Medical Alerts

      A study conducted at the University of Alabama, Birmingham, found that statin drugs ( cholesterol-lowering drugs like Zocor ) have an adverse effect on skeletal muscles....cause muscle cramping, fatigue, " potential myopathy" ( weakness ). They also stated that statins may" alter the ability of skeletal muscle to repair and regenerate".

      The Center for Disease Control is adding children aged 5 to 18 to the list of those who should take yearly flu shots. Those 50 and older as well as younger adults with chronic illness such as diabetes, asthma and AIDS, health workers, pregnant women and those who work with infants were already advised to get the shots. Children aged 6 months to 8 years are advised to get two shots spaced a month apart. A nasal spray is an alternative for those aged 2 to 49.

      Swedish researchers ( University of Gothenburg ), in the British Medical Journal, advise that feeding fish to babies before they are 9 months ( as little as one portion ), may cut their risk of developing eczema....a chronic condition affecting 10 to 15 % of children that can cause " the skin to become itchy, red, dry and cracked ".

      U.S. Scientists have told a Congressional subcommittee, of a potential link between mobile phones and brain cancer. David Carpenter, Director of the Institute of Health and Environment at the University of Albany, said the link maybe similiar to that between lung cancer and smoking. Also Robert Heberman, Director of the University of Pittsburg Cancer Institute--one of the top US cancer research centers, said that " studies claiming that there is no link between cell phones and brain tumors are outdated ". They both told the committee that the brain cancer risk from cell phone use is far greater for children than for adults.....radiation from a cell phone penetrates far deeper into the brain of a five year old than that of an adult.

     Several Scandinavian studies ( where cell phones were first developed ),show that radiation emitted by cell phones have deffinite biological consequences. Swedish cancer specialist Lennart Hardell, in a 2008 study, found frequent cell phone users are twice as likely to develop " a benign tumor on the auditory nerves of the ear most used with the handset compared to the other ear ". A study in Israel " determined that heavy cell phone users had a 50% incereased likelihood in developing salivary gland tumor " and a pare published recently by the Royal Society in London found that " adolescents who start using cell phones before age of 20 were five times more likely to develop brain cancer at the age of 29 than those who didn't use a cell phone "

      " It's only on the side of the head where you use the cell phone ,"said Carpenter.

      Finally, drinking chamomile tea ( also known as manzanilla ),  daily with meals " may help prevent the complications of diabetes, such as loss of vision, nerve damage and kidney damage ", researchers in Japan and the Uniteed Kingdom are reporting. The findings could lead to the developmentof a new chamomile- based drug for type 2 diabetes, which is spreading worldwide. Rats fed chamomile extract for 21 days, showed a significant decrease in blood glucose.