Women's Health: Five out of six women at higher risk reject drugs to prevent breast cancer ♦ Endocrine-disrupting chemicals may be threatening fertility

After menopause, vulvovaginal troubles are common and linked with other pelvic problems

After menopause, more than half of women may have vulvovaginal symptoms that have a big impact on their lifestyle, emotions, and sex life. What's more, the symptoms tend to travel with other pelvic troubles, such as prolapse and urinary and bowel problems. But many women aren't getting help.

Five out of six women at higher risk reject drugs to prevent breast cancer Five in six women with increased risk of breast cancer turn down drugs likely to prevent the disease, according to research new research from the UK. Drugs to block cancer-causing hormones and surveillance with an annual mammogram may be offered to certain women with a family history of the disease when they have a moderate to high risk of breast cancer

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals may be threatening fertility in industrialized countries The birth rate is declining in all industrialized countries, and socioeconomic factors and women's age are not solely to blame. Male reproductive health and environmental factors are also significant, as concluded in a new scientific review article. Mastectomy plus reconstruction has highest rate of complication, for early breast cancer Mastectomy and reconstruction have the highest rate of complications and complication-related costs, regardless of age, suggests a review of guideline-concordant treatment modalities for women with early stage breast cancer. It was also the most expensive treatment option in a younger patient population

Cancer Research: Investigational immunotherapeutic increased bladder cancer survival ♦ Weekday of surgery affects esophageal cancer surgery prognosis

Weekday of surgery affects esophageal cancer surgery prognosis Patients who undergo surgery for esophageal cancer early in the week – on a Monday or Tuesday – have a higher chance of long-term survival than those who have surgery at the end of the working week,

Global task force tackles problem of untreatable cancers and disease relapse: Non-toxic chemicals in plants and foods may be key Many cancer therapies are highly toxic, and even when they appear to work, a significant percentage of patients will experience a relapse after only a few months.  Typically these relapses result from small subpopulations of mutated cells which are resistant to therapy, and doctors who try to address this problem with combinations of therapies find that therapeutic toxicity typically limits their ability to stop most cancers

Investigational immunotherapeutic increased bladder cancer survival Among patients with metastatic bladder cancer that had progressed after platinum-based chemotherapy, those who received an investigational, personalized peptide cancer vaccine and best-supportive care had extended overall survival compared with those who received best-supportive care alone.

Higher nicotine, carcinogen levels among smokeless tobacco users compared with cigarette users U.S. adults who used only smokeless tobacco products had higher levels of biomarkers of exposure to nicotine and a cancer-causing toxicant -- the tobacco-specific nitrosamine NNK -- compared with those who used only cigarettes

12/12/14 Health News: RAW MILK-RELATED OUTBREAKS ON THE RISE♦ Chemicals linked with substantial drop in child IQ ♦ HOW TO STORE EGGS SAFELY

CDC STUDY: NUMBER OF RAW MILK-RELATED OUTBREAKS ON THE RISE

During the three years from 2007 to 2009, 30 foodborne illness outbreaks in the U.S. were connected to raw milk consumption. Yet, in the next three years, from 2010 to 2012, that number rose to 51, according to a new study published in the January issue of Emerging Infectious Diseases, a peer-reviewed monthly journal published... Continue Reading

Prenatal exposure to common household chemicals linked with substantial drop in child IQ Children exposed during pregnancy to elevated levels of two common chemicals found in the home -- di-n-butyl phthalate and di-isobutyl phthalate -- had an IQ score, on average, more than six points lower than children exposed at lower levels, according to researchers. The study is the first to report a link between prenatal exposure to phthalates and IQ in school-age children. Continue Reading

HOW TO STORE EGGS SAFELY: IT’S DEPENDS ON HOW YOU LOOK AT THE DATA

The debate over how to store shell eggs has been going on ever since the chicken laid the first egg, if we assume the former came before the latter. Our ancestors looked at a range of techniques to preserve eggs, from burying them in lime to coating them with sodium silicate (water glass). The methods... Continue Reading

Boosting length of breastfeeding could save NHS more than £40 million every year

Doubling the number of mothers who breastfeed for 7-18 months in their lifetime and helping others to continue for at least four months could save the National Health Service more than £40 million every year, suggests new research Continue Reading

