New research shows breakfast really could be the most important meal of the day when it comes to losing weight. Over several months, obese women who ate half their daily calories first thing fared better than those eating a much smaller amount. In fact, the research showed having a small breakfast could actually boost food cravings.

An environmental watchdog group says it has found excessive amounts of lead in several brands of artificial turf. It's warning some of the biggest manufacturers and sellers that it will sue unless they recall or reformulate their products. The report from the Center for Environmental Health comes after New Jersey officials found unacceptably high lead levels in some synthetic surfaces and federal authorities recommended lead testing on fraying sports fields. The group says it had tests performed on about 50 products, and at least 15 were found to have high lead levels. The center says it tested and found excessive lead in indoor/outdoor carpeting, artificial lawns and playground grass.

A bad day at the office has little to do with the number of hours you put in working. Workplace stress, research has found, is not linked to clocking in more hours. Rather, the culprit for stress in the office is workplace environment. A researcher at the University of Arkansas found Less stressed workers had more autonomy in their daily routine and had supervisors who were supportive of their work. They also enjoyed less family-work conflict and had more fringe benefits from their job. The research showed that to nurture less stress among employees, managers should try to improve their work environment by providing such options as flexible hours.

Here's another good reason to get your kids off the couch; especially girls. Studies show regular exercise when you're young may help cut your risk of developing cancer later. Writings in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute explain girls who exercise regularly as adolescents or young adults may help cut their risk of developing breast cancer before menopause. In the study, women who reported being the most physically active were 23-percent less likely to be diagnosed with premenopausal breast cancer than those who exercised the least. Getting a lot of exercise between the ages of 12 through 22 did the most to protect against cancer. Researchers say this is the largest and most detailed information so far of the impact of exercise on early breast cancer risk.

Why is it we sometimes wake up 5 minutes BEFORE our alarms go off? This mysterious phenomenon isn't just bizarre coincidence. We are all equipped with our own internal alarm clocks and, best of all, they even have snooze buttons. According to some new research out of Germany, anticipating the time you want to rise seems to trigger the release of hormones normally secreted by the body in times of stress. About an hour before you've planned to get out of bed, these secretions increase in preparation for the "stress" of waking. Our bodies, in other words, note the time we hope to begin our day and gradually prepare us for consciousness, not unlike a snooze button. But how can we set our own wake up calls? Don't throw away the alarm clock just yet, but researchers are confident that one day they'll figure out the psychology behind setting your own "internal clock."

A government study suggests that St. John's wort
provides no apparent benefit to children and teens with attention
deficit hyperactivity disorder.
     It's another blow to herbal supplements and to parents who want
to avoid stimulants like Ritalin and other drugs used to help
children control their behavior.
     The study focused on St. John's wort because studies in rats
found it increases brain chemicals that are thought to help focus
attention. The researchers thought St. John's wort might work the
same way as the prescription drug Strattera that makes those
chemicals more available in the brain.
     The study involved more than 50 children and teens with ADHD.
And after eight weeks, there appeared to be no difference in
symptoms or side effects between those who took St. John's wort
capsules and those who took placebos.

For a growing number of Americans, debts aren't just rough on their wallets, but also on their bodies. When people are dealing with mountains of debt, they're much more likely to report health problems, too, according to an Associated Press-AOL Health poll. Those problems include ulcers, severe depression, even heart attacks. A psychologist who analyzed the survey for the AP says millions of Americans are "suffering terribly" due to their debts. Those are people reporting high levels of debt stress and at least three stress-related illnesses.  Medical research has linked chronic stress to a wide range of ailments.  And the current tough economic times and rising costs of living seem to be leading to increasing debt stress. An index tied to the AP-AOL survey says it's 14 percent higher this year than in 2004.

Medicine mix-ups, accidental overdoses and bad drug reactions harm roughly one out of 15 hospitalized children. That's according to the first scientific test involving a new detection method developed for the study. The number is far higher than earlier estimates and supports concerns that have already been heightened by well-publicized cases like the accidental drug overdose of actor Dennis Quaid's newborn twins last November. Researchers found a rate of 11 drug-related harmful incidents for every 100 hospitalized children. That compares with an earlier estimate of two incidents per 100 hospitalized children, based on traditional detection methods that simply relied on hospital staffers to report such problems.  The new estimate translates to about one in 15 hospitalized children, or about 540,000 kids each year, a calculation based on government data. The study is being released Monday in the April issue of the journal Pediatrics.

If your grandmother says her aching knees are proof rain is coming, you'd better listen. A group of Pennsylvania doctors say our joints know a lot about the weather. Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. Javad Parvizi says joints have sensory nerves called baro-receptors which respond to changes in atmospheric pressure. Like when the barometer moves from dry to rain. Dr. Parvizi says, "When the pressure in the environment changes, either the amount of fluid in the joint or the pressure inside the joint fluctuates with the environment." Arthritic joints feel it more because they have less cartilage, which cushions the joint.

Everyone's jumping on the go-green bandwagon, and high-tech is not being left out. Owners of Apple devices such as iPods and iPhones may soon be able to charge them up by leaving them out in the sun. Apple has filed a patent for a technology which would enable a layer of solar cells to be inserted under a touch-sensitive screen of the sort used in the iPhone. The patent, should it be awarded, has the potential to make the iPhone a truly portable device, dispensing with the need for it to be connected to a power supply by wires.

They may not make house calls anymore but doctors do send text messages and that may encourage young people to take their meds. The Cincinnati Enquirer says doctors there are experimenting with texting messages such as "Forget your meds?" to help teens and tweens do a better job of controlling chronic illnesses like asthma, diabetes and kidney disease. Research shows fewer than a third of teens take their asthma medication correctly. Doctors figure they can at least get their attention by texting.

