Drive for 55 - Exercise Volume Benefits for Fat Loss Maintenance

The magic formula for keeping off lost weight

To drop 10 per cent of their body weight and keep it off for two years, obese and overweight women must exercise at least 55 minutes a day, five days a week, according to a new study.

Research published in the Archives of Internal Medicine this week said that in addition to limiting calories, overweight and obese women must exercise substantially more than was previously recommended.

"The less they exercised the less weight they lost and the less they kept off," said John Jakicic of the University of Pittsburgh, who led the study. "It seemed like this magic number of 275 [minutes a week] is what really made a difference."

Dr. Jakicic and his team spent two years studying 191 women between the ages of 21 and 45 with a body mass index of 27 to 40, which is above the threshold of healthy weight. Before taking part in the research, all of the women exercised less than 20 minutes a day, fewer than three days a week.

The women were prescribed diets of between 1,200 and 1,500 calories a day, and were divided into groups with different exercise goals.

While women in various groups lost weight, only those who exercised more than 55 minutes a day, five days a week, managed to keep the weight off two years later.

"We really wanted to delve into the issues around how much you might really need to do to keep this weight off long term," Dr. Jakicic said. "This study sheds some clear light on what those numbers need to be."

Before this study, health professionals often recommended that people exercise for a minimum of 30 minutes, five days a week. But that level is helpful only for those trying to maintain their health, Dr. Jakicic said, and is not effective for those who have managed to lose a large amount of weight and are trying to keep that weight off.

Obesity is a major issue in Canada, where 59 per cent of adults are overweight, including 23 per cent who are obese, according to Statistics Canada. Overweight is defined as having a BMI - an approximation of body fat based on height and weight - of more than 25, while a BMI of more than 30 indicates obesity.

But much of the focus on obesity has centred on issues of diet and ignored the impact of regular physical activity.

"There's been so much about the Atkins diet and the Zone diet and surgery," Dr. Jakicic said. "But even people who have the surgery gain weight again without a major lifestyle change."

Dr. Jakicic does not believe people should be discouraged by the exercise level required by his findings, even though working out 55 minutes a day, five days a week, may sound like too punishing a regimen.

Most of the women who were successful in the study were working mothers, he said, and got their exercise by walking. They were only required to reach a moderate level of intensity with their workouts, and few women put in serious hours at the gym.

"This shouldn't be discouraging. It can be done," he said. "They were able to find ways to make it work with their lifestyle."

Keeping up the intense workout schedule was sometimes difficult, Dr. Jakicic admitted, but because the women were focusing on both diet and exercise, they were able to make up for any momentary lapses of will.

"Not that over two years these women didn't flounder," he said. "But when they floundered with their diet, they were a little more diligent with their exercise."

The women exercised in periods that would previously have been designated as "sitting time," spent in front of a TV, a computer or a book.

"Most women say, 'I can't fit this into my lifestyle because it's going to negatively impact my family and children,' " he said. "When in fact what's negatively impacting the family is that they're not taking care of themselves."

Source: TheGlobeandMail.com

Lower Fluoride Levels In Water - Panel Recommendation

Fluoride levels should be lowered, panel tells Health Canada

A panel of experts convened by Health Canada is recommending new optimal concentrations of fluoride in drinking water and suggesting the levels of fluoride ingested from a variety of sources by children and infants be lowered and monitored.

The authors suggest Health Canada adopt a level of 0.7 mg/L as the optimal target for fluoride in drinking water, to limit exposure. This level, they say, balances the need for dental cavity protection with the risk of dental fluorosis, which leads to staining or pitting of the teeth if too much fluoride is ingested.

The report, which was released in January of last year, was posted on Health Canada's website in April.

The panel notes in the report that the overall intake of fluoride in recent years has decreased, as have the concentrations of fluoride in infant formula.

It also does not find any link between fluoride and cancer, a decrease in IQ or reproductive, immunological or developmental toxicity. Previous studies have raised concerns about the toxic effects of fluoride and made connections between excessive consumption and such diseases as bone cancer.

The panel does acknowledge that excess fluoride intake, which constitutes 10 mg/day after 10 or more years of exposure, can lead to skeletal fluorosis, which is caused by too much accumulation of fluoride in the bones and leads to brittle and deformed bones.

However, "the current maximum acceptable concentration of 1.5 mg/L of fluoride in drinking water is unlikely to cause adverse health effects," reads the report.

The report does caution however, that infants are particularly vulnerable if they ingest powdered infant formula reconstituted with fluoridated water. "The risk of excessive intake of fluoride is higher for infants consuming larger quantities of infant formulas," reads the report.

The panel subsequently calls on the manufacturers of infant formula to lower and standardize the fluoride concentration in infant formula.

Source: CBC.ca

Sweet Substitute Prevents Decay

Yum! Candy that fights cavities

Children everywhere may have scored a major coup this week in the eternal battle with parents over the consumption of candy, after new evidence found sweets made with the sugar substitute xylitol could actually reduce the risk of cavities.

But the findings are already creating some worry among leaders of Canada's dental industry who are concerned candy companies could overstate the limited advantages of the sugar substitute to boost their products.

Although xylitol has been found to reduce the bacteria that cause cavities and tooth decay, some experts fear the evidence could dilute messages children receive about the critical importance of brushing, flossing and a proper

diet.

"You're talking about a very small benefit," said Larry Levin, president of the Ontario Dental Association. "I think you always run the risk that people can misinterpret what that message is."

