Cancer Risk Elevated with Alcohol Intake for Women

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

US Orders Removal of Children's Toys - Health Risk

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

Source: Psychology Today Jan 2009

Indoor Plants for Fresh Air

Source: Men's Health Living Winter/Spring 2009

Botox Can Spread - Health Canada Warning

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

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

Workout Water Benefits

Source: Women's Health Dec 2008

Drive for 55 - Exercise Volume Benefits for Fat Loss Maintenance

The magic formula for keeping off lost weight

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Source: TheGlobeandMail.com

Cervical Cancer Vaccine - Adverse Reactions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

All Canadian provinces starting HPV vaccinations

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

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

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

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

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

Source: CBC.ca

Mommy's Bliss Cream Recall

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

Gardasil Marketing Machine Silenced by FDA

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Source: CBC.ca

Exercise Sequencing for Better Heart Benefits

Source: Women's Health March 3008

Supplement MisLabelling

Source: Women's Health April 2008

Beans Lower Cholesterol

Source: Women's Health March 2008

Resist the Drag and Clear the Air

Source: Women's Health September 2007

Shower Savings

Source: Women's Health November 2007

Training Order Priority for Efficiency

Source: Men's Health May 2007

Organic Fruit Reduced Pesticide Scale

Source: Men's Health April 2007

Vegetable Brain Power

Source: Men's Health April 2007

New Not-for-Profit Online Medical Journal Launch

Open Medicine launches Wednesday

A new open-access general medical journal, published in Canada, is about to be born.

Editors of Open Medicine, a journal that won't charge subscription fees and won't run advertisements for medical devices or drugs, say they will go live online with the new publication on Wednesday.

The idea for the journal was conceived last year in the wake of the firing of the editor and deputy editor of the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

Dr. John Hoey and Anne Marie Todkill were fired by the CMAJ's publisher in what is believed to have been a conflict over editorial independence between the journal and its owner, the Canadian Medical Association.

Hoey and Todkill are playing a role in the development of the new journal, along with a number of the CMAJ's former editors and editorial board members.

Co-editors of Open Medicine will be Dr. Anita Palepu, a general internist at St. Paul's Hospital in Vancouver and Dr. Stephen Choi, a former editor of the CMAJ.

The new journal will work on a different model from traditional medical journals, with no print edition.

All articles will be available for free online; all rights to the published material will rest with the authors, not the journal, which will be run on a not-for-profit basis.

Dr. Palepu says the new journal will be more independent that most journals, which are owned by a corporation or a national medical association.

Source: TheGlobeandMail.com