New Cancer Data and Prevention Plan Unveiled

(SALT LAKE CITY) – Cancer is the second leading cause of death in Utah. Each year, more than 8,000 Utahns are diagnosed with the disease, and more than 1,900 die from it. In an effort to lower cancer rates and raise screening rates, the Utah Department of Health (UDOH) today released the Utah Cancer Small Area Report and Utah’s Comprehensive Cancer Prevention and Control Plan.

The Small Area Report provides a broad overview of the most common types of cancer in the U.S, Utah, and 61 small areas within Utah. This is the first major report from the UDOH that consolidates cancer screening, incidence, and mortality data for small areas in a single source. It has pinpointed higher-than-average cancer rates in several areas of the state, including a high skin cancer rate in Summit County.

“In Utah, we are below the national average in screening for breast, cervical, and prostate cancers – cancers that can be treated more effectively when detected early,” said Robert Rolfs, M.D., M.P.H., State Epidemiologist. “The report is a great way to look at cancer more precisely across the state, which will help decision makers determine how best to allocate limited funds to communities with the greatest need.”

Utah’s Comprehensive Cancer Prevention and Control Plan is a five-year plan created in partnership by the UDOH and the Utah Cancer Action Network (UCAN).  Utah has one of the highest melanoma rates in the nation, and practicing sun-safe behaviors may lower a person’s chances of developing this deadly form of skin cancer. In fact, the plan has already led to the implementation of evidence-based interventions. Several areas throughout the state have launched programs to increase awareness of the dangers of the sun and need for sun safety.

The plan contains the following seven key areas of focus: Cancer Morbidity and Mortality; Advocacy and Public Policy; Primary Prevention and Awareness; Early Detection and Treatment; Survivorship and Quality of Life; Professional Education and Practice; and Data Acquisition, Utilization, and Management. Each of these areas contains goals, objectives, and strategies that aim to decrease the burden of cancer in Utah.

“The goal of UCAN is to educate all Utahns about how to prevent cancer, encourage them to get screened, and ultimately prevent cancer deaths, through collaborative efforts,” said Lynette Hansen, co-chair of UCAN. “We encourage individuals, organizations, and communities across the state to take part in this fight against cancer,” Hansen added. “The plan provides a roadmap to make positive changes and help in this battle.” 

UCAN is a community coalition of more than 150 partners across the state with a vested interest in fighting cancer.

For more information or to view the reports in their entirety, visit www.ucan.cc or http://cancerutah.org/smallAreaReport/.

Media Contact:

Lynne Nilson

Health Program Coordinator

(w) 801-538-7049 (C) 435-640-6147

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Youth Art Show Remembers Tobacco Use Victims

(Salt Lake City) – Anti-tobacco youth groups from across the Wasatch Front have created an art exhibit to memorialize family members and celebrities who won’t be at Thanksgiving dinner this year. Every year, tobacco products kill 1,200 Utahns in ways that are not quick, painless, or glamorous. The exhibit’s focal point is a Thanksgiving table installation and death masks to illustrate the toll of tobacco in Utah. 

The exhibit, Look Who’s Not Coming to Dinner, runs through Saturday, November 26 at the Gray Wall Gallery, 351 West Pierpont Ave. Suite 2B, Salt Lake City. The young artists will be on hand to discuss the project during a reception Saturday from 4 to 6 p.m.

Members of the youth groups crafted death masks -- the centuries-old, multicultural symbol of death -- to represent those who have died from tobacco addiction. The artists include representatives from the Utah Department of Health’s One Good Reason, Salt Lake Valley Health Department’s Teen Advocates Against Tobacco, Utah County Health Department’s Outrage, and the Utah Pride Center.

“Moms and dads, sisters and brothers, aunts and uncles, and even grandparents have lost their lives due to tobacco addiction,” says Kelcie Langston, One Good Reason Board Member. “We believe we have a responsibility to inform and educate all Utahns about the health risks that Big Tobacco covers up.”

One artist is working to raise awareness about Project SCUM (Sub-Culture Urban Marketing), a marketing tactic Big Tobacco implemented in Castro, a gay neighborhood of San Francisco, in the mid-1990s to gain market share among gay and lesbian youth. It worked too well, as today nearly 60 percent of gay, lesbian, or bisexual teens in the U.S. say they use tobacco and more than 30,000 gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered people die each year due to tobacco use. 

“Our installation expresses our feelings about Project SCUM,” says Gabe Stefanson, One Good Reason Board member. “When we buy their product, we are paying the tobacco industry to call us scum. They don’t care that what they are selling is deadly.”

“It’s important that over the holidays we remember those who have lost their lives, as well as those who are suffering because of the tobacco industry,” continues Langston. “We hope our art show will help people realize Big Tobacco is taking advantage of them. We want to help people take steps toward quitting so that next Thanksgiving, and for many years to come, they are able to spend the holidays with their loved ones.”  

Tobacco use is the single greatest cause of preventable death in Utah, claiming more lives than car crashes, murder, suicide, AIDS, alcohol, drug abuse, and fires combined. For more information, or help quitting, visit http://www.onegoodreason.net/ or http://www.tobaccofreeutah.org/. 

For more information, contact:

Andrea Kofoed

UDOH One Good Reason Coordinator

801-538-7085 (desk)

801-836-4066 (mobile)

# # #

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UDOH Debuts Health Videos for Minorities

(Salt Lake City, UT) – The Utah Department of Health (UDOH), Office of Health Disparities Reduction (OHD) has created new health education videos featuring diverse Utah communities titled For Me, For Us.  The videos are available in English, Spanish, Samoan, and Tongan and address access to health care, infant mortality, and obesity. Different versions are designed for Utah’s African American, Hispanic/Latino and Pacific Islander communities and feature local Utahns from these racial/ethnic groups. 

