Product Review: My Favorite Water Filter of All Time

Many years ago, I was searching for a water filter. I wanted something that worked, was convenient, affordable, and not a hassle to install. I did not want a water filter that I had to fill and place in the refrigerator because a) it takes up a lot of space, b) it is annoying to have to keep refilling it, and c) it takes a lot of time for the water to filter through the tank to get filtered water.

There were small devices for sale that fit on the end of a faucet for filtering but they seemed too small to me to get adequate filtering done.
Recently, I underwent a kitchen remodel and had to decide if I wanted to change to an under the sink filtration system but I decided against this because one or more of the following issues eventually arose during product reviews a) various reports of installation difficulties, b) high cost, c) taking up storage space under the sink, d) the risk of a leak, e) no gold standard product, and/or f) I would probably need to hire someone to install it because I am not particularly handy. I also opted against a water filter that is part of the refrigerator because going without it saves money on the refrigerator, adds space to the refrigerator, and cuts down the risk and cost associated with filtration failure or leaks.

Ultimately, I decided to stick with the water filter that I have been using for about 10 years and could not be happier with. That product is the New Wave Enviro Premium 10 Stage Water Filter System. There are several reasons why I strongly endorse this product, described below.

1. IT WORKS: I love the unique 10-stage filtration system of this product which makes you feel very comfortable that impurities are being removed. The water always tastes great to everyone in the family, including the children. No bad odors at all with this filter. The replaceable filter cartridge is transparent and so when you remove it or replace it you can actually see the 10 layers of filtration. This is accompanied by a nice diagram on the box which tells you exactly what each of these 10 layers do. Impurities removed include pesticides, herbicides, PCB's, lead, cadmium, organic arsenic, asbestos, micro-organisms, and dozens of other lesser known organic contaminants. You also can have confidence that a product works if the manufacturer provides an unconditional money back guarantee (for 30 days) and a one year warranty, as is the case for this product.  You don’t have to take my word for it though. This filter has a 4.5/5 star rating on Amazon.com based on 123 reviews at the time this review was written.

2. IT’S CONVENIENT AND EASY TO INSTALL: One of my favorite things about this product is that it is simple to install, replace the cartridge, and use. All you do is loosen a screw on the bottom of the unit, slide the cartridge in, close it up, attach the connection directly to the facet, and pull out a little pin on the side of the faucet when you want the water to run through the filter. Simple as that and you never have to worry about refilling anything.  The product sits on the sink without taking up a lot of space but if you want to actually mount this product under your sink, conversion kits are available to allow you to do this. The water comes out very easily from the dispenser and I do not have to worry about water spilling to the floor every time I want a drink, which invariable happens with filters you keep in the refrigerator.

3. IT’S AFFORDABLE: Prices vary on this product but it can regularly be found on Amazon.com for less than $100 ($80.38 at the time of this writing). That is simply a steal when you consider that the filter works for a year, filtering 1500 gallons a year.  A gallon of bottled water at the grocery stores is about $3.00. That is a cost of about $4500 a year for 1500 gallons. Thus, you are saving over $4400 just by purchase this filter. A replacement filter (only needed once a year) only costs $49.99. Overall, this filter more than pays for itself and I highly recommend it.

Tamerlan Tsarnaev Should Be Cremated

After someone dies, there are generally three options of what to do with a body: bury it under ground, entomb it in a mausoleum, or cremate it. Much less frequent options also exist such as cryogenic freezing, freeze drying, mummification, resomation (chemically dissolving the tissues but leaving the bones behind to be pulverized), and plastination (preserving the body in semi-recognizable form for education and display).

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Boston Marathon bomber, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, is reportedly being refused a traditional burial, particularly in Cambridge Massachusetts, because it would be considered disrespectful to the victims of the bombing who are buried there. One funeral director has gone on record saying that there is probably no cemetery in the U.S. who would be willing to bury him due to fear of reprisals and lost business. After all, would you want to be buried in the same cemetery as a person who committed an act of terrorism against the U.S.?  Nope.

I believe there is a very simple solution to this problem: he should be cremated with his ashes given to his family or disposed of somewhere if they do not want them. The opposition to cremation in this case presented in the media according to Muslim scholars does not make any sense to me. Specifically, the argument is that he should not be cremated because he was Muslim and that cremation is against the Muslim religion because it desecrates the body. 

Hold on a second. This is a guy who literally had a bomb strapped to his chest when he was killed, meaning he was ready to BLOW HIMSELF UP if need be. Similarly, the 9-11 bombers also followed radical Islam and incinerated themselves in airplane attacks. These are each examples of a much worse form of bodily desecration than a controlled cremation. Thus, the logic in dealing with these cases is very simple: if you are willing to desecrate your body in a terrorist attack against the U.S., then expect to be cremated if you die trying but your body still remains behind and no cemetery wants you.  There should be a federal law that allows for this (whether you are a U.S. citizen or not) especially if you incinerated and blew up others. 

The Medical Dangers of Being a Referee, Umpire, or Athletics Official

In Utah, it was recently announced that Ricardo Portillo was killed due to a brain injury suffered after being punched in the face a week prior by a 17-year-old soccer player who was upset at being issued a penalty in the game. Unfortunately, refereeing can sometimes be a very dangerous activity. Here are 9 other examples highlighting the medical dangers of being a referee, umpire, or athletics official. As you will see, these types of deaths are unfortunately not new.

Featured Book: Preventive Officiating: How a Referee Avoids Trouble on the Soccer Field

1. In an eerily similar situation, another soccer referee (Richard Nieuwenhuizen) was killed by three teenage soccer players (ages 15, 16, and 16)  who attacked him with punches and kick during a game.

2. In 2012, soccer referee, Isaac Mbofana, was bludgeoned to death with a log by a fan after making an off sides call during a match.

3. In 2012, a 75-year-old German track and field official (Dieter Schmidt) died when a javelin struck him in the throat as he measured the throw of a competitor.

