vitamin i

HotDog Recall - Incomplete Listeria Testing

2009-02-24T18:46:00.001-08:00

Maple Leaf recalls wieners, citing incomplete listeria testing

Maple Leaf Foods has voluntarily recalled hundreds of cases of wieners that had not completed tests for the listeria bacteria species.

The affected products were shipped to Eastern Canada, mostly to Ontario, Maple Leaf spokeswoman Linda Smith told CBC News.

People who have purchased 450 gram packs of Shopsy's Deli Fresh All Beef Frankfurters (product code 20730 and UPC 6487520730, best before date of April 22 and 23) and Maple Leaf Hot Dogs (product code 22356 and UPC 6310022356, best before date of April 23) are advised not to consume them.

Smith said 1,100 cases of wieners were quarantined for a second round of testing at a plant in Hamilton, Ont., but they were mistakenly shipped out prematurely. Initial testing revealed a partial positive result for a listeria species, Smith said. Maple Leaf says it tests for all six listeria species, not just Listeria monocytogenes.

It is not known whether the recalled wieners have tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes, a species that can be fatal in humans and was blamed for last year's deadly listeriosis outbreak.

More listeria-related recalls likely: McCain

"Unlike other situations, this event occurred as a direct result of human error and did not uphold our stringent industry leading protocols," said Michael McCain, president and CEO of Maple Leaf Foods.

Smith said the recalled shipment is small — there are 12 packs of wieners in each case. She estimated that each pack contains between 10 and 12 wieners. Maple Leaf expects to have all the recalled wieners in its possession by tomorrow morning at the latest, she said.

The company said the wieners are being taken off shelves "immediately," and that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency is overseeing the recall. Maple Leaf said no illnesses were reported as a result of consuming the wieners, and that "the risk to human health is extremely low."

"As we have seen with the wide range of food products which have been recalled to date in 2009, as enhanced surveillance becomes more pervasive in the food industry, positive listeria findings and related recalls will occur more frequently," said McCain.

"This should be regarded positively as it provides assurance that the industry and government are acting swiftly to protect public health."

According to the Canadian Food Directorate, one to 10 per cent of all prepared food contains listeria.

Maple Leaf is still dealing with fallout from the company's involvement in last year's listeriosis outbreak. The deaths of 17 people were linked to meat contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes produced at a Maple leaf plant in Toronto last summer.

Source: CBC.ca

SuperSize Toxicity - French Fries under Fire

2009-02-24T18:42:00.000-08:00

French-fry chemical may go on toxic list

Worries that Canadians might be inadvertently ingesting too much cancer-causing acrylamide from French fries, potato chips and other processed foods has prompted Health Canada to recommend adding the chemical to the country's toxic substances list.

Acrylamide is an industrial chemical that isn't naturally found in foods, but is produced accidentally when sugars and other items in potatoes and grains are exposed to high cooking temperatures.

It has also been detected in breakfast cereals, pastries, cookies, breads, rolls, toast, cocoa products and coffee, although at levels far below those in fried potato products.

The decision to recommend placing acrylamide on the toxic list is being announced in today's Canada Gazette, and is part of an ongoing review by the federal government of nearly two hundred potentially harmful substances in widespread commercial use that have never been subject to extensive safety assessments.

The gazette notice on the chemical, which was posted on the Internet yesterday afternoon, said the toxic listing was based on the "carcinogenic potential" of acrylamide and the lack of an adequate safety margin at current exposures for causing reproductive and developmental harm during fetal and early life development.

The government didn't announce specific steps to control exposures to acrylamide in fries and chips, but said that it planned to use the Food and Drugs Act "to reduce the inadvertent production of acrylamide in certain processed foods intended for human consumption."

Acrylamide is also used to make polymers found in grout, cement, waste water treatment, pesticides, cosmetics, and diapers, among other products. The data posted by the government didn't give any indication that these non-food uses would be regulated.

The toxic announcement was greeted positively by environmentalists, who have been arguing that potentially dangerous chemicals in consumer goods need to be limited.

"We think it's particularly important to list the chemicals that are in common, everyday items," said Aaron Freeman, a spokesman for Environmental Defence, a Toronto-based advocacy group. He said the government should move quickly to introduce control measures.

Source: theGlobeandMail.com

Crib Recall - Health Canada

2009-02-24T18:40:00.000-08:00

Health Canada recalls crib

Health Canada is asking parents to stop using a particular crib that was manufactured in Chile and imported to Canada by Bambino Reale Furniture, a company that's gone out of business.

There is a potential for a serious fall-related injury, although to date Health Canada says it hasn't received any reports of injuries related to these cribs.

The model number is 612C19CH.

Because the company, a subsidiary of Quebec-based Ragazzi Furniture, has gone out of business, Health Canada hasn't been able to determine how many of the cribs were sold in Canada, or when they were sold.

The warning was issued following a complaint by a consumer in Alberta and a determination that the cribs don't meet labelling and minimum side height requirements for cribs.

Health Canada says the cribs don't provide an adequate barrier to prevent infants and young children from falling out or climbing out.

The cribs should be disassembled and disposed of in a way that they won't be used again.

Source: theGlobeandMail.com

Cancer Risk Elevated with Alcohol Intake for Women

2009-02-24T18:38:00.000-08:00

Just a little alcohol a day boosts cancer risk for women

The old motto may be everything in moderation, but middle-aged women who enjoy a daily glass of alcohol should try on a new mantra if they want to lower their cancer risk, new research suggests.

In a study of nearly 1.2 million women, British researchers found that even low to moderate alcohol consumption can boost a woman's risk of developing cancers of the breast, liver, rectum and, in smokers, the mouth and throat, by as much as 13 per cent combined.

These cancers have already been linked to alcohol consumption but in much higher doses, according to the study published yesterday in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute's online edition.

Most previous studies linking alcohol use and cancer risk have focused on men who drank to excess, says Naomi Allen, lead study author and cancer epidemiologist with the University of Oxford. But this discovery sheds a disturbing light on how even a small amount of alcohol consumed on a regular basis raises the risk of cancer, specifically in females, she says.

“What's novel about this study is even though it's low level of drinking – about one or two alcoholic drinks regularly consumed each day – it increases a woman's risk not just of developing breast cancer, which has been well established already, but also cancer of the liver, cancer of the rectum and in smokers cancer of the mouth and throat,” she says. “These are cancers that were commonly believed to be associated with high alcohol consumption.”

Dr. Allen and her research team analyzed data from the Million Women Study, which included more than a million middle-aged British women surveyed at breast cancer screenings between 1996 and 2001. These women, with an average age of 55, were routinely tracked for incidence of cancer. Of the women who reported drinking, the average alcohol intake was 10 grams, or one drink a day. In the study, moderate drinking for women was defined as less than 21 drinks a week or three a day. Researchers controlled for smoking status, and whether the women had undergone hormone replacement therapy and considered the women's ages, socioeconomic background and place of residence among many other factors.

In all cases, the more a woman drank the higher her risk rate climbed, Dr. Allen says.

The study also found that the type of alcohol consumed made no difference. A glass of red wine – widely acknowledged for reducing the risk of heart disease – and a glass of spirits increased risk the same way, Dr. Allen says.

These findings may call into question the recommended daily glass of red wine, she acknowledges. It's a confusing mixed message, but she views her study as just one more thing for women to discuss with their doctors.

“Only [after] you've examined heart disease in the same populations would we be in a position to comment on the overall risks and benefits of moderate alcohol drinking in women,” she says. It will then be the responsibility of expert committees and governmental health organizations to create guidelines for the public. “I think women have to be as well informed as possible and only then can they take responsible action over how much alcohol they drink.”

Cardiologists actually don't recommend non-drinkers start sipping wine daily says Michael Lauer, the director of the Division of Prevention and Population Sciences at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute in Bethesda, MD.

“There is this lore that a drink a day is good for you, but if you look at the message, it's more nuanced,” he says. “The message is it may be a reduced risk, but this is something you need to discuss with your doctor.”

In an editorial also published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute , Dr. Lauer said the Oxford team's research offered “fascinating findings that should give us pause.”

Dr. Allen says she plans to test for heart disease incidence and morality rates among participants in the Million Women Study so that clearer recommendations can be made. She also wants to track what impact drinking patterns have on increased cancer risk.

Source: theGlobeandMail.ca

Listeria Food Recall

2009-02-18T13:02:00.000-08:00

Listeria concerns prompt recalls

A health warning has been issued for two products the Canadian Food Inspection Agency says may be contaminated with the Listeria bacteria.

One is egg salad manufactured by Plaisirs Gastronomique Inc. of Boisbriand, Que., and included in some Ziggy brand egg salad sandwiches. These Ziggy's brand products bear a best-before date up to and including Feb. 17 and are distributed in Ontario and Quebec.

The warning also covers various products containing egg salad at some chain stores and other retailers and deli stores in Quebec and Ontario.

Consumers who bought the affected products between Feb. 2 and Feb. 17 are advised to check the retailer to see if they have the recalled products.

The agency has issued a similar warning for Kanata Smoke House brand Smoked Atlantic Salmon sold from Costco stores in Quebec. The product is sold in 500 gram packages (bearing UPC 8 19269 00350 5 and Product code 3001 Best Before 2009 FE
Source: theGlobeandMail.ca

Ontario Promotes New Health Info Site

2009-02-12T18:26:00.000-08:00

Ontario touts new service to help Ontarians find an MD, neighbourhood clinics

Ontario has announced a program aimed easing the pressure on hospital emergency rooms by linking patients with family doctors and clinics close to home.

Emergency departments see more than five million patients every year, and about half of those visits are for non-urgent conditions.

Health Minister David Caplan says the new service will help people get the care faster and closer to home.

Health Care Connect is a hotline — 1-800-445-1822 — staffed by nurses that residents can call to help find a family health-care provider.

The province has also compiled health information on a website that contains details about health-care facilities.

http://www.health.gov.on.ca/ms/healthcareoptions/public/index.html

The site allows residents to type in a postal code and find the nearest walk-in and after-hours clinics, urgent care centres, family health teams, general practitioners and emergency rooms.

The government is also pledging to expand the site to offer information on all front-line health services in Ontario, including community care centres, laboratories and long-term care homes.

Source: CBC.ca

Atkins Granola Bar Warning - Canadian Food Inspection Agency

2009-02-11T15:15:00.000-08:00

Granola bar may contain contaminated peanuts: CFIA

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency warned the public on Wednesday not to eat the Atkins Advantage Peanut Butter Granola Bar because it may be contaminated with salmonella.

The granola bar, manufactured in Canada, comes in 48-gram packages and carries best-before dates of June 6, 2009, and July 19, 2009.

The agency said the granola bar contains peanut products that have been recalled in the U.S. and Canada by the Peanut Corporation of America as a result of a salmonella outbreak that has made 600 people sick in the U.S. The outbreak may be linked to eight deaths.

Canadians were also warned not to consume chocolate-covered peanuts, including sugar-free ones, sold in unmarked, clear plastic, cone-shaped containers with gold foil tops, by Golden Chocolate in Lakeshore, Ont.

The chocolate-covered peanuts, manufactured in the U.S., come in 220-gram and 440-gram packages.

The warning also applies to Sunbird Snacks yogurt trail mix, health mix and chocolate peanut butter blast, all manufactured in the U.S. but which may have been available in Canada.

"This is an ongoing food safety investigation," the agency said in a news release Wednesday.

The agency said it is working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to identify and remove all affected products imported into Canada from the U.S.

CFIA is also working with Canadian manufacturers to recall foods containing affected U.S. peanuts.

The salmonella outbreak has led to the recall of more than 1,800 products in the U.S. and more than 200 products in Canada.

Peanut Corp. is currently being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the U.S. Its corporate headquarters in Lynchburg, Va., were raided by the FBI on the weekend, and two of its plants, one in Georgia and the other in Texas, have been closed while the investigation continues.

It makes only about one per cent of U.S. peanut products, but its ingredients are used by dozens of other food companies.

Source: CBC.ca

Why Exercise is Good for the Brain

2009-02-10T06:14:00.000-08:00

Source: Men's Health Feb 2009

First Genetically Altered Drug from Goats Approved by FDA

2009-02-06T16:39:00.000-08:00

Drug from genetically altered goats approved by U.S. regulator

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration made history Friday as it approved the first drug made with materials from genetically engineered animals, clearing the way for a new class of medical therapies.

GTC Biotherapeutics said regulators cleared its drug ATryn, which is made using milk from goats that have been scientifically altered to produce extra antithrombin, a protein that acts as a natural blood thinner.

The drug's approval may be the first step toward new kinds of medications made not from chemicals, but from living organisms altered by scientists.

Similar drugs could be available in the next few years for a range of human ailments, including hemophilia.

The FDA cleared the drug to treat patients with a rare hereditary disorder that causes a deficiency of the protein, putting them at higher risk of deadly blood clots. The injectable treatment will be sold in the U.S. by Deerfield, Ill.-based Ovation Pharmaceuticals.

About one in 5,000 people don't produce enough antithrombin protein, according to Framingham, Mass.-based based GTC. As a result, their blood is more likely to stick together, occasionally causing clots that can travel to the lungs or brain, causing death.

Clots threaten placenta

Pregnant women with the disorder are at higher risk of miscarriage or stillbirth, because of blood clots in the placenta.

Patients with hereditary antithrombin deficiency are currently prescribed conventional blood thinners, like Plavix from Bristol-Myers Squibb and Sanofi-Aventis. That will not change with the new approval.

ATryn is only approved for use when patients are getting surgery or having a baby, times when the risk of dangerous clots is particularly high. Those patients would receive the drug by intravenous infusion for a limited time before and after their procedures.

To make the drug, scientists at GTC put DNA for the human antithrombin protein into single-cell embryos of goats.

Goat embryos with the gene were then inserted into the wombs of surrogate mothers, who gave birth to baby goats that produce the protein-charged milk.

Genetically engineered animals are not clones but rather animals that have had their DNA changed to produce a desirable characteristic.

Amid growing questions about the technology, the FDA last month issued guidelines for how it will regulate products made from genetically altered animals.

FDA said it will not allow any such products to be sold without first submitting them to scrutiny by independent advisers at a public meeting. The agency's panel of blood product experts recently concluded ATryn was safe and effective.

But consumer groups said the FDA's long-awaited policy will not require all genetically engineered foods to be labelled as such. And they said the government has not done enough to examine the potential impact of genetically engineered animals on the environment — particularly if some escape and begin to mate with animals in nature.

The drug received European approval in 2006.

Shares of GTC Therapeutics rose five cents, or 5.5 per cent, to 87 cents in midday trading.

Source: CBC.ca

US Orders Removal of Children's Toys - Health Risk

2009-02-06T16:36:00.000-08:00

Toys with phthalates must come off shelves, U.S. judge rules

A New York judge says the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) can't let toys containing toxic manufacturing chemicals remain on store shelves after a ban takes effect next week.

U.S. District Judge Paul Gardephe says the commission, whose role is to protect the public from dangerous goods, must eliminate a loophole that lets the substances remain in toys made before the ban is in place Feb. 10.

Manufacturers have said they'd have to pull hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of products from store shelves to comply.

However, consumer advocates call the ruling a victory for children's health.

