Rich vs. Poor Health
The following timeline was created to help illustrate how potential and/or cumulative influence and/or events can impact [for good or for bad] upon individual human health. In some places, bold type highlights were added for quick summary review. [E.M. / D.R.D.]
January 2010
2010 - Antidepressants & Mild Depression - January 6th, 2010: "Antidepressants not much help for mild depression / Study finds ['published today in the Journal of the American medical Association.'] any improvement likely results from just seeing a doctor, not from taking pill." [Based on: Title for Los Angeles Times article, p. A1, S.L.P.D., 01/06/10]
2010 - FDA now questions safety of BPA - January 16th, 2010: "In a shift of position, the Food and Drug Administration is expressing concerns about possible health risks from bisphenol-A, or BPA, a widely used component of plastic bottles and food packaging that it declared safe in 2008. [NP] The agency said Friday [01/15/10] that it had 'some concern about the potential effects of BPA on the brain, behavior and prostate gland of fetuses, infants and children,' and would join other federal health agencies in studying the chemical in both animals and humans." [Based on: News Services article (FDA now questions safety of BPA), p. A15, S.L.P.D., 01/16/10]
2010 - Evolution of Adaptive Behaviour in Robots by Means of Darwinian Selection - January 26th, 2010: http://www.plosbiology.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pbio.1000292
2010 - Nanoprinter could have cells lining up to be tested - January 31st, 2010: "BORROWING a trick from the office photocopier may make it possible for a nanoscale printer to precisely manipulate biological cells for use in artificial tissue. [NP] In 2007, John Rogers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and colleagues produced a printer small enough to print electronic circuits from conductive ink on the nanoscale. By modifying the technique, they think it should be possible to manipulate biological cells or biomolecules such as DNA, says Rogers. [....] Once a pattern of charge is printed onto a substrate, the static could attract charged molecules and cells, marshalling them into shape in the same way toner inside a photocopier is forced into the required design. [....]"
[Based on: NewScientist article (Nanoprinter could have cells lining up to be tested), 31 January 2010 by Colin Barras]
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20527455.700-nanoprinter-could-have-cells-lining-up-to-be-tested.html
February 2010
2010 - Plants ease farm drug risk - February 15th, 2010: "Scientists worry that the routine use - some say overuse - of antibiotics in livestock could lead to strains of antibiotic resistant disease in humans. [NP] Researchers at the University of Missouri's Center for Agroforestry believe they've found a way to mitigate the potential risk. [NP] The researchers performed three different studies, looking at whether buffer strips - of grasses or other plants - grown strategically in farm fields can capture and dilute antibiotics that livestock eliminate and farmers distribute as fertilizer. They found, in one study, that such buffers could reduce up to 80 percent of the total mass of antibiotics in an animal's manure. In the others, they determined that buffers improved soil's ability to improve the uptake of pollutants, and that certain plants are especially effective in dissipating the drug compounds. [NP] 'We're hoping with these buffers that we can prevent these antibiotics from making their way into water resources and then find a process by which the compounds are degraded more quickly,' said Keith Goyne, an assistant professor of soil chemistry. [NP] Goyne estimates that 30 to 80 percent of any given dose of antibiotics ends up as waste rather than absorbed by the animal. One study, by the Washington-based Union of Concerned Scientists, said that 70 percent of all the antibiotics sold in the United States, or roughly 50 million pounds, are given to food animals for nontherapeutic uses. Though the concentrations are generally quite low, a body of research says that these antibiotics are making their ways into streams, rivers and lakes. [NP] Some farmers already grow these buffers to capture and dillute herbicides or insecticides, or control erosion. Goyne and his colleagues hope their newest findings will encourage more farmers to plant them. [NP] 'That's one of the nice things about the buffers,' Goyne said. 'People have been using them for other reasons. This is just an additional incentive.' " [Based on: article (Plants ease farm drug risk / Grassy buffers help protect soil, water and humans from animal antibiotics.) by Georgina Gustin, p. A9 , S.L.P.D., 02/15/10]