4. In 2010, a Swedish referee, a 62-year-old ice hockey referee was killed when hit in the back of the head/neck by a hockey puck.

5. In 1998, a 33-year-old basketball referee, Greg Vaughn, was beaten to death over a bad call.

6. In 1982, boxing referee, Richard Green committed suicide months after refereeing a match in which a South Korean Boxer named Duk Koo Kim was killed by Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini after a barrage of punches were unleashed in the third round, followed by devastating punches as the 4th round began. Most people believe the referee committed suicide due to feelings of guilt about the death in the ring, but there is no definitive evidence to prove this.

7. In 1909, baseball umpire John Donaldson was killed when a foul tip hit him in the nose causing a blood clot on the brain.

8. In 1906, an umpire was killed by a lightning strike shortly after a baseball game ended.

9. In 1899, an 18-year-old baseball umpire (Frank McCoy) was killed by 19-year-old Same Powell after being struck in the head with a baseball bat after a disputed call.

Give Children 25-Piece Puzzles not .22 Caliber Guns

When I first heard of the tragic accidental shooting death earlier this week of a 2-year-old girl by her 5-year-old brother, at first I thought it was because some adult left their gun out and was not supervising the children properly.

Not too many things surprise me anymore but this time I was surprised when I found out that poor supervision was only part of the issue and that the 5-year-old was shooting a rifle that was given to him as a present (at age 4). Not only that, but it is reportedly not an uncommon practice in the area of Kentucky where this death occurred for guns to be given as presents to children.

Real guns are actually legally marketed for children in the U.S., such as those made by Keystone Sporting Arms of Pennsylvania. This company sells a rifle called Crickett, which is marketed as “My First Rifle” complete with an associated picture of a giant Crickett that looks like a smiling Jimminy Crickett with a gun.  This is the exact gun that the 5-year-old child used when shooting his sister.  There is another such youth gun called the Chipmunk, which again plays off of kid-friendly carton themes such as Alvin and the Chipmunks.  The company posts no suggested age ranges for the use of their guns by children but there are age ranges posted for Legos, puzzles, and an untold series of toys. But a gun is an exception?

Matters get even worse in my opinion because while it is illegal for a child to purchase a firearm in the U.S., it is not illegal for an adult to give a child a rifle as a present.  Apparently, this high level of permissiveness is culturally sanctioned based on the logic that children are expected to b e taught how to hunt and use a gun from an early age. In other words, it’s American tradition. But even if there was an argument to be made for gun use in youth, under what logic would  that process begin at age 4 or 5? Children at that age are not even recommended to use a volcano making kit. But giving them a gun is ok?

At the 4 to 5 age range, logical thought is not well-developed and many children this age have difficulty distinguishing between make believe and reality. Most do not yet understand the concept of death. As such, children should be playing with blocks, stuffed animals, dolls, and 25-piece puzzles at this age, not .22 caliber guns. 

The bottom line is that selling real guns specifically for use by children should be illegal. This is a significant child health issue and will require legislation to make it a reality.  The only way it will happen though is by contacting your legislators and state governor. While people can say that more children die playing sports than from a child using a gun, the only purpose of a gun is to cause damage and/or death, which is not the case for any sport.

Featured Book on Gun Safety: Gunfight: The Battle over the Right to Bear Arms in America

Top 10 Daily Medical News Stories (5/2/13)

Here you will find listed the top 10 daily news stories from reputable sources across the internet. No more searching multiple health websites for health news as they are accessible from here. Only at the MedFriendly Medical Blog. Bookmark for future reference.

1. Thousands of kids hurt yearly on amusement rides: From carousels to roller coasters, part of summer fun for many kids is a trip to the local carnival or a nearby amusement park. But experts are warning parents their children need to be supervised on rides because of the risk of injuries.

2. Justice Department to appeal judge's Plan B order: U.S. Department of Justice officials have filed notice that they will appeal a federal judge's order requiring the Food and Drug Administration to make the so-called "morning after" pill available without a prescription to all women without age or certain sales restrictions.

3 Women's Groups Decry Appeal on Morning After Pill: The Obama administration's decision to appeal a court order lifting age limits on purchasers of the morning-after pill set off a storm of criticism from reproductive rights groups, who denounced it as politically motivated and a step backward for women's health.

4. Vermont woman reveals new face after transplant: A Vermont woman revealed her new face Wednesday, six years after her ex-husband disfigured her by dousing her with industrial-strength lye, and said she went through "what some may call hell" but has found a way to be happy.



5. China reports latest bird flu death, toll rises to 27: A 55-year-old man in central China has died from a new strain of bird flu, bringing to 27 the number of deaths from the mysterious H7N9 virus, state news agency Xinhua said on Thursday.


6. Saudi Arabia says five dead from new SARS-like virus: Saudi Arabia said five more people have died of a deadly new virus from the same family as SARS, and two other people were in intensive care.

7. Scientists Decode "Molecular Chatter" That Makes Cancer Cells Spread: For the first time, scientists in the US have decoded the "molecular chatter" that makes cancer cells more aggressive and more likely to travel and set up tumors in other parts of the body (metastasize). The discovery came about as a result of bringing together specialists in cancer development with specialists in wound healing.


8. Who’s Scarfing Down the Added Sugar in U.S.? Mostly Young Men: Young U.S. adults are consuming more added sugars in their food and drinks than older — and apparently wiser — folks, according to a new government report.

9. UK police to give dementia patients GPS tracking devices: A British police force is hoping to save time and money by giving a few dementia patients GPS tracking devices, a technique already used by health and welfare agencies but condemned by some campaigners as "barbaric."

10. Study: Food, skin allergies increasing in children: Parents are reporting more skin and food allergies in their children, a big government survey found.

Top 10 Medical News Stories (5/1/13)

Here you will find listed the top 10 daily news stories from reputable sources across the internet. No more searching multiple health websites for health news as they are accessible from here. Only at the MedFriendly Medical Blog. Bookmark for future reference.

