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Wednesday, April 30th, 2008
An unusually high incidence of lung disease has been diagnosed in workers at popcorn factories. Researchers are focusing on diacetyl, the ingredient which is largely responsible for the odor and flavor of the butter in popcorn, according to an article published by SAGE in the current issue of Toxicologic Pathology.
“Workers making microwave popcorn and flavoring chemicals are at increased risk for developing lung disease,” said lead researcher, Ann Hubbs of the Pathology and Physiology Research Branch, Health Effects Laboratory Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, (NIOSH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Morgantown, WV.. “This research, in conjunction with other recent studies, supports the conclusion that diacetyl is an inhalation hazard and further studies are needed to also investigate other agents in butter flavoring so we have the information needed to protect workers.”
The study examined diacetyl and its health consequences. Diacetyl is easily vaporized at temperatures used in microwave popcorn production, which results in high concentrations in the workplace.
The NIOSH research examined the acute toxicity of inhaled diacetyl in rats, and compared different exposure patterns. It was one of the very first studies to evaluate the respiratory toxicity of the chemical flavoring agent at levels relevant to human health. The researchers found that diacetyl - including just its vapors - can injure lungs.
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Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.
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The article, “Respiratory Toxicologic Pathology of Inhaled Diacetyl in Sprague-Dawley Rats,” by Ann F. Hubbs, William T. Goldsmith, Michael L. Kashon, David Frazer, Robert R. Mercer, Lori A. Battelli, Gregory J. Kullman, Diane Schwegler-Berry, Sherri Friend, and Vincent Castranova, of the Pathology and Physiology Research Branch, Health Effects Laboratory Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Morgantown, WV., has been made available by SAGE free of charge for a limited time at http://tpx.sagepub.com/cgi/rapidpdf/0192623307312694v1.
Toxicologic Pathology, the official journal of the Society of Toxicologic Pathology, focuses on the multidisciplinary elements that constitute toxicologic pathology, including spontaneous and experimentally induced morphological and functional changes, environmental exposures, case reports, and risk assessment and investigative techniques. The journal publishes original articles, symposia papers, brief communications, current topic reviews, current issues, and fast-track articles. http://tpx.sagepub.com/
SAGE is a leading international publisher of journals, books, and electronic media for academic, educational, and professional markets. Since 1965, SAGE has helped inform and educate a global community of scholars, practitioners, researchers, and students spanning a wide range of subject areas including business, humanities, social sciences, and science, technology and medicine. A privately owned corporation, SAGE has principal offices in Los Angeles, London, New Delhi, and Singapore. http://www.sagepublications.com/
Source: Jim Gilden
SAGE Publications
Wednesday, April 30th, 2008
Lower rates of asthma are found in children who live on tree-lined
streets, according to an article released on May 1, 2008 in the Journal
of Epidemiology and Community Health, a BMJ Specialist
journal.
Asthma is a disease of the respiratory tract in humans in which the
airway sometimes constricts and is lined with excess mucus, making
respiration difficult. It is caused by a combination of many factors
which are still being investigated. In the United States, rates of
asthma grew at an enormous rate of 50% between 1980 and 2000, with
especially high rates of diagnosis in poor urban communities. Asthma is
the most common reason for which children in New York City are admitted
to the hospital.
The researchers involved in this study examined the asthma rates among
4 to 5 year olds as well as the hostpial admissions information for
this disease in children up to age 15 in 42 health service districts in
New York City. Then, these medical data were examined alongside city
data on the number of trees growing, sources of pollution, racial and
ethnic make-up, and population density of the area.
There were an average of 613 trees on streets per square kilometer in
the City. In total, 9% of young children had asthma. For every standard
deviation increase in tree density, 343 trees per square kilometer,
asthma rates in this age group fell by almost a quarter. This pattern
held fast, even once corrections were made for sources of pollution,
levels of affluence, and population density — all of which would be
considered likely to influence the reults. However, once children were
older, there was no correlation between tree distribution and hospital
admission for asthma after taking other factors into account.
The authors note that trees may help curb asthma rates by encouraging
children to play outdoors more, or by improving the quality of the air.