Utah minority groups face unique health challenges. African American and Pacific Islander babies are significantly more likely to die before their first birthday than infants statewide. Hispanics are less likely to have access to needed medical care than any other Utah racial/ethnic group. All three of these groups have higher obesity rates than the statewide population. The new DVDs address these issues in a culturally and linguistically appropriate manner.

“This is part of the Department’s commitment to helping Utahns become the healthiest people in the nation, by eliminating health disparities and achieving health equity for all our citizens,” said Marc E. Babitz, MD, Director, UDOH Division of Family Health and Preparedness.

Utah community members who screened the videos had rave reviews.  Jacob Fitisemanu, an OHD Advisory Board member, shared the video with his family. 

“Some of them were really touched, wiping a tear once or twice during the video, because they thought it really spoke to their heart in a way that a doctor or school presenter had never been able to reach them before,” he reported.  “I didn't expect that emotional response, but it resonated so well to see people like them speaking in their language and they were very impressed.”

“My family loved it,” said Joyce Ah You of the Queen Center. “My daughters were so impressed with the way the messages were conveyed.  The filmmaker did an outstanding job speaking to the Pacific Islander community. What a wonderful project,” she added.

The videos include tips like how to prepare lower-fat, higher-fiber meals, taking care of your body during pregnancy, and pregnancy spacing. They also remind viewers that everyone should get an annual checkup, even if they're feeling healthy, because many common diseases often have no symptoms. They will be distributed to health care and community-based organizations to show in their waiting rooms or at community events.  Copies will also be sent to churches and posted on YouTube.

The videos were recorded in Salt Lake, Summit, and Weber counties in partnership with local community-based organizations: the People's Health Clinic, Project Success, and the Queen Center.  The videos were produced by Williams Visual Digital Films and Imaging.

View and download the videos at http://health.utah.gov/disparities/community/ForMeForUs.html.

Media Contact:

April Young Bennett

Office of Health Disparities

(801) 703-0127

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Five Easy Toning Exercises you can Do Anywhere

Exercise is an important part of our lives. Staying in shape is one way to increase your life expectancy. Weight bearing exercises are important also for increasing muscle mass and bone density as you age.



Most of us have learned what to do when it comes to exercising. The problem is where and when to get the job done. With a busy lifestyle, making time for exercise is a challenge.



Weight bearing exercises aren’t just for bodybuilders. As you age, especially once you hit the

easy toning exercises

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Discovering the 31 Day Fat Loss Cure: The Secret to Losing Weight Fast

You know how a lot of fat loss programs are all about simple tips and tricks that all basically follow the same diet routine and boring work-out plan that don’t really work but instead are designed to make you purchase more and more of their “weight-loss” products to finally see noticeable results? There are loads of these programs out there today, marketing themselves to help you cut the fat and lose weight in a few weeks, a few days or in a year by simply following a diet or a

31 day fat loss cure

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Weight Loss Myths: Don't Believe Them!

Where weight loss is concerned, there is a wealth of good as well as bad information out there. And when people are desperate to lose a few pounds, they will believe almost anything they hear, hoping for a quick fix! In this article, we will expose a few of the weight loss myths that can actually slow your progress instead of speeding it up!



Some people hold to the belief that there is a "Metabolic type," and that based on your genetics and family history, your diet should consist of a

weight loss myths

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Making Pedestrians and Bicyclists a Priority

(Salt Lake City, UT) – Sharing roads with pedestrians and bicyclists is the focus of the new Utah Bicycle & Pedestrian Master Plan Design Guide. Representatives from the Utah Department of Health (UDOH), Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT), Wasatch Front Regional Council (WFRA), and Utah Transit Authority (UTA), among other partners, worked together to create the guide.

“This tool will help city planners and engineers design healthy transportation choices based on community-identified needs and goals,” said Brett McIff, UDOH Physical Activity Coordinator. “The bottom line is, everyone is a pedestrian at some point in their day, and we believe these plans will improve their quality of life by building environments that facilitate walking and biking,” said McIff.

Some cities around the state have already implemented or are developing similar plans. Orem and Salt Lake City have comprehensive plans focusing on bicycle and pedestrian transportation. Salt Lake City has received national attention because of its efforts, which include Complete Streets ordinances that encourage consideration of all modes of transportation for users of all ages and abilities.

“Active transportation like walking and cycling provides many benefits, including less traffic congestion, fewer road repair needs, an increase in community economic development, and a cleaner environment,” said McIff.  “But the real benefit is that people who are active tend to be healthier than people who are inactive.”

The Utah Bicycle & Pedestrian Master Plan Design Guide was made possible by funding from the Department of Health and Human Services and the Utah Department of Health. 

To access the Guide on-line visit: http://health.utah.gov/obesity/documents/Utah%20Bike%20Ped%20Guide.pdf.

Media Contacts:

Tania J. Charette. MPH, CHES

Media Coordinator

(801) 538-6423 (office)

Brett McIff, PhD

PA Coordinator

(801) 915-9942 (cell)

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The 10 Best Power Packed Foods

What is the secret to a long and healthy life? It is in the food that we eat. As you well know, all foods are not created equal. Choosing and eating the right foods may help increase your life expectancy as well as the quality of your life.



Here are ten of the top power packed foods designed to give you energy, vitality and all around good health!



1. Beans – If they give you gas, take precautions before you eat them. Soaking them first can help. Beans of all kinds (kidney,

healthy foods

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Tesco Caught Out in Asda Price War

Tesco have got their wrists slapped over a Tesco TV advert earlier this year in the war against Asda who claim to put more change in your pocket in true Walmart style.

Double the difference?

