Over a 15 year period, women with low bone mineral density and a previous vertebral fracture had an increased risk of a new vertebral fracture compared to women with normal bone mineral density and no previous fracture, according to a study in the December 19 issue of JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association.Vertebral fractures are the most common osteoporotic fracture, with prevalence estimates of 35 percent to 50 percent among women older than 50 years. About 700,000 vertebral fractures occur each year in the United States, according to background information in the article. Women with low bone mineral density (BMD) and previous vertebral fractures have a greater risk of new vertebral fractures over the short-term, but their risk of vertebral fracture over the long-term is uncertain.

Jane A. Cauley, Dr.P.H., of the University of Pittsburgh, and colleagues examined the absolute risk of new vertebral fractures by spine and hip BMD and previous vertebral fracture status over 15 years of follow-up in a group of 9,704 white women, who were recruited at four U.S. clinical centers and enrolled in the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures. Of these, 2,680 attended a clinic visit an average of 14.9 years after entering the study. The average age of the women was 68.8 years at entry and 83.8 years at follow-up.

The researchers found that of these 2,680 women, 487 (18.2 percent) experienced a new vertebral fracture, including 163 (41.4 percent) of the 394 with a previous vertebral fracture at baseline and 324 (14.2 percent) of the 2,286 without a previous vertebral fracture at baseline. Women who experienced a new fracture also weighed less, were more likely to have a positive fracture history and a previous vertebral fracture at study entry, and less likely to report estrogen use at baseline.

Women with a previous vertebral fracture at baseline had more than four times the odds of experiencing a new vertebral fracture over follow-up compared with women without a previous vertebral fracture at baseline. The risk was greatest among women with two or more previous fractures at baseline.

Low BMD was a strong predictor of new vertebral fracture. About one-third of women with a low hip BMD measurement had a new vertebral fracture, compared with about 10 percent of women with normal BMD. The absolute risk of vertebral fractures was 56 percent among women with both a previous vertebral fracture and BMD in the osteoporotic range. In contrast, women with normal BMD and no previous fracture had an absolute risk of about 9 percent.

“Our results support the recommendation that older women with a prevalent vertebral fracture should be treated for osteoporosis irrespective of BMD. Treatment of women with prevalent asymptomatic vertebral fractures with bisphosphonates and selective estrogen receptors modulators has been shown to decrease fracture incidence,” the authors write.

Information is taken from: The Journal of the American Medical Association.

A chair that undulates, a mouse that vibrates, a monitor suspended over a desk on a movable arm. These are some of the kinds of newfangled ergonomic products that Alan Hedge, international authority on office ergonomics, studies to see if they can prevent repetitive motion injuries among the estimated 100 million people who now use computers in the United States.

“One-third to one-half of all compensatory injuries are repetitive-motion injuries associated with office-type work,” says Hedge, professor of design and environmental analysis in Cornell’s College of Human Ecology.

Back injuries also account for one-third of all workplace injuries. A decade ago most of these were associated with heavy lifting. Today they are mostly caused by people sitting for longer periods of time — often in front of a computer.

The younger onset of computer use makes the current rate of compensatory damage claims the canary in the coal mine. There is typically a 10- to 15-year latency before injuries start to develop, Hedge has found. In the early 1990s he showed that the average age of workers reporting carpal tunnel syndrome was late 30s to early 40s; last year, he found the average age of onset had dropped to the mid-20s and even younger for some people.

“Now kids are using computers at age 2, so by the time they enter the workforce they’ll already be primed for injuries,” Hedge says. “This is very serious because an injury can become life-changing; carpal tunnel, for example, is not curable. They’ll have to manage this chronic condition for the rest of their lives.”

To better determine how design concepts can prevent such injuries, Hedge’s Cornell Human Factors and Ergonomics Research Group studies innovative products. Among his recent projects:

* Vibrating mouse: To see if a vibrating mouse could prevent upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders in computer users by signaling people to take their hand off the mouse to avoid overuse, Hedge and graduate student Chris Moe reported at the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting in October 2007 that although subjects do remove their hands more often with a vibrating mouse than with a conventional mouse, they tended to hold their hand just above the mouse.