1. FDA approves morning-after pill without prescription for girls 15 and older: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Tuesday that it approved the availability of the Plan B One-Step emergency contraception pill without a prescription for women 15 and older.

2. More US babies die day they are born than any industrialized country, report shows: The US is a worse place for newborns than 68 other countries, including Egypt, Turkey and Peru, according to a report released Tuesday by Save the Children.

3. Two doses of HPV vaccine may be just as effective as three, study shows: Doctors suspect the high cost and inconvenience associated with the vaccine, which consist of three shots given over the course of six months, may be preventing women and young girls from receiving it.

4. Boston Marathon bomb amputees offered prosthetics free of cost: A trade group representing makers of artificial limbs on Tuesday promised to provide prosthetics free of cost to the estimated 20 to 25 victims of the Boston Marathon bombings who underwent amputations.

5. Toddler is Youngest to Ever Get Lab-Made Windpipe: A 2-year-old girl born without a windpipe now has a new one grown from her own stem cells, the youngest patient in the world to benefit from the experimental treatment.

6. Monster sues San Francisco city attorney over energy drinks probe: Monster Beverage Corp has sued San Francisco's city attorney over an investigation the city launched last year into the safety and marketing of Monster energy drinks.

7. Schizophrenia May Be Diagnosed By Testing Nerve Cells From The Nose: Collecting neurons from the nose could be a fast way to test for schizophrenia, a debilitating mental illness that is often difficult to diagnose. This was the finding of a new study led by researchers from Tel Aviv University (TAU) in Israel.

8. Women Who Smoke More Likely to Get Colon Cancer Than Men: Smoking’s connection to cancer is well-established. Now, researchers say cigarettes increase the odds for developing colon cancer, especially for women.

9. Mediterranean diet may be best for memory, cognitive skills: Chowing down on foods heavy in omega-3 fatty acids and laying off saturated fats, meat and dairy may be best for your memory retention and cognitive abilities.

10. How Weight-Loss Surgery Improves Diabetes Control: Key hormones, amino acids altered during digestion, study finds

Top 10 Daily Medical News Stories (4/30/13)

Here you will find listed the top 10 daily news stories from reputable sources across the internet. No more searching multiple health websites for health news as they are accessible from here. Only at the MedFriendly Medical Blog. Bookmark for future reference.

1. Cancer Cells Are Nimbler Than Non-Malignant Cells: Clues about how cells become cancerous are revealed in a new catalogue of their physical and chemical features. The catalogue shows, among other things, how malignant cells that break out of tumors and invade other organs are nimbler and more aggressive than non-malignant ones: they are able to pass more easily through small spaces, and they exert a greater force on their environment.

2. As home births rise, pediatricians group sets new guidelines: In a 2011 position statement, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists said that while it still views the hospital as the safest place to deliver, it “respects the right of a woman to make a medically informed decision about delivery.”

3. Drug-resistant strains of malaria parasite identified: Scientists have discovered a new way to identify drug-resistant strains of the parasite that causes malaria, Medical News Today reported.

4. American Medical Association questions Guantanamo force-feedings: The Navy sent extra medical personnel to the Guantanamo detention camp because of a growing hunger strike, and the American Medical Association questioned whether doctors were being asked to violate their ethics by force-feeding prisoners.

5. Germ-Zapping 'Robots' : Hospitals Combat Superbugs: The rise of these superbugs, along with increased pressure from the government and insurers, is driving hospitals to try all sorts of new approaches to stop their spread.

6. Your child's brain on math: Don't bother?: Parents whose children are struggling with math often view intense tutoring as the best way to help them master crucial skills, but a new study released on Monday suggests that for some kids even that is a lost cause.

7. Some Antidepressants Linked to Bleeding Risk With Surgery: Taking popular antidepressant drugs around the time of surgery may increase risks associated with the procedure, including bleeding, the need for a blood transfusion, hospital readmission and even death, a large new study suggests.

8. FDA probing caffeinated products, from gum to chips: With a growing number of foods boasting added caffeine for an energy boost, the Food and Drug Administration says it's time to investigate their safety.

9. New Guidelines Suggest HIV Screening for All Adults: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force says effectiveness of newer treatments, especially if given early, prompted change.

10. Arm lift procedures soar in popularity: When it comes to plastic surgery, arms are getting a lot more attention lately, with demand for "arm lift" procedures soaring over 4,000 percent in the past 12 years.

Top 10 Daily Medical News Stories (4/29/13)

Here you will find listed the top 10 daily news stories from reputable sources across the internet. No more searching multiple health websites for health news as they are accessible from here. Only at the MedFriendly Medical Blog. Bookmark for future reference.

1. New Rewards And Penalties For Hospitals Proposed By Medicare: Hospitals that take part in CMS' Inpatient Quality Reporting Program will receive 0.8% in extra payments, while those not successfully participating would have payments reduced by 2%, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed on Friday to the USA's 3,400 acute care hospitals.

2. War amputees to Boston's injured: 'Life's not over': Veterans who lost limbs in Iraq and Afghanistan traveled to Boston to provide information and moral support to those seriously injured in the bombings.

3. NY state lawmakers propose raising cigarette age: Following New York City's lead, state lawmakers have taken up the cause to raise the minimum age for tobacco purchases from 18 to 21 statewide.

4. Kids' Smoking Influences May Change Over Time: Peer pressure to smoke may be more influential for kids in middle school than for older students, a new study reports.

5. Austerity is hurting our health, say researchers: Austerity is having a devastating effect on health in Europe and North America, driving suicide, depression and infectious diseases and reducing access to medicines and care, researchers said on Monday.

6. Algeria president shows no permanent damage from minor stroke: Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika was transferred to France for medical tests on Saturday night after suffering a minor stroke that Algeria's official news agency said had caused no permanent damage.

7. Two % of injured children treated in Denver hospitals were shot: The annual death rate of children treated in Colorado hospitals for gunshots has held steady at about 2 percent a year for more than a decade, researchers say.

