Agent Orange Tied to Lethal Prostate Cancer

Findings from U.S. veterans should raise awareness of chemical warfare's hazards, researcher says

By Robert Preidt

HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, May 13 (HealthDay News) -- A link exists between exposure to Agent Orange and deadly forms of prostate cancer in U.S. veterans, according to a new study.

Agent Orange was a chemical spray that was heavily used during the Vietnam War era. It was often contaminated with dioxin, a potentially cancer-causing chemical. Previous research suggests that exposure to Agent Orange increases the risk of prostate cancer, but it wasn't known if it specifically increases the risk of more dangerous forms of the disease.

In this study, researchers looked at more than 2,700 U.S. veterans who underwent a prostate biopsy. Prostate cancer was diagnosed in 33 percent of the veterans, including 17 percent with high-grade disease, according to the study, which was published online May 13 in the journal Cancer.

Exposure to Agent Orange was linked with a 52 percent increase in overall prostate cancer risk, a 75 percent increased risk of high-grade prostate cancer and a more than doubled risk of the deadliest forms of the disease.

The findings suggest that determining veterans' exposure to Agent Orange can help identify those who may be at increased risk for prostate cancer, leading to earlier detection and treatment, said Dr. Mark Garzotto, of the Portland Veterans Administration Medical Center and Oregon Health & Science University, and colleagues.

"It also should raise awareness about potential harms of chemical contaminants in biologic agents used in warfare and the risks associated with waste handling and other chemical processes that generate dioxin or dioxin-related compounds," Garzotto said in a journal news release.

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After You Overeat: What to Do to Get Back on Track

What to do after you've blown your calorie budget.By Daphne Sashin
WebMD Feature

Holiday parties, gourmet meals, and celebratory dinners can easily get a little (or a lot) more decadent than you expected. Let’s face it: Everyone blows his or her calorie budget every now and then.

Do you need to worry? Is that old dieter’s saying, “a moment on the lips, forever on the hips” really true? And what should you do next?

Resolved to finally lose weight this year? Check out these tools, tips and tricks from WebMD that might help make it just a little less difficult.

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Here’s what medical experts, registered dietitians, and weight management specialists say about the damage done by one-time splurges and their tips for getting back on track.

The good news is, one meal is not going to ruin you if you eat sensibly and exercise regularly the rest of the time and get back to your routine, experts say. You need to eat 3,500 calories to gain one pound of body fat, so it’s unlikely that a single overindulgence will show up on the scale.

“We call these ‘taking time-outs,’ and we all take them,” says Rebecca S. Reeves, DrPH, RD, assistant professor at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. “No one is perfect in their eating habits. What we have to learn is that we are giving ourselves permission to do this, and as soon as it’s over, we should go back to the eating plan we normally follow. This does not give us permission to continue to overeat and binge.”

The problem is, overeating is not a one-time affair for most Americans, says cardiologist Allen Dollar, MD, chief of cardiology at Grady Memorial Hospital and assistant professor of medicine at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta.

“Most people overeat somewhere between 500 and 1,500 calories every single day,” Dollar says. “If they don’t consciously think about their dietary intake every day, they will be overweight.”

Too many dieters throw in the towel after a splurge, says Kathleen M. Laquale, PhD, a licensed nutritionist, athletic trainer, and associate professor at Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts.

“You may feel defeated and say, ‘Oh I blew my diet, and I’ll just eat the whole Christmas season and the heck with it,” Laquale says. “When you do overindulge, don’t be self-deprecating. You overeat for one day; let’s get back on track again. Let’s be more conscious of our portion sizes the next day.”

It’s typical to eat more sensibly during the week and take in more calories on the weekend, says Joan Salge Blake, MS, RD, clinical associate professor at Boston University.

So if you eat more calories than you should at a party on a weeknight, consider that one of your “weekend” days and compensate for it accordingly.

“In other words, you had a party on a Tuesday, and that party was quite fun and it almost became like a Saturday,” Salge Blake says. “Just make sure that the days that come after that festive occasion reflect more of the structured Monday-through-Thursday eating pattern, rather than the weekend.”

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Fatal Crashes Involving Cellphone Use May Be Under-Reported

THURSDAY, May 9 (HealthDay News) -- The number of fatal crashes involving drivers distracted by cellphones is vastly under-reported in the United States, according to a new study.

National Safety Council researchers looked at 180 fatal crashes nationwide from 2009 to 2011 where evidence indicated driver cellphone use. Of the crashes in 2011, only 52 percent were labeled as cellphone-related in federal government data.

"We believe the number of crashes involving cellphone use is much greater than what is being reported," Janet Froetscher, president and CEO of the National Safety Council, said in a council news release. "Many factors -- from drivers not admitting cellphone use, to a lack of consistency in crash reports being used to collect data at the scene -- make it very challenging to determine an accurate number."

Even in cases where drivers admitted cellphone use before a fatal crash, only about half were entered as cellphone-related in the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Fatal Analysis Reporting System.

The study also noted that there are an unknown number of cases in which the use of cellphones in fatal crashes is impossible to determine. An example would be a driver reading an email or text message who dies in a crash without any witnesses.

