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'One ringy-dingy, two ringy-dingy' - WHO says, that's who

LOS ANGELES - Cell phones' radiation possibly can cause cancer, the World Health Organization (WHO) told CNN.  It now lists mobile phone use in the same "carcinogenic hazard" category as lead, engine exhaust, and chloroform.  Previously, WHO assured us no adverse health effects were established.  A team of 31 scientists from 14 countries, with the U.S., decided after seeing peer-reviewed studies on cell phone safety.  It found enough evidence to rate personal exposure as "possibly carcinogenic to humans."  That means right now there haven't been enough long-term studies done to make a clear ruling if radiation from cell phones is safe, but there's enough data showing a possible connection that we should be alerted.  "The biggest problem we have is we know most environmental factors take several decades of exposure before we really see the consequences," said Dr. Keith Black, chairman of neurology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

BIRMINGHAM, AL - Hot weather prompts many people to crank up the air-conditioner.  It's especially necessary in these times to not overlook the elderly.  Dr. Richard Allman, director of the University of Alabama/Birmingham Center for Aging, says there are age-related changes in body temp control that put the elderly at risk when temps rise.  "Other things putting older adults at risk is their fitness and function level, number of chronic ills, and number of medications they're taking," he says.  For those who can get around on their own, Dr. Allman suggests they stay indoors with the A/C on.  If they don't have A/C, try to find a place to visit, for example: library, museum, church, or a friend's house.  If a place with A/C can't be found, he advises cool baths/showers; minimal, loose-fitting clothing, and drink plenty of water (unless told to limit fluids by your doctor), while avoiding alcohol.  If there's a need to get out in the heat and be active, he says to drink even more water.  Common symptoms of a heat-related illness can include: heavy sweating, paleness, muscle cramps, tiredness, weakness, dizziness, headache, nausea or vomiting, and fainting.

DAVIS, CA - In a heat wave, everyone knows you need to drink more water.  Health experts say you need more salt, www.HealthNewsDigest.com posted.  The Salt Institute, a global authority on salt, advises anyone in extreme heat - particularly outdoor athletes, infants, and the elderly - drinking too much water without salt can cause a potentially deadly medical emergency with symptoms similar to heat stroke.  "You must replace sodium and potassium along with the water," says Dr. David McCarron, adjunct professor in the Dept. of Nutrition at the University of California.  "This is why athletes drink sports drinks like Gatorade, rather than just water."  When the body loses electrolytes, typically from perspiration, over-rehydration with only water will produce hyponatremia, a.k.a. water intoxication.  Symptoms are similar to heat exhaustion and heat stroke and can often be overlooked.  Symptoms range from mild to severe and can include nausea, muscle cramps, disorientation, confusion, seizures, coma, and death.  To avoid this, consume extra salt.  This should be considered by those exposed to the excessive heat much of the country has experienced.

WASHINGTON - Saadia Greenberg, director of the Office of Performance and Evaluation at the Administration on Aging, disclosed the U.S. Census Bureau released the first nationwide data on age composition of the population measured by the 2010 Decennial Census.  They show, for example, that the population 60 and over increased 11,288,708 (from 45,797,200 to 57,085,908) from the 2000 Census - an increase of  24.6% from the 2000 figure.  State level Census 2010 data is available on the AGID (AGing Integrated Data Base) Web site (data.aoa.gov), and on the statistics section of the main AoA Web site.  (saadia.greenberg@aoa.hhs.gov)

ATHENS, GA - A college baseball player paralyzed partially in an outfield collision was selected by the Texas Rangers in the Major League Baseball’s draft, www.CNN.com reported.  Johnathan Taylor, a University of Georgia junior outfielder who is yet unable to walk since colliding with a teammate on March 6, was drafted in the 33rd round.  The Rangers own the rights to the teammate who collided with him: Taylor's friend, Zach Cone, whom the Rangers took in the draft’s first round.  "We thought selecting Johnathan was the right thing to do," Kip Flagg, the Rangers’ director of amateur scouting, stated.  "We would have drafted him either way, regardless of any other circumstances involving his injury or Zach’s draft status.  "Our area scout in Georgia has had a relationship with Johnathan since he was a high school player.  The club has always liked his passion and ability as a player."