8. Mangos Help Regulate Blood Sugar Levels Among Obese People: The positive health effects of Mangos have been recently explored and presented by researchers at the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB). They found that mangos have properties that can help regulate blood sugar levels among people suffering from obesity.

9. One Quarter Of Teens Drive Under The Influence: Nearly one in every four American teenagers drives under the influence, according to a study (survey) published by Liberty Mutual and Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD). The authors added that many teens who were surveyed believe driving under the influence does not affect their safety.

10. CVS Caremark offers proper medication disposal: CVS Caremark says its U.S. locations provide customers with a return program to help families properly dispose of old and expired medication.

Top 10 Daily Medical News Stories (4/28/13)

Here you will find listed the top 10 daily news stories from reputable sources across the internet. No more searching multiple health websites for health news as they are accessible from here. Only at the MedFriendly Medical Blog. Bookmark for future reference.

1. Second Man Arrested in Tainted Letter Case, Officials Report: First man appears to have been framed by the latest suspect for sending ricin-laced letters to Obama and others.

2. China reports new bird flu case in Hunan province: China on Saturday reported its first case of H7N9 bird flu in the southern province of Hunan, the latest sign the virus that has killed 23 people in the country is continuing to spread.

3. Medical examiner searches for human remains amid landing gear debris near World Trade Center: Police say the alley near the World Trade Center where landing gear believed to be from a Sept. 11 hijacked plane was found remains a crime scene until medical examiners finish looking for human remains.

4. Merger of drugmakers Valeant, Actavis on hold: source: A proposed merger of Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc and Actavis Inc was put on hold after the two drugmakers failed to agree on terms of a deal that would have created a healthcare giant with a combined market value of $35 billion, a person familiar with the situation told Reuters on Saturday.

5. U.S. agency moves against Nevada hospital cited for "patient dumping": Federal authorities have taken disciplinary action against a Las Vegas hospital cited for improperly sending newly released psychiatric patients by bus to neighboring California and other states in a practice called "patient dumping."

6. Clenching Your Fist Can Improve Your Memory: Clenching your right hand may help create a stronger memory of an event or action, and clenching your left hand may help you recall the memory later, according to a new study.

7. Lying to doctors could be harmful for patients: Telling a white lie to a friend is not always the best idea. Telling one to your doctor could lead to serious health problems, but many still seem to do it.

8. Eating recommended protein linked to weight loss: A relatively high proportion of U.S. women who reported "eating more protein" to prevent weight gain were linked to reported weight loss, researchers say.

9. Reviving A Foe Of Cancer: New research reveals how the tumor suppressor p53 is shut down in metastatic melanoma--and how it can be revived.

10. Justice Breyer Has Shoulder Surgery After Bicycle Accident: According to Supreme Court spokesperson Kathleen Arberg, Associate Justice Stephen Breyer underwent reverse shoulder replacement surgery for a proximal humerus fracture at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital on the morning of April 27th.

Top 10 Daily Medical News Stories (4/27/13)

Here you will find listed the top 10 daily news stories from reputable sources across the internet. No more searching multiple health websites for health news as they are accessible from here. Only at the MedFriendly Medical Blog. Bookmark for future reference.

1. Doctors blast ethics of $100,000 cancer drugs: A group of more than 120 cancer researchers and physicians took the unusual step this week of publishing a research paper taking aim at pharmaceutical prices they see as exorbitant and unjustifiable.

2. Mom convinces son he has cancer to scam money from friends, cops allege: Police have charged a New Jersey mother who allegedly lied and said her son was suffering from cancer in order to deceive friends and loved ones out of thousands of dollars.

3. Could a blood test tetect autism? Study aims to answer: A simple blood test might be able to reveal whether a child has autism, according to researchers who recently launched a study to evaluate such a test.


4. U.S. sues Novartis over kickbacks, second case this week: The U.S. government on Friday announced its second civil fraud lawsuit against Novartis AG in four days, accusing a unit of the Swiss drugmaker of paying multimillion-dollar kickbacks to doctors in exchange for prescribing its drugs.


5. How Trees Add To Air Pollution: A new study shows that when isoprene, a substance given off by trees that protects their leaves, combines with man-made nitrogen oxides present in air pollution, it produces more of the very small air-borne particles that can penetrate our lungs and damage health.

6. Helicopter Parenting May Increase Child’s Risk of Being Bullied: Parents may think they can keep their kids safe by hovering over them, but a new study finds that children of overprotective parents are more likely to be bullied.

7. A Brazilian man reportedly survived a harpoon through the brain, following a freak accident in which he accidentally shot himself through the left eye while cleaning his harpoon gun: A Brazilian man reportedly survived a harpoon through the brain, following a freak accident in which he accidentally shot himself through the left eye while cleaning his harpoon gun.

8. Latin America threatened with cancer epidemic: Latin America faces a cancer epidemic, scientists warned Friday as they pressed for urgent action to reduce tobacco use and obesity and allocate more resources to control the disease.

9. Could Facebook Assist Public Health Efforts to Track Obesity?: Analyzing Facebook users' interests could help public health researchers predict, track and map obesity rates in specific cities, towns and neighborhoods across the United States, a new study says.

10. Drills That Readied Boston Hospitals, EMS for Bombings Face Funding Cuts: But with the final 2013 budget still not settled, the programs that enabled doctors and EMTs to save lives on April 15 may face federal cuts.

Top 10 Daily Medical News Stories (4/26/13)

Here you will find listed the top 10 daily news stories from reputable sources across the internet. No more searching multiple health websites for health news as they are accessible from here. Only at the MedFriendly Medical Blog. Bookmark for future reference.

1. Poultry markets likely source of new bird flu in China: Poultry markets where birds are sold live and slaughtered on the spot are the likely source of the new H7N9 bird flu that’s killed more than 20 people in China, researchers said Thursday.

2. Latest HIV Vaccine Doesn't Work: Government Halts Study: The latest bad news in the hunt for an AIDS vaccine: The government halted a large U.S. study on Thursday, saying the experimental shots aren't preventing HIV infection.

