- - European weblog on food, health and environment
News - week 44 - 2007
Folic acid linked to increased
cancer rate
Two recent commentaries appearing in the
November issue of Nutrition Reviews find that the introduction of flour fortified with
folic acid into common foods was followed by an increase in colon cancer diagnoses in the
U.S. and Canada.
Elderly with high blood pressure
less likely to get lifestyle modification advice from doctors
People older than 60 with high blood
pressure are less likely than other groups of patients to receive advice from their
doctors about lifestyle modifications that can help lower their blood pressure, a study by
UNC researchers concludes.
How does the antitumor drug get to
the cell nucleus?
Platinum complexes such as the well-known
cisplatin are powerful antitumor medications. But how does it get to the nucleus"
Italian researchers have now proven that a copper transport protein may play a critical
role.
Discovery could increase tumors'
sensitivity to radiation therapy
To make tumors more sensitive to the
killing power of radiation is a key aspiration for many radiation oncologists. Researchers
at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have uncovered new information
that leads them closer to that goal.
Immune cell age plays role in
retinal damage in age-related macular degeneration
Studying a mouse model of age-related
macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in older Americans, scientists at the
School of Medicine have found age is key in determining whether damaging blood vessels
will form beneath the retina and contribute to vision loss. The scientists, led by
principal investigator Rajendra Apte, discovered that specific immune cells called
macrophages play a role in the disease process in older mice by failing to block the
development of abnormal, leaky blood vessels behind the retina.
Radio waves fire up nanotubes
embedded in tumors, destroying liver cancer
Cancer cells treated with carbon nanotubes
can be destroyed by non-invasive radio waves that heat up the nanotubes while sparing
untreated tissue, a research team led by scientists at The University of Texas M. D.
Anderson Cancer Center and Rice University has shown in preclinical experiments.
Research under way on agent to stop
SENP1 protein and strangle tumors
Researchers at the University of Texas M.
D. Anderson Cancer Center have found a protein that enables cellular survival during
periods of low oxygen, or hypoxia, which also is key for development of many kinds of
cancer. In the Nov. 2 issue of Cell, they report that this protein, known as SENP1
(Sentrin/SUMO-specific protease 1), might provide a basis for future targeted therapies.
They have already started to develop an agent to stop SENP1 from working in cells, which
could push a tumor to stop growing and to wither away.
Common drug for stopping preterm
labor may be harmful for babies
A drug commonly used to halt premature
labor may be associated with brain damage and intestinal issues in premature babies,
according to a new analysis of studies on the issue published today in American Journal of
Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Increased glucose level is a strong
risk factor for colorectal cancer
According to the results of a study
published in Gastroenterology, patients with high levels of insulin and glucose are at
increased risk of developing recurrent colorectal adenomas, or tumors, with elevated
glucose providing the strongest risk factor for recurrence of these lesions.
Prof. Kenny De Meirleir & Dr. Henry
Butt will be speaking to health professionals and PWMEs in Perth Saturday 3rd November
2007 on ME/CFS. A majority of patients with ME/CFS report gastrointestinal symptoms and
dysfunction, alongside other common symptoms such as cognitive difficulties, muscle and
joint pain, neurological disturbance and abnormal persistent or fluctuating fatigue.
Fine-tuning lasers to destroy
blood-borne diseases like AIDS
Physicists in Arizona State University have
designed a revolutionary laser technique which can destroy viruses and bacteria such as
AIDS without damaging human cells and may also help reduce the spread of hospital
infections such as MRSA.
Jefferson researchers find stem
cells in degenerating spinal discs, potential for repair
Orthopedic researchers have for the first
time found stem cells in both degenerated adult intervertebral discs of the human spine
and in discs of animals. The scientists isolated cells from discarded disc tissue that
could still proliferate, noting that under certain conditions, the cells could be coaxed
to form bone, cartilage or fat. The work suggests that such cells might someday be used to
help repair degenerating discs and remedy lower back and neck pain.