A new study is surprising some experts by suggesting that childhood cancer rates are higher in the Northeast than anywhere else in the country. But some specialists say it could just reflect differences in reporting. The pediatric cancer rate in the Northeast is 179 cases per million children. The South has the lowest with 159 cases per million children. Some say the differences arise because cases get under-reported in the South, and over-reported elsewhere. The Northeast alsogenerally has better access to cancer centers. Despite having the highest rate, researchers say fewer children die of cancer in the Northeast than in any other region. Experts say the study has important information to bolster smaller studies, confirming that cancer is rare in children, but also more common in older kids, especially among white boys.

They may not make house calls anymore but doctors do send text messages and that may encourage young people to take their meds. The Cincinnati Enquirer says doctors there are experimenting with texting messages such as "Forget your meds?" to help teens and tweens do a better job of controlling chronic illnesses like asthma, diabetes and kidney disease. Research shows fewer than a third of teens take their asthma medication correctly. Doctors figure they can at least get their attention by texting.

 Doctors may soon get a new way to tell which medications are safe for women to use during pregnancy and when
they breastfeed.  Currently, prescription drugs carry a code in the fine print of their labels that ranks their pregnancy safety. Category A means it's deemed safe; Category X means it's known to harm human fetuses. Drugs given the remaining B, C or D codes have varying levels of evidence one way or the other.  The FDA says that's too confusing. It's proposing stripping away the codes and replacing them with clearly marked sections in the drug's label describing what research shows about fetal risk.  The agency says there are 6 million pregnancies a year in the U.S. and that pregnant women take an average of three to five prescription drugs during their pregnancy.

The TV cable box may be on the way out. The National Cable and telecommunications Association has struck a deal with Sony to use the cable industry's technology in Sony sets as soon as possible. That would mean advanced "two-way" services without the need for a set-top box or, in most cases, a separate remote. The cable association says it hopes other electronics manufacturers will follow Sony's lead. Under the new system, customers will get a "cable card" from their provider that will fit into their set and unscramble the signal. Cable cards have been around for a while, but have been troublesome and never popular. It's hoped the new agreement will clear-up the technical glitches.

New mosquito repellents on the horizon could last more than four times longer than the best now available. Researchers for the Pentagon say they've tested chemicals on clothing that kept mosquitoes away for up to 73 days. Currently, the best repellent on the market -- known as DEET -- averages 17.5 days. One scientist says some of the new chemicals are "just phenomenal."  The researchers focused on what the most powerful mosquito repellents have in common chemically. The search was narrowed to seven possible repellents which will be tested this summer for safety. It's expected to be a few years before any are available commercially.

If you're taking a daily aspirin to help control your blood pressure, you'll get more out of it by taking the pill at bedtime. It's true your blood pressure tends to drop at night, but an article in the New York Times explains night time is when our bodies are setting everything up in motion for the pressure to go up the next day. It takes about four hours for the aspirin to be effective in reducing blood pressure. So taking it in the morning doesn't really do you any good.

Researchers say a smoker is more likely to quit if that person has a spouse, family member, friend, or co-worker who have quit or are quitting at the same time.      A Harvard Medical School sociologist and a University of California-San Diego colleague poured over the Framingham Heart Study, a 30-year tracking of the health of more than 12,000 residents of the Boston suburb.     By checking the social lives of those study participants, the research team found that two thirds of the participants were less likely to smoke if a spouse stopped smoking. The odds are nearly as high if a friend, co-worker or brother or sister of the study member was quitting.      The researchers, in their report published in Thursday's New
England Journal of Medicine, also found that whole groups became nonsmokers over time. And the people who still smoked were pushed to the fringe of their social circles.

While the economic downturn is prompting many U.S. workers to scrap summer holiday plans, a growing number are planning to bring the office with them on vacation. According to a survey of nearly 7,000 employees nationwide, up to a fourth of U.S. workers will maintain contact with their employers over this year's summer holidays, up from 20 percent last year. While some said they felt guilty skipping out on co-workers, others feared losing their jobs. The survey (by CareerBuilder) also found that some 15 percent of employees didn't use all of their days off last year. Sales reps were the most likely to check in during a vacation, followed by financial services and IT workers, the survey found.

A German scientist has proved that people forced to smile and take on-the-job insults suffer more and longer-lasting stress that may harm their health. The researcher studied 4,000 volunteers working in a fake call center. Half were allowed to respond as they wanted to abuse on the other end of the line while the other half had to suck it up. He found that those able to answer back had a brief increase in heart rate. Those who could not had stress symptoms that lasted much longer.

If you didn't get a Presidential Physical Fitness Award in school, the government is giving you another chance to prove you're in shape. An adult version of the test is being introduced today by the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. It's for people over 18 and in good health. The test involves three basic components: aerobic fitness, muscular strength and flexibility. It was inspired by scores of baby boomers who kept asking council members whether there was a fitness test available today that was similar to the ones they took as students. Unfortunately, there's no certificate, but the results will then show where you rank among people of the same age.

If you're seeking employment, get a grip. A firm handshake is key to landing a job. In a new study, scientists put 98 students through mock job interviews with businesspeople. The students also met with trained handshake raters who, unbeknownst to the students, rated their grips. Separately, the businesspeople graded each student's overall performance and hireability. The two group's scores were then compared. Students who got high handshake marks were also rated most hireable. Researchers found those with strong handshakes scored better with the interviewers in part because they also exhibited greater ease with small talk, eye contact and other social skills.