3. Seattle police look for fake nurse who tried to steal meds from IVs: Seattle police call it one of the boldest attempted drug thefts they have seen: A woman impersonating a nurse, apparently addicted to painkillers, crept through the hospital rooms of patients and tried to steal medication from their IV machines.

4. Depressive thinking can be contagious: We don't think of emotional states as passing from one person to another, but a new study suggests some depressive thoughts can go viral.

5. Abnormal placenta may reveal newborn’s autism risk: As of today, there are no definitive tests to measure a child’s risk for developing autism. Since early intervention and therapy is key for at-risk children, such a test could be critical for managing the early development of a child.

6. Video may help terminal patients make CPR choice: Terminally ill cancer patients who watched either of two videos about the option to forego resuscitation overwhelmingly elected that route for the patient in the video, if not for themselves, according to a new study.

7. Alcohol And Weight Affect Women's Risk Of Getting And Dying From Liver Disease: Congress delegates heard this week about a study that showed the deadly effect that high alcohol intake and excess body weight can have on women's chances of developing and dying from chronic liver disease.

8. Cancer specialists slam high cost of drugs: Treating cancer is expensive. On Thursday, some of the world's top cancer specialists took an extraordinary step on behalf of their patients. They demanded that drug companies roll back their prices.

9. Almost Half of Americans Would Consider Donating Kidney to Stranger: Poll: Percentage of people in favor of donation keeps rising, experts say.

10. Majority of malaria deaths among small children in Africa: There were 219 million cases of malaria and 660,000 malaria-related deaths globally in 2010, World Health Organizations officials in Switzerland said Thursday.The majority of the malaria deaths were among children in Africa age 5 and younger.

Top 10 Daily Medical News Stories (4/25/13)

Here you will find listed the top 10 daily news stories from reputable sources across the internet. No more searching multiple health websites for health news as they are accessible from here. Only at the MedFriendly Medical Blog. Bookmark for future reference.

1. WHO: H7N9 virus 'one of the most lethal so far': As the death toll from China's bird flu outbreak rose to 22 with news of another victim in eastern Zhejiang Province, the World Health Organization warned the H7N9 virus was one of the most lethal that doctors and medical investigators had faced in recent years.

2. The children of killers: 'There are wounds you can never heal': The young daughter that Boston bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev left behind may face a future of stigma, secrecy and haunting questions about the father she may never stop loving, say both a forensic psychiatrist and the daughter of a serial murderer.

3. Melanoma drug gets breakthrough status: Merck & Co. said Wednesday that the Food and Drug Administration awarded breakthrough therapy status to its cancer therapy lambrolizumab, which could speed up development of the drug.

4. Sugary drinks can raise diabetes risk by 22 percent -study: Drinking just one can of sugar-laced soda drink a day increases the risk of developing diabetes by more than a fifth, according to a large European study published on Wednesday: Drinking just one can of sugar-laced soda drink a day increases the risk of developing diabetes by more than a fifth, according to a large European study published on Wednesday.

5. Long-Term Care in Aging U.S.: Not for Me, Poll Says: We're in denial: Americans underestimate their chances of needing long-term care as they get older - and are taking few steps to get ready.

6. Gut bugs are implicated in heart attacks and stroke: Thousands of heart attack victims every year have none of the notorious risk factors before their crisis - not high cholesterol, not unhealthy triglycerides. Now the search for the mystery culprits has turned up some surprising suspects: the trillions of bacteria and other microbes living in the human gut.

7. Binge Drinking In College Years May Raise Risk For Heart Disease: New research from the US finds that otherwise healthy young adult college students who regularly binge drink, that is consume a lot of alcoholic drinks in a short space of time, show damage to blood vessels similar to that caused by high blood pressure and cholesterol, both factors known to increase risk for heart disease later in life.

8. Many Americans Breathing Cleaner Air: Although many Americans are now breathing cleaner air, others are living in cities that are more polluted than they were a decade ago, a new report shows.

9. NFL may test brain injury treatment on retired players: The National Football League Alumni Association is working with Neuralstem, Inc., of Rockville, Md., to possibly test a potential treatment for traumatic brain injuries.

10. H7N9 Vaccine At Least 6 Weeks Away: As the H7N9 bird flu outbreak continues to worsen in Asia, with the first case outside China confirmed in Taiwan Thursday and the World Health Organization confirming the strain is "unusually dangerous for humans," vaccine makers say it will take up to six weeks for the first vaccines to be developed for the strain.

Top 10 Daily Medical News Stories (4/24/13): The Child Without Bones

Here you will find listed the top 10 daily news stories from reputable sources across the internet. No more searching multiple health websites for health news as they are accessible from here. Only at the MedFriendly Medical Blog. Bookmark for future reference.

1. Child without bones begins to develop skeletal frame thanks to enzyme therapy: Janelly Martinez-Amador may be 6 years old, but she's just beginning to learning how to use her legs and arms. The girl, who was born with a rare disorder that caused her bones to disappear, is getting a new chance at life thanks to an experimental new therapy that has regrown her bones.

2. Shrinkage of Brain Region May Signal Onset of Multiple Sclerosis: Atrophy of a key brain area may become a new biomarker to predict the onset of multiple sclerosis, researchers say. If so, that would add to established criteria such as the presence of brain lesions to diagnose the progressive, incurable disorder.

3. Non-Melanoma Skin Cancers Tied to Risk for Other Cancers: White people with skin cancer that is not melanoma may be at greater risk for developing other forms of cancer, according to a new study.

4. Study: Chicken, Ground Beef are Riskiest Meats: An analysis of more than 33,000 cases of foodborne illness shows that ground beef and chicken have caused more hospitalizations than other meats.

5. Would you like 2 hours of exercise with that?: Seeing the calories listed next to each item isn't likely to affect your decision, according to a new study being presented at the Experimental Biology 2013 meeting this week. But seeing the amount of time it would take you to work those calories off at the gym just might.