CPSC spokesman Joe Martyak says the commission decided not to appeal the ruling, which relates to phthalates, chemicals used to soften plastics.

They're commonly found in bath toys, books, teethers, bibs, dolls and plastic figures.

Phthalates can be absorbed through the mouth or skin, interfering with reproductive hormones.

A federal law signed last summer bans the chemicals from toys.

Regulator created loophole, consumer advocates say

Two consumer advocacy groups, Public Citizen and the Natural Resources Defence Council (NRDC), sued the CPSC in December.

They said the agency created a loophole by saying the ban didn't apply to toys or child-care products manufactured before Feb. 10.

Attorney Aaron Colangelo, who argued the case for the NRDC, described the ruling as "a big win for children's health and for consumer safety.

"Without this ruling, consumers buying toys after Feb. 10 would have no way of knowing whether they contain phthalates or not," he said.

The judge's ruling said the text of the law banning phthalates "provides unequivocally and unambiguously that no covered products may be sold as of Feb. 10, 2009."

"Unless another section of the statute can be read as creating an express exception for existing inventory," he continued, "the commission may not interpret the phthalate prohibitions as containing such an exception."

Colangelo said phthalates already have been banned in some places around the world, so phthalate-free products are already available to toy companies.

"It won't be hard for them" to comply, he said.

Source: CBC.ca

Spice List of AntiOxidant Benefits

2009-02-06T07:47:00.000-08:00

Source: Psychology Today Jan 2009

Canada Adds 8 Chemicals to Toxic List

2009-02-03T14:53:00.000-08:00

Government adds 8 chemicals to list of harmful substances

Ottawa has designated eight chemicals as being of concern to human health or the environment following its latest assessment of potentially dangerous substances.

The designated chemicals include silicon-based D4 and D5, which are used in a wide range of cosmetic products.

The joint assessment by Health Canada and Environment Canada means the chemicals can now be regulated. The latest assessment is part of a process of reviewing 200 chemicals in batches of up to 30 to determine whether they pose a risk to human health or the environment and should be more closely regulated.

It's the same process under which the federal government announced it would ban the import and sale of baby bottles made with bisphenol A.

Interested parties now have 60 days to comment on any risk management that may be required in the case of the eight newly named chemicals.

Of the eight chemicals placed on Ottawa's list, D4 and D5, along with TTBP, a fuel and oil additive, are not considered a threat to human health but are listed as of concern to the environment, including wildlife.

The ministers of health and environment issued a joint news release Tuesday stating "regulations will be developed to set a concentration limit for siloxanes D4 and D5 in products and for wastewater generated during the manufacturing process.

"The third substance [TTBP] will be managed so that releases to the environment will be reduced below levels that can be measured."

Harm to environment, carcinogenic effects among dangers

D5 is used in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and cleaners as well as inks, textiles, rubbers and fuel additives. It is considered bioaccumulative and can harm aquatic organisms at low concentrations.

D4 is another silicone fluid used in types of rubbers, plastics, soap, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics — including creams, lotions, hair care products and antiperspirants — as well as pesticides, paints, lacquers, varnishes, inks, textiles, leather goods and fuel additives.

Ottawa has said experimental data shows that D4 is persistent in the environment and can harm aquatic organisms at low concentrations.

Tuesday's release also lists five other chemicals as of concern to human health. They are thiourea, Pigment Yellow 34, Pigment Red 104, isoprene and epichlorohydrin.

Thiourea is used to extract silver and gold from ore and occurs naturally in some plants and fungi. Europe and the U.S. have classified it as a compound that should be examined as a possible carcinogen.

Pigment Yellow 34 and Pigment Red 104 contain chromium and lead and are used to colour plastics, inks, paints, coatings, adhesives, textiles and sealants. In addition, the European Commission classified Pigment Yellow 34 based on concerns that it may be carcinogenic and toxic to the reproductive system.

Isoprene is used to make medical equipment, toys, tires and paints, inner tubes, and some rubber adhesives and glues. The federal government decided to take a closer look at this chemical after other jurisdictions classified it as a possible human carcinogen.

Epichlorohydrin is a synthetic chemical used to make other chemicals and is classified as a possible human carcinogen by the European Commission and the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

Source: CBC.ca

Biphensol - Additional Concerns Part 2 - Canned Food

2009-01-30T08:12:00.000-08:00

Source: Men's Living Jan 2009

Peanut Snack Bar Recall

2009-01-29T19:15:00.000-08:00

Peanut snack bar added to Canadian recall over salmonell

Canadians should not eat a brand of chocolate-dipped honey peanut bar, the latest salmonella-linked product that's part of a growing recall of peanut products in the United States.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said it has expanded a voluntary recall to include another snack food made in the U.S.

Isagenix's Chocolate Dipped Honey Peanut IsaLean Bar in 2.29 oz or 65 gram size contains peanut butter or peanut paste recalled in the U.S. by Peanut Corporation of America, CFIA said.

The bars may have been distributed nationally, the agency said.

No reported illnesses are associated with consumption of the bars.

Investigators in the U.S. have traced the outbreak of Salmonella typhimurium to a peanut processing plant in Blakely, Ga.

More than 400 kinds of cakes, cookies, ice cream, other snack foods, Asian-style sauces and dog biscuits have been recalled in the outbreak.

Company 'devastated'

More than 500 people in the U.S. have fallen ill in the outbreak, which may have contributed to eight deaths.

On Wednesday, the Peanut Corp. expanded its recall to all peanut products produced at the Georgia plant since Jan. 1, 2007, as a precaution.

"We have been devastated by this, and we have been working around the clock with the FDA to ensure any potentially unsafe products are removed from the market immediately," Peanut Corp. of America president Stewart Parnel said in a statement late Wednesday.

Company officials are co-operating with state and federal officials, he added.

'One of the largest recalls we've had'

There have been calls for a criminal investigation into the company, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has said that is premature and the agency's investigation continues.

"We feel very confident that it's one of the largest recalls we've had," said Stephen Sundlof, head of the FDA's food safety centre. "We're still in the process of identifying products, but it certainly is among the largest."

The expanded recall includes contamination with salmonella strains not associated with the current outbreak, Sundlof told a telephone briefing with reporters.

"The additional salmonella strains discovered at this plant underscore that this plant was shipping adulterated product, but as for now we are not aware of any illnesses connected to any other salmonella strains shown at this facility," Michael Rogers, head of FDA's field investigations, told reporters.

FDA inspection reports showed problems including live cockroaches, mould and signs of a leaking roof at the Georgia plant.

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Source: CBC.ca

Bisphenol May Stay in System Longer - Study

2009-01-28T18:15:00.001-08:00

Bisphenol A, a chemical used to make many hard plastic products, may stay in the body longer than previously thought.

Researchers say the finding may also mean that people are ingesting the chemical from non-food sources.

In Wednesday's online issue of the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, Dr. Richard Stahlhut of the University of Rochester's Environmental Health Sciences Center said high levels of BPA remained in the body after people in a study fasted for as long as 24 hours.

In October 2008, Canada became the first country in the world to ban the import and sale of polycarbonate baby bottles containing bisphenol A, citing concerns about exposing infants to the chemical.

Late last year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it planned more research into the safety of BPA, but the agency indicated no immediate plans to follow Canada's curb on the chemical.

In the latest study, Stahlhut and his colleagues looked at BPA levels in the urine of 1,469 U.S. adults who took part in a government health survey.

The researchers said they expected to see a relationship between the last meal, fasting time and BPA levels.

Based on the assumption that BPA is excreted quickly and people are exposed to the chemical mainly through food, much lower BPA levels were expected among those who fasted for 24 hours than those who fasted for 8.5 hours.

Safety assumption questioned

"Our results simply do not fit that picture," said Stahlhut.

"The research community has clues that could help explain some of these results, but to date the importance of the clues have been underestimated. We must chase them much more vigorously now."

BPA levels appeared to drop about eight times more slowly than expected, he added.

The researchers proposed two possible explanations for the higher-than-expected levels among people who fasted:

Exposure to BPA from other sources, such as house dust or tap water.
BPA may seep into fat tissues, where it is released more slowly.

"The finding is surprising and a little disturbing, in that all assumptions about the safety of BPA made by regulatory agencies are based on the idea that we are primarily exposed to this from eating," Fred vom Saal, a professor of biological sciences at the University of Missouri-Columbia Division of Biological Sciences, told HealthDay News.

To find out, more research is needed to evaluate the effects of BPA on fat tissue hormones and function, and to compare BPA levels in fat, blood and urine, Stahlhut said.

Bisphenol A is a chemical compound found in some hard, clear, lightweight plastics and resins. It's used in the production of various types of food and drink containers, compact discs, electronics and automobile parts, and as a liner in some metal cans.

Animal studies suggest that, once ingested, BPA may imitate estrogen and other hormones, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

In a study published in September 2008 in the Journal of the American Medical Asssociation, adults with higher BPA levels in their urine were linked to higher risks for heart disease and diabetes.

The American Chemistry Council, which represents makers of BPA, maintains that the chemical is safe for all uses. Steven Hentges, spokesman for the trade group, dismissed the study's conclusions as "speculative at best."

Source: CBC.ca

Fish Finder

2009-01-26T13:18:00.000-08:00

Source: Men's Health April 2008

Raid - Effective for Eliminating Bugs and Cats

2009-01-22T17:10:00.000-08:00

Source: Wired Jan 2009

Indoor Plants for Fresh Air

2009-01-19T14:16:00.000-08:00

Source: Men's Health Living Winter/Spring 2009

Blood Pressure Drug Combo Can Be Deadly

2009-01-18T18:27:00.000-08:00

Blood-pressure drug alert issued

Taking two commonly prescribed blood-pressure drugs in combination can trigger severe heart and kidney problems, according to an alert issued Friday to patients and physicians.

The drugs, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers, are considered safe and effective on their own and when combined with other hypertension drugs, but ACE inhibitors and ARBs should not be used together, the Heart and Stroke Foundation is warning.

The group estimates that about 175,000 Canadians – most of them over the age of 65 – are taking this particular combination of drugs.

“This is a safety issue that the public and practitioners need to be aware of,” said Sheldon Tobe, a nephrologist at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto. “Bringing blood pressure under control is very important, but with this particular combination the potential risks outweigh the benefits.”

Margaret Moy Lum-Kwong, director of high-blood-pressure strategy at the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario, stressed that patients should not stop taking medications, even if they are taking ARBs and ACE inhibitors together, but discuss the matter with their physician.

“If you are on this particular combination treatment … go directly to your doctor for an alternative treatment,” she said.

High blood pressure, the leading risk factor for heart disease, is commonplace, affecting one in four men and one in five women.

A person is considered hypertensive with a blood-pressure reading of 140/90 millimetres of mercury (mmHg) or higher. Healthy adults should have a blood pressure in the range of 120/80 mmHg, although that target varies with age and other health conditions such as diabetes.

According to a study published last year, about 85 per cent of those with high blood pressure are aware of their condition and most are being treated successfully.

Blood pressure can often be controlled with lifestyle changes such as weight loss, healthy eating (particularly reducing salt consumption) and exercise, but many Canadians are treated with prescription drugs.

About two-thirds of hypertensive cases are treated with combinations of drugs, including diuretics, ACE inhibitors, ARBs and calcium channel blockers.

The safety and effectiveness of various combinations is being studied systematically. Last year, a landmark Canadian-led study showed that the combination of an ACE inhibitor and ARB was only marginally more effective at lowering blood pressure than either drug taken alone.

But it also revealed far more side effects among those taking the ACE-ARB combo, including fainting, diarrhea and dangerously elevated potassium levels that could result in kidney failure (and the need for dialysis) and even death.

Dr. Tobe stressed that severe complications were rare, but said there is no justification for putting patients at risk when there is no additional benefit.

“What we're doing here is refining therapy to make it safer,” he said.

Arthur Innes, a 57-year-old Torontonian who works in a long-term care facility, said he got his blood pressure checked as part of a physical for life insurance and was shocked to learn readings were dangerously high at 200/90 mm/Hg.

His family doctor prescribed a combination of ARB and ACE inhibitor. “These medications didn't make me feel very good. I was dizzy and had nausea all the time,” Mr. Innes said.

He was referred to a specialist and prescribed different medication; he now has his blood pressure under control and suffers no side effects.

“Taking the meds is important for your heart,” Mr. Innes said, “but you don't want medications that impair your way of life.”

Source: theGlobeandMail.ca

Botox Can Spread - Health Canada Warning

2009-01-13T19:44:00.000-08:00

The toxin in Botox products may spread to distant parts of the body, with potentially fatal consequences, Health Canada said Tuesday in announcing new labelling information for the drugs.

Last February, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said the toxin had spread, both in products the agency approved and those that were not. Health Canada has been reviewing the safety of Botox and Botox Cosmetic.

No medically confirmed cases of the toxin having spread have been reported in Canada.

In its advisory, Health Canada said the symptoms of "distant toxin spread" include:

Muscle weakness.
Difficulties swallowing.
Pneumonia.
Speech disorders.
Breathing problems.

Botox, made by Allergan Inc. of Irvine, Calif., is approved for treating muscle spasms in the neck, eye and foot, muscle pain and excessive sweating in Canada. Botox Cosmetic, which is made by the same company, is approved to treat facial wrinkling.

The drugs use botulinum toxin, which blocks nerve impulses to muscles, causing them to relax.

People with a history of neurological disorders, swallowing difficulties or breathing problems should be extremely cautious about using the products, Health Canada said.

When the U.S. issued its warning, the FDA said the deaths were all among children. Most had cerebral palsy and were being treated for limb spasms, which is not an approved use for the drugs in the U.S. or Canada.

Health Canada has worked with Allergan to revise the labelling, and will continue to monitor the safety of Botox products, the department said.

Vicks VapoRub Harmful to Kids

2009-01-13T06:33:00.001-08:00

Cold ointments may spell serious breathing problems for children

As far as home remedies go, it's right up there with chicken noodle soup. But parents who use Vicks VapoRub to help their children get over a cold may, in some instances, do more harm than good.

A new study published today in the journal Chest warns that putting the mentholated ointment under or in a child's nostrils can prompt mucus production and cause serious breathing problems.

"I think it will surprise some folks because it is used this way," said Bruce Rubin, professor and vice-chairman for research in the pediatrics department at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine in North Carolina and lead author of the study.

Although health professionals and product manufacturers have long known that using Vicks VapoRub and similar generic products on children can present risks, many parents may not be getting that message, Dr. Rubin said.

"I think most people aren't aware of [the risks] and I think most people don't read the warning label," he said.

The label on Vicks VapoRub, for instance, advises parents to consult a physician before using the product on children under age 2. A warning also states that the product shouldn't be rubbed in the nostril.

But the study said many parents or caregivers may miss, or even ignore, this warning, not realizing the harmful effects the product can have on very young children.

Dr. Rubin and his colleagues embarked on the study after taking care of an 18-month-old girl who was brought to the hospital with severe breathing problems. Doctors couldn't figure out what had caused the girl, who was suffering from a cold and hadn't been given any medication, to suddenly experience "severe respiratory distress."

After asking the child's grandparents to think of anything they may have done before she began to have trouble breathing, her grandmother said she had put Vicks under her nostrils less than an hour before.

