Wary consumers mean markets may only slowly restock shelves, experts say
By Amanda GardnerHealthDay Reporter
(HealthDay News) -- U.S. health authorities have decreed that consumers can go back to eating fresh spinach, but that doesn't mean you'll find the leafy greens in every grocery store.
One California Congressman who tried to stage a spinach-eating news conference to demonstrate its safety canceled the event after a hunt for the product in local supermarkets turned up nothing, the Associated Press reported.
"Not everybody is carrying it yet, but increasingly it's coming back on the market," said Kathy Means, a spokeswoman for the Produce Marketing Association, who said she bought spinach at her local grocery on Sunday.
The issue is more one of demand, than supply, Means offered.
"Retailers will carry it when they sense their customers want it," she said.
"It's safe to eat spinach, but it remains to be seen if people are going to rush back to eat it," added Dr. Pascal James Imperato, chairman of the department of preventive medicine and community health at SUNY (State University of New York) Downstate Medical Center in New York City. "Essentially, we're back to normal [regarding] safety of supplies."
Health officials have narrowed the source of the E. coli bacterial infection outbreak to one processor, Natural Selection Foods, in San Juan Bautista, Calif. Federal agents have launched a criminal investigation of both Natural Selection Foods and Growers Express, searching for any evidence that the spinach growers sidestepped safe food handling practices.
On Thursday, state health officials in Idaho confirmed that the death of a 2-year-old boy on Sept. 20 was caused by tainted spinach. Kyle Allgood's death is the second one linked to the outbreak. The other victim was a 77-year-old Wisconsin woman.
One hundred ninety-two people in 26 states and Canada have been sickened by E. coli O157:H7 since the outbreak was first reported in mid-September, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
On Sept. 15, Natural Selection Foods recalled all of its spinach products with use-by dates of Aug. 17 to Oct. 1. Four other distributors, all of whom got spinach from Natural Selection, have also recalled their products.
Natural Selection processes fresh spinach for more than two dozen brands, including Earthbound Farm, Dole and Ready Pac.
Last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said consumers could resume eating fresh spinach.
"It may very well be that we may never be able to determine whether this occurred in the processing or the growing of spinach," Imperato said.
In the meantime, the CDC issued this advice to consumers who want to resume their spinach consumption:
Do not eat spinach products processed by Natural Selection Foods (see below for link to full list of brand names).
If you can't tell whether a particular brand of fresh spinach was implicated in the outbreak and the package has a "use by date" of Oct. 1, 2006 or earlier, don't eat it.
E. Coli 0157:H5 in spinach can be killed by cooking at 160 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 seconds. If spinach is cooked in a frying pan, and all parts do not reach 160 degrees F, all bacteria may not be killed.
Don't allow raw spinach to contaminate other foods or food-contact surfaces.
Wash hands, utensils, and surfaces with hot, soapy water before and after handling the spinach.
Store fresh produce in a clean refrigerator at a temperature of 40 degrees F or below. All produce that is purchased pre-cut or peeled should be refrigerated to maintain both quality and safety.
More information
For the latest E. coli updates, visit the CDC.
Friday, August 31, 2007
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Prevention
For the greater part of the 20th century, mainstream medicine was openly hostile to the idea of healthy people taking vitamin supplements. This antivitamin position began to change in the 1990s as irrefutable evidence emerged that supplements could reduce the risk of age-related disease without inducing toxicity.
In the April 9, 1998, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, an editorial was entitled "Eat Right and Take a Multi-Vitamin." This article was based on studies indicating that certain supplements could reduce homocysteine serum levels and therefore lower heart attack and stroke risk. This was the first time this prestigious medical journal recommended vitamin supplements (Oakley 1998).
An even stronger endorsement for the use of vitamin supplements was in the June 19, 2002, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). According to the Harvard University doctors who wrote the JAMA guidelines, it now appears that people who get enough vitamins may be able to prevent such common illnesses as cancer, heart disease, and osteoporosis. The Harvard researchers concluded that suboptimal levels of folic acid and vitamins B6 and B12 are a risk factor for heart disease and colon and breast cancers; low levels of vitamin D contribute to osteoporosis; and inadequate levels of the antioxidant vitamins A, E, and C may increase the risk of cancer and heart disease (Fairfield et al. 2002).
http://www.lef.org/protocols/prtcl-131.shtml
In the April 9, 1998, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, an editorial was entitled "Eat Right and Take a Multi-Vitamin." This article was based on studies indicating that certain supplements could reduce homocysteine serum levels and therefore lower heart attack and stroke risk. This was the first time this prestigious medical journal recommended vitamin supplements (Oakley 1998).