Children with Asperger syndrome
more likely to have sleep problems
The first known attempt to evaluate the
sleep patterns of children with Asperper syndrome, taking into account sleep architecture
and the cyclic alternating pattern, finds that children with AS have a high prevalence of
some sleep disorders and mainly problems related to initiating sleep and sleep
restlessness together with morning problems and daytime sleepiness.
New Study in the Journal SLEEP
Finds a Link Between a Sleep-Related Breathing Disorder and Increased Heart Rate
Variability
A sleep-related breathing disorder, common
in heart failure, increases one’s heart rate variability. Further, central sleep
apnea (CSA) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) produce different patterns of heart rate
variability, which are likely to reflect the different pathophysiological mechanisms
involved, according to a study published in the November 1 issue of the journal SLEEP.
Video -
Caldwell Esselstyn, MD - No More Heart Attacks ever
Anxiety Linked to Sleep
Disturbances
People who suffer from anxiety from
stressful life situations may be more likely to experience sleep disturbances for at least
the first six months after the event, according to a study published in the November 1
issue of the journal SLEEP. The study, authored by Jussi Vahtera, MD, of the Finnish
Institute of Occupational Health in Helsinki, Finland, focused on a population sample of
16,627 men and women with undisturbed sleep and 2,572 with disturbed sleep, all of whom
participated in a five-year longitudinal observational cohort study.
Breastfed babies breathe better,
except when mom has asthma
When it comes to feeding babies, the old
adage "breast is best" certainly holds true, with breastfed babies having less
diarrhea and fewer ear infections and incidents of wheezing in early life. However, the
positive effects of infant feeding on lung function may not hold true for children of
asthmatic mothers.
Preventing or reducing enlarged
heart may decrease risk for diabetes
High-blood-pressure patients treated for
enlarged heart who have regression or prevention of LVH may also have a better chance of
preventing diabetes. Led by physician-scientists at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill
Cornell Medical Center, the research is published in the November Hypertension, a journal
of the American Heart Association.
Scientists at the University of Illinois
have discovered a new way to make water. Not only can they make water from unlikely
starting materials, such as alcohols, their work could also lead to better catalysts and
less expensive fuel cells.
Gamma interferon could aid fight
against fungal infections
Interferon, the "superhero" cure
for viral infections, may be a strong weapon in the battle against fungal infections in
immunocompromised patients, according to an article in the November issue of Microbiology
Today.
Nutrient Reduces Need for Steroids
in Those with Stubborn Ulcerative Colitis
Ulcerative colitis, a disease that causes
inflammation and ulcers in the lining of the rectum and colon, is often treated with
corticosteroids. Since long-term steroid use carries dangerous side effects,
immunosuppressant drugs are often substituted, but these too can have dangerous side
effects. When immunosuppressant therapy fails, there are few good options for treatment.
In a new, 12-week study of 60 adults with steroid-resistant ulcerative colitis, 80 percent
of patients given a slow-release version of phosphatidylcholine (a nutrient or essential
fatty acid) were able to stop steroid therapy and improved clinically (Article, p. 603).
Only 10 percent of those who received a placebo were able to quit steroids and improved
clinically.
Radiation seed implant decreases
risk of death over watchful waiting
Prostate cancer patients cut their risk of
dying of the disease in half when they receive radiation seed implants to treat their
cancer, compared to those who don't receive active treatment, within six months from being
diagnosed with localized prostate cancer, according to a study presented Oct. 31, 2007, at
the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology's 49th Annual Meeting in Los
Angeles.
St. Louis University scientists
identify chemical that triggers Parkinson's disease
Researchers at the St. Louis University
School of Medicine have discovered the key brain chemical that causes Parkinson's disease
-- a breakthrough finding that could pave the way for new, far more effective therapies to
treat one of the most common and debilitating neurological disorders.
Time spent in car drives up air
pollution exposure
The daily commute may be taking more of a
toll than people realize. A new study by researchers at the University of Southern
California found that up to half of Los Angeles residents' total exposure to harmful air
pollutants occurs while people are traveling in their vehicles.