2010 - Chronic Health Problems / 1 in 4 U.S. Children? - February 17th, 2010: "1 in 4 children [U.S.A.] have health problems ['according to research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association']" [Based on: Title for News Services article, p. A8, S.L.P.D., 02/17/10]
2010 - $1 trillion Shortfall? / Public Sector Retirement Benefits, U.S.A. - February 19th, 2010: "States may be forced to reduce benefits, raise taxes or slash government services to address a $1 trillion funding shortfall in public sector retirement benefits, according to a new study ['The Pew Center on the states released a survey Thursday of state-administered pension plans, ....'] that warns of even more debilitating costs if immediate action isn't taken. [....]" [Based on: Staff & Wire Reports article (States warned of gap in pensions), p. A10, S.L.P.D., 02/19/10]
2010 - Punitive Damages / Wyeth - February 23rd, 2010: "Pfizer Inc's Wyeth unit was ordered to pay $6 million in punitive damages to an Alabama woman who developed breast cancer after taking the company's menopause drugs, bringing the total award in the case to $9.45 million. [....]" [Based on: Bloomberg News article (Wyeth ordered to pay / Award in suit amounts to $9.45 million.), p. A5, S.L.P.D., 02/23/10]
2010 - 67 percent of people have cell phones - February 24th, 2010: "Some 4.6 billion people are now cell phone subscribers, according to a report by the United Nations, meaning 67 percent of all the people in the world are covered. [....] The report tallied cell phone, landline telephone and Internet usage in 159 countries. The report found that 1.7 billion people, or 26 percent of the world's population, were online last year, up from 11 percent in 2002, but four out of five people living in poor countries had no access to the Internet." [Based on: News Services article (67 percent of people have cell phones), p. A8, S.L.P.D., 02/24/10]
March 2010
2010 - Aspirin & Hearing Loss? - March 3rd, 2010: "[....] New research [American Journal of Medicine] suggests that regular use of aspirin, acetaminophen and other analgesics can substantially increase the risk of hearing loss, especially in men younger than 50 . [....]" [Based on: Los Angeles Times article (Headache gone? Your hearing may be next), p. A7, S.L.P.D., 03/03/10]
2010 - Medicine at molecular level going collaborative - March 15th, 2010: "[....] It sounds a bit futuristic, but St. Louis-area scientists are manipulating individual atoms and molecules to create structures and materials so small that a thousand could fit in the dot above an 'i' [NP] And many of them believe that thinking small - very small - could help treat big-name diseases. In fact, one newly formed St. Louis research consortium is fostering new research that relies on nanotechnology to combat illnesses like cancer and kidney and heart disease. [....]" [Based on: Article (Medicine at molecular level going collaborative / One research project in area involves siccing particles laced with protein from bee venom on cancer.), p. A1, S.L.P.D., 03/15/10]
2010 - EPA Scrutiny / Flea & Tick Treatments - March 18th, 2010: "EPA says [03/17/10] flea, tick treatments can kill pets, vows action" [Based on: Title for A.P. article by Matthew Daly, p. A11, S.L.P.D., 03/18/10]
April 2010
2010 - Vitamin E helps - April 29th, 2010: "New research published in the New England Journal of Medicine finds that people with an obesity-related liver disease got a surprising benefit from vitamin E pills. It's believed to be the first time a vitamin supplement has been shown to help treat a major ailment not caused by a nutrient deficiency." [Based on: News Services article (Vitamin E helps), p. A12, S.L.P.D., 04/29/10]
2010 - Living Right / Icelandic Men & Cypriot Women - April 30th, 2010: "Icelandic men, Cypriot women are living right ['lowest risk of dying worldwide' - 'The study was published Friday in the medical journal, Lancet.']" [Based on: Title for News Services article, p. A11, S.L.P.D., 04/30/10]
May 2010