An even stronger endorsement for the use of vitamin supplements was in the June 19, 2002, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). According to the Harvard University doctors who wrote the JAMA guidelines, it now appears that people who get enough vitamins may be able to prevent such common illnesses as cancer, heart disease, and osteoporosis. The Harvard researchers concluded that suboptimal levels of folic acid and vitamins B6 and B12 are a risk factor for heart disease and colon and breast cancers; low levels of vitamin D contribute to osteoporosis; and inadequate levels of the antioxidant vitamins A, E, and C may increase the risk of cancer and heart disease (Fairfield et al. 2002).
http://www.lef.org/protocols/prtcl-131.shtml
Friday, August 24, 2007
Melanoma Diagnosis Often Delayed for Rural Poor
(HealthDay News) -- The farther a patient has to travel to see the doctor who diagnoses their melanoma, the more likely they are to have thicker -- and more lethal -- skin cancer at the time of diagnosis, a new study warns.
Patient income also makes a difference, with poorer patients getting diagnosed with thicker melanomas, the researchers said.
"Survival for patients with melanoma is dependent on stage at diagnosis. As Breslow (depth of tumor cells in the skin) thickness increases, overall survival decreases," wrote Dr. Karyn B. Stitzenberg, of the School of Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and her colleagues.
"Consequently, early diagnosis may substantially improve patient outcomes," the researchers added. But, "because melanoma can only be definitively diagnosed based on biopsy findings, diagnosis requires detection of the suspicious lesion and biopsy. Some primary care providers perform diagnostic biopsies, but many prefer to refer patients to dermatologists or surgeons."
Among the patients in this study, the median distance to a diagnosing physician was eight miles, and the median Breslow thickness was 0.6 millimeters. For each one-mile increase in distance to the doctor, there was a 0.6 percent increase in Breslow thickness, the study found.
Patients who had to travel more than 15 miles to see their doctor had about 20 percent greater Breslow thickness than those who were less than 15 miles away.
Compared to those in metropolitan counties, patients in rural counties traveled an average of 2.4 miles farther to their diagnosing doctor. Patients in counties with at least one dermatologist traveled an average of 8.3 miles less than those in counties without a dermatologist.
The study also found an association between Breslow thickness and age and poverty.
"For each one percent increase in poverty rate, Breslow thickness increased by one percent.
Breslow thickness was 19 percent greater for patients aged 51 to 80 years than for those aged 0 to 50 years and was 109 percent greater for patients older than 80 years than for those aged 0 to 50 years," the study authors wrote.
The study is published in the August issue of the journal Archives of Dermatology.
More information
The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more about melanoma.
Patient income also makes a difference, with poorer patients getting diagnosed with thicker melanomas, the researchers said.
"Survival for patients with melanoma is dependent on stage at diagnosis. As Breslow (depth of tumor cells in the skin) thickness increases, overall survival decreases," wrote Dr. Karyn B. Stitzenberg, of the School of Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and her colleagues.
"Consequently, early diagnosis may substantially improve patient outcomes," the researchers added. But, "because melanoma can only be definitively diagnosed based on biopsy findings, diagnosis requires detection of the suspicious lesion and biopsy. Some primary care providers perform diagnostic biopsies, but many prefer to refer patients to dermatologists or surgeons."
Among the patients in this study, the median distance to a diagnosing physician was eight miles, and the median Breslow thickness was 0.6 millimeters. For each one-mile increase in distance to the doctor, there was a 0.6 percent increase in Breslow thickness, the study found.
Patients who had to travel more than 15 miles to see their doctor had about 20 percent greater Breslow thickness than those who were less than 15 miles away.
Compared to those in metropolitan counties, patients in rural counties traveled an average of 2.4 miles farther to their diagnosing doctor. Patients in counties with at least one dermatologist traveled an average of 8.3 miles less than those in counties without a dermatologist.
The study also found an association between Breslow thickness and age and poverty.
"For each one percent increase in poverty rate, Breslow thickness increased by one percent.
Breslow thickness was 19 percent greater for patients aged 51 to 80 years than for those aged 0 to 50 years and was 109 percent greater for patients older than 80 years than for those aged 0 to 50 years," the study authors wrote.
The study is published in the August issue of the journal Archives of Dermatology.
More information
The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more about melanoma.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Use Two Drugs at Once to Beat Leukemia: Study
(HealthDay News) -- Simultaneous treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients with a combination of the drugs Gleevec (imatinib) and Sprycel (dasatinib) may decrease the chance of cancer's return or at least increase the length of time before relapse, U.S. researchers report.