The Tesco TV ad showed a range of products available at Tesco. The female voice-over stated "At Tesco, we understand times are tough, so we've lowered over 1,000 prices right across the store ... And you can now check the price of your shop at Tesco Price Check and if you find your comparable grocery shopping cheaper at Asda, we'll happily refund double the difference ..."

£20 limit

Text in the "FAQ" section of the website stated "Is there a maximum amount a voucher will be valid for?  We operate a fair use policy to prevent abuse. As such the maximum value for an individual Price Check Voucher is limited to £20".

http://asa.org.uk/ASA-action/Adjudications/2011/11/Tesco-Stores-Ltd/SHP_ADJ_153233.aspx

We considered that the £20 limit was a significant restriction likely to affect the average consumer's decision to shop at Tesco during the promotional period. Because the restriction was not included in ads (a) and (c) we concluded that they were misleading.  Because the restriction was only found in the fair-use policy for ad (b) we concluded that the terms and conditions contradicted rather than clarified the headline claim and therefore that ad (b) was also misleading.
Ad (a) breached BCAP Code rules 3.1 and 3.2 (Misleading advertising) and 3.10 (Qualification).
Ads (b) and (c) breached CAP Code (Edition12) rules 3.1 and 3.3 (Misleading advertising) and 3.9 and 3.10 (Qualification).

The Asda Price Guarantee says "If we're not 10% cheaper on your comparable grocery shopping we'll give you the difference. Guaranteed! " 

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How To Avoid The 3 Biggest Fat Loss Diet Mistakes

There is so much information on fat loss and more added everyday, yet most people continue to make the same diet mistakes all the time.I do not mean a small indulgence in a piece of cake, or missing a workout, I mean the big diet mistakes that basically guarantee failure in losing weight. Here are 3 of the biggest.



1.The negative attitude of sacrifice. Dieting does not mean giving up all the so called unhealthy foods, it just means eating less of them. The key, and the secret to a healthy

fat loss diet

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£12 bn Food wasted in UK

Wrap meeting targets but warns over food waste

The UK throws away £12bn worth of edible food per year.

Speaking at the body’s annual conference today, WRAP chief executive Liz Goodwin said that Wrap has helped keep 11m tonnes of waste out of landfill.

According to Wrap, this has avoided 5.5m tonnes of C02 equivalent emissions and generates “£2bn of benefits to the UK economy”.

Food waste has also fallen by 13% and Goodwin welcomed the fall from 8.3m tonnes in 2006/07 to 7.2m tonnes. However she said that the food wasted in the supply chain was “significant” at a time when food security was a major issue.

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UDOH, Subway Partner to Encourage Utahns to Give Up Tobacco

(Salt Lake City) – In celebration of the 36th annual Great American Smoke Out (GASO), the Utah Tobacco Quit Line and all Utah Subway restaurants are partnering once again in an effort to encourage Utahns to give up tobacco “cold turkey.”

The event kicks off Thursday, November 17 at Valley Fair Mall (3601 S. 2700 W., West Valley City). From 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. that day, the Utah Tobacco Quit Line and Subway will be giving out free, six-inch turkey subs to anyone who stops by and pledges to quit smoking. Additionally, anyone who calls the Utah Tobacco Quit Line (1.800.QUIT NOW) between November 17 and 25 will receive expert help quitting tobacco, as well as a smoking cessation kit containing a card good for a free six-inch sub at any Subway restaurant in Utah.

“As part of the Great American Smokeout, we want to encourage smokers to make a plan to quit,” said David Neville, media coordinator, Utah Tobacco Quit Line. “One of the best ways to improve your health is by quitting tobacco.”

“Subway is excited to be a part of the Great American Smoke Out this year,” said Trent Evans, Subway spokesperson. “One of our key messages is the importance of living a healthy lifestyle, and encouraging smokers to quit falls right in line with that message.”

For information on quitting, call the Utah Tobacco Quit Line at 1.800.QUIT.NOW or visit Utah QuitNet at www.UtahQuitNet.com.

Media Contact:

David Neville

Tobacco Prevention and Control Program

(o) 801-538-6917  (c) 801-386-1316

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10 Easily Achievable And Realistic Fat Loss Tips

Are you still counting calories and preparing perfectly proportioned meals and snacks everyday? Are you still weighing your food to achieve that perfect portion? No? Too hard to maintain? Well, here are 10 easily achievable and realistic fat loss tips that will make your weight loss or any health plan that much more manageable, and ultimately more successful.



1.Keep healthy snacks within sight. Keep that bowl of fruit on your kitchen table or some dried fruit on your office desk, so that

fat loss tips

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Significant Fat Loss Tips for Significant Results: Tips That You May Not Even Have Considered

There are a lot of ways to lose weight. This goes without saying as there are hundreds upon hundreds of weight-loss programs, books, workout videos and endless lists of diet programs that all tackle different ways to cut the fats and lose weight efficiently and proficiently. There are loads of different tips that pool together and they have all become common knowledge for a lot of people. Examples are the routines to focus on protein and to eradicate carbohydrates from your meals or to keep

fat loss tips

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National Rural Health Day - Celebrating the Power of Rural Utah

(Salt Lake City, UT) – For the first time ever, on November 17, 2011, the nation is recognizing the importance of rural health by celebrating National Rural Health Day.  In Utah, Governor Gary Herbert named October Rural Health Month and Rural Health Practitioner Recognition Month.  The designation is aimed at reinforcing the commitment from all sectors to improve access to and quality of health service in Utah’s rural communities.

Teryl Eisinger, Director of the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH) explains, “Today more than ever, rural communities must tackle accessibility issues, a lack of health care providers, the needs of an aging population suffering from a greater number of chronic conditions, and larger percentages of uninsured and under-insured citizens.” 