A study published this week in the journal BMC Oral Health and led by a researcher at the University of Washington found that children who ate Gummi Bears made with the teeth-protecting sugar substitute xylitol showed a decrease in the amount of bacteria that can cause cavities.

Xylitol is commonly used to make sugarless chewing gum, which has been associated with a decrease in cavity-causing bacteria in those who chew it. Since many children are considered too young to chew gum, researchers used Gummis to determine whether candy could carry the same bacteria-fighting benefits as sugarless gum.

They found that children who ate four xylitol Gummi Bears three times a day during school hours showed a decrease in the amount of plaque bacteria. The findings have led to the start of a clinical trial that will explore whether it's feasible to distribute Gummis made with xylitol in schools to combat tooth decay, according to the researchers.

But it's possible that kind of initiative could erroneously convince parents and children that candy made with xylitol is an adequate cavity-fighting tool that could even substitute or replace proper brushing and flossing, according to Dr. Levin.

"I think it's good to see it in proportion, that this xylitol chewing gum [and candy] is just a small adjunct to overall good health," he said. It's not going to counteract meals containing naturally occurring sugars that can also contribute to tooth decay, he said.

Introducing cavity-fighting candy may also confuse some children over the presence of sugar in other types of candy, said Euan Swan, manager of dental programs at the Canadian Dental Association.

"A young child might beconfused if they don't realize the Gummi Bear is a special [sugarless] Gummi Bear," he said. "They might go on eating other candy that has sugar in it."

Source: TheGlobeandMail.com

Eye Drop Recall - Health Canada

Prescription eye drops recalled due to risk of adverse effects

Health Canada is warning consumers not to use some strengths of the prescription drug Sandoz Timolol Ophthalmic Solution because some bottles may contain more of the active ingredient than indicated on the label, exposing patients to an increased risk of adverse events.

Sandoz Timolol Ophthalmic Solution 0.25 per cent and 0.5 per cent are eye drops taken for treatment of increased intraocular pressure (high fluid pressure inside the eye) and glaucoma. The active ingredient is timolol maleate.

Potential adverse events may include red eye, eye irritation, inflammation of the eyelids and-or cornea, drooping of the upper eyelid, double vision, dizziness, headache, abnormally slow heartbeat, abnormally low blood pressure, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing and cardiac failure Health Canada said in an advisory Friday.

Patients taking either Sandoz Timolol Ophthalmic Solution 0.25 per cent or 0.5 per cent eye drops should discontinue use and consult their health-care practitioner immediately to ensure that treatment of the original condition (intraocular pressure) is not interrupted. Consumers should return the product to their pharmacist for safe disposal.

The manufacturer, Sandoz Canada Inc., is recalling the products. Sandoz will also be notifying doctors and pharmacists of the recall.

Consumers requiring more information about this advisory can contact Health Canada's public inquiries line at (613) 957-2991, or toll-free at 1-866-225-0709.

To date, there have been no cases of adverse reactions linked to the use of this product reported in Canada.

Source: CBC.ca

Hot Peppers Implicated in Salmonella Outbreak

U.S. food agency says consumers should avoid jalapenos from Mexico only

Only jalapeno peppers grown in Mexico are implicated in the countrywide salmonella outbreak, the government announced Friday in clearing the U.S. crop.

The Food and Drug Administration urged consumers to avoid raw Mexican jalapenos and the serrano peppers often confused with them, or dishes made with them such as fresh salsa.

But the big question is how those who love hot peppers would know where the chiles came from, especially in restaurant food.

"You're going to have to ask the person you're buying it from," said Dr. David Acheson, the FDA's food safety chief, who is advising restaurants and grocery stores to know their suppliers and pass that information to customers.

The big break in an outbreak that now has sickened nearly 1,300 people came on Monday, when FDA announced it had found the same strain of salmonella responsible for the outbreak on a single Mexican-grown jalapeno in a south Texas produce warehouse.

Tomatoes had been the prime suspect for weeks. And while those now on the market are considered safe to eat, health officials still haven't exonerated them from causing illnesses when the outbreak began in April.

The pepper discovery threatened to paralyze that industry, too. Chile production is a $500 million crop in New Mexico alone, which produces most of the U.S. crop, state agriculture commissioners wrote the FDA on Thursday.

Friday's move clearing U.S. peppers came because clusters of illnesses around the country all seem to be tracing back to Mexican jalapenos, though not all sold through the McAllen, Texas, produce warehouse, Acheson said.

"Domestically grown products are not tracing back at all to the outbreak," he said in an interview with The Associated Press. "On Monday, we didn't know exactly where they all were coming from. Today we're certain these are coming from Mexico."

FDA inspectors are on the farm that grew the only tainted pepper discovered so far, trying to determine where else it sent a harvest that began in April, Acheson said. The farm is large, but the question now is whether it harvested enough to be responsible for such a geographically large outbreak.

Mexican officials blasted the announcement as premature, saying the fact that no additional salmonella was found in the Texas warehouse doesn't eliminate that site as a suspect.

"Both U.S. and Mexican tomato producers are still dealing with the impact of premature public information given by the FDA in the past, and we expect the FDA to present solid scientific evidence to back today's announcement as soon as possible," said Ricardo Alday, spokesman for the Mexican embassy in Washington.

The news is a relief for U.S. pepper growers.

"It's good news, late in the process. It's an announcement they should have made some days ago," said John McClung of the Texas Produce Association.

