Archive for the ‘Health’ Category
The hidden war within and around us.
Posted by forsythkid on August 22, 2010
Posted in Bacteria, Editorial, Health | Tagged: Book review, Danomanno, Forsythkid, MRSA, VISA, VRSA | Leave a Comment »
Ragweed allergies are not very cool!
Posted by forsythkid on August 19, 2010
Actually most weeds like it hot and dry. Their pollen spreads further in those conditions. As August now arrived so does the infamous ragweed flourish. Every year the fields around where I live in southwest Missouri become jammed pack with this most pernicious maker of misery. A member of the Asteraceae family, the genus name is Ambrosia (defined as food of the Gods in the dictionary) which is also a joke as far as I am concerned. In this genus, there are over forty separate species, so in case one variety doesn’t get you there are 39 more standing in line.
It used to be an allergy sufferer could escape to the mountains or desert to escape this affliction, but no more. The plants and pollen have been found in both arid Arizona and the upper altitudes of Colorado, abet in lower quantities than in the Midwest. When you have a plant that can produce over a billion grains of pollen each, then you know you will have problems. This is true especially if you are sensitive to even a few like me. Also, the tiny grains can hang in the air for days and have been found as far out as four hundred miles to sea.
So, if you are allergic to ragweed and other grass pollen, you may want to try and avoid being outdoors as much as possible. Also, you can keep track of pollen levels in your hometown by going to Pollen.com.
Posted in Danomanno, Domestic, Editorial, Health | Tagged: Allergies, Danomanno, Forsythkid, ragweed | Leave a Comment »
How about some Lipitor with that burger and fries?
Posted by forsythkid on August 14, 2010
While this may sound far-fetched right now, scientists in England say it might make sense for fast food joints to dispense cholesterol-lowering statin drugs to their customers.
In a paper published in the current issue of the American Journal of Cardiology, Dr. Darrel Francis and colleagues calculate that the reduction in cardiovascular risk offered by a statin is enough to offset the increased heart attack risk that comes from from eating a cheeseburger and a milkshake.
“Statins don’t cut out all of the unhealthy effects of burgers and fries,” Dr. Francis, a researcher at the National Heart and Lung Institute at Imperial College London, said in a written statement. “It’s better to avoid fatty food altogether. But we’ve worked out that in terms of your likelihood of having a heart attack, taking a statin can reduce your risk to more or less the same degree as a fast food meal increases it.”
Dr. Franz Messerli, who directs the high blood pressure program at Roosevelt Hospital in New York City, isn’t so sure about the plan. He told Reuters Health that giving out statins might “give Quarter Pounder consumers a false sense of security.”
And while statins are broadly successful at lowering cholesterol levels, especially the bad kind, studies have not consistently proven that the drugs actually prevent heart attacks unless you have already had one.
Statins, a family of cholesterol-lowering medications including Crestor and Lipitor, are currently available only by prescription. But given their relative safety, Dr. Francis said it might make sense for restaurants to be able to give them out to all comers.
“It’s ironic that people are free to take as many unhealthy condiments in fast food outlets as they like, but statins, which are beneficial to heart health, have to be prescribed,” he said.
Dr. Francis is clearly ahead of his colleagues in believing that fast food restaurants should be pushing statins instead of mayo. It wouldn’t hurt the bottom line of the drug companies either. This could well be an idea that Obama could stand behind and even make mandatory for children as well.
Posted in Diet, Health | Tagged: Forsythkid, Danomanno, Crestor, Lipitor | Leave a Comment »
Airplanes as infectious disease vectors.
Posted by forsythkid on July 22, 2010
One would think that for something as popular as air travel, the issue of keeping the air you breath while in one would have long since been settled. That may not be the case.
In an airplane, about 50% of the air is brought in and warmed via the engines where it is then mixed with existing air that has passed through a HEPA filter. (While not a requirement, most airlines use these filters in and endeavor to change the cabin air frequently, as much as 15 to 20 times every hour). In addition the route the air takes is from the ceiling directly to the floor of the craft. This is also intended to help limit the spread of any particulates.
Disease in this environment can be spread in one of four ways. Contact, Aerosolized, Common Vehicle Spread or Vector. Of these, the two most common are Aerosolized (some one sneezes) and by direct contact. Common illnesses like TB, SARS and Influenza are often spread in this manner. TB has been much studied. An excellent reference for learning about this can be found in the World Health Organization publication called: Tuberculosis and Air Travel: Guidelines for Prevention and Control. The bottom line of that study is that TB is hard to spread even in the close quarters of a plane. Influenza, on the other hand is much more contagious as airlines have been found planes to be a major contributor towards the rapid migration of infected people throughout the world.