There were large differences in cellphone-related fatal crashes reported by states. For example, Tennessee reported 93 fatal crashes involving cellphone use in 2011 while New York reported only one, despite its much larger population. In the same year, Texas reported 40 such cases, while neighboring Louisiana reported none.

In 2012, U.S. traffic deaths increased for the first time in seven years. Based on available data, the National Safety Council estimates that 25 percent of all crashes involved cellphone use.

"The public should be aware that cellphone-involved fatal crashes are not accurately being reported," Bill Windsor, associate vice president of consumer safety at Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, said in the news release. The company partly funded the study.

"These statistics influence national prevention priorities, funding decisions, media attention, legislation and policy, even vehicle and roadway engineering. There are wide-ranging, negative ramifications to safety if a fatal crash factor is substantially under-reported, as appears to be the case of cellphone use in crashes," Windsor said.

-- Robert Preidt
Copyright © 2013 HealthDay. All rights reserved. SOURCE: National Safety Council, news release, May 7, 2013

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Rethinking Bottled Water

Over the past decade, bottled water has become an ever-present part of American life. You’ll find bottles of Dasani, Poland Spring, Evian, or Aquafina at the gym, in the checkout line at the grocery store, in the office.

Sales of bottled water nearly doubled between 1997 and 2007, reaching about $11.5 billion. In 2007, Americans drank 29 gallons of water per capita.

But that’s begun to change. From a peak in 2007, bottled water consumption dropped in 2008, down by 3.8% from the previous year. Recently, cities, schools, natural food stores, and restaurants have begun to “buy local” -- offering tap water rather than bottled -- for environmental and economic reasons. For example, many of the mayors at a meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors voted to phase out the use of bottled water. And more and more individual consumers are following suit.

Picking up a bottle of water at the supermarket or the gym is quick and easy, but it has its costs.

Bottled water is expensive. Depending on where you live, you’ll pay between $1 and $2 for the average 16-ounce bottle. (That’s between 240 and 10,000 times the cost of tap or filtered water.)Bottled water is hard on the environment. Even though about 23% of plastic water bottles are recycled, that still leaves about 2 million tons of bottles pouring into landfills every year.Bottled water isn’t necessarily purer than tap water. An investigation by the Environmental Working Group found chemical contaminants in every brand tested -- including disinfection byproducts, fertilizer residue, and pain medication.

In a lot of cases, bottled water is just tap water. The EWG report found that at least two distributors (Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club) were basically bottling and selling tap water, while many other major brands, including Dasani and Aquafina, distill or purify tap water for their product. If your bottle doesn’t say “spring water” on it, chances are the water came from a municipal water source.

In most cases, you really don’t need to buy bottled water. Municipal tap water is almost always safe to drink, experts say.

“It’s often a question of palatability -- a lot of municipal water has some residual chlorine taste,” says Craig Mains, an engineering scientist at the National Environmental Services Center at West Virginia University. “But there’s a lot you can do to improve the taste and quality of your tap water.”

Refrigerate. “Just putting a pitcher of water in the fridge for awhile will remove the chlorine taste that bothers many people,” Mains says.Boil. If you’re worried about contaminants in your water, boiling the water is an inexpensive way to remove microbes.Filter. There are many types of water filters available. You can buy water pitchers with built-in filters or filters to attach to your faucet. These are inexpensive options, ranging from $20 to about $60. Many refrigerators also come with filters for their water dispensers. Water filters can also make tap water safer for small children and people with compromised immune systems.Mega-filter. You can buy a whole-house reverse osmosis filtration system from a company like Culligan for about $1,000, plus a monthly service cost that includes filter replacement. Culligan claims that this works out to about six cents per gallon of filtered water.

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Pets a Boon for the Human Heart, Cardiologists Say

THURSDAY, May 9 (HealthDay News) -- That four-legged friend of yours may be more than a companion -- he also may be boosting your heart health, experts say.

An official statement released Thursday by the American Heart Association says there is evidence that having a pet, particularly a dog, may lower your risk of heart disease.

Cardiology specialists weren't all that surprised.

"Pets really might be man's best friend," said Barbara George, director of the Center for Cardiovascular Lifestyle Medicine at Winthrop-University Hospital in Mineola, N.Y.

"Studies have shown people who own pets, particularly dogs, have lower blood pressure, increased mood-related brain chemicals, better cholesterol numbers, lower weight and improved stress response," George said.

Members of the American Heart Association (AHA) committee that wrote the statement reviewed data from an array of relevant studies. They found that pet ownership appears to be associated with a reduction in heart disease risk factors such as high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol levels and obesity -- and improved survival among people with heart disease.

Dog ownership in particular may help reduce heart risk, the statement said. People with dogs may get more exercise because they take their dogs for walks. A study of more than 5,200 adults found that dog owners did more walking and physical activity than those who didn't own dogs, and that dog owners were 54 percent more likely to get the recommended level of physical activity.

"Walking your dog is a healthy chore; it is a great way to exercise without thinking about it," said Dr. Nieca Goldberg, clinical associate professor in the department of medicine at the Tisch Center for Women's Health at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City. "Pet owners increase their physical activity simply by walking their dogs."