The Food Marketing Institute finds that with gas prices soaring, one in five Americans is pinching pennies by stocking up on bargains. But bulk buying may not be the best way to save money in this current recession, because of people's innate behaviors. People tend to eat half of the food they bring home within the first week regardless of how much they bought, says Cornell University food psychologist BRIAN WANSINK, PhD, writing in Prevention magazine. His research indicates bigger packages prompt people to gobble up to 42% more than they would from sensible sizes. And, he says one in three people binges when snacks like nuts or chips are kept in plain sight.

A Massachusetts study suggests that restaurant smoking bans may play a big role in persuading teens not to become smokers. The study's lead author -- Dr. Michael Siegel of Boston University -- says the findings back up the idea that smoking bans discourage tobacco use in teens by sending the message that smoking is frowned upon in the  community. He says the bans also reduce their exposure to smokers in public places. Siegel and his colleagues tracked 2,791 children between ages 12 and 17 who lived throughout Massachusetts. There were no statewide restrictions when the study began in 2001 but about 100 cities and towns had enacted some laws restricting smoking in workplaces, bars or restaurants.  Overall, about 9 percent became smokers, which was defined as smoking more than 100 cigarettes. The report appears in this month's issue of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

New research confirms what many frustrated women have long suspected: women have a harder time losing weight with exercise compared to men. When it comes to exercise there are a lot of differences between the sexes. The study (from the American College of Sports Medicine) says men have a distinct advantage because they don't have to work out as long or as hard as a woman to get in shape. And while exercise in men speeds metabolism right off the bat, a woman's body reacts to exercise like a short term starvation and metabolism slows down to preserve weight, but only for about two to three weeks. That means women have to start exercise and stick with it. Stopping and starting is not good.
 

Not everyone is a good candidate for Lasik eye surgery and the government plans to take a closer look at complaints including lost vision, dry eye and night-vision problems. A decade after Lasik hit the market, unhappy patients will air their grievances before the Food and Drug Administration today. The FDA thinks about 5 percent of patients are dissatisfied, and is pairing with eye surgeons for a major study involving hundreds of Lasik patients.  About 7.6 million Americans have undergone some form of laser vision correction, including the $2000-per-eye Lasik. Advocates say as many as 95 percent are well satisfied, with some achieving better than 20/20 vision. And though opthalmologist Doctor Robert Cykiert says the FDA has received 140 complaints from unhappy patients, he's still a believer and recommends it for those who are a good fit.  

Did you know that the human brain responds to being treated fairly in exactly the same way as it responds to winning money and eating your favorite food? Researchers conducted brain imaging experiments to arrive at this conclusion. They found out that when a person is treated fairly, the area in the brain that is tied to happiness gets activated. For many people, being treated fairly is more important than monetary reward and those who are treated fairly tend to be happier.
 

Consumer advocates say the government needs to add more details to labels being planned for alcoholic drinks. The National Consumers League says the Treasury Department's proposal should include the amount of alcohol per serving, the definition of a standard drink and U.S. dietary guidelines on drinking. A proposed label rule released by the department last July includes the amount of alcohol by volume, calories, carbohydrates,fat and protein contained in a standard serving size.  Alcohol trade groups are split over expanding the label information. The Distilled Spirits Council favors two of the additions while both beer and wine groups say the labels could mislead consumers.

The American Heart Association is recommending that children undergo a heart exam before they're prescribed ADHD drugs. Stimulant drugs like Ritalin that are used to treat hyperactivity and attention-deficit disorder can increase blood pressure and heart rate. For kids with heart conditions, the drugs could make them more vulnerable to a heart attack  and other problems.The heart group now wants children to have a thorough exam,including a family history and an EKG, before they're put on the drugs to make sure that they don't have any undiagnosed heartissues. The government estimates about 2.5 million American children and 1.5 million adults take medication for ADHD. A screening of about 1,100 children found that about 2 percent of them had some kind of heart problem.

As we ramp up to Earth Day (tomorrow), the Nielsen Company research finds U-S households are making an effort to be eco-conscious:

--More than half of U-S consumers claim to recycle cans, bottles and /or newspapers all the time, with 20 percent doing so "most of the time."

--Nearly 80 percent of consumers make a point of combining shopping trips to save gas most, if not all of the time

--Approximately two-thirds turn down their thermostats to conserve fuel most or all of the time.

There are a few things you do in the kitchen can help save energy and reduce environmental waste.

ALLISON FISHMAN

--the cooking expert from TLC's "Home Made Simple"-- offers a couple of tips.

First, buy items with less packaging. There's less to throw away.

Another suggestion: rather than bottled water, invest in a water filtration system.

You can also help the environment by purchasing locally-grown produce and organically grown products. They use fewer harmful chemicals and require less carbon emissions to transport than items that are grown and shipped from across the country.

The economy is all messed up because of our hormones, not any of that sub prime credit crisis stuff. A Cambridge University study shared by the BBC claims that men's testosterone levels are "directly linked to the profit they make." When stock traders have a good day, their testosterone increases. On a bad day, the level goes down. And when stock traders have too many good days in a row, those high testosterone levels hold many men back from making reasonable decisions. They take bigger and bigger risks, which can lead to bubbles. Those bubbles, as you've seen, eventually get popped.
On the other side of the coin, too many bad days in a row can lower testosterone levels so much that traders feel helpless and clueless about what to do. That's not good for the economy either.

The news has been consistently lousy for airline passengers lately. But there's some good news for those who
get bumped from airline flights. They'll be eligible to get twice as much compensation from U.S. airlines.
     A new Transportation Department rule set to take effect next month covers travelers forced onto another flight that takes them to their U.S. destination more than two hours after their original arrival time. They'll be paid the full price of their fare up to $800.   The government also unveiled several more initiatives intended to decrease air travel delays, including a plan to reroute planes through Canadian air space to avoid summer storms.