However, they caution that their findings do not mean that the number
of trees in any city is directly related to asthma rates among
individuals. Finally, they note that New York City plans to plant 1
million trees before 2017, and this could potentially create an
opportunity to truly investigate the impact of tree density on asthma.
Children living in areas with more street trees have lower
prevalence
of asthma
Online First J Epidemiol Commun Health 2008;
doi
10.1136/jech.2007.071894
Click Here For Journal
Written by Anna Sophia McKenney
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today
Wednesday, April 30th, 2008
According to a series of studies, optimists enjoy better health than pessimists. The May issue of Harvard Men’s Health Watch explores possible reasons for this connection.
Many studies have reported that optimism influences health. Among the findings:
– Optimistic coronary bypass patients were only half as likely as pessimists to require re-hospitalization.
– Highly pessimistic men were three times more likely to develop hypertension.
– People with positive emotions had lower blood pressures.
– In one study, the most pessimistic men were more than twice as likely to develop heart disease compared with the most optimistic.
These results argue persuasively that optimism is good for health. But people who are healthy are likely to have a brighter outlook than people who are ill, so perhaps optimism is actually the result of good health instead of the other way around. To counter this argument, scientists have adjusted their analyses to account for pre-existing medical conditions. The studies that made these adjustments found that existing illnesses did not tarnish the benefits of optimism. One explanation is behavioral. It is possible that optimists enjoy better health and longer lives because they lead healthier lifestyles, build stronger social support networks, and get better medical care. In addition, optimism itself may have biological benefits, such as lower levels of stress hormones and less inflammation.
Finally, heredity may explain some of the link. It is possible that genes predispose some people to optimism, and that the same genes affect health and longevity. The Harvard Men’s Health Watch suggests that more study is needed because it’s likely that multiple mechanisms are involved.
Harvard Men’s Health Watch
Harvard Health Publications Harvard Medical School 10 Shattuck St., Ste. 612
Cambridge, MA 02115
United States
http://www.health.harvard.edu
Wednesday, April 30th, 2008
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain is this week issuing new guidance for
pharmacists on how to assist patients in managing hypertension.
The existing guidance has been updated to reflect the changing role of community pharmacists
as they take on more clinical responsibility.
The Society worked alongside the National Prescribing Centre (NPC) to make the update in
accordance with guidelines set by the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence
(NICE) and national best practice.
Pharmacists are urged to make full use of this new guidance which is available on 3 May to
download from the Society’s website http://www.rpsgb.org or by calling 0207 572 2412.
Heidi Wright, the Society’s Head of Practice, said: “As the role of pharmacy expands and
pharmacists play more of an active role in screening and diagnostic testing, such as vascular
checks, it is important to ensure that professional guidance is relevant and robust.
“This guidance signposts community pharmacists to resources they can use and puts the
information into an easy and readable format.”
Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain
Wednesday, April 30th, 2008
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain’s 2007 Annual Review and summary
accounts will be distributed to all members with The Pharmaceutical Journal (PJ) on 3 May. A
copy of the Society’s full accounts will also be made available via the Society’s website at
http://www.rpsgb.org.
The 2007 review reflects on a year of change for the Society across its professional and
regulatory functions and highlights the impact of the Government’s regulatory White Paper -
Trust, Assurance and Safety, The Regulation of Health Professionals in the 21st Century,
which proposed the de-merger of the Society.
Commenting on the review the Society’s President, Hemant Patel, said: “The profession will
look back at 2007 as the start of a new era for the Society and the beginning of a process that
will define the future of pharmacy. As a profession our influence continues to grow, and the
review includes many examples of the Society’s work across key areas including practice,
education, research, science and communications. It also focuses on the work of the English,
Welsh and Scottish Pharmacy Boards and the activities of RPS Publishing. Services offered
to members are also highlighted including technical information, practise advice and the library
and museum.”
Commenting on the accounts Andrew Gush, the Society’s Treasurer said: “It has been well
reported that the Society is facing a number of financial challenges and these are reflected in
both the full accounts and the financial summary for 2007.