The authors of “Transmission of infectious diseases during commercial air travel” have noted several factors that place one at risk for airline acquired infectious disease. First, as with real-estate, location is key. Sitting within 2 rows of an infected person for a duration of 8 hours is the key. Second, ventilation of the cabin has an obvious role. One air exchange of the cabin removes 63% of the airborne organisms. Remember there are normally 15-20 air exchanges per hour in a commercial aircraft, versus an office with 12. One investigation involving TB modeled that doubling the ventilation rate within the cabin decreased infection risk by half. Lastly, hand washing really helps.
Lastly, food served during a flight can also harbor bad microbes. For example, a total of 41 food-borne outbreaks aboard aircraft were documented from 1941 to 1999. These outbreaks infected almost 4000 people and caused 7 deaths. There have even been several cases of Cholera transmission in-flight. Most cases involve cold food dishes served in-flight and prepared by local suppliers. Thankfully, the last 5 years have seen a decrease in food-related illnesses, likely due to more common use of frozen and pre-packaged meals.
Posted in Health | Tagged: Airline disease, Danomanno, Forsythkid | Leave a Comment »
The 2010-11 Coming Flu Season
Posted by forsythkid on July 15, 2010
In North America, the flu season is generally considered to be most active between the months of October to May during which time the virus sees a tenfold increase. It is actually active all year long, but right now, in mid July, levels are thankfully very low even in places like Australia which is just now entering its peak season. An emergency committee of 15 scientists headed by Australian infectious diseases expert John Mackenzie was cautiously optimistic concerning the A(H1N1) flu virus and may call an official end to the pandemic alert sometime in august.
This could bode well for the United States at a time when almost everyone could use a break or two.
Posted in Health, Influenza | Tagged: Australia flu season, Danomanno, Flu, Forsythkid | 1 Comment »
Obama skips hearing to make new selection.
Posted by forsythkid on July 7, 2010
“If this world were just one large cow pasture full of daffodils and sedge, I bet Obama could still find cow pies no matter where he might tread.”
In yet another questionable move that has drawn more fire from the GOP, Obama used the 4th of July recess to sneak in Donald Berwick, a Harvard professor and patient care specialist, to run Medicare and Medicaid.
“Democrats haven’t scheduled so much as a committee hearing for Donald Berwick but the mere possibility of allowing the American people the opportunity to hear what he intends to do with their health care is evidently reason enough for this administration to sneak him through without public scrutiny,” said McConnell, R-Ky.
One has now got to wonder if perhaps even the Democratic side of the isle might be getting a bit more nervous as fall elections get ever closer. In my view, President Obama continues to act as though the America people are either not too very important or perhaps too ‘dumb’ as he rushes ahead with his personal vision of social paradise. This at a time where voters have become increasingly nervous about the future of the country run by the extreme left.
Yes, the president has slipped/rammed/jammed yet another one in the old back door and that brings up my final question. Is there really any reason to have the House and Senate around anymore?
Posted in Danomanno, Health, Political, Politics | Tagged: Berwick appointment, Danomanno, Forsythkid, Medicare | 2 Comments »
Not My Hot Dogs Too!
Posted by forsythkid on May 19, 2010
Please don’t say it’s so! Apparently, eating bacon, sausage, hot dogs and other processed meats can raise the risk of heart disease and diabetes, U.S. researchers said on Monday in a study that identifies the real bad boys of the meat counter.
Eating unprocessed beef, pork or lamb appeared not to raise risks of heart attacks and diabetes, they said, suggesting that salt and chemical preservatives may be the real cause of these two health problems associated with eating meat.
The study, an analysis of other research called a meta-analysis, did not look at high blood pressure or cancer, which are also linked with high meat consumption.
“To lower risk of heart attacks and diabetes, people should consider which types of meats they are eating,” said Renata Micha of the Harvard School of Public Health, whose study appears in the journal Circulation.
“Processed meats such as bacon, salami, sausages, hot dogs and processed deli meats may be the most important to avoid,” Micha said in a statement.
Based on her findings, she said people who eat one serving per week or less of processed meats have less of a risk.
The American Meat Institute objected to the findings, saying it was only one study and that it stands in contrast to other studies and the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
“At best, this hypothesis merits further study. It is certainly no reason for dietary changes,” James Hodges, president of the American Meat Institute, said in a statement.
Most dietary guidelines recommend eating less meat. Individual studies looking at relationships between eating meat and cardiovascular diseases and diabetes have had mixed results.
But studies rarely look for differences in risk between processed and unprocessed red meats, Micha said.
She and colleagues did a systematic review of nearly 1,600 studies from around the world looking for evidence of a link between eating processed and unprocessed red meat and the risk of heart disease and diabetes.
