Cancer Update -- Johns Hopkins
Date: Tue, 26 Sep 2006 11:20:19 -0400

Cancer News from Johns Hopkins:
1. No plastic containers in micro.
2. No water bottles in freezer.
3. No plastic wrap in microwave.
Johns Hopkins has recently sent this out in its newsletters. This information is being circulated at Walter Reed Army MedicalCenter as well.
Dioxin chemicals causes cancer, especially breast cancer. Dioxins are highly poisonous to the cells of our bodies. Don't freeze your plastic bottles with water in them as this releases dioxins from the plastic.

Recently, Dr. Edward Fujimoto, Wellness Program Manager at Castle Hospital, was on a TV program to explain this health hazard. He talked about dioxins and how bad they are for us.

He said that we should not be heating our food in the microwave using plastic containers. This especially applies to foods that contain fat. He said that the combination of fat, high heat, and plastics releases dioxin into the food and ultimately into the cells of the body.

Instead, he recommends using glass, such as Corning Ware, Pyrex or ceramic containers for heating food. You get the same results, only without the dioxin. So such things as TV dinners, instant ramen and soups, etc., should be removed from the container and heated in something else. Paper isn't bad but you don't know what is in the paper. It's just safer to use tempered glass, Corning Ware, etc.

He reminded us that a while ago some of the fast food restaurants moved away from the foam containers to paper. The dioxin problem is one of the reasons.

Also, he pointed out that plastic wrap, such as Saran, is just as dangerous when placed over foods to be cooked in the microwave. As the food is nuked, the high heat causes poisonous toxins to actually melt out of the plastic wrap and drip into the food.

Cover food with a paper towel instead.
This is an article that should be sent to anyone important in your life!

Heat your home safely this winter

VANCOUVER, Sept. 25 /CNW/ - Now is the best time to prepare your home for cold weather advises the British Columbia Safety Authority. Before you light up your fireplace or turn on your thermostat, take the following steps to protect your family and home.

- Home heating appliances, including natural gas furnaces, wood-burning stoves, fireplaces and chimneys should be inspected annually and cleaned as often as necessary by licenced contractors to prevent fires and reduce the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

- For gas furnace cleaning and servicing, choose a contractor who is registered with the BC Safety Authority and employs certified gasfitters. Be sure to ask for proof of certification.

- If your home is heated by a hydronic (water) radiant heating system, have a registered gas contractor annually inspect the boiler, vents and chimney.

An improperly cleaned or serviced gas furnace, boiler or fireplace can result in escaping natural gas or propane and, ultimately, carbon monoxide poisoning. Natural gas and propane smell like rotten eggs or sulphur. If you smell gas or hear the flow of escaping gas, open doors and windows, shut off the main gas valve at the meter, get everyone outside and away from the building, and use a neighbour's phone to contact your gas supplier immediately.
Carbon monoxide is a colourless, odourless, toxic gas that is created when fuel is burned incompletely. The burning of oil, coal, wood, charcoal, kerosene, propane or natural gas can produce carbon monoxide. Signs of carbon monoxide in the home include:

- Flu-like symptoms including dizziness, fatigue, headache, vomiting or nausea

- Dying house plants

- Discoloration or soot build-up on heating appliances, the fireplace or at warm-air outlets

- Loose, disconnected, rusted or water streaked vents on the chimney

While installing a CSA-certified carbon monoxide detector in your home is an added safety measure, the best solution is regular appliance maintenance.
For more information on home heating safety, visit www.safetyauthority.ca or www.terasengas.com.

Attention News Editors:
Canadians Know What It Takes To Be Young At Heart - But They Find It Challenging To Find Time to Exercise Survey shows people want to keep their hearts healthy

TORONTO, Sept. 25 /CNW/ - A new survey of Canadian men and women age 40 and older confirms their desire to reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease, and identified challenges such as finding time to exercise. Despite wanting to stay young at heart, 61 per cent of Canadians surveyed reported they had been either diagnosed with, or are at risk of developing heart disease. In Canada, one third of those surveyed have been diagnosed with or told that they are at risk for developing high blood pressure, followed by one-fourth who have been diagnosed or told they are at risk of developing high cholesterol. Other diagnosed or at risk conditions amongst Canadians include diabetes (20 per cent), obesity (18 per cent), heart disease/heart attack (15 per cent), and stroke (seven per cent).