6. What your sneeze says about your personality: We each have our own individual sneezing style. But what, exactly, determines whether those sneezes come out dainty and demure or whether they blow down the whole dang house?

7. Online donations pour in for Boston victims’ medical costs: While victims of the Boston Marathon bombings have a long recovery ahead of them, many will receive financial help thanks to viral online fundraising campaigns started by friends and family.

8. Arkansas governor signs private insurance option into law: Arkansas's Democratic governor signed into law on Tuesday a plan to extend health insurance to more of the state's low-income residents in a move that could offer a model for other states wrestling with opposition to the federal government's Medicaid expansion plan.

9. US hospitals send hundreds of immigrants back home: So Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines took matters into its own hands: After consulting with the patients' families, it quietly loaded the two comatose men onto a private jet that flew them back to Mexico, effectively deporting them without consulting any court or federal agency.

10. Ovarian Cancer May Be Detectable Early By Testing Cells From Uterus Or Cervix: Pioneering biophotonics technology developed in the US can detect nanoscale changes in cells from the cervix and uterus that may indicate early stage ovarian cancer, according to a study published this month in the International Journal of Cancer.

Top 10 Daily Medical News Stories (4/23/13)

Here you will find listed the top 10 daily news stories from reputable sources across the internet. No more searching multiple health websites for health news as they are accessible from here. Only at the MedFriendly Medical Blog. Bookmark for future reference.

1. MDs warn teens: Don't take the cinnamon challenge: Don't take the cinnamon challenge. That's the advice from doctors in a new report about a dangerous prank depicted in popular YouTube videos but which has led to hospitalizations and a surge in calls to U.S. poison centers.

2. Bloomberg wants to raise age limit for buying cigarettes: No one under 21 would be able to buy cigarettes in New York City, under a new proposal announced Monday that marks the latest in a decade of moves to crack down on smoking in the nation's largest city.
 
3. Pushing kids to eat may cause obesity later: Denying certain foods to children or pressuring them to eat every bit of a meal are common practices among many parents. But researchers at the University of Minnesota found parents who restricted foods were more likely to have overweight or obese children. And while those who pressured children to eat all of their meals mostly had children of normal weight, it adversely affected the way those children ate as they grew older, according to the study published Monday in the journal Pediatrics.

4. Warts in kids come from family members, classmates: Public locker rooms may seem like breeding grounds for germs, but when it comes to warts, kids may be more likely to contract a wart-causing virus at home or school, a new study suggests.

5. China says new bird flu case found in northeast: A man in the northeastern Chinese province of Shandong has been infected by a new strain of bird flu, the first case found in the province, state news agency Xinhua said on Monday, bringing the total number of cases in China to 105.

6. Fallout for States Rejecting Medicaid Expansion: Rejecting the Medicaid expansion in the federal health care law could have unexpected consequences for states where Republican lawmakers remain steadfastly opposed to what they scorn as "Obamacare."

7. Low-Dose Aspirin May Halt Breast Cancer: Research done in test tubes and in mice presented at a conference in Boston in the US at the weekend suggests taking low doses of aspirin on a regular basis may stop breast cancer from growing and spreading. However, cancer campaigners urge caution as the results are very early stage and have yet to be shown in patients.

8. Mammograms Can Measure How Breast Cancer Drug Is Working: Study: Those on tamoxifen who showed reduction in breast density had 50 percent lower risk of death within 15 years

9. Could screening prevent suicides? Not enough evidence, says panel: Is there a screening test that could, with some confidence, detect those at risk of committing suicide, and would wide use of it prevent some of the 37,000 suicides that occur annually in the United States? We just don't know, a federal panel said Monday in a draft report.

10. HIV Drugs May Help Protect Young Patients' Hearts: Study: Far from harming the cardiovascular health of infected children, drug cocktails may give benefit. 

Top 10 Daily Medical News Stories (4/22/13)

Here you will find listed the top 10 daily news stories from reputable sources across the internet. No more searching multiple health websites for health news as they are accessible from here. Only at the MedFriendly Medical Blog. Bookmark for future reference.

1. Boston Nurses Tell of Bloody Marathon Aftermath: The screams and cries of bloody marathon bombing victims still haunt the nurses who treated them one week ago. They did their jobs as they were trained to do, putting their own fears in a box during their 12-hour shifts so they could better comfort their patients.

2. Transit officer still critical after shootout: Doctors say the Boston transit police officer wounded in a shootout with the marathon bombing suspects had lost nearly all his blood and his heart had stopped from a single gunshot wound that severed three major blood vessels in his right thigh.

3. Boston bomings suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev bled for hours from neck, leg wounds, "might not have lived" if not found: More details have emerged about the Friday night capture that brought the intensive manhunt for the Boston bombing suspects to an end. Suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19, had been hiding in a boat in Watertown, Mass. Authorities responded to a call from a local man late Friday, after he observed that a tarp covering his boat had been disturbed and there was blood in the boat.

4. Deadly meningitis outbreak among gays worries officials: A deadly bacterial meningitis outbreak striking gay men in New York City is unlikely to abate any time soon, New York City health officials warn. The disease has sickened 22 and killed seven NYC men over the last two years.

5. IMRT Reduces Side Effects Of Breast Cancer Treatments: Treating early breast cancer patients with an advanced form of radiotherapy known as IMRT could reduce the side effects those women experience, according to the results of a randomized trial.

6. Serving Size Is What Drives How Much We Eat More Than Anything Else: Large servings make us eat more, even when we are are taught about the impact of portion size on consumption, according to investigators from the University of New South Wales, Australia.

7. Scientists Spot Cancer Metabolism Changes: Could help efforts to develop drugs to starve tumors, researchers say.

8. Double up: Diet, exercise together are key to success: People who tackle diet and exercise at the same time do better at making healthy changes.

9. Stress key to survival of the fittest: If the woods get crowded, mother squirrels improve their offspring's odds of survival by ramping up offspring growth, U.S. and Canadian researchers say.

