Health Highlights: April 19, 2013

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:

Dick Van Dyke has Undiagnosed Neurological Disorder

Dick Van Dyke is struggling with fatigue and other symptoms of an unknown neurological disorder and has been ordered to rest at home.

"Tests and scans have yet to reveal a specific diagnosis. Various medications have not diminished the symptoms," Van Dyke's spokesman, Bob Palmer, told USA Today. The 87-year-old actor has canceled a public appearance scheduled for New York next week.

Palmer said that thanks to Van Dyke's "strong constitution and years on a daily fitness regimen Dick is otherwise in good physical condition but the fatigue factor has become acute. Until there is a specific diagnosis and treatment plan he is advised against travel by flight and is resting at home in Malibu."

On Twitter, Van Dyke outlined his situation: "My head bangs every time I lay down. I've had every test come back that I'm perfectly healthy. Anybody got any ideas?"

Possible causes suggested by people included sinus issues, allergies, acid reflux and ear problems, USA Today reported.

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Infection Sends GMA Host Robin Roberts to Hospital

Television host Robin Roberts has been hospitalized with infection.

The "Good Morning America" host was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder about a year ago and had a bone marrow transplant in September. She returned to the show in February but hasn't been on the air this week, USA Today reported.

"Last week, in the middle of my Key West vacation, I began not to feel well. Nothing serious, just under the weather. I contacted my doctors and flew back to NYC. They felt it best to admit me into the hospital for a few days," Roberts said in a Facebook note.

"Seems my young immune system needed a little boost to fight off 'opportunistic infections,' " she explained.

"My doctors assured me that this was NOT because I was working or doing too much, too soon. It's extremely common, post bone marrow transplant, to have complications. I'm blessed that mine have not been severe," Roberts wrote, USA Today reported.

She added: "I'm feeling MUCH better, and will relax at home for the rest of the week. I'll be back on GMA next week...as my sweet momma would say: 'Good Lord willing, and the creek don't rise!'"

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No 'Sustained' Evidence of Human-to-Human Transmission of H79N Bird Flu

Four possible cases of human-to-human transmission of the H7N9 bird flu in China are being investigated, but so far there is "no sustained" evidence of the virus being passed between people, according to the World Health Organization.

The investigation involves three families in Shanghai and two young boys in Beijing who may have infected each other, WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl told The New York Times.

"Even if two family members are positive, it is not necessarily the case they got it from each other. They may have gotten it from the same bird," Hartl noted.

He also said there is growing concern that the H7N9 virus -- which has killed 17 people so far -- may not originate in birds but in other animals and in environmental sources, The Times reported.

Copyright © 2013 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

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Health Highlights: April 17, 2013

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:

Surgical Complications Profitable for Hospitals: Study

Surgical errors help boost hospitals' profits and some would end up losing money if they took better care of patients, according to a new study.

The researchers explained that mistakes can add cash to hospitals' coffers because insurers pay them for the longer patient stays and extra care associated with surgical complications that could have been prevented, The New York Times reported.

Altering the payment system so that poor care is not rewarded could help reduce surgical complication rates, said the study authors from the Boston Consulting Group, Harvard's schools of medicine and public health, and Texas Health Resources, a nonprofit hospital system.

The team analyzed the records of more than 34,000 patients who had surgery in 2010 at one of 12 hospitals operated by Texas Health Resources. Of those, 1,820 had one or more preventable surgical complications, such as blood clots, pneumonia or infected incisions, The Times reported.

The median length of stay for patients with these complications was 14 days, about four times longer than for patients without complications. Hospital revenue averaged $49,400 for a patient with complications and $18,900 for a patient without complications, according to the study in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The researchers said they are not suggested that hospitals are trying to make money by deliberately causing surgical complications or refusing to remedy the problem. But they said the current payment system makes it difficult for hospitals to make changes because improvements in patient care can end up costing them money, The Times reported.

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Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Common in Raw Meat: FDA Report

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are present in a significant amount of raw meat sold in the United States, according to a Food and Drug Administration report.

Tests conducted by the agency found antibiotic-resistant bacteria in 81 percent of raw ground turkey, 69 percent of pork chops, 55 percent of ground beef and 39 percent of chicken, CNN reported.

In addition, there were significant amounts of salmonella and Campylobacter bacteria, which cause millions of cases of food poisoning a year in the U.S. Of the chicken samples tested, 53 percent had an antibiotic-resistant form of E. coli.