2010 - Another school attack keeps China on edge - May 1st, 2010: "[....] The extra security has been added in the aftermath of a string of attacks against school-children, some as young as 4, who have been stabbed, slashed, bludgeoned and most recently set on fire. [NP] Five attacks have taken place in five provinces in little more than a month, three in the last three days alone. The latest came Friday morning [04/30/10] when a 45-year-old farmer crashed through the front gate of an elementary school in Weifang, Shandong province, armed with an iron hammer and a jug of gasoline. [NP] The man, identified as Wang Yonglai, attacked children with the hammer, then tried to immolate himself while clutching two children. Teachers pulled the children away from Wang, who set himself on fire and died of his injuries. Five injured children were reported in stable condition. [NP] Few Chinese have guns, so the attacks have all involved knifes, cleavers and other common household tools. Many people believe the assailants, mostly unemployed men, have been venting their frustration against social inequity, attacking the most defenseless element of society, young children. [....] A businessman in southern China was reported to have hired a well-known kung fu master to protect his 6-year-old daughter. [NP] In the recent attacks, 10 people have been killed, dozens injured and millions more terrorized, although the Chinese news media have offered scant reporting on the attacks, trying to avoid public hysteria and to discourage copycats. [....] Luke Liu, 28, was part of a crowd milling about at a hospital in Taixing, Jiangsu province, where 32 people were being treated for stab wounds after an attack at a kindergarten Thursday. [....] The Taixing case involved the youngest victims to date, children as young as 4, some of whom had their throats slashed, and ears and hands nearly severed. None of the children were reported to have died, although five children were in critical condition." [Based on: Los Angeles Times article (Another school attack keeps China on edge) by Barbara Demick, p. A17, S.L.P.D., 05/01/10]
2010 - Cancer Costs / U.S.A. - May 10th, 2010: "[....] The total cost of cancer treatments [in the U.S.A.] rose from nearly $25 billion in 1987 to more than $48 billion by the end of 2005. The study is being published in Cancer, a medical journal of the American Cancer Society." [Based on: Title for News Services article (Cancer costs have doubled in 20 years), p. A7, S.L.P.D., 05/10/10]
2010 - Acid fighters can bring on bone breaks - May 11th, 2010: "The widely used family of acid-reducing drugs that includes Prilosec, Nexium and Protonix increases the risk of bone fractures by about 25 percent and can more than double the risk of contracting the troublesome bacterium Clostridium difficle, new studies released confirm. [NP] The increased risk is not thought to be caused by the drugs themselves, but by the sharply reduced levels of acid in the stomach and intestinal tract, which make the organs a more hospitable environment for infectious agents like C. difficile and which can impair the uptake of the calcium required for strong bones. [NP] The drugs have also been shown to increase the risk of pneumonia. [NP] The risks are relatively small, but the drugs are so widely used that large numbers of people are affected by them, wrote Dr. Mitchell H. Katz of the San Francisco Department of Public Health in an editorial accompanying the reports, which were published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. [NP] Katz noted that 113.4 million prescriptions for the drugs, known as proton pump inhibitors, are written each year and that large numbers are sold without prescriptions. [NP] The family of drugs, which also includes Losec, Zegerid, Prevacid and omeprazole, also are widely used to treat simple heartburn, and that is the condition for which they are most widely overused, experts said." [Based on: Los Angeles Times article (Acid fighters can bring on bone breaks) by Thomas H. Maugh II, p. A15, S.L.P.D., 05/11/10]
2010 - ADHD in kids to pesticides in food - May 17th, 2010: "New analysis links ADHD in kids to pesticides in food ['The studies were published Monday in Pediatrics.']" [Based on: Title for A.P. article by Carla K. Johnson, p. A13, S.L.P.D., 05/17/10]
2010 - Drug-resistant staph increasing in kids - May 17th, 2010: "Drug-resistant staph increasing in kids, study says ['The results were published today in the journal pediatrics.]" [Based on: Title for A.P. article by Lindsey Tanner, p. A13, S.L.P.D., 05/17/10]
2010 - Cancer, cell phone link appears inconclusive - May 17th, 2010: "Cancer, cell phone link appears inconclusive / Most cell phone use does not increase risk, but jury is still out, researchers acknowledge ['... report to be published in a medical journal Tuesday' .... The study's lead authors are presenting their findings to the media in Geneva today.']." [Based on: Title for A.P. article by Frank Jordans, p. A9, S.L.P.D., 05/17/10]