A chemical used to make water bottles, baby bottles and other shatterproof plastic containers could be linked to a range of hormonal problems, according to a preliminary government study. The federal National Toxicology Program says researchers found precancerous prostate tumors, urinary system problems and early puberty in rats that were given low doses of the chemical, bisephenol-A. Researchers say the studies only provide "limited evidence" of the chemical's risks, but add that the results can't be ignored.  The findings echo research by the National Institutes of Health.  But a group that represents manufacturers says the study shows that there aren't any "serious" concerns about the effect of the chemical on humans. The FDA says there's not reason to ban or restrict the use of the chemical right now. But at least one lawmaker wants the agency to reconsider that.

Spring flowers are blooming, but they may not be packing the potent floral smell you'd expect. LiveScience.com claims that flowers are losing their smell. Chalk it up to pollution. A flower's smell molecules have to fight all the nasty chemicals in the air, which shortens how far they go and weakens their scent. The world's mysterious bee shortage isn't helping much either. 

If you're waiting for your young daughter to outgrow her hyperactivity, maybe you should step in now. There's growing evidence that girls who exhibit signs of hyperactivity during childhood grow up to experience major problems later in life.
According to an article in Archives of General Psychiatry, girls between 6-and-12-years old who show signs of restlessness, fidgeting and physical aggression are more likely to report teenage pregnancy, abusive relationships and welfare dependence. There's a lot of research available about the long-term impact of childhood hyperactivity on boys. It's much less common in girls, but researchers are finding that those girls who do suffer from this kind of behavior end up hurting themselves in the long run. Researchers say hyperactive young girls should be dealt with early in life to help them do better in school. It literally could change their lives. (Page)

Researchers are linking estrogen therapy to benign breast lumps in women. It's the latest risk connected to hormone therapy after menopause. Another type of hormone therapy -- estrogen plus progestin -- is already known to raise the risk of breast cancer. Now researchers are finding that women using estrogen alone may double their chances of getting non-cancerous breast lumps. That raises concerns beyond the extra biopsies and worries such lumps can lead to. That's because one type of benign growth is suspected of being a first step toward developing cancer 10 years or so later. The study is published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

It's pretty easy to test your self for nomophobia. Just find your cell phone. If you can't and that freaks you out, you might have nomophobia. It's simply "the fear of being out of mobile phone contact," according to the London Evening Standard. Millions of us have nomophobia. Even simply misplacing your cell phone can bring on an episode of anxiety, stress, and loneliness. Experts think 53-percent of us have nomophobia in some form, while 58-percent of men and 48-percent of women admit that life doesn't seem as easy when their phone is missing, or low on battery juice and signal coverage.  Aside from getting a grip, researchers say you can prevent nomophobia by carrying a charger at all times, keeping your phone attached to your body, and having access to a pre-paid calling card.

A new Harvard study finds that babies and toddlers who sleep fewer than 12 hours a day are at greater risk for being overweight in preschool.  It's startling evidence that the link between sleep and obesity may affect even very young children. TV viewing heightened the effect. The children who slept the least and watched the most television had the greatest chance of becoming obese.  The findings are published in April's Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent  Medicine.  They're based on mothers' reports of their babies' sleep habits and TV viewing, and direct measures of the children's height, weight and skinfold thickness. Among the long sleepers, 7 percent were obese at age 3. The short sleepers fared worse. Twelve percent of them became obese 3-year-olds.  The families in the new study lived in Massachusetts.

Researchers say they've found a genetic link that makes people more likely to get hooked on tobacco -- and more likely to get lung cancer. The discovery by three separate teams of scientists makes the strongest case so far for the biology behind the addiction. It also may shed light on how genetics and cigarettes join forces to cause cancer. The research shows a smoker who inherits the genetic variation from both parents has an 80 percent greater chance of getting lung cancer than a smoker without the variants. That same smoker on average lights up two extra cigarettes a day and has a much harder time quitting than smokers who don't have these genetic differences. The author of one study describes the variation as a "double whammy gene." The three studies are funded by governments in the U.S. and Europe. They're being published tomorrow in the journals Nature and Nature Genetics.

A chemical found in many baby products could be altering your infant's hormones.

You can skip the mouth-to-mouth breathing and just press on the chest to save a life. The American Heart Association is promoting a major change in dealing with sudden cardiac arrest in adults.      It says that hands-only CPR works just as well as standard CPR in those cases.    You should use rapid, deep presses on the victim's chest until help arrives.      Experts hope bystanders will now be more willing to jump in and help if they see someone suddenly collapse. Hands-only CPR is simpler and easier to remember. And it removes a big barrier for people skittish about administering mouth-to-mouth to strangers.     Mouth-to-mouth breathing should still be used on children, since
a child who collapses is more likely to have breathing problems.
 

A federal advisory panel is recommending that all

children get flu shots.

The panel voted yesterday in Atlanta to expand annual flu shots

to all children except infants younger than six months.

That means about 30 million more children could be getting

vaccinated.

The panel's advice is routinely adopted by the Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC issues vaccination

guidelines to doctors and hospitals

Flu shots are now recommended for people considered to be at

highest risk of death or serious illness from the flu. That list

includes children ages 6 months to 5 years, adults 50 and older,

and people with weakened immune systems

The panel says that should be expanded to include children up to

age 18.

You've may not have heard of the "widow" or "widower" effect, but you may know someone who has experienced it. A husband or wife dies, and then the surviving spouse passes away soon afterward. Researchers are starting to understand why that happens.

Findings published in the New England Journal of Medicine say the phenomenon usually begins with the hospitalization of a spouse. When a man or woman is admitted to the hospital for a serious illness, the stress and upheaval experienced by the spouse can pose serious health risks.

