The anatomical elements or microzymas that make up Human genes remember an acid hit of sugar for two weeks, with prolonged acidic eating habits capable of permanently altering DNA, Australian research has found.
"A team studying the impact of diet on human heart tissue and mice found that cells showed the effects of a one-off acid hit of sugar for two weeks, by switching off genetic controls or the anatomical elements designed to protect the body against dietary and/or metabolic acids that lead to the symptoms of diabetes, heart disease and cancer," states Dr. Robert O. Young, Director of the pH Miracle Living Center.
"We now know that chocolate bar you had this morning can have very acute effects, and those effects can continue for up to two weeks," said lead researcher Sam El-Osta, from the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute.
"These changes continue beyond the meal itself and have the ability to alter natural metabolic responses to diet," he told Australian Associated Press Friday.
Regular acidic eating would amplify the effect, said El-Osta, with genetic damage lasting months or years, and potentially passing through bloodlines.
"To protect the healthy state of the anatomical elements that make up Human genes can be achieved with an alkaline lifestyle and diet. This alkaline protection of the genetic matter can improve the quality and the quantity of life and prevent All sickness and dis-ease," states Dr. Robert O. Young.
Reference:
Journal of Experimental Medicine
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Salmonella Infection Numbers Still Rising; Recalls Rise Also
(HealthDay News) -- The number of people sickened in the salmonella outbreak involving peanut butter products has now climbed to 486 in 43 states and Canada, with possibly six deaths, U.S. health officials said Wednesday afternoon.
Federal officials also confirmed Wednesday what they had first reported Sunday -- that the outbreak had been traced to a plant in Blakely, Ga., owned by Peanut Corp. of America. The company has suspended operations at the plant.
Meanwhile, peanut butter products continued to disappear from store shelves, as the weight loss company NutriSystem and one pet food producer joined the growing list of grocery chains and specialty companies issuing precautionary recalls.
The flood of recalls followed a U.S. Food and Drug Administration warning over the weekend that consumers should avoid peanut butter products containing peanut butter or peanut butter paste while the widespread salmonella outbreak probe continued.
The U.S. health warning is focused on products made with peanut butter or peanut paste, like crackers or cookies or ice cream.
Jars of peanut butter on store shelves appear to be safe, the agency said.
As of Wednesday afternoon, these were the latest precautionary recalls:
NutriSystem Inc., of Horsham, Penn., is recalling its NutriSystem-branded Peanut Butter Granola Bar, sold on its Web site but not in retail stores.
Ready Pac Foods Inc., of Irwindale, Calif., is recalling certain vegetable products that contain peanut butter, including Trader Joe's Celery with Peanut Butter, which are sold in retail stores in 13 states.
PetSmart, of Phoenix, Ariz., is recalling seven of its Grreat Choice Dog Biscuit products, sold at its stores.
Premier Nutrition, of Carlsbad, Calif., is recalling select Twisted and Titan brand nutrition bars that contain peanut butter, sold nationwide and over the Internet.
Nature's Path Organic Foods of Richmond, British Columbia, Canada is recalling peanut butter-flavored Optimum Energy Bars.
Country Maid, of West Bend, Iowa, is recalling two-pound packages of Classic Breaks Peanut Butter Cookie Dough, which were distributed nationwide to fund-raising groups.
Ready Pac Foods, of Irwindale, Calif., is recalling apple and celery with peanut butter packages that were distributed in 13 states.
Clif Bar & Co., of Berkeley, Calif., recalled Clif and Lund brand bars made with peanut butter and sold throughout the United States.
Abbott Nutrition of Columbus, Ohio, recalled ZonePerfect Chocolate Peanut Butter bars, ZonePerfect Peanut Toffee bars and NutriPals Peanut Butter Chocolate nutrition bars. The products were sold in the United States, Mexico, New Zealand and Singapore.
Kroger Co., of Cincinnati, recalled Private Selection Peanut Butter Passion Ice Cream, sold in some but not all of their stores.
Safeway, of Westmont, Ill., recalled Ready Pack Eating Right Kids Apples with Peanut Butter and Orchard Valley Harvest's Organic Bark Peanut Butter Cookies and Cream, according to the Associated Press.