After the child recovered, doctors at the hospital began to routinely ask about the use of mentholated ointments and found several cases were similar.

Researchers then began a study using ferrets, which have a similar airway to humans, to determine what could be causing the problem among young children. They found that Vicks VapoRub causes an increase in mucus, which can lead to serious problems among children. A child's airway is tightened and narrowed by a virus, and thus a significant increase in mucus can lead to serious breathing difficulties like those noted by Dr. Rubin and his colleagues.

That's not to say mentholated ointments don't provide relief. In adults, they deliver a cool sensation that tricks the brain into thinking airflow is increasing. In reality, the preparations don't act as a decongestant or help a person to breathe better. But they do make a person feel like they can breathe better, helping them feel more comfortable as they fight a cold.

The warning about the menthol-based ointment is particularly timely, considering health officials are moving to restrict the use of over-the-counter medications in children.

Last month, Health Canada warned that cough and cold medications shouldn't be given to children under 6 because there isn't enough information to prove they're effective. These medications were linked to some health problems among children in Canada in recent years, including five deaths.

It's possible the new restrictions on cold medications may prompt some parents to look more closely at alternative or home remedies to help their children. If that's the case, parents must understand that over-the-counter remedies that are used safely in adults could cause serious problems in kids.

"You need to be aware that unless these are studied in children, there might be unrecognized risks," Dr. Rubin said.

A Canadian pediatrician agreed that parents should be wary of giving children over-the-counter cold remedies, even if they're considered to be natural.

"A lot of the natural products on the market have not been tested," said Danielle Grenier, medical affairs director at the Canadian Paediatric Society. "Even if it's a natural product, it still has ingredients. We know that it can have side effects."

The best advice she has for parents is to rely on the simplest solutions to help your child through a cold: plenty of warm liquids and a lot of rest.

"They're still the best," Dr. Grenier said.

Source: TheGlobeandMail.ca

Frozen Fish Recall

2009-01-10T10:01:00.000-08:00

CFIA Recalls Frozen Fish Due To Toxin Concern

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has pulled a product off the shelves and issued a warning after two people fell ill after eating possibly contaminated frozen fish.

The brand is called School of Fish and the product is frozen Leatherjacket. It shouldn't be eaten because it may contain a toxin known as ciguatera.

Ciguatera is a marine biotoxin that accumulates in fish and causes an illness in humans called ciguatera poisoning.

Even worse, contaminated fish may not look or smell spoiled, and the toxin is not destroyed by cooking.

'Frozen Leatherjacket' was produced in China and imported by Frobisher International Enterprise Ltd. The company has started a voluntary recall which CFIA is monitoring.

The product was distributed in British Columbia and Ontario. It was sold in packages of various weights bearing Production Code HI04 and one of the following size and UPC combinations:

a) Size 100/200 and UPC 8 74718 00074 0

b) Size 200/400 and UPC 8 74718 00073 3

There have been two reported illnesses associated with the consumption of this product.

Symptoms of ciguatera poisoning include

gastroenteritis (vomiting, cramps, diarrhea)
itching of the skin
central nervous system dysfunction, which often includes hot and cold inversion

If you have any questions, call Frobisher 604-523-8108 or CFIA at 1-800-442-2342 / TTY 1-800-465-7735 (8am to 8pm Eastern time, Monday to Friday).

Find out more about ciguatera - click here.

Source: CityNews.ca

Workout Water Benefits

2009-01-09T15:21:00.000-08:00

Source: Women's Health Dec 2008

Pain Patch Overdose Risk - Health Canada Update

2009-01-07T16:51:00.000-08:00

Manufacturers changing dosing instruction of pain patch

Several manufacturers of a patch containing a chronic pain drug are changing dosing instructions to address potential overdose risks.

The five manufacturers of Fentanyl Transdermal Systems and Health Canada said the patches contain a high concentration of the long-acting narcotic fentanyl.

Last February, 25 mcg/hr Duragesic patches sold by Janssen-Ortho Inc. and 25 mcg/hr Ran Fentanyl Transdermal System Patches sold by Ranbaxy Laboratories were voluntarily recalled for overdose risks.

The patches treat persistent, moderate to severe chronic pain in people already taking narcotic pain relievers.

Fentanyl can cause serious and life-threatening breathing problems if too much is taken, Health Canada warned Wednesday.

The new dose conversion guidelines are to be used to convert adult patients from their current oral or injection therapy to the fentanyl transdermal patch, says an advisory to health-care professionals.

People using the patches without any problems should not stop or decrease their dosage without talking to their doctors.

The notice applies to:

Duragesic ® (Fentanyl Transdermal Systems).
CO Fentanyl.
Novo-Fentanyl.
RAN-Fentanyl Transdermal Systems.
Ratio-Fentanyl Transdermal System.

Patients using fentanyl patches should seek emergency medical help immediately if they:

Have trouble breathing, or have slow or shallow breathing.
Have a slow heartbeat.
Have severe sleepiness.
Have cold, clammy skin.
Feel faint, dizzy, confused or cannot think, walk, or talk normally.
Have a seizure.
Have hallucinations.

Any serious or unexpected adverse reactions in patients receiving fentanyl transdermal systems should be reported to the manufacturers or Health Canada.

Source: CBC.ca

Quit Smoking Drug Safety Notice - Health Canada Update

2009-01-07T16:47:00.000-08:00

Health Canada says it is in the process of strengthening safety information on the labels of the smoking-cessation product Champix.

In a statement Tuesday, it said it's working with the drugmaker Pfizer to update prescribing information after reports of serious psychiatric symptoms associated with the use of Champix.

Health Canada says label changes that increase awareness of the risk will be passed along to consumers and medical professionals when they are finalized.

Champix can be an effective tool for quitting smoking, it says, but there have been reports in some patients of unusual feelings of agitation, depressed mood, hostility, changes in behaviour, or impulsive or disturbing thoughts such as thoughts of self-harm or harm to others.

Health Canada says people taking the drug and their families are reminded to be aware of any unusual thoughts, feelings or behaviours, especially those related to depression, aggression or self-harm.

It isn't clear whether Champix is the cause of these psychiatric symptoms, but patients should stop the drug immediately if there are such concerns.

And patients should avoid driving or operating machinery until they're sure that Champix doesn't have an adverse effect on them, Health Canada said.

In issuing its reminder Tuesday, the federal agency noted that it's a time of year when many smokers are attempting to kick the habit.

In Montreal, Pfizer spokesman Christian Marcoux said that Champix is "safe and very efficacious" and that some symptoms are actually caused by the act of quitting smoking.

"Any individual attempting to quit smoking should be monitored and work with their physician because smoking cessation will generate or exacerbate such symptoms, with or without medication," he said.

He said the simple fact of quitting smoking will trigger behavioural changes.

"Smoking is a very nasty addiction and it's quite a challenge to work on that addiction," he said.
Source: CBC.ca, Health Canada

Beware FDA Changes to Guidelines

2009-01-05T18:12:00.000-08:00

Change in FDA's ethical guidelines for clinical trials troubling: Lancet

The Lancet medical journal is reporting that the United States Food and Drug Administration is abandoning the Declaration of Helsinki as an ethical foundation for international clinical trials.

The declaration was drafted in 1964 by the World Medical Association to provide binding ethical standards for medical research involving humans.

Many basic patients' rights are enshrined in the declaration. Sections of it also govern business and environmental practices of the researchers.

The FDA is instead adopting the International Conference on Harmonization's Guideline for Good Clinical Practice (GCP), which allows less stringent ethical standards for overseas research.

In a commentary published in the Jan. 3 issue of the Lancet, medical research experts Jonathan Kimmelman of McGill University, Charles Weijer of the University of Western Ontario and Eric Meslin of the University of Indiana call the move "troubling."

The authors urge the incoming U.S. administration of president-elect Barack Obama to stick to the original declaration pending a review of the implications for American research overseas should the new guidelines be adopted.

"The FDA regulates the largest drug market in the world, and we worry that its replacement of the Declaration of Helsinki with a less morally authoritative document may cause others to follow suit, thereby undermining international ethical standards for research," they write.

In October 2008, the FDA formally stopped requiring that foreign clinical studies supporting applications for drug licensing comply with the declaration.

The authors point out several important requirements that the declaration contains but the GCP lacks, including:

* Investigators must disclose funding, sponsors and other potential conflicts of interest to both research ethics committees and study participants.
* Study design must be disclosed publicly (e.g., in clinical trial registries).
* Research, notably that in developing countries, must benefit and be responsive to health needs of populations in which it is done.

Source:CBC.ca

Diet Tips that Work

2009-01-04T21:41:00.000-08:00

The Top Four Diets That Really Work

Friday January 2, 2009

CityNews.ca Staff

If your plan for the New Year involves a new you from head to toe, losing weight may be at the top of your "to do" list.

Many people choose the first day of 2009 as the day they cut out salty snacks, scale back on soft drinks and vow to eat more vegetables.

But slow changes are preferable to a radical diet overhaul - for one, note experts, it's easier to stick to small goals.

Registered dietician Julie Daniluk even has a helpful pun to keep her clients on target.

"You need to decide within yourself that you're going to do a live-it and not a die-it."

Swapping your regular Coke for diet, for example, is simpler to achieve than going to the gym every morning, drinking only a smoothie for breakfast and completely cutting out after-dinner chips.

Marco Coffa, a successful dieter who lost 90lbs in nine months, found that an approach filled with small steps led to a dramatic change.

"I just woke up one morning and I said, you know what? I'm tired of being fat."

That tiny thought led to a major shift in what he eats.

"Now I eat a lot of protein, a lot of fibre, and just stay away from the junk."

If you're really committed, Health Specialist Laura DiBatttista found the top four diets that really work:

Volumetrics:

Simply put, eat soup first.

"High amounts of veggies and fruit are going to fill you up," explains Daniluk.

"That's really what it's all about.

Energy-density is another name for figuring out how many calories are in a given weight (serving size) of food. The lower the energy-density, the more you can have. The basic rule of thumb of Volumetrics: eat a low-cal soup or salad before you start eating. Starting with a low-density food helps you stay satisfied long after you finished eating your main course.

10,000 Step:

Make exercise an integral part of your life, not just something you do at the gym.

"If we can combine diet with exercise, we're going to have a permanent win," she outlines.

Walking 10,000 paces every day is easier than it sounds: Grab a pedometer and start counting how many steps you're taking when you park farther from the door, get off the subway a stop early, or take the stairs instead of the elevator.

Eat Dinner For Breakfast:

Get the bulk of you calories in the morning so you can burn them off all day. It prevents you from loading up at noon or right before you go to bed.

"You'll be left with this incredibly happy, fulfilled sensation instead of feeling flat from a bowl of cereal."

Weight Watchers:

It's lasted this long for a reason: Devotees swear it works. The plan involves weekly meetings and weigh-ins for motivation and behavioral support for diet and exercise changes. Weight Watchers relies on its users using a book of recipes provided by the company. In an investigation, Consumer Reports found the recipes appetizing and easy to prepare.

Six Strategies For Success

1. Make a commitment
Permanent weight loss takes time and effort. It requires focus and a lifelong commitment. Make sure that you're ready to make permanent changes and that you do so for the right reasons.

2. Get emotional support
Only you can help yourself lose weight by taking responsibility for your own behavior. But that doesn't mean that you have to do everything alone. Seek support when needed from your partner, family and friends.

3. Set a realistic goal
When you're considering what to expect from your new eating and exercise plan, be realistic. Healthy weight loss occurs slowly and steadily. Aim to lose 1 to 2 pounds (0.5 to 1 kilogram) a week.

4. Enjoy healthier foods
Adopting a new eating style that promotes weight loss must include lowering your total calorie intake. But decreasing calories need not mean giving up taste, satisfaction or even ease of meal preparation.

5. Get active, stay active.
Dieting alone can help you lose weight. Cutting 500 calories from your daily diet can help you lose about a pound a week: 3,500 calories equals 1 pound (0.5 kilogram) of fat. But add a 45- to 60-minute brisk walk four days a week, and you can double your rate of weight loss.

6. Change your lifestyle.
It's not enough to eat healthy foods and exercise for only a few weeks or even several months. You have to include these behaviors in your lifestyle. To do that, you have to change the behaviors that helped make you overweight in the first place. Lifestyle changes start with taking an honest look at your eating habits and daily routine.

Information courtesy the Mayo Clinic.

Drive for 55 - Exercise Volume Benefits for Fat Loss Maintenance

2008-07-30T19:24:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-30T19:23:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-25T17:22:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-25T17:16:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-25T17:13:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-24T11:19:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-23T14:21:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-10T19:16:00.001-07:00

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

2008-07-09T05:56:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-08T06:27:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-03T18:23:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-03T08:28:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-30T12:57:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-30T11:01:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-27T18:01:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-25T14:15:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-24T18:28:00.000-07:00

Anti-Smoking Drug's Adverse Effects

2008-06-20T18:24:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-19T09:42:00.000-07:00

Source: Women's Health March 3008

Supplement MisLabelling

2008-06-17T09:08:00.000-07:00

Source: Women's Health April 2008

Car Smoking Ban - Ontario

2008-06-16T11:04:00.001-07:00

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

2008-06-14T10:13:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-11T20:38:00.000-07:00

Source: Men's Health April 2008

Health Canada Advisory Against Ephedra Use

2008-06-11T20:32:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-10T06:32:00.000-07:00

Source: Women's Health March 2008

New Drug Prevents Addiction to Smoking/Alchohol

2008-06-09T14:56:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-07T18:44:00.000-07:00

Source: Women's Health March 2008

Dental Fillings Pose Risk - FDA

2008-06-05T15:43:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-04T05:43:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-03T20:00:00.000-07:00

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

Nalgene Water Bottles Pulled Off Shelves

2007-12-07T09:22:00.000-08:00

Mountain Equipment pulls water bottles off shelves

Country's largest specialty outdoor-goods retailer cites concern over possible health risks

Mountain Equipment Co-op, the country's largest specialty outdoor-goods retailer, says it has pulled most food and beverage containers made of polycarbonate plastic from its shelves, citing concern over possible health risks.

The Vancouver-based firm been one of the largest sellers of such products as polycarbonate Nalgene water bottles, and probably has done more than any retailer to make the distinctive, brightly coloured containers an iconic product everywhere from backcountry campsites to urban offices and university campuses.

The retailer didn't issue a public announcement that it removed the containers, but made a decision to take action Monday and instructed staff to cart polycarbonate products out of stores Wednesday.

The plastic in question is made mostly from bisphenol A, which mimics estrogen and is derived from petrochemicals.

It has been linked in dozens of independent research studies to illnesses that could be caused by hormone disruption. However, manufacturers of bisphenol A say their research shows the material to be harmless.

Health Canada is conducting an assessment of bisphenol A and trying to sort out the conflicting evidence. It expects to issue preliminary results of its review next spring, and a final report on the safety of the chemical in 2009. The Ontario government is also looking at the chemical.

Mountain Equipment said it will keep polycarbonate products out of stores, pending results of the federal review.

“The products have been pulled from the shelves and we're no longer selling them,” said Tim Southam, a spokesman for the retailer, which has 11 stores, annual sales of about $222-million and requires customers to pay a membership fee.