A recent study finds that on average, when a woman is hospitalized, her husband's death risk is increased by 22-percent. When a man is hospitalized, the risk is 16-percent for a wife. The death risk is highest for a spouse when their partner is hospitalized for dementia.

At least 44 million American adults are caregivers. Yet research shows few of these people are adequately prepared to deal with what it takes to give someone full-time care, or the toll it can take on their own health. Experts say their new findings should make caregivers realize their own health is the most important thing to consider.

 If you buy the idea that antioxidants are the key to a long, healthy life, then you should also buy organic foods. A new study reveals they contain 40-percent more antioxidants than non-organic foods. Antioxidants are said to prevent cancer and heart diseases.  The most expensive study ever done on the subject matter also reveals that organic food has more beneficial minerals like iron and zinc. According to All Headline News, the four-year European-Union study cost $24-million-dollars, and employed researchers growing fruits and vegetables on neighboring organic and non-organic areas covering 725 acres. Scientists discovered antioxidants in milk from organic herds were 90-percent higher than the milk taken from non-organic cows.  The results of the study are useful because it could help increase the intake of nutrients of people who are not eating the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables a day. Researchers say in other words, if you are eating organic foods with higher concentrations of antioxidants, you can get away with eating just four servings of fruits and vegetables a day versus the recommended five.

It's a dirty little secret of food poisoning.

E. coli and certain other foodborne illnesses can sometimes

trigger serious health problems months or years after patients

survived that initial bout.

In interviews with The Associated Press, scientists describe

high blood pressure, kidney damage, even full kidney failure

striking 10 to 20 years later in people who survived severe E. coli

infection as children.

They've also found a mysterious paralysis that can attack people

who just had mild symptoms.

While these conditions strike a small fraction of the millions

of people who get food poisoning each year, experts say no one

knows just how many people are at risk.

A consumer group called STOP -- Safe Tables Our Priority -- is

beginning the first national registry of food-poisoning survivors

with long-term health problems. It's seeking people willing to

share their medical histories with scientists in hopes of boosting

research.

A new large study finds that a rare genetic
variation dramatically raises the risk of developing autism.
     And experts say that could open new research targets for better
understanding the disorder and for treating it.
     Research into the causes of autism has focused on genetic causes
because so many families have multiple children with the disorder.
Thus far, only about 10 percent of autism cases have a known
genetic cause.
     But Boston-area researchers estimate the gene glitch they've
identified accounts for another 1 percent of cases.
     They found a segment of a chromosome which has genes linked to
brain development and various developmental disorders was either
missing or duplicated far more often in autistic people.
     The defect was inherited in some cases, but more often the
result of a random genetic accident.
     

 

Here's something to think about as you log onto your computer and use your mouse this morning...A new report says the stomach flu can be passed from one person to another through contact with commonly shared items such as computer keyboards and computer mice. The virus, which is common in winter and is the most frequent cause of outbreaks of vomiting and diarrhea in the United States, is often contracted in schools, at work and on cruise ships. And because the virus can live on surfaces for several days, people should wash their hands after using shared objects, and computer keyboards and mice should be disinfected regularly .

The holiday season always brings out a call for charitable donations. Between now and Christmas, Americans will donate $100 million to charitable causes. How do you know where your money goes? Most solicits for a contribution come by telephone, but most of us aren't sure the telephone callers represented the organizations they claimed to, and how many of us ask how our donations will be spent? Solution: Go to CharityNavigator.org to get an evaluation. Find out who's legit and which ones spend more on operating expenses than dollars donated. Remember, the good charities are happy to provide a behind-the-scenes look at their operations.  The Charles Schwab brokerage house says Americans are the most generous people on the planet. Some 70 percent of us give to charity --more of us than vote. 

The government is announcing a fix for a crib
that's proven to be deadly.
     The Consumer Product Safety Commission says Simplicity
Incorporated is providing a free repair kit for Simplicity and
Graco-brand cribs that were recalled after three children became
entrapped and suffocated.
     The repair kit immobilizes the crib's drop side, which can
detach and create a gap in the crib that children can get caught
in. The free repair kit will be sent to crib owners who have
pre-registered or who register now on Simplicity's Web site at
www.simplicityforchildren.com or the company's hot line at
888-593-9274.
     Simplicity recalled about 1 million cribs after reports of the
three deaths as well as reports that seven infants became entrapped
in the cribs.

Worried your identity will be stolen off the Internet? Not likely. A new study says identity thieves are typically young, work solo and rely on the Internet for fewer than one-fifth of their crimes. The Center for Identity Management and Information Protection also found that "insider" employees were the offenders in one-third of the cases. The most frequently used non-technological method was the rerouting of mail through change of address cards. Other prevalent non-technological methods were mail theft and dumpster diving. Of the 933 offenders studied, 609 said they initiated their crime by stealing fragments of personal identifying information, as opposed to stealing entire documents, such as bank cards or driver's licenses.so one man's trash can really be one thief's treasure!

 CHICAGO (AP) - Video clips debuting on the Internet could be a
guide to parents worried about their children showing signs of
autism.
     A new Web site offers dozens of video clips of autistic kids
contrasted with the behavior of those who are unaffected by it.
     The new site is sponsored by two nonprofit advocacy groups:
Autism Speaks and First Signs. They hope it will promote early
diagnosis and treatment, which can help young children with autism
lead more normal lives.
     Specialists call it a useful tool for parents and doctors,
though the sponsors of the site note that not all children who
display unusual behavior are autistic.
     One pediatrician cautions the site might lead some parents to
needlessly fret, and he says they shouldn't use it to try to
diagnose their own kids.      http://www.autismspeaks.org

The craving for chocolate may come from deep down in your gut. A small study links the type of bacteria living in people's digestive system to a desire for chocolate. Everyone has a vast community of microbes in their guts. But people who crave daily chocolate show signs of having different colonies of bacteria than people who are immune to chocolate's allure. The author of the study says the idea could eventually lead to treating some types of obesity by changing the composition of the trillions of bacteria occupying the intestines and stomach.