Utah statistics underscore the need to focus on small communities.  One in every four Utahns lives in a rural (more than six but fewer than 100 people per square mile) or frontier (six or fewer people per square mile) county. Of Utah’s 29 counties, four are urban, 12 are rural, and 13 are frontier.

Events recognizing National Rural Health Day and “Celebrating the Power of Rural” are planned throughout the nation. In Utah, the Tooele County Health Department (TCHD) is presenting TOP Star (Targeting Obesity in Preschool and Child Care Settings) workshops at Kids R People Too Day Care in Wendover, UT on November 17 and 18, 2011 for day care staff members. The workshops will address childhood obesity, nutrition in child care settings, and personal health. For more information on this program, visit http://health.utah.gov/obesity/pages/TOPSTAR.php.

In Summit County, the Summit County Health Department will promote National Rural Health Awareness Day using local media.

The Utah State Office of Primary Care and Rural Health will hold a seminar on Diabetes and Rural Communities presented by Eileen DeLeeuw, MS, RD, CDE, Diabetes Coalition Coordinator, Tooele County Health Department. The seminar will be held November 17, 2011, from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm at 3760 S. Highland Dr., 5th Floor Board Room. The seminar will also be available online. To register for the online presentation, email oquinone@utah.gov or call 801-273-6620 with your name, organization name, and telephone number.

All 50 states maintain a State Office of Rural Health (SORH) to foster relationships, disseminate information, and provide technical assistance that improves access to, and quality of, health care for its rural citizens. As Utah’s SORH, the Utah Office of Primary Care and Rural Health (OPCRH) contributes $540,000 in grants to rural health organizations to support access to primary care, mental health, and dental care. Additionally, OPCRH provides more than $160,000 in grants to rural hospitals to support projects to improve health care in their communities.

For more information about National Rural Health Day, visit www.celebratepowerofrural.org. To learn more about NOSORH, visit www.nosorh.org. And for more information about the Utah Office of Primary Care and Rural Health, visit http://health.utah.gov/primarycare/ or contact Owen Quinonez, Community Health Specialist, at oquinone@utah.gov or by phone at 801-273-6620.

Media Contact:

Owen Quinonez

Community Health Specialist

(801) 273-6620

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Statins appear to harm about as many people as they help

When I was at medical school I remember being lectured on the wonders of hormone replacement therapy (HRT). I was distinctly taught, and without reservation, that women taking HRT had a lower risk of heart disease compared to women ‘going without’. This ‘fact’ turned out to be complete rubbish. Subsequent evidence revealed that HRT actually has the capacity to increase risk of heart disease.
How could we have got it so wrong?
The initial ‘evidence’ on HRT was epidemiological in nature, which meant that it looked at the relationship between HRT/non-HRT use in a population and risk of cardiovascular disease. One fundamental potential problem with these studies relates to what is known as the ‘healthy user’ effect. In short, what this means is that healthier individuals are more likely to be prescribed a drug than sicker people who may already be on multiple medications and prone to side-effects and interactions. So, any ‘benefit’ seen to be associated with a drug may have nothing to do with the drug, and everything to do with the fact that people taking it are inherently healthier.
To untangle all of this, what we need is randomised controlled trials. These trials give essentially equivalent groups the treatment or placebo to assess any potential benefits or harms of the treatment. It’s when these studies were done that we realised that HRT actually increased the risk of heart disease.
The healthy-user effect, though, has not gone away, and is still alive and well in medical research. Here’s another apparent example that concerns cholesterol-reducing drugs known as statins…
In the past, statins have said to help prevent pneumonia (infection in the lung) on the basis of epidemiological studies. However, it is generally the case that frail, elderly individuals, with perhaps complicated health histories are less likely to be prescribed or take statins than healthier individuals. Because of this, when we see lower incidence of infection in those taking statins, we have no idea if it’s the statins, or the fact that these people are generally healthier, or both, that accounts for the reduced infection risk.
One way to get clarity here is to attempt to take into account health status of individuals when performing this sort of analysis. That’s exactly what a team of doctors based in the US did when analysing the relationship between statin use and risk of pneumonia in a study published in 2009 [1]. This more careful analysis revealed that statin use was actually associated with a 26 per cent increased risk of pneumonia. For pneumonia severe enough to require hospitalisation, statin use was associated with a 61 per cent increased risk.
Now, we should not forget that these studies are epidemiological in nature, and cannot be used to prove that statins cause enhanced susceptibility to pneumonia. However, the evidence as it stands is incriminating nonetheless. Further suspicion is raised in the form of evidence which shows that statins have the ability to directly impair the immune system and its ability to resist bacteria [2].
The most comprehensive account of statin side-effects I can find was published last year in the British Medical Journal [3]. Known side-effects of statins include muscle weakness and/or pain (myopathy), liver damage , kidney failure and cataracts. Here, in summary, are the findings of this review:
For every 10,000 women at high risk of CVD [cardiovascular disease] treated with statins, we would expect approximately 271 fewer cases of cardiovascular disease, 8 fewer cases of oesophageal cancer, 23 extra patients with kidney failure, 307 extra patients with cataracts; 74 extra patients with liver dysfunction; and 39 extra patients with myopathy.
For every 10,000 men at high risk of CVD treated with statins, we would expect approximately 301 fewer cases of cardiovascular disease, 9 fewer cases of oesophageal cancer, 29 extra patients with kidney failure, 191 extra patients with cataracts; 71 extra patients with liver dysfunction; and 110 extra patients with myopathy.
This study focused specifically on data relating to individuals deemed to be at high risk of cardiovascular disease. Many individuals who take statins are actually not at high risk of cardiovascular disease. For these, benefits are likely to be significantly lower than those elucidated in this study (while risks are likely to be about the same).
But look at those figures for a moment. Two things jump out to me:
Of 10,000 high-risk individuals, only about 300 will benefit – that’s 3 per cent. That means, of course, 97 per cent will not benefit. The number of people who benefit is roughly matched by those who will get a serious adverse effect. Hands up who wants to take a statin now?