The survey conducted by Bayer HealthCare LLC in Canada, and also in seven other countries including Argentina, China, Germany, South Korea, Mexico, Spain, and the United States was released in conjunction with the World Heart Federation's World Heart Day 2006. World Heart Day is a global advocacy campaign aimed at increasing public awareness and promoting the use of preventive measures to reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD).

"The good news is that people around the world recognize it is important to keep their hearts healthy and young," said Dr. Arthur M. Kushner, Chief of Family Practice and Co-Physician Director, Primary Care Program at Humber River Regional Hospital. "But there is still much work to be done in terms of both changing people's behaviours and expanding awareness of therapies that can help prevent heart disease."

In support of the World Heart Day's goal to increase awareness of CVD preventive measures, Bayer Inc. in Canada is providing $20,000 to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. These funds are part of a $150,000 sponsorship to support Heart and Stroke Foundation research, health promotion and advocacy.

"Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for Canadian men and women(1)," said Sally Brown, CEO, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada.

"Many of the risk factors that contribute to heart disease are controllable, so it is important that people are aware of these factors and adopt a healthy lifestyle. Helping Canadians understand and manage their risk for heart disease is a big part of the mandate of Heart and Stroke Foundation. We thank Bayer for their generous support of our ongoing efforts." This year's World Heart Day theme, How Young is Your Heart? encourages people around the globe to remain young at heart for life by adopting a heart-healthy lifestyle. While 80 per cent of those surveyed in Canada said they feel young at heart in terms of cardiovascular health, the survey found that most respondents said they find it hard to engage in heart-healthy behaviours. Respondents found it most difficult to engage in exercise, with 63 per cent stating that their exercise levels have decreased as they've gotten older, and 40 per cent say it is difficult to find the time to exercise.

Similarly, on a global level, nearly two out of three people surveyed said it is hard to find time to exercise, while one in three respondents do not think that taking a low-dose ASPIRIN(R) on the advice of a physician is an important therapy for heart health(2). This suggests that ASPIRIN is underutilized in individuals who would benefit from its use, while under physician care.
"Combining a low-fat diet, regular exercise, and a healthy lifestyle can greatly decrease the risk of cardiovascular events," said Dr. Kushner.

"However, more needs to be done to increase awareness of the significant benefits afforded by both behaviour change and appropriate medical therapies in achieving CVD prevention. In addition to lifestyle changes, using medical therapies such as those, which inhibit platelet aggregation, control high blood pressure, and lower abnormal cholesterol levels and treat diabetes can reduce the risk of various components of cardiovascular disease. Many of these medical therapies are recommended for the risk reduction of a heart attack in higher risk patients, yet, despite their widely proven cardio-protective effects, their underutilization by health professionals and patients is an important problem."

Noteworthy survey findings:
- Three-fourths of Canadians feel that spending time with loved ones (75 per cent) and having an optimistic outlook on life (73 percent) are very important for staying "young at heart."
- 3 out of ten Canadians (31 percent) feel engaging in regular sexual activity is very important.
- 1 out of ten (11 percent) feels drinking one glass of red wine a day is important.
- While both men and women surveyed in most of the countries agreed that they did not smoke or they had quit smoking in order to keep their hearts healthy, there were noteworthy differences between the genders when it comes to gauging the importance of other heart- healthy behaviours.
- Men in the US, Canada, Mexico, Spain and Germany agree that engaging in sexual activity is very important to staying young at heart(3).
- Women in these same countries were more likely to rate spending time with loved ones and having an optimistic outlook as the most important(4).