“We've been following this issue quite closely and it's one we've seen an increasing concern [about] among some members,” Mr. Southam said of the health controversy.

A spokesman for Nalgene's manufacturer, Nalge Nunc International Corp. of Rochester, N.Y., said it believes Mountain Equipment is the first major retailer in North America to pull its polycarbonate bottles based on health worries.

“From our perspective, it's certainly unfortunate because we feel there is a body of evidence” supporting the safety of the product, Eric Hanson said. He added that the retailer's action won't affect all of its products because the company also markets containers that do not contain bisphenol A.

Mr. Southam said Mountain Equipment, which is a big marketer of camping gear and outdoor clothing, doesn't expect to take a financial hit from the action because it is selling alternative products, such as stainless-steel water bottles. He wasn't immediately able to give the sales value of the affected items.

Environmental Defence, a Toronto group that has been lobbying Health Canada to ban bisphenol A from food and beverage uses, praised the retailer and said other companies should follow its lead.

“The fact that a retailer of this size, dealing in this volume of polycarbonate products, would make this decision should be a real wake-up call to other retailers,” Richard Smith, executive director of the group, said.

Source: The Globe and Mail.com

Potential Psych Warning On Flu Drugs - FDA

2007-11-24T05:58:00.000-08:00

FDA mulls psych warning for 2 flu drugs

U.S. Food and Drug Administration staff have recommended new warnings about psychiatric side effects seen in some patients taking Tamiflu and Relenza, according to documents released Friday.

An FDA advisory panel will review the recommendations for the anti-viral influenza drugs at a meeting next week.

It based its recommendations on a review of nearly 600 cases of neuropsychiatric events reported by patients on Tamiflu and 115 cases of such events by patients taking Relenza.

In the case of Tamiflu, "the number of cases continues to increase," FDA staff wrote, in one of several documents posted ahead of the meeting.

The panel meeting will be the third public meeting on the safety of Roche Holding AG's Tamiflu, originally prompted by reports two years ago of a dozen deaths of children in Japan who had been taking the drug.

Experts then found no evidence of a direct connection between the drug and the deaths, although the FDA did ultimately update Tamiflu's label to add a caution urging close monitoring of patients for abnormal behaviour such as delirium or self-injury.

In documents prepared for the meeting next week and posted on the FDA's Web site, agency staff recommended that Tamiflu's label be strengthened further to note: "In some cases, these behaviors resulted in serious injuries, including death, in adult and pediatric patients."

Consumer group Public Citizen chided the agency for failing to note the reported adverse events earlier on the label.

"What is the justification for not warning people for these adverse events that have clearly occurred?" said Dr. Sidney Wolfe, head of Public Citizen's health research arm.

"Japan has said, 'stop using the drug if these things occur.' In [the U.S.], we haven't even mentioned that deaths have occurred."

Hallucinations, delirum seen in Relenza patients

In March, Japan warned against prescribing Tamiflu to young people aged 10 to 19 as more than 100 individuals, mostly young, showed signs of abnormal behaviour after taking the drug.

Earlier this year, Japan broadened its probe of Tamiflu to look at amantadine and GlaxoSmithKline Plc's Relenza.

The FDA staff also reviewed Relenza, a drug in the same class as Tamiflu, recommending its label be changed to note "reports of hallucinations, delirium and abnormal behaviour" observed in some patients taking the drug.

The current Relenza label has no label warning related to psychiatric events.

The FDA staff said the evidence is "conflicting" as to whether the events are medication-related, a manifestation of disease or a combination of the two.

It will present the advice to the advisory panel of experts meeting on Tuesday. The agency typically takes the advice of these panels but is not bound by them.
Source: CBC.ca

Resist the Drag and Clear the Air

2007-11-23T05:52:00.000-08:00

Source: Women's Health September 2007

Shower Savings

2007-11-22T17:15:00.001-08:00

Source: Women's Health November 2007

2007-11-20T04:59:00.000-08:00

High lead levels found in children's umbrella

Parents are being urged to return a children's umbrella because it contains lead in excess of allowable limits under the Canadian Hazardous Products Act.

The Yellow Duck Handle Kids Umbrella, which comes in two different looks, has the style No. 79WWM.

Health Canada and A.C.I. Accessory Concepts of Oakville, Ont., which issued the joint urgent recall on Monday, said no injuries or illness have been reported. Lead is toxic if ingested by young children and can cause adverse health effects.

Approximately 2,000 umbrellas were sold at Wal-Mart stores throughout Canada from January 2005 to Oct. 15, 2007.

The umbrellas can be returned for full refunds at point of purchase. No sales receipt is necessary. If umbrellas aren't returned, consumers are urged to carefully dispose of them so they cannot be reused.

For more information, consumers can call A.C.I. Accessory Concepts at (905) 829-1566 ext. 234.

Source: CBC.ca

Tread the Green Path with An Open Eye

2007-11-20T04:55:00.000-08:00

Consumers Warned: Beware Of "Green" Product Claims

If businesses love one thing in their marketing it's riding a trend. And going green is definitely one of them. From hybrid vehicles to environmentally friendly aerosols, there's no shortage of items you can buy that promise you're getting a product you need while saving Mother Nature's hard-done-by hide.

But just when does that 'green' turn a shade of gray? According to a survey by Toronto-based environmental marketer TerraChoice, the answer may be a lot more often than you think. The organization sent researchers into six big box stores to look for every environmental claim made in the products sold there and wound up recording more than 1,000 of them in goods ranging from shampoo and air fresheners to mouthwashes and light bulbs. They found consumers aren't getting the straight goods from businesses that claim to be doing favours for the environment.

The vast majority of products marked as friendly to the planet contained labels that were either misleading or so vague it was hard to figure out what they were really saying. The organization refers to something it calls "greenwashing, a term defined as false environmental advertising designed to pull the synthetic wool over your eyes.

They claim advertisers know you want to help the environment and think nothing of making you believe you're doing just that. How bad did it get? Consider this: they say all but one of the 1,018 products surveyed "made claims that are either demonstrably false or that risk misleading intended audiences."

Among them: paper products that trumpeted they were 10 per cent recycled, leaving questions about where the other 90 per cent came from; items whose labels scream "all natural", without saying what that really means. The group points out poisons like arsenic and mercury all are natural, too.

Then there are the CFC-free designations, even though chlorofluorocarbons were banned three decades ago. "What that claim basically says is: 'We're obeying the law.' Well, whoop-de-do," observes TerraChoice's Scott Case sarcastically.

And there's also the issue of hypocrisy. The group cites a dishwashing detergent that came in a box made of 100 per cent recycled paper - but was wrapped in never-degrading plastic wrap.

"We began to anecdotally observe a dramatic increase not only in the number of green claims in the marketplace, but also in the general lack of trustworthiness and effectiveness of much of that green marketing," notes TerraChoice's Stewart McDougall. "(Marketers) risk misleading their intended audiences."

The watchdog points out "six sins" it says marketers use liberally throughout their claims, a pattern that occurs over and over. The list:

1. The Hidden Trade-Off: like "energy-efficient" electronics that contain hazardous materials or recycled paper that used inefficient energy to make it.

2. No Proof: Among them: shampoos claiming to be "certified organic," with no verifiable evidence of that claim.

3. Vagueness: These are goods that don't exactly spell out what they mean and only skirt around their supposed environmental value. An example? Anything that claims to be chemical free. Chemicals are in just about everything - including the make-up of humans and animals. Also watch for "non-toxic", "all-natural", "environmentally-friendly", and "earth-friendly" which can sound good but mean nothing.

4. Irrelevance: The CFC instance cited above is a classic example of saying what's not there and never should have been.

5. Fibbing: Products that boast the backing of internationally known environmental groups when in fact there's no relation to any of them and they didn't give an endorsement.

6. Lesser of Two Evils: A bit subjective, but it's like putting perfume on a skunk. It still stinks, but maybe just a little less. Organic cigarettes or a hybrid SUV fall into this category. Better not to use either, researchers say.

None of it surprises the men in green. "Marketers are ... desperately grabbing for any environmental claim they can slap on the label because they think it will help them sell more products," Case observes.

The survey is eye-opening, but not always that helpful because those behind it have refused to release the names of the products they tested and found deficient. So what can you do if you can't tell green from greed? Case suggests looking for a label from a government agency called EcoLogo, a non-profit group that marks verified environmentally friendly items. For a list of the more than 7,000 North America-wide products they've approved and the reasons they passed, click here.

And remember that while many companies really do care about the environment, in the end the real green they're interested in is the stuff in your wallet.
Source: CityNews.ca

Benefits of Exercise Education Reaped in 65+

2007-11-18T13:32:00.000-08:00

Retraining promotes physical fitness in seniors: study

Attribution retraining" may be the key to convincing seniors that advanced age is no excuse for
being physically unfit, according to American researchers.

Scientists at the University of California, Los Angeles used the technique, which changes a person's perceptions and patterns, to boost seniors' activity levels.

"We can teach older adults to get rid of those old beliefs that becoming sedentary is just a normal part of growing older," Dr. Catherine Sarkisian, assistant professor of geriatrics and the study's lead author, said in a release.

Four times a week, the study's 46 participants — all over the age of 65 — were taught in hour long sessions that activity can continue in old age.

The seniors then participated in exercise classes of the same duration and frequency. The classes focused on exercises that increased stamina, flexibility and strength.

During the seven-week study, the participants were fitted with electronic pedometers that counted how many steps they walked each week. They also filled out surveys that were meant to determine their views on aging and fitness.

Over the course of the pilot program, the people involved in the study increased the number of steps they took weekly from a mean of 24,749 to 30,707, an increase of 24 per cent.

The study was published online Thursday in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

The study's participants also reported higher energy levels, less pain and an improvement in the quality of their sleep.

As for their views on exercise and aging, there was a 30 per cent increase in positive feelings towards aging and exercise, the researchers found.

Source:CBC.ca

Health Canada Foreign Product Usage Warning

2007-11-16T05:11:00.000-08:00

Health Canada is advising consumers not to use 2 foreign health products due to concerns about possible side-effects:

Royal Medic No.1 Chinese Caterpillar Fungus is a proprietary Chinese medicine promoted as a general health tonic. Health Canada advises Canadians not to use this product due to microbial contamination.

Steripaste Medicated Paste Bandages may not be sterile therefore there is a possibility the bandage may cause a wound infection.

Source: HealthCanada

Weight Loss Drugs Reveal Minimal Effects - Study

2007-11-15T18:23:00.000-08:00

No magic pills: Anti-obesity drugs provide only modest weight loss, study shows

Most severely overweight patients taking anti-obesity drugs will realize only modest weight loss, especially if they fail to augment the medications with regular exercise and a healthy diet, say Canadian researchers after reviewing numerous studies on the agents' effectiveness.

Despite being touted in the marketplace as miracle pills that can melt away pounds, doctors say that in reality the medications are no panacea to society's growing obesity epidemic and should only be taken by certain people.

"I think the most important thing that people need to understand is these are definitely not magic pills," said Dr. Raj Padwal, an assistant professor of internal medicine at the University of Alberta and principal author of the review.

Padwal and his colleagues looked at the results of 30 clinical trials of three drugs recommended for obese patients for long-term use - orlistat, sibutramine and rimonabant - and found that they helped people shed on average less than 11 pounds.

"We found that the amount of weight loss on average with these medications ranges between three and five kilograms," Padwal, who specializes in treating hypertension and obesity, said from Edmonton.

Orlistat (Xenical) reduced patients' weight by 6.4 pounds, sibutramine (Meridia) by about nine pounds and rimonabant (Acomplia) by just over 10 pounds in the studies, which each lasted at least a year. Participants had a mean weight of 220 pounds, with a body mass index (BMI) of 35. A BMI of 25 is considered normal.

In their analysis published in Friday's issue of the British Medical Journal, the researchers showed that those given one of the drugs were significantly more likely to achieve the minimum weight loss target of five to 10 per cent than those given a dummy pill.

But although the drugs overall can be beneficial in reducing risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes, they have differing side-effects that in some cases can be detrimental, Padwal pointed out.

For some people, sibutramine can significantly boost blood pressure; rimonabant - which is commonly prescribed in the U.K. and some European countries but not approved in Canada or the United States - can elevate the risk of mood disorders such as depression.

In fact, a review of studies published Friday in The Lancet shows that obese patients taking rimonabant have a 40 per cent increased risk of developing severe depression and anxiety compared to those taking a placebo. Participants were up to three times more likely to stop taking the drug because of those mood disorders.

Padwal said getting patients to stick with any of the three weight-loss drugs long-term is a challenge.

"There's a large disconnect between what patients want in terms of weight loss and what practitioners desire," he said. "So patients will often want to lose . . . about 30 to 40 per cent of their initial weight. They want to get down to the weight they were in high school, two to three decades earlier."

"And they're disappointed when they're told that's going to be difficult to achieve."

Cost is also a major factor: orlistat and sibutramine (the only ones approved in Canada) will set back patients $80 to $130 per month, he said, noting that the drugs along with rimonabant represent more than $1 billion in worldwide sales for their makers each year.

Patients may also stop taking the drugs because of adverse effects such as gastrointestinal upset, anxiety or headaches.

But one of the biggest reasons, said Padwal, is the health-care system's failure to provide proper followup for Canadians battling obesity.

"We don't make it easy for individuals to see their practitioner if they want to have a visit regarding lifestyle changes or dietary counselling. And I think if people have to wait one to two hours to get in to see their doctor, it's unrealistic to think patients are going to come to us and wait that long for a medical assessment and counselling."

Dr. Jean-Pierre Despres, director of cardiology research at the Quebec Heart Institute, agrees that the system is far from ideal in helping overweight and obese Canadians trim excess fat and keep it off for good.

"In clinical practice we do a dismal job at this because we're not providing hospitals and physicians with adequate support with dietitians and exercise physiotherapists and kinesiologists," he said Thursday from Quebec City.

But Despres, who has studied the effects of rimonabant, said the medical community needs to redefine obesity. It should be based not on BMI but on waistline measurement and the proportion of abdominal fat - a much better indicator of weight-related risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes, he said.

Furthermore, so-called weight-loss drugs should be used judiciously, he said, and only to cut a person's risk for heart attack and other conditions.

"There are some obese patients out there who are just fine, that are at very low risk of diabetes and heart disease, and they shouldn't take a weight-loss drug, period. It's not worth it," said Despres, who was not involved in Padwal's research group.

"It's like managing hypertension or high cholesterol. Why do you give a drug? You give a drug because you have no other option. If you don't, people are going to die, people are going to develop diabetes."

Padwal said the pills will assist in achieving the five to 10 per cent threshold. "Some people will have more weight loss . . . but that's very rare."

"So people have to understand the reason to prescribe these medications is to improve the obesity-related co-morbidities (illnesses) that they have. And if they stop the medication, they're going to see the weight back."

In an editorial accompanying the review, Dr. Gareth Williams, dean of medicine and dentistry at the University of Bristol, said he has reservations about the U.S. approval of a half-strength form of orlistat for over-the-counter purchase without a prescription.

"Even though orlistat seems to be innocuous, selling it over the counter could cause insidious collateral damage," writes Williams. "Globally, obesity is spiralling out of control and will only be reined in by public health campaigns that somehow persuade people to eat less and exercise more."