Both drugs target a protein called BCR-ABL, which is known to cause CML.
Normally, CML patients are first treated with Gleevec. If the cancer develops resistance to Gleevec and returns, it's treated with Sprycel. But it's now known that BCR-ABL can also develop resistance to Sprycel.
Based on their study of 12 CML patients, a team at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York City, recommend that rather than sequential treatment with Gleevec and Sprycel, CML patients should be treated with both drugs when they're first diagnosed in order to prevent, or delay, the emergence of drug-resistant forms of BCR-ABL.
The study was published online Aug. 16 in advance of publication in the September print issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
The researchers also noted that a new drug that targets Gleevec- and Sprycel-resistant BCR-ABL is currently in clinical trials.
More information
The American Cancer Society has more about CML.
Both drugs target a protein called BCR-ABL, which is known to cause CML.
Normally, CML patients are first treated with Gleevec. If the cancer develops resistance to Gleevec and returns, it's treated with Sprycel. But it's now known that BCR-ABL can also develop resistance to Sprycel.
Based on their study of 12 CML patients, a team at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York City, recommend that rather than sequential treatment with Gleevec and Sprycel, CML patients should be treated with both drugs when they're first diagnosed in order to prevent, or delay, the emergence of drug-resistant forms of BCR-ABL.
The study was published online Aug. 16 in advance of publication in the September print issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
The researchers also noted that a new drug that targets Gleevec- and Sprycel-resistant BCR-ABL is currently in clinical trials.
More information
The American Cancer Society has more about CML.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Fewer Minority Men Have Undiagnosed Diabetes
(HealthDay News) -- U.S. black and Hispanic men are now no more likely than whites to have undiagnosed diabetes, researchers say -- suggesting that recent prevention and education efforts are paying off for these hard-hit groups.
Still, too many overweight American men remain unaware that they have diabetes, the study found.
"They're less likely to be diagnosed than the average person," said study author James P. Smith, senior economist at the nonprofit Rand Corp., in Santa Monica, Calif. "That's just unacceptable, unnecessary, and hopefully will change," he said.
According to federal statistics, an estimated 20.6 million Americans over the age of 20 -- almost 10 percent of that age group -- now have diabetes. Blacks are nearly twice as likely to have diabetes as whites, and Mexican-Americans are 1.7 times more likely to have the blood-sugar disease.
In the new study, Smith examined three national health surveys of adults aged 25-70 spanning the years 1999-2002, 1988-1994 and 1976-1980. He looked at the statistics regarding men and diabetes. Some of the men had not been diagnosed with the disease prior to tests given as part of the study.
Smith found that the percentage of men with diabetes who didn't know their status dropped from 50 percent to 20 percent over the time period studied.
That's a very positive trend, Smith said. "Having diabetes and not knowing it as a really bad thing," is even worse than being unaware of high blood pressure, he said.
Indeed, untreated diabetes can lead to a variety of medical problems. But "we have much better treatments than we've had (in the past)," he said. "You'll live longer, especially if you adhere to the regimens you're supposed to adhere to."
From 1988-1994, blacks and Latinos were much more likely than whites to not know they were diabetic. But by 1999-2002, their rates were about the same as whites, although blacks were slightly more likely to be undiagnosed.
On the other hand, two groups -- the obese and the less-educated -- were at a higher risk of being undiagnosed.
Type 2 adult-onset diabetes is strongly tied to overweight, so anyone who's obese should be tested for diabetes and other conditions, said Smith. He noted that blood tests can now diagnose diabetes without requiring patients to drink a sugary cola-like concoction and then wait hours to see how it affects their blood sugar levels.
"There should be the same focus on obesity as there is on race and ethnicity," he said.
Smith didn't look at rates of undiagnosed diabetes among women, but he said they should be similar. According to him, it's tougher to study diabetes rates in women, because the numbers are thrown off as they temporarily develop "gestational diabetes" during pregnancy.
The study was published in the August edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The findings are encouraging, added Dr. Larry Deeb, the American Diabetes Association's president of medicine and science.
"We have to wonder if we've gotten the message out there better than we've thought," he said. "I'm serious -- it really makes you feel good."
More information
Learn more about diabetes at the U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
Still, too many overweight American men remain unaware that they have diabetes, the study found.
"They're less likely to be diagnosed than the average person," said study author James P. Smith, senior economist at the nonprofit Rand Corp., in Santa Monica, Calif. "That's just unacceptable, unnecessary, and hopefully will change," he said.