New brain marker shows promise for
predicting future Alzheimer's disease
Duke University Medical Center researchers
have used imaging technology to identify a new marker that may help identify those at
greatest risk for cognitive decline and the development of Alzheimer's disease.
International Affairs - Import Conditions -
Importing live animals & animal products into the EU. General guidance on EU import
and transit rules for live animals and animal products from third countries. http://ec.europa.eu/food/international/trade/importing_en.htm
EU training for China on the Rapid
Alert System for Food and Feed
The European Commission is running a
training workshop on the EU's Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) on 6-8 November
in Beijing, China. The workshop is part of the Commission Health and Consumer Protection
Directorate-General's Better Training for Safer Food initiative. Around 80 participants
should attend the workshop, all of which are expected to come from China. They will be
mainly government officials and staff of competent authorities as well as some industry
representatives and other stakeholders. The workshop aims to provide a general overview of
the way in which the RASFF functions. This is with a view to exploring possibilities for
the establishment of a similar system in other regions of the world. An overview of the EU
RASFF will be provided on the first day of the workshop. On the second day, participants
will look at requirements for setting up national rapid alert systems. Case studies of the
implementation of such systems in EU Member States will be presented. On the final day,
representatives from relevant official bodies within China will present their own alert
systems in order to explore ways of putting a common system into practice.
Newly-created neurons in adults rely on
signals from distant brain regions to regulate their maturation and survival -- which has
implications for using adult stem cells to replace those lost by trauma or
neurodegeneration.
Chemical in red wine, fruits and
vegetables stops cancer, heart disease, depending on the dose
The next cancer drug might come from the
grocery store, according to research published in the November 2007 issue of the FASEB
Journal. In the study, scientists describe how high and low doses of polyphenols have
different effects. Most notably, they found that very high doses of polyphenols shut down
and prevent tumors by stopping the formation of new blood vessels needed for growth.
Polyphenols are found in red wine, fruits, vegetables and green tea.
Scientists at Newcastle University have
developed a cancer fighting technology which uses UV light to activate antibodies which
very specifically attack tumours.
Study links hypertension in obese
children to television viewing
Researchers from the University of
California, San Diego, the Rady Children's Hospital–San Diego, the University of
California, San Francisco, and the University of South Alabama determined that television
viewing is not only linked to childhood obesity, but also to hypertension in children,
according to a study published in the December 2007 issue of the American Journal of
Preventive Medicine.
Study Reveals that Nitrogen
Fertilizers Deplete Soil Organic Carbon
The common practice of adding nitrogen
fertilizer is believed to benefit the soil by building organic carbon, but four University
of Illinois soil scientists dispute this view based on analyses of soil samples from the
Morrow Plots that date back to before the current practice began.
Scientists Unveil Structure of
Molecular Target of Many Drugs
More than 40 years after beta blockers were
first used clinically, scientists can finally get a detailed, three-dimensional look at
the drugs’ molecular target—the beta2-adrenergic receptor. This receptor hails
from a family of proteins called G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) that control critical
bodily functions, several of our senses, and the action of about half of today’s
pharmaceuticals. Because this is the first known structure of a human GPCR, the work
promises not only to speed the discovery of new and improved drugs, but also to broaden
our understanding of human health and disease.
Study reveals 'huffing' household
chemicals connected to teen suicide
With suicide as the third leading cause of
death among adolescents in the United States, a new University of Denver study reveals
"huffing" vapors of common household goods, such as glue or nail polish, are
associated with increased suicidal thoughts and attempts.
You may notice mold in your home by its
musty smell or those unsightly spreading blotches on shower curtains, ceilings or walls.
What you might not associate with mold is an emotional problem. But an article in the
October issue of American Journal of Public Health makes that connection. It reports on a
study that has found a link between mold in the home and an increased incidence of
depression.