"Selling anti-obesity drugs over the counter will perpetuate the myth that obesity can be fixed simply by popping a pill and could further undermine the efforts to promote healthy living, which is the only long-term escape from obesity."

Source: CBC.ca

Blood Pressure Tweak Elevates Awareness

2007-11-15T05:21:00.001-08:00

Source: Men's Health October 2007

Compliments Burgers Recall - Possible E. Coli

2007-11-14T11:08:00.000-08:00

Compliments frozen beef burgers recalled over E. coli fears

Canada's food watchdog has issued a health hazard alert warning consumers that some packages of Compliments frozen beef burgers may be contaminated with the E. coli O157:H7 bacteria.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency on Tuesday said Mississauga-based Cardinal Meat Specialists Ltd. is recalling the following products:

Compliments Super 8 Beef Burgers, 1.36 kilograms, UPC 55742 37055, best before date May 7, 2008.
Compliments Beef Burgers with Omega 3, 1.13 kilograms, UPC 55742 35724, best before date May 7, 2008.
Compliments Balance Lean Beef burgers, 907 grams, UPC 55742 36814, best before date May 7, 2008.

The products were distributed across the country. One associated illness has been reported.

The agency said food contaminated with E. coli may not look or smell spoiled. It warned that consumption of food contaminated with the bacteria may cause death or serious and potentially life-threatening illnesses, such as permanent kidney damage.

Symptoms include severe abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea. Some people may have seizures or strokes and some may need blood transfusions and kidney dialysis.

Consumers with questions can call the CFIA at 1-800-442-2342.

Source: CBC.ca

Ease Fibromyalgia with Holistic Exercise Approach

2007-11-14T08:01:00.000-08:00

Exercise eases fibromyalgia pain

Regular walks and stretching exercises can help ease the chronic, depressing pain of fibromyalgia, a mysterious ailment with no obvious cure, researchers said on Monday.

Striking more than 3 per cent of U.S. women and 0.5 per cent of men, the illness' primary symptoms are debilitating pain throughout the body -- often with sensitivity and stiffness focused in the joints. Other symptoms include sleep problems, fatigue and depression.

No single test can diagnose fibromyalgia, and sometimes patients are treated with behavioural therapy.

Pregablin, a drug that calms nerve cells, gained U.S. regulatory approval in June to treat the pain from fibromyalgia. It is sold as Lyrica by Pfizer Inc.

In a study of 207 women aged 18 to 75 diagnosed with fibromyalgia, researchers assigned one group to a twice-weekly aerobic and stretching program for 16 weeks. Another group added mild strength training, a third group attended a two-hour education course every two weeks, and a fourth combined all the approaches. The 135 women who completed the courses were reevaluated six months later.

"An appropriately structured exercise program that involves progressive walking and flexibility movements with or without strength training improves physical, emotional and social function," concluded study author Daniel Rooks of Brigham & Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston.

Assessing their own well-being, the participants scored better in such categories as pain reduction, physical functioning and vitality after completing the courses. Those who both exercised and took the education course improved the most.

"The beneficial effect on physical function of exercise alone and in combination with education persisted at six months," Dr. Rooks said in the report published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Such findings should encourage people with aches and pains to exercise more, as they tend to be "even less active than the relatively sedentary general public," the report said.

Source: TheGlobeandMail.com

Toothpaste Cleans More than Teeth

2007-11-12T14:38:00.000-08:00

Source: WIRED Oct 2007

Bike Incentives in Ontario - Tax Free

2007-11-09T12:26:00.001-08:00

Bikes And Helmets PST-Free As Of December 1st

t may not be as free wheeling as you'd like, but it's a start - the provincial government is giving cyclists a gift that may just allow them to afford a better bike. Beginning December 1st, the provincial sales tax is being removed from all bicycles, bike helmets and bike related safety equipment sold in Ontario, in an effort to encourage people to get more active.

The tax axe falls on two wheelers that sell for under $1,000. It won't come as any surprise that those who pedal the conveyances for a living are welcoming the idea. Most believe it will be good for business, and even though the cold has terminated the riding season for some, the levy severing comes just in time for Christmas.

The McGuinty government explains the move as being a proactive idea to get more people out of their cars and onto their bikes, potentially taking a large number of cars off the road. That might work better in the summer than in the coming months - Ontario's winter climate isn't exactly conducive to a long bike ride into work in the snow, slush, ice, wind and rain.

Source: CityNews.ca

Alcohol Linked to Cancer - Harmful to Women's Health

2007-11-07T06:27:00.000-08:00

Booze linked to cancer

Even moderation harmful

There's yet another reason to stay away from booze.

Drinking alcohol can now be definitively added to the list of factors that contribute to cancer.

It's long been known that alcohol is a carcinogenic, but new research confirms that even moderate drinking poses a cancer risk. New research shows one drink of alcohol a day increases a woman's risk of developing breast cancer by 7 to 10%.

In light of this disturbing trend, the Toronto Cancer Prevention Coalition and Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) will be holding a seminar today at the St. Lawrence Hall with cancer experts on alcohol, cancer and public policy to address research and emerging prevention opportunities.

"We will give biological reasons on how alcohol is acting to influence all these cancers and look into the number of people who are actually being killed by alcohol via cancer," said Dr. Jurgen Rehm, section head of public health and regulatory policy at CAMH.

According to the World Health Organization International Agency for Research on Cancer, almost 460,000 cancer deaths worldwide in 2002 were caused by alcohol.

In Canada, alcohol is killing more than 1,800 people a year and leading the number of deaths caused by alcohol is esophageal cancer in men at 400 deaths a year and breast cancer in women at 300 deaths.

For more information, log onto camh.net

Source: Sun Media

Energy Drink Potentially Boosts Negative Heart Effects

2007-11-06T14:36:00.000-08:00

That energy drink's jolt

The increasingly popular high-caffeine beverages called energy drinks may do more than give people a jolt of energy – they may also boost heart rates and blood pressure levels, researchers said on Tuesday.

The results of a small study prompted the researchers to advise people who have high blood pressure or heart disease to avoid energy drinks because they could elevate their blood pressure or change the effectiveness of their medications.

The drinks generally have high levels of caffeine and taurine, an amino acid found in protein-rich foods such as meat and fish that can affect heart function and blood pressure, the researchers said.

"We saw increases in both blood pressure and heart rate in healthy volunteers who were just sitting in a chair watching movies. They weren't exercising. They were in a resting state," James Kalus of Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, who led the study, said in an interview.

The increases did not rise to dangerous levels in the group of 15 healthy volunteers, whose average age was 26, the researchers said.

The increases potentially could be significant, however, in people with cardiovascular disease or those taking drugs to lower heart rate or blood pressure, they told a meeting of the American Heart Association in Orlando, Florida.

"While the amount of caffeine in energy drinks or coffee may cause a slight and temporary increase in blood pressure, it would have no greater effect than walking up a flight of steps," the American Beverage Association industry trade group said in a statement responding to the findings.

"So singling out energy drinks in a unique manner, particularly when compared to a more commonly consumed caffeinated beverage like coffee, does not provide a full and proper context for consumers."

Boosting energy

The products have names like Coca-Cola's Full Throttle, Pepsico's Amp and Monarch's Rush. Red Bull, made by Austrian company Red Bull GmbH, is a market leader. Beverage companies market various energy drinks as soft drinks that can boost a person's energy.

Mr. Kalus declined to say which brand of energy drink was used in the study. He said the drinks generally contain similar ingredients, adding, "By giving the brand, it would dilute the message that all of these drinks need to be looked at."

The study participants were asked not to consume other forms of caffeine for two days before starting the study and then throughout a study in which they consumed two cans of energy drinks daily over seven days. Each can contained 80 milligrams of caffeine and 1,000 milligrams of taurine.

The volunteers' heart rates rose about 8 per cent on the first day and 11 per cent on the seventh day.

Maximum systolic blood pressure – the top number in blood pressure readings that represents pressure while the heart contracts – rose by 8 per cent on the first day and 10 per cent on the seventh day, the study showed.

Diastolic blood pressure – the bottom number that gives the pressure when the heart relaxes between beats – rose 7 per cent on the first day and 8 per cent on the seventh day.

The study did not identify ingredients responsible for the changes, but Mr. Kalus said it probably was caffeine and taurine.

Mr. Kalus said the study did not address possible health effects from the way some people consume these drinks, such as mixing them with alcohol.

Source:TheGlobeandMail.com

Choking Hazard - Fisher Price Children's Toy Recall

2007-11-06T07:56:00.000-08:00

155,000 Fisher-Price kitchen toys recalled for choking hazard

Fisher-Price has announced a global recall of about 155,000 Laugh & Learn Learning Kitchen toys because they pose a choking danger to young children.

The recall issued Tuesday affects 12,500 English editions and 2,400 French versions of the toy sold in Canada. The toy was manufactured in Mexico.

The company warns its kitchen sets' faucets and clock hands contain small pieces that may come loose and present a choking hazard.

There has been one incident of pieces detaching from the clock hand along with two reports of parts releasing from the faucet in Canada.

The toys have been sold in stores across the country since May 2007 for about $70. Parents should remove the affected toys from their children's play area and contact the company for a repair kit.
Source: CBC.ca

Natural Protection against ills of Radiation - Study

2007-11-06T07:54:00.000-08:00

Antioxidants in grains, legumes offer radiation protection: study

Two powerful antioxidants that occur naturally in legumes and bran may protect against cellular damage caused by radiation, new research suggests.

Inositol, found in rice, wheat, rye and soybean seeds and IP6, found in wheat bran, whole grains and legumes, offered protection against the sun's ultraviolet B radiation in tests on mice that had been genetically engineered to be predisposed to skin cancer.

The findings were presented Monday at the American Association for Cancer Research Centennial Conference on Translational Cancer Medicine in Singapore.

Researchers at the Maryland School of Medicine exposed mice to UVB radiation three times a week. In mice that drank water laced with a two per cent solution of IP6, 23 per cent developed tumours. But in the group that was irradiated but not given any antioxidants, the incidence of tumours was 54 per cent.

In studies in which IP6 and inositol were mixed with a skin cream and applied externally to the mice before they were exposed to radiation, the antioxidants also offered some protection. In the mice that were given the skin cream, 62 per cent developed tumours at 31 weeks while 76 per cent of the untreated mice developed tumours.

The researchers believe that the antioxidants repaired damaged DNA in the irradiated cells.

IP6 certainly has some interactivity with DNA, but how exactly it works to repair DNA is still something of a mystery," said Abulkalam Shamsuddin, professor of pathology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, in a release.

People are exposed to UVB radiation through sunlight and when receiving medical treatment, such as radiation therapy for cancer. As well, pilots and airline staff are routinely exposed to radiation when flying aircraft. "Radiation, particularly ionizing radiation, has cytotoxic effects on cells and tissues," reads the report.

The researchers say that chronic exposure to UVB radiation can lead to cell death and increase a person's risk of developing cancer. But they believe that inositol and IP6 can be protective in these circumstances.

"It is possible that people regularly exposed to ionizing radiation, such as airline pilots, frequent fliers or people who handle radioactive materials, might take IP6 prophylactically to prevent possible long-term effects of exposure," Shamsuddin said.

He believes that in the future IP6 or inositol could even be used to protect people against nuclear accidents or a "dirty bomb" in which huge amounts of radiation could be released into the surrounding environment.

Source: CBC.ca

Bayer Suspends Trayslol at Health Canada's Request

2007-11-05T18:41:00.001-08:00

At the request of Health Canada, the manufacturer Bayer Inc. has temporarily suspended marketing of the drug Trasylol (aprotinin), an anti-bleeding drug, pending a review of preliminary results from a clinical trial (the BART study) that suggested an increased risk of death.

Bayer Inc. will work with Health Canada so that the drug can be made available to certain patients in cases where the doctor believes the potential benefit clearly outweighs the risk.
Source: Health Canada

Possible E. Coli Tainted Beef Warning

2007-11-05T06:00:00.000-08:00

Food Inspection Agency Warns Against Tainted Beef With Possible E. Coli Connection

Canadian health and food safety inspectors are erring on the side of caution, choosing to warn the public about a possible connection between contaminated meat from an Alberta-based faciliy and a fatal E. coli outbreak, despite the fact that an investigation has yet to confirm a link.

"These cases had the same unique genetic pattern associated with it," Canadian Food Inspection Agency recall specialist Garfield Balsom said in reference to products from Rancher's Beef Ltd. of Balzac, Alta. "The linkage we had made with Rancher's was not associated with the illnesses, or any source of the illnesses that occured this summer," he said. "There was nothing common that could link us back to a particular source for that outbreak."

A total of 46 cases of E. coli illness scattered across the country were reported between July and September.

The CFIA has released the following expanded list of 17 locations and dates where potentially contaminated beef products, products that are likely no longer available for sale, but could still be in consumers' freezers. There have been no reported illnesses associated with consumption of these products.

Alberta

Blackman's Butcher Shop, Grand Prairie: chuck-eye roll, chuck-eye steak "Pure Beef Patties" (9 lb. box, frozen), "Seasoned Lean" beef patties (9 lb. box, frozen), lean ground beef sold Aug. 3-24 inclusive

Saskatchewan

B & D Meats, Weyburn: lean ground beef and hamburger beef patties, sold July 24-31 inclusive

Jankes Meat, Weyburn: rib-eye steak and seasoned burgers (5 lb. cases), sold July 24-29 and Aug. 20-26 inclusive.

Boryski's Butcher Block, Saskatoon: rib-eye and striploin steaks, sold July 30-Aug. 4 inclusive.

Manitoba

Food Fare, Winnipeg: boneless chuck blade roast and steak, boneless cross-rib roast and steak and ground beef, sold July 23-Aug. 18 inclusive.

Frostland Meats (trading as Dutch Market Meat), Winnipeg: regular ground beef and rib-eye steaks, sold Aug. 9-12 inclusive.

Harry's Foods, Winnipeg: bulk pack boneless blade steak, boneless chuck blade roast and steak, boneless cross-rib roast and steak, regular, lean and extra-lean ground beef, and fresh stewing beef, sold July 23-Aug. 17 inclusive.

Ontario

Consumer Frosted Foods, Kenora: chuck roast, lip-on rib-eye steak and roast, and stewing beef, sold July 30-Aug. 10 inclusive

Renco Foods, Thunder Bay: blade steak, boneless blade roast, cross-rib steak and roast, regular, medium and lean ground beef, and lip-on rib-eye steak, sold July 27-Aug. 14 inclusive.

Country Good Meats, Thunder Bay: blade steak, boneless blade roast, extra lean and lean ground beef, pot roast, rib-eye roast and steak and stewing beef, sold July 27-Aug. 14 inclusive.

Cottom Cold Storage Meats, Windsor: ground beef and steak, sold June 27 -July 3 inclusive.

Dunrobin Village Meat, Dunrobin: lean and regular ground beef and sirloin steak, sold June 26-July 7 inclusive

Grey County Meats, Maxwell: top sirloin steak, sold June 26-Aug. 4 inclusive.

