As the nation gears up for another July 4th holiday, those with respiratory diseases such as asthma, bronchitis and COPD need to be aware of potential disease flare ups due to soot and ozone propelled into the air by barbecues, fireworks, and the increased number of cars on roads. Exposure to high levels of ozone can cause coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and even heart attacks in both healthy people and those with pulmonary disease. Therefore, be aware of your local pollution level and limit strenuous exercise (which can cause you to inhale more pollutants) during times of increased air pollution. Have a safe and happy fourth!

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Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. surprised US companies this week by backing President Obama’s health care plan which, in part, requires all but small employers to provide insurance coverage for workers. ”As a company, we believe the present health-care system is unsustainable and making the country’s businesses less competitive in the global economy,” said Wal-Mart. However, some believe this is simply Wal-Mart’s strategy to circumvent a measure that is being considered by the Senate Finance Committee which will result in more burdensome health insurance requirements for companies that employ lower-wage workers. Whatever the case may be, it is the rising cost of health care in this country that is hurting both businesses and workers - by restricting wages and growth of businesses. Good health is not a commodity, an economic product that can only be purchased by those with wealth. Companies should not be making money off of our health care needs.

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Physicians and researchers at Cedars-Sinai and Johns Hopkins hosipitals have embarked on an exciting study involving the use of stem cells to fix heart muscle that have been damaged during heart attacks. Heart-specific stem cells are harvested directly from the patient’s own heart and grown in a petri dish. The stem cells form clusters called “cardiospheres” that can even start to beat while in the dish. These cells are then injected back into the damaged heart of the patient from which they came. The researchers are hoping that these new cells will grow into healthy muscle to replace a damaged and scarred heart. This minimally-invasive procedure was completed in the first patient on Friday, June 26, 2009.

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The Food and Drug Administration announced Monday that a sample of cookie dough taken from Nestle’s Danville, Virginia plant has yielded positive test results for E. coli. Since March the FDA and CDC have been trying to find the source of the most recent E. coli outbreak which has affected 69 people in 29 states. “We are very concerned about those who have become ill … and deeply regret that this has occurred,” the company said in a statement. Nestle recalled products can be returned to your local grocer for a full refund.

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The National Cancer Institute just released the results of a large study which examined over half a million Americans and their diets. The main finding was that men and women with the highest total fat consumption were 53% and 23% more likely to develop pancreatic cancer, compared to those with the lowest fat intake. The association was strongest for those whose dietary fat came mostly from red meat and dairy products. Individuals who consumed high levels of saturated fats were 36% more likely to develop pancreatic cancer than those who consumed very low levels. It should be said that although there are positive links seen in this study between pancreatic cancer and fat intake, we cannot for certain say that fat is the culprit. There may be other factors that not were not considered, such as the use of hormones in raising cattle, genetics, etc.

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Using global figures from 2004, researchers estimate that 1 in 25 deaths worldwide is related to alcohol consumption. This includes deaths from injuries, accidents and diseases like liver cirrhosis, cancer and cardiovascular disease. The highest percentage of deaths linked to alcohol were found in countries of the former Soviet Union where 1 in 7 die of an alcohol related cause. One of the countries with the lowest alcohol related mortality is India where about 95% of women and 80% of men abstain from drinking. Much of the focus of this research is to shed light on the parallels between alcohol consumption and tobacco smoking-they both cause high disease and economic burdens, especially on developing countries. The researchers are calling for an international effort in alcohol control, especially in emerging economies like China and Thailand where increasing industrialization and westernization is correlating with increasing alcohol consumption.

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Infectious disease physicians are warning that commonly used rapid HIV tests may not be the best initial exam to rule out HIV in teenagers. Often times teenagers arrive at the physician’s office complaining of flu-like symptoms - sore throat, fatigue, fever, joint and muscle aches. However, acute HIV infection can present exactly as such; this is known as Acute Retroviral Syndrome (ARS). Often times a physician will order a rapid HIV test to rule out ARS,  forgetting that rapid HIV tests detect antibodies to the HIV virus, which will not have been produced in detectable quantities until weeks later. Rather, a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test should be ordered instead, which directly detects the HIV virus itself. This is should be the case for adults as well. If a health care provider has high suspicion that a patient may be HIV positive and is presenting with symptoms of ARS, they should think twice before ordering a rapid HIV test and opt for a PCR test.

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It is not a secret that beautiful people tend to receive preferential treatment. But, how does that impact our ability to parent? A study from Harvard-affiliated McLean Hospital looks to explore this phenomenon. Study volunteers were shown pictures of conventionally attractive babies and others with distinct facial irregularities, such as skin problems or cleft palates. Each photo was shown on a screen for four seconds, but volunteers could extend or shorten the viewing time of each photo by pressing certain computer keys. The study found that women shortened the viewing time of “less-attractive” children 2.5 times more than men. Researchers theorize this is purely an evolutionary response that parents, especially women, would innately devote more energy to the offspring most likely to yield the highest genetic payoff. On the other hand it’s possible that women chose to not look at babies with facial defects because they are more empathetic and sensitive towards these children. Men, on the other hand, chose to extend the viewing time of more aesthetically beautiful children just as often as women, but they did not hurry through pictures of children with facial irregularities.

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A new article in the reputed British medical journal The Lancet is drawing notice to the increasing possibility that our pets may harbor methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, the multi-drug resistant bacteria. MRSA is known to be transmitted between humans, dogs and cats with these pets often becoming reservoirs of the bacteria. In the US and Europe, dog and cat bites consist of 1% of emergency room visits annually. However, as MRSA is on the rise, so is the possibility that household animal bites contain the bacteria. Immediate treatment of canine and feline bites is necessary whether the injury is deep or superficial. This includes thorough cleaning with soap and water, saline, and sometimes antibiotics. Read more about zoonosis, or animal-transmitted infections.

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Next month, the American Academy of Pediatrics will publish its new statement on the pediatrician’s role in preventing youth violence, and for the first time a section on bullying is to be included. One in four children report that they have been involved in bullying - either as the bully or the victim - making this a serious topic in which all physicians, parents, and schools should be proactive in confronting. The aim of the new recommendations is to change the culture of bullying through class discussions, parent meetings and consistent responses to every incidence of bullying. One of the paradigm shifts in thought about bullying is that the victims must be protected, but at the same, attention should be focused on bullies as well - research has shown that bullies are less likely to finish school or hold down a job. Concurrently, victims of bullying are more likely to experience depression and suicidal thoughts. Hopefully, the new recommendations will go a long way in reducing these long-term consequences of bullying and get people to realize that bullying is not a normal part of childhood which is often deemed by parents to be a rite of passage necessary for success later in life.

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