Opinion
Posted on September 22, 2011 in Health & Medicine, Opinion, Recent Studies, Technology, Women's Health
Women over the age of 65 who fracture a hip are more likely to die from other causes in the following year than they would have been had they avoided injury, a new study suggests. The study is the first to suggest a cause-and-effect relationship between hip fracture and death.
The study tracked women in four states nationwide between 1986 and 2005, as part of a larger study funded by the National Institutes of Health. The researchers matched women from this pool of study participants with women of the same age who had not. Those who suffered a hip fracture had twice the odds of dying within one year of their injury than did their peers in the control group during the same year. Seventeen percent of the women who experienced a fracture died during the year, versus 8% in the control group.
The most common causes of death in both groups were heart disease, stroke, and sepsis. More than half the deaths in the fracture group occurred within three months of injury, and almost three-quarters happened within six months.
The youngest women in the group had the highest risk of death: For women 65 to 69, hip fracture quintupled the odds of death in one year. The study authors suggest that all postmenopausal women get enough bone-strengthening calcium and vitamin D in their diets, as well as avoid smoking and excessive alcohol intake.
Have you experienced a hip fracture?
Posted on May 23, 2011 in Opinion
- Honda Motor Co.’s American branch has recalled around 1,500 current model Civic compact cars due to a fuel leak risk that could lead to fire.
- Meijer Inc. recalled about 7,600 Katie Brown Tea Light Candle Sets because the clear plastic holder can catch fire.
- Schratter Food Inc. recalled its Quenby Hall Blue Stilton Cheese nationwide after determining it may be contaminated with listeria.
- Rose & Shore Meat Co. recalled 15,900 of its ready0to-eat deli meats sent to food service companies in Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon , and Washington because they may be contaminated with listeria monocytogenes. The meats were not sold in stores.
- Nielsen-Massey Vanillas Inc. recalled a single lot of Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Paste because it could be contaminated with listeria. Included in the recall is lot 11123 in plastic, 1-gallon and 1-quart containers that was sold to business customers, distributors and stores.
- Cinderella Sweets recalled certain lots of its kosher cookies and macaroons due to a misprint on the product packaging that says the goodies are “egg free.” The product ingredients list eggs.
- Toyota is recalling certain Tundras with all-terrain tires because of a possible problem that would keep tire pressure monitoring systems to work correctly. Trucks from 2007 to 2011 are impacted.
- Boss Pet Products is recalling its Diggers Natural Treat Pig Ear pet treats after one of its suppliers, Keys Manufacturing Company, Inc. determined the products tested positive for salmonella.
- The CPSC , in cooperation with Dorel Asia SRL, is announcing a voluntary recall of 445,000 wooden bunk beds in the U.S. and 21,700 in Canada. The wooden side rails that run from the headboard to the footboard can split and cause the bed to collapse.
- Mann Packing Co. has continued to expand its recall on grape tomatoes to include vegetable platters and “Snacks on the Go” products. The company first began recalling products on May 7.
Posted on March 10, 2011 in Consumer Goods, Health & Medicine, Opinion
Retail pharmacists have recently contested mandatory mail-order programs, in which health plans require people taking medications for long-term diseases to fill their prescriptions through the mail rather than at the drugstore. They say that elderly patients and those taking multiple medications could benefit from having a pharmacist oversee their prescriptions.
Large companies that oversee prescription drug programs maintain that mail order is less expensive and generally more convenient than the alternative. They suggest that sophisticated computer systems that monitor all prescriptions allow them to see when someone is taking drugs that interact.
A New York Times article outlines the pros and cons of receiving drugs by mail, as well as proposed New York legislation that would ban mail-order programs. The legislation would also not allow plans to demand that people pay more for drugs if they purchase them at the drugstore. Pennsylvania is considering similar legislation.
The Times provides examples of programs that are providing more flexibility with how patients receive prescriptions, including CVS Caremark. Caremark offers a program called maintenance choice, in which people can go to one of their stores or use mail order to get a prescription filled.
Posted on February 15, 2011 in Opinion
- Hoover is recalling 142,000 WindTunnel canister vacuums due to shock and fire hazards. The vacuums were sold March 2003 through December 2008, and have reportedly short-circuited on 69 occasions.
- AmerTac is recalling 261,00 nightlights that can overheat, posing a fire hazard. The company has received 18 reports of KML molded nightlights overheating.
- Escalade Sports is recalling 4,600 outdoor playsets with hazardous swing seats. The swing seats on the playsets can break in half, causing the user to fall.
- Canadian company Tech 4 Kids is recalling 2,100 snow bikes due to a fall hazard. OUTER EDGE snow bikes imported from China include front skis that can break and cause the user to fall abruptly.
- Tyco Safety Products is recalling 540 fire alarm control panels that have reportedly failed to function on two occasions. The fire alarm control panels were sold from May 2010 through September 2010 for between $10,000 and $20,000.
- Summer Infant is recalling about 1.7 million baby monitors after the devices were linked to the deaths of two infants. More than 40 different models of handheld, digital, and color monitors are impacted by the mass recall.
- The FDA has issued a Class I recall notice for a device designed by Arstasis Inc. over fears that it might break during use. The device accesses the femoral artery during catherization processes.
- American Food Service has recalled over 3,000 pounds of fresh ground beef patties over fears that they may be contaminated with E. coli bacteria.
- The CPSC and PD Sixty Distributor, Inc. is recalling about 3,000 portable space heaters for fire hazards. The product can overheat because of loose electrical connections.