Ralcorp Frozen Bakery Products Inc. of Downer's Grove, Ill., has recalled all Food Lion and Wal-Mart Bakery brands of peanut butter cookies, peanut butter no-bake cookies and peanut butter fudge no-bake cookies. It is also recalling its nationally distributed Lofthouse brand versions of those cookies as well as Parco Foods' Chuck's Chunky brand of peanut butter cookies and Pastries Plus gourmet cookies.
Meijer Inc. of Grand Rapids, Mich., is pulling back two types of crackers and two varieties of ice cream sold in five states at its stores and at gas stations.
The South Bend Chocolate Co., of South Bend, Ind., is recalling assorted chocolates, valentine hearts, peanut butter fudge and peanut butter chocolate fudge.
General Mills of Minneapolis is recalling two flavors of snack bars: Larabar Peanut Butter Cookie snack bars and JamFrakas Peanut Butter Blisscrisp snack bars.
McKee Foods Corp. of Collegedale, Tenn., has recalled Little Debbie Peanut Butter Toasty and Peanut Butter Cheese Sandwich Crackers.
Hy-Vee Inc., of Des Moines, which distributes in several states in the midwest, recalled various bakery products containing peanut butter.
Food Lion, of Salisbury, N.C., with stores in the southeast and mid-Atlantic states, has removed Bake Shop peanut butter cookies from its shelves.
Perry's Ice Cream, of Buffalo, N.Y., announced a voluntary recall of select ice cream products containing peanut butter sauce, which were distributed in five states.
Meanwhile, Kellogg of Battle Creek, Mich., said Monday that tests confirmed salmonella bacteria in a single package of one of its recalled peanut butter crackers.
According to the Associated Press, Kellogg said U.S. health officials confirmed the finding in a packet of Austin Quality Foods Toasty Crackers with Peanut Butter. The company had issued a major recall late last Friday for 16 of its products made with peanut butter, including Keebler cheese and peanut butter sandwich crackers and Keebler and Famous Amos peanut butter cookies.
All the recalls followed a request late last week from the FDA for salmonella testing by food companies that may have bought peanut butter or peanut paste from the Peanut Corp. plant in Georgia.
On Sunday, the FDA said sources of salmonella contamination had been traced to the plant.
"At this time, the FDA has traced a source of Salmonella Typhimurium contamination to a plant owned by Peanut Corporation of America (PCA), which manufactures both peanut butter that is institutionally served in such settings as long-term care facilities and cafeterias, and peanut paste - a concentrated product consisting of ground, roasted peanuts -- that is distributed to food manufacturers to be used as an ingredient in many commercially produced products including cakes, cookies, crackers, candies, cereal and ice cream," the agency said.
Peanut Corp. issued a wider recall over the weekend for more products and lot numbers relating to peanut butter and peanut paste products manufactured on or after July 1, 2008, at the plant.
"The products being recalled are sold by PCA in bulk containers ranging in size from five to 1,700 pounds. The peanut paste is sold in sizes ranging from 35-pound containers to product sold by the tanker container," an FDA statement said.
The FDA urged companies to inform their customers whether their peanut butter products have peanut butter or peanut paste obtained from the factory.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said late Tuesday that the latest salmonella illness was recorded on Jan. 9 and that the victims range in age from younger than 1 to 98. Forty eight percent are female.
The strain of salmonella involved with the outbreak has been identified as Salmonella Typhimurium, the most common of the more than 2,500 types of salmonella bacteria in the United States.
The recalls come two years after ConAgra recalled its Peter Pan brand peanut butter, which had been linked to at least 625 salmonella cases in 47 states.
On Sunday, ConAgra issued a notice that none of its products were at risk this time because the company does not buy from Peanut Corp. of America.
On Monday, J. M. Smucker, of Orville, Ohio, and Russell Stover Candies Inc. both said none of their products were at risk either for the same reason.
More information
For a detailed and searchable list of the recalls, visit the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Federal officials also confirmed Wednesday what they had first reported Sunday -- that the outbreak had been traced to a plant in Blakely, Ga., owned by Peanut Corp. of America. The company has suspended operations at the plant.
Meanwhile, peanut butter products continued to disappear from store shelves, as the weight loss company NutriSystem and one pet food producer joined the growing list of grocery chains and specialty companies issuing precautionary recalls.
