an inhaler is faster to use, and more convenient for patients. The antibiotic attacks an infection that often occurs in the lungs of patients with cystic fibrosis, a genetic disease that affects about 30,000 people in the United States. But the FDA said it was unclear whether the inhaled powder helped patients, or was as effective as the nebulized version. Only one of two clinical trials showed the tobramycin powder worked better than a placebo, according to the FDA's analysis. They also questioned whether Novartis's drug worked as well over time, which may limit how effective it is for cystic fibrosis patients who usually develop chronic lung infections. "The sustainability of improvements in (lung function) found ... may raise concern regarding the clinical significance of these findings," FDA staff wrote. Cystic fibrosis causes the thin layer of mucus - which helps keep lungs free of germs - to thicken, clogging airways and damaging the lungs. The average life expectancy for the disease is 37 years as damage to the lungs progresses and limits the ability to breathe. The thickening of mucus results in life-threatening infections that must be treated with antibiotics. Novartis's drug treats an infection called pseudomonas aeruginosa.

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FOXNews.com: Softer restaurant music, lighting can help cut calories

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Softer restaurant music, lighting can help cut calories Aug 31st 2012, 12:13 Just as music and lighting can influence what shoppers buy, toning down the tunes and dimming the lights in a fast food restaurant can help diners enjoy their meal more and eat less, according to a U.S. study. After transforming part of a fast food restaurant in Illinois with milder music and lighting, researchers found that customers ate 18 percent fewer calories than other people in the unmodified part of the restaurant. "When we softened the lights and softened the music in the restaurant it didn't change what people ordered, but what it did do was lead them to eat less and made them more satisfied and happier," said Brian Wansink, a professor of marketing and consumer behavior at Cornell University in New York. In the study published in the journal Psychological Reports, Wansink and his co-author Koert Van Ittersum, of the Georgia Institute of Technology, said the bright lights, stimulating colors, sound-reflecting surfaces and loud music in fast food restaurants are not designed to be relaxing. So they improved the mood in a section of a Hardee's restaurant for the study, adding plants, paintings, indirect lights, tablecloths, candles and instrumental music. After seating customers in both the original and restyled sections of the restaurant, they timed how long their meal lasted and how many calories they consumed. Customers in the modified section ate longer than those in the main dining area, consumed fewer calories and rated the food as more enjoyable. "Spending that extra time eating a little more slowly at a more relaxed pace made a world of difference, not just to how much they ate but how much they liked it," said Wansink, a former executive director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion and the author of the book "Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More than We Think." "These results suggest that a more relaxed environment increases satisfaction and decreases consumption," he added. About one in three adults and one in six children and teens in the United States is obese, according to government figures. Wansink, who is sending the findings to restaurant chains, said some simple changes could help people eat better and enjoy food more. "If softer music and softer lighting seem to get people to eat less in a fast food situation, why not try the same thing at home?" said Wansink.

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FOXNews.com: Mercury, oils from fish at odds in heart health

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Mercury, oils from fish at odds in heart health Aug 31st 2012, 12:08 Mercury and omega-3 fatty acids - both found in fish - appear to have opposite links to heart health, scientists have found. In an analysis of more than 1,600 men from Sweden and Finland, researchers found that men with high levels of mercury in the body had an increased risk of heart attacks, while those with a high concentration of omega-3s had a lower risk. Fish are considered part of a healthy diet, but the balance between potential risks and benefits from the two compounds is not clear. While the study can't tease out cause and effect, researcher Maria Wennberg said there are ways to get fish oil naturally without getting a lot of mercury, too. "Fish consumption two to three times per week, with at least one meal of fatty, non-predatory fish (such as salmon) and an intake of predatory fish not exceeding once a week can be recommended," Wennberg, of Umeå University in Sweden, told Reuters Health by email. Predatory fish such as shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish are at the top of the marine food chain and so concentrate mercury from the environment in their tissues. The heavy metal is known to be toxic to the nervous system, especially in fetuses and children, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency warns women of childbearing age and children against eating predatory fish. The men in the new study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, submitted hair and blood samples to measure their mercury and omega-3 levels, as well as information on their health and lifestyle. The average mercury level among the Swedish men was 0.57 micrograms per gram of hair, whereas it was more than twice as high in their Finnish peers. Swedes, however, had higher levels of omega-3s than did Finns. The researchers found that men with at least 3 micrograms of mercury per gram of hair had a somewhat increased risk of heart attacks compared with men with 1 microgram per gram, although they didn't calculate the exact risk. But this only held true if the men also had low levels of omega-3 fats. For men with more of the fats, it took higher levels of mercury to see an increased heart attack risk - suggesting the two compounds might have opposite effects on the ticker. The results don't prove that the high mercury levels were responsible for the increased risk of heart attack, but merely that the two are linked. Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian of the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston said other factors, such as low education levels among those with high mercury levels, could also be at work. Previous studies by Mozaffarian, who was not involved in the new work, did not show a link between mercury and heart attacks. But that research involved mercury levels much lower than in the current study. He said the new results probably don't apply to most Americans, who have lower mercury levels than the men studied by Wennberg and her colleagues. And few people have high mercury levels and low omega-3s, because mercury from fish often comes with the healthy fats. According to Mozaffarian, it's likely that the Finnish men with high mercury levels and low omega-3 levels ate contaminated whitefish from lakes in northern parts of the country. Wennberg said her findings highlight the need to consider omega-3s when studying the link between mercury and disease.