Video - Why You Can't Quit Smoking
And What You Can Do
Brown Study Finds Link Between
Depression and Household Mold
A groundbreaking public health study has
found a connection between damp, moldy homes and depression. The study, led by Brown
University epidemiologist Edmond Shenassa, is the largest investigation of an association
between mold and mood and is the first such investigation conducted outside the United
Kingdom.
Low Cholesterol in Moms Linked to
Poor Pregnancy Outcomes
A new study published in the October 2007
issue of Pediatrics shows a strong correlation with low total cholesterol in pregnant
women and the health and size of their babies. Women with serum cholesterol less than 151
were nearly 3 times more likely to have pre-term, low-birth-weight babies, and twice as
likely to bear microcephalic babies. That means babies with tiny heads; a condition not
comptabile with life.
Every year more than 70 million people
resolve to lose weight by going on a diet, which feeds the big, fat $58 billion diet and
weight-loss industry. After all the money is wasted, the cold, harsh reality is that fewer
than 5 percent of dieters will realize long-term results. The other 95 percent will regain
all the weight they lost, and then some. How can an industry survive with such a low
success rate? How can it be legal to market and sell something that has a proven track
record for failure? Now consumers have a brand new diet deception being marketed to them
backed with over $150 million in marketing to spin the weight-loss lie.
Propolis could be used as a
natural, non-toxic food preservative
Extract of propolis may function as a
natural antibacterial preservative, according to research conducted by scientists from the
National University of Technology in Argentina and published in the journal Food
Chemistry.Researchers applied extracts of Argentinean propolis to cultures of E. coli
bacteria. They found that this extract inhibited bacterial growth at an average minimum
concentration of 14.3 milligrams of soluble compounds per milliliter of the most active
propolis. This concentration was effective on E. coli populations as high as 10,000 cells
per milliliter.
According to a study in Britain, organic
fruits and vegetables contain 40 per cent more antioxidants which can cut the risk of
cancer and heart disease, and they also have higher levels of beneficial minerals such as
iron and zinc.
As humankind persists with thoughtless and
extravagant consumption of natural resources, the earth is hurtling towards an
unprecedented resource crunch.
Satan manifests itself in food with
high fructose corn syrup
Studies have directly linked the artificial
syrup to diabetes (a surging health crisis in our country), caloric overload and unhealthy
eating habits. Fructose, a simple sugar, fails to activate the brain's trigger to alert
you that your stomach is satiated.
A 'fault' in the cellular power
plant explains the abnormal metabolism of tumours
The increased consumption of glucose that
tumour cells exhibit, was thought to be a cause of the extra demand of building blocks
required to keep up with an uncontrolled cell growth, but now it is more accepted that it
could be the effect of a programmed metabolic change that favours this malignant growth.
The German Nobel laureate Otto Warburg, one of twentieth century's leading scientists
observed that tumour cells exhibit an increased aerobic glucose metabolism in their
glycolysis process. Seeing that, Warburg concluded that cancer should be interpreted as a
mitochondrial dysfunction, but his hypothesis was not accepted at the time, and was
forgotten by the scientific community until it was recently experimentally confirmed,
arousing great interest in biotechnological and pharmaceutical companies.
A chemotherapy regimen for patients with
advanced bladder cancer who aren't eligible for standard treatment is under study at the
Medical College of Georgia.
Video - The
truth about Colds and how to avoid them
Ultrasound-guided injections help
ease chronic Achilles tendon pain
patients with chronic tendinosis of the
Achilles tendon can experience a reduction in pain when injected with a small amount of a
dextrose solution, according to a recent study conducted by researchers at St. Paul's
Hospital in Vancouver, BC.
UGA researchers 1 step closer to
elusive cancer vaccine
Researchers at the University of Georgia
Cancer Center have synthesized a carbohydrate-based vaccine that -- in mice -- has
successfully triggered a strong immune response to cancer cells. The finding, published in
the October issue of the journal Nature Chemical Biology, brings the scientists one step
closer to a much-sought-after "cancer vaccine."