He called the warning still too broad, because many peppers from Mexico are grown on farms in regions not implicated.

At the same time, investigators from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are retracing the probe's early steps to see if jalapenos were missed early on, or if tomatoes did indeed play a role. Initial reports from the first ill in New Mexico and Texas provided a strong link to tomatoes, but salsa was eaten, too, with less attention paid to its other ingredients.

"We're still very interested in looking at the role tomatoes played in this outbreak given the strong epidemiological association," said CDC's Dr. Ian Williams. That is "very much part of the active investigation at the moment."

To date, the CDC has confirmed 1,294 people sickened from the outbreak. It doesn't appear to be over yet, with people falling ill as late as July 10.

Source: CBC.ca

Potential Sperm Count Drop - Tofu Related

Tofu a day, sperm goes away: study

A new study has found that men who consume more soy products have lower sperm counts, especially if they are overweight.

The study, published in yesterday's online version of the journal Human Reproduction, found that men who ate the most soy food had 41 million fewer sperm per millilitre than those who did not consume soy products.

"What we found was men that had the highest intake of soy foods had a lower sperm concentration," said Jorge Chavarro of the department of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, who led the study.

He believes this happens because soy contains isoflavones, a naturally occurring compound that can mimic the effects of estrogen.

Previous studies have linked high consumption of isoflavones with infertility in animals, but Dr. Chavarro's research is the first to show a similar effect in humans.

The study analyzed the semen of 99 men who attended a U.S. fertility clinic between 2000 and 2006. The men were asked how often they ate soy products, including tofu, tempeh, soy milk and other soy products such as ice creams, cheeses and energy bars.

The average intake of soy for those with the highest consumption levels was about half a serving a day, although some men in that group ate as many as four servings a day. (A standard serving of tofu was 115 grams.)

The researchers also found that soy food intake had the greatest impact on sperm concentrations among those who were also overweight or obese.

This may be because overweight men already have higher levels of estrogen, Dr. Chavarro said.

"It's possible that when you already have very high levels of estrogen, an additional source of an estrogen-like compound may become an issue, but not if you're a lean man," he said.

This may explain why soy does not seem to affect fertility among Asian populations, for whom it is a food staple, he said. Obesity is not as common in Asian populations as it is among Western men.

In Dr. Chavarro's study, it was not clear whether the reduction in sperm count was a factor in the subjects' fertility issues, and he believes it is too early to warn people away from soy.

"I guess if somebody already knows they have a low sperm count and they're very avid consumers of soy foods they could try stopping it, but there's no guarantee that's going to help them," he said.

Isoflavones are present in a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, including black beans, peas and other legumes, but are most concentrated in soy.

The average sperm concentration for men ranges between 80 million and 120 million per millilitre. But even with reduced sperm count, men are capable of conceiving a child, said Dr. Chavarro, and soy seemed to have no other adverse effect on the sperm.

The study corrected for other factors that may affect sperm count, such as age, caffeine intake and smoking.

There have been two other studies on the connection between soy and sperm count. One, a study of 14 young men, found no change in semen quality, while the other, which followed 48 men, found that isoflavone intake had a positive effect on sperm count.

The men in Dr. Chavarro's study were predominantly white, and he plans to test the connection with different ethnic groups, as well as with larger sample sizes.

Source: TheGlobeandMail.ca

Health Canada Warning

Jin Bu Huan Anodyne tablets recalled: Health Canada

Health Canada is warning consumers not to use Jin Bu Huan Anodyne tablets after two reported adverse reactions in this country.

The Canadian importer, Wing Quon Enterprises Ltd., has initiated a recall of the product — unauthorized for use in Canada — as the federal agency says it contains an undeclared ingredient (tetrahydropalmatine).

Health Canada says the amount of the chemical tetrahydropalmatine, contained in a daily dose of the tablets, has been associated with liver injury in adults, and brain and nervous system injury in children and adults.

It's also been associated with adverse reactions such as fever, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhoea.

The product label also promotes unauthorized use in the treatment of ulcer pain, and abdominal pain after childbirth.

Health Canada wants retailers to pull the herbal treatment from store shelves, and advises consumers who have taken the tablets to discontinue use immediately and consult a health-care professional.

Source: CBC.ca

Social Tonics Not Safe

Health Canada warns against use of 'social tonics' which contain drugs

Health Canada is urging consumers not to use products sold as "social tonics" by the company Purepillz, saying they contain unauthorized drugs.

The department says four products that go by the names "Peaq", "Freq", "PureRush", and "PureSpun" are promoted on the company's website as safer legal alternatives to street drugs.

But they contain compounds that reportedly have effects like amphetamines and the drug MDMA, and can't be legally sold in Canada this way.

Health Canada says the products can cause hallucinations, convulsions and slowed breathing.

They can increase body temperature and blood pressure, dilate pupils and increase euphoria, alertness and paranoia.

Health Canada says it has repeatedly asked Purepillz to remove the products from the market and is taking enforcement action because the company has not complied.

he products contain benzylpiperazine (known as BZP) and 3-trifluoromethylphenylpiperazine (3-TFMPP), compounds that require a drug identification number (DIN) before they can be legally sold in Canada.

Health Canada says BZP and 3-TFMPP have no therapeutic uses and while BZP is frequently claimed to be a "natural" substance, it is not a natural health product.

Health Canada says it is carrying out an assessment to determine whether it would be appropriate for these substances to be regulated under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act
Source: CBC.ca

Potential Tendon Rupture Caused by Medication

Cipro, similar antibiotics can cause tendon ruptures, FDA warns

The U.S. government has imposed its most urgent warning on Cipro and similar antibiotics.