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FOXNews.com: Blood test may reveal menopause age

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Blood test may reveal menopause age Aug 31st 2012, 12:49 Doctors may be able to predict as early as a woman's late 30s the age at which she will eventually experience menopause, based on how quickly the levels of one hormone in her blood change, according to a new study. Researchers studied 293 women in their 30s and 40s, taking blood samples over several years to measure their levels of anti-mullerian hormone, or AMH, which is produced by the ovaries. They found that the amount of year-to-year change in AMH levels provided a good predictor of when the women experienced menopause. Currently, the only way to estimate when a woman will enter menopause is by using her age — the average age that menopause occurs is 51, but women can also experience the change in their 40s or late 50s, according to the National Institutes of Health.     The new study showed that AMH levels explained nearly 82 percent of the variability between women. Additionally, the researchers found that the women whose AMH levels changed the most reached menopause two years earlier on average, compared with women whose levels changed the least. "AMH levels have added another indicator," of the age menopause will begin, said study author Ellen Freeman, a research professor at the University of Pennsylvania. This is helpful because age "is not a wonderfully accurate predictor, it's just an available predictor," she said. The women in the study underwent blood tests every nine months for five years, and researchers followed them for up to 14 years later to see when they actually entered menopause. It was known that AMH levels decrease as women age and approach menopause. The researchers found that combining a woman's age, hormone levels and the extent to which hormone levels were changing provided the most accurate indicator of the age at which she'd begin menopause. Predicting how far a woman is from entering menopause could be useful to women with fertility problems, and those facing an increased risk of other health issues that may be affected by menopause, such as osteoporosis or heart disease, Freeman said. But, she noted, the test is intensive, requiring patients to submit to repeated blood tests over a 3- to 5- year span, which may be difficult. Furthermore, while the study showed that the blood test predicted the menopause age for groups of women, it may be less accurate for any one individual, she said. The test is not likely to work in women younger than their mid-30s, because AMH levels don't start declining until women are at least that age, Freeman said. "In our sample, the youngest women were 35." Kathleen Hill-Besinque, a women's health researcher and associate pharmacy professor at the University of Southern California, said the results were scientifically interesting, but added that she wasn't sure when this test might become useful in a clinical setting. Additionally, the study researchers didn't compare their method of calculating menopause age to calculations based on the ages a woman's mother or sisters experienced menopause, Hill-Besinque said. The age of menopause is believed to have a genetic component. However, Besinque said that the test could be used to help women with other health problems, or even further down the line, to encourage women to become healthier to delay menopause. For example, women who smoke tend to go through menopause sooner, and showing them how the habit affects their age of menopause could have "a tangible impact on their health," she said. The study was published online Aug. 24 in the journal Fertility and Sterility. Lifestyle as Young Adult May Affect Age of Menopause 5 Key Nutrients Women Need As They Age 5 Things Women Should Know About Ovarian Cancer

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FOXNews.com: Fruit company recalls mangoes with salmonella risk

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Fruit company recalls mangoes with salmonella risk Aug 31st 2012, 11:24 Published August 31, 2012 Associated Press Fruit distributor Splendid Products is recalling several lots of Daniella brand mangoes, which may have triggered an outbreak of salmonella that has sickened more than 100 people in 16 states. The company said the recalled mangoes come from Mexico and carry the Daniella brand sticker. The affected lot numbers are: 3114, 4051, 4311, 4584 or 4959. The mangoes were sold at various U.S. retailers between July 12 and August 29. Splendid said it voluntarily recalled the product "out of an abundance of caution," after consulting government authorities. Federal health officials are still investigating what caused the outbreak of 103 cases of salmonella Braenderup infections. U.S. and Canadian authorities are trying to identify which mango brands or sources may have caused the illnesses. No deaths have been reported.

