Genetic Testing of Embryos May Cause Dementia, Obesity In Adulthood

September 28, 2009

Natural News

By S.L. Baker

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) has become an important part of the booming infertility and baby-making medical industry. This example of unnatural selection allows for the chromosomes of an embryo created through in vitro fertilization (IVF)to be analyzed. If there’s a problem, the embryo can be discarded or, at the very least, frozen away. PGD has helped many couples conceive children believed to be totally healthy and the procedure is promoted as a widely used and safe medical test — at least, until now. A new long-term analysis of PGD suggests that this procedure may hold serious long-term risks for humans subjected to this test while they were embryos. Animal tests have come up with worrisome evidence PGD could increase risks of obesity and dementia in adulthood.

Developed in the early 1990′s, PGD is used so couples can prevent a pregnancy affected by a genetic condition or chromosomal disorder. It’s performed by removing one or two cells (called blastomeres) for biopsy from the preimplantation embryo at the six to ten cell stage (about day three of development). If one or both parents-to-be have a known genetic abnormality and their child might be at increased risk for Tay Sachs disease, cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy, Fragile X syndrome, spinal muscular atrophy or other conditions, PGD can show if the embryo is likely to grow into a person with that potential problem. If that’s the case, most like a decision will be made not to implant a specific embryo in a woman’s womb.

While it’s almost hard to believe, no rigorous long-term studies have been carried out in order to see whether PGD poses any serious health risks down the line — even though the procedure involves manipulating a developing embryo. So Chinese scientists Ran Huo, Qi Zhou and colleagues decided to work with experiments in lab mice to examine how a blastomere biopsy, as the key manipulation used during the PGD procedure, actually impacts fetal, neonatal and adult development.

Their research, just published in the journal Molecular and Cellular Proteomics found there were no differences in embryo development prior to uterine implantation in the biopsied and control groups. However, successful births from biopsied embryos were significantly lower than in controls. As the mice grew after birth, the researchers looked to see if there were any differences in the bodies or behaviors of the animals that had experienced biopsies as embryos when compared tothose that had not been subjected to biopsies.

The results were disturbing. While the two groups of mice looked similar at first glance, the biopsied group of mice on average were fatter. What’s more, they demonstrated significantly poorer memory in maze tests.

To try to find out what was going on, the scientists (who are based at Nanjing Medical University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing) performed a detailed analysis of the adult mouse brains. In all, 36 proteins displayed significant differences between biopsied and control groups — and 17 of these differences are closely associated with neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimers and Down Syndrome.

Bottom line: the research team concluded that the developing nervous system may be sensitive to blastomere biopsy. They are calling for more studies to be performed in order to get to the bottom of any possible long-term adverse effects of PGD.

Click here for the full report from Natural News

Diabetes Drug Could Cause Pancreatic Cancer

September 28, 2009

Natural News

By David Gutierrez

The popular diabetes drug sitagliptin (marketed as Januvia) may increase the risk of pancreatic cancer, according to study conducted by researchers from the University of California-Los Angeles and published in the journal Diabetes.

“Type 2 diabetes is a lifelong disease — people often take the same drugs for many years, so any adverse effect that could over time increase the risk for pancreatic cancer would be a concern,” said lead researcher Peter Butler. “A concern here is that the unwanted effects of this drug on the pancreas would likely not be detected in humans unless the pancreas was removed and examined.”

Previous research has suggested that the diabetes drug Byetta might increase the risk of pancreatic inflammation (pancreatitis), a known risk factor for pancreatic cancer. Byetta and Januvia both act by enhancing the activity of a gut hormone known as glucagon-like-peptide-1 (GLP-1), thereby resulting in lower blood sugar.

Byetta manufacturer Amylin Corp. has insisted that the connection between Byetta and pancreatitis could be coincidence, since no mechanism to explain the correlation has yet been found. The new study suggests, however, that enhanced GLP-1 activity might itself be a risk factor for pancreatitis.

Researchers conducted the study on rats that had been genetically engineered to simulate the metabolism of humans with Type 2 diabetes, as well as their Islets of Langerhans. They treated 40 rats with either Januvia or a Januvia-metformin combination for 12 weeks.