10. Doctors win first safe harbor against ACA use in liability suits: States and Congress are urged to pass legislation based on an AMA model bill to prevent health reform criteria from exposing doctors to medical liability.

Top 10 Daily Medical News Stories (4/21/13)

Here you will find listed the top 10 daily news stories from reputable sources across the internet. No more searching multiple health websites for health news as they are accessible from here. Only at the MedFriendly Medical Blog. Bookmark for future reference.

1. Boston bombings, West, Texas, plant explosions: How emergency response has evolved to help: The capture of Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on Friday night capped a week of intense search-and-rescue by first responders -- not only in the Boston area, but in Texas as well.

2. Two-thirds Of Adults Use A Cell Phone While Driving With Kids: Almost two-thirds of adults use a cell phone while driving with kids in the car, and one-third text, according to a new survey.

3. Hey, coach! Too much sports practice can hurt kids long-term: Kids who play Little League baseball, Pop Warner football, or spend hours at soccer or tennis camps can develop not only a lifetime love of sports, but also life-long injuries if they train too hard before they are fully developed, a new study reveals.

4. Another bird flu death in China as number of infected grows to 95: China reported another death and four new infections from a new strain of bird flu on Saturday, raising the death toll to 18, the official Xinhua News Agency said.

5. Doctor: Dead Bomb Suspect Had Wounds 'Head to Toe': A doctor involved in treating the Boston Marathon bombing suspect who died in a gunbattle with police says he had injuries head to toe and all limbs intact when he arrived at the hospital.

6. China earthquake toll rises to 164, injuries at 6,700: Rescuers poured into a remote corner of southwestern China on Sunday as the death toll from the country's worst earthquake in three years climbed to 164 with more than 6,700 injured, state media said.

7. Young Athletes Urged to Use Face-Protecting Gear: Mouth guards, helmets and face shields can save teeth and more, experts say.

8. New Study Shows Young Athletes At Greater Risk By Specializing In One Sport: A new study has shown that young athletes who specialize and train in one sport have a greater risk for serious injury than more well-rounded athletes.

9. A high-salt diet and ulcer bug may increase cancer risk: Gerbils infected with H. pylori -- the ulcer-causing bacterium -- given a high-salt diet were linked to increased risk of gastric cancer, U.S. researchers say.

10. Study examines link between cognitive complaints and neuropsychological testing abnormalities in breast cancer patients: For many years, breast cancer patients have reported experiencing difficulties with memory, concentration and other cognitive functions following cancer treatment. Whether this mental "fogginess" is psychosomatic or reflects underlying changes in brain function has been a bone of contention among scientists and physicians.A

Top 10 Daily Medical News Stories (4/20/13)

Here you will find listed the top 10 daily news stories from reputable sources across the internet. No more searching multiple health websites for health news as they are accessible from here. Only at the MedFriendly Medical Blog. Bookmark for future reference.


1. New bird flu spread quietly, study suggests: A new genetic analysis shows the H7N9 bird flu in China may have been spreading quietly for weeks or months in domestic animals. But it mutates once it infects a person, giving birth to new viruses that feel more at home inside the human body.

2. Second stillborn's remains may have gone to laundry at Minnesota hospital: A Minnesota hospital said Friday that missing remains from a stillborn baby presumed to have been wrapped in linens at the hospital morgue likely was sent to a laundry service that discovered another stillborn's remains earlier this week.

3. Large study finds no vaccine link to nerve disorder: In a review of data covering 13 years and millions of patients, researchers found no evidence of a link between being vaccinated against tetanus, hepatitis, pneumonia or flu, and developing the nerve-degenerating disorder Guillain-Barré.

4. Man Dies as UK Measles Epidemic Spread: U.K. authorities say a 25-year-old man is suspected to have died from measles as an epidemic continues to sweep across south Wales.

5. Study Finds Carrying Infants Triggers Specific Soothing Response: Mothers who pick up their infants and walk with them when they are crying trigger a specific set of emotional and physical responses, according to a new study published in the journal Current Biology on Thursday. Researchers believe the responses originally developed to promote bonding between a mother and her child.

6. Diabetes Risk Linked To Melatonin Secretion During Sleep: in a JAMA study published online this month they show participants who secreted the least melatonin into the bloodstream during sleep had double the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

7. Community Gardeners More Slim Than Their Neighbors: People with plots in community gardens are less likely to be overweight or obese than those who don’t garden, a new study suggests.

8. Food poisoning from bacteria found in raw milk, poultry and shellfish on the rise: A bacteria found in raw milk and poultry and another found in shellfish has been linked to higher rates of food poisonings.

9. Teen Births May Increase Risk of Obesity Later in Life: Having a child before age 20 linked to 32 percent greater odds of obesity, study finds.

10. Noninvasive Cancer Test Is Effective, Study Finds: A new noninvasive screening test can detect most cases of colorectal cancer and also many precancerous polyps, potentially helping to sharply reduce the death toll from the disease, according to results of a study released on Thursday.

Top 10 Daily Medical News Stories (4/19/13)

Here you will find listed the top 10 daily news stories from reputable sources across the internet. No more searching multiple health websites for health news as they are accessible from here. Only at the MedFriendly Medical Blog. Bookmark for future reference. 

1. Dozens of Okla. dentist's patients positive for hepatitis: They went to the dentist to get a wisdom tooth pulled or perhaps have their jaw realigned. But they may have also contracted a blood-borne virus.

2. Food poisoning on rise in US, survey finds: A crackdown on slaughterhouses has helped cut rates of certain types of food poisoning, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Thursday. But other causes of stomach upset are on the rise – a trend that indicates better regulation of meat from hoof to plate is needed, as well as stricter regulation of produce and processed food, the CDC says.

3. Boston Medical Center copes with aftermath of marathon bombing: Physicians at Boston Medical Center said their experiences overseas helped prepare them for Monday’s bombing at the Boston Marathon, according to a news conference Thursday morning.