LONDON - Reuters reports scientists found a gene linked to diabetes and cholesterol is a "master switch" that controls other genes in body fat, and say it should help find treatments for obesity-related ills.  In a study in the journal Nature Genetics, the British scientists said that since fat plays an important role in peoples' susceptibility to metabolic diseases like obesity, heart disease, and diabetes, the regulating gene could be a target for drugs to treat such woes.  "This is the first major study that shows how small changes in one master regulator gene can cause a cascade of other metabolic effects in other genes," said Tim Spector, of King's College London, study leader.  One in 10 adults worldwide are obese; the numbers have doubled since the 1980s as the obesity epidemic spilled over from wealthy into poorer nations.  In the U.S., obesity-related ills cover nearly 10% of medical spending - an estimated $147 billion a year.  Type 2 diabetes, often linked to poor diet and lack of exercise, is near epidemic levels worldwide as rates of obesity rise.

PHILADELPHIA - HealthDay News noted Autism takes a grim economic toll, with substantial underemployment and lost income among mothers, University of Pennsylvania researchers found.  This means healthcare costs for a child with Autism, however high, are only part of the equation, and the labor market squeeze on families should be considered whenever policymakers fund Autism care, researchers suggest.  "Mothers are taking lower-paying, more flexible jobs, so they can spend more time taking care of their autistic children," said David Mandell, associate professor of mental health services research in psychiatry.  "It isn't because Autism is more impairing to the child than some other health limitations, but the system that cares for children with Autism is so fragmented it requires mothers to act as case managers in a way that doesn't happen with children with other disorders," Mandell said.  Mothers of children with autism spectrum disorders spend considerable time as advocates with both the healthcare system and schools to get the care and attention their child needs, he explained.  Findings were presented at the International Meeting for Autism Research.

WINSTON-SALEM, NC - Findings from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Diabetes Care reveal a common test may help predict early death for diabetics.  "People with diabetes are already at high risk [for] heart disease and an early death," said Donald Bowden, Ph.D., director of the Center for Diabetes Research at Baptist and lead investigator.  "With this study, we’ve discovered we can identify a subset of individuals within this high-risk group at even higher risk. . .This is already widely available in [as] a computed tomography (CT) scan - a relatively inexpensive, non-invasive test."  Diabetics are at higher risk of heart and vascular disease.  While vascular disease is common in the general population, it's twice as common in diabetics.  At least 60% of diabetics - even those on dialysis for kidney failure - ultimately die of a vascular event, such as heart attack or stroke.

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC - An analysis of several studies shows people with Parkinson’s disease have a significantly higher risk of melanoma, the most dangerous skin cancer and the leading cause of death from skin diseases.  The study in the journal Neurology notes Parkinson’s affects about one million people in the U.S.  "Past studies linking Parkinson’s and melanoma haven't been conclusive, so we wanted to explore a larger group of studies to see whether the link was consistent," said study author Dr. Honglei Chen, Ph.D., of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the American Academy of Neurology.  The research examined 12 studies done 1965-2010 which checked the possible tie between Parkinson’s and melanoma.  Most of them had fewer than 10 cases with both ills.  The study found men with Parkinson’s were twice as likely as those without it to have melanoma.  Women with Parkinson’s were 1 1/2 times as likely to have melanoma versus women without it.

BORDEAUX, FRANCE - A study online at the journal Neurology® suggests consuming olive oil may help prevent a stroke in older people.  "Our research suggests new dietary recommendations be issued to prevent stroke in people 65 and older," said study author Cécilia Samieri, Ph.D., of the University of Bordeaux and the National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM).  "Stroke is so common in older people and olive oil would be an inexpensive and easy way to help prevent it." Scientists checked medical records of 7,625 people 65 and older from Bordeaux, Dijon, and Montpellier.  Participants had no history of stroke.  Olive oil use was listed as "no use," "moderate use," and "intensive use."  Samieri said the study group mainly used extra virgin olive oil, as that is 98% of what is available in France.  After a little over five years, there were 148 strokes.  After considering risk factors for stroke, the study found those who used olive oil regularly for cooking and as dressing had a 41% lower risk of stroke versus those who never used olive oil in their diet.

