Aug. 29, 2008 -- New technology could eventually make infertility treatments more effective and less expensive. Though it has so far only been tested with mouse embryos, the hope is that it could improve the process of selecting the most viable embryos for in vitro fertilization. Research on the new technology, informally called "lab on a chip," has been published in Analytical Chemistry.

In vitro fertilization, known as IVF, involves combining eggs and sperm outside the body in a laboratory. Once an embryo or embryos form, they are then placed in the uterus. IVF is a complex and expensive procedure. The average cost of IVF is more than $12,000.

Currently, fertility doctors evaluate the quality of an embryo being considered for IVF through microscopic examination of the embryo's physical characteristics, such as cell shape. This process is time-consuming and not reliable enough, according to researchers.

Almost 130,000 women undergo IVF procedures each year in the U.S. -- yet the success rate is only about 30%. To boost a woman's chances of conceiving, doctors may put more than one embryo into the uterus. This can lead to multiple births and makes the pregnancy riskier for both mother and child.

The scientists -- from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Fertility Laboratories of Colorado -- worked with a device called a microfluidic chip, which they hope will someday lead to a more targeted embryo selection process. The chip, about the size of a quarter, is designed to evaluate the health of embryos being considered for transplant by measuring how the embryo alters key nutrients in the tissue culture medium surrounding embryos, according to the study.

Researchers collected fluids surrounding 10 mouse embryos and analyzed the fluids using the computer-controlled chip. Within minutes, the device could accurately measure the metabolism of the embryos from the surrounding fluids. Long-term, the chip could improve the quality of embryos selected for human IVF, and it could also reduce the cost associated with the procedure, according to the study's authors.

SOURCES:

Urbanski, J., Analytical Chemistry, 2008.

New release, American Chemical Society.

http://www.webmd.com/infertility-and-reproduction/guide/in_vitro_fertilization

Aug. 28, 2008 -- People have been using olive leaf medicinally for millennia.

The ancient Egyptians revered the leaves. Ancient Greeks used them to clean wounds, and the original Olympic athletes were crowned with a wreath of olive leaves. The olive leaf is even mentioned in the Bible for its purported healing properties.

So it's no wonder that scientists today are looking at ways to use olive leaf, specifically for one of modern society's biggest and sneakiest health problems -- high blood pressure.

High blood pressure (hypertension) often develops quietly and without symptoms. Ways to curb it include lifestyle and diet changes -- cutting salt and fat and getting the body moving.

An earlier study showed that when rats were given olive leaf extract, their blood pressure dropped.

Now researchers in Germany and Switzerland have looked at how sets of identical human twins with borderline hypertension responded to taking olive leaf extract. Identical twins were used to help keep the data consistent, because genetic differences can make people respond differently to the same treatments.

The extract was obtained from dry olive leaves and put into capsule form.     

Two experiments were carried out. One compared twins who took 500 milligrams of olive leaf extract a day at breakfast with a comparison group of their siblings who didn't. A second compared a group who took 500 milligrams a day to those who took 1,000 milligrams a day. A total of 40 people participated, aged 18 to 60; 28 women and 12 men.

Here are the results:

Those who took the highest daily dosage of olive leaf extract (1,000 milligrams) received the highest benefits -- "significantly" lowering their cholesterol and blood pressure when compared to the group that took 500 milligrams.

At the end of the eight-week study, the group that took 1,000 milligrams per day had dropped their systolic blood pressure (the "top" number) by an average of 11 points.

The participants who received 500 milligrams of olive leaf extract dropped their systolic blood pressure by five points, and those who took no supplements saw their blood pressure edge up by two points. Neither one of these changes was felt to be statistically significant.  

Researchers, led by lead author Tania Perrinjaquet-Moccetti of Frutarom (a Swiss manufacturer of the olive leaf extract), note that they were not looking for what dosage might be most effective, but rather whether there was a blood pressure lowering effect at all.

