May 30, 2006, 11:22 PM CT

Keep Kids Safe From Lawn Mower Injuries

With summer approaching and the school year coming to a close, thousands of children across the country will take on a familiar chore - mowing the lawn. Whether it's to help their parents mow the backyard or a summer job to earn money, this routine task can be dangerous for children and adults alike if proper safety precautions are not taken. In fact, more than 230,500 people -- approximately 20,000 of them children under age 19 -- were treated in doctors' offices, clinics and emergency rooms for lawn mower-related injuries in 2004, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports.

To help prevent injures, the American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery (ASRM), the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) have teamed up to educate parents, adults and children about the importance of lawn mower safety during National Safety Month, June 2006.

"The power lawn mower is one of the most dangerous tools around the home, but a number of children view it as a potential toy - resulting in thousands of debilitating injures every year," said ASRM President L. Scott Levin, MD, FACS. "Lawn mower injuries often include deep cuts, loss of fingers and toes, limb amputations, broken and dislocated bones, burns, and eye injuries. Most of these injuries can be prevented by following a few simple safety tips."........

Posted by: JoAnn      Permalink         Source

May 24, 2006, 7:01 PM CT

Stressed? Then slip out to the health farm in your lunchbreak

It's generally accepted that taking a break is much better for productivity than working through lunch. But what's the best way to spend the hour? Going for a walk? Light lunch in a cafe? Quick trip to the gym? How about a visit to a health farm?.

While this might seem more associated with a weekend away than an activity for the middle of the working day, Adagio skin care centre in Newmarket Road Cambridge has introduced a lunch time beauty treat for those like the experience of a health farm but don't have the time.

Says Adagio owner Naz Mitchell: 'Spa therapys are the ultimate treat for the busy lifestyle of today, so taking a break from work to have the type of relaxing and de-stressing therapy normally associated with health farms is the ideal pick me up for the middle of the day.'

For those really pushed for time there's the 25 minute body smoother. This therapy smooths and silkens the entire body using a body buffing cloth, dry body brush and exfoliating body scrub. The therapy includes a dry body brush to take home.

With a little more time there's the 45 minute back bliss. This deep cleansing back therapy helps to recondition, decongest and rehydrate this often neglected area and includes a relaxing back massage.

For the full hour there are two therapys that really bring the feel of the health farm. The detoxifying enzymatic sea mud wrap detoxifies and exfoliates the body with a warm purifying seaweed and mud pultice, specially wrapped to promote relaxation. The wrap is infused with vitamins, minerals and micronutrients to leave skin feeling smooth and soft.........

Posted by: JoAnn      Permalink         Source

May 24, 2006, 0:32 AM CT

Alcohol Abuse Increases The Risk Of Pneumonia

The results of a paper reported in the journal Chest (129(5):1219-25) show that alcoholic and ex-alcoholic individuals have a higher risk of suffering from community acquired pneumonia. Eventhough mortality did not differ significantly, an increase of the severeness of the disease was shown, and consequently, an increase of the morbidity and the complications was revealed. This study was conducted by the Pneumonia Multidiscipline Group of Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, led by Dr. Antoni Torres, from the Institut Clínic del Torax, and leader of the IDIBAPS Group Management and Prevention of the Pulmonary Disease.

The increase of the risk of suffering from pneumonia in alcoholic patients exists due to the fact that the activity of their immune system decreases. This decrease not only is observed in alcoholic, but also in ex alcoholic patients. The daily quantity of alcohol consumption in order to include patients in the group of alcohol abuse was of 80 g in man and 60 g in women, the equivalent of 2 or 3 beers and 3 or 4 cups of wine.

Results are particularly relevant since alcohol is the more abused drug in Spain, and causes a total of 12,000 deaths every year. In addition, pneumonia is a very frequent disease, with 10 patients every 1,000 inhabitants in Catalonia. This number is much higher if we take into account in the population over 65. This is the reason why the consequences of this study, and the possible vaccination of alcoholic of ex-alcoholic individuals against Pneumococcus, would affect a very high number of people. Alcohol consumption could turn into a new risk factor or a worsening factor to take into account in cases of community acquired pneumonia.........

Posted by: Scott      Permalink         Source

May 23, 2006, 11:36 PM CT

When It Comes To Privacy

A study aimed at assessing perspectives about privacy in a public place - especially when surveillance is not correlation to security - suggests women are more concerned than men, both as watcher and the watched.

