Category Archives: Cancer

Babies who share bed with parents 5 times more likely to die of SIDS

Babies sharing beds with their parents face a five-fold risk of dying of cot death, even if their parents are not smokers, new research shows. The increased risk of death extends to babies previously thought to be at low risk because they are breastfed and the mother has not taken alcohol or drugs, according to a study published in the British Medical Journal Open. The findings come after 1472 Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) cases and 4679 control cases from Australasia, the U.K. and Europe were analyzed in the largest ever study of cot death. The SIDS rate would plummet if parents avoided bed sharing and public healthy messages were more forceful about the dangers for babies under three months, the authors, led by Professor Robert Carpenter, said. “Eighty-eight percent of the deaths that occurred while bed sharing would probably not have occurred had the baby been placed on its back in a cot by the parents' bed,’’ the authors concluded. The risk of SIDs while bed sharing decreased as the baby gets older. Bed sharing has increased “markedly’’ over the last decade, the study found. Parents who endorse the practice are active on the Internet and Facebook. Murdoch University associate professor Catherine Fetherson said research shows between 30 and 50 percent of parents share a bed with their babies at some time. She believes a blanket message against bed sharing is driving parents underground. “They are continuing to do it, even though people are being warned against it and so what is happening is they are shutting down all communication with health professionals,’’ she said. Click for more from news.com.au.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/05/21/babies-who-share-bed-with-parents-5-times-more-likely-to-die-cot-death/

5 reasons the government is not prepared to handle ObamaCare

The recent turn of events with the Obama Administration and a lack of transparency are a significant red flag to the impending catastrophe of how the proposed changes under the Affordable Care Act could be the next ensuing disaster. 1. Is the IRS capable of fairly enforcing penalties? A major part of the Affordable Care Act is providing insurance for those who don’t have it, or can’t afford it.  The assumption, originally, was that savings would be obtained by coaxing individuals to buy insurance sooner, and prevent the rising cost of catastrophic illness. The hope was that individuals would feel the pain of a financial penalty, enforced by the IRS, and hence opt-in for insurance as opposed to paying the fine.   But recent events, and the follies of the IRS, in using their authority to overstep the boundaries of fairness and jurisdiction, should cause concern.  How effective and unbiased can the IRS truly be in accurately indentifying those individuals who have not complied with the law and enforcing the penalties? …

Mom issues health warning after 16-year-old son dies of testicular cancer

After the recent loss of their 16-year-old son from testicular cancer, one family is urging other young men to get checked regularly, Gazette Live reported. Michael Rushby from Grangetown, England waited eight long months before telling his brother John on April 17 that he had found a lump on one of his testicles.   “He said he had a problem and showed me one of his testicles,” John told Gazette Live. “The lump was obvious so I took him straight to (the emergency room). The doctor said just by looking at it there was an 80 percent chance it was cancer.” The next day, Michael – known as Mikey by friends and family – was diagnosed with testicular cancer, and doctors discovered that the cancer had also spread to his abdomen and chest. Despite his late diagnosis, Mikey was given a 75 percent chance of survival.  He underwent a week of chemotherapy at Middlesbrough’s James Cook University Hospital and returned home on Friday, April 26.   The following Monday, he was set to return to the hospital for another round of treatments.  But as he was heading downstairs, he lost his strength and collapsed.  He was taken to James Cook, where he died later that day.  It had only been two weeks since he had told his brother about his lump. Now Mikey’s family is speaking out about their son’s death, urging others to get regular health checkups and to not feel ashamed about their medical issues. “I want to say to anyone who ever thinks they might have a problem, go to your mum, go to your dad, go to someone,” Patricia Rushby, Mike’s mom, told Gazette Live. “Mikey could have come to his mum - I wouldn’t have been embarrassed.” “He was my baby. I loved him to pieces,” Patricia said. “I want other young people to know what we have gone through. I wouldn’t want any family to go through what we have.” Click for more from Gazette Live.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/05/21/after-16-year-old-son-dies-testicular-cancer-mom-urges-others-to-get-checked/