2010 - Functioning Semi-Synthetic Microorganism - May 21st, 2010: "In a major step toward the creation of artificial life, researchers announced Thursday [05/20/10] that they had inserted DNA synthesized in a laboratory into the nucleus of a living cell that had been stripped of its own DNA, obtaining a functioning semi-synthetic microorganism. [NP] The artificially created cell - a bacterium - did not have any unusual characteristics, because the inserted DNA was a chemical copy of an existing genone. But the feat showed that synthesizing a genome and having it control a cell can be done, paving the way for the creation of microbes with specialized properties that could be of great value to industry. [....] Calling the accomplishment a 'benchmark,' molecular geneticist Paul Kelm of Northern Arizona University, added: 'It points toward a future in genetic engineering where, instead of doing single gene-engineering events, we will have the ability to do very complex genetic engineering feats that will involve the combination of many complex biological functions.' [....]" [Based on: Los Angeles Times article (Artificial-life discovery is announced) by Thomas H. Maugh II & Shari Roan, p. A17, S.L.P.D., 05/21/10]
2010 - Tanning beds unsafe? - May 27th, 2010: "Risk of melanoma is up to four times higher among people using them, new study finds. But the tanning bed industry disputes the findings." [Based on: Article (Tanning beds unsafe?), p. A1, S.L.P.D., 05/27/10]
June 2010
2010 - American cigarettes deadlier - June 2nd, 2010: " [....] American cigarettes are typically made from 'American blend' tobacco, a specific blend that, because of growing and curing practices, contains higher levels of cancer-causing tobacco-specific nitrosamines [the CDC reported Tuesday]. [....]" [Based on: Title for News Services article (American cigarettes deadlier), p. A8, 06/02/10]
2010 - Cell phone law / San Francisco, California - June 16th, 2010: "San Francisco passed a law Tuesday [06/15/10] that requires retailers to display the amount of radiation each cell phone emits." [Based on: News Services article (Cell phone law), p. A18, S.L.P.D., 06/16/10]
2010 - Drinking Coffee may help prevent diabetes - June 17th, 2010: "Drinking coffee ['according to a new study published in the American Chemical Society's Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.'] may help prevent diabetes [It's the caffeine, say scientists from Nagoya University in Japan.']" [Based on: Title for Baltimore Sun article, p. B7, S.L.P.D., 06/17/10]
2010 - $30 million a year sought over Agent Orange - June 17th, 2010: "A joint panel of U.S. and Vietnamese policymakers, citizens and scientists released an action plan, urging the U.S. government and other donors to provide an estimated $30 million annually over 10 years to clean up sites still contaminated by dioxin, a toxic chemical used in Agent Orange." [Based on: News Services article ($30 million a year sought over Agent Orange), p. A23, S.L.P.D., 06/17/10]
2010 - Eyesight restored - June 24th, 2010: "People who were blinded or suffered severe eye damage when they were splashed with caustic chemicals had their sight restored with transplants of their own stem cells - a stunning success for the burgeoning cell-therapy field, Italian researchers reported. The treatment worked completely in 82 of 107 eyes and partially in 14 others, with benefits lasting up to a decade so far." [Based on: News Services article (Eyesight restored), p. A19, S.L.P.D., 06/24/10]
2010 - Too much salt - June 25th, 2010: "Most U.S. adults should eat less than a teaspoon of salt each day, but a new government report says just 1 in 18 meet that goal. 'This is not good news,' said Janelle Peralez Gunn of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, lead author of a new study released." [Based on: News Services article (Too much salt), p. A13, S.L.P.D., 06/25/10]
2010 - Regrown lungs work in rats - June 25th, 2010: "It's an early step toward one day building new lungs: Yale University researchers took apart and regrew a rat's lung, and then transplanted it and watched it breathe. The lung stayed in place only for an hour or two, as the scientists measured it exchanging oxygen and carbon dioxide much like a regular lung - but also spotted some problems that will take more research to fix." [Based on: News Services article (Regrown lungs work in rats), p. A13, S.L.P.D., 06/25/10]
2010 - FDA wants to limit antibiotics in animals - June 29th, 2010: "The Food and Drug Administration is urging meat producers to limit the amount of antibiotics they give animals. The FDA said the use of antibiotics in meat poses a 'serious threat' because they create antibiotic-resistant bacteria that can infect humans who eat the meat." [Based on: News Services article (FDA wants to limit antibiotics in animals), p. A5, S.L.P.D., 06/29/10]
July 2010