"Controlling major cardiovascular risk factors such as an unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and smoking can help prevent heart disease and stroke and thereby slow the impact of aging on the heart," Dr. Kushner added. "By asking everyone to think about the age of their hearts on World Heart Day, we are encouraging the world's population to adopt a heart-healthy lifestyle."
To that end, Bayer HealthCare is working in partnership with the World Heart Federation to improve physicians' awareness of the World Heart Federation principles and assist in implementing global and regional treatment guidelines in many countries around the world. Bayer is also an official global sponsor of World Health Day, which in 2006 will involve a wide range of activities including walks, runs, jump rope, fitness sessions, public talks, scientific forums, exhibitions, concerts, sports tournaments and more.

The Burden of CVD
- Cardiovascular disease is the underlying cause of death for one in three Canadians, making it the No.1 cause of death for Canadian men and women.
- In 2001, it is estimated that 29.6 million, 10 percent, of visits made by Canadians to physicians were for cardiovascular diseases.
- Health Canada estimated the total cost of cardiovascular disease on the health sector of the Canadian economy in 1998 to be the most costly disease category, costing the Canadian economy over
$18 billion a year, with major components of the total cost including hospital care - $4,162 million; drugs - $1,773 million; physician care - $822 million and $61 million in additional direct health
expenditures.
- According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 17 million people around the world die of cardiovascular disease each year - more than 29 percent of all deaths globally(5).
- By 2020, heart disease and stroke will become the leading cause of both death and disability worldwide(6).

About Bayer Inc.
Bayer Inc. (Bayer) is a Canadian subsidiary of Bayer AG, an international research-based group with core businesses in health care, crop science, and innovative materials.

Headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Bayer Inc. operates the Bayer Group's HealthCare and MaterialScience businesses in Canada. Bayer CropScience Inc., headquartered in Calgary, Alberta operates as a separate legal entity in Canada. Together, the companies play a vital role in improving the quality of life for Canadians - producing products that fight diseases, protecting crops and animals, and developing high-performance materials for applications in numerous areas of daily life.

Canadian Bayer facilities include the Toronto headquarters, offices in Ottawa and Calgary, as well as a manufacturing facility in Sarnia, Ontario. Bayer Inc. has approximately 930 employees across Canada and had sales of $981 million Canadian in 2005. Globally, the Bayer Group had sales of about 27.4 billion Euro in 2005.

Bayer Inc. invested approximately $38.1 million Canadian in research and development in 2005. Worldwide, the Bayer Group spends the equivalent of 1.9 billion Euro in 2005 in R&D.

(1) Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. The Growing Burden of Heart Disease and Stroke in Canada 2003. Ottawa, Canada, 2003.
(2) "Young at Heart" Survey Comparison of Results Across Countries, Page 6, 2nd section. 2nd sentence
(3) "Young at Heart" Survey Comparison of Results Across Countries, Page 7, 4th paragraph
(4) "Young at Heart" Survey Comparison of Results Across Countries, Page 7, 3rd paragraph
(5) World Health Organization, first bullet under "Facts", http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/publications/facts/cvd/en/
(6) World Health Organization, third paragraph, second sentence, http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2004/pr68/en/

Note to editor: Survey Methodology

The surveys were conducted in eight countries (Argentina, Canada, China, Germany, South Korea, Mexico, Spain, and the United States) by GMI as part of a custom study utilizing consumer opinion panels. Comparisons were based on approximately 300 respondents (male and female) per country 40 years of age or older. Some questions have multiple responses.

For further information: Alison Bing, Bayer

Differences in health for rural and urban Canadians
Mortality rates higher in most rural areas, but cancer incidence rates lower
  The rural advantage  |  Higher smoking rates  |  CPHI |  About CIHI  |  Figures |  Report  | 

September 19, 2006—A new report released today shows that Canadians living in rural areas generally have higher mortality (or death) rates than those living in urban areas. How Healthy Are Rural Canadians? An Assessment of Their Health Status and Health Determinants is the result of a research partnership between the Canadian Population Health Initiative (CPHI)—a part of the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI)—as well as the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and the Centre for Rural and Northern Health Research (Laurentian University). This report provides a new pan-Canadian perspective on the health of rural Canadians. The report compares urban areas with four types of rural areas: those with highest commuting flow (where at least 30% of employed people commute to an urban area to work) and areas with moderate, weak, and no commuting flow.

