Natural Solutions Foundation - May 14, 2008
CRISIS: HIGH-DANGER CONGRESSIONAL THREAT TO SUPPLEMENTS
URGENT - DIETARY SUPPLEMENT THREAT - PLEASE FORWARD AS WIDELY AS POSSIBLE - DRUG COMPANY SEES COMPETITION, TRIES TO KILL IT
Maybe you take weight loss supplements and maybe you don't. But protecting them, and the claims that the FDA recognizes are appropriate for them, has become a matter of urgency since GlaxoSmithKlein (GSK)has attacked the entire supplement industry through direct threat to our supplements and the entire supplement industry. GSK is using two arrows aimed at the heart of the supplement industry.

ScienceDaily (Mar. 10, 2008)
Broccoli May Help Boost Aging Immune System
— Eat your broccoli! That's the advice from UCLA researchers who have found that a chemical in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables may hold a key to restoring the body's immunity, which declines as we age.
What’s new: That starting so young pays off, too.

By Linda A. Johnson ASSOCIATED PRESS 7:01 a.m. May 14, 2008
Study: Over half of Americans on chronic medicines
TRENTON, N.J. – For the first time, it appears that more than half of all insured Americans are taking prescription medicines regularly for chronic health problems, a study shows. The most widely used drugs are those to lower high blood pressure and cholesterol – problems often linked to heart disease, obesity and diabetes.

The Associated Press updated 8:36 a.m. ET, Wed., May. 14, 2008
More than half of Americans on chronic meds
Blood pressure, cholesterol drugs are most widely used, new study shows
TRENTON, N.J. - For the first time, it appears that more than half of all insured Americans are taking prescription medicines regularly for chronic health problems, a study shows.
The most widely used drugs are those to lower high blood pressure and cholesterol — problems often linked to heart disease, obesity and diabetes.

The Associated Press updated 4:06 p.m. ET, Tues., May. 13, 2008
Exercising as teen may stave off breast cancer
Working out as young as 12 can guard against later malignancy, study says
WASHINGTON - Get your daughters off the couch: New research shows exercise during the teen years — starting as young as age 12 — can help protect girls from breast cancer when they’re grown.
Middle-aged women have long been advised to get active to lower their risk of breast cancer after menopause.
What’s new: That starting so young pays off, too.

Air Pollution Linked to Blood Clots in Legs (*this news item will not be available after 08/10/2008)
Study suggests dirty air may be even more dangerous than previously thought
  HealthDay Monday, May 12, 2008

MONDAY, May 12 (HealthDay News) -- Long-term exposure to the tiny, dirty particles in polluted air seems to increase the risk of deep vein thrombosis, which are blood clots in the thighs or legs, an Italian study finds. "It is well-established that air pollution causes myocardial infarction [heart attack] and stroke," said Dr. Andrea Baccarelli, who led the study while at the Harvard School of Public Health. "This is the first time that anyone has connected air pollution with deep vein thrombosis."

Celebrex, Naproxen Won't Prevent Mental Decline (*this news item will not be available after 08/10/2008)
New findings suggest daily use of naproxen might even harm cognitive function
  HealthDay Monday, May 12, 2008

MONDAY, May 12 (HealthDay News) -- Contrary to prior studies, a new trial shows that daily use of two popular pain-relieving drugs, Celebrex and naproxen, does not prevent cognitive decline in people with a family history of Alzheimer's disease. In fact, naproxen, which goes under the brand names Aleve and Naprosyn, may even have a deleterious effect on cognitive function, the study found.

Drugs for Restless Legs Syndrome Have Downsides (*this news item will not be available after 08/10/2008)
Analysis finds side effects, loss of effectiveness over time
 HealthDay Monday, May 12, 2008

MONDAY, May 12 (HealthDay News) -- The drugs that are widely used to treat restless legs syndrome do provide relief, but they are burdened by side effects and a gradual loss of effectiveness that causes many sufferers to stop taking them, a new analysis finds. "One of the things that we found that we can't fully explain is that they have more robust effects early in therapy," said study co-author C. Michael White, an associate professor of pharmacy practice at the University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy. The report was published in the May/June issue of the Annals of Family Medicine. White and his colleagues looked at 14 trials of four nonergot dopamine agonist (NEDA) drugs, one of which never reached the market. The other three, pramipexole (Mirapex), ropinirole (Requip) and rotigotine (Neupro) are the mainstays of treatment for a condition that affects 5 percent to 10 percent of American adults. "This kind of meta-analysis hasn't been done before," White said. "There have been lots of studies to assess their effects, but they didn't look at things like rates of withdrawal and risks associated with using the therapy."