According to federal statistics, an estimated 20.6 million Americans over the age of 20 -- almost 10 percent of that age group -- now have diabetes. Blacks are nearly twice as likely to have diabetes as whites, and Mexican-Americans are 1.7 times more likely to have the blood-sugar disease.
In the new study, Smith examined three national health surveys of adults aged 25-70 spanning the years 1999-2002, 1988-1994 and 1976-1980. He looked at the statistics regarding men and diabetes. Some of the men had not been diagnosed with the disease prior to tests given as part of the study.
Smith found that the percentage of men with diabetes who didn't know their status dropped from 50 percent to 20 percent over the time period studied.
That's a very positive trend, Smith said. "Having diabetes and not knowing it as a really bad thing," is even worse than being unaware of high blood pressure, he said.
Indeed, untreated diabetes can lead to a variety of medical problems. But "we have much better treatments than we've had (in the past)," he said. "You'll live longer, especially if you adhere to the regimens you're supposed to adhere to."
From 1988-1994, blacks and Latinos were much more likely than whites to not know they were diabetic. But by 1999-2002, their rates were about the same as whites, although blacks were slightly more likely to be undiagnosed.
On the other hand, two groups -- the obese and the less-educated -- were at a higher risk of being undiagnosed.
Type 2 adult-onset diabetes is strongly tied to overweight, so anyone who's obese should be tested for diabetes and other conditions, said Smith. He noted that blood tests can now diagnose diabetes without requiring patients to drink a sugary cola-like concoction and then wait hours to see how it affects their blood sugar levels.
"There should be the same focus on obesity as there is on race and ethnicity," he said.
Smith didn't look at rates of undiagnosed diabetes among women, but he said they should be similar. According to him, it's tougher to study diabetes rates in women, because the numbers are thrown off as they temporarily develop "gestational diabetes" during pregnancy.
The study was published in the August edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The findings are encouraging, added Dr. Larry Deeb, the American Diabetes Association's president of medicine and science.
"We have to wonder if we've gotten the message out there better than we've thought," he said. "I'm serious -- it really makes you feel good."
More information
Learn more about diabetes at the U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Moderate Exercise Might Be Healthier Than Intense Workouts
(HealthDay News) -- Moderate exercise, such as walking 30 minutes a day, may offer better protection against diabetes and heart disease than a more rigorous workout regimen, concludes a U.S. study that included 240 middle-age, sedentary people.
"On the surface, it seems to make sense that the harder we exercise, the better off we'll be, and by some measures that's true," lead author and exercise physiologist Cris Slentz, of Duke University Medical Center, said in a prepared statement. "But our studies show that a modest amount of moderately intense exercise is the best way to significantly lower the level of a key blood marker linked to higher risk of heart disease and diabetes. More intense exercise doesn't seem to do that."
Perhaps even more surprising is that some of the benefits achieved through moderate exercise seem to last much longer than the benefits gained through more intense training, Slentz said.
The study was published in the August issue of the Journal of Applied Physiology.
The participants in the study were divided into four exercise groups: high amount/high intensity; low amount/high intensity; low amount/moderate intensity; and a control group that did no exercise. The volunteers started with a two- to three-month "ramp-up" period and then continued their exercise programs for six months.
The Duke team found that no amount of exercise significantly changed levels of low- density lipoprotein (LDL -- "bad" cholesterol). However, length and intensity of exercise did improve levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL -- "good" cholesterol), and that benefit was sustained over time.
The study also found that low amount/moderate intensity exercise significantly lowered levels of triglycerides, which are particles that carry fat around the body and are also a good indicator of insulin resistance, a marker for diabetes. Reducing triglyceride levels lowers a person's risk of diabetes and heart disease.
"A proper exercise program appears to be able to lower a person's insulin resistance in just a matter of days. We were also amazed to see that the lower triglyceride levels stayed low even two weeks after the workouts ended," senior author and cardiologist Dr. William Kraus said in a prepared statement.
More information
The American Academy of Family Physicians has more about exercise.
"On the surface, it seems to make sense that the harder we exercise, the better off we'll be, and by some measures that's true," lead author and exercise physiologist Cris Slentz, of Duke University Medical Center, said in a prepared statement. "But our studies show that a modest amount of moderately intense exercise is the best way to significantly lower the level of a key blood marker linked to higher risk of heart disease and diabetes. More intense exercise doesn't seem to do that."
