Because of this, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has been active in evaluating the interventions appropriate to preventing tobacco use and tobacco related diseases in adults and now especially in pregnant women. The results of their recommendations were published in the Annals of Internal Medicine (Volume 150, page 551, 2009). The task force evaluated all prior publications on smoking cessation and has determined what is the standard of care in the United States.

You can discuss each of these recommendations with your physician to make certain that if you or a family member or friend is smoking, you can use the most important components of these recommendations to be certain all possible help is being given.

Hotel-Dieu Grace Hospital in Windsor, Ont., apparently caught four of the errors attributed to pathologist Dr. Olive Williams before any harm was done, but two patients were not so lucky, according to an internal report by regional health officials.

The fifth patient underwent an unnecessary colostomy due to an incorrect cancer diagnosis, while the sixth patient received an incorrect lumpectomy, it said.

“The error has been attributed to some extent to a physical issue with the pathologist — that is presence of cataracts,” the report states.

Williams, whose hospital privileges were suspended in January, had been on staff since 2004 and also did work for other hospitals in the area. She couldn’t be reached for comment Monday.

The report from February also suggests the hospital was unwilling to reveal what it found were the errors made by Williams to the public until it knew the “full scope” of the problem.

“The hospital would like to review sample charts before going public in order to determine the magnitude of this issue and not alarm the public,” the report states.

The Erie St. Clair local health integration unit (LHIN), which oversees hospitals in the Windsor area, put out the report after it was released through freedom of information laws.

The document was dated Feb. 16, the same day a local Windsor television station was planning to air a story about Windsor surgeon Dr. Barbara Heartwell performing an unnecessary mastectomy on a patient.

Earlier this year, Pathway Genomics partnered with CVS/Walgreens to market an over-the-counter genetics test based on saliva. Consumers could pick up the kit and mail it in, paying an additional fee based on the extent to which they wanted their DNA tested. The over-the-counter version never quite made it to the consumer, as there was public concern over the reliability of the tests and how people might interpret them.  At this point the FDA jumped into the fray and expressed concern.

The FDA requested that five companies provide data that their diagnostic tests present scientific evidence that a test result, either positive or negative, is linked to a disease or the risk of one. They also want the companies to seek regulatory approval for the tests, although the companies maintain that this was not a necessary step to bringing the product to market.

The Government Accountability Office conducted an undercover investigation of the genetics tests, purchasing ten tests from four direct-to-consumer genetic tests companies—23andMe, deCode Genetics, Pathway Genomics, and Navigenics. Five staff members sent two DNA samples to each company; one with his or her real personal and medical information, and one with faux identifying and medical information.

Results varied markedly between companies and some information contradicted already diagnosed health conditions. Amongst the small sampling, the tests produced inconsistent results for the same disease 68 percent of the time.

The FDA is planning to ramp up its regulation of genetic testing companies, said Jeffrey Shuren, M.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health.

But for individuals suffering from lower back problems, research suggests they may need to think twice before stamping their ticket to ride on the popular workout machines.

The elliptical trainer, sometimes called a cross-trainer, is a piece of stationary exercise equipment that simulates walking or running without causing pressure to the joints.

Researcher Janice Moreside is a physiotherapist who’s been a clinician for more than 30 years. She said she’s found that while the majority of people who come in who use the elliptical like it, there’s a subset who say the opposite, and point to the fact using the trainer hurts their back.

Moreside, a University of Waterloo PhD candidate, works with Waterloo professor Stuart McGill whose specialty is spine research, specifically the lumbar spine or low back.

The research was part of a larger study looking at the effect of hip mobility on the low back which Moreside presented Friday at the 2010 Congress of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association in St. John’s, N.L.

Kids are more fickle than adults when it comes to exercise DVDs. Adults are mostly concerned with “getting the job done.” For kids, as soon as it stops being fun, they’re over it. In fact, a kids’ fitness DVD not only has to be fun, but also a little funny. It needs to be challenging, but not too complicated. Cool animation and other gimmicks are also a plus. To find one that meets their criteria and saves your pocketbook, borrow from the library, rent from the video store, or buy used when you can.

To help you in your search, here are my reviews of three kids’ fitness DVDs:

Learn to Hip Hop, Volumes 1 & 2 (Bayview Entertainment)
This dance-based DVD presents authentic and challenging hip hop choreography. It’s formatted more like a dance class rather than a fitness class. The instructors break down the moves without music first, then put them all together with the music later. What is unique is that the instructors presenting the material are kids. Their ability to effortlessly lead and cue the choreography is remarkable. Professional choreographer Shane Sparks appears on the DVD as well. Volume 1 is great because the choreography and dancers manage to look cool without looking in any way inappropriate. Some parents might find a few of the outfits and moves in Volume 2 to be inappropriate for their kids.
Ages: 8 – adult
Pros: Kids leading kids!
Cons: The choreography is very challenging. Non-dancers may feel intimidated or discouraged. In addition, although they mention the importance of warming up, the warm-up is barely there in Volume 1 and absent in Volume 2.