Enemas can help children with voiding problems (*this news item will not be available after 06/11/2008)
  Monday, May 12, 2008
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Urination problems coupled with chronic constipation in children can be cured by enemas, according to the results of a Dutch study in the journal Urology.
Children with this problem, also referred to as "dysfunctional voiding," can have a variety of symptoms including urgent urination, frequent urination, and incontinence. Children with the disorder are at increased risk for urinary tract infections. Treatment of the disorder depends on the underlying cause and may include a combination of behavioral, biofeedback, and medical interventions.

High Blood Pressure, Cholesterol Associated With Eye Disease
Risk for retinal vein blockage more than doubles when these conditions go untreated
URL of this page: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_64507.html (*this news item will not be available after 08/10/2008)
  HealthDay Kevin McKeever Monday, May 12, 2008

MONDAY, May 12 (HealthDay News) -- High blood pressure and high cholesterol levels not only are bad for your heart, they may also harm your eyesight, a new report suggests. The two conditions appear to increase one's risk for retinal vein occlusion, a condition that leads to vision loss. It results from one or more veins carrying blood from the eye to the heart becoming blocked and causing bleeding or fluid build-up, according to background information in the report published in the May issue of the Archives of Ophthalmology.

Breastfeeding halves rheumatoid arthritis risk
Tue May 13, 1:55 AM ET
Women who breastfeed their babies longer are less likely to get rheumatoid arthritis, Swedish researchers said on Tuesday.
Mothers who breastfed for 13 months or more were half as likely to get the painful joint condition as women who never breastfed, said Mitra Pikwer and colleagues at the Malmo University Hospital in Sweden, who led the study.

China now No. 1 CO2 offender
By Traci Watson, USA TODAY
WASHINGTON ­ China has overtaken the USA to become the world's No. 1 industrial source of carbon dioxide, the most important global-warming pollutant, according to a scientific study to be published today.
The study and two others ­ one recently published and another coming ­ agree that China's carbon-dioxide emissions surpassed those in the USA in 2006. That's decades earlier than had been predicted by the International Energy Agency four years ag

Work exposure to weed killers tied to brain cancer NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Women whose jobs regularly expose them to weed killers may have a higher-than-normal risk of a particular form of brain cancer, results of a U.S. study suggest.
Researchers found that among more than 1,400 U.S. adults with and without brain cancer, there was no overall link between the disease and on-the-job exposure to pesticides or herbicides -- chemicals used to kill plants, usually weeds.

More commercial bee colonies lost
Story Highlights Survey: 36.1 percent of nation's commercially managed hives lost since last year
New diseases, pesticide drift, old enemies like parasitic mite blamed
Survey included 327 operators -- 19 percent of U.S. commercial beehives
About 29 percent of deaths due to collapse disorder, in which bees abandon hives
SAN FRANCISCO, California (AP) -- A survey of bee health released Tuesday revealed a grim picture, with 36.1 percent of the nation's commercially managed hives lost since last year.

Cow's milk may increase the risk of diabetes 09 May 2008 NewScientist.com news service
Does drinking infant formula made of cow's milk increase the risk of developing type 1 diabetes? In 1993, a Finnish study found that consuming dairy products early on correlated with diabetes risk. One explanation is that beta-lactoglobulin, a protein in cow's, but not human, milk prompts babies to make antibodies that also attack glycodelin, a protein vital for training the immune system. The mistuned immune system then mistakenly destroys insulin-producing pancreatic cells, leading to type 1 diabetes.

How cleaning up America dried up the Amazon May 2008 NewScientist.com news service Mason Inman. We have all heard how a butterfly flapping its wings in the Amazon may cause storms in far off places. But it seems that environmental effects can go in the other direction too – reductions in air pollution in North America have led to severe droughts in the Amazon rainforest, according to a new study.

By KIMBERLY HEFLING - 19 hours ago
Questions and answers about veterans suicide
WASHINGTON (AP) - Veterans Affairs Secretary James Peake took heated questions this week on Capitol Hill about whether his agency was withholding information about the number of veterans who are committing suicide. His testimony was prompted by the disclosure of e-mails during a recent trial that seemed to suggest some VA officials were hiding the number of veterans trying to kill themselves. Peake promised to make the agency more transparent.

Europeans get drunk 'to have sex'
Young adults in Europe deliberately binge on drink and drugs to improve their sex lives, research suggests. The UK has one of the worst reputations for binge drinking and underage sex but there are striking similarities between countries, a study found. Alcohol was strongly associated with underage sex

Wednesday, 30 April 2008 By Dawood Azami One Planet, BBC World Service
Afghan 'health link' to uranium
Doctors say there has been a rapid rise in infant health conditions. Doctors in Afghanistan say rates of some health problems affecting children have doubled in the last two years. Some scientists say the rise is linked to use of weapons containing depleted uranium (DU) by the US-led coalition that invaded the country in 2001. A Canadian research group found very high levels of uranium in Afghans during tests just after the invasion..