References:1. Dublin S, et al. Statin use and risk of community acquired pneumonia in older people: population based case-control study. BMJ 2009;338:b2137
2. Benati D, et al. Opposite effects of simvastatin on the bactericidal and inflammatory response of macrophages to opsonized S. aureus. J Leukoc Biol. 2010;87(3):433-42
3. Hippisley-Cox J, et al. Unintended effects of statins in men and women in England and Wales: population based cohort study using the QResearch database BMJ 2010;340:c2197
by Dr. John Briffa
Statins appear to harm about as many people as they help

Continue reading →

Statins appear to harm about as many people as they help

When I was at medical school I remember being lectured on the wonders of hormone replacement therapy (HRT). I was distinctly taught, and without reservation, that women taking HRT had a lower risk of heart disease compared to women ‘going without’. This ‘fact’ turned out to be complete rubbish. Subsequent evidence revealed that HRT actually has the capacity to increase risk of heart disease.
How could we have got it so wrong?
The initial ‘evidence’ on HRT was epidemiological in nature, which meant that it looked at the relationship between HRT/non-HRT use in a population and risk of cardiovascular disease. One fundamental potential problem with these studies relates to what is known as the ‘healthy user’ effect. In short, what this means is that healthier individuals are more likely to be prescribed a drug than sicker people who may already be on multiple medications and prone to side-effects and interactions. So, any ‘benefit’ seen to be associated with a drug may have nothing to do with the drug, and everything to do with the fact that people taking it are inherently healthier.
To untangle all of this, what we need is randomised controlled trials. These trials give essentially equivalent groups the treatment or placebo to assess any potential benefits or harms of the treatment. It’s when these studies were done that we realised that HRT actually increased the risk of heart disease.
The healthy-user effect, though, has not gone away, and is still alive and well in medical research. Here’s another apparent example that concerns cholesterol-reducing drugs known as statins…
In the past, statins have said to help prevent pneumonia (infection in the lung) on the basis of epidemiological studies. However, it is generally the case that frail, elderly individuals, with perhaps complicated health histories are less likely to be prescribed or take statins than healthier individuals. Because of this, when we see lower incidence of infection in those taking statins, we have no idea if it’s the statins, or the fact that these people are generally healthier, or both, that accounts for the reduced infection risk.
One way to get clarity here is to attempt to take into account health status of individuals when performing this sort of analysis. That’s exactly what a team of doctors based in the US did when analysing the relationship between statin use and risk of pneumonia in a study published in 2009 [1]. This more careful analysis revealed that statin use was actually associated with a 26 per cent increased risk of pneumonia. For pneumonia severe enough to require hospitalisation, statin use was associated with a 61 per cent increased risk.
Now, we should not forget that these studies are epidemiological in nature, and cannot be used to prove that statins cause enhanced susceptibility to pneumonia. However, the evidence as it stands is incriminating nonetheless. Further suspicion is raised in the form of evidence which shows that statins have the ability to directly impair the immune system and its ability to resist bacteria [2].
The most comprehensive account of statin side-effects I can find was published last year in the British Medical Journal [3]. Known side-effects of statins include muscle weakness and/or pain (myopathy), liver damage , kidney failure and cataracts. Here, in summary, are the findings of this review:
For every 10,000 women at high risk of CVD [cardiovascular disease] treated with statins, we would expect approximately 271 fewer cases of cardiovascular disease, 8 fewer cases of oesophageal cancer, 23 extra patients with kidney failure, 307 extra patients with cataracts; 74 extra patients with liver dysfunction; and 39 extra patients with myopathy.
For every 10,000 men at high risk of CVD treated with statins, we would expect approximately 301 fewer cases of cardiovascular disease, 9 fewer cases of oesophageal cancer, 29 extra patients with kidney failure, 191 extra patients with cataracts; 71 extra patients with liver dysfunction; and 110 extra patients with myopathy.
This study focused specifically on data relating to individuals deemed to be at high risk of cardiovascular disease. Many individuals who take statins are actually not at high risk of cardiovascular disease. For these, benefits are likely to be significantly lower than those elucidated in this study (while risks are likely to be about the same).
But look at those figures for a moment. Two things jump out to me:
Of 10,000 high-risk individuals, only about 300 will benefit – that’s 3 per cent. That means, of course, 97 per cent will not benefit. The number of people who benefit is roughly matched by those who will get a serious adverse effect. Hands up who wants to take a statin now?

References:1. Dublin S, et al. Statin use and risk of community acquired pneumonia in older people: population based case-control study. BMJ 2009;338:b2137
2. Benati D, et al. Opposite effects of simvastatin on the bactericidal and inflammatory response of macrophages to opsonized S. aureus. J Leukoc Biol. 2010;87(3):433-42
3. Hippisley-Cox J, et al. Unintended effects of statins in men and women in England and Wales: population based cohort study using the QResearch database BMJ 2010;340:c2197
by Dr. John Briffa
Statins appear to harm about as many people as they help

Continue reading →

Thinking About PSA and the Latest News

Men's Health

I live where it is a good 90 minute drive to any city of real size.  When I moved to this area almost ten years ago I was trying to teach the communities about the fact that the PSA test was ineffective.  Of course the closed minds so common in small towns ruled and no one would even try to listen.  Now we know that even the medical profession has decided that PSA can be a real issue leading to over treatment to many who do not even need it.

One forward thinking doctor told me years ago that the acid fast bacteria lab test was much more effective in screening for real cancer cases in men when it came to prostate care.