Genetically engineered mice may hold the
key to helping scientists from Queensland University of Technology and Harvard hasten the
development of a vaccine to protect adolescent girls against the most common sexually
transmitted disease, chlamydia. Dr Michael Starnbach from Harvard Medical School is in
Australia to work with QUT on a joint research project using a "mouse model" to
study how the immune system responds to infections such as chlamydia.
New study shows smoking increases
risk of psoriasis
Another disease can be added to the list of
smoking-related disorders -- psoriasis. Researchers have found that smoking increases the
risk of developing psoriasis, heavier smoking increases the risk further, and the risk
decreases only slowly after quitting. Investigators from the Massachusetts General
Hospital, Brigham and Women's Hospital, the Harvard School of Public Health, all in
Boston, Mass., US, and Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada, have published
the results in the November 2007 issue of The American Journal of Medicine.
Boiled peanuts, a regional treat from the
southern United States, may be as healthy as they are delicious. In the Oct. 31 issue of
ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, Alabama scientists report that boiling
these legumes imbues them with more antioxidants than roasted peanuts or peanut butter.
Peanuts are usually consumed as processed products, mainly as peanut butter and roasted
nuts. Studies have shown that peanuts contain powerful antioxidants called isoflavones
which may reduce the risk of cancer, diabetes and coronary heart diseases. Although the
effect of processing on the isoflavone content of legumes has been extensively studied,
there has never been such a study on peanuts. Lloyd Walker and colleagues evaluated the
effect of boiling and oil- and dry-roasting on peanuts. They found that boiled peanuts -
South Carolina's official snack food - contained up to four times more isoflavones than
raw peanuts or oil- and dry-roasted ones.
The most common degenerative joint disease,
osteoarthritis (OA) is marked by the breakdown of articular cartilage, which is the type
of cartilage that lines the ends of most limb bones. It can afflict any
joint—fingers, toes, wrists, ankles, elbows, shoulders, and the spine, as well as the
weight-bearing knees and hips. As OA progresses, sufferers often experience inflammation
around the affected joint. This inflammation has been attributed to bits of cartilage
breaking off and aggravating the synovium, the thin, smooth membrane lining a joint. Yet,
MRI detection of prominent synovitis in early OA—when joint cartilage appears
normal—suggests that other joint structures may be involved in triggering this
inflammation. Recent studies of inflammation in spinal arthritis implicate the enthesis,
which is the attachment site of ligament or tendon to bone as being a potential driving
factor in joint inflammation.
Walking prevents bone loss caused
from prostate cancer treatment
Exercise may reduce, and even reverse, bone
loss caused by hormone and radiation therapies used in the treatment of localized prostate
cancer, thereby decreasing the potential risk of bone fractures and improving quality of
life for these men, according to a study presented on Oct. 28, 2007, at the American
Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology's 49th Annual Meeting in Los Angeles.
Women with breast cancer have less
dermatitis when treated with IMRT
All women treated with radiation therapy
for breast cancer are at risk of developing dermatitis -- a sometimes-painful skin
condition caused by radiation as it makes its way through the skin to the tumor area and
tissue within the breast. But researchers at Fox Chase Cancer Center say women being
treated with intensity-modulated radiation therapy are less likely to have serious
dermatitis.
Mayo Clinic study points to a
possible biomarker for colon cancer in people 50 and under
An abnormality of chromosomes long
associated with diseases of aging has, for the first time, been linked to colon cancer in
people 50 years old and younger, an age group usually considered young for this disease.
Commission participates in
international workshops to promote animal welfare
The European Commission, in line with its
goal of promoting animal welfare globally, is actively participating in a number of
workshops with international partners to discuss issues related to the welfare of animals.