Babies who share bed with parents 5 times more likely to die of cot death

Babies sharing beds with their parents face a five-fold risk of dying of cot death, even if their parents are not smokers, new research shows. The increased risk of death extends to babies previously thought to be at low risk because they are breastfed and the mother has not taken alcohol or drugs, according to a study published in the British Medical Journal Open. The findings come after 1472 Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) cases and 4679 control cases from Australasia, the U.K. and Europe were analyzed in the largest ever study of cot death. The SIDS rate would plummet if parents avoided bed sharing and public healthy messages were more forceful about the dangers for babies under three months, the authors, led by Professor Robert Carpenter, said. “Eighty-eight percent of the deaths that occurred while bed sharing would probably not have occurred had the baby been placed on its back in a cot by the parents' bed,’’ the authors concluded. The risk of SIDs while bed sharing decreased as the baby gets older. Bed sharing has increased “markedly’’ over the last decade, the study found. Parents who endorse the practice are active on the Internet and Facebook. Murdoch University associate professor Catherine Fetherson said research shows between 30 and 50 percent of parents share a bed with their babies at some time. She believes a blanket message against bed sharing is driving parents underground. “They are continuing to do it, even though people are being warned against it and so what is happening is they are shutting down all communication with health professionals,’’ she said. Click for more from news.com.au.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/05/21/babies-who-share-bed-with-parents-5-times-more-likely-to-die-cot-death/

Increase in HIV infections among Navajo prompt fears of epidemic

An increase in HIV infections among the Navajo people in Gallup, N.M. has the medical community concerned over a possible epidemic, the New York Times reported. Among the reservation’s population, 47 new cases of HIV were diagnosed in 2012, which is a 20 percent increase from 2011, according to a report released last month by the federal Indian Health Service. Furthermore, data has revealed that cases of HIV among the Navajo have increased almost five-fold since 1999. “I’m scared to death,”  Dr. Jonathan Iralu, an infectious disease specialist who compiled the report and runs an HIV clinic in the impoverished Navajo community, told the New York Times. “The numbers show there is a dangerous rise, and the time to act is now, before it’s too late.” The tally of new cases within the tribe this year is the highest annual number recorded by the Indian Health Service. “I’m afraid that if we wait too long,” Dr. Iralu said, “it could turn into a true epidemic.” Iralu said that in the past, most cases of HIV in Native American communities would occur when members contracted the virus while traveling outside of the reservation and would then returning with the disease. However, he now believes that the infection is spreading within the reservation.   Despite the fact that education and routine screening programs have improved, there’s still a large stigma surrounding HIV in the Navajo community. Many of the reservation’s members are reluctant to discuss sex in public – and those with HIV often keep their disease a secret from family and friends, the New York Times reported. To combat these barriers to prevention, the Indian Health Service dedicated $5 million over the past three years for communities to create HIV various treatment and education programs. The Navajo AIDS network, the tribe’s health department and Iralu’s clinic are reportedly working on outreach efforts – such as running public service announcements, using social media to promote awareness and distributing condoms. Early detection remains critical among Native American communities. Though new infection rates among Navajos are roughly equal to infection rates among whites and lower than black and Hispanic communities, survival rates for Indians are much lower than other racial groups. Iralu suspects that lower screening rates, along with the increased risk among American Indian communities for diseases like diabetes or drug and alcohol abuse are contributing factors to the higher death rates. Click for more from the New York Times.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/05/21/increase-in-hiv-infections-among-navajo-prompt-fears-epidemic/