The University of Washington study also tends to cast doubt on the notion held by some that people no longer have any expectation of privacy once they leave their homes. Nearly a quarter of the men and women considered even minimal video capture to be a privacy violation.

Eventhough the majority of both genders had no privacy problem with on-campus video capture, significantly more women than man were uncomfortable with it. And a majority of the women -- but not the men -- were uneasy about having their images viewed at off-campus locations.

The findings stem from responses of nearly 900 people, including 780 individuals who were surveyed or interviewed after being told they could be viewed using a high-definition television camera mounted atop a campus building.

The camera, with a view of pedestrians near a fountain and public plaza, presented a live display on a plasma screen in an office in the building. A roughly equal number of men and women took part in the study.

Findings are would be published next month in the Journal of Human Computer Interaction. UW Information School professor Batya Friedman and Psychology associate professor Peter Kahn, co-directors of the UW's Value Sensitive Design Research Lab, are lead authors.........

Posted by: JoAnn      Permalink         Source

May 23, 2006, 11:32 PM CT

Cure for reading glasses?

It's 10 p.m., and you've finally relaxed into your favorite comfy chair to browse the day's newspaper. Patting your shirt pockets you realize there's a problem, and now you're not relaxed anymore. You can't find your reading glasses. Again!.

Presbyopia---the inability to focus on close objects resulting in blurred vision---affects 100 percent of people by age 50. Historically, laser correction of the intraocular lens for presbyopia has been proposed, but it is risky because there is no way to monitor the procedure---no way for ophthalmologists to see what they are doing to the lens being cut.

But a tool developed at the University of Michigan allows for a potentially noninvasive, painless fix to presbyopia using tiny bubbles that help ophthalmologists reshape the eye's lens and restore its flexibility and focusing ability. Matthew O'Donnell, professor and chair of the U-M Department of Biomedical Research, along with Kyle Hollman, assistant research scientist and adjunct lecturer, and graduate student Todd Erpelding, developed the method. Recently, it was successful when tested in pig lenses.

Presbyopia commonly starts around age 40, O'Donnell says. The predominant belief is that fibers created in the intraocular lens accumulate and stiffen, thus making the lens less flexible. Without that flexibility, the lens can't change shape to focus on near objects, a process called accommodation.........

Posted by: Mike      Permalink         Source

May 21, 2006, 10:12 AM CT

How accommodating is our society to women who breastfeed?

Eventhough the act of breastfeeding is not "illegal," women in various parts of the U.S. can be arrested for "public indecency" when breastfeeding their baby in public. As of November 2005, 12 states and Washington, DC had not enacted at least some kind of law regarding breastfeeding.

The U.S. Healthy People 2010 target is to increase the proportion of mothers who choose to breastfeed their babies for at least six months to 50%; the World Health Organization recommends that babies be breastfed exclusively for the first six months. However, these goals may be difficult to meet since some mothers in the U.S. face challenges to breastfeeding. A number of women view their return to work as a cause for ending their breastfeeding regime early. Even women who use a breast pump require 30 minutes of privacy each workday to expel breast milk. In the recent issue of The Journal of Pediatrics, a commentary by Dr. Tonse Raju from the National Institutes of Health reflects on the continued barriers for breastfeeding mothers.

Most industrialized nations guarantee maternity leave for up to 16 weeks at 75-100% of pay. Norway exceeds that by providing up to 42 weeks of maternity leave with full pay or 52 weeks with 80% pay. The U.S., however, allows a woman 12 weeks of unpaid leave, without the risk of losing her job, during any 12-month period. Allowing new mothers more time off work may encourage the continuation of breastfeeding, potentially minimizing societal limitations. Eventhough it might be difficult to enact a policy similar to that of Norway, the U.S. should consider what is needed to support women who choose to breastfeed.........

Posted by: JoAnn      Permalink         Source

May 21, 2006, 9:32 AM CT

Woman's Chances Of Having Twins Can Be Modified By Diet

An obstetrician well known for his care of and research into multiple-birth pregnancies has found that dietary changes can affect a woman's chances of having twins, and that her overall chance is determined by a combination of diet and heredity. By comparing the twinning rate of vegan women, who consume no animal products, with that of women who do eat animal products, Gary Steinman, MD, PhD, an attending doctor at Long Island Jewish (LIJ) Medical Center in New Hyde Park, NY, found that the women who consume animal products, specifically dairy, are five times more likely to have twins. The study is reported in the May 2006 issue of the Journal of Reproductive Medicine, available May 20.