Moncion Grocers, Petawawa Market, Petawawa: lean, medium and regular ground beef, top sirloin steak and roast, sold June 26-July 7 inclusive.

Northern Meat Packers Ltd., Trout Creek: hamburger (ground beef) and top sirloin steak, sold June 26-30 inclusive

P.S. Shop at Home, Toronto: sirloin steak, sold June 29-July 29 inclusive.

Toronto Wholesale Meats, Toronto: "arrosto" (Italian roast), steak and stewing beef, sold June 26-30 inclusive.

Source: CityNews.ca

Nationwide M and M Shrimp Recall

2007-11-03T12:39:00.000-07:00

Drug Scare Prompts M and M Meat Shops To Recall Shrimp Products

Shrimp products sold in M and M Meat Shops across Canada are being recalled because of possible drug contamination.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the Port Dover, Ont.-based company said breaded shrimp and coconut shrimp products in 400-gram packages may be contain nitrofurans, drugs banned for use in Canada in food-producing animals.

So far, there are no reports of anyone becoming ill from consuming the seafood products.
Source: CityNews.ca

Avoid Going Up In Smoke with These Tips

2007-11-03T06:30:00.000-07:00

What You Don't Know About Smoke Alarms Can Kill You

It's not often you shell out money for something you don't ever want to use. But smoke detectors are a different animal than most products. Many of us will change the battery in our alarms this weekend, as you we proceed with the annual clock changing ritual. But is the device designed to warn you about a fire in your home working properly? And do you need a new one?

Some people aren't aware that changing the battery may not be enough. Smoke detectors don't last forever - most have about a 10-year lifespan. And the law in Ontario says there has to a working model on every floor of your house, or you could face a big fine. But that's still a lot better than facing a big fire.

"You normally see a rise in fires during the winter months so it's the perfect opportunity to change your battery," explained Marla Friebe, Toronto Fire Services.

One of the reasons smoke alarms don't work is because people disconnect them themselves when they're cooking. But instead of turning it off altogether Friebe suggested pushing the "hush" button that sits on the front of the casing.

"It will silence the alarm for just a few minutes, reset itself and then it's primed for working again when you need it most," she said.

And another thing that can seriously hinder the device from functioning properly is dust. So after you've set your clocks back this weekend, you might want to take a minute to clean out your smoke alarm by popping open the lid and vacuuming the inside with the wand of your vacuum.

A little effort and maintenance will go a long way and could potentially save your life. And another thing to keep in mind is that smoke alarms don't detect deadly and odourless carbon monoxide. You need a separate alarm for that.

Statistics show that 14 people lost their lives in house fires in Toronto last year alone.

Fire/Smoke Alarm Tips (information courtesy of Toronto Fire):

Install smoke alarms on the ceiling of every level of your home and near sleeping areas
Test your smoke alarms regularly by pressing the test button
Change the batteries in your alarms at least once a year
Create a family fire escape plan and practise it
Prevent dust from clogging your smoke alarms by gently vacuuming them with a soft brush every six months. Never vacuum electrically connected alarms unless you shut off the power. Test each unit when finished.

Choosing A Fire/Smoke Alarm (information courtesy of the Ontario Fire Marshal's Office):

There are two types of fire/smoke alarms: ionization or photoelectric type alarms

What's the difference?

Ionization:
This type of alarm uses a small amount of radioactive material to ionize air in the sensing chamber. As a result, the air chamber becomes conductive permitting current to flow between two charged electrodes. When smoke particles enter the chamber, the conductivity of the chamber air decreases. When this reduction in conductivity is reduced to a predetermined level, the alarm is set off. Most smoke alarms in use are of this type.

Photoelectric:
A photoelectric type smoke alarm consists of a light emitting diode and a light sensitive sensor in the sensing chamber. The presence of suspended smoke particles in the chamber scatters the light beam. This scattered light is detected and sets off the alarm.

Which type of alarm is more effective?

There is no simple answer to this question. The two types operate on different principles and therefore may respond differently to various conditions. Some advantages to each type are set out below:

Ionization

Fastest type to respond to flaming fires Lowest cost and most commonly sold
Some models have a hush or temporary silence feature that allows silencing without removing the battery
Some models are available with a long life battery

Photoelectric

Fastest type to respond to slow smoldering fires and white or gray smoke
Less prone to nuisance alarms from cooking

Many newer models now come with a temporary silencing device that turns them off if you're cooking, preventing the detectors from responding to smoke from a not-so-distant fire.

What is carbon monoxide?

Carbon monoxide is a gas that you can't see, smell or taste. It's produced by gas or oil furnaces, space and water heaters, clothes dryers, ovens, wood stoves and other household appliances that run on fossil fuels - such as wood, gas, oil or coal.

Why is carbon monoxide so deadly?

When you inhale carbon monoxide, it can cause brain damage, suffocation or death. Because you cannot see, smell or taste this deadly gas, poisoning can happen to anyone, any time, anywhere. Everyone is at risk but pregnant women, young children, senior citizens and people with heart and lung problems are at greater risk. If your home is well sealed or not well ventilated, the levels of carbon monoxide in the air may easily rise to deadly levels.

Warning signs

Carbon monoxide poisoning and the flu seem a lot alike at first. Early warning signs of low-level poisoning include tiredness, headaches, dizziness, nausea or vomiting and shortness of breath. Your skin may also turn pink or red in response to rising blood pressure. If you experience any of these symptoms, you may be suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning and should call 9-1-1 as well as talk to your doctor.

Protect yourself

Install at least one carbon monoxide detector on every level of your home, especially outside sleeping areas. There are several types of detectors, including battery-operated and plug-in models. Install the carbon monoxide detector according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Have a qualified service technician inspect and clean your fuel-burning appliances, furnace, vent pipe and chimney flues once a year. Bird nests, twigs and old mortar in chimneys can block proper ventilation and lead to build-up of carbon monoxide gas in the home.

Maintenance

Test your carbon monoxide detector regularly to make sure it is operating properly. The owner's manual should tell you how to test your alarm. Remember to check the manual for information on when to buy a new carbon monoxide detector.

What should you do if the detector alarm sounds?

You and all members of your household should leave your home immediately. From outside the home, call 911. Don't go back inside until the problem has been found and corrected. The Fire Services will inspect your home to find the source of the carbon monoxide.

Outside

Carbon monoxide isn't really a problem in the open air. But you should never run your car in the garage with the door closed. The results are always deadly.

Information courtesy Toronto Public Health

Source: CityNews.ca

Drug for Neurodegenerative Disease potentially Harmful

2007-11-02T08:15:00.000-07:00

Drug tested on neurodegenerative diseases could be harmful: scientists

Minocycline, an antibiotic being tested as a possible treatment for a variety of neurodegenerative diseases, may actually cause harm, a group of U.S. scientists has warned.

The scientists reported that in a clinical trial of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, those who received the drug minocycline declined more rapidly than those who received a placebo.

Their report, published Thursday in the journal Lancet Neurology, comes just a week after the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada announced it was funding a multi-centre Phase 3 trial to look at whether the inexpensive and off-patent minocycline can slow the progression of MS when treatment is started in the earliest stages of the disease.

One of the lead researchers in the MS study, Dr. Wee Yong of the University of Calgary, admitted the U.S. findings gave him pause when he heard them presented in April at a meeting of the American Academy of Neurology.

But Yong said he thinks the trial should proceed. "We will of course be cautious," Yong said in an interview. "We are always cautious in a clinical trial. But we don't really want to kill anything too early because of what is observed in another context which may not have any bearing to the current condition that we're trying to treat."

"I should point out that we are dealing with different diseases altogether. The pathology or the reason for ALS is very much different from the pathophysiology of MS."

The U.S. researchers were studying minocycline as a possible therapy for ALS, a progressive and eventually fatal degeneration of motor neurons that destroys the brain's ability to instruct the body to move.

The study was led out of Columbia University Medical Center in New York, but involved investigators from medical institutions across the United States.

Early tests positive

Testing in mice genetically engineered to suffer from ALS showed the drug was beneficial. Likewise, early testing in humans — the small Phase 1 and 2 trials designed to establish safety and look for early signs of effectiveness — were sufficiently positive to allow the researchers to proceed to a larger and more expensive Phase 3 trial.

But there, to their surprise, they discovered that people taking the drug declined and died more rapidly than people who received a placebo.

"We were shocked. We were just absolutely stunned when we saw these results," one of the lead investigators, Dr. Robert Miller, said from San Francisco, where he is director of the Forbes Norris ALS Research Center at California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute.

"That was our first thought. But our second thought was that we need to get these results out because we need to avoid this happening to other people with other diseases."

Miller and his co-authors acknowledge in their article that their animal model might have been faulty, or they might have been using too high a dose of the drug.

But they also cautioned researchers who are studying minocycline as a potential therapy for conditions such as Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases, stroke and MS to take note of their results.

"The justification for these trials should be reassessed in light of our findings: Minocycline might have a detrimental effect on patients with neurological diseases other than ALS," they wrote.

Yong and his colleagues have also conducted animal studies and Phase 1 and 2 clinical trials in humans and have seen nothing that suggests minocycline would be harmful in MS patients.

Source: CBC.ca

Halloween Teeth and Toy Soldier Recall Due to High Lead Levels

2007-11-01T07:05:00.000-07:00

Toy soldiers, Halloween teeth recalled over lead-poisoning fears

From toy soldiers to monster teeth, tens of thousands of Chinese-made toys were swept from North American store shelves Wednesday because they contain high levels of lead.

In the largest such recall, major toy retailer Toys "R" Us pulled about 16,000 Chinese-made Elite Operations toys from its U.S. stores because their surface paint contains excessive levels of lead.

A Health Canada spokeswoman said only 52 of the military-style toys had been sold in Canada, and were also being recalled.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission warned consumers early on Wednesday - Halloween Day - that $2 packages of "Ugly Teeth" sold by the tens of thousands since last year contain excessive amounts of lead.

The joke teeth, identified by product numbers 394207 and 390630, were imported from China by Amscan Canada of Dorval, Que. Health Canada said 571 of the items had been sold across the country at a variety of retail outlets.

An Amscan spokesman said the company was in the process of contacting retailers to ask that they be removed from shelves.

Wednesday's Toys "R" Us recall in Canada included three Elite Operations toy sets: the Command Patrol Center (Sku 661317), the Barracuda Helicopter with two figures (Sku 661287) and the Combatant Squad three-pack of 20-centimetre (8-inch) figures (Sku 577286 ).

Joey Rathwell, a Health Canada spokeswoman, said the excessive lead levels had been found in paint used on the toys' logos. She said the products were new stock and most were unsold and had been removed from shelves.

Rathwell noted that the "Ugly Teeth" were particularly dangerous because "they are meant to go in the mouth." Simply handling the product "would not cause major lead poisoning."

Lead is toxic if ingested by young children and can cause neurological damage.

Under Canada's Hazardous Products Act, lead content in paints applied to toys must not exceed 600 milligrams per kilogram.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or illness in connection with either recall.

This is the second recall of lead-tainted children's products for Toys "R" Us this month. Earlier in the month, the company recalled Totally Me! Funky Room Decor Sets, also due to high lead levels in surface paints.

Source: CBC.ca

Homesense Children Furniture Recall - High Lead Levels

2007-10-29T13:19:00.000-07:00

Children's furniture recalled for unsafe lead levels

About 1,200 children's furniture sets sold through HomeSense are being recalled in Canada for unsafe lead levels, Health Canada said Monday.

The recall applies to the following products:

Blooming Garden storage step stool, Vendor Style #MJ510BG.
Blooming Garden table, Vendor Style #MJ275BG.
Blooming Garden chair, Vendor Style #MJ250BG.
A Pirate's Life step stool, Vendor Style #CC510PR.
A Pirate's Life toy box, Vendor Style #CC950PR.
A Pirate's Life two-step Stool, Vendor Style #CC500PR.
A Pirate's Life bookend, Vendor Style #CC300PR.
A Pirate's Life shelf with pegs, Vendor Style #CC350PR.
A Pirate's Life table with storage, Vendor Style #CC275PR.
A Pirate's Life chairs, Vendor Style #CC275PR.
A Pirate's Life coatrack, Vendor Style #CC435PR.
Princess in Training step stool, Vendor Style #AL500PT.
Princess in Training table, Vendor Style #AL275PT.
Princess in Training chair, Vendor Style #AL275PT.

High amounts of lead can harm the nervous system, kidneys and other major organs. Anemia, a decline in red blood cells, can occur, as well as damage to the nervous system that may impair mental function. Lead poisoning can also cause seizures or death.

The furniture sets, which were manufactured in China, were sold from August 2007 through October 2007.

Health Canada said testing on only one of the furniture lines showed excessive lead, but the New Jersey-based manufacturer, LC Creations, and HomeSense opted to pull all three lines as a precaution.

Consumers should take the toys away from children and return the products for a full refund.
Source: CBC.ca

Generic Drugs Overpriced?

2007-10-29T13:17:00.000-07:00

Canadians could be paying less for generic drugs: Competition Bureau

Canada's Competition Bureau says the benefits of strong competition in the generic drug sector are not finding their way to consumers in the form of lower prices.

A study by the independent agency found that generic drug manufacturers offer rebates or other payments to pharmacies to compete for space on their shelves in most provinces.

The bureau found that these rebates average about 40 per cent of the price the pharmacy is invoiced for generic drugs.

But bureau commissioner Sheridan Scott says that in most provinces, pharmacies have limited incentives to pass on these cost savings to public and private drug plans or to consumers.

Scott says generic drugs help control prescription medication costs and provide competition for brand-name products when patent protection ends.

Yet several studies have shown that the prices of prescription generic drugs are higher in Canada than in many other countries.

In 2005, 43 per cent of all drugs dispensed through retail pharmacies in Canada were generics; total generic drug spending in 2006 was $3.2 billion.

Source: CBC.ca

Toxic Fingertips

2007-10-27T07:55:00.000-07:00

Why Your Nail Polish May Not Be As Safe As You Think

They're in your home and on your face, your skin and your hands. But should you be putting them on your body? New concerns have been raised about the chemical compounds used in nail polish.

Getting your nails done is like a ritual for women. Although the main thing they worry about during a salon visit is infection, the bigger risk are toxic chemicals. In fact, there are about 10,000 different chemicals involved in nail care and about nine per cent of them have never been safety tested.

"Some of the toxic chemicals we're talking about are things like toluene, which accounts for 70 per cent of some nail polish brands," said Rick Smith from Environmental Defence.

Other chemicals are phthalates, which can disrupt hormones, and formalin, which can cause cancer in high doses. Some companies like OPI are starting to phase those chemicals out.

But manicure junkies don't seem to want to part with their polish or their fake nails.

"I've been a nail-biter for 20 years so I just have to ignore the chemicals right now," said one nail salon customer.

If you're concerned about what you're putting on your nails, there are water-based nail polishes available which are chemical-free.

Here's a look at what's in some of the more common items that may be in your bathroom, especially nail polish, and the possible side-effects:

Acetone - may cause central nervous system depression

Ethyl methacrylate - linked to eye, skin and respiratory tract irritation

Benzene - has been associated with an increased risk for developing AML leukemia.