Sleep-deprived teen drivers more likely to crash

Too little sleep increases the risk of car crashes for young drivers, a new study confirms. In the study, drivers ages 17 to 24 who reported sleeping six or fewer hours per night were about 20 percent more likely to be involved in a car crash over a two-year period, compared with those who slept more than six hours a night. Car crashes among the sleep-deprived were more likely to occur between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. than at other hours. The findings held even after the researchers took into account factors that affect people's risk of a car crash, such as age, the number of driving hours per week, risky driving behavior such as speeding and a history of car crashes. Sleep deprivation is known to be a risk factor for car crashes it's estimated that drowsy driving is responsible for 20 percent of all car crashes in the United States, the researchers say. However, most studies to date have not focused on young people. Young drivers should be a focus of education efforts to prevent drowsy driving “because this group experiences more impairment in alertness, mood and physical performance compared with older age groups with similar sleep deprivation,” the researchers said. The new study involved more than 19,000 young, newly licensed drivers living in New South Wales, Australia, who answered questions about their sleep habits, including how many hours they slept on weeknights and weekends. Researchers then tracked the participants for two years, and obtained police reports to document car crashes. Among drivers who reported getting six or fewer hours of sleep a night, 9.4 percent were involved in a crash, compared with 6.9 percent of those who reported more than six hours of sleep a night. The new findings “may help increase awareness of the impact of reduced sleep hours on crash risk and highlight subgroups of young drivers and times of day for targeted intervention,” the researchers write in the May 20 issue of the journal JAMA Pediatrics. The researchers noted that participants were only asked about their sleep habits once during the study, and the exact number of hours participants slept on the day before they were involved in a crash is not known. Follow Rachael Rettner @RachaelRettner. Follow MyHealthNewsDaily @MyHealth_MHND, Facebook & Google+. Originally published on LiveScience.Copyright 2013 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/05/21/sleep-deprived-teen-drivers-more-likely-to-crash/

Swine virus confirmed in Iowa, Indiana hog herds

Farms in two of the nation's leading pork producing states have tested positive for the potentially fatal porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), U.S. pork industry veterinarian official said Monday. Three farms in Iowa and one Indiana operation have confirmed cases of the virus, said Dr Lisa Becton, director of swine health information and research for the National Pork Board. The cases in Iowa were located on farms “all across the state, not in one specific area,” Becton said. PEDV does not pose a food safety or health risk to humans and the pork is safe eat. Other animals cannot contract the swine-only virus. Still, this marks the first time PEDV had been found in the United States, and poises yet another challenge for hog farms still recovering from record-high feed costs from last summer's historic drought. “The severity of the outbreak is not yet known, but we're hoping to have a better assessment soon,” Becton told Reuters. Iowa is the nation's leading hog producer with more than 20 million hogs and Indiana is No. 5 with 3.65 million, according to USDA. Agriculture Department officials are pulling together an agricultural epidemiologic survey, and plan to send the questionnaire out to swine veterinarians in the coming days, to try to determine how the virus was introduced into the nation's pork production chain and see how it spread, Becton said. Swine veterinarians across the U.S. are collecting samples from pork farms that have reported possible cases and sending them in for testing at National Veterinary Service Laboratories and other sites. Some veterinarians are also sending in samples of animal feed for testing, to see whether the virus was spread that way, said Dr. Keith Roehr, Colorado's state veterinarian. “There's a lot of biosecurity and prevention measures in place that prevent the spread of disease. That's what's so puzzling in this case. To be in different states, and to have crossed between different swine operations and between different owners, all of which are painstakingly kept separate to prevent the spread of disease - that's unusual,” said Roehr. There is no cure or vaccine for PEDV, which causes diarrhea, vomiting and dehydration in hogs and could result in deaths - particularly in baby pigs whose immune system can be weak. The virus is similar in some ways to transmissible gastroenteritis (TGE) where mortality can range from 50 percent to 100 percent among pigs that are a week old or younger, Becton said. Older pigs can be affected but will recover in a matter of a few weeks after contracting the disease. There is no effective treatment for PEDV other than good care, warm housing and adequate water to combat dehydration. Strict bio-security and quarantine measures can help to slow the spread of the virus. PEDV also is sensitive to heat and sunlight, which may help curtail the spread of the outbreak as the weather turns warmer in the Midwest, veterinarians say. While this marks the first appearance of PEDV in the U.S., the virus dates back to the 1970s. Over the years, it has cropped up on pork operations in England, Canada, China and South Korea and Japan, said Becton. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Veterinary Services Laboratories confirmed it had detected the virus in hog populations in Iowa on Friday, and noted that the disease may have spread to other hog producing states. The virus is also not expected to threaten U.S. pork exports, said Becton, who explained USDA does not consider PEDV a reportable disease to the World Organization for Animal Health, so no trade restrictions are expected. Roughly 23 percent of U.S. domestic pork production, which last year totaled 5.383 billion pounds worth $6.322 billion (U.S.) is earmarked for export.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/05/21/swine-virus-confirmed-in-iowa-indiana-hog-herds/