“While there was an increase in expenditure during 2007, mainly due to the costs of the Carter
Review and changes to Fitness to Practise which resulted from the Pharmacy and Pharmacy
Technicians Order, overall income generated by the Society in 2007 grew by 6.5 per cent
compared to 2006.”
Other areas of investment included education, communications and the British Pharmaceutical
Conference.
Along with the Society’s financial statements for 2007, the Annual Review will be presented at
the Society’s AGM on Wednesday 21 May 2008 which takes place from 7pm at the Royal
Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain at 1 Lambeth High Street, London SE1 7JN.
The Annual Review and Society’s full financial statements will be available from the Society’s
website at http://www.rpsgb.orgfrom 3 May. A hard copy of the Annual Review will also be
distributed to members with the PJ on 3 May.
Notes
The Society is offering members the opportunity to submit any questions about the financial
statements in advance of the AGM so that a full answer can be provided at the meeting.
Questions can be submitted in writing to Graham Duncan, Financial Controller by email to:
accounts2007@rpsgb.org or by post: 1 Lambeth High Street, London, SE1 7JN. All questions
should be received no later than noon on Friday 9 May 2007. Any questions received after this
date will be answered individually after the AGM.
The following business will be conducted during the 167th
Annual General Meeting of the
members of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain:
1. Presentation of the Annual Review of the Council for 2007.
2. Presentation of the financial statements for 2007.
3. Adoption of rules of procedure for matters raised and motions submitted for debate.
4. Consideration of any matters raised or motions moved by members of which notice has
been given in writing no later than 20 April 2008.
Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain
Wednesday, April 30th, 2008
The senior doctors from Association of British Hujjaj (UK) have expressed their great concerns about the widespread ignorance amongst British overseas travellers of the necessity of taking health precautions before and during their visit abroad. They are risking their health by not taking the proper preventative measures against the potentially life-threatening diseases.
Doctors have issued a warning to all British families who are planning their trip abroad specifically to south Asian countries and Saudi Arabia during the summer holiday season, that they must take extra care to protect themselves from infectious diseases like Meningitis, Hepatitis and Malaria. They strongly urge the travellers that they must take the required vaccinations before travelling in order to protect themselves and their families.
The doctors specifically reminded that diabetic people who are intending to visit Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah (lesser Hajj) about the high risk of hypoglycaemia (low blood glucose) due to the unusually excessive physical activities being undertaken in hot weather and amongst a large crowded environment. Therefore it is vital that diabetic people must visit their doctor for a pre-travel consultation and medical examination to make sure that their diabetes is well controlled. They need to protect themselves from the sun, dehydration, exhaustion, foot problems, respiratory and bronchial illness.
Travellers on medication should take an adequate supply with them, accompanied by their doctor’s note describing the medicine and their medical history.
Remember: Prevention is better than cure. Be safe than sorry.
Association of British Hujjaj (Pilgrims) UK (A.B.H)
Wednesday, April 30th, 2008
More than half of California voters are worried about the state’s health care system and nearly three-quarters said they would have approved a health system overhaul proposed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) last year, according to a Field Poll survey released on Monday, the San Francisco Chronicle reports (Yi, San Francisco Chronicle, 4/28). The Field Poll was based on a telephone survey of 1,202 registered California voters between March 12 and March 30 and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 2.9 percentage points.
The survey found that:
- 59% of California voters are concerned about not being able to afford the costs associated with a serious illness or injury, compared with 48% in a 2006 survey;
- 58% are concerned about having to pay more out-of-pocket costs for health care, compared with 40% in 2006;
- 57% are concerned about not having or potentially losing their health care coverage; and
- 51% of voters said they are very concerned about not having access to quality physicians and health care services, up from 40% in 2006.
In addition, 39% of state voters believe California’s health care system will be worse in five years, 38% said they think it will be about the same, 13% said they think it will be better and 10% said they have no opinion, according to the poll.
Support for Schwarzenegger-Nunez Plan
The survey also found support for the major elements of compromise health care reform legislation negotiated by Schwarzenegger and state Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez (D). The Senate Health Committee rejected the bill in January.