Feel like you hold onto grudges for too long? LiveScience.com thinks it might not be your fault.
   New studies about our memory suggest that we naturally let bad experiences soak deep into our brains, where they remain for much longer periods than some of our happy memories. It would explain why bad breakups or even abuse can change someone's personality.
   And in some cases, too many tragic memories can cause memory gaps. The only way you might salvage things in the future is to try keeping your emotions in check.

The number of young children on prescription drugs for heartburn and other digestive problems has jumped about 
56 percent in recent years.    Researchers say obesity and overuse may be contributing to the surprising increase.       The study suggests more than 2 million American children 
age 18 and under used drugs for digestive or gastrointestinal 
complaints last year. That includes more than a half-million 
infants and children up to age 4.   The Medco Health Solutions study covers prescription data for 2002 through 2006.    The president-elect of the American Academy of Pediatrics says heartburn is a common complication of being overweight, and 
the increase came during the nation's rising obesity rate.   She adds that, while some children require treatment that includes prescription drugs, many get better with lifestyle changes, such as smaller meals or cutting down on fatty foods.

According to the New York Times, there's a growing happiness gap between men and women. The paper cites two researches studies. One tracked traditional happiness data by asking people how satisfied they are with their lives. It found that women, who in the early 1970s reported being slightly happier than men, are now slightly less happy. The other analyzed time-use studies over the past four decades to determine how much time men and women spent doing things they found unpleasant. Since the 1960s, men have gradually cut back on tasks they dislike. They now work less and relax more. Meanwhile, women have replaced housework with paid work, and as a result are spending more time doing things they don't enjoy. According to the Times, women aren't actually working more today than they were 30 or 40 years ago - they're just spending more time on paid work and less on cooking and cleaning.

 If the lower back hurts, a new study 
suggests fake acupuncture works nearly as well as the real thing.
      A co-author of the study says it was not designed to 
determine how acupuncture works but the findings are in line with 
a theory that pain messages to the brain can be blocked by 
competing stimuli.
      Even fake acupuncture worked better than conventional care, 
leading researchers to wonder whether pain relief came from the 
body's reactions to any thin needle pricks or, possibly, the 
placebo effect.
      Almost half the patients treated with either real or fake 
acupuncture felt relief that lasted months. About a quarter of 
the patients receiving medications and other Western medical 
treatments felt better.
      The study appears in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

If your kids are bouncing off the walls it may have something to do with all the additives in their food.  A new study shows the artificial food colorings and other additives can make young children more hyperactive.
   A study printed in the medical journal Lancet explains researchers noticed differences in kids between three and nine-years-old when they drank fruit juices made with food preservatives and coloring. And it wasn't just kids with extreme hyperactivity or ADHD --but kids in the general population as well.
   Researchers say sunset yellow coloring --also known as E110-- and carmoisine, tartazine, ponceau and the preservative sodium benzoate have proven to cause significant changes in children's behavior. (Page)

 Researchers have found that regular exercise may work as well as medication in improving symptoms of major depression. In a study of 202 depressed adults, investigators found that those who went through group-based exercise therapy did as well as those treated with an antidepressant drug. A third group that performed home-based exercise also improved, though to a lesser degree. Importantly, the researchers found, all three groups did better than a fourth group given a placebo -- an inactive pill identical to the antidepressant.

Want to live longer? Don't be a loner. Newsweek magazine reports that "social isolation" boosts your risk of contracting all kinds of serious diseases.
   Going through life alone can alter your immune system at the genetic level, making you more prone to heart disease, a variety of viruses, and the common cold.
   Even if you seem to have a lot of friends, it's how you feel about your connection to them that could be trouble.  If you aren't tight with at least a few of them, your body will stop trying to defend you from all kinds of ills.
   Experts from Harvard Medical School suggest that anyone who feels lonely in life, regardless of how many friends they have or people they know, seek out therapy and work hard at increasing genuine social interaction.

Researchers say an osteoporosis drug holds the promise of reducing deaths and preventing new fractures in elderly patients with broken hips. That's considered a first. And some experts are calling the drop in deaths "striking." That translates to 28 percent fewer deaths and 35 percent fewer fractures in the group that got a once-a-year infusion of the bone drug Reclast. The comparison was 
to subjects who got a dummy treatment.   The lead author of the study, at Duke University, says no other osteoporosis drug study published in at least 15 years has 
shown such a pronounced reduction in deaths. But researches say other drugs could also have a similar effect. And, the research was funded by Novartis, which makes Reclast.

Sometime in the not-too-distant future, your tv set will undergo some changes. The FCC has approved rules it says will ensure that millions of cable subscribers will still be able to watch broadcast programming after the transition to digital television.
      Beginning in February 2009, broadcaster will stop transmitting the old analog signals. Over-the-air customers will 
have to buy a converter box. As for analog-only cable subscribers, the cable operators will either have to convert the digital signal they send or supply customers with a device that converts it at their TV sets.   The FCC ruling will require cable operators guarantee that analog-only customers will receive broadcast channels until 2012. The commission says approximately 40 million households are analog-only cable subscribers.   The cable industry has pledged to do this voluntarily. But the new FCC rules make compliance mandatory.
 