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FOXNews.com: Cardiac arrest more common in young than thought

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Cardiac arrest more common in young than thought Aug 31st 2012, 11:41 Cardiac arrest is relatively rare in young people, but it may be more common than experts have thought, according to a new study. Using 30 years of data from King County in Washington, researchers found that the rate of cardiac arrest among children and young adults was about 2.3 per 100,000 each year. That's not a big risk. But the figure is substantially higher than the "widely accepted" estimate for young athletes (not just young people in general), said senior researcher Dr. Jonathan Drezner. According to that estimate, one in 200,000 young athletes (up to age 35) suffers cardiac arrest each year. Cardiac arrest occurs when the heart suddenly stops pumping blood to the rest of the body. It is fatal within minutes without immediate treatment. A major cause of cardiac arrest is ventricular fibrillation, where the heart's main pumping chamber starts to quiver chaotically. A device called a defibrillator can "shock" the heart back into a normal rhythm - though even with treatment, cardiac arrest is often deadly. The good news from the current study is that young people's survival of cardiac arrest got much better over the 30-year period. It rose from 13 percent in the 1980s, to 40 percent between 2000 and 2009. "It's very gratifying to see that our efforts are paying off," said Dr. Dianne L. Atkins, a pediatric cardiologist at the University of Iowa in Iowa City. Research over the years has allowed experts to figure out the best way to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and public campaigns have been done to encourage more people to learn CPR. CPR cannot "restart" the heart, but it can keep blood and oxygen moving through the victim's body until medical help arrives. "Learn CPR and be willing to do it," said Atkins, who wrote an editorial published with the study in the journal Circulation. The true rate of cardiac arrest among kids and young adults has long been debated. Drezner said he thinks his team's findings come closer to the "real" figure than most past studies, because of its methodology. The findings come from a cardiac arrest database kept by King County in Washington State. Emergency medical services report all cases of cardiac arrest to the registry. Drezner's team also used other records, like autopsy reports and hospital records, to try to figure out the cause of each cardiac arrest. Between 1980 and 2009, there were 361 cases of cardiac arrest logged for children and adults age 35 and younger - including 26 toddlers under 3, most of whom had congenital abnormalities. That amounted to a rate of 2.28 cases for every 100,000 young people each year. Atkins agreed that this study gives a clearer picture of the true incidence of cardiac arrest in young people. "It's the best data we have." And, she said, researchers should know how common the problem is before widespread screening programs, if any, can be put in place. The idea of screening kids for heart problems that could cause cardiac arrest is controversial. Some countries, including Italy and Israel, have mandatory electrocardiogram (EKG) screening for young athletes. The U.S. is not one of them. For now, Atkins suggested that parents be aware that cardiac arrest can strike children -- but also keep the risk in context. "It is still a very uncommon event," she said. "I don't think the message is that parents should be so frightened that they don't let their kids go out for competitive sports."

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FOXNews.com: Swallowed batteries send thousands of kids to ER yearly

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Swallowed batteries send thousands of kids to ER yearly Aug 31st 2012, 11:46 A growing number of children are swallowing batteries, especially circular "button batteries," leading to thousands of emergency room visits each year and, in a few cases, deaths, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. From 1997 through 2010, nearly 30,000 young children up to age 4 were taken to emergency rooms for battery-related injuries, the report said, with more than half the cases involving button batteries. Fourteen deaths from battery-related injuries were reported over that period in children ages 7 months to 3 years old. After swallowing batteries, kids suffered injuries such as chemical burns, hemorrhaging and tears in the esophagus. Because the symptoms of swallowing a battery, including abdominal pain, fever and breathing problems, could be caused by many things, diagnosing the problem is difficult and may be delayed, according to the report. In one case, a 2-year-old boy was released from an emergency department after being treated for choking and coughing, only to return a week later, when he died of hemorrhaging. In other cases where children died, they had initially been treated for viral infections, strep throat, and croup. All told, an estimated 40,400 children ages 13 and younger visited the emergency room in 1997-2010, and 10 percent of them were admitted into the hospital. "Parents and caregivers should be aware of the potential hazards associated with battery exposure (particularly ingestion of button batteries), and ensure that products containing them are either kept away from children or that the batteries are secured safely in the product," the CDC wrote. Other doctors also have warned that button batteries can be inhaled, injuring children's airways. Health care providers should counsel parents on the potential dangers of button cell batteries for children, the CDC said. The CDC report will be published tomorrow (Aug. 31) in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Top 5 Ways to Reduce Toxins in Homes 10 Ways to Promote Kids' Healthy Eating Habits Tiny Batteries Can Be Inhaled, Docs Warn

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FOXNews.com: Phone therapy helps some with marijuana dependence