According to the poll:
- 72% of respondents supported the overall plan;
- 84% of respondents said they supported requiring health insurers to cover everyone, including people with pre-existing conditions;
- 77% supported state-subsidized insurance for low-income adults;
- 73% supported requiring employers to contribute to the cost of health insurance benefits;
- 71% approved of raising the state tobacco tax by $1.75 per pack of cigarettes to help fund the health care overhaul, but 77% opposed a provision that would have required hospitals to contribute a 4% fee to help fund the plan;
- 68% supported the idea of an individual coverage mandate (Ainsworth, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4/28); and
- 67% said they supported individuals, employers and the government sharing the cost of health insurance coverage.
However, two-thirds of respondents said they did not expect that the plan’s funding mechanism would keep pace with the rising costs of health care, and about the same percentage questioned whether new insurance policies for the uninsured would be affordable under the plan (Rodriguez, San Jose Mercury News, 4/28).
The survey is available online.
Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.
© 2008 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
Wednesday, April 30th, 2008
It is right that overseas doctors already working in the NHS are allowed to compete for training posts, the BMA says today in response to a House of Lords judgment.
Last year, the High Court ruled that government guidance making it harder for international doctors to be appointed to training posts was unlawful. The House of Lords today rejected a Department of Health appeal against the ruling.
Dr Terry John, Chairman of the BMA’s International Committee, today welcomes the judgment:
“It’s right that we have a debate about the numbers of doctors coming to the UK in future, but it’s completely wrong to scapegoat those already here.
“They are providing a vital service, and the government’s continued attempts to change the rules after they’ve already committed themselves to the NHS are unfair.
“Junior doctors from the UK and overseas alike have been affected by the lack of proper workforce planning in the NHS. We need long-term solutions not knee-jerk reactions.”
British Medical Association
Wednesday, April 30th, 2008
Washington Post columnist Stephen Barr on Monday examined the Peace Corps‘ policy regarding HIV-positive volunteers. According to Barr, Jeremiah Johnson, a former volunteer in Ukraine, recently was discharged by the agency after he was diagnosed as HIV-positive.
Johnson discovered that he is HIV-positive in January during a scheduled medical exam that took place in Ukraine’s capital of Kiev. Johnson said that a few days after the test results came back positive, the Peace Corps’ Ukraine country director told him to return to Washington, D.C., because Ukrainian law prevents HIV-positive people from working in the country. According to Johnson, he was never provided with a copy of the law. State Department and travel Web sites indicate that foreigners working in Ukraine on visas lasting more than three months are required to undergo HIV tests, according to Barr. The Peace Corps declined to comment on the issue, and a phone call to the Ukrainian Embassy was not returned, Barr writes.
After returning to the district, Johnson in February had another medical exam and was given a “medical separation” from the Peace Corps, according to Barr. The agency on the separation notice said that it had determined the “resolution of [Johnson’s] condition(s) will take longer than the maximum-allowable 45 days” and that Johnson “would be medically unable to perform [his] volunteer assignment.”
According to Johnson, the Peace Corps’ decision to end his assignment violates federal anti-discrimination laws. He was referred to the American Civil Liberties Union, which last week wrote to the agency’s director, Ronald Tschetter. ACLU staff attorney Rebecca Shore said that Johnson’s dismissal “appears based upon a Peace Corps policy to terminate volunteers who are HIV-positive without an individualized assessment as to whether they are able to serve with reasonable accommodation.” She added that such a policy violates the 1973 Rehabilitation Act.
Peace Corps Press Director Amanda Beck said that Tschetter plans to respond to ACLU. “The Peace Corps does not have a policy of automatically excluding people with HIV,” Beck said, adding that the agency “conducts individualized medical examinations of volunteers and applicants who are HIV-positive.” According to Beck, she cannot comment on Johnson’s case because of privacy rules and because Johnson “has not given us permission to speak about his individual situation.”
ACLU said that the Peace Corps should have given Johnson the opportunity to serve elsewhere after he returned from Ukraine. “Regardless of what they say their general policy is, this is not what happened here,” Shore said. In the letter, ACLU pointed out that the State Department recently changed a policy that disqualified HIV-positive people from entering the foreign service.