11/30/14 Health News: Chemicals That Poison our Food ♦ Missing gene linked to autism ♦ Drugs better against colorectal cancer ♦ Save thousands with student's DIY microscope

Our Daily Poison: How Chemicals Have Contaminated the Food Chain

(Image: The New Press)Kirkus Reviews praises Our Daily Poison, From Pesticides to Packaging, How Chemicals Have Contaminated the Food Chain and Are Making Us Sick: "For readers with a strong interest in environmental and public health and food safety policy, this may be one of the most important books of the year." Contribute to Truthout and receive the book now by …Continue Reading

Missing gene linked to autism

Researchers have shed light on a gene mutation linked to autistic traits. The team already knew that some people with autism were deficient in a gene called neurexin-II. To investigate whether the gene was associated with autism symptoms, the Leeds team studied mice with the same defect. They found behavioral features that were similar to autism symptoms, including a lack of sociability or interest in other mice. Continue Reading  

One-two punch of drugs better than either alone against colorectal cancer

Experimental anti-cancer agents PF-04691502 and PD-0325901 excel in lab tests against colorectal cancer models and enter phase 1 trial, scientists report. "This study demonstrates strong potential for this combination in treating laboratory models of colorectal cancer. We hope that if we can discover biomarkers that predict which tumors respond and which don't respond to the combination that we can optimize its use," one researcher says.  Continue Reading

Scientists could save thousands with student's DIY microscope

Expensive tests for measuring everything from sperm motility to cancer diagnosis have just been made hundreds of thousands of dollars cheaper by a Ph.D. student from England who hacked his own microscope  Continue Reading

10/29/14 Transplants first circulatory death human heart ♦ Health News:Hand blenders can emit persistent chemicals ♦ Growing a blood vessel in a week

Hand blenders used for cooking can emit persistent chemicals

Eight out of twelve tested models of hand blenders are leaking chlorinated paraffins when used according to the suppliers’ instructions. Chlorinated paraffins are included in the subject group of persistent organic pollutants which humans and animals should be protected from Continue Reading

Australian doctors transplants first circulatory death human heart The St Vincent's Hospital Heart Lung Transplant Unit has carried out the world's first distant procurement of hearts donated after circulatory death (DCD). These hearts were subsequently resuscitated and then successfully transplanted into patients with end-stage heart failure. Continue Reading

Growing a blood vessel in a week The technology for creating new tissues from stem cells has taken a giant leap forward. Three tablespoons of blood are all that is needed to grow a brand new blood vessel in just seven days.Continue Reading

9/914 Health News; Baby foods contain raised levels of cancer risk chemicals ♦ Taiwan food safety remains problematic ♦ French lavender farmers furious over EU regulation

Baby foods, cereals and crisps found to contain raised levels of cancer risk chemicals

Three baby foods as well as crisps, cereals and chips contain raised levels of a chemical linked to cancer.The Food Standards Agency (FSA) found higher than expected levels of acrylamide in a range of popular products.The substance, which develops during the cooking process, has been linked to a higher risk of cancer. Continue Reading

Taiwan food safety remains as problematic as ever

Food safety usually seems to be high on the priority lists of consumers, but it seems like we have little control over it. We trust the suppliers to protect us, but time and time again they have failed us. Tons of recycled oil have been uncovered at a Pingtung factory where products were reprocessed and redistributed through a major supplier, Chang Guann, to many food processing … continue reading

French lavender farmers furious over EU regulation they see as poisonous for their product

The sweet smell of lavender is tinged with bitterness this year in the south of France, as farmers who harvest the flower protest European regulations linking the plant to chemical toxins. Billboards proclaiming "Lavender is not a chemical" dot fields that yield what in Provence is known as blue gold — lavender oil, worth over 100 euros a kilogram. continue reading

7/29/14 Health news: Fears About Ebola Spread Beyond Africa ♦ Do foam cups contain cancer-causing chemicals? ♦ US Food Producers Turning GMO-Free

Ebola Outbreak: New Fears About Ebola Spread Beyond Africa

DAKAR, Senegal—No one knows for sure just how many people Patrick Sawyer came into contact with the day he boarded a flight in Liberia, had a stopover in Ghana, changed planes in Togo, and then arrived in Nigeria, where authorities say he died days later from Ebola, one of the deadliest diseases known to man.Continue Reading

Do foam cups contain cancer-causing chemicals?