ORLANDO, FL - Ivanhoe Newswire stresses that while you know how important healthcare benefits are, do you know which services are covered?  It turns out the stuff you thought was too expensive may be covered by your provider!  Here are some ways you can avoid paying double: How much are you paying for that workout?  Many major insurers offer discounts up to 30% on select gym memberships.  Medicare and Medicaid began covering weight-loss surgery five years ago.  Check the "durable medical equipment" section of your policy.  Things like crutches, wheelchairs, and prosthetics may be covered.  A mom with a new baby could cut 90% of a breast pump - a $250 savings.  Experts say the best place to get savings data is the back of your insurance card.  Take a few minutes to call the 800 number supplied to you, and you’ll get a better idea of what your plan covers.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - Ivanhoe Newswire noted the world's first international polypill trial shows a four-in-one combination pill can halve predicted risk of heart disease and stroke.  The once-a-day polypill has aspirin and agents to lower blood pressure and cholesterol.  These drugs are prescribed separately to millions of patients and known individually to cut the risk of disease, but many experts believe combining them into a single pill will encourage people to take the medications more reliably.  "The results show a halving in heart disease and stroke can be expected for people taking this polypill long-term," Prof. Anthony Rodgers, of The George Institute for Global Health, who led the international consortium, was quoted as saying.  "We know from other trials that long-term there would also be a 25-50% lower death rate from colon cancer, plus reductions in other major cancers, heart failure, and renal failure.  These benefits would take several years to 'kick in', but one of the hopes with a polypill is it helps people take medicines long-term."

HOUSTON - An experimental cure for type 1 diabetes has a nearly 80% success rate in curing diabetic mice.  Results offer possible hope of curing a disease that affects 3 million Americans.  "With just one injection of this gene therapy, the mice remain diabetes-free long-term and have a return of normal insulin levels," said Dr. Vijay Yechoor, lead investigator and assistant professor at Baylor College of Medicine.  He and his team used their gene therapy in a non-obese mouse model of type 1 diabetes.  The therapy attempts to counter two defects that cause this autoimmune form of diabetes: autoimmune attack and destruction of the insulin-producing beta cells by T cells.  Investigators added a gene called CD274, or PD-L1, which inhibits activity of the T cells only around the new islets in the liver and not in the rest of the body, he said.  "We want the gene to inactivate T cells only when they come to the new islet cells.  Otherwise, the whole body would become immuno-compromised," he said.  Treatment reversed diabetes in 17 of 22 mice.  Diabetic mice that otherwise live only six to eight weeks were growing normally and were free of diabetes up to 18 weeks after injection of the gene therapy, he said.

SAN FRANCISCO - Ivanhoe Newswire reported men with prostate cancer can aid their outcomes if they walk briskly at least three hours a week after diagnosis, a study found.  "It appears men who walk briskly after their diagnosis may delay or even prevent progression of their disease," lead researcher Erin Richman, Sc.D., research associate at the University of California, stated.  He and his team observed 1,455 men with prostate cancer which hadn't spread.  These patients noted physical activity by questionnaire about 27 months after diagnosis and prior to any evidence of recurrence or second treatment.  Scientists recorded 117 events, including elevations in PSA, secondary treatments, bone metastasis, and prostate cancer-specific death.  They found men who walked briskly for at least three hours a week had a 57% lower rate of progression than men who walked at an easy pace less than three hours a week.  "The benefit from walking depended on how quickly you walked.  Walking at an easy pace didn't seem to have any benefit," said Richman.

BOSTON - HealthDay News disclosed scientists at the U.S. National Library of Medicine at the U.S. National Institutes of Health identified three genes linked to migraine headache and found people who inherit any one of these genes have a 10-15% greater risk for the condition.  Migraine headache is recurring severe headaches, which often result in nausea and sensitivity to light/sound.  In examining genetic data from more than 23,000 women, with over 5,000 migraine sufferers, the team found a tie between the headaches and variations in three genes: TRPM8 (plays a role in sensitivity to cold and pain), LRP1 (involved in transmission of signals between neurons), and PRDM16.  "While migraine remains understood incompletely and its underlying causes difficult to pin down, identifying these three genetic variants helps shed light on the biological roots for this common and debilitating condition," the study's lead author, Dr. Daniel Chasman, assistant professor in the preventive medicine division at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, stated.