The flood of recalls followed a U.S. Food and Drug Administration warning over the weekend that consumers should avoid peanut butter products containing peanut butter or peanut butter paste while the widespread salmonella outbreak probe continued.
The U.S. health warning is focused on products made with peanut butter or peanut paste, like crackers or cookies or ice cream.
Jars of peanut butter on store shelves appear to be safe, the agency said.
As of Wednesday afternoon, these were the latest precautionary recalls:
NutriSystem Inc., of Horsham, Penn., is recalling its NutriSystem-branded Peanut Butter Granola Bar, sold on its Web site but not in retail stores.
Ready Pac Foods Inc., of Irwindale, Calif., is recalling certain vegetable products that contain peanut butter, including Trader Joe's Celery with Peanut Butter, which are sold in retail stores in 13 states.
PetSmart, of Phoenix, Ariz., is recalling seven of its Grreat Choice Dog Biscuit products, sold at its stores.
Premier Nutrition, of Carlsbad, Calif., is recalling select Twisted and Titan brand nutrition bars that contain peanut butter, sold nationwide and over the Internet.
Nature's Path Organic Foods of Richmond, British Columbia, Canada is recalling peanut butter-flavored Optimum Energy Bars.
Country Maid, of West Bend, Iowa, is recalling two-pound packages of Classic Breaks Peanut Butter Cookie Dough, which were distributed nationwide to fund-raising groups.
Ready Pac Foods, of Irwindale, Calif., is recalling apple and celery with peanut butter packages that were distributed in 13 states.
Clif Bar & Co., of Berkeley, Calif., recalled Clif and Lund brand bars made with peanut butter and sold throughout the United States.
Abbott Nutrition of Columbus, Ohio, recalled ZonePerfect Chocolate Peanut Butter bars, ZonePerfect Peanut Toffee bars and NutriPals Peanut Butter Chocolate nutrition bars. The products were sold in the United States, Mexico, New Zealand and Singapore.
Kroger Co., of Cincinnati, recalled Private Selection Peanut Butter Passion Ice Cream, sold in some but not all of their stores.
Safeway, of Westmont, Ill., recalled Ready Pack Eating Right Kids Apples with Peanut Butter and Orchard Valley Harvest's Organic Bark Peanut Butter Cookies and Cream, according to the Associated Press.
Ralcorp Frozen Bakery Products Inc. of Downer's Grove, Ill., has recalled all Food Lion and Wal-Mart Bakery brands of peanut butter cookies, peanut butter no-bake cookies and peanut butter fudge no-bake cookies. It is also recalling its nationally distributed Lofthouse brand versions of those cookies as well as Parco Foods' Chuck's Chunky brand of peanut butter cookies and Pastries Plus gourmet cookies.
Meijer Inc. of Grand Rapids, Mich., is pulling back two types of crackers and two varieties of ice cream sold in five states at its stores and at gas stations.
The South Bend Chocolate Co., of South Bend, Ind., is recalling assorted chocolates, valentine hearts, peanut butter fudge and peanut butter chocolate fudge.
General Mills of Minneapolis is recalling two flavors of snack bars: Larabar Peanut Butter Cookie snack bars and JamFrakas Peanut Butter Blisscrisp snack bars.
McKee Foods Corp. of Collegedale, Tenn., has recalled Little Debbie Peanut Butter Toasty and Peanut Butter Cheese Sandwich Crackers.
Hy-Vee Inc., of Des Moines, which distributes in several states in the midwest, recalled various bakery products containing peanut butter.
Food Lion, of Salisbury, N.C., with stores in the southeast and mid-Atlantic states, has removed Bake Shop peanut butter cookies from its shelves.
Perry's Ice Cream, of Buffalo, N.Y., announced a voluntary recall of select ice cream products containing peanut butter sauce, which were distributed in five states.
Meanwhile, Kellogg of Battle Creek, Mich., said Monday that tests confirmed salmonella bacteria in a single package of one of its recalled peanut butter crackers.
According to the Associated Press, Kellogg said U.S. health officials confirmed the finding in a packet of Austin Quality Foods Toasty Crackers with Peanut Butter. The company had issued a major recall late last Friday for 16 of its products made with peanut butter, including Keebler cheese and peanut butter sandwich crackers and Keebler and Famous Amos peanut butter cookies.
