Scientists at St. Louis University said many older people have a built-in immunity to the H1N1 virus because a similar virus circulated some 70 years ago. The proof is in the numbers.

More youth and people in their 30s and 40s are getting sick with the swine flu than older adults. To solidify that claim, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that middle-aged people are being hospitalized at a higher rate for swine flu than regular flu. This means elderly people are being hospitalized at a lesser rate for swine flu, but still have normal hospitalization rates for the regular influenza virus.

Petsheath.com provides these tips to protect your pets during summer heat.

• Inside vehicle temperatures can climb to more than 120 degrees in just a few minutes, even on a mild sunny day. It’s best to leave your pet at home while running errands during hot weather.
• If your pet is panting, has a staring or anxious expression, does not obey commands, has warm, dry skin and a high fever, rapid heartbeat, or is vomiting, lower the body temperature quickly, with cool water either by immersion or by spraying thoroughly with a garden hose and your call your vet.
• Outdoor kennels should be well ventilated and in a shaded area. There should always be some shade for the pet to get out of the sun. Also, make sure there is plenty of fresh drinking water available to your pet. The bowl should be placed in a shaded area where it cannot be heated by the sun.
• Exercise is important, but overexertion during hot weather commonly causes heat stress

Pesticides may increase the risk of birth defects, say researchers who found that the highest rates of birth defects in U.S. babies occur among those conceived in the spring and summer, the same time that there are increased levels of pesticides in surface water.

Researchers analyzed all 30.1 million births in the United States between 1996 and 2002. They found a strong association between higher rates of birth defects among women whose last menstrual period was in between April and July and elevated levels of nitrates and other pesticides in surface water during those same months.

The data showed a statistically significant correlation between the last menstrual period and higher rates of birth defects for half of 22 categories of birth defects, including spinal bifida, cleft lip and Down syndrome. The study is published in Health Day News.

Most parents are pretty good about using sunscreen on their kids, both because they want to avoid the future damage the sun can do and because they don’t want their kids to suffer with sunburn. The good news is that adult sunscreen is usually just as effective as kids’ brands and less costly.
The following are a few guidelines to follow in choosing the right content in the sunscreen for your children:
An SPF of 15-30 or higher
Broad spectrum UVA and UVB protection
Water resistant
Hypoallergenic, fragrance-free and PABA-free

A recent study suggests eating a handful or two of nuts a week could cut back on the risk of blindness in elderly by about 35 percent. Researchers at the University of Sydney said foods that have a lot of omega-3 fatty acids can greatly reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration, a common eye condition in the elderly that leads to blindness.

Like nuts, fish also carried a decreased risk of contracting ARMD. A weekly serving of fish cut back on the risk by 31 percent. Researchers believe the fatty acids build up a protective layer that defended against plaque build-up.

A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association says if men have just the right amount of estrogen, their heart health can improve. Too little or too much estrogen, though, can prove to be damaging. For the study, researchers looked at men who had heart failure and analyzed their vital signs.

Men who had the smallest amount of estrogen in their systems were almost four times as likely to die of heart failure than men who had average levels of estrogen. The men who had the highest levels of estrogen had about twice the risk of dying than men with an average amount of estrogen. Men who had the average level had no increased risk of dying from heart failure. For the study, researchers studied more than 500 men in Poland. The participants averaged about 58 years in age and all had pre-existing heart problems.
In the year following the study, about 170 of the men died.

Researchers separated those who died into three different groups based on low, high and normal estrogen levels. The middle group had an 82 percent survival rate. The group with the lowest estrogen scores only had a 44 percent survival rate, while the group with the highest estrogen levels had a
63 percent survival rate.

A new study from the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center says a new experimental drug can help men who suffer from prostate cancer. The study, which was published in the journal Science Express, says the drug does so by lowering PSA levels, which usually signify growth of a tumor. For this study, researchers examined 30 men and exposed them to certain compounds they hoped would affect PSA levels. They found the compounds in the drug dropped PSA levels in 22 out of the 30 men.

A groundbreaking study published in the British Journal of Psychology found a link between high levels of testosterone in the womb of pregnant women and autistic traits in their children.

The study was prompted by statistics that autism is four times more common in boys than in girls. It is also linked with other traits found more often in boys, such as left-handedness.
The study observed and tested 235 children whose mothers had an amniocentesis during pregnancy over eight years.

Researchers plan to continue studying the children they have been following and will now look for a link between high levels of testosterone in the womb and children who have been diagnosed with autism by studying banks of amniotic fluid that have been collected since 1990 in Denmark.

A study by Kaiser Permanente has found that one in three women will suffer from complications of a weak pelvic floor during her lifetime. Women can develop a weak pelvic floor despite their activity level, hormonal health and even if she has never given birth.
Factors such as obesity, smoking, high caffeine intake, chronic constipation or even sitting at desk all day can contribute to a weakened pelvic floor. Women with pelvic problems may also have hip and lower back problems which can aggravate the issue.
Women can fix the problem by undergoing surgery, which has its own complications, or by being fitted for a pessary, which is a conical-, ring- or square-shaped device that helps support the pelvic organs and reduce the stress of incontinence.
The pelvic muscles can be strengthened through kegel exercises to prevent or delay the potential for these problems if done regularly. Tai chi, yoga and Pilates can also help strengthen the body’s core and pelvic floor.