A chemical used in foam cups and disposable food containers may cause cancer, scientists have warned.Styrene can be 'reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen', the National Research Council in the U.S. said yesterday.The conclusion was reached by a team of 10 experts in toxicology, chemistry and medicine.Continue Reading

US Food Producers Turning GMO-Free with Little to No Advertising

MOSCOW, July 29 (RIA Novosti) - US food producers have been eliminating genetically modified organisms (GMOs) from their products without any special announcements, NPR reported. While some companies, like ice cream company Ben & Jerry’s, are advertising their healthy switch as loudly as possible, others are experimenting with the elimination of GMO “cautiously and quietly.” “ … continue reading

7/10/14 Health News: HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS USED IN FOOD PACKAGING ♦ IMPACT OF FOODBORNE PARASITES ♦ WASHINGTON STATE SUBJECTS POT TO MICROBIOLOGICAL TESTS

UN REPORT RANKS GLOBAL HEALTH IMPACT OF FOODBORNE PARASITES

When it comes to food safety concerns, foodborne parasites might not receive as much attention in the U.S. compared to bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella. Globally, however, foodborne parasites affect the health of millions of people annually, causing debilitating and potentially deadly conditions and sometimes living within humans for years. A new report... Continue Reading

STUDY: 175 HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS USED IN FOOD CONTACT PACKAGING

According to a new study by the Food Packaging Forum, 175 chemicals with known hazardous properties are legally used in the production of food contact packaging in Europe and the U.S. Food packaging and other materials coming in contact with food (e.g. foils, cans, pans, storage containers) continuously release mixtures of synthetic substances into food... Continue Reading

WASHINGTON STATE SUBJECTS POT TO MICROBIOLOGICAL TESTS ON DAY ONE

After just one day of recreational marijuana sales in Washington state, and more than six months in Colorado, the questions that remain are mostly about those pot-infused food products. And, when it comes to food safety, Washington state is off to a safer start than Colorado. Only in those two states now can anyone age... Continue Reading

Albertsons to Pay $3.4 Million to Settle Illegal Disposal of Hazardous Waste

The Albertsons company was ordered Tuesday to pay more than $3 million to settle a lawsuit accusing the grocery chain of illegal disposal, transportation, storage and mismanagement of hazardous waste at its 188 California locations. Continue Reading

4/9/14 Health News: CHEMICALS ‘QUIETLY ADDED’ TO FOOD ♦ Wis. Cheese Contaminated ♦ Liquid effluent, stagnant water and mice at illegal tofu factory ♦ Texas Children Have High Ch olesterol

REPORT IDENTIFIES CHEMICALS ‘QUIETLY ADDED’ TO FOOD UNDER GRAS

The “generally recognized as safe,” or GRAS, determination for food additives has been getting a lot of attention lately for being a regulatory loophole. The main issue is that GRAS allows companies to decide whether a substance meets the definition of GRAS without mandating a review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration before being... Continue Reading

CDC: LISTERIA PROBABLY CONTAMINATED WI CHEESE DURING PRODUCTION PROCESS

A Listeria outbreak in the Midwest linked to one death and a miscarriage likely was caused by contamination during the cheesemaking process, according to a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Inspection of the cheese-making facility revealed that substantial sanitation deficiencies during the cheesemaking process itself, after the milk was...Continue Reading

Liquid effluent, stagnant water and mice infestation found at illegal tofu factory

An illegal tofu factory in Erith has been busted by Bexley Council twice in a month after it was found to be infested with mice. Food safety officers first visited the business, Soy, in Hailey Road on March 18 following a tip-off and found the illegal production of tofu. The unregistered property was not only operating unlawfully but found to be unhygienic, ridden with mice and full of "stagnant water and liquid effluent".Continue Reading

One-Third of Children Tested in Texas Have Borderline or High Cholesterol

One in three children undergoing routine lipid screening in primary-care pediatric clinics have cholesterol levels considered high or borderline high, according to a new analysis. Regarding LDL-cholesterol levels, 46% of children have borderline-high or elevated levels and 44% have HDL-cholesterol levels considered low or borderline low,. Continue Reading

11/16/13 Health News:, Disease Diagnosing Smartphone, Labeling Meat for Growth Chemicals,