All the recalls followed a request late last week from the FDA for salmonella testing by food companies that may have bought peanut butter or peanut paste from the Peanut Corp. plant in Georgia.
On Sunday, the FDA said sources of salmonella contamination had been traced to the plant.
"At this time, the FDA has traced a source of Salmonella Typhimurium contamination to a plant owned by Peanut Corporation of America (PCA), which manufactures both peanut butter that is institutionally served in such settings as long-term care facilities and cafeterias, and peanut paste - a concentrated product consisting of ground, roasted peanuts -- that is distributed to food manufacturers to be used as an ingredient in many commercially produced products including cakes, cookies, crackers, candies, cereal and ice cream," the agency said.
Peanut Corp. issued a wider recall over the weekend for more products and lot numbers relating to peanut butter and peanut paste products manufactured on or after July 1, 2008, at the plant.
"The products being recalled are sold by PCA in bulk containers ranging in size from five to 1,700 pounds. The peanut paste is sold in sizes ranging from 35-pound containers to product sold by the tanker container," an FDA statement said.
The FDA urged companies to inform their customers whether their peanut butter products have peanut butter or peanut paste obtained from the factory.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said late Tuesday that the latest salmonella illness was recorded on Jan. 9 and that the victims range in age from younger than 1 to 98. Forty eight percent are female.
The strain of salmonella involved with the outbreak has been identified as Salmonella Typhimurium, the most common of the more than 2,500 types of salmonella bacteria in the United States.
The recalls come two years after ConAgra recalled its Peter Pan brand peanut butter, which had been linked to at least 625 salmonella cases in 47 states.
On Sunday, ConAgra issued a notice that none of its products were at risk this time because the company does not buy from Peanut Corp. of America.
On Monday, J. M. Smucker, of Orville, Ohio, and Russell Stover Candies Inc. both said none of their products were at risk either for the same reason.
More information
For a detailed and searchable list of the recalls, visit the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Vibrate Your Acidic Fat Away!
According to a report that was published last year in the online edition of "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences," imperceptible vibrations transmitted through the whole body could help prevent weight gain in mice by removing tissue acidosis and thus inhibiting the production of fat cells to store non-eliminated environmental, dietary and/or metabolic acid.
Staying slim may be as simple as standing still on a whole body vibrational plate, and allowing the vibration to exercise every cell in the body.
In a study led by Clinton Rubin, chair of the department of biomedical engineering at Stony Brook University, in New York, mice that stood on a vibrating platform for 15 minutes daily produced fewer acid bound fat cells than normal. The findings complicate a traditional understanding of weight loss that focuses mainly on metabolism.
Researchers have known for quite a while that mechanical signals can determine the fate of stem cells--undifferentiated cells that divide and become many different types of tissue - in the small intestine. Rubin, who calls himself a "bonehead," led the pack in understanding how bones develop long before he turned his attention to fat. "Mechanical signals are important for stem cells to decide what to be when they grow up," he says.
Bones need mechanical input in order to grow and stay strong.
Studies at NASA have shown that astronauts lose 2.5 percent of their bone density each month they stay in space. On the other hand, athletes, like archers or baseball players, who selectively work one arm or leg, will grow thicker bones on that side of the body.
According to Dr. Robert O. Young, Director of Research at the pH Miracle Living Center, "a stress in the body, whether intentional or not, will cause blood to flow to that area. The increase in blood flow will result in the blood transforming into new bone, muscle, nerve, etc., in response to the stress. This is why a tennis player will have one arm that is being stressed larger than the other arm that is not being stressed."
To solve the problem of bone loss in space, Rubin started experimenting with vibrations. At the Johnson Space Center, in Houston, volunteer test subjects endured 90 days of fully horizontal bed rest, which roughly simulates what the body goes through during zero gravity. Without having to carry the weight of the body, the skeleton loses much of its mass. So Rubin designed a vibrating platform that would recreate some of the strain of weight. For 10 minutes a day, the device gets cranked up to 30 hertz, an imperceptible level of oscillation. The vibrations run up the body through the feet, sending mechanical signals to stem cells in the small intestine. The signals reach these cells in their adolescence, before they differentiate, and encourage them to become blood cells that then become bone cells or something else.
At some point, Rubin asked the question that led him to study fat. "We saw that we could grow bones with these signals," he says. But "if we're growing bone, what aren't we growing?" As he showed in research published last year, the answer is acid bound fat cells.