By Antoinette Grajeda
One of the best parts of summer is the warm temperature, but too much heat can lead to heat-related illnesses. These conditions occur when the body’s temperature control system is overloaded. The body normally cools itself by sweating, but sometimes that isn’t enough. In these instances, body temperature rises rapidly and can damage the brain or other vital organs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Several factors affect the body’s ability to cool itself including high humidity, age, obesity, fever, dehydration, prescription drug and alcohol use, heart disease, mental illness, poor circulation and sunburn. Those with the greatest risk for heat-related illness include people who are overweight, ill, children up to 4 years old and adults 65 years of age and older, according to the CDC. The risk may increase among those using psychotropics, Parkinson’s disease medications, tranquilizers and diuretics.

Heat stroke is the most serious heat-related illness and occurs when the body’s temperature rises rapidly, the sweating mechanism fails and the body is unable to cool down. Within 10 to 15 minutes, the body’s temperature may rise to 106 degrees or higher. Heat stroke can cause permanent disability or death if emergency treatment is not provided, according to the CDC.

Warning signs of heat stroke vary, but include a body temperature of about 103 degrees; red, hot and dry skin; a rapid, strong pulse; throbbing headache; dizziness; nausea; confusion; and unconsciousness.

If someone should experience a heat stroke, in addition to calling for immediate medical assistance, you should cool the affected person rapidly by moving them to a shady area or immersing them in a tub of cool water. If the humidity is low, wrap them in a cool, wet sheet and fan them vigorously. Monitor their body temperature until it drops to 101-102 degrees and if emergency medical personnel are delayed, call the hospital emergency room for further instructions.

Prevention
The key to avoiding heat stroke is prevention, and sitting in an air-conditioned location is a good start. Electric fans may also provide comfort, but in extreme temperatures, they won’t prevent heat-related illness, according to the CDC. Other prevention techniques include drinking plenty of fluids, replacing salts and minerals, and wearing appropriate clothing and sunscreen.

To help keep athletes safe during the hot summer months, Gatorade has teamed up with the National Football League to educate parents and coaches about heat-related illness and the importance of hydration. As part of the 4th annual “Beat the Heat” program, NFL players, coaches and their wives will lead hydration awareness efforts, while raising money for the Kendrick Fincher Memorial Foundation. For every unique download of the Gatorade Heat Safety kit on www.nfl.com/trainingcamp, Gatorade will donate $1 (up to $25,000) to “Beat the Heat” charities.

The Kendrick Fincher Memorial Foundation was created in memory of its namesake who died from complications of heat stroke in 1995. The organization is located in Rogers and raises awareness about hydration and heat illness prevention locally as well as nationally by hosting an informative Web site, an annual 5K Run, and through the distribution of information, pamphlets and squeeze bottles to coaches and physical education teachers.
Last year, the House approved a resolution to designate August as National Heat Stroke Awareness month. The foundation’s executive director Rhonda Fincher said August is the perfect time to raise awareness because it’s typically a hot month and that’s when local schools begin football practice. However, she added that caution should be taken more often than one month out of the year.

“People need to be aware of it year-round because it can happen any time, any where, depending on the conditions, but especially in the heat of the summer,” she said.
While there are lots of tips for preventing and treating heat stroke, Fincher said the simplest one to remember is “pre-hydrate, hydrate and re-hydrate” and it applies to everyone, not just athletes. Information from the Gatorade Sports Science Institute supports Fincher’s insistence of the importance of hydration. The organization’s research showed that as many as 70 percent of high school football players could show up for practice poorly hydrated. The research also indicated that the recommendation of drinking fluids prior to working out increased the number of players appearing to be adequately hydrated upon their arrival to practice.

For more information, visit www.kendrickfincher.org, www.nfl.com or www.gatorade.com

The ongoing team effort between Gatorade and the NFL is built on communicating heat-illness prevention and treatment techniques, including the “4 Downs” of heat safety to athletes and parents and coaches of athletes who are playing or practicing in hot weather.

The “4 Downs” are:

• 1st Down: Prevent — Know how to avoid heat illness, identify the warning signs and treat the symptoms
• 2nd Down: Prepare — Acclimate to the heat and hydrate BEFORE you get to practice
• 3rd Down: Proper Hydration — Choose sports drinks like Gatorade to replace electrolytes, especially sodium lost in sweat
• 4th Down: Plan — Have an emergency plan and keep a cool pool nearby to immerse players suffering from heat stroke

Source: Beat The Heat Campaign, www.nfl.com

Heat Illness Prevention
What Puts Youth Athletes At Risk?
Heat-related illnesses are some of the most common problems for youth athletes playing in the heat. These conditions can be dangerous, or even fatal in some cases. Heat-induced illness is one of the most preventable sports injuries. Parents, young athletes and coaches need to understand the physiological factors that increase the risk for heat-related illness and take steps to prevent it.

Why kids are at risk:

• Children absorb more heat from a hot environment because they have a greater surface-area-to-body-mass ratio than adults. The smaller the child the faster he heats up.
• Children and adolescents may have a reduced ability to dissipate heat through sweating.
• Children and adolescents frequently do not have the physiological drive to drink enough fluids to replenish sweat losses during prolonged exercise.
• Youth athletes may be more easily distracted when occasions allow for them to rest and rehydrate.

Signs Of Dehydration And Heat Illness
If dehydration progresses unchecked, the risk of heat illness increases. Heat illness is best understood in three separate degrees of severity: heat cramps, heat exhaustion and the most serious and deadly form, heat stroke. The symptoms outlined above do not necessarily occur in progression, so young athletes could experience heat stroke in absence of other indicators.
Source: Kendrick Fincher Memorial Foundation, www.kendrickfincher.org