Welcome to the World Health Newsletter:
Your weekly source of interesting and informative health news from around the world.

Lightening Precautions
The Food and Drug Administration's Office of Nonprescription Products proposed a ban on over-the-counter sales of skin lightening products. The creams contain hydroquinone, a drug that shows some evidence of possibly causing cancer. The FDA also noted a link between the use of these creams and development of ochronosis, a condition that causes darkening and thickening of the skin, yellowish bumps and gray brown spots. In the U.S., millions of people use skin lightening creams to erase unattractive blemishes and age spots. In Africa and Asia, where lighter skin is widely perceived as being more attractive, women who use skin lightening products over their entire bodies have reported disastrous results, including permanent disfigurement and malfunctioning adrenal glands. Hydroquinone has been banned in Japan, the European Union and Australia. [MSNBC]


Nicotine Rising
According to a new report released by the Massachusetts Department of Health, the level of nicotine found in U.S. cigarettes has risen 10% in the past six years. The amount of nicotine in the popular menthol brand Kool rose 20%. Higher levels of nicotine make it harder to quit and easier to get addicted. The report also found there was no significant difference in the total nicotine content between full flavor, medium, light, or ultra-light cigarettes. [HOUSTON CHRONICLE]


Canadian Counterfeit
Recent testing revealed fake versions of several widely used prescription drugs ordered through websites linked to Canadian pharmacies. Counterfeit versions of drugs including Pfizer Inc.'s Lipitor and AstraZeneca's Crestor were found to have lower concentrations of active ingredients that could put patients at risk. U.S. regulators now say Americans should not buy prescription drugs from Canadian websites because medicine may be contaminated or ineffective. [BLOOMBERG]


Premature Drug Launch
Clinical trial results indicate a drug seeking federal approval meant to help women carry their babies to term does not appear to delay the earliest preterm births most often linked to death and serious health problems. Food and Drug Administration documents show Gestiva did not significantly reduced births before either 32 or 35 weeks' gestation. [REUTERS]


Prenatal CVS
The risk of miscarriage after undergoing chorionic villus sampling (CVS) to detect birth defects is lower than previously thought and essentially carries the same risk as the more commonly used amniocentesis. The tests are done to identify fetal genetic or chromosomal abnormalities. CVS can provide information much sooner than other methods; it is a biopsy procedure that involves the removal of a small piece of tissue from the placenta. [SAN DIEGO UNION TRIBUNE]


Semen Protection
The Medical Research Council found men's semen can enhance the growth of cervical cancer and cancer of the uterus and said women could help prevent the progression of certain cancers by urging their partner to wear a condom. Prostaglandin, a hormone like molecule, is 1,000 times more highly concentrated in semen than in the cells that line the female reproductive organs. Doctors suggest women who are at risk of cervical or uterine cancer should encourage their partners to wear a condom to prevent increased exposure to the prostaglandins. [GUARDIAN UNLIMITED]


Fatal Bite
Nine-year-old John Fontaine developed a fever several days after being bitten by a mosquito and was hospitalized two days later. The boy was diagnosed with Eastern Equine Encephalitis and died two weeks later. In general, symptoms appear five to seven days after infection and include high fever, mental confusion, headache, stiff neck and lack of energy. Encephalitis, or inflammation and swelling of the brain, is the most dangerous complication and can leave patients in a come. Three of every ten cases are fatal. [EYEWITNESS NEWS]


Allergies and Asthma
According to a new study of nearly 500,000 children in more than 50 countries, the prevalence of childhood allergies, asthma, and allergic skin conditions known as eczema has increased around the world over the last five to 10 years. The largest increases occurred in some of the most heavily populated countries that are becoming more industrialized. [BOSTON GLOBE]


Squeeze Onset
Drinking fruit and vegetable juice at least three times a week may delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease. Researchers from the University of South Florida found the risk for developing Alzheimer's disease was reduced by 76% for those who drank 8-ounces of fruit and vegetable juices more than three times a week. Polyphenols in foods might disrupt the development of clumps of beta-amyloid protein in the brain and provide some protection against Alzheimer's disease by neutralizing the effect of damaging free radicals compounds. [BBC NEWS]


Healthy Work
Long work hours can increase the risk of developing hypertension or high blood pressure. Doctors from the University of California, Irvine concluded working longer hours is directly associated with hypertension and found unskilled workers were most likely to develop the condition. Working 40 hours a week increased risk by 14% and the likelihood escalated as hours increased; working 41 to 50 hours a week increased risk to 17%. [GLOBE AND MAIL]


Angry Lungs
Long-term hostility or anger can damage lung function and speed up the natural decline in lung power that comes with age. Hostility and anger have an impact on chronic airway obstruction and can disrupt immune function and trigger inflammatory processes. The two negative traits have previously been associated with heart disease, death and asthma. [FOX NEWS]