Rubin used the same device as the one in the NASA study to see if vibrations would have any effect on the weight of mice. Every day, for 15 minutes, the mice were placed on the platform, this time vibrating at 30 Hz. After 12 weeks, the mice had 27.4 percent less fat in their torsos than a control group.
Staying slim may be as simple as standing still on a whole body vibrational plate, and allowing the vibration to exercise every cell in the body.
In a study led by Clinton Rubin, chair of the department of biomedical engineering at Stony Brook University, in New York, mice that stood on a vibrating platform for 15 minutes daily produced fewer acid bound fat cells than normal. The findings complicate a traditional understanding of weight loss that focuses mainly on metabolism.
Researchers have known for quite a while that mechanical signals can determine the fate of stem cells--undifferentiated cells that divide and become many different types of tissue - in the small intestine. Rubin, who calls himself a "bonehead," led the pack in understanding how bones develop long before he turned his attention to fat. "Mechanical signals are important for stem cells to decide what to be when they grow up," he says.
Bones need mechanical input in order to grow and stay strong.
Studies at NASA have shown that astronauts lose 2.5 percent of their bone density each month they stay in space. On the other hand, athletes, like archers or baseball players, who selectively work one arm or leg, will grow thicker bones on that side of the body.
According to Dr. Robert O. Young, Director of Research at the pH Miracle Living Center, "a stress in the body, whether intentional or not, will cause blood to flow to that area. The increase in blood flow will result in the blood transforming into new bone, muscle, nerve, etc., in response to the stress. This is why a tennis player will have one arm that is being stressed larger than the other arm that is not being stressed."
To solve the problem of bone loss in space, Rubin started experimenting with vibrations. At the Johnson Space Center, in Houston, volunteer test subjects endured 90 days of fully horizontal bed rest, which roughly simulates what the body goes through during zero gravity. Without having to carry the weight of the body, the skeleton loses much of its mass. So Rubin designed a vibrating platform that would recreate some of the strain of weight. For 10 minutes a day, the device gets cranked up to 30 hertz, an imperceptible level of oscillation. The vibrations run up the body through the feet, sending mechanical signals to stem cells in the small intestine. The signals reach these cells in their adolescence, before they differentiate, and encourage them to become blood cells that then become bone cells or something else.
At some point, Rubin asked the question that led him to study fat. "We saw that we could grow bones with these signals," he says. But "if we're growing bone, what aren't we growing?" As he showed in research published last year, the answer is acid bound fat cells.
Rubin used the same device as the one in the NASA study to see if vibrations would have any effect on the weight of mice. Every day, for 15 minutes, the mice were placed on the platform, this time vibrating at 30 Hz. After 12 weeks, the mice had 27.4 percent less fat in their torsos than a control group.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Diagnostic Approved to Detect C. diff
(HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved BD Diagnostics' GeneOhm Cdiff molecular assay, a stool test that rapidly detects infection with Clostridium difficile (C. diff) bacteria.
C. diff infection is commonly acquired in hospitals and nursing homes, especially among patients receiving antibiotics. In the United States, some 500,000 people are infected each year, and more than 28,000 people die from the infection, the test's maker said in a news release. The average hospital stay is nearly three times longer among a person infected with C. diff than a typical patient.
The new test detects the toxin B gene that's found in virtually every strain of the bacterium. The product gives laboratories the option of a single diagnostic that may eliminate the need for numerous screenings and tests, the company said.
More information
To learn more about C. diff, visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
C. diff infection is commonly acquired in hospitals and nursing homes, especially among patients receiving antibiotics. In the United States, some 500,000 people are infected each year, and more than 28,000 people die from the infection, the test's maker said in a news release. The average hospital stay is nearly three times longer among a person infected with C. diff than a typical patient.
The new test detects the toxin B gene that's found in virtually every strain of the bacterium. The product gives laboratories the option of a single diagnostic that may eliminate the need for numerous screenings and tests, the company said.
More information
To learn more about C. diff, visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
ADHD Children and Diet
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Health Care Spending in U.S. Grew at Lowest Rate in a Decade
(HealthDay News) -- Due to slower spending on prescription drugs, health-care spending in the United States grew at the lowest rate in a decade in 2007, a new federal report found.