2010 - Glucosamine Study - July 7th, 2010: "Study [released 07/06/10 in the Journal of the American Medical Association] says glucosamine is no relief for back [lower back] pain" [Based on: Title for News Services article, p. A8, S.L.P.D., 07/07/10]
2010 - Trivia / HIV Vaccine? - July 9th, 2010: "[....] Federal researchers have identified a pair of naturally occurring antibodies [see online edition of journal Science for 07/08/10] that are able to kill more than 90 percent of all strains of the AIDS virus, a finding they say could lead to the development of new treatments for HIV infections and to the production of the first successful vaccine against the virus. [....]." [Based on: Los Angeles Times article (Finding is another step to HIV vaccine / Researchers ID antibodies that kill most strains of AIDS-causing virus) by Thomas H. Maugh II, p. A19, S.L.P.D., 07/09/10]
2010 - Rise in U.S. Poverty? - July 12th, 2010: "New data expected to show rise in U.S. poverty / Numbers due in September may illustrate the biggest year-to-year increase in recorded history." [Based on: Title for Stateline.org article by Christine Vestal, p. A10, S.L.P.D., 07/12/10]
2010 - Genetically-Modified Salmon? / U.S.A. - July 12th, 2010: "Mixed-gene salmon takes leap toward U.S. tables / Current of opinion about crops may float fish's OK from FDA." [Based on: Title for McCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS article by Les Blumenthal, p. A12, S.L.P.D., 07/12/10]
2010 - No Testing for Dispersants? / Gulf Seafood - July 14th, 2010: "Inspectors from the Food and Drug Administration pull seafood right from the dock or from the distributor floor and subject it to lab tests to rule out the presence of harmful chemicals found in oil spewing from the BP spill. However, no one is testing saefood to tell whether it has absorbed the dispersants being used to break up oil." [Based on: Title for News Services article (No testing for dispersants), p. A6, S.L.P.D., 07/14/10]
2010 - Heart Attack Risk / Avandia - July 15th, 2010: "Diabetes drug is called heart attack risk [07/14/10] / Avandia should be withdrawn or severly restricted, medical advisers say in unusual split recommendation." [Based on: Title for New York Times article, p. A5, S.L.P.D., 07/15/10]
2010 - AIDS Gel - July 20th, 2010: "Gel shows promise in blocking AIDS / Microbicide cuts risk when used by women, study finds, but likely not enough to win approval in U.S." [Based on: Title for A.P. article, p. A17, S.L.P.D., 07/20/10]
2010 - Medical Marijuana / V.A., U.S.A. - July 24th, 2010: "VA will now allow medical marijuana ['in states where it is legal']." [Based on: Title News Services article, p. A6, S.L.P.D., 07/24/10]
2010 - Japanese women live longest - July 27th, 2010: "Japanese women are expected to live almost 86 1/2 years, topping the world longevity ratings for the 25th straight year, the government reported. [....]" [Based on: News Services article (Japanese women live longest), p. A15, S.L.P.D., 07/27/10]
August 2010
2010 - Flu Vaccine Trivia - August 5th, 2010: "Forecast for flu: one shot covers it / Vaccine for H!N! strain will be included, so most people will need only a single treatment; shipments arriving soon." [Based on: Title for Article, p. B1, S.L.P.D., 08/05/10]
2010 - Over / Swine Flu Pandemic - August 11th, 2010: "The World Health Organization acknowledged that the swine flu pandemic is over. The official death toll, once predicted to be in the millions, reached 18,449." [Based on: News Services article (Swine flu pandemic over), p. A15, S.L.P.D., 08/11/10]
2010* - Dementia vs. Alzheimer's: learning the differences - August 12th, 2010: "For those people 55 and older, researchers have some grim news: One in six will develop some form of dementia. [NP] The dementia could include Alzheimer's, which impacts nearly half of those 85 plus, or it could manifest as a different dementia, including Lewy body, vascular, Parkinson's disease or frontal lobe dementia. [NP] 'All these dementia's are characterized by a collection of proteins, specific to the dementia, that clump together - proteinopathie,' says Frank LaFeria, head of the UCI Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders in Irvine, Calif. [....] Q. This growing number of Alzheimer's patients sounds expensive. A. We estimate by 2050 the United States will spend $1 trillion dealing with Alzheimer's patients. And another 40 percent caring for those with other forms of dementia. If that comes to fruition, it's going to bankrupt us. [....]" [Based on: Article (Dementia vs. Alzheimer's: learning the differences / Not all dementia is the same.) by Jane Glenn Haas, pp. B1 & B4, S.L.P.D., 08/12/10]
Pre-1945 / 1945 / 1980 / 2000 / 2009 / 2010
Page last updated 08/13/10