“This position is potentially more detrimental because of a potential increase in static muscle activity required to hover the hand,” Hedge says, concluding that people should rest their hands on a flat surface when they feel the vibration.

* Undulating chairs: Another study examined whether a seat that made a continuous massaging, wavelike movement at an adjustable rate would alleviate back pain in people whose pain increases when they are seated. Although his findings were mixed, Hedge and graduate student Erin Lawler concluded that the movable seat was a concept with promise, particularly for individuals with back problems.

* Movable arms for monitors: A third study looked at how suspending a flat panel computer monitor on a movable arm affects people’s comfort, posture and preference. Hedge and graduate student Kathryn Boothroyd found that people unanimously liked the monitor arm because they could adjust their LCD screen, and it gave them more room on their desktop for documents.

“We saw fewer complaints about neck problems and about the workstation because people had more space,” says Hedge. He was surprised, however, that users liked the versatility of the movable arm to show others what was on their screen. “This simple design change in screen adjustability has many potential benefits associated with it,” Hedge concludes.

“Everything we do can be summed up in the phrase: Good ergonomics is great economics,” Hedge says. “More than 90 percent of a company’s costs are people costs, so making small investments in improving the workplace by using good ergonomic products pays huge dividends.”

Source: Medical News Today

Provided they stick to the same guidelines about alcohol consumption as younger adults, regular moderate drinking poses no additional risks to the over 65s, and may even bring health benefits, according to two studies from the Peninsula Medical School in the South West of England.Researchers assessed the drinking levels of over 13,000 older people in England and the US and looked at the effects on physical disability, mortality, cognitive function, depression, and well-being. They concluded that moderate drinking is fine for the over 65s - and in some cases is better than not drinking at all.

This will be good news to the elderly who want to get into the festive spirit, and who until now have lived by the commonly held belief that they have to reduce their alcohol consumption as they get older.

“We are not advocating that elderly people should go out and get ridiculously drunk,” said Dr. Iain Lang, lead author of the two studies from the Peninsula Medical School. “What we are saying is that current guidelines on drinking for the elderly are too conservative, and that a couple of drinks a day will do no harm, and will in fact have a more beneficial affect on cognitive and general health than abstinence.”

Research showed that 10.8 per cent of US men, 28.6 per cent of UK men, 2.9 per cent of US women and 10.3 per cent of UK women drank more than the US National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism recommended limit for people aged 65 and over. The research also showed that those drinking on average more than one to two drinks a day achieved similar health results as those drinking on average more than zero to one drink a day. The worst results were in those who did not drink at all and in those who were heavy drinkers.

The shape of the relationship between alcohol consumption and the risk of disability were similar in men and women.

Said Dr. Lang: “The upshot of this research is that ‘a little of what you fancy does you good.’ There is no reason why older people should not enjoy a tipple this Christmas, as long as they are sensible about it. Previous research has shown that middle-aged people can benefit from moderate drinking - these findings show the same applies to the over-65s.”

WASHINGTON, Dec. 6, 2007 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) understands that many Americans enjoy cooking foods that are family favorites and mailing these items to family and friends. Others choose to order food from catalogs, over the Internet or by phone. So the gift is in the mail, but is it safe?

USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) recommends that consumers take preventative steps to ensure that perishable foods be packaged and shipped to maintain a safe temperature so that mailed food items reach their final destination safe for consumption, whether the items are sent to domestic or foreign addresses.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), perishable food held at unsafe temperatures is one of the top causes of foodborne illness. Foodborne bacteria that may be present on perishable food grow fastest at temperatures between 40 °F and 140 °F, also known as the “Danger Zone,” and those bacteria can double every 20 minutes. Pathogenic bacteria may not affect the taste, smell or appearance of a food so the recipient may not be able to tell that a food has been mishandled or is unsafe to eat.