HOUSTON - Some people may reconsider grilling hot dogs and steak based on a new report on the link between red/processed meats and ihigher colorectal cancer risk.  Experts at the University of Texas' MD Anderson Cancer Center say small changes to what - and how - you grill can keep cancer off the menu.  You can do something to slice your risk of colorectal cancer, says Sally Scroggs, health education manager at Anderson’s Cancer Prevention Center.  She urges: Skip processed meats like bacon, ham, pastrami, salami, sausage, hot dogs, and pepperoni.  Cancer-causing substances form when these meats are preserved.  Eating too much red meat like lamb and beef (and hamburgers) can raise cancer risk.  Try grilling skinless chicken breasts and fish.  Charring, burning, or grilling meat, poultry, and fish over high temps causes heterocyclic amines to form.  They can damage a person’s genes, raising the risk for stomach and colorectal cancers.

LOS ANGELES - Ivanhoe Newswire noted a unique brain scanner allows assessment of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles- hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease - in adults with Down syndrome.  This finding may help diagnose dementia in adults with Down syndrome.  Adults with it develop Alzheimer's-like plaque and tangle deposits early, often before 40.  Previously, the only way to detect abnormal proteins in this group was through autopsy.  UCLA scientists created a chemical marker - FDDNP - that binds to plaque and tangles, which can be viewed via a positron emission tomography brain scan, yielding a "window into the brain."  Scientists can pinpoint where in the brain these deposits accumulate.  "Neuroimaging may be a helpful tool in assessing and tracking plaque and tangle growth over time in this population," the study's senior author, Dr. Gary Small, a professor at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA, stated.  "Early detection can lead to earlier intervention and treatments, often before symptoms begin."

PITTSBURGH - Ivanhoe Newswire noted the National Commission on Sleep Disorders Research figures over 40 million Americans are chronically ill with sleep disorders.  A study shows among married couples, a wife's inability to fall asleep could cause problems in her marriage.  Scientists found that among wives, taking longer to fall asleep at night predicted reports of more negative and less positive marital relations the next day.  It predicted their husband's reports of less positive marital contact the following day.  Husbands' sleep didn't affect their own or their wife's report of next day's marital contacts.  "We found wives' sleep problems affect her own and her spouse's marital functioning the next day, and these effects were independent of depressive symptoms," study leader Wendy Troxel, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, stated.  "Specifically, wives who took longer to fall asleep the night before reported poorer marital functioning the next day, and so did their husbands," Dr. Troxel said.  Sleep latency, wakefulness after sleep onset, and total sleep time were measured by actigraphy - monitoring human rest/activity cycles, for 10 nights.

HOLMES COUNTY, MS - Life spans in most U.S. counties lags that of the world's healthiest nations, according to a new analysis of government data posted at www.health.com.  For instance, in Holmes County, which has the lowest life expectancy in the U.S., a woman can expect to live 73.5 years, the average life span women in the healthiest nations had in 1957 and have since far surpassed.  To figure how U.S. life spans stack up globally, U.S. and U.K. researchers compared life expectancies in the U.S. to a moving average of those in the 10 nations with the lowest death rates - that includes other affluent countries such as Switzerland, Australia, Japan, and Canada.

WASHINGTON - Caffeine highs followed by a depressing energy crash result if you drink a soda right now, but plenty of www.blisstree.com readers seem okay with that.  Some think it’s alarmist to compare a caffeine and sugar rush to doing drugs, and some just don’t care about the slump after drinking 39 grams of sugar.  Worried about a soda-slurping habit and what happens over the long-term?  You’ll be fatter: The Nurses' Health Study of 90,000 women for eight years showed drinking a single soda every day of the week added 10 pounds over four years.  You’ll probably have diabetes: In the study, women who said they drank one or more servings a day of a sugar-sweetened soft drink or fruit punch were twice as likely to have type 2 diabetes during the study than those who rarely consumed these beverages.  You’re much more to have heart disease: A study in Circulation (American Heart Association) stated subjects who drank a soda every day over four years had a 25% chance of high blood sugar and 32% greater chance of lower "good" cholesterol.  The study found women who drank more than two sugary beverages per day had a 40% higher risk of heart attacks or death from heart disease than women who rarely drank sugary beverages.