Researchers found that Canadians living in rural and remote areas had higher death rates than their urban counterparts. Annual mortality rates were highest in the most rural areas (with no commuters) at 792 deaths per 100,000 people compared to 695 deaths per 100,000 in urban areas. However, rural areas with the highest commuting flow had lower mortality rates (at 668 deaths per 100,000 people) than urban areas. The urban–rural difference in mortality was most pronounced among children and adolescents aged 5 to 19, particularly for deaths due to injuries.

“Higher overall mortality rates among rural communities seem to be driven by higher death rates from causes such as circulatory diseases and injuries,” says Marie DesMeules, one of the Principal Investigators of the study. “Circulatory diseases are the leading cause of death in Canada. Our analysis shows that risk factors such as smoking and obesity are reported more frequently among rural than urban residents, and this may contribute to the higher risk of dying prematurely from circulatory disease among rural and remote residents.”

Major causes of death

Rural residents had increased risk of dying from circulatory disease, respiratory disease, diabetes, injuries and suicide. In general, death rates were highest in areas with moderate, weak and no commuter flow. For example, death rates from circulatory disease ranged from 290 to 302 per 100,000 in areas with moderate flow to those with no commuter flow, compared with 273 per 100,000 in urban areas. For respiratory disease, among rural men aged 45 to 64 in areas with no commuters, there were 47 deaths per 100,000 compared to 33 per 100,000 in urban areas, representing a 42% higher risk of death. Men in the same age group in areas with moderate commuter flow had only a 10% higher risk of death than their urban counterparts.

Women living in areas with moderate, weak and no commuter flow generally had a higher risk of dying from diabetes compared to urban women. However, men in areas with the highest commuting flow had a lower risk of dying of diabetes than urban men.

•Mortality rates due to motor vehicle–related injuries were higher in the most rural areas for all ages, with risks being two to three times higher than in urban areas.

•In Canada, the overall suicide rate was 5 deaths per 100,000 people aged 5 to 19. Those under age 20 living in the most rural areas (no commuters) had the highest risk of dying from suicide—boys were four times and girls were six times more likely to commit suicide than their urban counterparts.

The rural advantage: cancer rates

The report also highlights health advantages for Canada’s rural residents. Canadians in rural areas were less likely to be diagnosed with a new case of cancer than their urban counterparts. The rate of annual cancer diagnoses ranged from 419 to 456 per 100,000 rural men as compared to 464 for urban men, and 303 to 324 per 100,000 rural women as compared to 336 for urban women. Death rates due to cancer were lower in rural populations for some specific cancers. For instance, mortality rates for breast cancer in rural women aged 45 years and older were lower than in urban areas. For women aged 45 to 64 in rural areas, breast cancer mortality ranged from 51 to 54 deaths per 100,000 as compared to 61 deaths per 100,000 in urban areas. However, rural populations were not advantaged for all types of specific cancers. For example, both incidence and mortality rates for cervical cancer were higher for women in some rural areas than in urban areas, with the highest rates found in the most rural areas. Men aged 45 to 64 living in areas with moderate and no commuter flow had higher mortality from lung cancer (123 and 125 deaths per 100,000, respectively) than men of the same age living in urban areas (109 per 100,000). This was not the case for rural women in this age group, whose lung cancer rates did not differ from those of urban women.

Higher smoking rates but stronger sense of community belonging

Smoking rates, second-hand smoke exposure and eating five servings or more of fruit and vegetables each day showed urban–rural differences. Higher proportions of rural Canadians were smokers (most rural: 32%; urban: 25%), and only 31% in the most rural areas reported eating five or more servings of fruit and vegetables each day compared to 38% of urban dwellers. Rural Canadians were also more likely to report being overweight or obese (having a body mass index of 25 or greater): 57% in the most rural areas as compared to 47% of urban Canadians.

On the other hand, living in rural areas had its advantages in terms of quality of life. Rural residents reported having lower levels of stress and a stronger sense of community belonging than their urban counterparts.