The Islets of Langerhans are hormone-producing regions of the pancreas. Metformin is an older diabetes drug that is believed to have tumor-suppressing properties.

The researchers found that rats treated only with Januvia had significantly higher proliferation of beta cells in their Islets of Langerhans, while some developed pancreatic abnormalities or inflammation. Rats treated with both drugs did not exhibit this effect.

Beta cells produce the blood sugar-regulating hormone insulin.

Click here for the full report from Natural News

Liberals Want Health-Care for Illegals

September 28, 2009

Washington Times

By Stephen Dinan

Fearful that they’re losing ground on immigration and health care, a group of House Democrats is pushing back and arguing that any health care bill should extend to all legal immigrants and allow illegal immigrants some access.

The Democrats, trying to stiffen their party’s spines on the contentious issue, say it’s unfair to bar illegal immigrants from paying their own way in a government-sponsored exchange. Legal immigrants, they say, regardless of how long they’ve been in the United States, should be able to get government-subsidized health care if they meet the other eligibility requirements.

“Legal permanent residents should be able to purchase their plans, and they should also be eligible for subsidies if they need it. Undocumented, if they can afford it, should be able to buy their own private plans. It keeps them out of the emergency room,” said Rep. Michael M. Honda, California Democrat and chairman of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.

Mr. Honda was joined by more than 20 of his colleagues in two letters laying out the demands.

Coverage for immigrants is one of the thorniest issues in the health care debate, and one many Democratic leaders would like to avoid. But immigrant rights groups and the Democrats who sent the letters say they have to take a stand now.

President Obama has said he does not want health care proposals to cover illegal immigrants. The bill drawn up by Sen. Max Baucus, Montana Democrat and chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, excludes illegal immigrants from his proposed health care exchange.

Mr. Honda and his allies, though, say illegal immigrants should be allowed to pay for insurance if they can afford it, even if it comes through a government-established exchange. As a generally young, healthy part of the population, illegal immigrants could help reduce overall costs for those who buy into health exchange plans, the lawmakers said.

The Democrats’ letters, however, do not issue ultimatums or threaten to withhold support for the bills if their requests aren’t met.

The National Council of La Raza launched its own “flood their voice mail” campaign last week to put pressure on Mr. Baucus to expand coverage in his proposal to include all legal immigrants and to drop verification language in the legislation that would prevent illegal immigrants from obtaining coverage.

Mr. Honda told The Washington Times that he’s not pushing for illegal immigrants to gain access to taxpayer-subsidized benefits. “That’s an argument that’s been done already,” he said.

Rep. Steve King, Iowa Republican, said proposals that include government coverage for illegal immigrants leave him incredulous.

“If anybody can, with a straight face, advocate that we should provide health insurance for people who broke into our country, broke our law and for the most part are criminals, I don’t know where they ever would draw the line,” he said.

Mr. King, who opposes Democrats’ health care plans in general, said illegal immigrant access in legislation “would be a poison pill that would cause health care to go down” to defeat.

Twenty-nine Democrats signed on to the letter on legal immigrants, while 21 signed the letter on covering illegal immigrants. Although the leadership of the Congressional Black Caucus signed the legal-immigrant letter in their capacity as CBC officials, they signed the other letter as individual members of Congress.

Under the 1996 welfare law overhaul, Congress restricted most federal benefits to longtime holders of green cards – those who have been in the country at least five years.

But Democrats chipped away at that rule when they reauthorized the State Children’s Health Insurance Program earlier this year and allowed states to cover all immigrant children and pregnant women, regardless of how long they’ve been in the country.

In their letter, the Democrats said health care costs are much lower for legal immigrants than for native citizens.

“Immigrants are part of our families, our communities, our economy, and contribute to the fabric of America,” they wrote. “It is simply wrong that their taxes would pay for public health insurance programs to which they are not allowed access.”