The Food and Drug Administration warns that such drugs can cause tendon ruptures, a serious injury that leaves some patients incapacitated.

The FDA is ordering makers of fluoroquinolone drugs — a potent class of antibiotics — to add a "black box" warning to their products, which include Cipro, Levaquin, Floxin and other medications.

It says patients should immediately stop taking the medications if they develop any tendon pain, swelling or inflammation.

Source: CBC.ca

Cervical Cancer Vaccine - Adverse Reactions

Almost 8,000 adverse reactions to cervical vaccine reported in U.S.

Almost 8,000 U.S. recipients of the vaccine used to protect against cervical cancer have reported adverse reactions, ranging from pain at the injection site to serious side-effects, says the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A total of 7,802 people who received Gardasil, made by Merck and Co. Inc., have reported adverse events to the CDC's Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) between June 8, 2006, and April 30, 2008. The United States distributed 2.2 million doses of the vaccine in 2006 and 11.3 million in 2007.

Of the people who reported adverse reactions, the most common side-effect was pain at the injection site, according to a recent CDC report.

Seven per cent had serious side-effects — "about half" the average of vaccines overall, according to the report. There were 31 reported cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), a neurological condition that results in temporary but often total body paralysis, with 10 cases confirmed.

Fifteen deaths were also reported, with 10 of these containing the level of information required for further analysis, according to the CDC.

"After careful review of those reports, we could not establish the causal relationship between vaccination and death," reads the VAERS report.

The report notes that when Gardasil was being tested in the U.S. before being licensed, 10 individuals who were in the group that received the vaccine died, and seven in the placebo group died. None of these deaths were considered vaccine-related.

All Canadian provinces starting HPV vaccinations

Health Canada approved Gardasil on July 18, 2006. Since then, all 10 provinces have started or said they would be starting vaccination programs. Nova Scotia led the way, announcing in June 2007 that it would begin offering vaccinations to girls in Grade 7.

As of Jan. 8, 2008, the Public Health Agency of Canada had received a total of 145 reports of adverse events following vaccination with Gardasil, none of which were of death or Guillain-Barré syndrome, according to the agency.

"These reports are mostly of minor adverse events, including injection site reactions, which are consistent with the results reported by clinical trials conducted prior to the approval of the vaccine, and can be expected with the administration of any vaccine," reads PHAC's website.

The vaccine works by boosting the immune system so that it effectively fights off four types of human papillomavirus, the most prevalent STD in modern society. In North America, HPV is said to infect half of all sexually active women between 18 and 22.

It's estimated that about 1,300 women contract the sexually transmitted virus each year in Canada. About 400 women in Canada die of cervical cancer annually — making it the second most common type of cancer for women between the age of 20 and 44.

Source: CBC.ca

ADHD Drug Linked to Suicide

ADHD drug linked to suicide attempts: Health Canada

A drug commonly used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity (ADHD) disorder in children, teens and adults has been linked to numerous adverse reactions, including suicide attempts, Health Canada has warned.

In its adverse reactions newsletter from July 2008, the health agency warns that Atomoxetine (Strattera), a selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, had been linked to 189 reported adverse reactions as of Dec. 31, 2007.

Fifty-five of those included suicide attempts, a designation that encompasses non-accidental overdoses, showing suicidal tendencies and experiencing thoughts of self-harm. Twenty-nine of the patients recovered, three had not by Dec. 31, 2007, and one patient died. Data was not available for the remaining 22 patients.

Among the 55 suicide attempts reported in connection with the drug, 43 were among children between the ages of 6 and 17. Twelve were among adults ranging in age from 18 to 45.

Links between the drug and suicidal behaviour were first reported in September 2005, and the warnings and precautions section of the drug's monograph was changed to reflect those concerns.

Health Canada advises health-care professionals to warn patients who are on ADHD medications, as well as their families and other caregivers, to be on the lookout for changes in mood, behaviour and feelings.
Source: CBC.ca

Snooze and Lose - New Study

Why You Shouldn't Hit Your Snooze Alarm

It's the most tempting thing in the world - your alarm clock goes off to wake you up in the morning. You reach for the snooze button to get an extra few minutes of sleep. It's something you've likely done often as the daily ritual of getting up just a bit too early, staying up just a little too late and working just a few too many hours catches up to you.

But you shouldn't.

That simple act of getting back to sleep may be costing you mentally. Studies show the brain produces a "wake-up" neuron called orexin, designed to help you feel more alert in the morning. It combines with activity neurons that make it harder for you to fall back into the land of nod.

But hitting the snooze alarm doesn't always create the necessary cycle that allows them to both work together. And scientists say it appears that's why so many people appear "dozy" during the day - they simply didn't let the natural processes that involve waking actually happen. The result: a long hangover effect the more you hit that time delay switch.

best bet to stop the effects of too little sleep is to make sure you get the most from your down time. Here are some ways to do it:

• Establish regular bed and wake times.
• Avoid consuming alcohol near bedtime.
• Avoid caffeine in coffee, tea, colas after 4pm
• Don't use your bedroom for doing work or problem-solving. Use it only for sleep or sex.
• Take a hot bath before bed.
• Keep your bedroom cool.
• Place the bedroom clock out of reach and facing away. Looking at the clock can aggravate sleep problems.
• Have a light snack before bedtime: Foods rich in the amino acid tryptophan, such as milk and turkey, can help you sleep. But avoid heavy or fatty meals, which can cause acid reflux, too close to lights out.
• If you frequently wake up to urinate during the night, cut back on fluids near bedtime.
• If your partner snores, sleep in a separate bedroom or get a good pair of earplugs.
• If lying in bed and unable to sleep, get up and go back when you feel sleepier. Don't lie there stewing.
• Seek medical help if you can't sleep for long periods of time.