Like the story my long time colleague tells below, I lost a friend to this dis-ease because of a doctor who always said he would use natural care but it took too much time to tell his patients.

What cost health?

PSA test DOA
by David Christopher, M.H.


You have probably read the news about prostate screening for cancer, which appeared on the front page of many newspapers across the country. On Thursday October 13, 2011 an Associated Press article by Marilynn Marchione basically blasted PSA tests. It related that this test is only a measure of inflammation which can be elevated for many reasons including bike riding, recent sex, or normal enlargement of the prostate due to age. She also debunks the claims that the screening saves lives. She makes these claims by drawing from a very large, well done American study, that\ showed that annual screening did not lower the chances of dying from prostate cancer. Many men believe the screening saved their lives because their urologist erroneously told them it did. These men and urologists become very vocal in promoting prostate cancer screening.


Less visible are the unfortunate men who test high for PSA and are then subjected to invasive testing that can harm or spread cancer. One such case as reported in the article is, "... Donald Weaver who was a healthy 74 year old Kansas farmer until doctors went looking for prostate cancer. A PSA test led to a biopsy and surgery, then a heart attack, organ failure and a coma. His grief stricken wife took him off life support. 'He died of unnecessary preventive medicine,' said his nephew, Dr. Jay Siwek, vice chairman of family medicine at Georgetown University. Blood tests can kill you ..."


The United States Preventive Task Force does not recommend the use of this test, and doctors have been warned by the AMA to leave slow-growing prostate cancer alone; that interference may spread the cancer.


What should we do to prevent prostate cancer? Well first, grow up and eat like an adult. Stop eating those sugary breakfast cereals. Stop drinking milk, it contains hormones that stimulate growth of prostate tissue. The hormones found in meat can also negatively effect prostate health. Do eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, sprouted grains and legumes, and include nuts and seeds in your diet. This program is preventive for not just prostate cancer, but all cancers. If prevention is too late, then do the extended herbal cleanse as explained in the Dr. Christopher Three Day Cleanse booklet.


Next eat the seeds highest in cancer preventing nitrilosides; which are apricot seeds. They are extremely bitter, but buck up and eat six seeds a day to start and work up to as many as 30 per day. These simple seeds are natures' chemo therapy.


Cyanide and benzaldehyde are the chemicals in the seed that destroy cancer cells. These two chemicals are bound to two glucose molecules and are inert until activated at the actual cancer site. This is accomplished enzymatically. The chemicals are released with beta-glucosidase which is found at cancer sites. Healthy cells are surrounded by the enzyme rhodanese, which in the presence of sulfur, converts the cyanide into thiocyanate, which then converts to cyanocobalamin (vitamin B12). The Benzaldehyde, in the presence of oxygen is converted to benzoic acid, an analgesic.


In conclusion, I ask "Why would anyone want to go through risky medical procedures to look for possible prostate cancer, when nature provides a safe and natural chemotherapy, specific to cancer cells and at the same time is nutritive to healthy cells?"


NOTICE: All information in this newsletter is given out as information only and is not intended to diagnose or prescribe. For our official Disclaimer, Biological Individuality, Important Notice-Terms of Use please see: http://www.herballegacy.com/Disclaimer.html


Selections from Natural Health News

Natural Health News: Vitamin E

Oct 12, 2011

Specifically in regards to prostate cancer, new research published in the International Journal of Cancer has shown that gamma-tocotrienol, a cofactor found in natural vitamin E preparations, actually kills prostate ...

http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/

Natural Health News: Propecia and PSA

Feb 08, 2009

The prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test measures an enzyme produced almost exclusively by the glandular cells of the prostate. It is secreted during ejaculation into the prostatic ducts that empty into the urethra. PSA liquefies ...

http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/

Natural Health News: Heady Hops helps in men's health

Dec 10, 2009

For this study, Gerhauser's team started with hormone-dependent prostate cancer cells and stimulated them with testosterone, which led to a massive secretion of prostate specific antigen (PSA). "When we treated the cells ...

http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/

Natural Health News: Estrogen in moisturizers may worsen breast ...

Dec 16, 2008

On the contrary, high levels of 2-hydroxy estrogens—or “good estrogens” as they're sometimes called—have quite the opposite effect, serving to lower telltale PSA levels and protect vulnerable tissue in the prostate, cervix, ...

http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/

Natural Health News: Better to Screen You with Thermography, My ...

Oct 23, 2009

Mammography and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing, although having "some effect," have led to the well-documented overdiagnosis and overtreatment of breast and prostate cancers, they note. ...

Continue reading →

Thinking About PSA and the Latest News

Men's Health

I live where it is a good 90 minute drive to any city of real size.  When I moved to this area almost ten years ago I was trying to teach the communities about the fact that the PSA test was ineffective.  Of course the closed minds so common in small towns ruled and no one would even try to listen.  Now we know that even the medical profession has decided that PSA can be a real issue leading to over treatment to many who do not even need it.

One forward thinking doctor told me years ago that the acid fast bacteria lab test was much more effective in screening for real cancer cases in men when it came to prostate care.

Like the story my long time colleague tells below, I lost a friend to this dis-ease because of a doctor who always said he would use natural care but it took too much time to tell his patients.

What cost health?

PSA test DOA
by David Christopher, M.H.


You have probably read the news about prostate screening for cancer, which appeared on the front page of many newspapers across the country. On Thursday October 13, 2011 an Associated Press article by Marilynn Marchione basically blasted PSA tests. It related that this test is only a measure of inflammation which can be elevated for many reasons including bike riding, recent sex, or normal enlargement of the prostate due to age. She also debunks the claims that the screening saves lives. She makes these claims by drawing from a very large, well done American study, that\ showed that annual screening did not lower the chances of dying from prostate cancer. Many men believe the screening saved their lives because their urologist erroneously told them it did. These men and urologists become very vocal in promoting prostate cancer screening.