The authors also note a "significant" reduction in LDL ("bad") cholesterol in those twins who took the olive leaf extract, but the specific data regarding these results was not presented in the paper.

The authors call for more investigation into the possible benefits of olive leaf extract on both blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Results are published in the September issue of Phytotherapy Research. The research was funded by Frutarom.

SOURCES:

Tania Perrinjaquet-Mocetti, Phytotherapy Research, September 2008.

News release, Wiley Blackwell.

Aug. 29, 2008 -- The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is urging parents and caregivers to stop using certain 3-in-1 and 4-in-1 convertible "close-sleeper/bedside sleeper" bassinets, made by Simplicity Inc. of Reading, Pa., after two babies became entrapped in the bassinet's metal bars and died of strangulation.

A 5-month-old girl from Shawnee, Kan. was strangled to death when she became entrapped between the metal bassinet's bars on Aug. 21, and on Sept. 29, 2007, a 4-month-old girl from Noel, Mo., became entrapped in the metal bars of the bassinet and died, according to the CPSC.

The bassinets aren't being recalled. In a news release, the CPSC says it's issuing a safety alert about the bassinets "because SFCA Inc., the company which bought all of Simplicity Inc.'s assets at a public auction in April 2008, has refused to cooperate with the government and recall the products. SFCA maintains that it is not responsible for products previously manufactured by Simplicity."

The Simplicity 3-in-1 and 4-in-1 convertible bassinets contain metal bars spaced farther apart than 2 3/8 inches, which is the maximum distance allowed under the federal crib safety standard. The metal bars are covered by an adjustable fabric flap which is attached by Velcro. The fabric is folded down when the bassinet is converted into a bedside co-sleeping position. If the Velcro is not properly resecured when the flap is adjusted, an infant can slip through the opening and become entrapped in the metal bars and suffocate, the CPSC notes.

Because of the serious hazard these bassinets pose to babies, the CPSC urges all consumers to share this safety warning with day care centers, consignment stores, family, and friends to ensure that no child is placed to sleep in a Simplicity convertible bassinet covered by this warning.

The CPSC's warning doesn't cover bassinets produced in recent months that have fabric permanently attached over the lower bar.

Company Responds

SFCA, Inc. -- based in Reading, Pa. -- is part of Blackstreet Capital Management. The PBN Company -- a Washington, D.C.-based public relations firm -- emailed WebMD a statement on behalf of SFCA about the bassinets.

The statement advises consumers with questions about the CPSC product alert to call the CPSC at 800-638-2772.

The SFCA's statement notes that "the CPSC product alert does not involve any product manufactured and distributed by SFCA, Inc.," with "does not" written in bold print and underlined.

The bassinets mentioned in the alert were made and distributed by Simplicity, Inc., not SFCA. All bassinets produced and sold by SFCA have fabric that permanently attaches over the lower bar and "are safe and can continue to be used," states the SFCA, adding that it has "no legal liability for any products distributed previously by Simplicity."

The SFCA says it's "disappointed" that the CPSC "mischaracterized SFCA's cooperation with CPSC" and pledges to "continue to cooperate with the CPSC."

SOURCES:

News release, Consumer Product Safety Commission.

News release, The PBN Company for SFCA, Inc.

Aug. 28, 2008 -- If you're happy and you know it -- you are likely to be healthier over time.

A new study of 9,981 Australians found that people who report high happiness and life satisfaction are more likely a few years later to report good health. The study, published in The American Journal of Health Promotion, uses data from the Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey. Researchers compared happiness and satisfaction answers that participants gave in 2001 with their health responses in 2004.

To measure happiness, people were asked two multiple-choice questions: "During the past four weeks, have you been a happy person?" and "All things considered, how satisfied are you with your life?"

Three years later, health was measured in three ways: First, participants were asked, "In general, would you say your health is excellent, very good, good, fair, or poor?" Then they were asked. "Do you have any long-term health conditions, impairments, or disabilities that restrict you in everyday activities and have lasted or are likely to last six months or more?" Finally, they were given a score card, in which they were asked to answer yes or no to 17 health conditions, such as chronic pain or vision problems that are not corrected by glasses.