Perhaps even more surprising is that some of the benefits achieved through moderate exercise seem to last much longer than the benefits gained through more intense training, Slentz said.
The study was published in the August issue of the Journal of Applied Physiology.
The participants in the study were divided into four exercise groups: high amount/high intensity; low amount/high intensity; low amount/moderate intensity; and a control group that did no exercise. The volunteers started with a two- to three-month "ramp-up" period and then continued their exercise programs for six months.
The Duke team found that no amount of exercise significantly changed levels of low- density lipoprotein (LDL -- "bad" cholesterol). However, length and intensity of exercise did improve levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL -- "good" cholesterol), and that benefit was sustained over time.
The study also found that low amount/moderate intensity exercise significantly lowered levels of triglycerides, which are particles that carry fat around the body and are also a good indicator of insulin resistance, a marker for diabetes. Reducing triglyceride levels lowers a person's risk of diabetes and heart disease.
"A proper exercise program appears to be able to lower a person's insulin resistance in just a matter of days. We were also amazed to see that the lower triglyceride levels stayed low even two weeks after the workouts ended," senior author and cardiologist Dr. William Kraus said in a prepared statement.
More information
The American Academy of Family Physicians has more about exercise.
Monday, August 06, 2007
Enjoy the classic fragrance of the rose
Pure Rose Water is considered an excellent facial toner, especially for dry or sensitive skin. Alcohol-free and all-natural, our Rose Water helps give suppleness and elasticity to facial skin.
You can also combine it 50-50 with water to prepare your facial mix. Spray on your body to refresh and cool your skin and help protect it from the elements and environmental toxins. Dab a few drops on pads of cotton-wool and place over closed eyes for ten minutes to ease away tension. Or add some to bath water for a fragrant, rejuvenating experience.
You can also combine it 50-50 with water to prepare your facial mix. Spray on your body to refresh and cool your skin and help protect it from the elements and environmental toxins. Dab a few drops on pads of cotton-wool and place over closed eyes for ten minutes to ease away tension. Or add some to bath water for a fragrant, rejuvenating experience.
Thursday, August 02, 2007
COPD Strikes Men, Women Differently
(HealthDay News) -- The breathing disorder called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) hits women harder than men and in a different way, a new study finds.COPD actually consists of two different lung diseases -- chronic bronchitis, which damages the lining of the airways, and emphysema, which damages the alveoli, the tiny sacs through which oxygen enters the blood. A study of more than 1,000 COPD patients, 38.8 percent of them women, found that bronchitis is more common in women and emphysema more common in men.
"Men and women respond differently to cigarette smoke exposure," said Dr. Fernando J. Martinez, a professor of internal medicine at the University of Michigan and lead author of the report. Smoking is the major cause of COPD.
"So the treatments for men and women are going to be inherently different," he said.
In addition, women in the study reported more breathlessness, a higher incidence of depression and a lower quality of life than the men.
There have been hints of differences in COPD between men and women and "multiple attempts to document the differences," Martinez said. "We were able to make two major advances. First, we were able to get a large number of people with COPD, men and women, and get detailed images of their airways. Second, the patients in the study got objective assessments of the condition of their airways."
COPD studies have tended to concentrate on men, Martinez said. For future studies on the possible causes of the different effects in men and women, "you really do need to have an appropriate sample of women in the group," he said.
The findings are published in the Aug. 1 issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
One reason why the study is important is that the number of American women diagnosed with COPD now exceeds the number of men, said Dr. Dawn L. DeMeo, assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and associate physician at Brigham and Women's Hospital, who wrote an accompanying editorial in the journal.
"This article highlights the need for more research on COPD and gender," DeMeo said.
There are several possible explanations for the differences found in the study, she said. "Are there sexual differences, based on hormonal influences?" DeMeo said. "Or are there different genetic interactions? Another question is whether there are differences in the way men interact with the environment, not only in cigarette smoking but in other ways?"
Whatever the reason, the finding shows that "physicians need to continue to raise the awareness of COPD in women," DeMeo said. "It is a diagnosis that has not reached prominence in women. We need to raise awareness not only among lung specialists but also among basic health-care providers."
COPD is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States, and the number of women dying of the condition has exceeded the toll among men for four consecutive years, according to the American Lung Association. In 2003, more than 63,000 women died of COPD, compared to 59,000 men.
"What we really need is a very large study using CAT scans and other methods to see what the difference in damage is among those who have COPD," DeMeo said. "Smoking is not going away, so these studies are important, because the issue continues to arise."
More information
For more on COPD, visit the American Lung Association.
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