The Lancet recently published an invited comment by Dr. Steinman on dietary influences on twinning in the journal's May 6 issue.

The culprit may be insulin-like growth factor (IGF), a protein that is released from the liver of animals -- including humans -- in response to growth hormone, circulates in the blood and makes its way into the animal's milk. IGF increases the sensitivity of the ovaries to follicle stimulating hormone, thereby increasing ovulation. Some studies also suggest that IGF may help embryos survive in the early stages of development. The concentration of IGF in the blood is about 13 percent lower in vegan women than in women who consume dairy.........

Posted by: Emily      Permalink         Source

May 21, 2006, 9:25 AM CT

Anxiety Often Undertreated In Elderly

Anxiety may be the most common mental disorder experienced by elderly adults, affecting one in 10 people over the age of 60. As a number of as 7 percent of people in this age group have generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), a disorder characterized by uncontrollable worries about everyday things. Despite its prevalence, anxiety remains one of the most undiagnosed and undertreated conditions in this population.

An overview of current research in geriatric anxiety disorder will be presented today as part of an industry-sponsored symposium at the Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association, being held May 20-25 in Toronto.

With the first of the 80 million "baby boomers" turning 60 in 2006, scientists are seeing a greater need to focus attention on disorders usually experienced by people age 60 and older.

"Studies have shown that generalized anxiety disorder is more common in the elderly, affecting 7 percent of seniors, than depression, which affects about 3 percent of seniors. Surprisingly, there is little research that has been done on this disorder in the elderly," said Eric J. Lenze, M.D., assistant professor of psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. "Due to the lack of evidence, doctors often believe that this disorder is rare in the elderly or that it is a normal part of aging, so they don't diagnose or treat anxiety in their older patients, when, in fact, anxiety is quite common in the elderly and can have a serious impact on quality of life."........

Posted by: JoAnn      Permalink         Source

May 21, 2006, 8:55 AM CT

Signs of Adolescent Depression

New findings from a study supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institutes of Health, show that girls and boys who exhibit high levels of risky behaviors have similar chances of developing symptoms of depression. However, gender differences become apparent with low and moderate levels of risky behaviors with girls being significantly more likely than boys to experience symptoms of depression. The study, which incorporates data from almost 19,000 teens, is reported in the May 15, 2006 issue of the Archives of Women's Mental Health.

"The burden of illness associated with depression during adolescence is considerable, and psychosocial problems - including substance abuse - are associated with depressive disorders in teens," says NIDA Director Dr. Nora D. Volkow. "The findings from this study create a more complete picture of commonalities and differences of the risk of depression among boys and girls who engage in risky behaviors, and provide information for healthcare providers to consider as they screen, evaluate, and treat their young patients".

Symptoms of depression include loss of appetite, feeling blue, loss of interest in things that used to be of interest, being bothered by things that previously were not bothersome, and not feeling hopeful about the future.........

Posted by: JoAnn      Permalink         Source

May 21, 2006, 8:52 AM CT

More Informed Approach To Multivitamins Use For Chronic Disease Prevention

An independent panel convened this week by the NIH Office of Medical Applications of Research and the Office of Dietary Supplements assessed the available evidence on the safety and effectiveness of multivitamin/minerals (MVMs). Following two days of expert presentations, public discussion, and panel deliberations, the panel made recommendations regarding certain specific supplements but ultimately concluded that more rigorous scientific research is needed before strong recommendations can be made regarding MVM use to prevent chronic diseases.

The panel released a draft statement of its findings this morning, at the close of the conference. The panel's findings pertain to the generally healthy population, and do not include pregnant women, children, or those with disease. Full text of the panel's draft state-of-the-science statement will be available late today at http://consensus.nih.gov. The final version will be available at the same Web site in four to six weeks.

"Half of American adults are taking MVMs and the bottom line is that we don't know for sure that they're benefiting from them. In fact, we're concerned that some people may be getting too much of certain nutrients," said J. Michael McGinnis, M.D., M.P.P., Senior Scholar with the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, who chaired the panel.........

Posted by: Janet      Permalink