About 63% of people said they were happy most or all of the time. More than 90% claimed life satisfaction. Those people were significantly more likely to report good health a few years later. For example, those who were satisfied with life were 1.6 times as likely to report excellent, very good, or good health at follow-up.

"Everything else being equal, if you are happy and satisfied with your life now, you are more likely to be healthy in the future. Importantly, our results are independent of several factors that impact on health, such as smoking, physical activity, alcohol consumption, and age," said lead author Mohammad Siahpush, PhD.

Siahpush is a professor of health promotion at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha.

This research echoes prior studies on health and happiness that looked at specific groups. For instance, a study on nuns in the United States found that nuns who reported happiness, hope, and love in journals kept in their young adult years were likely to live longer.

Authors say that happiness, like economic status, should be considered a key health indicator. They also call for more study, including "developing and evaluating interventions to enhance subjective well-being."

SOURCES:

Siahpush, M., The American Journal of Health Promotion, September/October 2008, vol 23, no 1.

News release, American Journal of Health Promotion.

Aug. 29, 2008 -- The body is a miraculous mechanism. Consider the once-lowly earwax. People used to try to remove it. Now, we now know that earwax has a job to do.

Think of it kind of like the oil in your car, except it doesn't ever have to be changed.

Earwax is created by a mixture of secretions from glands that line the ear canal, sloughed-off skin cells, and bits of hair.

It acts as a cleaning agent, which also protects and lubricates part of the sensitive ear canal.

Normally, excess wax eases its way out of your ear without any prompting on your part, helped along by the movement of your jaw.

That's when it can be cleaned out a bit, but it's advised that you not go looking for it and only clean out earwax once it emerges on its own.

So, although earwax is essentially good, too much of it can cause problems.

The American Academy of Otolaryngology -- Head and Neck Surgery Foundation are releasing the national guidelines to help clinicians recognize earwax buildup, find the best ways to remove earwax, and deal with patients when earwax becomes a problem. The guidelines do not apply to earwax impaction related to certain conditions, such as skin diseases of the ear.

The clinical term for earwax is cerumen.

"Approximately 12 million people a year in the U.S. seek medical care for impacted or excessive cerumen," according to news release comments from Richard Rosenfeld, MD, who led the Guideline Development Task Force.

He says nearly 8 million cerumen-removal procedures are performed yearly by health care professionals. "Developing practical clinical guidelines for physicians to understand the harm vs. benefit profile of the intervention was essential," Rosenfeld says.

The panel that created the guidelines was drawn from a pool of specialists in audiology, family medicine, geriatrics, internal medicine, nursing, surgeons, and pediatrics.

Here are some of the guidelines' highlights:

• The panel made a "strong" recommendation that doctors should "treat" impacted earwax when it causes symptoms or gets in the way of an examination.

Symptoms of too much earwax:

• Pain, itching of the ear, ringing of the ears (tinnitus), or hearing loss.

How do professionals remove it? One way is with irrigation, gently letting water wash out the excess wax.

• It is also recommended that doctors get into the habit of asking patients about their earwax history.
• People with hearing aids are advised to get checked regularly for ear wax buildup. This can help maintain hearing aid function and lower risk of damage to the hearing aid.
• It is "strongly advised" that people not use cotton swabs or ear candling to clean earwax on their own.
• Those who are high-risk for impacted earwax are advised to get checked every 6- to 12 months for routine cleaning.

In prepared comments, the panel's lead author Peter Roland, MD, said, "The complications from cerumen impaction can be painful and ongoing, including infections and hearing loss."

He added, "It is hoped that these guidelines will give clinicians the tools they need to spot an issue early and avoid serious outcomes."

The guidelines are published in the September issue of Otolarynology-Head and Neck Surgery.

SOURCES:

Roland, P. Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, September 2008.

News release, American Academy of Otolaryngology.