Source: CityNews.ca

Mommy's Bliss Cream Recall

Mommy's Bliss Nipple Cream. Mommy's Bliss Nipple Cream is promoted as an all-natural product to help soothe and heal dry or cracked nipples. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has warned that the product contains the preservatives chlorphenesin and phenoxyethanol, which could cause serious side-effects, including difficulty breathing and dehydration, if ingested by nursing infants.
Source: Health Canada

Remedy Warning for Arthritis Tablet - Health Canada

3rd Generation In Homoeopathy Arthrit Indica Tablet. The product is labelled for "intense joint pain." The Health Sciences Authority of Singapore has warned consumers not to use the product because it contains nimesulide, a pharmaceutical ingredient that has been associated with liver damage

Source: Health Canada

Long Distance Running Benefits - New Study

Will running ruin my knees?

Studies show that non-runners are more likely to develop osteoarthritis than those who regularly pound the pavement

This is a fear that stops many would-be runners in their tracks and lurks in the back of the mind of even the most experienced runners. Running and injuries go together like shin splints and ice, so it's entirely reasonable to wonder about the prospects of long-term damage.

These fears should be put to rest by a pair of long-term studies due to be published this year.

In next month's Skeletal Radiology, a team of Austrian radiologists presents knee MRIs of seven runners who had taken part in a previous MRI study before running the Vienna marathon in 1997. The use of MRIs offers a significant diagnostic advantage compared to earlier studies that relied on X-rays.

The results were clear: no new damage in the knee joints of the six subjects who had continued running in the intervening decade. "In contrast, the only person who had given up long-distance running showed severe deterioration in the intra-articular structures of his knee," the authors note.

An even more long-term study at Stanford University has been following 45 runners and 53 non-runners since 1984. All had been taking regular X-rays. The latest results, which will appear in a future edition of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, show that after 18 years, 20 per cent of the runners had developed osteoarthritis in the knee, compared with 32 per cent of non-runners.

These studies raise a possibility that several earlier studies have proposed: Running may help preserve the joints. But that's not a conclusion that can be drawn at this point, says Eliza Chakravarty, lead author of the Stanford study.

"I don't think I would strongly recommend running for the purpose of protecting the knees."

One drawback with both studies is selection bias. The runners in both cases were committed recreational runners who had a history of being able to run without serious problems.

Data for non-runners who are considering taking up running are harder to come by - a gap that was partly addressed by a large-scale study that appeared last year in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism, involving 1,279 subjects from the famously long-running Framingham Heart Study.

Rather than studying "runners" versus "non-runners" the researchers examined the general study population, looking for associations between exercise (including running) and the development of knee osteoarthritis over a nine-year period. They found no link, suggesting even overweight non-runners can start exercising without putting their knees at risk.

In sharp contrast, though, the American College of Sports Medicine recently reported that each additional pound of body mass puts four extra pounds of stress on the knee, so packing on a pound a year for about a decade increases your chances of developing arthritis by 50 per cent - a fairly powerful argument for running to keep off weight and protect your knees.

Of course, the decision doesn't have to be strictly utilitarian. As one of the Vienna study participants (who was preparing to run his 37th marathon) put it in a recent e-mail to lead author Wolfgang Krampla, "Even if minor aches and pains occur over the years, the gain in joie de vivre far outweighs them."

Alex Hutchinson is a former member of Canada's long-distance running team, and has a PhD in physics.

Source: GlobeandMail.ca

Gardasil Marketing Machine Silenced by FDA

FDA bars Merck from marketing cervical cancer vaccine to women age 27-45

Drug maker Merck & Co. said Wednesday that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has rejected expanding the use of the cervical cancer vaccine Gardasil to include women ages 27 to 45.

The federal agency cited "issues that preclude approval" within the expected time frame for a review, Merck said.

Gardasil was approved in 2006 for girls and women between nine and 26 years old to prevent cervical cancer caused by the human papillomavirus, or HPV. The agency's current action does not affect this population's use.

The FDA decision bars Merck from marketing Gardasil to women ages 27-45, but does not prevent those women from getting the vaccine from their doctors.

Merck said that the agency identified several issues related to the application in a "complete response" letter, including stating that the data submitted does not support extending Gardasil's use to include non-vaccine HPV types.

Merck also reaffirmed its goal of attaining compound annual growth in its businesses of between four per cent and six per cent from 2005 through 2010.

Gardasil is the only cervical cancer vaccine approved for the lucrative U.S. market. It is outselling another vaccine, Cervarix, from GlaxoSmithKline PLC, in worldwide sales, analysts said, garnering over $1 billion in sales since its June 2006 U.S. launch.

"This is clearly not what Merck wanted. It reflects the painstakingly slow process that the FDA has in approving anything," WBB Securities analyst Steve Brozak said. "I think this is one where they would rather err on the side of getting another 23 pounds of documents."

New Jersey-based Merck said it has already had discussions with the FDA and plans to respond next month.

In afternoon trading Wednesday, its stock was down eight cents, or 0.2 per cent, to $36.95 US in New York.