Pets can also have a positive effect on the body's reactions to stress, according to the AHA. George agreed, saying pets can be "a tool for weight loss, socialization, calming our nerves and easing anxiety and depression."

The AHA stressed, however, that the studies they reviewed cannot prove that owning a pet directly reduces heart disease risk.

"It may be simply that healthier people are the ones that have pets, not that having a pet actually leads to or causes reduction in cardiovascular risk," statement committee chairman Dr. Glenn Levine, a professor at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, said in an AHA news release.

"There probably is an association between pet ownership and decreased cardiovascular risk," he said. "What's less clear is whether the act of adopting or acquiring a pet could lead to a reduction in cardiovascular risk in those with pre-existing disease. Further research, including better quality studies, is needed to more definitively answer this question."

In the meantime, George said, humans can benefit from the mental and physical rewards of furry companions. "Pets tug at our heartstrings," she said. "But they also improve our health -- both mental and physical -- helping us to live longer and happier lives."

The AHA statement was published online May 9 in the journal Circulation.

-- Robert Preidt
Copyright © 2013 HealthDay. All rights reserved. SOURCES: Barbara George Ed.D., R.N., director, Center for Cardiovascular Lifestyle Medicine, Winthrop-University Hospital, Mineola, N.Y.; Nieca Goldberg, M.D., clinical associate professor, department of medicine, Leon H. Charney Division of Cardiology, Joan H. Tisch Center for Women's Health, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York City; American Heart Association, news release, May 9, 2013

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A quick fix for puffy eyes

Olay Regenerist Age-Defying Eye Roller, £21.99, Boots

If you're having one of those puffy-eye days (you know, not the allocated eight-hours shut-eye and you feel like you can't see out over your eye bags), this should help. In fact, you don't need to be short of sleep to see the benefits; work Olay's super-cooling rollerball into your twice a day skincare regime and you'll notice your fine lines and wrinkles reduced, with skin feeling smoother and softer. We've pegged it as our 2013 travel essential (it's the perfect plane perker-upper).

By Rebecca Cox

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Swimming Workouts: Take the Plunge

Low in impact and high in results, swimming tops the charts when it comes to exercise.By Jodi Helmer
WebMD Magazine - Feature

When she first stepped into the pool, Makeda Pennycooke didn't know how to swim. Pennycooke, an executive pastor from Charlotte, N.C., had signed up for lessons in hopes of getting a workout and conquering her fear of the water.

During her first lesson, Pennycooke learned it was going to take some practice before she could swim a lap. "I was really discouraged at first because I felt like I wasn't getting it," she says, "but after two months of lessons, it started to come together and I realized that I loved swimming."

Hitting the water has long topped lists of best workouts because it's a low-impact exercise that puts minimal stress on the joints and a heart-pumping cardiovascular workout that builds endurance and helps lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels.  A 155-pound woman burns about 223 calories in 30 minutes. Plus, the resistance of the water forces your body to work harder to complete each movement, toning your biceps, triceps, back, chest, stomach, and leg muscles as you swim.

"Swimming isn't about perfect strokes -- at least, not at first," says Jane Katz, EdD, professor of health and physical education at John Jay College of Criminal Justice at City University of New York, and author of Swimming for Total Fitness: A Progressive Aerobic Program. "New swimmers should just focus on getting into the water and moving."

Not all swimming workouts are the same. How you structure your water routine and the strokes you choose make a difference. Beginners often prefer the backstroke and sidestroke, which are less difficult and don't require breathing out underwater. More experienced swimmers who want a demanding exercise session favor the butterfly and freestyle strokes, Katz says.

The trickiest part of learning to swim is mastering the art of breathing. Katz suggests practicing in the shallow end: Put your face underwater and exhale through your nose and mouth, lift your face out of the water and inhale, go back under water and exhale. Keep practicing until it feels comfortable.

Pennycooke's lessons lasted 30 minutes, and each week she was stronger, faster, and more confident in the pool. "The first time our class swam 10 laps, I was one of the last to finish, but I didn't care because I felt such a massive sense of accomplishment," she recalls. "To go from a nonswimmer to a swimmer is a huge item checked off my bucket list."

To ensure your workout goes swimmingly, swim expert Jane Katz, EdD, suggests stocking up on a few essentials:

Swim cap. A fitted cap keeps your hair in place, reduces drag in the water, and helps protect your hair from pool chemicals like chlorine. Beginners should stick with the more comfortable silicone caps, while competitive swimmers favor thinner, tighter latex caps.

Goggles. Protect your eyes from irritation and inflammation while seeing more clearly underwater. Transparent lenses are best for indoor swimming, and polarized lenses with UV protection are essential outdoors.

Sunscreen. If you're swimming outdoors, sunscreen is a must. The sun reflects off the water, increasing your risk of sunburn. Apply a water-resistant sunscreen before you get in the water, and reapply when you get out. 

Water bottle. Your body still sweats while you're in the pool. Katz advises taking regular breaks from swimming laps to hydrate, just as if you were at the gym.

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