Monday, January 20, 2014

1/21/14 Health News: Neurotoxic Pesticides Should Be Reduced - FDA Warns seafood Processor & A Dairy Farm - Narcolepsy Linked to Flu Vaccine - Heavy Drinkers

Human Exposure to Possibly Neurotoxic Pesticides Should Be Reduced, E.U. Safety Agency Recommends
Europe should slash the acceptable human exposure limits on two neonicotinoids — a class of insecticide previously linked to bee declines — says a key European Union safety agency.
In a report released today, the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA), based in Parma, Italy, says that recent research suggests that acetamiprid and imidacloprid “may affect the developing human nervous system”.Continue Reading

FDA ISSUES FIRST WARNING LETTERS OF 2014 TO SEAFOOD PROCESSOR, DAIRY OPERATOR
he first warning letters of the year issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration were delivered to a seafood processing facility in Hawaii and a dairy operator in Pennsylvania. A warning letter is FDA’s principal means of notifying members of a regulated industry of violations.  The agency issues these letters to achieve prompt voluntary... Continue Reading

Scientists Start to Unpick Narcolepsy Link to Flu Vaccine
Results from U.S. researchers showed that narcolepsy, characterized by sudden sleepiness and muscle weakness, can be set off by an immune response to a portion of a protein from the H1N1 virus that is very similar to a portion of the wake-promoting neuropeptide hypocretin, which is a key player in narcolepsy.
Emmanuel Mignot, a narcolepsy researcher and director of the Stanford Center for Sleep Sciences and Medicine who has been funded by GSK to look deeper into the link, said the relationship between H1N1 infection, vaccination and narcolepsy gave his team "some very interesting insight into possible causes of the condition." continue reading

CDC Warns Doctors to Look Out for 38 Million Heavy Drinking Americans
America may have an alcohol problem, according to a new government report that calls on doctors to talk to their patients more about heavy drinking. “Drinking too much alcohol has many more health risks than most people realize,” CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden said in a statement. “Alcohol screening and brief counseling can help people set realistic goals for themselves and achieve those goals.” Alcohol screening and counseling can be covered by most health insurance plans free of charge under the Affordable Care Act, Frieden added. Studies have shown such care can reduce alcohol intake by 25 percent among heavy drinkers. That might bring public health benefits, considering high alcohol intake is linked to about 88,000 U.S. deaths each year. It can also save cash: The CDC estimates heavy drinking costs the American economy about $224 billion when taking into account health care costs, property damage and lost work productivity..Continue Reading

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