Perishable foods, such as meat, poultry, fish and soft cheeses must be kept at or below 40 °F to remain safe. These foods can only be safely held at room temperature for two hours, so tolerating a week or more in the mail without a cold source is unsafe. If these foods aren’t kept cold during delivery, the food may become unsafe and cause foodborne illness when eaten.

The following food safety tips will help the purchaser and recipient determine if their perishable foods ordered on Internet or by mail order catalog have been handled properly and continue to Be Food Safe:

• Make sure the company sends perishable items, like meat or poultry, cold or frozen and packed with a cold source and in foam or heavy corrugated cardboard.
• The food should be delivered as quickly as possible — ideally, overnight. Make sure perishable items and the outer shipping package are clearly labeled “Keep Refrigerated” to alert the recipient.
• When receiving a food item marked “Keep Refrigerated,” open it immediately and check its temperature. The food should arrive frozen or partially frozen with ice crystals still visible. Even if a product is smoked, cured and/or fully cooked, it still is a perishable product and must be kept cold. If perishable food arrives warm — above 40 °F as measured with a food thermometer — notify the company. Do not taste or consume the suspect food.
• Tell the recipient if the company has promised a delivery date, or alert the recipient that “the gift is in the mail” so someone is ready to receive it. Don’t have perishable items delivered to an office unless you know it will arrive on a work day and there is refrigerator space available for keeping it cold.

Food safety specialists at USDA’s Meat and Poultry Hotline offer the following advice for sending non-refrigerated food gifts through the mail:

• Dried food items including beef or poultry products such as jerky, dried fruits, canned nuts, dehydrated soups or drink mixes, and commercially packaged trail mix are safe to mail. Bacteria can’t grow in foods preserved by removing moisture.
• Canned meat and fish specialties, dips and cracker spreads also make nice treats. Recipients should be cautioned not to use any cans that appear to be damaged or swollen.
• Condiments such as hot sauce and Cajun seasonings in packets or unbreakable jars are great gifts for aspiring chefs and spice lovers. Foods should not be mailed in glass containers because they can break during delivery.
• Dense and dry baked goods such as fruit cakes and biscotti are good choices for mailing because they will not mold. Other suitable baked goods include commercially packaged cakes, cookies and crackers shipped in airtight tins.
• When mailing baked goods like sugar cookies or homemade candies, wrap each piece individually and pack items in Styrofoam packing peanuts or foam to help cushion food during the trip. Place the food gifts in a sturdy box and seal it securely with packing tape.
• Hard candies and homemade sweets such as pralines and toffee are safe to mail because their high sugar content prevents bacterial growth.

As an alternative to homemade gifts, some families may wish to send mail order foods. Shelf stable beef “summer sausages,” cheeses, cakes and other snacks can be ordered on the Internet or through mail order catalogs.

Information is taken from: FSIS resource.

The US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has warned about a possible salmonella contamination of ground beef sold at Safeway food stores.

The FSIS public health alert issued on 20th December, follows a multi-state investigation by the Arizona Department of Health Services, the California Department of Public Health, and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), of outbreaks of 38 cases of salmonellosis or infection by Salmonella, in Arizona (16 cases), California (18 cases), Idaho (1 case) and Nevada (3 cases).

Public health officials carried out a case controlled epidemiological investigation of the different outbreaks after finding the bacteria had the same genetic fingerprint. The pattern was spotted in the PulseNet database that is kept by the CDC. The database is a way of pooling lab results on a national scale to help identify large scale outbreaks.

The contamination is thought to have occurred in beef that was ground and sold at Safeway supermarkets between 19th September and 5th November 2007, in the states of Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada and New Mexico.

Despite an exhaustive investigation, FSIS said it was not able to identify specific establishments and track down lot and product codes, which would have led to a specific product recall, so it decided to issue a general alert instead. The federal agency said there is no reason to believe the products are still on sale.

Consumers who bought fresh ground beef products from Safeway supermarkets between 19th September and 5th November and put them in the freezer should throw them away.