Formalin (since removed by many international brands) - may cause asthma-like respiratory problems and cancer in high or prolonged doses

Toluene (since removed by many international brands) - a solvent with the potential to cause dizziness, headaches and liver and kidney damage

Dibutyl phthalate (since removed by many international brands) - linked to eye and upper respiratory system irritation and may be toxic to the reproductive system

Methylene chloride - breathing in large amounts can cause feelings of unsteadiness, dizziness, nausea. Skin contact with methylene chloride causes burning and redness.

Source: CityNews.ca

Health Canada Issues Foreign Product Warnings

2007-10-26T13:40:00.000-07:00

Health Canada is warning consumers not to take Xie Gan Wan, Red Yeast Rice, Red Yeast Rice Policosonal Complex and Cholestrix because they could pose serious side effects.

Health Canada issues two foreign product alerts

The federal agency on Thursday issued two health alerts for the products that are not authorized for sale in Canada.

Xie Gan Wan, a Chinese medicine, may contain a naturally occurring toxin that could cause cancer and kidney failure, Health Canada warned.

The Red Yeast Rice products, marketed for treatment of high cholesterol, contain Lovastatin, a prescription medication that should only be taken under the supervision of a health-care professional. Possible side effects include liver, kidney, and muscle problems. People with kidney or liver disease, the elderly and pregnant women are particularly at risk, Health Canada said.

No adverse reactions for these products have been reported in Canada. Consumers should check products for an eight-digit number assigned by Health Canada. For more information, contact Health Canada's public enquiries
Source: Health Canada and CBC.ca

The Great Pumpkin Benefits

2007-10-25T16:47:00.001-07:00

Pumpkin Seeds: A Calming Influence?

There couldn't be a more appropriate time for this study. Research from the Whitby Mental Health Centre shows a common commodity associated with Halloween may be just the thing to ease your fears if the most frightening time of year leaves you feeling a little nervous. They're a form of pumpkin seeds and who would have believed it - tests show they can help ease your stress.

Angeli Chitale often feels nervous, but finds taking the seeds eases her anxiety. "It makes you feel calmer," she points out. How can that be? It turns out pumpkin seeds contain a substance called tryptophan, the same ingredient found in turkey that makes you so sleepy after your Thanksgiving dinner. It produces serotonin in your brain, which helps elevate your mood.

The group in the study that took pure pumpkin seed flour with the oil removed experienced 16 per cent less anxiety. "They didn't feel the panic that they felt before," confirms Dr. Craig Hudson, a psychiatrist with the Whitby Mental Health Centre. "They still felt anxious but they were able to control their anxiety."

And Angeli finds bedtime a lot easier, too. "In the evening time I felt that I slept better and I've had insomnia forever."

The results excite Dr. Hudson because there's no real medication involved. "We describe this now as a functional food. It has the look and feel of a food yet has the function of a drug."

But there is one caveat in this that can sow the seeds of surprise. It only works on pumpkin seeds with the oil squeezed out. That allows the tryptophan to be absorbed into your brain.
Source: CityNews.ca

Cerebral Optimism Inherent - Study Indicates

2007-10-24T15:00:00.000-07:00

Humans hard-wired for optimism, study finds

Humans are hard-wired for optimism and think good things will happen to them in the future despite no evidence to support such expectations, according to a study by U.S. and British researchers.

People expect to live longer and be healthier than average, underestimate their likelihood of getting a divorce and overestimate their prospects of career success, psychologists and neurologists from New York University and University College in London wrote in the latest issue of the periodical Nature.

The optimism is wired into the brain, they wrote, which recalls past events in an effort to imagine the future. Certain portions of the brain — the amygdala and the rostral anterior cingulate cortex — showed increased activity in test subjects who had been asked to imagine future events.

The researchers used magnetic resonance imaging to monitor subjects while they thought of future possible events, such as winning an award or the end of a relationship.

"When participants imagined positive future events relative to negative ones, enhanced activation was detected in the rostral anterior cingulate and amygdala, which are the same brain areas that seem to malfunction in depression," said lead author Tali Sharot, now a post-doctoral fellow at University College London.

More optimistic participants showed greater activity in the rostral anterior cingulate region when imagining future positive events, Sharot said.

The researchers found test subjects usually expected positive events to happen sooner than negative events, and generally imagined them with greater vividness.

"Our behavioural results suggest that while the past is constrained, the future is open to interpretation, allowing people to distance themselves from possible negative events and move closer toward positive ones," NYU professor Elizabeth Phelps said in a release.

"Understanding optimism is critical as optimism has been related to physical and mental health. On the other hand, a pessimistic view is correlated with severity of depression symptoms."

Source: CBC.ca

Sleep Deprivation Detrimental to Reason

2007-10-22T16:56:00.000-07:00

Lack of sleep hinders coping skills, logical reasoning: study

Scientists have confirmed what every newborn-cradling, sleep-deprived parent knows: that lack of sleep is connected to an inability to cope with normal emotional challenges.

They also theorize that sleep deprivation is linked to psychiatric ailments such as anxiety, depression and bipolar disorder.

Scientists at the University of California at Berkeley and Harvard Medical School have found that the amygdala, the region of the brain that alerts the body to protect itself in times of danger, goes into overdrive on no sleep. This in turn shuts down the prefrontal cortex, which commands logical reasoning, and thus prevents the release of chemicals needed to calm down the fight-or-flight reflex.

The findings are published Oct. 22 in the journal Current Biology.

"It's almost as though, without sleep, the brain had reverted back to more primitive patterns of activity, in that it was unable to put emotional experiences into context and produce controlled, appropriate responses," said Matthew Walker, director of UC Berkeley's Sleep and Neuroimaging Laboratory and senior author of the study, in a release.

The researchers studied 26 healthy participants aged 18 to 30, splitting them into two groups with equal numbers of males and females.

The sleep-deprived group stayed awake during Day 1, Night 1 and Day 2, while the sleep-control group stayed awake both days and slept normally during the night.

The participants' brains were scanned with magnetic resonance imaging while they were exposed to images that ranged from neutral to very negative. The brain responses of the participants were measured.

Researchers found that the amygdala became hyperactive in response to negative visual stimuli such as mutilated bodies, children with tumors and other gory images in study participants who stayed awake for 35 hours straight.

Brain scans of those who got a full night's sleep in their own beds showed normal activity in the amygdala.

"The emotional centres of the brain were over 60 per cent more reactive under conditions of sleep deprivation than in subjects who had obtained a normal night of sleep," Walker said.

The researchers feel that the findings point to a connection between sleep disruption and mood disorders, including bipolar disorder.
Source: CBC.ca

Loss of Hearing LInked to Anit-impotence Drugs

2007-10-20T09:10:00.000-07:00

Anti-impotence drugs linked to hearing loss

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved labelling changes for three kinds of erectile dysfunction drugs to display more prominently the potential risk of sudden hearing loss.

The FDA on Thursday asked manufacturers of Viagra, Cialis and Levitra to revise product labelling after a very small number of patients taking the drugs reported sudden hearing loss, sometimes accompanied by ringing in the ears and dizziness.

It's not clear if the drugs actually trigger hearing loss, but the agency decided to act after counting 29 reports of hearing problems since 1996 among users.

Dr. Robert Boucher, an agency ear, nose and throat specialist, said in reviewing the reports he noticed that the hearing loss occurred within hours to two days of taking one of the drugs.

"We don't know enough to say that it's ironclad caused by the drugs, but we see enough to say we can't ignore it either," he said.

The reports involved hearing loss in one ear, which in a third of cases was temporary.

The FDA has urged patients who experience any hearing problems, loss or ringing in the ears to promptly call their doctors and stop taking the impotence drugs.

Because some level of hearing loss is usually associated with the aging process, patients taking these drugs (phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors) may not think to talk to their doctor about it, said Dr. Janet Woodcock, the FDA's chief medical officer.

Source: CBC.ca

HIV drug approved in Canada - First in 10 years

2007-10-15T17:17:00.000-07:00

New drug approved in Canada to treat HIV, first in 10 years

Health Canada has approved the first drug in the first new class of HIV medications to be brought to market in Canada in a decade.

Celsentri - the brand name for the drug maraviroc - is the first of a class of drugs called CCR5 antagonists to gain regulatory approval.

The drug, made by Pfizer Canada Inc., blocks entry of HIV into the immune system's T cells, reducing the level of the virus in the body. It is approved for use only in people who have already been on other HIV medications; it is not licensed for people who are just starting anti-retroviral drug therapy.

Dr. Philip Berger, an HIV-AIDs specialist, said having a new class of AIDS drugs will help people who have developed resistance to existing therapies. Those are often longtime HIV-AIDS survivors who were started on a single or dual drug regime before the current triple-drug therapy was developed.

"It is definitely an advance for people who have used up all of their current options," said Berger, who practises at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto. He noted that other new classes of HIV drugs are also in the pipeline.

"For those that began on AZT mono-therapy, for example, 20 years ago or were on dual therapy, which turned out to be ineffective, for that group these new classes of drugs are critical," he said.

Source: CBC.ca

Bulking up Seniors

2007-10-05T09:43:00.000-07:00

Seniors looking to get more bang for their exercise buck may benefit from popping an over-the-counter nutritional supplement every day, according to new research.

Exercise has already been proven to combat the loss of muscle mass. But adding two supplements commonly found in health-food stores, creatine monohydrate and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), can boost the effects of exercise, according to research published today in the peer-reviewed online journal of the Public Library of Science, PLoS One.

Creatine, a compound produced by the body and naturally occurring in meat that helps supply energy to muscles, and CLA, a naturally occurring fatty acid, appeared to help study participants build muscle while shedding fat, says Mark Tarnopolsky, the lead researcher and a professor of medicine and pediatrics at McMaster University.

The supplements appear to work only in combination with exercise, and most of the benefit comes from activity. "No one has a weight-loss miracle cure - if they did, they'd be a billionaire," Dr. Tarnopolsky said. "If you're sitting on your keister, the creatine does nothing for you and the CLA probably does nothing for you."

Thirty-nine people aged 65 or older took part in the trial, in which all performed regular resistance training over the course of six months. All showed improvements in function and strength, but those who took the supplements instead of a placebo showed a greater improvement in muscle mass and fat loss.

Those who took the supplements in the study on average gained 2.1 kilograms of muscle mass and lost 1.9 kilograms of body fat. Those who took a placebo gained 0.9 kilograms of muscle mass and lost only 400 grams of body fat.

While he studied only the senior demographic, Dr. Tarnopolsky says he can see baby boomers extrapolating from the study's results.

"For the overweight, middle-aged person or the older adult who is starting to exercise ... at least in the short term this combination does appear to get people to where they want to go a little bit faster."

Previous studies had shown creatine worked to increase muscle mass, but had no effect on fat. Data on CLA were mixed for humans; animal studies had shown the supplement's ability to decrease fat.

Creatine has also received somewhat of a bad rap: Though legal, it's been linked with steroid use and other illegal doping in the world of sport.

But athletes take the compound at much higher doses, and even at those doses Dr. Tarnopolsky questions whether they would be performance-enhancing.

To maximize safety, Dr. Tarnopolsky consulted hundreds of studies on creatine as well as on CLA to determine the lowest possible dose. He administered five grams of creatine and six grams of CLA daily.

Without supplements, adults normally get between one and 1.5 grams a day of creatine from food.

In some Nordic countries, he says, a diet high in cold-water fish results in intakes of close to five grams a day.

The only side effects at the dosages he administered are gastrointestinal upset in 5 per cent of people.

But he warns that some nutritional supplements contain 20-gram doses. "All bets are off if you put someone on 20 g," he says.

Hamilton resident Chris Dunn, 71, who took supplements in the study, has no doubt the combination worked for him. He noticed a marked increase in strength during his weight-training sessions. "It was amazing; quite noticeable," he says.

Elizabeth and Michael, who asked that their last names not be used, described themselves as anti-vitamin and say they were skeptical of the supplements. Already active at 75 and 77 respectively - the married couple regularly ski and hike Ontario's Bruce Trail - they volunteered for the study primarily for the supervised exercise program.

Both say they feel they benefited. "Health doesn't come in a bottle," Elizabeth says. "But I feel pretty good."

Michael, a former family doctor, says he wants to read the results of the study before deciding whether they might add a supplement to their breakfast routine.

Dr. Tarnopolsky suspects further research may show that the effects drop off after six months, in which case the supplements may only be of benefit in the early stages of a new exercise program. But that's a good thing, he says.

"If people see changes happening, they're more likely to stay with the program," he says. "Any way we can improve compliance and get people to stick with exercise, we're going to see the effects. Folks even in their 90s can improve."

Source: The Globe and Mail.com

Health Canada pulls Prexige off Market due to Liver Problems

2007-10-04T08:49:00.000-07:00

Health Canada is advising consumers that it has stopped the sale of the anti-inflammatory drug Prexige (lumiracoxib) in Canada and will cancel the drug's market authorization due to the potential for serious liver-related adverse events.

Type 2 Diabetes 2 Step Mediation

2007-09-21T16:54:00.000-07:00

Pump iron and jog to manage Type 2 diabetes

Adeceptively simple exercise routine could significantly improve the health of people suffering from diabetes, a Canadian study suggests.

The key to its success is using two types of exercise, rather than just one.

The study found that diabetics who combined endurance exercises (such as brisk walking or jogging) with strength training (like weightlifting) saw their blood-sugar levels improve at twice the rate of those who only did one form of exercise.

People with Type 2 diabetes, the most common form of the disease, either don't produce enough insulin or their bodies cannot use it effectively, a condition known as insulin resistance. Insulin is a hormone that plays a major role in moving glucose (sugar) from the bloodstream into the body's tissues, where it is needed for energy. As a result of insulin resistance, glucose levels build up in the bloodstream which, in turn, can lead to heart disease, blindness and kidney damage.

Doctors have long known that regular workouts help to control blood-sugar levels. But there was very little research on what exercises work best to manage the disease, which afflicts two million Canadians.

The new Canadian study, by researchers at the University of Calgary and the University of Ottawa, suggests that a combo approach appears to offer clear benefits.

Ron Sigal, who led the study, speculated that endurance (also known as aerobic) exercises combined with strength (resistance) training worked on muscles in different but complementary ways that led to an overall improvement in blood-sugar levels.

"It makes insulin work better and makes the muscle use more glucose," said Dr. Sigal of the University of Calgary.

Although the approach sounds easy, he cautioned diabetics who are in poor shape not to jump into a new exercise routine without first talking to their own doctors.

Source: The Globe and Mail.com

Live Longer with Less Food

2007-09-20T17:38:00.000-07:00

Eating fewer calories could mean living longer: study

Eating fewer calories might protect the body from the effects of aging, U.S. researchers have found in studies on rats.

Their findings are published in the Sept. 21 issue of the journal Cell.

Researchers from Harvard Medical School, Cornell Medical School and the National Institutes of Health have discovered two genes that determine the lifespan of cells. When cells are exposed to certain types of stress, such as a reduction in calories, the genes go into overdrive, and fend off diseases associated with aging, such as cancer, diabetes and dementia.

The newly found genes, SIRT3 and SIRT4, do this by keeping the "heart" of the cell, its mitochondria, alive when it would typically wane and die.