They defined processed meat as any meat preserved by smoking, curing or salting, or with the addition of chemical preservatives. Meats in this category included bacon, salami, sausages, hot dogs or processed deli or luncheon meats.
Unprocessed red meat included beef, lamb or pork but not poultry.
They found that on average, each 1.8 oz (50 grams) daily serving of processed meat a day — one to two slices of deli meats or one hot dog — was associated with a 42 percent higher risk of heart disease and a 19 percent higher risk of developing diabetes.
They found no higher heart or diabetes risk in people who ate only unprocessed red meats.
The team adjusted for a number of factors, including how much meat people ate. They said lifestyle factors were similar between those who ate processed and unprocessed meats.
“When we looked at average nutrients in unprocessed red and processed meats eaten in the United States, we found that they contained similar average amounts of saturated fat and cholesterol,” Micha said.
“In contrast, processed meats contained, on average, four times more sodium and 50 percent more nitrate preservatives,” Micha added.
Last month, the Institute of Medicine urged the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to regulate the amount of salt added to foods to help Americans cut their high sodium intake.
The FDA has not yet said whether it will regulate salt in foods, but it is looking at the issue.
Posted in Danomanno, Editorial, Health | Tagged: Danomanno, Forsythkid, Hotdog | Leave a Comment »
Making Your Salad Dollar Stretch!
Posted by forsythkid on May 18, 2010
A recent visit to the local grocery store in my town of Forsyth, Missouri convinced me more than ever that many of us should consider planting a small garden. Lettuce was well over a dollar a head, celery was pushing two dollars and you don’t even want to here about the cost of bell peppers! Yet, I’ve found a way to make these items really stretch.
I will admit that I am a salad junkie! Have been for as long as I can remember and it’s not unusual for me to have a salad with most every meal. But, since economic times have gone down hill and what with the job market all but non-existent, I’ve really had to watch my spending patterns. Trying to save is most felt when I shop for food these days. Not so long ago, a can of corn was under fifty cents. Now you can spend over a dollar. Vegetables were downright cheap and I can remember friends asking me why I even bothered to garden. I would always come back with the fact that my produce was at least pesticide free. Now, in 2010, I don’t have to use that excuse any longer.
So, how do I save money? If you look closely at the picture for this blog you will see that I have a pretty happy salad going here. There’s lettuce, romaine, parsley, celery, radishes, green onion and even a little bit of ham mixed with leftover peas going on in this dish. Because about half the ingredients came from my garden, the cost of this great diet meal is under a quarter! (At my last visit to a restaurant a small dinner salad was $2.50). Also, by creatively using leftovers from other meals, I am making use of ever bit of purchased food while enjoying the benefits of fresh produce from the garden. Now that’s a great way to save. You can see more on gardening in my blog ‘DanO’s Garden‘.
Posted in Carrots, Danomanno, Diet, Gardening, Health, Lettuce, Meals, Onions, Vegetables | Tagged: Cost of eating, Danomanno, Forsythkid, Salad dollars | Leave a Comment »
My food is making me sick!
Posted by forsythkid on May 17, 2010
Food poisoning happens to more people than you might think. It is a common, usually mild, but sometimes deadly illness. Typical symptoms include nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramping, and diarrhea that occur suddenly (within 48 hours) after consuming a contaminated food or drink. Depending on the contaminant, fever and chills, bloody stools, dehydration, and nervous system damage may follow. These symptoms may affect one person or a group of people who ate the same thing (the later is called an outbreak).
The CDC estimates that in the United States, food poisoning causes about 76 million illnesses, 325,000 hospitalizations, and up to 5,000 deaths each year. One of the most common bacterial forms of infection, the salmonellae organisms, account for $1 billion in medical costs and lost work time.
Food poisoning can have to broad sources; toxins in the food (think bad mushrooms) or some form of micro-organism like a bacteria or a virus. The symptoms of food poisoning depend on the type of contaminant and the amount eaten. These symptoms can develop rapidly, within 30 minutes, or slowly, worsening over days to weeks. Most of the common contaminants cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal cramping. Usually food poisoning is not serious, and the illness runs its course in 24-48 hours.
If you have a viral problem, most likely it will fall into one of three categories; Noroviruses, which are a group of viruses that cause a mild illness (often termed “stomach flu”) with nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, headache, and low-grade fever. These symptoms usually resolve in two to three days. It is the most common viral cause of adult food poisoning and is transmitted from water, shellfish, and vegetables contaminated by feces, as well as from person to person. Outbreaks are more common in densely populated areas such as nursing homes, schools and cruise ships (hence why the virus is also known as the “Cruise Ship Illness”).
The second category of viral agents are called Rotavirus. This virus causes moderate to severe illness with vomiting followed by watery diarrhea and fever. It is the most common cause of food poisoning in infants and children and is transmitted from person to person by fecal contamination of food and shared play areas.