In livestock, antibiotics are used to prevent disease and to boost growth. In 2011, nearly 30 million pounds of antibiotics were sold for use in meat and poultry, compared with nearly 8 million pounds for human use, according to the Pew Charitable Trusts.

"Antibiotic use in animals is out of hand," Dr. Gail Hansen, a veterinarian and senior officer for the Pew Campaign on Human Health and Industrial Farming, told CNN. The campaign's goal is to curb the overuse of antibiotics in food production.

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Pet Hedgehogs Linked to Salmonella Outbreak: CDC

Pet hedgehogs have been identified as the cause of a salmonella outbreak that sickened 23 people in 9 states and led to one death, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.

The illnesses were reported between December 26, 2011 and March 5, 2013 and occurred in: Alabama (1), Idaho (1), Illinois (1), Indiana (1), Michigan (3), Minnesota (3), Ohio (5), Oregon (1), and Washington (7).

Thirty-five percent of people who became ill were hospitalized and one death was reported in Washington. Children age 10 and younger accounted for 39 percent of patients, the CDC said.

Investigators linked the outbreak to contact with pet hedgehogs bought from a number of breeders in different states.

The CDC said people should wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water immediately after touching hedgehogs or anything in the area where the animals live and roam. Adults should supervise young children as they wash their hands.

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FDA Should Have Been Tougher With Compounding Pharmacies: Commissioner

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration should have taken stronger action against compounding pharmacies like the one linked to a meningitis outbreak last year, agency commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg admitted to Congress Tuesday.

Because it had become overly concerned about avoiding lawsuits, the FDA did not control compounding pharmacies as effectively as it could have, Hamburg said at a hearing before a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee, The New York Times reported.

"I think we allowed ourselves to be far too cautious because of fears of litigation that might further undermine our authority," she explained. "That should not happen. Public health should not be impeded by those kinds of legal regulatory ambiguities."

Hamburg added: "We weren't as aggressive as we could have been, and I regret that," The Times reported.

The commissioner also repeated concerns that the FDA still lacked the authority to force compounding pharmacies to follow tougher safety standards, but some committee members expressed doubts about that claim.

In the outbreak last fall, more than 50 people died and 680 more became ill with fungal meningitis after receiving injections of a contaminated steroid made by the New England Compounding Center.

Copyright © 2013 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

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Health Highlights: April 15, 2013

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:

FDA Announces Safety Reassessment of Diabetes Drug Avandia

A safety reassessment of the diabetes drug Avandia announced by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration comes three years after the agency limited the drug's sales due to cardiovascular risks.

In a notice published in the Federal Register on Friday, the FDA said it plans to hold a two-day hearing of outside medical advisers in June to discuss the results of Duke University scientists' re-evaluation of earlier research on Avandia, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The FDA did not say why it scheduled the hearing and said it is too early to know what options it will be considering.

This rare move by the FDA is not expected to make Avandia more widely available to patients, according to WSJ. GlaxoSmithKline, which makes the drug, is not seeking to ease restrictions on sales of Avandia, according to a company spokeswoman. She noted that the company commissioned the Duke team's re-evaluation at the request of the FDA.

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La. Company Expands Meat Recall

A recall of meat products due to possible bacterial contamination has been expanded by a Louisiana-based meat packing company, the U.S. Department of Agriculture says.

The recall by the Manda Packing Company now includes 468,000 pounds of roast beef, ham, turkey breast, tasso pork, ham shanks, hog headcheese, corned beef and pastrami, the Associated Press reported.

The products, which were recalled due to possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes, were shipped to Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas.

No illnesses have been reported, according to the AP.

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Meningitis Case Causes Concern in L.A. Gay Community

Health officials in Los Angeles County are urging people to watch for any symptoms of a potentially deadly strain of meningitis that has left one man brain dead.

Early signs of the disease -- a bacterial infection of the membrane surrounding the brain and spinal cord -- include a severe headache and stiff neck. If treated early, it can be effectively treated with antibiotics.

Only one case has been confirmed in the Los Angeles area but it follows an outbreak of deadly meningitis among gay men in New York City. Since 2010, at least 22 men have contracted the disease and 7 have died, The New York Times reported.

So far, no link between the New York outbreak and the Los Angeles case has been made. However, the disease similarities have led to fears about outbreaks in both locations.