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Phone therapy helps some with marijuana dependence Aug 31st 2012, 11:53 Telephone therapy may help people dependent on marijuana kick the habit, a new study from Australia suggests. Researchers found that almost twice as many users significantly cut back on marijuana following four hour-long phone counseling sessions compared to those who were put on a treatment waiting list. Knowing therapy may work over the phone could help extend treatment to people in remote areas where in-person therapy is hard to come by, according to Peter Gates, from the University of New South Wales, and his colleagues. Phone therapy might also be the preferred option for some marijuana users who would rather be more anonymous when receiving counseling, they added. "At least for these moderate cases, it seems like there's a subset of people who can benefit just as much from telephone therapy as they can from face-to-face therapy," said Alan Budney, a psychiatry professor who studies marijuana dependence at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College in Lebanon, New Hampshire. Budney said that, as with alcohol and other drugs, marijuana use starts becoming dependence when it causes problems in a person's work, school or home life, or they've tried to quit the habit but can't. Gates and his colleagues wrote in the journal Addiction that there's already evidence to support in-person talk therapy for marijuana dependence. To see if that success would extend to over-the-phone treatment, they randomly assigned 160 users who'd called a marijuana information and helpline to either get four weekly counseling sessions or to be put on a wait list for phone counseling. During therapy sessions, counselors discussed marijuana users' readiness to change their behavior, encouraged them to cut back on pot smoking and ultimately advised them on how to cope with and avoid triggers to go back to using. Three months later, 110 of the original participants had completed the study and were interviewed again by the researchers. Thirty-nine percent of those who went through the counseling had cut their pot use at least in half, compared to 20 percent of the no-counseling group. Users went from smoking on 22 to 23 out of the last 28 days at the start of the study to seven out of 28 days after phone counseling. People in the comparison group also cut back, but not to the same extent: they reported smoking 13 out of the prior 28 days, on average. Because they only had smoking data three months out, the researchers couldn't tell whether phone therapy had long-term benefits, or whether people who got counseling eventually went back to their old using habits. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States, with 17.4 million people reporting using it in the past month on a 2010 survey. NIDA also estimates that nine percent of people who start using marijuana will become dependent on the drug. Budney has studied computer-based interventions for marijuana dependence, which he says could also be cheaper and more convenient than in-person therapy. But most patients can't get computer or phone therapy yet, he told Reuters Health. "There's not a lot of that available right now - it's mostly in the testing phase." Still, Budney said in the future computer and phone therapy "should be considered as a first-line of treatment" for marijuana dependence along with in-person talk therapy.

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FOXNews.com: How to avoid the 'Freshman 15'

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How to avoid the 'Freshman 15' Aug 31st 2012, 11:00 Ahh, college—the good old days when we had no shame chowing down at 3 a.m. on luke-warm, greasy pizza.  It sounds like a good idea at first, but you always pay for it in the morning—and later on when you have to buy bigger clothes. Many college kids put on weight by drinking and eating in excess, but you can still live your life without packing on the pounds.  Here's how: Eat your morning meal Don't fall into the habit of skipping breakfast. If you eat breakfast, you're less likely to overeat at your next meal, and you'll have good brain fuel for your a.m. classes. If you don't have access to a kitchen, keep a box of whole grain cereal in your room with some skim milk in the mini-fridge, or some whole wheat bread and a jar of peanut butter. Be picky at the cafeteria Dodge the chicken fingers and French fry line and head straight to the salad bar. Combine lettuce, mixed vegetables, and lean proteins, such as egg whites, beans, grilled chicken, or turkey and go light on the dressing (creamy dressings can add hundreds of calories).  Not into salad? Aim for foods that are grilled, baked, broiled or steamed, and always try to get veggies in at least one to two times per day. To prevent food boredom, switch it up daily. Get a sandwich on whole wheat filled with lean protein; hold the mayo and use mustard instead. Or, have breakfast for dinner on occasion. Try hard boiled eggs and sliced tomato on toast with a glass of skim milk (you need your calcium!) or cereal with fruit and yogurt—the same old salads and "mystery meat" can get repetitive. Disguise late night feasts While eating late doesn't necessarily make you gain weight, if you eat normally throughout the day then order pizza or buffalo wings, those extra calories will pack on pounds. If you want to hang out with the late night crew but not feel left out, pop some popcorn or grab a handful of mixed nuts. Remember that portion control is key for all foods. Even if your friends make fun of you, trust me, they'll be following suit shortly. Tanya Zuckerbrot MS, RD, is a nationally known registered dietitian based in New York and the creator of a proprietary high-fiber nutrition program for weight loss, wellness and for treating various medical conditions. Tanya authored the bestselling weight loss book The F-Factor Diet, and she is the first dietitian with a national line of high-fiber foods, which are sold under the F-Factor name. Become a fan of Tanya on Facebook, follow her on Twitter and LinkedIn, and visit her website Ffactor.com.

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