Gardasil is approved in Canada for use in women aged nine to 26.

Source: CBC.ca

Facials To Avoid

Anti-Smoking Drug's Adverse Effects

Smoking drug Champix linked to adverse psychiatric effects: Health Canada

Health Canada has issued a warning about adverse neuropsychiatric effects linked to Champix, a drug intended to help smokers butt out for good.

A number of patients taking Champix (varenicline tartrate) have experienced unusual feelings of agitation, depressed mood, hostility, changes in behaviour or impulsive or disturbing thoughts, such as ideas of self-harm or of harming others, Health Canada said Friday in an advisory.

The medication acts on sites in the brain affected by nicotine. The drug helps ease withdrawal symptoms and blocks the effects of nicotine if users resume smoking.

Champix, made by Pfizer Inc. and sold under the brand name Chantix in the United States, has been sold in Canada since April 2007. In the year following its approval, 226 Canadian cases of neuropsychiatric adverse events have been reported. In that period, more than 708,500 prescriptions for the drug have been filled across the country.

Health Canada issued the following guidelines to the public:

• Tell your doctor if you have experienced depression or other mental health problems before taking Champix, as these symptoms may worsen while taking the drug.
• Stop taking Champix and tell your doctor right away if you, your family or caregiver have noticed any of these symptoms, if you experienced these symptoms in a way that is not typical for you or if you have thoughts of self-harm or of harming others.
• Champix has not been studied in people with mental health problems, and therefore your doctor will be monitoring you closely for new or worsened emotional or behavioural problems while on the medication.

"Quitting smoking can also be associated with changes in mood and behaviour, with or without taking medication to help quit," said the federal department in its advisory. "A doctor or pharmacist should be consulted should these symptoms or those described above be experienced, since guidance has been provided to health-care professionals on how to use Champix in patients, including those patients who may also have mental health problems."

Health Canada, which published an article concerning Champix in the Canadian Adverse Reaction Newsletter in April, said any case of serious change in mood or behaviour or other serious or unexpected adverse reactions in patients receiving Champix should be reported.

Source:CBC.ca

Exercise Sequencing for Better Heart Benefits

Source: Women's Health March 3008

Supplement MisLabelling

Source: Women's Health April 2008

Car Smoking Ban - Ontario

Ontario bans smoking in cars with kids under 16

Ontario became the latest province to ban adults from smoking in cars where children are present Monday after a government-backed bill passed in the legislature with support from all parties.

The province already bans smoking in workplaces and public areas, such as bars and restaurants. The new ban will also protect kids under the age of 16 who are being exposed to dangerous levels of second-hand smoke, said Health Promotion Minister Margarett Best.

"This is about protection of our most vulnerable citizens — children who do not have a voice," Best told the legislature.

Premier Dalton McGuinty once dismissed a province-wide ban as a slippery slope that infringed too much on people's rights, but changed his tune in March and threw his government's support behind the private members' bill.

Offenders will also face much lighter fines than originally envisioned by Liberal backbencher David Orazietti, who championed the ban. Drivers and passengers who don't butt out in vehicles carrying children won't be fined more than $250 for each offence, rather than being penalized up to $1,000.

Nova Scotia and British Columbia have already outlawed the practice, which critics liken to child abuse. Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick are also considering a similar ban.

Police will be expected to enforce the law once it takes effect, but the province is counting on most people abiding by the law, said Best.

Ontario Provincial Police have said the ban won't make their job more onerous, as they are already inspecting for seatbelts and child car seats.

The province says kids are exposed to up to 27 times the toxins when they're in enclosed spaces like a car, which can worsen asthma and lead to other respiratory illnesses.

Mychoice.ca, a smokers' rights group financed in part by the tobacco industry, has raised concerns that the ban will eventually extend to private homes, but Mr. McGuinty said that's not under consideration

Source: GlobeandMail.ca

Shorter Effective Workout Routines Bring Gains

A shorter workout – but it will hurt

The question

Can I get fit by exercising just a few minutes a week?

The answer

Breathless claims about exercise regimens that produce near-instant results with minimal effort are generally the domain of late-night infomercials and their ilk.

So it may seem surprising that one of the hot topics at last month's American College of Sports Medicine annual meeting in Indianapolis was research on "high-intensity interval training" (HIT), suggesting that many of the benefits of traditional endurance training can be achieved with a few short bouts of intense exercise totalling as little as seven minutes a week.

The latest research on the topic, from a group at Hamilton's McMaster University, was just published in the online edition of the American Journal of Physiology - Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology. It shows that that HIT improves the structure and function of key arteries that deliver blood to the muscles and heart, just like typical cardio training.

The McMaster group has produced a series of remarkable studies on HIT over the past few years, led by exercise physiologist Martin Gibala.

Their subjects cycled as hard as they could for 30 seconds, then rested for four minutes, and repeated four to six times. They did this short workout three times a week.

"The gains are quite substantial," Dr. Gibala says. When compared with control subjects who cycled continuously for up to an hour a day, five times a week, the HIT subjects showed similar gains in exercise capacity, muscle metabolism and cardiovascular fitness.

Similar studies by University of Guelph researcher Jason Talanian have found that interval training also increases the body's ability to burn fat, an effect that persists even during lower-intensity activities following the interval training.