"The lesson we learned 30 years ago in the early days of HIV and AIDS is that people were not alerted to what was going on and a lot of infections occurred that didn't need to occur," John Duran, a West Hollywood city councilman and one of the few openly HIV-positive elected officials in the United States, told The Times. "So even with an isolated case here, we need to sound the alarms, especially given the cases in New York."

Copyright © 2013 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

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Health Highlights: April 15, 2013

A recall of meat products due to possible bacterial contamination has been expanded by a Louisiana-based meat packing company, the U.S. Department of Agriculture says.

The recall by the Manda Packing Company now includes 468,000 pounds of roast beef, ham, turkey breast, tasso pork, ham shanks, hog headcheese, corned beef and pastrami, the Associated Press reported.

The products, which were recalled due to possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes, were shipped to Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas.

No illnesses have been reported, according to the AP.

View the original article here

Health Highlights: April 11, 2013

The median annual cost of a private room in a nursing home in the United States rose 24 percent over the past five years, from $67,527 to $83,950, a new survey says.

The price climbed 4 percent from last year to this year, according to Genworth's 2013 Cost of Care Survey, which is based on data from nearly 15,000 long-term care providers, CNN reported.

The cost of a semi-private room at a nursing home has increased 23 percent over the past five years to a median of $75,405 a year. The cost of being in an assisted living facility also rose 23 percent and is now $41,400 a year.

Prices are being pushed up by a number of factors, including food, building maintenance, insurance and labor costs, Bob Bua, vice president of Genworth, told CNN.

View the original article here

Our April Flick Picks

April showers bring May flowers... and an excuse to spend the day at the movie theater. Grab some Mike And Ikes and check out one of these must-see films.

THE MOVIE: 42

In theaters April 12

Why You Should Go See It: Springtime means the start of baseball season, so there's no better time for this stirring Jackie Robinson biopic. Plus, we're guessing your guy won't mind sharing popcorn at the theater.

Who We Love In It: Chadwick Boseman--you might not know his name yet, but you won't forget it after you see his powerful portrayal of the famous barrier breaker.

THE MOVIE: The Big Wedding

In theaters April 26

Why You Should Go See It: Your mailbox is overflowing with calligraphy-adorned wedding invites, and you've bought seven toasters. But even if you're dreading wedding season, don't shun this fun family comedy. A divorced couple has to pretend to still be married as theyprepare for their son's wedding--thank god for open bars.

Who We Love In It: The ensemble cast is crazy: Robert De Niro, Amanda Seyfried, Katherine Heigl, Susan Sarandon, Ben Barnes, Diane Keaton, Topher Grace. Now that's a family we'd like to party with.

THE MOVIE: The Reluctant Fundamentalist

In theaters April 26

Why You Should Go See It: Ok, so maybe you haven't gotten around to reading the provocative novel by Mohsin Hamid, but you can still enjoy this intense thriller about the struggles of a young Pakistani man working in the United States. Bring your political junkie friend and prepare for a deep convo over post-movie lattes.

Who We Love In It: Kate Hudson, who proves that she can do way more than rom-coms (although hey, we love her in those, too).

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Image Credit: Courtesy of Warner Brothers

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Listen Up! Your April Music Musts

Ladies, it's time to stop hibernating and start dancing: April is here. The air smells fresh, flowers are starting to bloom, and it's finally OK for you to bust out those open-toed pumps that have been languishing in the back of your closet. The month signals new beginnings, and with it comes a wave of awesome new albums.

The country rocker siblings will fire you up to wage war on dust bunnies and sort through your over-stuffed dresser. Frontwoman Kimberly Perry is sassy and fierce as she belts out a damning goodbye to a no-good lover. Channel her energy to get rid of your own junk, then play the album again as you dance around your squeaky-clean digs.

When you're taking a bike ride around the park: Andrew Wyatt's "And Septimus..." from Descender, out April 16

The debut solo album from the Miike Snow vocalist might just inspire you to stop and smell the tulips as you cruise through the park. This dreamy, cheerful song is guaranteed to make you smile even if your ride is cut short by those inevitable April showers--hey, at least it isn't snowing anymore!

When you're plotting your April Fools prank: Yeah Yeah Yeahs' "Sacrilege" from Mosquito, out April 16

We're faced with a bit of a moral quandary this year: The wholesome, marshmallow-filled Easter holiday and the most mischievous day of the year are back-to-back. Let the catchy guitar riff and Karen O's frenetic vocals inspire you to do dastardly deeds, but remember: You can have a fun prank without risking time in a jail or hospital.