From 29 October to 2 November, animal welfare experts from the European Commission will
attend a workshop with experts from Uruguay, Chile, Mexico, Brazil and Argentina, to
discuss welfare assessment schemes in pigs. The workshop, which will take place in Brazil,
is part of the broader Welfare Quality (WQ) initiative, in which the European Commission
supports the organisation of training and research in Latin America to promote animal
welfare internationally and strengthen global cooperation on this issue. There has already
been a similar training workshop on welfare assessment in cattle (August 2007, Uruguay)
and another one on poultry will be organised for early 2008. Another successful workshop
organised by the European Commission and held in Zagreb (Croatia) was that on animal
welfare at slaughter. Over 80 participants from all over the world attended to discuss
such issues as welfare in slaughterhouses and welfare during culling for disease control.
The panel discussion, chaired by MEP Caroline Lucas, looked at the topic "Animal
welfare as an added value to trade with the EU: which perspectives?"
Quality-of-life yardstick needed
for children with serious urologic conditions, Hopkins study shows
A small but revealing study from the Johns
Hopkins Children's Center suggests that a widely used tool to measure physical, emotional
and psychological functioning and well-being in children may fail to accurately gauge
these quality-of-life indicators in the children with some of the most severe bladder
conditions, such as spina bifida and bladder exstrophies. Another possibility is that
children with such conditions manage to adapt and have a relatively normal quality of
life, researchers say.
Video - A
cancer vaccine based on a common microbe
New Screening Method May Identify
Tumor Viruses
For the first time, a new screening method
shows promise for identifying new human tumor viruses, as well as determining which
cancers are caused by infection and which are not. The researchers report their findings
in the October 2007 issue of the Journal of Virology. Statistics now show that infection
contributes to over 20% of human cancers worldwide. Presently, the list of confirmed
carcinogenic infectious agents is short, however studies suggest that new infectious
agents yet to be identified contribute to a wide range of diseases, including cancers. A
major obstacle in new pathogen discovery is whether an infectious agent isn’t
identified due to lack of presence or technical failure, emphasizing the need for reliable
screening methods. Conjunctival carcinomas are tumors long suspected of having a
direct infectious origin, meaning direct carcinogens are present in the tumor mass with at
least one genome copy per cell. In the study researchers developed a process called
digital transcript subtraction (DTS), a system for subtracting known human sequences from
library data sets while leaving nonhuman sequences behind for further analysis. DTS
analysis of 241,122 conjunctival carcinoma cells disclosed only 21 that didn’t concur
with previous sequences from human databases, indicating its ability to screen human
sequence data and identify those most likely to be of viral origin.“DTS is a simple
screening method to discover novel nucleic acids,” say the researchers. “It
provides, for the first time, quantitative evidence against some classes of viral etiology
when no viral transcripts are found, thereby reducing the uncertainty involved in new
pathogen discovery.”
'Twinkle after-effect' can help
retinal patients detect vision loss quickly and cheaply
Scientists at Schepens Eye Research
Institute have discovered a simple and inexpensive way for patients with retinal and other
eye disease to keep track of changes in their vision loss. In a study published in this
week's PLoS ONE they demonstrate that a compelling visual illusion known as the induced
twinkle after-effect can accurately identify the location and breadth of actual blind
spots in people with retinal disease.
Obesity-related hormone is higher
in children with Down syndrome
Children with Down syndrome are more likely
than their unaffected siblings to have higher levels of a hormone associated with obesity,
according to pediatric researchers. The hormone, leptin, may contribute to the known
higher risk of obesity among children and adults with Down syndrome.
Removal of uterus increases risk of
urinary incontinence
Researchers at the Swedish medical
university Karolinska Institutet have shown that hysterectomy -- a common operation
involving the removal of the uterus -- greatly increases the risk of urinary incontinence.
Their results, which come from a nationwide study, are presented in The Lancet.
Helicobacter pylori inhibits
intercellular communication of cultured gastric cells
A research group led by Dr. Jin-Tu Lou from
China has reported that Helicobacter pylori could inhibit intercellular communication of
cultured gastric cells. This finding provides a new direction to illuminate the molecular
mechanism of the worldwide infectious bacterium in gastric carcinogenesis.