The results are no surprise to elite cyclists, runners and swimmers, who have relied on interval training for decades to achieve peak performance. To break the four-minute mile in 1954, Roger Bannister famously relied on interval sessions of 10 60-second sprints separated by two minutes of rest, because his duties as a medical student on clinical rotation limited his training time to half an hour a day at lunch.

Such time constraints are the main reason Dr. Gibala advocates HIT, since studies consistently find that lack of time is the top reason that people don't manage to get the 30 to 60 minutes of daily exercise recommended by public health guidelines.

"We're not saying that it's a panacea that has all the benefits of [traditional] endurance training," he says. "But it's a way that people can get away with less."

High-intensity exercise is generally thought to carry some risks, so sedentary or older people should check with a doctor before trying HIT. Interestingly, though, University of British Columbia researcher Darren Warburton presented results in Indianapolis showing his work with cancer and heart disease patients, demonstrating that these higher-risk populations can also benefit safely from HIT.

There is a catch - the disclaimer at the end of the infomercial, if you will. To cram the benefits of an hour-long workout into a few short minutes, you also have to compress the effort you would have spent.

"That's the trade-off," Dr. Gibala says. "Going all out is uncomfortable. It hurts." But at least with this approach it's over quickly.

How to take a HIT

The guiding principle of HIT is that the shorter the workout, the higher the intensity you need to reap the benefits. "Basically," McMaster University's Martin Gibala says, "you need to get out of your comfort zone." Start by trying a HIT workout once or twice a week.

The Street-lighter: For a sedentary person who gets winded walking around the block, HIT can be as simple as walking more quickly than usual between two light poles. Then back off, and repeat after you have recovered.

The Bannister: Go hard for one minute, then recover (either

by slowing down or stopping completely) for one to two minutes. Repeat 10 times. This is a staple workout for a wide range of abilities, suitable for any

cardio activity.

The Timesaver: Dr. Gibala's protocol of 30 seconds of all-out cycling four to six times with four minutes rest is the shortest workout shown to be effective. But achieving the necessary intensity outside the lab is extremely challenging, so it's best suited to experts and those capable of extreme self-punishment.

All these workouts should be preceded by a gentle warm-up of at least five to 10 minutes.

Alex Hutchinson

Source: GlobeandMail.ca

Ill Effects of Pop

Source: Men's Health April 2008

Health Canada Advisory Against Ephedra Use

Health Canada is reminding consumers not to use products containing Ephedra or ephedrine, either alone or in combination with caffeine and other stimulants. These products may have serious, possibly fatal, adverse effects.

Beans Lower Cholesterol

Source: Women's Health March 2008

New Drug Prevents Addiction to Smoking/Alchohol

Can exercise help prevent addiction to drugs or alcohol?

Sure, exercise is good for your waistline, your heart, your bones - but might it also help prevent addiction to drugs or alcohol?

There are some tantalizing clues that physical activity might spur changes in the brain to do just that. Now the U.S. government is beginning a push for hard research to prove it.

This is not about getting average people to achieve the so-called runner's high, a feat of pretty intense athletics.

Instead, the question is just how regular physical activity of varying intensity - dancing, bicycling, swimming, tae kwan do - might affect mood, academic performance, even the very reward systems in the brain that can get hijacked by substance abuse.

What first caught the attention of National Institute on Drug Abuse chief Dr. Nora Volkow: A study found tweens and teens who reported exercising daily were half as likely to smoke as their sedentary counterparts, and 40 per cent less likely to experiment with marijuana.

Volkow knows - from her own almost 10-kilometre daily runs and from her scientific experiments - that the brain literally likes physical activity. Exercise seems to invigorate neurochemicals that sense and reinforce pleasure

"In children, it's innate," she notes. "Children want to move."

But the nation's children are becoming more sedentary, as illustrated by the obesity epidemic, "screen time" replacing outdoor play and a drop in school phys-ed. And as youngsters approach adolescence, the run around the yard that used to be fun too often becomes a chore - the dreaded jog around the school track or the nagging to get off the couch. The sedentary teen turns into the sedentary adult.

"Why do we lose the ability to experience pleasure from physical activity?" asks Volkow.

Last week she brought more than 100 specialists in exercise and neurobiology to a two-day conference to explore physical activity's potential in fighting substance abuse, and announced $4 million in new research grants to help.

Drug treatment programs often include exercise, partly to keep people distracted from their cravings, but there's been little formal research on the effects.

The best evidence: Brown University took smokers to the gym three times a week and found adding the exercise to a smoking-cessation program doubled women's chances of successfully kicking the habit. The quitters who worked out got an extra benefit: They gained half as much weight as women who managed to quit without exercising, says lead researcher Dr. Bess Marcus.

She now is working with the YMCA on a larger, NIDA-funded study to prove the benefit.

Marcus cautions that people trying to kick an addiction have a powerful incentive to exercise. Could that possibly translate into prevention? Among the clues:

-Rats were less likely to ingest amphetamines if their cages had running wheels, suggesting exercise stimulated a reward pathway in the brain to leave them less vulnerable to the drug's rush.

-In people, exercise acts as a mild antidepressant and relieves stress. Depression, anxiety and stress increase risk of alcoholism, smoking or drug abuse.

-Volkow is intrigued that attention deficit disorder and obesity both involve problems with the brain chemical dopamine, one system that drugs hijack to create addiction.

-Baby monkeys who don't play enough in childhood have problems controlling aggression when they're older. The most aggressive tend to have defects involving the feel-good brain chemical serotonin - and binge-drink when researchers offer them alcohol.