Less visible are the unfortunate men who test high for PSA and are then subjected to invasive testing that can harm or spread cancer. One such case as reported in the article is, "... Donald Weaver who was a healthy 74 year old Kansas farmer until doctors went looking for prostate cancer. A PSA test led to a biopsy and surgery, then a heart attack, organ failure and a coma. His grief stricken wife took him off life support. 'He died of unnecessary preventive medicine,' said his nephew, Dr. Jay Siwek, vice chairman of family medicine at Georgetown University. Blood tests can kill you ..."


The United States Preventive Task Force does not recommend the use of this test, and doctors have been warned by the AMA to leave slow-growing prostate cancer alone; that interference may spread the cancer.


What should we do to prevent prostate cancer? Well first, grow up and eat like an adult. Stop eating those sugary breakfast cereals. Stop drinking milk, it contains hormones that stimulate growth of prostate tissue. The hormones found in meat can also negatively effect prostate health. Do eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, sprouted grains and legumes, and include nuts and seeds in your diet. This program is preventive for not just prostate cancer, but all cancers. If prevention is too late, then do the extended herbal cleanse as explained in the Dr. Christopher Three Day Cleanse booklet.


Next eat the seeds highest in cancer preventing nitrilosides; which are apricot seeds. They are extremely bitter, but buck up and eat six seeds a day to start and work up to as many as 30 per day. These simple seeds are natures' chemo therapy.


Cyanide and benzaldehyde are the chemicals in the seed that destroy cancer cells. These two chemicals are bound to two glucose molecules and are inert until activated at the actual cancer site. This is accomplished enzymatically. The chemicals are released with beta-glucosidase which is found at cancer sites. Healthy cells are surrounded by the enzyme rhodanese, which in the presence of sulfur, converts the cyanide into thiocyanate, which then converts to cyanocobalamin (vitamin B12). The Benzaldehyde, in the presence of oxygen is converted to benzoic acid, an analgesic.


In conclusion, I ask "Why would anyone want to go through risky medical procedures to look for possible prostate cancer, when nature provides a safe and natural chemotherapy, specific to cancer cells and at the same time is nutritive to healthy cells?"


NOTICE: All information in this newsletter is given out as information only and is not intended to diagnose or prescribe. For our official Disclaimer, Biological Individuality, Important Notice-Terms of Use please see: http://www.herballegacy.com/Disclaimer.html


Selections from Natural Health News

Natural Health News: Vitamin E

Oct 12, 2011

Specifically in regards to prostate cancer, new research published in the International Journal of Cancer has shown that gamma-tocotrienol, a cofactor found in natural vitamin E preparations, actually kills prostate ...

http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/

Natural Health News: Propecia and PSA

Feb 08, 2009

The prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test measures an enzyme produced almost exclusively by the glandular cells of the prostate. It is secreted during ejaculation into the prostatic ducts that empty into the urethra. PSA liquefies ...

http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/

Natural Health News: Heady Hops helps in men's health

Dec 10, 2009

For this study, Gerhauser's team started with hormone-dependent prostate cancer cells and stimulated them with testosterone, which led to a massive secretion of prostate specific antigen (PSA). "When we treated the cells ...

http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/

Natural Health News: Estrogen in moisturizers may worsen breast ...

Dec 16, 2008

On the contrary, high levels of 2-hydroxy estrogens—or “good estrogens” as they're sometimes called—have quite the opposite effect, serving to lower telltale PSA levels and protect vulnerable tissue in the prostate, cervix, ...

http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/

Natural Health News: Better to Screen You with Thermography, My ...

Oct 23, 2009

Mammography and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing, although having "some effect," have led to the well-documented overdiagnosis and overtreatment of breast and prostate cancers, they note. ...

Continue reading →

Community Service for Health Care Coverage - Public Input Needed

(Salt Lake City, UT) – The Utah Department of Health (UDOH) invites public input as the State embarks on another effort to transform Medicaid.  If approved by the federal government, the new pilot program will require a select group of fewer than 100 Medicaid enrollees to give service to the community in exchange for their health program benefit. 

Medicaid is committed to a public process in the development and implementation of the proposed initiative.  Members of the public are invited to come to the following meetings to provide their input:

Informal Public Work Group

Thursday, Nov. 10, 3:30 - 5:00 p.m.

Cannon Health Building (288 North 1460 West, Salt Lake City), Room 128

Formal Public Hearing

Thursday, Nov. 17, 3:30 - 5:00 p.m.

Cannon Health Building (288 North 1460 West, Salt Lake City), Room 125

House Bill 211 (2011), sponsored by Rep. Ronda Menlove, directed UDOH to develop this pilot program and submit a waiver amendment to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).  If approved, the amendment will allow the State to modify enrollment rules for the Primary Care Network (PCN), which will create a new eligibility group for the pilot participants.  Applications will be accepted only during open enrollment periods and approved applicants will receive the same medical benefits afforded to other PCN clients. 

Medicaid officials believe the service donation will help build a sense of contribution to the program and enhance the client’s experience. The waiver application will be available for review and comment on November 15, 2011 at http://health.utah.gov/medicaid/HB211proposal.htm.

In addition to providing comment during the public hearings, written comments will also be accepted through December 2, 2011.  Comments may be submitted to the Utah Department of Health, Division of Medicaid and Health Financing, PO Box 143102, Salt Lake City, UT 84114-3102 or to cdevashrayee@utah.gov.   