- Saint James Smokehouse, Inc. is recalling one lot of its Scotch Reserve Whiskey & Honey Smoked Scottish Salmon sold in The Fresh Market stores in 20 states. A sample tested positive for the bacteria listeria monocytogenes.
Posted on January 24, 2011 in Business/Law, Opinion
Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) made waves last week with his suggestion that
America’s problem isn’t that there are more madmen, it’s that guns are too available
to the mainstream public. The debate over gun control is ramping up after the tragic
shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and six others in Arizona earlier this month, although
some senators are doubtful that the measures being proposed could realistically be
implemented.
Republican Senator Richard Lugar told Bloomsberg’s Al Hunt that he would support
the reinstatement of the assault weapons ban, while noting that many may have already
purchased munitions that could be banned. Another senator, New York Democrat Chuck
Schumer, suggested that the military be required to inform the FBI after an applicant is
rejected for excessive gun use.
But a recent CBS poll shows that Americans are still split on the issue, demonstrating
that only 46 percent believe laws should be stricter. 38 percent maintain that laws should
stay the same, while thirteen percent are in favor of less strict regulations. A similar poll
was conducted as recently as April 2010, with relatively little movement. Forty percent
thought that gun laws should be made tougher, while 42 percent wanted them to stay the
same. However, the same poll finds that public support for a nationwide ban on assault
weapons has risen, from 54 percent in 2009 to 63 percent currently.
Capitalizing on the slight increase in support for gun control measures, officials are
taking action. Democratic Rep. Carolyn McCarthy of New York recently unveiled a
bill to ban the sale of high-capacity magazines and limit the sale of clips in the United
States to ten rounds. The clip allegedly used by Loughner held 33 rounds. In an interview
with Arizona Republican Congressman Trent Franks, a furious Lawrence O’Donnell
summarized the position in favor of stricter gun control laws. “I blame the individual for
the first 10 bullets,” O’Donnell said, referring to the Tucson shootings. “I blame the law
for the next 21 bullets that he fired.”
Posted on November 26, 2010 in Animals, Business/Law, Consumer Goods, Health & Medicine, Holistic Remedies, Men's Health, Opinion, Parenting, Recalls, Recent Studies, Technology, The Environment, Uncategorized, Women's Health
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Posted on November 19, 2010 in Animals, Business/Law, Consumer Goods, Health & Medicine, Holistic Remedies, Opinion, Parenting, Recalls, Recent Studies, Technology, The Environment, Uncategorized, Women's Health
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Posted on January 29, 2010 in Consumer Goods, Opinion, Technology
As Toyota Motor Corp. continues to recall more vehicles due to problems with faulty gas pedals which can stick and cause vehicles to speed out of control, the car maker finally says it has a way to fix the problem.
Of course, we wonder if what the company has come up with really is an effective way to prevent the problem, or just a case of corporate public relations and spin doctoring in an attempt to limit damage to Toyota’s image and reputation?
Toyota says it has worked with CTS Corp., the company that supplies the car maker with accelerator pedals, to fix the problem of sticky gas pedals in more than a dozen Toyota and Lexus models, including the popular Camry and Carolla.
Officials had said it could take more than a year to make enough new replacement pedals to outfit the more than four million vehicles affected worldwide. However, Toyota now says it has come up with a “modified pedal” that will use a “selective spacer” to repair the faulty gas pedals, rather than replacing them all, according to a report on Automobilemag.com.
The car maker said it is “working closely with our pedal supplier CTS on a revised design that effectively remedies the problem. These pedals are now in full production at CTS to support Toyota’s needs. At the same time, we continue to work with CTS to test effective pedal modifications for existing vehicles on the road that will be available to our customers as quickly as possible.”
But Toyota’s approach to this scandal begs the question: Is using a Band-Aid type fix rather than a total replacement of the defective pedals really the way to go, when the risks from out-of-control speed in millions of popular vehicles around the world are so high?
Posted on January 1, 2010 in Opinion
Two years after a child was asphyxiated by a dart, OKK Trading has recalled 22,000 toy gun dart sets. The soft darts could pose a choking hazard.
In November 2007, an 8-year-old boy died after chewing on the toy dart and swallowing it. The dart became lodged in the child’s throat, preventing him from breathing. The Consumer Product Safety Commission and OKK Trading is only aware of the one incident.
The “Action Team” play set recalled has a toy gun with three soft rubber darts, a S.W.A.T. watch, a baton, a walkie-talkie, a whistle, and a badge with an identification card. The soft, pliable orange plastic darts have a nearly 2 ½ inch shaft and an approximately ¾ inch diameter suction cup. The toy gun is black with an orange nose and trigger and red spring release mechanism. “Made in China” is printed on one side of the barrel. Consumers should immediately take away the toy dart set from their children and contact OKK Trading for a $3 bounty. The company will also pay return postage and shipping for the toy.
Posted on December 25, 2009 in Opinion
Could weekend eating be hurting your usually healthy diet? A new study finds that people tend to down more food on Saturday and Sunday.
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh wanted to test whether patterns in people’s eating habits bump up obesity statistics. They collected data from 1998 and 1999 on the eating habits of 60 individuals who had participated in a national survey conducted by a market research firm. For each survey, the participants kept track of foods eaten in their household by everyone over two weeks.
Those who ate more on the weekends typically devoured as much as 400 calories more on the weekends, or a 20 percent increase. The researchers also looked at how much people overeat on holidays, and came away with a shocking statistic: some eat more than 900 extra calories on special occasion. In order to monitor yourself, try to examine what you eat in general terms. Having a weekly budget of calories might be useful, the study authors said.