When you're scrambling to finish your taxes: Phoenix's "Entertainment" from Bankrupt! out April 23

You need something peppy enough to help you power through the labyrinth of tax documents, and the French group's upbeat vibe is the perfect accompaniment to stave off your money woes. Just cross your fingersthat the band's album title won't describe your financial situation when you realize how much you owe the federal government.

When you're lounging at the bar's al fresco patio: Kid Cudi's "King Wizard" from Indicud, out April 23

After months of hiding your cute going-out minis underparkas and scarves on blustery Saturday nights, you can finally flaunt yourfashion and show some skin. Fortunately, Kid Cudi, aka the king of cool, party-worthy hip-hop, is back with a solid third album just in time for thewarm weather bar-hopping. He's simultaneously laid-back and intense, chill and badass. It's the perfect soundtrack as you raise a glass to springtime.

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Image Credit: Getty Images Entertainment

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April – A Month of Focus

Don't Lose Sight!

I have worked out EVERY SINGLE DAY in April.  Okay, fine.  I know it has only been four days but hey, I am off to a good start.

The past few weeks months have been not so great on the weight loss front.  In my training for the half marathon, I ate more calories and wasn’t too concerned with my eating because I found when I ate more, I had more energy to run.  That being said, the exercise was just combating the calories I was eating and there wasn’t much weight loss.  In fact, there was some weight gain because I wasn’t thoughtful with what I was eating.

Then, after my half-marathon, I stopped exercising for two weeks.  The first week was all about time because I was working and getting ready to go to Philly.  Then, when I am normally doing my long workout, I was in Philly.

I have done good the past few days with my walking/running and eating so I feel like this month is going to be a good month to focus back on the plan and have some success.

Here are my goals for April:

Workout at least 7 times a week for at least 10 minutes.  I will be accountable to you, my readers EVERY SINGLE week.  That way, it will keep me focused (I know working out seven times a week is extreme but my goal is only 10 minutes and some days, that is all I will do.  If I miss a day, I have to workout twice on a different day to make up for the missed day.  This seems do-able for me).Only eat mindfully.  No more snacking without counting.  No more “just a bite” of this or that.  I’m going back to the whole “snack it, track it” phase of weight loss.

That’s it.  Two main goals that are key in how I feel and look.  I will focus on these two things and hopefully I will get the pounds back down to where they were in October.  I need to lose 10.2 pounds to get back to a total loss of 100.  I want to do that this month.

What are your goals for April?  April is going to come and go whether or not you choose to be successful.  This month, I am going to focus and have a successful month.  Will you join me?

Photo Credit

Focus on the PositiveDecember GoalsMarch Madness

View the original article here

April – A Month of Focus

Don't Lose Sight!

I have worked out EVERY SINGLE DAY in April.  Okay, fine.  I know it has only been four days but hey, I am off to a good start.

The past few weeks months have been not so great on the weight loss front.  In my training for the half marathon, I ate more calories and wasn’t too concerned with my eating because I found when I ate more, I had more energy to run.  That being said, the exercise was just combating the calories I was eating and there wasn’t much weight loss.  In fact, there was some weight gain because I wasn’t thoughtful with what I was eating.

Then, after my half-marathon, I stopped exercising for two weeks.  The first week was all about time because I was working and getting ready to go to Philly.  Then, when I am normally doing my long workout, I was in Philly.

I have done good the past few days with my walking/running and eating so I feel like this month is going to be a good month to focus back on the plan and have some success.

Here are my goals for April:

Workout at least 7 times a week for at least 10 minutes.  I will be accountable to you, my readers EVERY SINGLE week.  That way, it will keep me focused (I know working out seven times a week is extreme but my goal is only 10 minutes and some days, that is all I will do.  If I miss a day, I have to workout twice on a different day to make up for the missed day.  This seems do-able for me).Only eat mindfully.  No more snacking without counting.  No more “just a bite” of this or that.  I’m going back to the whole “snack it, track it” phase of weight loss.

That’s it.  Two main goals that are key in how I feel and look.  I will focus on these two things and hopefully I will get the pounds back down to where they were in October.  I need to lose 10.2 pounds to get back to a total loss of 100.  I want to do that this month.

What are your goals for April?  April is going to come and go whether or not you choose to be successful.  This month, I am going to focus and have a successful month.  Will you join me?

Photo Credit

Focus on the PositiveDecember GoalsMarch Madness

View the original article here