-Back to rats, physical activity increases production of growth factors and stem cells in key brain regions important for learning and mood; increases formation of blood vessels; and strengthens communication networks between brain cells.

Together, that's far too little research to know if exercise really matters for substance abuse, scientists at the National Institutes of Health meeting cautioned.

But, a few studies of school-age children suggest physical activity predicts better performance on math, verbal and other tests - and better school performance in turn is linked to lower risk for substance abuse.

And getting sedentary seniors moving improves brain function - research aimed at preventing dementia, not drug abuse, although the improvement is in an area that in younger people is linked to risky decision-making.

A caveat: If your own youth includes memories of parties with beer-guzzling athletes, well, the research concurs. A major study that tracks adolescent risk behaviours found that by 12th grade, exercise offers no protection against binge-drinking.

"Now the kids who exercise the most actually drink the most," says Dr. Lloyd Johnston of the University of Michigan. It may have to do with the celebratory nature of team sports, or getting revved for college - or, other researchers suggested, even that competition is to blame.

Source: CBC.ca

Fast Food Weight Gain

Source: Women's Health March 2008

Dental Fillings Pose Risk - FDA

Mercury fillings pose health risks, FDA warns

Mercury in dental amalgams may pose health risks to children, fetuses and pregnant women, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning.

The FDA issued a statement, on its website Wednesday, about the potential dangers of dental amalgams.

As part of a legal settlement reached Monday, the federal agency has agreed to release a new ruling on the safety of dental amalgams in July 2009, and alert consumers about potential related hazards. Consumer advocacy groups, including Moms Against Mercury, called for a ban on the fillings in the U.S.

"Dental amalgams contain mercury, which may have neurotoxic effects on the nervous systems of developing children and fetuses," the FDA said.

"When amalgam fillings are placed in teeth or removed from teeth, they release mercury vapour. Mercury vapour is also released during chewing."

The FDA says consumers should not have amalgam fillings removed.

Health Canada says that while amalgam has been shown to release mercury in the body, the levels are not serious enough to cause adverse health effects.

The federal agency says current data does not support hypotheses linking mercury exposure with Alzheimer's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease.

But the federal agency notes patients with kidney disease and pregnant women should avoid dental amalgams given that mercury has been shown to cross the placental barrier and weaken kidney function at sub-clinical levels of exposure.

Sweden and Norway have banned the use of dental amalgams, citing health concerns.

Source: CBC.ca

Ontario KingFisher Cantaloupe Recall - Potential Salmonella

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is warning the public not to consume some KingFisher brand cantaloupes because they may be contaminated with salmonella.

The affected produce was distributed in cartons of six or nine cantaloupes and bears stickers with the following information:

KingFisher Brand

Produce of U.S.A.

UPC 0 33383 11600 6

4050

Fisher Ranch Corp., Blythe, CA, 92225

These cantaloupes were distributed in Ontario and sold between May 16 and June 2.
Consumers who have purchased whole cantaloupes or in-store products containing pieces of fresh cantaloupes and are not sure of the brand should inquire at the place of purchase to verify if the stores have received the affected product.

There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of the affected cantaloupes.

Consumption of food contaminated with this bacteria may cause salmonellosis.

In young children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems, salmonellosis may cause serious and sometimes deadly infections.

In otherwise healthy people, salmonellosis may cause short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea.

The importer, Gambles Ontario Produce Inc. of Toronto, is voluntarily recalling the affected cantaloupes from the marketplace.

The CFIA is monitoring the effectiveness of the recall.

Source: Canadian Press

Ban Demand: 8 Dyes Linked Problematic Child Behaviour

Consumer group calls on FDA to outlaw food dyes

A consumer advocacy group called on the Food and Drug Administration Tuesday to ban the use of eight artificial colourings in food because the additives may cause hyperactivity and behaviour problems in some children.

Controlled studies conducted over three decades have shown that children's behaviour can be worsened by some artificial dyes, says the Center for Science in the Public Interest. The group noted the British government is successfully pressuring food manufacturers to switch to safer colourings.

Over the years, the FDA has consistently disputed the centre's assertion. The agency's website contains a 2004 brochure that asks the question: "Do additives cause childhood hyperactivity?"

"No. Although this hypothesis was popularized in the 1970s, well-controlled studies conducted since then have produced no evidence that food additives cause hyperactivity or learning disabilities in children," the agency said.

Julie Zawisza, an FDA spokeswoman, said Tuesday that color additives undergo safety reviews before approval for marketing and that samples of each artificial colouring are tested. She said the agency reviewed one of the studies the centre cites in calling for a ban.

"[We] didn't find a reason to change our conclusions that the ingredients are safe for the general population," Zawisza said. "Also note that the European Food Safety Agency has a similar view as FDA's."

Dyes are used in countless foods and sometimes used to simulate the colour of fruits or vegetables. The additives are particularly prevalent in the cereals, candies, sodas and snack foods pitched to kids.

"The purpose of these chemicals is often to mask the absence of real food, to increase the appeal of a low-nutrition product to children, or both," said Michael F. Jacobson, the centre's executive director.

"Who can tell the parents of kids with behavioural problems that this is truly worth the risk?"

The centre's petition asks the FDA to require a warning label on foods with artificial dyes while it mulls the group's request to ban the dyes outright.

The colourings the centre seeks to ban are:

• Yellow 5
• Red 40
• Blue 1
• Blue 2
• Green 3
• Orange B
• Red 3
• Yellow 6
  

Source: CBC.ca