July 03, 2008
Health Highlights: July 3, 2008
Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay:
Beef Recall Expanded to Kroger Stores in 20 States
The voluntary recall of ground beef that may be contaminated with E. coli has been expanded to Kroger grocery chain stores in more than 20 states, the Cincinnati-based company said Wednesday.
The Kroger Co. also told consumers to check ground beef in their refrigerators and freezers to determine whether it's included in the recall, the Associated Press reported.
The initial June 25 recall involved Kroger stores in Michigan and in central and northern Ohio. The expanded recall includes ground beef sold at Fred Meyer, QFC, Ralphs, Smith's, Baker's, King Soopers, City Markets, Hilander, Owen's, Pay Less and Scott's with overlapping sell-by dates from mid-May through mid-July.
Click here to view recall information on Kroger's Web site.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has identified the supplier of the beef that may be contaminated with E. coli as Nebraska Beef Ltd., which itself recalled about 532,000 pounds of ground beef produced over the past two months.
The Nebraska Beef meat has been linked to 38 reports of E coli-related illness in Ohio and Michigan, the AP said.
Infection with E. coli O157:H7 can cause bloody diarrhea and dehydration, and in severe cases, kidney failure. Children, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems are more susceptible.
-----
Work-Based Weight Loss Programs Effective
Work-based weight loss programs are modestly effective for people who participate in them, say University of Cincinnati researchers who reviewed 11 studies published since 1994.
Most the programs, which lasted from two to 18 months, included education and counseling on how to improve diet and increase physical activity. Of the studies included in the review, 46 percent looked at low-intensity programs, 18 percent at moderate-intensity programs, and 36 percent at high-intensity programs, United Press International reported.
Employees in high-intensity programs lost an average of between 2.2 pounds and nearly 14 pounds, compared with a loss of 1.5 pounds to a gain of 1.1 pounds among workers who didn't take part in a weight loss program.
Programs that included face-to-face contact between instructors and participants more than once a month appeared to be more effective than other programs, UPI reported.
The study was published in the July/August issue of the American Journal of Health Promotion.
-----
Sleep Problems Increase During Menopause
Difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep increases as women go through menopause, according to a study by researchers at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.
The study of more than 3,000 women, ages 42 to 52, also found that waking up earlier than planned increases through late perimenopause (before menopause) but decreases in post-menopause, United Press International reported.
The researchers also compared different racial and ethnic groups and found that Caucasian women were more likely than others to report trouble staying asleep, and Hispanic women were less likely than others to wake several times during the night.
The findings are published in the July issue of the journal Sleep.
-----
Danes Grapple With Their Own Salmonella Outbreak
As the U.S. Food and Drug Administration works to figure out the source of a salmonella outbreak that has sickened hundreds in the country, Danish health officials are struggling with their own outbreak that may involve thousands of people, the Associated Press reported Wednesday.
The Danish health ministry said about 330 cases have been confirmed, and about 25 percent of those victims have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported. Ministry spokesman Kare Moelbak said the number of cases ultimately could exceed 4,000.
The Danish strain is salmonella typhimurium, which is different from the strain identified in the United States. There are about 2,500 kinds of salmonella.
Danish health officials are examining everything from refrigerators to credit card receipts in trying to identify a source of the outbreak, which could be the nation's worst in 15 years, the AP said.
-----
Mediterranean Diet Reduces Cancer Risk
People who adopt just a few elements of the Mediterranean diet could reduce their cancer risk by as much as 12 percent, say Harvard University researchers, who had 26,000 Greeks record their food intake over eight years.
The Mediterranean diet includes use of olive oil, high consumption of vegetables, fish, fruits and cereals, and less consumption of red meat. Previous research has suggested this diet may reduce the risk of heart disease and other illnesses.
The new study found that simply consuming more olive oil and other unsaturated fats reduced cancer risk by nine percent. And just two aspects of the Mediterranean diet -- eating less red meat and eating more peas, beans and lentils -- reduced cancer risk by 12 percent, BBC News reported.
The findings appear in the British Journal of Cancer.
id=617191
You may need to 