4. FDA chief defends budget, says agency is taxpayer 'bargain': The head of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration asked Congress for more money on Thursday to improve food safety, police imports and develop countermeasures against chemical and biological threats.


5. Once Doubted Tourniquet Seen As Boston Lifesaver: As people lay badly bleeding in the smoke of the Boston Marathon bombings, rescuers immediately turned to a millennia-old medical device to save their lives - the tourniquet.

6. Experts unclear how China bird flu infects humans: Almost three weeks after China reported finding a new strain of bird flu in humans, experts are still stumped by how people are becoming infected when many appear to have had no recent contact with live fowl and the virus isn't supposed to pass from person to person.

7. New Alzheimer's Treatment May Come From Discovering How Plaques Lead To Tangles: A new study published in the latest issue of Human Molecular Genetics appears to have uncovered an important clue about the link between plaques and tangles in Alzheimer's disease.

8. Light drinking during pregnancy may not harm the baby: Pregnant women who consume one or two drinks a week may not cause any harm to their fetuses.

9. Hard Physical Labor May Boost Risk of Heart Disease, Stroke: Researcher says higher mental stress, lower income could be factors

10. Guideline Changes Have Asperger's Community on Edge: Change in psychiatric manual will fold it into autism spectrum disorders, leaving many unsure about getting needed services

Top 10 Daily Medical News Stories:Ricin Scare, Fibroid Prevention, & More

Here you will find listed the top 10 daily news stories from reputable sources across the internet. No more searching multiple health websites for health news as they are accessible from here. Only at the MedFriendly Medical Blog. Bookmark for future reference.


1. Ricin scare: What makes the substance so potentially deadly? The U.S. Capitol Police announced on Wednesday that they had intercepted three suspicious letters this week, one of them addressed to President Obama, which may contain the poisonous substance ricin.

2. Vitamin D May Help Prevent Fibroids: Women with adequate levels of vitamin D are less likely to develop uterine fibroids than those with insufficient levels, a new study finds.

3. FDA bans generic versions of original OxyContin pills: In an effort to curb prescription painkiller abuse, the Food and Drug Administration is banning generic versions of the original OxyContin formula.

4. Bomb's medical costs could be in the millions, experts say: As surgeons and physicians worked to mend nearly 70 hospitalized victims of the Boston Marathon bombing, a new toll emerged: The total medical costs inflicted by the attack may eventually reach or surpass $9 million, according to a rough calculation.

5. Lyme disease rates rise in northern US: Lyme disease is shifting northward within the U.S., with cases in northern states on the rise while cases in southern states decline, a new study says.



6. No poultry contact in some Chinese bird flu cases: WHO: The World Health Organization said on Wednesday that a number of people who have tested positive for a new strain of bird flu in China appear to have had no contact with poultry, adding to the mystery about a virus that has killed 17 people to date.


7. Doctors Flee Puerto Rico For U.S. Mainland: Going to the doctor in Puerto Rico has for years often meant getting in line. Now, it might mean getting on a plane.


8. Indian supply drives down the cost of childhood vaccine: The cost of immunizing children in developing countries with a five-in-one vaccine is set to fall after a deal by an Indian supplier to slash the price it charges the GAVI global vaccines group.

9. Magnetic Brain Stimulation May Help Smokers Quit: The researchers behind the new study suggest repetitive TMS (rTMS) offers a safe option for reducing nicotine craving in dependent smokers.

10.  Nutrient Therapy Won't Help ICU Patients: Study: Findings only apply to critically ill, researcher says

Top 10 Daily Medical News Stories: Boston aftermath & more

Here you will find listed the top 10 daily news stories from reputable sources across the internet. No more searching multiple health websites for health news as they are accessible from here. Only at the MedFriendly Medical Blog. Bookmark for future reference.

1.  'Happy to be alive': Blast amputees confront uncertain road ahead: The most severely injured patients from Monday’s bomb blasts in Boston showed up at Massachusetts General Hospital with their lower legs “completely mangled” -- torn limbs hanging by skin and tissue, said Dr. George Velmahos, chief of trauma.

2. Doctors at Boston hospital confident no further lives will be lost: As doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) continue to treat victims from yesterday’s bombings at the Boston marathon, many are confident that the patient outcomes will be as optimal as they can be.

3. Hospitals profit more from surgical complications - report: No patient wants to experience complications after surgery. But such complications can actually lead to higher profits for hospitals if the patients are covered by Medicare or private insurance, according to a report released Tuesday by the Boston Consulting Group.

4. World experts to help China with bird flu investigation: An international team of flu experts will go to China this week to help with investigations into the deadly H7N9 virus, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said.

5. Health Law Can Overwhelm Addiction Services: The number of people seeking treatment could double over current levels, depending on how many states decide to expand their Medicaid programs and how many addicts choose to take advantage of the new opportunity, according to an Associated Press analysis of government data.

6. Groups sue to block Arkansas' 12-week abortion ban: Abortion rights advocates filed a lawsuit Tuesday that seeks to overturn the more restrictive of Arkansas' two new abortion laws, saying the near-ban of abortions from the 12th week of pregnancy onward is unconstitutional.

7. Men With Enlarged Prostate Get Symptom Relief From Minimally-Invasive Shrinking Treatment: Now early findings from a small US study presented at a conference this week suggests a minimally-invasive treatment called prostatic artery embolization (PAE), which shrinks the prostate back to its more youthful size by reducing blood flow to it, may provide significant relief from symptoms and help men avoid surgery.

8. Drugs Can Cut Breast Cancer Risk for Some, Task Force Finds: The drugs tamoxifen and raloxifene (Evista) could reduce the risk of breast cancer among women who are at high risk of developing the disease, a new report confirms.

9. Infants with colic may be more inclined to have migraines when older: Colicky infants may be more likely to have migraines when they get older, a new study published on April 17 in JAMA revealed.

10. Report: Exercise Might Prevent Alcohol's Brain-Damaging Effects: Those who exercised the most saw 'no strong relationship' between white matter damage and heavy drinking