A WORLD-FIRST medical study has found men
with a specific pair of genes are almost 30 times more likely than women to develop
complications such as heart and liver damage as a result of iron overload.
Government investigators say drug maker
Sanofi-Aventis ignored misconduct by doctors who helped test an antibiotic that was later
linked to several deaths.
EU-funded scientists decode
proteins with potential for new medicines
An EU-funded research team, working with
scientists at Stanford University in the US and the European synchrotron radiation
facility in Grenoble, is the first to determine the structure of a specific membrane
protein, known as "recombinant G protein-coupled receptor". Membrane proteins
are potentially very important targets for future medicines, because of their involvement
in the development of many diseases within the body. In addition to this exciting
discovery, the European Commission is announcing around €22m of funding for two new
projects looking into membrane proteins, one of which involves two previous Nobel
prize-winners. All over the world, scientists are trying hard to determine the three
dimensional structure of membrane proteins as a key process for pharmacological research.
The first structure of a recombinant G protein-coupled receptor has just been solved by an
American team (Dr. Brian Kobilka from Stanford University) in collaboration with a partner
from the European project IMPS (Dr. Gebhard F. X. Schertler from MRC Laboratory of
Molecular Biology (LMB) in Cambridge) and the European synchrotron radiation facility in
Grenoble.
Commission to postpone and amend
electromagnetic fields legislation to protect MRI
The European Commission has today proposed
to postpone for four years – until 30 April 2012 – the deadline for introducing
legislation on workers' exposure to electromagnetic fields, which could have affected the
use of technologies such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). This will allow enough time
to prepare a substantive amendment to the Directive in order to take account of recent
research findings on the possible impact of the exposure limits on MRI. "The
Commission remains committed to the protection of the health and safety of workers.
However, it was never the intention of this Directive to impede the practice of MRI.
Obviously, the Commission recognises MRI as a technology offering clear benefits to
patients, and continues to support MRI research financially", commented Vladimír
Špidla, EU Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities.
"Postponement of the transposition will allow time to review the current Directive
and amend those provisions which have been shown to be problematic by recent scientific
studies. While this review is ongoing, the Commission recommends that Member States put
the transposition of the current Directive on hold."
Speaking today following the announcement
of a recall by Mattel of Go Diego Go (Animal Rescue Boat) toys of their Fisher-Price
brand, sold in the UK, Ireland, US and Canada due to excessive levels of lead in paint, EU
Consumer Commissioner Meglena Kuneva made it clear that recalling goods from the market is
a last resort for industry. With effective controls all along the supply chain, dangerous
goods should not be reaching supermarket shelves or arrive in the hands of children at
home. Commissioner Kuneva said the fact that the European Commission had, on this
occasion, received prior notice before the recall from Mattel is a sign that some of the
intensive work with industry in recent months is starting to pay off. In this way, the
European Commission is able to provide advice to companies on the recall process if
necessary and to circulate to all EU Member Sates authorities full information through the
EU RAPEX (Rapid Alert System) system for dangerous consumer goods. This fourth Mattel
recall comes as the European Commission is in the final stages of a 2 month review of the
consumer product safety mechanisms in place in Europe. Commissioner Kuneva will present
the results of this stocktaking and analysis on the EU China (RAPEX) report on Chinese
enforcement actions, on 22 November 2007 in Brussels. Commenting on the Mattel recall,
Commissioner Kuneva said, there can be no compromise on consumer safety. My starting point
is that dangerous goods should not be able to pass unchecked through all the supply chain
to reach shop floors or be sold to parents for children's use at home. There is more work
to be done to step up controls. The decision by Mattel to provide advance information to
the European Commission and the concerned national authorities is a welcome step in the
right direction. Commissioner Kuneva added, I will present the full stocktaking results in
November but my central message is already very clear – to face up to the emerging
challenges of managing global supply chains, several key actors are going to have to
significantly raise their game. Open markets are built on consumer confidence. Following
my meeting with Consumer ministers in September we had a common understanding to work
together to step up action to build consumer confidence in the market. I will discuss
proposals for specific actions with my colleagues in the Competitiveness Council on 22
November 2007.