Yet despite the slowdown, most health-care costs continue to rise, with consumers' out-of-pocket expenses having increased 40 percent in the last 10 years, largely due to an aging population and chronic diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes, a second report found.
Both reports are published in the January-February issue of Health Affairs.
"National health spending declined to 6.1 percent in 2007, the slowest rate of growth since 1998 and 0.6 percent lower than the 6.7 percent growth in 2006," Micah Hartman, a statistician at U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and lead researcher of the first report, said during a Monday afternoon teleconference.
"In 2007, expenditures reached $2.2 trillion or $7,421 a person," Hartman said. "Spending share of gross domestic product was 16.2 percent, a slight increase from the 16.0 percent in 2006."
The decline in the rate of health-care spending continues a trend started in 2002, Hartman said.
According to the CMS researchers, the rate of slower growth in prescription drug spending was due largely to slower growth in price increases, increased use of generics, and increased consumer concerns about drug safety.
Spending on prescription drugs grew 4.9 percent in 2007, down from 8.6 percent in 2006, contributing to more than half of the decreased spending rate. This is the slowest rate since 1963, according to the report.
Another reason for the slowing of health-care spending was a reduction in administrative costs associated with Medicare, which dropped from 62.5 percent in 2006 to 10.7 percent in 2007, largely because of the one-time impact of the Medicare prescription plan that started in 2006.
However, public health-care spending outpaced private spending, including increases in Medicaid spending. Other health-care spending --including hospitals, private health insurance, nursing homes and doctors' fees -- all continued to climb, the report said.
"This is another reminder that the cost of health care continues to be a real and pressing concern facing the American public and the federal government," Kerry Weems, CMS acting administrator, said in a prepared statement. "This report -- like the reports issued last year on the financial status of Medicare and Medicaid -- is a stark reminder that we must redouble our ongoing efforts to reform the delivery of health-care services in this country to bring about the goal of affordable, high-quality health care for all Americans."
In the second report, researchers from the Maryland-based Center for Health Policy and Research, Social and Scientific Systems found that consumers' out-of-pocket expenses for health care continued to increase at a fast clip. The out-of-pocket increase owed largely to the increase in chronic diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes, particularly among baby boomers and older adults, according to Kathryn Paez, lead author of the study.
Average annual out-of-pocket spending increased from $427 in 1996 to $741 in 2005, according to the report.
"Chronic conditions are more than just a health issue for the elderly -- they are a household economics issue for every American," Paez said in a prepared statement. "Taking the time and making the effort to prevent diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes will save Americans money and increase their quality of life."
Paul Precht, director for policy and communications at the Medicare Rights Center, said he thinks health-care costs will continue to rise, and the lower rate in the increase in spending on prescription drugs will be short-lived.
"The slower growth in prescription drug spending, largely attributed to the increased substitution of generics for blockbuster brand name drugs whose patents expired, underscores the importance of generic drugs in restraining cost growth for medical care," Precht said.
"For Congress, they should focus attention on creating a pathway for FDA approval of generic biologics that creates comparable savings and on removing legal and regulatory obstacles that retard the introduction of generics," he added.
Also, Precht said, there are no signs of slower growth in price increases for brand name drugs. "In addition, the sharp rise in Part D premiums for 2009 shows that the period of relatively slow growth in Part D costs (2006-2007 in this report) is over," he said.
More information
For more on health-care costs in the United States, visit the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Yet despite the slowdown, most health-care costs continue to rise, with consumers' out-of-pocket expenses having increased 40 percent in the last 10 years, largely due to an aging population and chronic diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes, a second report found.
Both reports are published in the January-February issue of Health Affairs.
"National health spending declined to 6.1 percent in 2007, the slowest rate of growth since 1998 and 0.6 percent lower than the 6.7 percent growth in 2006," Micah Hartman, a statistician at U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and lead researcher of the first report, said during a Monday afternoon teleconference.
"In 2007, expenditures reached $2.2 trillion or $7,421 a person," Hartman said. "Spending share of gross domestic product was 16.2 percent, a slight increase from the 16.0 percent in 2006."
The decline in the rate of health-care spending continues a trend started in 2002, Hartman said.
According to the CMS researchers, the rate of slower growth in prescription drug spending was due largely to slower growth in price increases, increased use of generics, and increased consumer concerns about drug safety.