USDA INTRODUCES CERTIFICATION PROGRAM FOR MEAT WITHOUT GROWTH-ENHANCING DRUGS

A new U.S. Department of Agriculture certification program for livestock producers may permit them to market their products with a special “Never Fed Beta Agonists” label. Beta agonists are feed additives used to increase muscle mass and promote weight gain in livestock animals. The drugs are typically added to feed along with vitamins and given...Continue Reading

FDA SHOULD EXPAND FOCUS AND ADOPT FOOD SYSTEMS APPROACH TO SAFETY

Want to hear something delicious? Recently the Food and Drug Administration reported that 12 percent of all U.S. spice imports were contaminated with non-spice-like objects, including whole insects and rodent hairs. As Americans, we are lucky to have FDA, which has been (for years) comprehensively studying the issue of spice safety and is moving toward... Continue Reading

Health IT Could Reduce Demand For Physicians

If health IT were fully implemented in 30% of community-based physicians' offices, the gains in efficiency would reduce demand for physicians by 4% to 9%, according to a new study in Health Affairs. If 70% of office-based physicians adopted comprehensive health IT -- including interoperable EHRs, clinical decision support, provider order entry and patient Web portals with secure messaging -- the impact on physician workforce requirements would be twice as large, the study said.

In addition, the study pointed out, 5% to 10% of real-time "office-based care" could be delivered remotely by providers whose patients are not in the physician's office. Continue reading

Utah Physician Invents Disease-Diagnosing Smartphone App

Intermountain Medical Center physician Joel Ehrenkranz has invented a smartphone app that diagnoses diseases. To show how his i-calQ app works, Ehrenkranz drew a small amount of blood from Brittnie, an expectant mother. She was not in a clinic or a lab, but outside in a small park. Ehrenkranz placed the blood sample in a holder then inserted it into an inexpensive reader attached to a smartphone.  In one minute, the smartphone had the results of her blood hemoglobin. Within 15 minutes, it had evaluated her thyroid test.

…Ehrenkranz got the idea for this new technology in 2007 while working on the border between Uganda and the Congo. During an Ebola outbreak he theorized the beginnings of smartphone technology that could evolve into an immediate diagnosing tool. continue reading

Fungicide Causing Deaths in Honey Bees

Honey bees are quickly disappearing from flowers and fields. They are succumbing to disease and colony collapse disorder. Now, scientists may have found part of the reason why these insects are dying; they've discovered that fungicides, could be responsible for bees'  unable to fight off a potentially lethal parasite.

Honey bees are an important to the ecosystem, pollinating flowers that will produce fruit and seeds. Farmers rent bees or keep bees of their own in order to help pollinate crops and produce higher yields. Over the years, these insects have begun to disappear. Researchers found that beekeepers lost 31 percent of their colonies in late 2012 and early 2013.

In order to see what was affecting these bees, researchers collected pollen from honey bee hives in fields from Delaware to Maine. They then analyzed the samples to find out which flowering plants were the bees' main pollen sources and what agricultural chemicals were being introduced into the pollen and, consequently, the honey. In addition, the scientists fed pesticide-laden pollen samples to healthy bees and then tested them for their ability to resist infection with the parasite Nosema ceranae. This parasite affects adult honey bees and has been linked to colony collapse disorder.

In the end, the researchers found that the pollen samples contained 9 different agricultural chemicals. These included fungicides, insecticides, herbicides and miticides. In addition, they discovered that sublethal levels of multiple agricultural chemicals were present in every sample; in fact, one contained as many as 21 different pesticides. The most prevalent of these were the fungicide chlorothalonil and the insecticide fluvalinate.

They didn't just find these chemicals present in the honey, though. The researchers found that bees fed pollen samples containing chlorothalonil were nearly three times more likely to be infected by the deadly parasite Nosema than bees that were not exposed to these chemicals. This is a huge finding in terms of determining exactly what may be harming these insects.

"We don't think of fungicides as having a negative effect on bees, because they're not designed to kill insects," said Dennis vanEngelsdorp, one of the researchers.

Federal regulations restrict the use of insecticides while bees are foraging, but that isn't the case with fungicides. "But there are no such regulations on fungicides, so you'll often see fungicide applications going on while bees are foraging on the crop. This finding suggests that we have to reconsider that policy."