Click here to continue reading the full report from the Washington Times

Michigan Stares Down 2nd Government Shutdown in 3 years

September 26, 2009

MyWay News

By Kathy Barks Hoffman

Economically beleaguered Michigan faces a possible government shutdown – shuttering highway rest areas, state parks, construction projects and the state lottery – if lawmakers fail to reach a budget deal in the next few days.

The state with the nation’s highest unemployment rate has a nearly $3 billion shortfall. Federal recovery act money will fill more than half the gap, but the spending cuts or tax increases needed to fill the rest have caused bitter infighting at the state Capitol.

Michigan is one of just two states whose budget year starts Oct. 1. The other, Alabama, already has a spending plan in place, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. If lawmakers in Lansing don’t make progress soon, Michigan could join the eight other states that failed to meet budget deadlines – but did not shut down – this year.

That’s something neither Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm nor lawmakers want to do. They’re haunted by memories of the fallout from an hours-long government shutdown in 2007 and want to avoid the resulting voter disgust and national derision.

Darin and Jenni Johnson of Howell were told to leave their campsite at Sleepy Hollow State Park near Laingsburg on a Sunday night two years ago as the state headed toward a shutdown.

“We had to cut our weekend short because they kicked everyone out. It was a gorgeous weekend,” said Jenni Johnson, who was back at the park northeast of Lansing with her husband Thursday for an extended weekend in their pop-up trailer.

She recalled one couple from out of state who had planned to stay another week.

“I’m sure it didn’t leave them with a good impression,” Jenni Johnson said.

Bob Terranova worries any lottery suspension could cost him business at the convenience store he owns in the town of DeWitt just north of Lansing.

“It keeps your customer count down … (and) may take away from your retail sales,” he said.

One state lawmaker, Republican Rep. Ken Horn, introduced legislation that would give residents a grace period to renew licenses, apply for benefits and let businesses operate under existing permits if there’s a government shutdown. The legislation hasn’t had a hearing.

About the only thing Republicans and Democrats have agreed on is tapping up to $1.5 billion in federal recovery dollars to fill part of the $2.8 billion budget gap. A continuation budget could be put in place to avoid a shutdown, but one approved Friday by Senate Republicans is opposed by Democrats, and it can’t be voted on by the Democratic-led House until one day before the Oct. 1 deadline under legislative rules.

Senate and House Republicans say they can deal with the shortfall with deep cuts to schools, college scholarship programs, Medicaid reimbursement rates for doctors, and money for local police and firefighters and the poor. They argue a cuts-only will prevent even deeper slashing in the next budget year when federal recovery dollars dry up.

Click here to continue reading the article from MyWay News

EU to Limit MP3 Player Volumes

September 27, 2009

Reuters

By Bate Felix

The European Commission issued new volume standards for MP3 players on Monday to help prevent music lovers damaging their hearing.

The new standards will require small technical changes to I-Pods and other MP3 devices so they play at a safe volume by default. There will also be a health warning so consumers who choose to override the default settings know the risks.

“The evidence is that particularly young people, who are listening to music at high volumes sometimes for hours each week, have no idea they can be putting their hearing at risk,” European Union Consumer Affairs Commissioner Meglena Kuneva told a news conference.

The Commission plans to adopt the standards as the norm for new products after a 24-month consultation procedure with scientists, industry and consumers.

An EU scientific body raised the health alarm in January, warning that up to 10 million young people are in danger of damaging their hearing by playing their MP3 players too loud.

Listening to personal music devices at high volumes for long periods of time can cause hearing loss and tinnitus, a ringing sensation in the ears, the EU Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks said.

There is currently no cure for hearing loss or tinnitus, the committee noted in its report.

Kuneva said 5-10 percent of MP3 users risk permanent hearing loss if they listen to a music player at high volume for more than 1 hour per day, each week over at least 5 years.

“It can take years for the hearing damage to show, and then it is simply too late,” she added.

The Commission said it was estimated that about 50 to 100 million people may be listening to portable music players on a daily basis.

Click here for the full report from Reuters

Swine Flu Surge Closes Schools, Tests Hospitals

September 27, 2009

The Washington Post

By Rob Stein

In Austin, so many parents are rushing their children to the Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas with swine flu symptoms that the hospital had to set up tents in the parking lot to cope with the onslaught.