Spending on prescription drugs grew 4.9 percent in 2007, down from 8.6 percent in 2006, contributing to more than half of the decreased spending rate. This is the slowest rate since 1963, according to the report.
Another reason for the slowing of health-care spending was a reduction in administrative costs associated with Medicare, which dropped from 62.5 percent in 2006 to 10.7 percent in 2007, largely because of the one-time impact of the Medicare prescription plan that started in 2006.
However, public health-care spending outpaced private spending, including increases in Medicaid spending. Other health-care spending --including hospitals, private health insurance, nursing homes and doctors' fees -- all continued to climb, the report said.
"This is another reminder that the cost of health care continues to be a real and pressing concern facing the American public and the federal government," Kerry Weems, CMS acting administrator, said in a prepared statement. "This report -- like the reports issued last year on the financial status of Medicare and Medicaid -- is a stark reminder that we must redouble our ongoing efforts to reform the delivery of health-care services in this country to bring about the goal of affordable, high-quality health care for all Americans."
In the second report, researchers from the Maryland-based Center for Health Policy and Research, Social and Scientific Systems found that consumers' out-of-pocket expenses for health care continued to increase at a fast clip. The out-of-pocket increase owed largely to the increase in chronic diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes, particularly among baby boomers and older adults, according to Kathryn Paez, lead author of the study.
Average annual out-of-pocket spending increased from $427 in 1996 to $741 in 2005, according to the report.
"Chronic conditions are more than just a health issue for the elderly -- they are a household economics issue for every American," Paez said in a prepared statement. "Taking the time and making the effort to prevent diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes will save Americans money and increase their quality of life."
Paul Precht, director for policy and communications at the Medicare Rights Center, said he thinks health-care costs will continue to rise, and the lower rate in the increase in spending on prescription drugs will be short-lived.
"The slower growth in prescription drug spending, largely attributed to the increased substitution of generics for blockbuster brand name drugs whose patents expired, underscores the importance of generic drugs in restraining cost growth for medical care," Precht said.
"For Congress, they should focus attention on creating a pathway for FDA approval of generic biologics that creates comparable savings and on removing legal and regulatory obstacles that retard the introduction of generics," he added.
Also, Precht said, there are no signs of slower growth in price increases for brand name drugs. "In addition, the sharp rise in Part D premiums for 2009 shows that the period of relatively slow growth in Part D costs (2006-2007 in this report) is over," he said.
More information
For more on health-care costs in the United States, visit the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Sunday, January 04, 2009
Peppermint Oil, Fiber Can Fight Irritable Bowel
(HealthDay News) -- For some patients, the best therapy for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) may be older, cheaper drugs such as fiber, antispasmodics and peppermint oil, a new study finds.
According to researchers, these simple treatments have fallen out of favor because of the availability of newer (and more expensive) drugs, some of which have been taken off the market due to safety concerns.
But more traditional therapies should become first-line treatments in guidelines for the treatment of IBS, the experts say.
"IBS can be difficult for physicians to treat," noted lead researcher Dr. Alex Ford, from McMaster University, Health Sciences Centre in Ontario, Canada.
"New drugs are always being developed, but recent ones such as alosetron and tegaserod have been withdrawn, and are now only available on a restricted basis, and renzapride has not been shown to be effective," he said. On the other hand "older drugs, which are cheap, safe, and in some cases available over the counter, appear to be effective in IBS."
The report is published in the Nov. 14 online edition of the BMJ.
As many as 45 million Americans may have IBS, the International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders reports. Between 60 percent and 65 percent of IBS sufferers are women.
In addition to pain and discomfort, people with IBS experience chronic or recurrent constipation constipation or diarrhea -- or bouts of both. While the exact cause of the condition isn't known, symptoms seem to result from a disturbance in the interaction of the gut, brain and nervous system, according to the foundation.
For the study, Ford's team reviewed trials that compared IBS treatment with fiber antispasmodics and peppermint oil to a placebo or no treatment. The trials included more than 2,500 IBS patients.
The researchers found that fiber, antispasmodics and peppermint oil were effective treatments for IBS. Specifically, that meant that to prevent IBS symptoms in one patient, 11 needed to be treated with fiber, five with antispasmodics, and 2.5 with peppermint oil.