When cells undergo a restriction in calories, they send signals through the membranes and activate a gene called NAMPT. When that gene's levels increase, a small molecule called NAD begins to collect in the mitochondria, in turn stimulating the mitochondrial enzymes created by SIRT3 and SIRT4.

The end result are mitochondria that grow stronger and increase their energy output, decreasing cells' aging processes.

Mitochondria are the guardians of cell survival," said David Sinclair, associate professor of pathology at Harvard Medical School and senior author of the paper. "If we can keep boosting levels of NAD in the mitochondria, which in turn stimulates buckets more of SIRT3 and SIRT4, then for a period of time the cell really needs nothing else."

Researchers conducted tests on rats in which one group was fed a sucrose diet and the other group fasted for 48 hours. In the rats that had fasted, NAD levels increased in their livers, they found.

The scientists believe that SIRT3 and SIRT4 may now be potential drug targets for diseases associated with aging. "We hope that these insights into the importance of mitochondrial NAD will facilitate a new understanding of and the development of novel approaches to treating diseases such as cancer and neurodegeneration," reads the report.

Source: CBC.ca

Quarter Pounder of Green House Emissions

2007-09-13T19:26:00.000-07:00

Save the planet, 1 less burger at a time: study

Cutting meat consumption could significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, a study published Wednesday maintained, as it urged meat eaters to cut back and the agriculture industry to change its ways. burgher.

The study, published in the prominent U.K. journal The Lancet, said one-fifth of total worldwide greenhouse gas emissions are caused by agricultural production.

About 80 per cent of emissions come from the production of meat, including through the transport of livestock and feed, mostly from methane emitted by animal's flatulence.

The study by Tony McMichael of the Australian National University in Canberra and John Powles of Britain's University of Cambridge said that, realistically, global consumption of red meat could be reduced by 10 per cent.

The global average meat consumption stands at 100 grams per person a day, but varies widely between countries. Citizens of developed countries consume about 200 grams per person a day, while those in poorer countries eat around 20 grams.

Those in developed countries should progressively decrease their daily intake to 90 grams by 2050, the researchers said.

"If people are already thinking about the need to ration air travel maybe they need to think also about rationing their meat consumption," said Powles.

Powles said those in the agricultural industry also need to commit to lowering emissions.

"Clearly there's going to need to be incentive structures put in place for them to adopt methods of production that minimize the release of greenhouse gases," said Powles.

But some farmers, such as Eric Butters, bristled at the suggestion, saying his industry is being unfairly targeted.

"It's not too many cattle that's hurting the environment, it's too many people," said the cattle farmer from southern Alberta. "And if we controlled our population growth and parked our SUVs, it'd be far more environmentally beneficial."

The report's authors said they hope leaders in developed countries will take their recommendations seriously.

Source: CBC.ca

High Lead in Kid's Phone Accessories

2007-09-07T06:23:00.000-07:00

Health Canada warns of high lead levels in some cellphone charms, zipper pulls

Health Canada is warning that some cellphone charms and zipper pulls from China contain high levels of lead and should be kept out of the reach of young children.

The department says children could be exposed to lead if they chew, suck on or accidentally swallow the zipper pulls or cellphone charms. It is estimated that more than 83,000 of the zipper pulls and nearly 54,000 of the cellphone charms were sold at Dollarama stores in Canada between July 2006 and August 2007.

Lead is highly toxic to humans, especially young children, and exposure can lead to brain damage.

Health Canada says there haven't been any Canadian cases of lead poisoning linked to these items, which are being voluntarily recalled by Dollarama.

Sample pictures of the charms and zipper pulls are posted in the warnings and recalls section of Health Canada's website.

Health Canada says if the items are used for their intended purpose they pose no health risk, but they shouldn't be in the possession of young children.

The zipper pulls are approximately 65 millimetres long and seven mm wide. They are silver with letters that are painted in various colours. Some feature the names and symbols of astrological signs, while others bear words like "diva," "friend" or "cute."

Testing conducted by Health Canada found that total lead content of the zipper pulls was over 90 per cent.

The cellphone charm, which is about 15 mm in diameter, is silver and in the shape of a purse with a handle. A yellow painted flower is painted on the purse. The charms are sold attached to a bright pink card bearing the "Diva" label.

Health Canada testing found the lead content of the cellphone charm was 94 per cent.

Source: CBC.ca

On the Net:

www.hc-sc.gc.ca.

Food Additives Adverserly Impact Hyperactivity

2007-09-06T19:48:00.001-07:00

Food additives found to fuel hyperactivity

Drink with preservative, artificial colouring had 'significantly adverse' effect, study says

Ordinary food colouring and a common preservative found in everything from fruit drinks to jam have been conclusively linked to hyperactivity in children for the first time, according to British researchers.

Their findings, published today in The Lancet medical journal, could have profound implications for the regulation of additives and the diets of children who exhibit frenetic behaviour, researchers said.

Within hours of announcing the results of the study, the Guardian newspaper reported that the British government had taken the significant step of recommending that parents avoid giving products containing multiple additives to children who show signs of hyperactivity.

The study involved 153 preschool children and 144 aged 8 or 9 who were given ordinary fruit juice or one of two drinks identical in look and taste that contained varying levels of artificial food colouring and a set amount of the common preservative sodium benzoate.

One batch with the additives contained the average daily intake of food colouring for both age groups. The other had elevated levels equivalent to two 56-gram bags of sweets for the three-year-olds and four bags for the older children.

None of the children had extreme hyperactivity or attention-deficit disorders, and they did not consume other foods containing sodium benzoate during the six-week study.

Investigators reported that the drink containing benzoate spiked with the higher level of food colouring had a "significantly adverse" effect on the three-year-olds, while both mixes increased hyperactivity in the eight- and nine-year-olds.

Across the board, the children who consumed the elevated mix moved about 10 per cent closer to an internationally accepted definition of hyperactivity.

"We now have clear evidence that mixtures of certain food colours and benzoate preservative can adversely influence the behaviour of children," said researcher Jim Stevenson, a professor of psychology at the University of Southampton.

Citing previous research that suggested that some children with behavioural disorders could benefit from removing certain food preservatives and colours from their diet, Dr. Stevenson said simply removing the additives from food would not prevent hyperactivity in children. "We know that many other influences are at work, but this at least is one a child can avoid," he said.

Links between diet and hyperactivity have been vigorously debated for more than three decades, with researchers on both sides dismissing the others' findings as inconclusive.

Experts on hyperactivity and food additives attribute the failure to arrive at any firm conclusions in part to the difficulty of isolating for study the numerous additives and preservatives commonly found in food.

Fluctuations in hyperactive behaviour among children under the microscope have also muddied past research.

So the news yesterday that researchers claimed to lay to rest any doubt that food additives contribute to hyperactivity was greeted with skepticism by the International Food Additives Council, an Atlanta-based trade association.

"It's been my impression that, when it comes to anecdotal studies, there are people who tend to think food additives have something to do with hyperactivity. But when you put these studies into more carefully controlled situations, they don't pan out," said Andrew Ebert, a consultant for the trade association, who noted that he could not comment directly on the study because he had not seen it. Dr. Ebert said the organization would review the findings in the coming days.

The theory that hyperactive children could benefit from a diet devoid of artificial colours and flavours was pioneered in the 1970s by Ben Feingold. His Feingold Cookbook for Hyperactive Children, published in 1979, proposed eliminating such things as soft drinks, cake and luncheon meat from the diets of youngsters.

While much of Dr. Feingold's work remains controversial, pediatricians who specialize in treating overactive children say it is generally accepted that some foods worsen hyperactivity in some children. They note, however, that no evidence suggests certain foods cause hyperactivity, and that behavioural reactions to food are often subtle.

Bill Mahoney, associate professor of pediatrics at McMaster University, said after reviewing the British study yesterday that its findings reinforced those notions. "This isn't taking very placid children and turning them into kids who are running all over the place," Dr. Mahoney said. "The effects, in general, are very small."

Philip Shaw, a clinical fellow at the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, Md., said the study was probably the most comprehensive of its kind, but questioned whether it would have the sort of far-reaching implications that its researchers imagined.

*****

Sodium benzoate

What is sodium benzoate?

E211, also known as sodium benzoate, is a derivative of benzoic acid. It is added in large amounts to carbonated drinks to prevent bacterial growth.

What other health concerns are related to sodium benzoate?

Health Canada found 20 per cent of soft drinks and other beverages it analyzed in a spot check last year included benzene, a known carcinogen. Where are additives like sodium benzoate and food colouring found?

Sodium benzoate is widely used in carbonated beverages, and artificial food colouring is used in candies, ice creams, drinks and many other kinds of snacks.

What happens if children eat them occasionally anyway?

The study showed that some children appear to be more susceptible to hyperactivity than others. Kids with behavioural problems may benefit from eliminating these additives from their diets, while others are able to handle occasional exposure.

Source: The Globe and Mail and the Guardian

Salmonella Salami

2007-08-24T19:10:00.000-07:00

Mastro brand salami recalled for salmonella danger

Canada's food watchdog is warning consumers not eat Mastro brand Casalingo salami because it may be contaminated with salmonella bacteria.

The product was sold in variable weight packages with the lot code 3317A191 in Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and B.C., the Canadian Food Inspection Agency said in an advisory issued Thursday.

No associated illnesses have been reported.

Consumption of food contaminated with salmonella may cause serious and even deadly infections in children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems. In healthy adults, salmonella bacteria can cause high fevers, severe headaches, vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea.

Toronto-based manufacturer Santa Maria Foods ULC is voluntarily recalling the product from the marketplace.

For more information, consumers may call the CFIA at 1-800-442-2342/TTY 1-800-465-7735.

Source: CBC.ca

Acne Cleared by Cutting Diary - Link

2007-08-21T19:35:00.000-07:00

Crave clear skin? Cutting dairy may help some acne patients, says naturopath

Acne has long been the scourge of millions of North American adolescents who dream of a pimple-free life.

But could the path to a clear complexion really begin with scarfing sardines? In their new book "The Clear Skin Diet" (Cumberland House), Toronto-trained naturopathic doctor Alan Logan and holistic dermatologist Valori Treloar try to help acne sufferers understand the condition, its correlation to eating habits, as well as answers to what could be triggering their breakouts.

Logan says the omega-3 fatty acids found in sardines, salmon, anchovies and seafood have important anti-inflammatory activities and can be protective against acne.

When it comes to possible triggers, however, two large population studies out of Harvard show clear association with milk consumption and the promotion of acne, and other forms of dairy, including cheese, sherbet and ice cream, he said.

"It's perhaps the case that not every acne sufferer is having their acne provoked by dairy, but it appears that many are, so in that case, there are guidelines in the book about how to go about ensuring adequate calcium intake," said Logan, a graduate of the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine and faculty member at Harvard's School of Continuing Medical Education.

Fortified beverages like soy milk, tofu, nuts and green, leafy vegetables are good alternative sources of calcium, Logan said.

Whether individuals are picking up lunch on their breaks or brown-bagging it, Logan said they should be sure their meal is comprised of whole grains or whole wheat and a good-quality lean protein like skinless poultry.

Having something colourful in their meal like berries or cherries is a bonus, he added. Those foods won't spike blood sugar and contain lots of fibre, which helps regulate blood sugar levels, and contain important antioxidants critical to acne patients.

"We now know acne sufferers are under increased oxidative stress," Logan said. "Some of the research indicates that the lower the blood levels of antioxidants in acne patients, the more severe their acne is, so they, of all people, may actually need to really go out of their way to make sure they're getting in enough antioxidants."

Processed foods and those high in sugar that spike insulin levels may also be acne promoters, Logan said.

"In essence, the dietary triggers are not too dissimilar from what we've been warned against before when it comes to gaining weight or Type 2 diabetes or even cardiovascular disease," he said. "These types of foods that are devoid of fibre and nutrients may be implicated as well."

While there's no association linking coffee and teas to acne, buying a latte at your local coffeehouse is another story, he added.

"You're now taking in lots of milk if you go the dairy route, or if you're putting in a significant amount of milk into your coffee. That might be the problem," he said. "But the coffee beverage or the tea and certainly green tea would not be."

Despite the book title, Logan said diet is not everything when it comes to acne. Stress has been shown to promote acne, and acne rates have increased significantly among adult women, he said.

"This may be attributed to diet, but it could also be attributed to stress because stress promotes the sebum which ultimately blocks up the pores, and in women in particular they're very prone to this," he said.

Exercise, relaxation techniques and keeping stress in check are important features of a clear-skin lifestyle, he said.

Some dermatologists say while they don't have a set list of items patients shouldn't eat, they do advise them to steer clear of foods they find lead to breakouts.

"There may be a correlation between hormones in cow's milk and acne, but I don't usually tell people to avoid milk when they have acne," said Dr. Eric Goldstein of Toronto.

"However, if they notice certain foods - Coke, fried foods, cow's milk - if they notice that type of thing flares them up, obviously I tell them to avoid it. But I don't have pre-set dietary restrictions or dietary counselling for acne patients."

"In general, your skin reflects your inner health, and your inner health is dependent on what you put into your body, so good nutrition will help to improve your skin," said Toronto-based Dr. Lisa Kellett.

"With that being said, as long as you are eating fruits and vegetables and things like that, one certain food group - if you eliminate it - will not cure your acne."

"Conversely, if you have the odd chocolate bar, that is not the cause of your acne. However, if the only thing you eat are chocolate bars, your skin will likely reflect your inner nutrition and therefore your skin won't look right."

Source: CBC. ca

Anti Anti-bacteria Soap Effects

2007-08-16T19:58:00.000-07:00

Antibacterial agent not so 'anti' after all: study

Some antibacterial soaps are no better at preventing infections than regular soap, and may cause bacteria to become resistant to certain types of antibiotics, a new U.S. study indicates.

In their analysis of triclosan, the main active ingredient in antibacterial soaps as well as some detergents, deodorants, cosmetics and lotions, researchers at the University of Michigan School of Public Health found the chemical did not remove any more bacteria from the hands during washing than the ingredients used in plain soaps.

"What it means for consumers is that we need to be aware of what's in the products," researcher Allison Aiello said. "The soaps containing triclosan used in the community setting are no more effective than plain soap at preventing infectious illness symptoms, as well as reducing bacteria on the hands."

In fact, because of the way triclosan reacts in the cells, it may actually cause some bacteria to become resistant to commonly used drugs such as amoxicillin, the study suggests..

The study, "Consumer Antibacterial Soaps: Effective or Just Risky," is in the August edition of Clinical Infectious Diseases.

The researchers examined 27 studies conducted between 1980 and 2006, but did not analyze other antiseptic products such as alcohol or bleach-based sanitizers.

It recommends that U.S. government regulators evaluate antibacterial product claims and advertising.

The Food and Drug Administration does not formally regulate the levels of triclosan in consumer products.

Health Canada recommends people avoid using antibacterial products such as those containing triclosan because they kill good bacteria that fight bad germs, and because of concerns over antibacterial resistance. It has included triclosan on its list of prohibited and restricted cosmetic ingredients.

The Michigan researchers found triclosan can be more effective at reducing illness and bacteria when used in higher concentrations in hospitals and other clinical settings.

However, amounts found in consumer products like hand soap do little to combat bacteria bugs, their study indicates.

Source: CBC.ca