Terminal teen whose farewell song became web hit dies of cancer

A Minnesota teenager whose farewell song “Clouds” became an Internet sensation with nearly 3 million views on YouTube died Monday after battling a rare form of bone cancer, his family announced. Zach Sobiech, of Lakeland, died at his home, surrounded by family and his girlfriend, according to a CaringBridge post by his mother, Laura Sobiech. He was 18. Zach Sobiech's family declined a request for an interview from the St. Paul Pioneer Press, but released a statement announcing his passing. “It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our son Zachary David Sobiech. Our family has been blessed not only by his amazing presence in our lives, but also by the love and support of our family and friends and by so many people in the community. In particular we'd like to thank those people who listened with their hearts and helped Zach bring his message and his music to the world,” the statement said. Sobiech began writing songs of farewell to family and friends last fall. His first song, the catchy “Clouds,” inspired tributes and covers, including a celebrity video. Sobiech was told in June 2012 that he had months — perhaps a year — to live. When a scan in October showed about 20 new lesions in his lungs, Sobiech's mother suggested he start writing letters to say goodbye. “I'm not good at writing letters,” Sobiech told the Pioneer Press in December. “So I figured instead, I could just write songs for people, and they might be around longer. It's more powerful than writing a letter because a song can get stuck in your head. You find yourself humming it during the day.” In February, Rock the Cause digitally released Sobiech's album, “Fix Me Up,” which he co-wrote with bandmate Samantha “Sammy” Brown, and he flew to New York, where he signed with BMI, a music-rights management company that will collect royalties for him. Proceeds from the sale of “Clouds” and Sobiech's other songs also are going to the Zach Sobiech Osteosarcoma Fund. In addition to raising money for the fund in his name at the Children's Cancer Research Fund, Sobiech worked to raise awareness for children suffering from his rare form of cancer. “Our thoughts and prayers are with Zach's family and friends,” said John Hallberg, the fund's CEO. “Zach Sobiech faced his cancer diagnosis with grace and strength. His music touched millions, and he leaves a lasting legacy that will help other young cancer patients through the Zach Sobiech Osteosarcoma Fund. Zach once said, 'You don't have to find out you're dying to start living.' He taught us all how to live, and we are all better for having known him.” Sobiech, who would have graduated from Stillwater Area High School on June 8, received his diploma early — through his family at his house in late April, according to Lind Moncrief, assistant to the principal at the high school. Counselors and support services are available for students at the school. A funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday at the Church of St. Michael in Stillwater.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/05/21/terminal-teen-whose-farewell-song-became-web-hit-dies-cancer/

5 biggest mistakes people make with food and exercise

Whether you earn your living working up a sweat, or squeeze in workouts when you can, it's easy to fall prey to eating errors that unintentionally hold you back from getting the most out of your workouts. Here are five common missteps I see, and how to correct them to reap the rewards of your hard work. Eating too little fat Despite my recommendations to include good fats at every meal, like avocado, nuts, seeds, and coconut oil, some of my clients remain fat phobic, and will scale back, fearing that fat is “fattening.” But the truth is, getting enough fat is a smart strategy for both sports nutrition and weight control, because fat: delays stomach emptying, so you feel fuller longer; increases satiety, to shut off hunger hormones; boosts antioxidant absorption, which in emerging research is related to leanness; and ups metabolic rate, to help you burn more calories. In fact, fat is one of the most vital nutrients in your diet, because it's a structural part of your cells, which means you can't heal a cell or construct a new one without enough fat to perform these important jobs. Cutting back too much can result in fatigue, chronic hunger, or a lack of satiety, irritability, depression, a weaker immune system, and an increased injury risk. So even if you're trying to reduce your body fat percentage, don't be afraid to add almond butter to a smoothie, top your salad with avocado, and sauté your veggies in extra virgin olive oil. Filling the fat gap can be the key to finally seeing results. Health.com:  Are You Making These Dieting Mistakes?