In Memphis, the Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center emergency room got so crowded with feverish, miserable youngsters that it had to do the same thing.

And in Manning, S.C., a private school where an 11-year-old girl died shut down after the number of students who were out sick with similar symptoms reached nearly a third of the student body.

“It just kind of snowballed,” said Kim Jordan, a teacher at the Laurence Manning Academy, which closed Wednesday after Ashlie Pipkin died, and the number of ill students hit 287. “We had several teachers out also. That was the reason to close the school — so everyone could just be away from one another for a few days.”

After months of warnings and frantic preparations, the second wave of the swine flu pandemic is starting to be felt around the country, as doctors, health clinics, hospitals and schools are reporting rapidly increasing numbers of patients experiencing flu symptoms.

“H1N1 is spreading widely throughout the U.S.,” said Thomas R. Frieden, director of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta during a briefing on Friday. At least 26 states, including Maryland and Virginia, are now reporting widespread flu activity, up from 21 a week earlier, the CDC reported. “H1N1 activity is now widespread,” Frieden said.

While so far most cases are mild, and the health-care system is handling the load, officials say the number of people seeking treatment for the flu is unprecedented for this time of year. Even though some parts of the Southeast that started seeing a surge of cases first now seem to be showing a decline in cases, that could be a temporary reprieve, Frieden said. And other parts of the country are likely just starting to feel the second wave.

Maryland health authorities on Friday said a Baltimore-area youth with an underlying health problem had died of swine flu, the state’s first such fatality involving a youth.

Despite new federal guidelines aimed at keeping schools open, the pandemic has already prompted scattered school closings around the country in recent weeks, including 42 schools that closed in eight states on Friday, affecting more than 16,000 students.

Many colleges and universities have been hit particularly hard, forcing some to open separate dorms for sick students. Ninety-one percent of the 267 colleges and universities being surveyed by the American College Health Association are now reporting cases.

At the Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center, the number of patients coming in each day shot up from about 180 to a peak of more than 400, prompting officials to erect a 2,500-square foot tent in the parking lot to handle the surge. More than 300 patients are still coming in every day.

“What we initially did was try to bring in extra folks, but you soon run out of extra people and extra spaces to put people,” said Barry Gilmore, the hospital’s medical director for emergency services.

Doctors, nurses, paramedics or other workers screen patients in the tent and decide who can safely go home. Anyone with other health problems that put them at risk, such as asthma, heart disease or kidney disease, is sent immediately to the emergency room. All patients who are sent home are contacted within 24 to 48 hours to make sure they are recovering.

“We are mostly dealing with the worried well or kids who are mildly ill but not severely ill,” he said.

At least 14 patients, however, were admitted to the hospital and perhaps six required intensive care, he said. One teenager died.

Swine flu, also known as H1N1, tends to strike more younger people than the usual seasonal flu. At least 49 children have died from complications caused by the virus so far in the United States.

At the Dell Children’s Medical Center, the number of patients coming in each day shot up from about 180 to more than 340, prompting the hospital to require staff to work extra shifts and erect two tents outside the emergency room to handle the overflow and keep possibly infected patients separate from others.

“We are able to take care of them really rapidly without a long wait, and they don’t have to be mixed in with other patients who do not have the flu,” said Pat Crocker, chief of emergency medicine. “It’s been highly efficient.”

But Crocker, noting that the hospital is already busier than it was in the wake of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, said the hospital has a third tent ready to be set up.

Click here to continue reading the full article from the Washington Post

Social Security Strained by Early Retirements

September 27, 2009

MyWay News

By Stephen Ohlemacher

Big job losses and a spike in early retirement claims from laid-off seniors will force Social Security to pay out more in benefits than it collects in taxes the next two years, the first time that’s happened since the 1980s.

The deficits – $10 billion in 2010 and $9 billion in 2011 – won’t affect payments to retirees because Social Security has accumulated surpluses from previous years totaling $2.5 trillion. But they will add to the overall federal deficit.