Media Contact:

Kolbi Young

Public Relations Coordinator

(801) 538-6847 office

(801) 231-6350 cell

Continue reading →

Considering Homeopathy, Herbal Medicine for Problems from Prolapse

In Homeopathy selecting a remedy is based upon the individual, and determining the impact of their symptoms.  In this way recovering to a complete state of health can be achieved by relieving signs and symptoms. The aim of homeopathy is not only to treat uterine prolapse but to address its underlying cause and individual susceptibility.

Therapeutic remedies are available that have been used successfully in cases that deal with uterine prolapse.  The remediy (ies) are selected on the basis of cause, sensations and modalities of the complaints.

The following remedies may be helpful in the treatment of uterine prolapse: Sepia, Lilium Tig, Podophyllum, Belladonna, Nux Vom, Stannum Met, Senecio, Aloe, Staphysagria, Pulsatilla, Nux Mos, Phosphorous, Helonias, Aurum Met, Collinsonia, Conium Mac, Cimicifuga, Platina, Argentum Met, Bryonia.

For individualized remedy selection and treatment it is recommended that you consult a qualified homeopathic practitioner for a consultation in person.

A similar approach to delineating remedies made from herbs can be used.  Some may involve tissue strengthening, elimination of incontinence, eliminating pain or others depending on symptoms. One highly respected corrective formula used for over 60 years consists of golden seal root, blessed thistle, cayenne, cramp bark, false unicorn root, ginger, red raspberry leaves, squaw vine, and uva ursi.

Photo credit

http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/2009/03/transvaginal-mesh-and-womens-health.html

http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/2011/10/fda-slow-to-take-action-on-vaginal-mesh.html

http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/p/womens-health-transvaginal-mesh.html

Continue reading →

Considering Homeopathy, Herbal Medicine for Problems from Prolapse

In Homeopathy selecting a remedy is based upon the individual, and determining the impact of their symptoms.  In this way recovering to a complete state of health can be achieved by relieving signs and symptoms. The aim of homeopathy is not only to treat uterine prolapse but to address its underlying cause and individual susceptibility.

Therapeutic remedies are available that have been used successfully in cases that deal with uterine prolapse.  The remediy (ies) are selected on the basis of cause, sensations and modalities of the complaints.

The following remedies may be helpful in the treatment of uterine prolapse: Sepia, Lilium Tig, Podophyllum, Belladonna, Nux Vom, Stannum Met, Senecio, Aloe, Staphysagria, Pulsatilla, Nux Mos, Phosphorous, Helonias, Aurum Met, Collinsonia, Conium Mac, Cimicifuga, Platina, Argentum Met, Bryonia.

For individualized remedy selection and treatment it is recommended that you consult a qualified homeopathic practitioner for a consultation in person.

A similar approach to delineating remedies made from herbs can be used.  Some may involve tissue strengthening, elimination of incontinence, eliminating pain or others depending on symptoms. One highly respected corrective formula used for over 60 years consists of golden seal root, blessed thistle, cayenne, cramp bark, false unicorn root, ginger, red raspberry leaves, squaw vine, and uva ursi.

Photo credit

http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/2009/03/transvaginal-mesh-and-womens-health.html

http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/2011/10/fda-slow-to-take-action-on-vaginal-mesh.html

http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/p/womens-health-transvaginal-mesh.html

Continue reading →

Honey Selected for Health and Healing

Honey for Health and Healing


Organic Raw Honey - 17.6 oz. glass jar

As a highly respected and internationally renown expert in natural health I have been using, recommending and selling only the finest honey products for many decades.

I've always used raw honey and for the most part that raw honey is organic.

I've also put together a very in depth report about the medicinal uses of honey and been products built on information I have gathered since the mid 1950s. About that time my father, a skilled and highly respected physician and surgeon, began using bee stings to keep his hands and fingers limber for the complicated surgeries he performed.

I have always liked the dark honey such as that from buckwheat because of the high amounts of antioxidants it contains. I often suggest pollen if a person has no history of bee sting reactions. These busy workers are one of the main pollinators that we depend on for our food supply. They are also being decimated by the advent of cell phones, WIFI, and digital TV microwave towers. It is a reason I have written several articles about planting for bees.

In the early 1990s I came into contact with a fellow who was a magic bee keeper and honey producer. His honey was gathered in the Cascade foothills well away from pollution and EMF. He did not filter it either so it was a rich and amazing product. And highly sought after by makers of mead.

Sometime after that I found a honey product from Alaska that was also not filtered and the producer always sent me the pollen he collected when adding screens on the hives.

Then there was a raw, certified organic honey that crossed my path, that later became questionable as to source. Sometime later this honey became a product of South America, but the organic certification was now lacking.

Shortly after coming into contact with the great folks at Tropical Traditions and their Virgin Coconut Oil, I received a bottle of the certified organic raw and unfiltered honey from Canada.

In order for honey to be certified as organic the hives have to be located far from population and industrial centers where pollution will not affect the end product. Since bees have about a four mile flight area from their home hives this are has to be assured as clean too. Tropical Traditions sources its honey from hives in the wild frontier areas of Canada.

This honey is harvested during a limited six week period of time during the summer. It is not subjected to high heat in processing so it retains all of the beneficial nutrients and enzymes. The end result is an unfiltered, very smooth and creamy textured honey. You get all the benefits of the pollen too.

"This honey is GREAT! I really savor my heaping teaspoon from time to time."

The less intrusive filtering process provides for finely textured crystals in TT raw, organic honey, preserving all the natural health benefits honey offers. And as the purveyors of this fine honey say, “Truly raw honeys do not deteriorate with age, but like fine wines, continue to age and develop into more complex tastes.”

Try some, you will love the taste.

More about honey

Selected from Natural Health News

Honey Adds Health Benefits

EPA Laxity Puts Bees at Risk

Continue reading →