The third category is Hepatitis A, which causes mild illness with sudden onset of fever, loss of appetite, and feeling of tiredness followed by jaundice, which is a yellowing of the eyes and skin. It is transmitted from person to person by fecal contamination of food.
If it’s not a virus or a toxin, than chances are you have come into contact with one of the many food borne bacteria that can grow on meats and vegetables that have not been cooked or cleaned properly. I’ll cover some of the most frequent villains.
Salmonellae: Salmonellae cause a moderate illness with nausea, vomiting, crampy diarrhea, and headache, which may come back a few weeks later as arthritis (joint pains). The illness is transmitted by undercooked foods such as eggs, poultry, dairy products, and seafood.
Campylobacter: This bacterium causes mild illness with fever, watery diarrhea, headache, and muscle aches. Campylobacter is the most commonly identified food-borne bacterial infection encountered in the world. It is transmitted by raw poultry, raw milk, and water contaminated by animal feces.
Staphylococcus aureus: This sphere shaped bacterium causes moderate to severe illness with rapid onset of nausea, severe vomiting, dizziness, and abdominal cramping. These bacteria produce a toxin in foods such as cream-filled cakes and pies, salads (most at risk are potato, macaroni, egg, and tuna salads, for example) and dairy products. Contaminated salads at picnics are common if the food is not chilled properly.
Escherichia coli (E coli): While commonly found in the intestines, some strains can cause moderate to severe illness that begins as large amounts of watery diarrhea, which then turns into bloody diarrhea. The worst strain can cause kidney failure and death in about 5% of all cases. It is transmitted by eating raw or undercooked hamburger, unpasteurized milk or juices, or contaminated well water. Outbreaks of food poisoning due to E. coli have also occurred following ingestion of contaminated produce like lettuce or spinach.
Shigella: Also known as Traveler’s diarrhea causes moderate to severe illness with fever, diarrhea containing blood or mucus or both, and the constant urge to have bowel movements. It is transmitted in water polluted with human wastes. (Think bad water in Mexico).
Clostridium botulinum (think botulism): While thankfully not common, this very nasty bacterium can do a number on the nervous system. Symptoms start as blurred vision. The person then develops problems talking and overall weakness. Symptoms then progress to breathing difficulty and the inability to move arms or legs. Infants and young children are particularly at risk. It is transmitted in foods such as home-packed canned goods, honey, sausages, and seafood. (A canned item that is bulging at the seams should be discarded. Duh)!
While there are some more on this list, the above are the most common types you can expect to encounter is you are not careful or if you are unlucky. You can minimize the rick of exposure in the home by practicing safe food handling. These would include watching out for cross contamination, cooking meats and poultry properly, washing your hands prior to handling and keeping cutting board for meat and vegetables separate.
When eating out you can:
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Check the premises. The hygiene standard should be fairly self-evident. If you see cockroaches running around that’s probably a bad sign.
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Be extra careful with buffet-style food. Check to see that hot food is being kept hot and not just lukewarm. Rice can be a source of food contamination if it has been left out for too long. Salads can also be a possible problem if they are not fresh.
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Be careful with some salad dressings, Mayonnaise, Hollandaise, Béarnaise and other sauces which contain raw egg, as well as meringue. (Do what I do and stick with vinegar and oil when eating out).
Most importantly, trust your senses as described above. Above all, if after following through with these precautions the food doesn’t taste right or makes you nauseous, stop eating and get it out of your mouth (or give it to someone you dislike). Just kidding.
Posted in Fast Food, Health, Lifestyle, Meals | Tagged: Bacteria, Bad food poisioning, Danomanno, Forsythkid, Virus | 1 Comment »
Heinz Ketchup Cuts Salt Content
Posted by forsythkid on May 14, 2010
Pittsburgh-based H.J. Heinz Co. is messing around with the recipe for its flagship product, reducing the sodium content in a move that the company described as the first “significant” change in the nation’s dominant brand of the tomato-based condiment in nearly 40 years.
A little more than a week ago, employees began cooking up the new version. Bottles of reformulated Heinz ketchup are expected to start appearing, quietly, in grocery stores this summer.
Don’t expect splashy announcements on the labels or anything. That’s not in the plan, a company spokeswoman said.
Heinz is moving carefully but with confidence that consumers will be OK with the new recipe initially developed at its research center in Marshall.
“The initial consumer taste tests were conducted in Pittsburgh, before we expanded to six cities across the U.S., to ensure the recipe met our consumers’ expectations,” said Jessica Jackson, a company spokeswoman.
Posted in Fast Food, Health, Informational | Tagged: Danomanno, Forsythkid, Heinz, Ketchup, Salt | Leave a Comment »