Applications for retirement benefits are 23 percent higher than last year, while disability claims have risen by about 20 percent. Social Security officials had expected applications to increase from the growing number of baby boomers reaching retirement, but they didn’t expect the increase to be so large.

What happened? The recession hit and many older workers suddenly found themselves laid off with no place to turn but Social Security.

“A lot of people who in better times would have continued working are opting to retire,” said Alan J. Auerbach, an economics and law professor at the University of California, Berkeley. “If they were younger, we would call them unemployed.”

Job losses are forcing more retirements even though an increasing number of older people want to keep working. Many can’t afford to retire, especially after the financial collapse demolished their nest eggs.

Some have no choice.

Marylyn Kish turns 62 in December, making her eligible for early benefits. She wants to put off applying for Social Security until she is at least 67 because the longer you wait, the larger your monthly check.

But she first needs to find a job.

Kish lives in tiny Concord Township in Lake County, Ohio, northeast of Cleveland. The region, like many others, has been hit hard by the recession.

She was laid off about a year ago from her job as an office manager at an employment agency and now spends hours each morning scouring job sites on the Internet. Neither she nor her husband, Raymond, has health insurance.

“I want to work,” she said. “I have a brain and I want to use it.”

Kish is far from alone. The share of U.S. residents in their 60s either working or looking for work has climbed steadily since the mid-1990s, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This year, more than 55 percent of people age 60 to 64 are still in the labor force, compared with about 46 percent a decade ago.

Kish said her husband already gets early benefits. She will have to apply, too, if she doesn’t soon find a job.

“We won’t starve,” she said. “But I want more than that. I want to be able to do more than just pay my bills.”

Nearly 2.2 million people applied for Social Security retirement benefits from start of the budget year in October through July, compared with just under 1.8 million in the same period last year.

The increase in early retirements is hurting Social Security’s short-term finances, already strained from the loss of 6.9 million U.S. jobs. Social Security is funded through payroll taxes, which are down because of so many lost jobs.

The Congressional Budget Office is projecting that Social Security will pay out more in benefits than it collects in taxes next year and in 2011, a first since the early 1980s, when Congress last overhauled Social Security.

Social Security is projected to start generating surpluses again in 2012 before permanently returning to deficits in 2016 unless Congress acts again to shore up the program. Without a new fix, the $2.5 trillion in Social Security’s trust funds will be exhausted in 2037. Those funds have actually been spent over the years on other government programs. They are now represented by government bonds, or IOUs, that will have to be repaid as Social Security draws down its trust fund.

President Barack Obama has said he would like to tackle Social Security next year.

Click here to continue reading the full report from MyWay News

I wrote a paper on your book…

Hello Kevin!

I am currently reading your book “Natural Cures They Don’t Want You To Know About,” and cannot put it down!! It is greatly appreciated what you are doing with your battles against the pharmaceutical companies and putting this stuff out there! I am fifteen years old, and am absolutely passionate about holistic medicine. It was a breath of fresh air to find that other people believe in the same stuff that I do. For English class, I wrote a paper on your book, and my classmates were quite shocked and perhaps a bit skeptical about the truthful content of your book. You are a role model for people who also want to change the system and the health of the world, so thank you!

Peace & Good Karma,
Britney Stables
Calgary, Alberta

I love being a member of GIN…

Hey Kevin,

I am a member of GIN and love being a member. I have been listening to all the CD’s of what you have created and it is amazing! I am just breathing in all the information. You are brilliant and I have not turned on the TV since I first made up my mind to do this or find someone who can. I finally feel like I will be steering that ship. Thank you again for thinking of me.  I love Natural Cures and really am going to enjoy being a lifetime member.

Much admiration,
Jeanne Meadows 

Enough is enough…

Dear Kevin,

I support you 100% in everything you do.  The FTC and FDA are getting away with far too much.  Enough is enough. I am behind you all the way! Thank You Kevin for all that you are doing and GOD SPEED!!                      

Yours Truly,
Wendie Ellenberger
Las Vegas, Nevada

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