Commission refers Finland to the
European Court of Justice a second time over tobacco for oral use
The European Commission has today decided
to refer Finland to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) for a second time for failing to
comply with an earlier judgement by the European Court of Justice on 18 May 2006
concerning tobacco for oral use in the Åland Islands. The Court's judgment in this case
(C-343/05) confirmed Finland's failure to comply with Article 8 of Directive 2001/37/EC on
the manufacture, presentation and sale of tobacco products, which prohibits the placing of
tobacco for oral use on the market. The Commission will ask the Court to condemn Finland
to pay a lump sum and, if Finland fails to comply before the judgment, a daily penalty.
Tobacco is the single largest cause of avoidable death in the European Union, accounting
for over 650.000 deaths each year. It is estimated that 25% of all cancer deaths and 15%
of all deaths in the Union could be attributed to smoking. Tobacco for oral use contains
particularly large quantities of carcinogenic substances. European Health Commissioner
Markos Kyprianou said: "The Commission decision underlines that given the health
risks linked to the use of oral tobacco, the Commission has no tolerance for allowing the
placing on the market of that product. We cannot accept that the prohibition of placing of
tobacco for oral use on the market is not transposed or implemented by Member States or
even by parts of Member States. Only the consistent and continuous application by all
Member States of all Community provisions relating to tobacco can achieve our goals in
fighting tobacco."
The University of Connecticut Health Center
is joining the national debate on whether to ban staff and students from taking gifts from
drug company and other industry representatives.
Twice the risk of cervical cancer
despite operation
Women who have had severe cell changes in
the cervix and who have been operated on for them run twice the risk of developing cancer
later in life, compared with other women. This is shown by research from the Sahlgrenska
Academy in Gothenburg Sweeden that is now being published in British Medical Journal.
Swedish women are regularly called in for cell tests. In cases where severe changes in
cells are discovered, the outer layer of the portio vaginalis is removed in an operation.
Annually some 10,000 women in Sweden undergo this operation for cell changes in the
cervix. If the cell changes are left untreated, there is a great risk of developing
cervical cancer or vaginal cancer. But despite this operation and subsequent monitoring,
these women still face 2.5 times the risk of developing cervical cancer or vaginal cancer
compared with other women. This is shown in a Swedish study now being published in British
Medical Journal. “It is remarkable that the risk of cancer continues to be elevated
even though the sections of the tissue where cervical cancer usually starts have been
removed,” says the study’s lead author, Björn Strander, a doctoral candidate at
the Sahgrenska Academy and chief physician at the Oncology Center for the Western Sweden
health-care region.
New imaging technique ensures rapid
profiling autoantibodies in rheumatoid arthritis
Using a new imaging technique, a fast and
accurate profile of auto-antibodies present in the blood serum of rheumatic patients can
be made. This profile can give valuable information about the progress of the disease. A
unique feature of this so-called Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) technique is that it
directly tests on blood serum, without complex preprocessing. A special chip will enable
many parallel tests. Scientists from the University of Twente and the Radboud University
Nijmegen, both in The Netherlands, will publish about the new imaging technique in the
Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS).
GA²LEN first campaign alerts
healthcare professionals and patients of the importance of the link between rhinitis and
asthma
The majority of asthma patients have
rhinitis, and patients with rhinitis have a much higher prevalence of asthma than those
who do not have rhinitis. Rhinitis is a risk factor for asthma. Improvement of allergic
rhinitis symptoms can be associated with improvement of asthma symptoms. The prevalence of
allergic rhinitis is increasing to up to 20% in school children and 30% in teenagers. It
is important to adequately diagnose and treat allergic rhinitis as this can considerably
improve patients’ quality of life and decrease the risk of asthma developing / asthma
exacerbations.