This outbreak involves a relatively rare strain of the bacteria called Salmonella Newport which is resistant to many commonly prescribed drugs and causes the same symptoms as other strains of Salmonella including diarrhoea, stomach cramps, vomiting and fever within 8 to 72 hours.

Because this strain of Salmonella is multi-drug resistant, it could increase the risk of treatment failure in some people, who may need to go to hospital.

Salmonellosis is usually disagreeable rather than dangerous. It can be life-threatening however to those with weakened immune systems such as infants, the elderly and persons with HIV infection or undergoing chemotherapy.

To reduce your chance of getting a foodborne illness, you should always take care when handling and preparing raw meat. Here is a reminder:
Wash hands with warm, soapy water for at least 20 seconds before and after handling raw meat and poultry.

• Wash cutting boards, dishes and utensils with hot soapy water.
• Clean up spills straight away.
• Keep raw meat out of contact with other food that will not be cooked.
• Don’t let raw meat drip onto other food in the refrigerator; keep it in a leak proof container.
• Use separate cutting boards for raw meat, poultry, egg products and cooked foods.
• Cook raw meat to a minimum internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit (71 degrees Centigrade).
• Raw poultry should be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit (74 degrees Centigrade).
• Get a food thermometer so you can measure internal temperature correctly.
• Put raw and cooked meat and poultry in the refrigerator within two hours of being bought or cooked, or within 1 hour on hot days.

Source: FSIS news.

Do you want to protect yourself and your relatives from being attacked by millions of germs? Do you use soap, tooth paste and washing powder with antibacterial effect? If this is true, then all your cosmetic and hygienic chemicals are almost sure to contain Triclozan. Triclozan was invented in 1965 and it was used in washing powders to take away bad smell. Soon enough this chemical was added to soap, tooth-paste, creams, lotions and thousands of other things. Thanks to advertisements we all know that Triclozan has a lot of health-giving properties. It has a strong anti-germ effect and is proved to kill bacteria instead of simply washing ‘em away.
But this chemical has some serious drawbacks and I am intended to tell you about them:

• It is a scientifically proven fact that there is no difference between “ordinary” soap and that with Triclozan. Anti bacterial soap should be used only when your hands are damaged and have wounds. In all other cases normal soap is more preferable.

• Continuous use of triclozan containing chemicals may lead to permanent triclozan resistance. This fact may lead to a higher risk of bacterial and viral diseases. As triclozan resistance decreases the effect of other antibiotic medications.
• Triclozan reacts with chlorine contained in the water and harmful chloroform is generated. Chloroform is a carcinogen that doesn’t add any health to our organisms. Besides that, another dangerous poisonous chemical could be formed Dioxin; it is very dangerous to people’s health.

Triclozan containing chemicals are more expensive than their “ordinary” competitors and have doubtful benefits. So try to avoid excessive usage of such dangerous household and hygienic chemicals. Most doctors prescribe a course of antibiotics for prophylaxis of viral and bacterial diseases. One or two courses of Amoxil, Cipro or Zithromax annually, guarantees you a good well-being and wonderful mood. Never put you health at stake, using dangerous chemicals.

Depressive states are quite frequent in our modern busy lives. More and more people are suffering from its negative factors. Relatives and people we love suffer from our depressions as well. There is a huge variety of antidepressant drugs that are used all over the world to defeat depression but recent researches showed that this psychological disorder could be treated and avoided by means of active life and going in for physically active sports.

Motion activity stimulates brain to produce a natural antidepressant that helps to overcome depression. This antidepressant protein called VGF is natural to the body and doesn’t have any side effects in comparison with synthetical drugs. Physical activity stimulates the brain just as electrical therapy. ET may be dangerous to your health so it is obvious that sport is the best and most harmless way to defeat depression. It is widely known that sport helps to improve one’s mood but reasons for such an effect were not known until recent time. Even severe depressions could be cured by physical activity due to its unique effects on the brain and nervous system. If you do physical exercises regularly, metabolism of your organism improves greatly, and neuron plasticity increases.

So lead a healthy active life and you will avoid depressions and get rid from this problem once and for all. Stay healthy.