How bad can it be to indulge in an occasional meal or snack loaded with saturated fat? How about bad enough to diminish your body's ability to defend itself against heart disease. A recent study by researchers at the University of Sydney in Australia found just that reaction after 14 trial participants, all healthy and between the ages of 18 and 40, ate just one piece of high-fat carrot cake and drank a milkshake. That fat-laden feast compromised the ability of the participants' arteries to expand to increased blood flow, the researchers found. The sudden boost in what's known as saturated fat hampered the effects of so-called "good" cholesterol, HDL, from doing its job -- to protect the inner lining of the arteries from inflammatory agents that promote the build-up of fatty plaques. It's this plaque that, over time, clogs blood vessels and causes heart disease.

A new study suggests a possible biological 
explanation for why breast cancer is more deadly for black women.
      The University of Michigan study says black women are more 
likely to have tumors that won't respond to a hormone-based 
treatment. It accounts for about 39 percent of invasive tumors 
that are resistant to the treatment in black women versus 22 
percent in white women.
      The study's lead author says other tools like chemotherapy, 
radiation and targeted biological drugs are more important for 
women with the stubborn tumors, and doctors should consider this 
when they evaluate black women with breast cancer.
      Traditionally, the higher rate of death has been blamed on 
social factors, such as black women getting fewer mammograms and 
less aggressive treatment.

We've heard a lot about the dangers of secondhand smoke. Breathing in the air a smoker exhales while they're lighting up kills thousands of nonsmoking adults every year. And it stands to reason that if secondhand smoke is dangerous to humans, it's also not good for your pets.
   A study conducted at Tuft College of Veterinary Medicine found a strong link between secondhand smoke and some types of cancer in cats. According to Newswise, secondhand smoke has been associated with oral cancer and lymphoma in cats, lung and nasal cancer in dogs, and lung cancer in birds. 
   Pets that live in a house with a smoker also face poisoning risks. If cigarettes are left lying around the house, curious animals may eat them. That leads to nicotine poisoning, which can also be fatal. (Page)

A new study suggests that people who drank 
more than one diet soda each day developed the same risks for 
heart disease as those who downed sugary regular soda.
      The study that appeared today online in the journal 
Circulation found that those who drank more than soda per day -- 
diet or regular -- had an increased risk of metabolic syndrome, 
compared to those who drank less than one soda. Metabolic 
syndrome is a cluster of symptoms that increase the risk for 
heart disease.
      The study's senior author says the findings don't show diet 
sodas are a cause of increased heart disease risks.
      However, at least one nutrition expert has dismissed the 
study's findings on diet soda drinkers, saying that in terms of 
losing weight, there's too much evidence that shows diet 
beverages are healthier.

A new study finds that high doses of folic acid do not prevent precancerous colon polyps in people prone to 
them. In fact, researchers say, it may actually increase the risk of developing the growths.  The results have surprised scientists.

Previous studies showed diets low in folic acid led to a higher risk of colon cancer.  Now researchers speculate that some folic acid helps -- as long as the colon is free of microscopic cancer cells. But once cancer starts, folic acid may feed its growth.  It's the latest evidence that taking too many vitamins may be harmful.

Last month, a study linked heavy vitamin use to fatal prostate cancer, and other research has shown beta-carotene pills can heighten smokers' risk of lung cancer.  The new findings appear in Wednesday's Journal of the American Medical Association.

A warning to parents of young children 
who have swimming pools -- secure the pools to avoid the children 
becoming drowning victims.
      The Consumer Product Safety Commission reports there are 
about 260 drowning deaths of children younger than five each year 
in swimming pools. And the C-P-S-C estimates more than 27-hundred 
children are treated annually for pool submersion injuries, 
mostly in residential pools.
      The commission recommends layers of protection around a 
pool, such as a fence with self-latching gates. If the house is 
one of the barriers to a pool, the C-P-S-C recommends using 
alarms on doors leading to the pool area or a powered safety 
cover over the pool.
      The commission also advises having rescue equipment and a 
phone near the pool. And it also suggests that parents who own 
pools learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Coming this week: A new pill that allows a woman to never have a menstrual period. It's the first birth control pill designed to let women completely suppress that "time of month" and will likely be approved for sale tomorrow by the Food and Drug Administration.
   The pill is called "Lybrel" from Wyeth Pharmaceuticals (call your broker!). Two other drugs currently for sale shorten monthly periods to three days or less and another reduces them to four times a year.
   Most medical experts contend these new pills will be safe except for women who shouldn't take any kind of pill, such as women who are at high risk for blood clots or older women who smoke --check with your doctor.
   This is not an entirely new concept. For many years, women with a doctor's approval had been suppressing periods on their own by simply taking regular birth control pills continuously and eliminating the seven days of sugar pills.
   Gynecologists say they've been seeing a slow but steady increase in women asking how to limit and even stop their cycle. And surveys find up to half of all women would prefer not to have any periods, most would prefer them less often and a majority of doctors have prescribed contraception to prevent periods.

1. Deodorize food containers. Stuff a balled-up piece of newspaper into a lunch box or thermos, seal it, and let sit overnight.
2. Ripen tomatoes. Wrap them individually and leave them out at room temperature.
3. Pack delicate items.Wrap frames and figurines with several pieces of newspaper, then crumple the remaining sections to fill extra space in the box.
4. Wipe away tough streaks on glass. Use newspaper with cleaning fluid to clean mirrors and windows.
5. Preserve antique glass. Some older frames have finishes on the glass that can be damaged by cleaning solutions. Remove smudges by rubbing with newspaper dipped in a solution of one part white vinegar and one part warm water. Let air-dry.
6. Dry shoes. Place crumpled paper in them overnight.
7. Wrap gifts. Use the comics to wrap a child’s birthday gift, or try the wedding announcements for an engagement gift.
8. Create a home for slushy snow boots. During the winter, keep a pile of newspaper near the entryway. When your little snowmen and -women come home, they can toss their winter wear onto the newspaper instead of creating puddles on the floor.
9. Prepare a garden. In the fall, mow a patch of lawn to make room for a dedicated bed. Cover it with four layers of newspaper, then a four-inch layer of shredded leaves or bark mulch. Hose it down. Come spring, the compost blanket will have smothered the grass roots, and the bed will be primed for planting.
10. Keep the refrigerator vegetable drawer dry and free of smells. Line the bottom with newspaper.