There were no serious side effects associated with any of these treatments, the researchers note.
Peppermint oil appeared to be the most effective therapy of those reviewed, the researchers found.
In trials comparing fiber with placebo, insoluble fiber such as bran was not effective. Instead, only soluble fiber, such as ispaghula husk, reduced symptoms. For antispasmodics, the most effective was hyoscine. This should be used first among antispasmodics, Ford's group advised.
"Physicians, particularly those in primary care, who are being asked to take increasing responsibility for the management of IBS, should consider the use of these agents as first-line therapies for IBS," Ford said.
Dr. Roger Jones, from Kings College London and author of an accompanying journal editorial, welcomed the study.
"These treatments might be slightly more effective than recently thought and they are worth trying," Jones said.
For some patients with pain and diarrhea the antispasmodics may be useful. Patients with constipation should try fiber and for other patients, peppermint oil may be helpful, Jones said.
"If you have IBS which is not under reasonably good control or you are not happy with your symptom profile, you should see your primary-care doc or gastroenterologist for review and perhaps remind them that there is new evidence about the effectiveness of these traditional medicines and you would like to give it a go," Jones said.
"Alternatively, if you feel sufficiently well-informed and confident, you can go do it yourself and get these treatments at the pharmacy," Jones added.
More information
For more information on IBS, visit the U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
According to researchers, these simple treatments have fallen out of favor because of the availability of newer (and more expensive) drugs, some of which have been taken off the market due to safety concerns.
But more traditional therapies should become first-line treatments in guidelines for the treatment of IBS, the experts say.
"IBS can be difficult for physicians to treat," noted lead researcher Dr. Alex Ford, from McMaster University, Health Sciences Centre in Ontario, Canada.
"New drugs are always being developed, but recent ones such as alosetron and tegaserod have been withdrawn, and are now only available on a restricted basis, and renzapride has not been shown to be effective," he said. On the other hand "older drugs, which are cheap, safe, and in some cases available over the counter, appear to be effective in IBS."
The report is published in the Nov. 14 online edition of the BMJ.
As many as 45 million Americans may have IBS, the International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders reports. Between 60 percent and 65 percent of IBS sufferers are women.
In addition to pain and discomfort, people with IBS experience chronic or recurrent constipation constipation or diarrhea -- or bouts of both. While the exact cause of the condition isn't known, symptoms seem to result from a disturbance in the interaction of the gut, brain and nervous system, according to the foundation.
For the study, Ford's team reviewed trials that compared IBS treatment with fiber antispasmodics and peppermint oil to a placebo or no treatment. The trials included more than 2,500 IBS patients.
The researchers found that fiber, antispasmodics and peppermint oil were effective treatments for IBS. Specifically, that meant that to prevent IBS symptoms in one patient, 11 needed to be treated with fiber, five with antispasmodics, and 2.5 with peppermint oil.
There were no serious side effects associated with any of these treatments, the researchers note.
Peppermint oil appeared to be the most effective therapy of those reviewed, the researchers found.
In trials comparing fiber with placebo, insoluble fiber such as bran was not effective. Instead, only soluble fiber, such as ispaghula husk, reduced symptoms. For antispasmodics, the most effective was hyoscine. This should be used first among antispasmodics, Ford's group advised.
"Physicians, particularly those in primary care, who are being asked to take increasing responsibility for the management of IBS, should consider the use of these agents as first-line therapies for IBS," Ford said.
Dr. Roger Jones, from Kings College London and author of an accompanying journal editorial, welcomed the study.
"These treatments might be slightly more effective than recently thought and they are worth trying," Jones said.
For some patients with pain and diarrhea the antispasmodics may be useful. Patients with constipation should try fiber and for other patients, peppermint oil may be helpful, Jones said.
"If you have IBS which is not under reasonably good control or you are not happy with your symptom profile, you should see your primary-care doc or gastroenterologist for review and perhaps remind them that there is new evidence about the effectiveness of these traditional medicines and you would like to give it a go," Jones said.
"Alternatively, if you feel sufficiently well-informed and confident, you can go do it yourself and get these treatments at the pharmacy," Jones added.
More information
For more information on IBS, visit the U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
Thursday, January 01, 2009
Complementary and Alternative Treatments for Back Pain
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