“The only thing I want is the Peace Corps to respond to this letter, change their policy to comply with federal anti-discrimination laws or to clarify their policies so if they are in line with the law they stick with it,” Johnson said (Barr, Washington Post, 4/28).
The ACLU letter and other documents are available online.
Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.
© 2008 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
Wednesday, April 30th, 2008
Health care costs are among the top economic problems experienced by U.S. residents, according to a poll released on Tuesday by the Kaiser Family Foundation, the Los Angeles Times reports. For the poll, a nationally representative sample of 2,003 adults was interviewed by telephone between April 3 and 13. The poll has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points.
According to the poll, 28% of U.S. residents said that they or their families have had a serious problem paying for health care or health insurance because of recent changes in the economy. Twenty-nine percent said they had difficulty finding a good-paying job or getting a raise. According to the poll, 44% of U.S. residents said paying for gasoline was a serious problem (Alonso-Zaldivar, Los Angeles Times, 4/29). Paying rent or a mortgage was a serious problem for 19% of U.S. residents. Both paying for food and paying off debt were serious problems for 18%, according to the poll (Colliver, San Francisco Chronicle, 4/29).
Additional Findings
The poll also found that in the past year, 23% of U.S. residents said they or a member of their household had either decided to stay with a current employer, instead of accepting a new job, or had switched jobs because of health insurance coverage. In addition, 7% of respondents said that they, or someone in their household, had decided to get married to obtain health insurance through their spouse. “It’s a small number but a powerful result, because it shows how paying for health care is reflected not only in family budgets but in life decisions,” Drew Altman, president and CEO of the Kaiser Family Foundation, said of the marriage finding (Los Angeles Times, 4/29).
In addition, the poll found that in the past year, 42% of people said that they, or someone in their household, have experienced at least one of the following five specific consequences due to cost. Twenty-nine percent said they had put off or postponed needed care in the past year, according to the poll (Kaiser Family Foundation release, 4/29). The poll found that 24% of people had skipped a test or treatment in the past year, an increase from 17% in 2005 (Sack, New York Times, 4/29). Nearly a quarter of people did not fill a prescription because of cost, the poll found (Freking, AP/Contra Costa Times, 4/29). The poll also found that 19% had skipped doses of medication or cut pills in half and 8% had problems receiving mental health care.
According to the poll, 37% of U.S. residents reported at least one of six financial troubles over the past five years as a result of medical bills:
- 20% had difficulties paying other bills;
- 20% were contacted by a collection agency;
- 17% had used all or most of their savings;
- 12% were unable to pay for basic necessities, such as food, heat or housing;
- 10% had to borrow money; and
- 3% declared bankruptcy (Kaiser Family Foundation release, 4/29).
Altman said, “It is surprising to see that problems paying for health care are right up there with the top pocketbook issues that average Americans are facing and are much higher than some of the other problems you’d expect to see at the top of the list” (San Francisco Chronicle, 4/29).
The poll is available online.
2008 Election Issues Poll Update
The Kaiser Family Foundation also released its April update of the Kaiser Health Tracking Poll: Election 2008 — the seventh in the series that looks at voters’ views of how health care fits in among issues in the 2008 presidential election. The poll found that the economy ranks highest among election issues, followed by the Iraq war and health care, respectively (Kaiser Family Foundation release, 4/29). The poll found that among independents, 46% said that presidential candidates should address health care costs, up from 37% in February, while 25% of independents said the candidates should find a way to cover the nation’s 47 million uninsured, down from 32% in February. “The general election is going to be a contest for independent voters,” Altman said, adding, “To appeal to independent voters, the candidates are increasingly going to have to frame health care as an economic issue” (Los Angeles Times, 4/29).
The April update of the Kaiser Health Tracking Poll: Election 2008 is available online.
The poll is part of a broader effort by the Kaiser Family Foundation to provide a central hub for resources and information about health policy issues in the 2008 election. More information is available online at www.health08.org.
Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.
© 2008 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
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