With gas prices surging past $3.00, drivers can benefit from many different strategies to save fuel. The obvious first step is buying a fuel-efficient car.

To get the best fuel economy, choosing a four-cylinder engine rather than a V6, or a V6 rather than a V8, is usually the way to go. Small, light cars tend to be more miserly with fuel than larger vehicles. Consumer Reports' monthly road tests include our fuel-economy measurements for city and highway driving and for overall driving and we list the most fuel efficient cars that we have tested on our Web site. You can also visit the EPA's Web site, www.fueleconomy.gov to find data on fuel-efficient cars.

However, once you've bought a vehicle, you can even go farther for less money if you follow these tips:

No loitering. Don't let the engine run at idle any longer than necessary. After starting the car in the morning, begin driving right away; don't let it sit and "warm up" for several minutes. An engine actually warms up faster while driving. With most gasoline engines, it's more efficient to turn off the engine than to idle for any longer than 30 seconds.

Easy does it. Driving smoothly and steadily makes the best use of your fuel. If you can, avoid hard acceleration or braking. Once up to speed, maintain a steady pace in top gear. Varying your speed a lot wastes fuel. A vehicle's gas mileage decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph. Smooth acceleration, cornering, and braking not only save fuel but also extend the life of the engine, transmission, brakes, and tires.

It's a drag. At highway speeds, more than 50 percent of engine power goes to overcoming aerodynamic drag. Try not to add to the drag by carrying things on top of your vehicle. A loaded roof rack can decrease a car's fuel efficiency by 5 percent. Even driving with empty ski racks wastes gas. In addition, if you have air conditioning, use it only when you really need it. Running the air conditioner robs power from the engine and uses additional fuel.

Stay warm. An engine runs most inefficiently when it's cold. It not only uses more fuel but also creates the most exhaust emissions and suffers the most wear. Avoid many short, separate trips--and unnecessary cold starts--by combining as many errands as possible into one trip.

Getting regular. If your car specifies regular fuel, don't buy premium under the mistaken belief that your engine will benefit. Most cars are designed to run just fine on regular gasoline. Furthermore, many cars that recommend premium fuel also run well on regular. Check your owner's manual to find out if your engine is designed to handle either grade. And consider buying off-brand gasoline, which is most often identical to what is sold at franchised gas stations.

Watch the tires. Keep your tires properly inflated. Underinflated tires require more energy to roll, which not only wastes fuel but also wears the tires faster. According to the EPA, a tire that is underinflated by only 2 pounds per square inch can cause a 1 percent increase in fuel consumption. Underinflated tires can also build up excess heat, which can lead to tire failure. Check your vehicle's tire pressures at least once a month, when the tires are cold. Also, check the tires before and after long road trips. The recommended tire pressure is found on a label inside the car--usually in a door jamb or inside the glove-box lid.

Stay tuned. Running a car in poor mechanical condition can dramatically lower your fuel economy. A poorly maintained engine can cut gas mileage by 10 to 20 percent. A clogged air filter alone can cause up to a 10 percent increase in fuel consumption. Be sure to follow the recommended maintenance schedule in your owner's manual, and have the car promptly serviced if you sense any unusual sounds, smells, or vibrations.

For complete Ratings, reliability information, test results, reviews, and other in-depth information on specific models of cars & trucks, subscribe today to access all of ConsumerReports.org.

There's a new three-digit number that 
homeowners can call to avoid hitting electric, gas or cable lines 
on their property.
      Beginning Tuesday for about 98 percent of the country, (including New Hampshire) callers can dial 8-1-1 to be connected to the closest "Call Before You Dig" service."Call Before You Dig" is a free service set up by utilities that will mark the locations of any underground lines. An industry coalition says they'll usually come within three business days. The Common Ground Alliance says every year, almost 700-thousand utility lines are hit by digging projects. About 280-thousand were cases in which the local "Call Before You Dig" center was never used.

 March 18, 2007 — Additional brand names have been added to the list of possibly tainted pet food brands that are the subject of a recall.

On Friday, Menu Foods, whose products are sold throughout North America, issued a recall for 60 million cans and pouches of certain "cuts and gravy"-style dog and cat food products. Seven more brands have been added to the original list.

Because Menu Foods co-manufactures so many products, veterinarians are urging pet owners to keep tabs on the latest developments.

"It's very possible other companies will have to add to this recall," said Dr. Louise Murray, director of medicine for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. "People need to keep updating themselves."

At least 10 pet deaths have been linked to the recall, and the affected food may have contributed to kidney failure in many other cats and dogs.

(For a list of recalled pet food brands visit http://www.menufoods.com/recall/)

 The Food And Drug Administration has issued a new warning to individuals taking sleeping pills that the drugs may cause sleep-driving. Sleep-driving is defined as operating a vehicle while not 100% awake following the use of a sleeping pill. FDA spokeswoman Kimberly Rawlings told AP, "It's important to alert people about the risk of complex sleep behaviors, especially sleep-driving because of the potential for this activity to cause harm or death to both the patients and the community." These sleeping pills have also been known to cause another side effect, severe allergic reactions. The FDA is having all sedative-hypnotic drug makers notify doctors of these two potentially fatal side effects.